Chapter 53 Rune
rune
. . .
They leaned forward, their whispers buzzing loud as the House Gauntlet was broadcast for us.
Excitement thrummed through me at the fact of finally being able to witness one at the academy. Dad and Pops never let me since only students and staff were permitted on campus, but they talked about it all the time.
Last year, Tibby was so pumped after watching it.
But now, I could finally see it for myself.
I mean, I’d watched it from home in the past, but it was a completely different experience being here.
It was intense.
It had dwindled down to House of Fortitude against House of Arcane.
And my brother was on fire.
Literally.
Phoenix flames blazed from Tibby’s wings, curling up into a storm of gold light that scorched through every single spell House of Arcane students tried to throw at him. He melted their shields and blew through their wards, opening them up for his squad to attack.
The crowd and I gasped when he set the entire field ablaze and walked through it like a badass. His black hair threaded with green lowlights glowed, and his green eyes burned brighter than the fire he commanded.
The siren triplets, who had been in another year-one squad, were cheering him on, and I figured they weren’t that bad if they were supporting Tibby so much.
“Go, Tibby!” I shouted, even though I knew he couldn’t hear me.
I had to cheer on my big brother.
“You’re so cute when you’re being a cheerleader,” Slater gushed, kissing my cheek.
“She is, isn’t she?” Zuko agreed, grinning at me.
I rolled my eyes, ignoring the heat rising on my cheeks, and continued to cheer him on.
“Tobias Bloodwyne,” someone breathed behind me. “That’s your brother, right?”
“Sure is,” I answered gleefully as Tibby demolished three senior Arcane House members at once with a blast of flames that cracked their barriers into rubble.
When the simulator cut and the students walked into the auditorium, House of Fortitude stood victorious, solely because of my brother.
The cheers echoed as the houses filed in. First-years around me were already buzzing about how next year that’ll be us, if we survived the placement exam, that was.
“Enjoy it while it lasts,” I teased as Tibby found me while the rest of the house members spilled into the auditorium. “Because next year, I’ll totally beat you.”
Tibby smirked, his green eyes gleaming. “Not if you’re in my house to help me.”
“True,” I admitted with a wicked grin. “Bloodwynes will take over.”
He nudged me with his shoulder. “Don’t get cocky, Roo.”
“Me? Never.” I cackled.
“Are you ready for house placement?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said, sharper than I meant to. My stomach had been knotted for weeks leading up to it, but Tibby didn’t need to know that.
It was like my instincts were screaming at me that something bad was about to happen. I knew without a doubt that I was more qualified to be an agent than half of the supernaturals here, but there was something in my gut that said something was wrong.
Zuko slid up beside me, warm hand brushing mine. “I hope we end up in the same house,” he murmured.
I shot him a sideways glance. “Mmm. I think I know where you’ll land, and it’s not my strength.”
Without a doubt, Zuko would end up in House of Torment. He enjoyed torture far too much, and he was good at it.
Before he could argue, he leaned in and kissed me. “But I like being in your room every night,” he said lazily as he pulled back. “Have you told Tibby he’s definitely going to be my brother-by-mating? Pretty little poison, you’ve taken liberties with me almost every night.”
I choked as heat flooded my face.
Tibby’s jaw dropped. “Dude, she’s my sister.”
Slater popped in, draping himself over my shoulder. “Don’t forget me. She takes liberties with both of us.”
I couldn’t hide the laugh that bubbled out of me. “I’d never forget you.”
“We’ve all heard that much,” Dimitri hissed under his breath, too low for anyone but me to catch.
My chest tightened uncomfortably. Dimitri had been avoiding me ever since biting me, and I hated it.
“Guys, she’s my little sister,” Tibby groaned, dragging his hands down his face. “Don’t let our dads find out.”
That was when the triplet sirens sauntered up, perfectly in sync and wrapping themselves around my brother. “Don’t be a hypocrite,” Nym purred. “You’ve taken liberties with all three of us.”
My gasp ripped out of me. “Aw, Tibby! You’re growing up!”
“I’m the oldest,” he muttered, ears turning red.
I bit my lip in amusement. Tibby may have been a player, but he never slept with anyone he wasn’t genuinely interested in. I wasn’t surprised he liked them, though; they seemed headstrong, and they were stunning.
Drecken stepped out of thin air in front of me, materializing so suddenly the crowd gasped. “Rune, I need you—”
Darian’s voice cut in immediately, sharp and cruel from behind Tibby. “What a slut. Even fucking the professors now?”
Drecken tilted his head, unimpressed. With a flick of his fingers, Darian vanished in a shimmer of magic. “It’ll take him a while to come back.”
“Where’d you send him?” Tibby asked in shock.
“Somewhere in Vleyis Abyss.” He shrugged. “Don’t know how the academy thinks someone like that is fit for being an agent.”
I giggled. “Thanks for that.”
“I wanted to give you something.” He pressed a small vial into my hand. Liquid shimmered inside, faintly glowing. “Something I’ve been working on. Closest I’ve gotten to reproducing the feeling. Good luck on the placement, viperling.”
“Thank you,” I breathed.
He inclined his head and vanished into a portal.
“Holy shit, Roo!” Tibby’s eyes widened. “Was that seriously Drecken Grimsworn? Since when are you close to him?”
Before I could answer, Jesper jogged up, flushed and panting as he pushed a container of noodles at me. “Oh, great! I made it. Good luck, Rune!”
Tibby’s voice cracked. “Rune. What is with all of these men?”
I rolled my eyes. “Shut up, Tibby. You’re surrounded by triplets. I’ve only slept with two of them. You’ve slept with three. You’re the one winning in sexual partners right now.”
He sputtered so hard he nearly choked on air.
The triplets around him giggled.
Before he could recover, Dad’s voice rolled over the crowd, amplified by the enchantments. “Congratulations to House of Fortitude on their victory.”
Cheers erupted from all of us as I put the noodles and potion in my bag for safekeeping and gave it to my brother to hold on to.
“And now,” Dad continued, “we welcome the first-years. Tonight, you’ll be placed into your houses.”
The auditorium shook with the roar of cheers and applause. And my stomach clenched tight. Despite all my excitement, my hands trembled at my sides.
Something just felt…off.
I wasn’t sure if I was nervous or if it was my instincts trying to tell me something.
All but four first-years passed the written exams. None from my squad failed, but the ones who passed filed toward the right-wing simulator.
Simulator 1.6 loomed ahead of us, smaller than 2.0 which the House Gauntlet had been held in.
The placements were an individual exam.
One by one, every single first-year went in before me, and I stood with my squad as they eventually went in. Their names flickered on the monitor with the timer and the feed of what happened inside.
Most of them passed. All but one of my squad members did. Dimitri, Koa, Slater, Zuko, Raze, Eleanor, Lorian, and Aura.
Everyone except Hawk.
He stumbled out last, his black eyes wild, and his face crumpled.
Dad’s voice cut through from the speaker. “Hawk Moonfang, fail.”
My heart twisted as he looked at me as if I could fix it. “I failed,” he croaked.
“Aw,” Eleanor cooed, hugging him. “It’ll be okay. You can always come back next year.”
“Thanks, Eleanor.” He pulled back and sniffled, looking at me, but Aura gave him a quick hug as Lorian patted him on the back.
“It’ll be okay,” Aura murmured softly.
“Yeah, Hawk. You can always come back!” Lorian assured him.
His gaze was locked on me, though. “I’ll come back, but maybe I’m not cut out for being an agent.”
I opened my arms without thinking, and he walked in for a hug. “Don’t say that. You’ll get another chance. Failing doesn’t define you. Giving up will.”
“I won’t give up.” His hands shook against my back before they slid down to my ass. His fingers actually curled over my ass cheeks. “I won’t give up on you either.”
“What the fuck are you doing?” I stumbled back from him, my hand flying with paralysis venom on my palm before slapping him across the face.
In the same move, Jesper’s shifted talons pierced straight through Hawk’s chest, sharp and merciless. His heart was in Jesper’s hand as my hand met his cheek.
Hawk’s body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Jesper stood over him, dropping Hawk’s heart onto his body. “Forgive my rashness. I—I don’t know what came over me, but he assaulted you.”
“Don’t apologize, Jesper.” I swallowed hard, my heartbeat rattling. “Thank you,” I said quietly.
Zuko’s sharp laugh cut in as he put the knife in his hand away. “Fuck, Jesper, I didn’t know you had it in you to be so brutal.”
Slater’s demon form receded. “You were faster than I was.”
Koa’s flames burned out in sync with my brother’s.
“Good riddance,” Koa muttered.
Dimitri glowered at Hawk’s body, his fists curled at his sides.
Even Eleanor said nothing in his favor.
“He assaulted a training agent.” Tibby shrugged, but his jaw was tight. “He got what was coming to him.”
“Rune Bloodwyne,” Dad’s voice boomed, ignoring Hawk’s death completely. “Take your placement exam.”
“You’ve got this, venom baby,” Slater told me.
“See you soon,” Zuko said smugly, like he knew I’d pass.
“You’re good,” Tibby promised as I walked toward the simulator and disappeared inside, the door slamming shut behind me.
The simulation hummed to life, and icy walls wrapped around me like a cage.
My breath was stolen by a hiss of gas, and I immediately knew what it was. Tourmalyke essence in gas form, just like the other agents in training had gone through.
It slid into my lungs, burned through my veins, and…shredded my immunity to my own venom. It was my first exposure to it.
I hadn’t expected it to stop my ability to control excretion. I could feel venom leaking under my skin, uncontrolled. I didn’t even know what type it was. It could’ve been paralysis, ecstasy, or death. Any of them or all of them at once.
Tourmalyke restraints clamped my wrists before I even registered I was in a chair. Cold crystal bit into my skin, humming with magic. None of the other students had been trapped like this.
My stomach sank.
The first lash of pain tore through me, white-hot, as if my bones were being splintered.
I bit down hard, jaw aching, even as my own venom swam with pain inducers. It was making the pain so much worse.
I couldn’t break.
“Prove loyalty,” a voice whispered in the surrounding darkness.
A physical lash came, splitting my cheek in two as I was struck in the face with a whip. Blood spilled over my suit.
Then, a second.
Gas continued to hiss into the chamber, acrid and sharp, burning down my throat. My lungs spasmed. My fangs cut into my own lip, and my venom poured hot down my chin.
Instead of my immunity working, the venom seared my flesh. Every drop amplified the agony of the whip striking me.
The tourmalyke meant I couldn’t heal.
“Quit now. Save yourself the shame,” the darkness whispered.
I didn’t speak.
A blade kissed my neck, shallow at first, then deeper. Warmth from my blood spilled down my body inside my suit.
I hissed and clamped my teeth tighter.
“Just say it,” the voice crooned. “You’re not meant for this.”
I spat blood and venom onto the floor.
Laughter came sharp and grating.
Another slice.
Another lash.
The restraints pulsed with energy, forcing my magic down, leaving me raw, exposed, and unable to heal.
Still, I refused.
Time stretched, warped by my pain, but none of the other students had to last this long.
My body screamed for it to stop, but I refused.
A long beep resounded inside the simulation. My vision came back as the simulator surrounded me again, but I was still secured to a chair.
Time was up, but why wasn’t the door opening?
The tourmalyke was still in my system, and a hallucination bled in.
A figure stepped from the side of the simulator toward me. “You really think you’re indestructible? No. You’re just a woman. A supernatural made weak with a little tourmalyke. You are made of flesh, and that means you are breakable, even with magic.”
I locked my jaw and forced myself to breathe through the venom, through the fire in my veins, and through this fucking pain my own power was unleashing on me.
“Hallucination,” I bit out as a human came into view before me, face hidden behind a bright pink fae mask.
They leaned closer.
Their blue eyes were hollow, and their voice was too calm. “No. You’re a simple woman with a genetic code. One we’ll figure out.”
The air thickened with a sweet floral scent. It was wrong.
My head spun.