Chapter 16 #2
“And clearly,” he adds, “we’re both faster than Chet.” His arctic eyes ebb and eddy with shadows, like he’s struggling between warring emotions.
“By the way, that was pretty gallant of you back there. Chet was in way over his head, knocking on your door. And stars above—” his eyes darken, voice dipping lower “—watching you smash his face in? Fucking turned me on.”
Fumes are no doubt radiating off me at this point.
I don’t want to turn him on. I want to turn him off!
I snarl at him before pacing down the hallway.
Why is he always around me? Why me? Tyranny is beautiful and practically falling over herself to get his attention.
Take her bait for Celestial’s sake, and leave me be.
I realize too late that giving in to the train of thought is a mistake as a powerful surge swells up within me.
I grasp at the very seams of my skin, clutching at the frayed edges as they unravel.
Suddenly, I’m aware of everything. All of it.
Every connection, every energy, perceiving it down to a molecular level.
Atoms dance on swirling electric fields.
Threading the world together in impossibly small bonds.
The sun’s photons bounce off my skin. Air molecules spiral and collide around shuffling legs as potential energy transforms into kinetic energy.
I can even feel the strange electromagnetic pull of S?las’ body sauntering beside me.
Heat radiates off him in the blaze of his racing pulse, searing deeper than sunlight could ever reach.
Gravity itself hums at the edges of my nerves, spinning Elyndor around its seasonal axis while our galaxy spirals through the cosmos.
The power thrumming beneath my fingertips is wild, infinite, bound to the very chaos of the universe.
One spark, and I’d tear it all apart. Atoms. Bonds. The foundation of life itself.
First day of classes and…What the actual fuck?
My hand drags down my face. It’s too much.
Too fucking much, and I can’t chuck it out my mosaic window fast enough.
More and more Fae nudge in around me, bustling to class.
Their footsteps and voices smashing off the hard marble walls.
My head throbs. Each sound another hammer, splintering my skull.
I dart out a side door, fleeing the crowded hallway.
I am never drinking Hallucina’s Delight again.
Even with a hangover, I’ve never struggled like this to maintain my shields.
Crisp air kisses my skin. I greedily suck in a breath, the chill expanding my chest—coaxing my icy composure back into place.
The kindred cold settles in, easing my mind.
Inhale: cool, calming blue. Exhale: red fury, boiling my blood.
Each breath raising the golden light of my mental shields and stuffing these absurd emotions back out my mosaic window.
I return to order. Control, my mission, and the routine of a set schedule.
Breathe in blue. Breathe out red.
Our class will be about half the size of yesterday. Everyone who didn’t pass the entrance exam now training in the catacombs for infantry positions. There are typically twelve Wings for every class, numerically marked I–XII, with fifteen members of each team.
Gilded Auditorium hosts the curriculum intended for our entire class, typically in the mornings.
For the afternoon, we break up into divisions for education specific to our role.
Essentially, the specialists go to their focused courses and the Ellian knights to theirs.
Any classes involving magic or target practice, beyond hand-to-hand combat, are held in the Warded Hollow.
A space where we can train with our magic on inanimate targets or illusions created by Runic Tech while protecting the rest of Universitás if we lose control of our magic.
The voice of Kissa breaks my concentration. “Hey, what are you doing outside?”
“Trying to avoid killing people.”
“Shame. I would have enjoyed seeing you on a murder spree. May have even joined in.”
I chuckle. “I’m really trying to not get kicked out on my first day.”
She laughs, but it falls silent when she catches up to me. “Savaé, you have blood on your face. After your earlier comment, do I even want to know?”
“You’re right. You don’t want to know.” I wipe my face, hoping it’s clean now as I ask, “Why are you walking outside?”
“I’m outside because the hallways are too noisy for these obnoxiously large ears of mine. Plus, I have a massive hangover.” Her purple hair, shorn at her shoulders, glimmers in the morning rays.
I smile. “Talk about a massive hangover. Remind me to never drink that stuff again. I feel like it’s still messing with me.”
We both laugh, entering the Grand Conservatory through two ornate, gold, arched doors. The racket from the hall pins Kissa’s ears flat along her head.
A loud voice booms from one of the balconies of the domed atrium. “Please, align yourself with your respective Wings for your morning classes. Today, academics will end earlier for the first round of sparring in the Combat Arena.”
In the full atrium, we slowly gather our entire Zenith. Fenwick spots me and Kissa. Skipping over to us with a bright smile, her sunburst eyes ablaze against her unique half-white and half-black bob. Enthusiasm suits her.
We find fire-haired Cinder brooding against the wall next to the aquamarine scales of Orion, contrasting her candy-red hair.
They’ve already found Highin Heathrow, the Aetherhawk, pruning his sienna-colored feathers beside them.
I take in the various shades of red shared between them; the only other red-hued one missing from their gang is Vex Boomer.
Speak of the demon. Vex bounds in from a group that includes Winx, who’s shooting me a disapproving glare. For not showing up to her room last night as planned, or for beating the shit out of the arrogant ass Chet this morning. I assume the former. I give her a half-smile and mouth, ‘I’m sorry.’
Her gaze softens as her irises flare neon violet before returning to magenta, blowing me a flirtatious kiss, clearly forgiving me for ditching her last night after the party. I will say, she’s a pretty problem to have on my list of troubles.
Gearin Griswald and his spectacles come sauntering in as he twirls his mustache. Next to him are the sculpted Flint Rockwell and a Fae I haven’t met yet.
He’s a male, with gloomy amethyst fur and a face of hard features meeting his pink nose.
Large, bat-like ears sit on either side of his head.
His eyes are striking, limerick-green eyes, darting around the room as his ears twitch, taking in all the noises.
I don’t envy him or Kissa at this moment.
He’s a Yassur, a bat-Fae hybrid species, making him the Scouting Rogue of our Zenith Wing.
His name is Eko Lightfoot. He tosses me a fiendish smile, revealing his very pronounced fangs.
The hairs spike on the back of my neck. I already know who’s arriving behind me as I turn to meet his gaze. Or so I thought. Instead, I’m met with a jarring slap on my back from Seraphina, S?las sauntering in behind her.
Her powder-blue war braids jostle in the movement as she hollers, “Emberhell of a job you did on Chet! S?las gave me details. I’m jealous I wasn’t there to join the fun.
Remember to invite your favorite teammate to your next ball-busting soiree, will ya?
I saw Chet hobbling through the Great Hall with a busted nose, and Brock and Victus almost had to carry him!
I nearly pissed myself laughing. You’re one piece of fucking glorious, bloody work.
” Seraph jabs me in the side with her elbow.
I’m going to have to get used to Fae touching me now that I’m on a team with Seraphina.
“Great.” Orion rolls her candy-red eyes.
“For someone who hates attention, you sure know how to make yourself the center of it. Zenith Wing will have a target on its back with you raising Emberhell for Commander Bragen’s son.
No wonder his Aura was roaring flames when I caught a glance of him earlier. ”
My hand rubs the back of my neck as I shift my weight. I guess I was a little overzealous earlier in my claims of being a natural at prioritizing my team.
“That self-important dickbag needs to be taken down several pegs. You’ve got my respect, Savaé.” Cinder tips two fingers off his brow in salute.
“Pray tell, what merited such violent hostility?” Gearin enquires.
“He called Winx my plaything. So I taught him a lesson: females are not anyone’s property.” I shrug. The group chuckles in agreement.
“Oh, that is a very important lesson indeed!” Fenwick beams.
“Now the blood makes sense, troublemaker. Knew I didn’t want to know. Still wish I didn’t.” Kissa sighs.
S?las shifts his position unreasonably closer to me. My breath falters, held hostage by the scent of winter spruce with a pinch of amber, stripping me of logic.
I transfer my weight onto my leg nearest to him, collapsing the space between us. My gaze flicks up to his face, carved in temptation. A thick brow kicks up at my change in position, while shadows swirl in his eyes with amusement over the inch I’ve foolishly surrendered to him.
The fluttering stirs in my insides again. I beg the Celestials for the strength to resist whatever this is. Stars above, what the fuck is wrong with me? Me, begging, when I prefer it the other way around.
Energy hums in the small gap between us.
Thick and heavy. Storm clouds swelling with lightning, ready to strike.
Maybe I just enjoy the challenge, seeing how close he’ll get without touching, now that he’s promised not to without my consent.
I do like toying with my prey before the kill.
A little torture, light or otherwise, is always fun.