Chapter 3 Rune
rune
. . .
My gaze flicked around the room as I tried not to let Drecken’s stare unnerve me. My heart almost combusted when I noticed another basilisk looking right at me.
And Fates, his hair was a breathtaking sunset yellow that melted into orange and red, untamed and natural. It was as if the sun had grown roots in his scalp and bloomed in gradients as it set.
My fingers twitched to run through it.
He shot me a wide smile, flashing his fangs as he did. The residue of orange venom on them made my spine click straighter.
Tattoos traced the bones of his hands, and along one arm were many items forming a colorful sleeve.
An hourglass of sand, an eye in a jar, two nails, a venomous spider, venom-covered cherries, a venomous scorpion, a human-made gun, a dagger, a beetle, an acid bottle, a syringe of liquid tourmalyke, a femur, and a sword.
There was a peep of a snake sticking out beneath his dark shirt and another tattoo barely visible on the other side that I couldn’t see.
His presence practically crackled. I could smell him from across the room. His scent was of burnt sugar, and it made my stomach flip. His eyes narrowed slightly, and I felt a tug at the base of my magic.
I knew he had an extra magic power, and I felt his essence reach for mine.
He hadn’t looked away once.
Tilting his head, he smirked.
I had a weird feeling that he’d somehow marked me without moving an inch.
His tongue slid out, slow and deliberate, before it split. My breath caught as he licked the venom dripping down both of his fangs in one swipe.
Fates help me. That shouldn’t have been hot. But it was.
Magic fizzled through my gums as I did the same.
I clenched my hands on the desk. The air felt thicker now. My own magic was humming beneath my skin, pulsing in rhythm with his gaze.
I hadn’t even realized that written exams were over until Drecken’s magic plucked all the exams away with a snap of his fingers.
Forcing my gaze away, I picked up the last thing Dad was saying.
“You will receive your papers back if you’ve failed, and then you can leave the same way you came.”
A couple dozen papers fluttered back to a few of the applicants, and I could practically feel the defeat in their auras.
A wave of relief flooded me as I noticed myself, Slater, Koa, and the vampire I’d seen did not get their papers back. The basilisk I’d been staring down had also passed.
“Follow us to the training grounds for the first practical exam,” Pops told us, taking over for Dad.
Everyone practically shot up from their chairs and bolted behind my parents and the other instructors as they left the auditorium.
I got up and followed.
Koa leaned down slightly as he fell into step with me. “How do you feel about the exam?”
“It was hard,” Slater whined, pouting his bottom lip out. “I don’t know anything about runes, but there is a Rune I want to learn everything about.”
I rolled my eyes before meeting Koa’s ember-flecked brown eyes. “It was easy.”
He gave me a soft smile. “I thought so as well.”
“Wait.” Slater gasped. A flicker of his chaos manifestation snake wrapping around his neck appeared and faded in the same breath. “That’s what I meant. Yeah, you’re right. So easy!”
I fought back the urge to giggle as the basilisk with sunset-colored hair walked up beside us with another basilisk next to him.
They were whispering to each other, shooting looks my way.
His friend had white spiked short hair and pink eyes, but his expression told me he was wary of me.
Unlike the sunset-haired one, who looked at me like he wanted to sink his fangs into me.
Not that I would mind. I was curious about his venom.
We stepped out of the massive stone archway of Apex Nexus, and my boots thudded against the polished stone stairs as the air outside pulsed with raw, humming energy.
Moving through the grass, I inhaled the thick scent of magic in the air. It was so heavy it made my tongue tingle.
“It tickles,” Slater commented, but I didn’t miss the shiver that worked its way through him.
“It does,” I agreed with a smile tugging at my lips.
The massive red arcane circle seared beneath us across the courtyard.
It stretched in all directions with sigils interwoven into it, whispering to the magic inside my bones.
The runes themselves glowed faintly in the late morning sun, casting shifting pink-red shadows across our path.
Even the grass that pushed up near the boundary of the circle sparkled unnaturally.
We left the walled-in courtyard of the academy and headed across the bridge and through the gates again before making our way over the open stretch of grass across from the wayfaer teleporter where I arrived. The crystal hummed quietly in the distance as a warm breeze stirred my hair.
The distant roar of Phoenix Falls echoed farther away, the molten glow flickering prettily.
Slater leaned closer as we walked, his breath fanning over my cheek. “You know, I heard that certain types of venom enhance reaction time. Want to test the theory on me for this practical exam?”
I shot him an amused glance. “Only if you want to seize up and fail. You’re awfully trusting of a basilisk, Havoc baby. Were you listening when I said my venom was fatal?”
He grinned with a small shrug. “You say fatal, I say kinky.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t slow. “Death wish?”
“I’d die for you.” Slater swooned as his boots kicked up loose sparks of magic from the ground while he walked. I felt his chaos magic jumping around as if reacting to the potent energy in the academy as much as mine tried to.
“She’s right, you know,” the sunset-haired basilisk chimed in. “Basilisks aren’t known for being sweethearts. We’re more toxic than that.”
“Call me a glutton for toxins then.” Slater winked. “Right, venom baby?”
I couldn’t hold back the snort. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
“I was hoping you could help me do that.”
“Definitely has a death wish,” the other basilisk murmured, making the sunset-haired one crack up.
The other basilisk’s lips curved into a larger grin. “She is a pretty little poison, though.”
My pretty poison tattoo scrawled on my collarbone flared with recognition, and I bit back a smile.
“He gets it.” Slater jerked his thumb in his direction before holding his hand out. “I’m Slater. You’re into Rune, too? Great. Maybe we’ll be brother-mates!”
“Brother…mates?” The basilisk flicked his orange gaze between Slater’s eyes and his hand, checking if he was really offering his hand to a basilisk. Other supernaturals were always hesitant since all basilisks leaked venom from their hands and fangs only. I was an exception to that rule.
“He really wants to die,” the other basilisk muttered.
“Zuko.” The basilisk shook Slater’s hand before winking at me. “She’s pretty cute, but is she as vicious as I am?”
“More so.” I smiled, showing my dripping fangs off.
Zuko glanced at his friend. “Raze, dude, come on. Slater here may have the right idea.”
“I absolutely do. There may be no matebond yet, but there will be one soon. I know it,” Slater gushed like a teenage girl.
Zuko let go of his hand with a chuckle, his eyes meeting mine. “We’ll see what the Fates think.”
A hot chill zapped down my spine, making me stand straighter.
“Welcome to the Elite Training Grounds,” Dad announced as we reached the place we’d be doing some of the practical trials.
The training grounds were made of dark dirt, but a golden light framed the rectangular shape. I was assuming it was a type of healing ward to be there for the injured to heal faster, and a quick focus on the aura and intent of it confirmed my suspicions.
“The practical trials are forty percent of the entrance exams, and it’s broken into three trials to see how you deal with high-pressure situations and high magical essence exposure,” Pops explained, raking a hand through his red hair.
“Combat trial is first. I’ll be conducting that here in a moment.
The point of this trial is to test you in close-quarters combat.
You will be fighting me, one at a time, until I determine if you’re worthy of passing.
You will pass if you are trainable. Some supernaturals lack fighting capacity in general.
This is how we can determine if you have it.
Even our diplomatic envoys are trained in combat.
If you have nothing in you to fight, you will fail. ”
A faint vibration trembled beneath the soles of my boots, along with a large gust of wind as a large green dragon flew over the training grounds.
The dragon shifted, landing perfectly with a tight black suit intact.
It was enchanted so shifters of all kinds could keep their clothes when they transformed.
Not only that, but those suits could withstand drake fire and ice, as well as sharp objects.
Jesper, the agent my mom trusted more than any other, landed in a low crouch before he stood at his full 6’6” height. That one wasn’t a guess. I’d stolen Mom’s agent file on him after I’d met him.
Something about him made me curious, and I always followed my instincts.
“Apologies,” he said, voice deep and smooth. “My mission ran over. Unforeseen complications.”
“Alwaysss are,” Mom hissed.
Pops shrugged, shaking his hand. “You didn’t miss much. We were just about to begin.”
Jesper nodded once. The sun caught the edges of his white shoulder-length hair, which gleamed like silver in the light.
He walked a few steps over and stood next to Drecken.
My pulse spiked.
Jesper Wyvernheart.
We’d barely had a full conversation back when he was leading the mission against Dark Veil, a dark magic cult that was determined to kill Pandora and bring dark magic into Kalista.
But something about him had stirred something in my soul, something sharp and aching.
It had been as if I remembered him even though I’d never met him before. It didn’t make sense.