Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Izzy
For the rest of our first class, I push the idea of the picture out of my mind.
No matter how cool it is to imagine a portrait that can tell us the truth about anything, there’s so much more to learn than that.
But, it turns out, most of what we’re learning about for the rest of the class is boring stuff, like how the grading, tests, and assignments work.
So instead, my mind slides to the way Aiden touched me. The thought of it sends heat racing through my blood. In that moment, it was like he wanted me.
Like he wanted to do dirty things to me.
And the worst part? I’m pretty sure I would’ve let him if he hadn’t pulled back.
Damn that sexy jerk.
When the bell rings, cutting the professor off mid-sentence, I’m relieved to be able to set my pencil down and get some fresh air. And cool down my hot thoughts.
The first class at this new school was okay, but I could only hope the next one would be more interesting. Lecture hall type of classes had never really been my thing, and I can see my thoughts just getting dirtier and dirtier, especially if Aiden keeps touching me the way he did.
Shoving my stuff in my backpack, we all stand and head outside in a slow, shuffling manner. By the time we escape outdoors, I’m relieved not to have to deal with being stuffed in a room with a bunch of people. Or with the sexy guys.
We all move to the grass, so people can get by us as Reid looks at the map of the school to figure out where we’re going next.
To my surprise, the vampire named Darren stops with us too.
For a second, my gaze slides over him. He’s not what I would expect from a vampire.
He’s just barely taller than me, with pale brown hair and pale brown eyes.
His smile reaches his eyes, but there’s something a little too practiced about it.
“So, what do you have next?” he asks.
I don’t know why I’m reluctant to tell him. The only way people will stop wanting to kill us is if they see we aren’t awful, and we won’t be able to show them that if we just keep to ourselves. The thing is, Darren sets me a little on edge.
“It’s something called Burn 101,” I say.
He grins. “Man, I wish vampires could take that class!”
“You can’t?” I ask, surprised.
“Hell, no, you have to have magic to be able to burn things.” When he sees me staring at him in confusion, he continues, “One of the easiest magics to learn is destructive magic. They begin with it for most of you magical beings, but pair it with other classes about ethics and stuff in the hopes you don’t all turn into ruthless monsters like the gods--” He cuts himself off, wincing. “Sorry.”
Boy, that was a whole lot to unpack. “So, by “Burn” they actually mean we’re going to be burning things with magic?”
He nods. “Have fun!”
“Thanks,” I say. “Enjoy your class…”
“Not the official name, but we like to call it blood draining for pleasure,” he says with a wink. “Which reminds me, what are you doing tonight?”
Van is suddenly between us, towering over the vampire. “She’ll be with us. Any other questions?”
Darren shrinks back. “Uh…”
I feel my cheeks heat. The way Van spoke, it was like he was saying I’d be with them tonight.
Taking a step away from Van, I glance at Darren and force a smile. “Maybe another night, okay?”
When Van whirls around, his blue eyes flash with anger. “What do you mean another night?”
Usually this is the moment I’d back down. I can feel it. I can even feel the guys expecting it, but something new and defiant blooms to life inside me. “You know what I mean.”
His mouth draws into a thin line. “Izzy…”
“You don’t own me,” I say. “You guys might not be here to make friends, but I am.”
He runs a hair through his flawless blond hair, messing it up in a way I refuse to find appealing. “Don’t make me--”
“Make you what?” I challenge.
“Whoah, whoah!” Reid steps between us. “Guys--”
“I’m with Van on this,” Aiden adds unhelpfully. “This Darren guy seems like a real tool.”
“Hey!” Darren says.
It’s almost funny that Aiden cared so little that he said it right in front of the guy, but I push aside my amusement. I’m not liking the way the guys are acting about me. It’s definitely not going to help me make friends.
My gaze moves to Wilder. His face twists, and he looks away from me. Not him too!
This is what they’ll do. They’ll try to control you, but you’re Loki. You are a goddess!
The thought comes unexpectedly in my mind, and I act without thinking. “Darren, is your class anywhere near mine?”
He looks uncertain as he glances between me and the guys. “Well, yeah.”
“Would you mind walking me there?”
“Fuck no!” Van draws himself up, reminding me of the athlete I knew him to be in high school. Van is strong and agile...and cold and dangerous when provoked. He’s always had an aggressive edge simmering right underneath all that cool control.
I look him right in the eye. “You just try to tell me what to do. You just push me a little further, then you’ll see…”
Flipping my hair over my shoulder, I walk past him, take Darren’s arm, and choose a direction and start walking.
I hear Van swearing behind me. I hear Reid speaking in a low, calming voice.
But without turning around, I know Noah and Aiden are just silently watching me.
And for some reason, I don’t care about any of it.
Darren makes idle conversation as he walks me to class, but I completely ignore him. I don’t know if I like him or not, but I know he was the perfect person to rile up my guys and remind them that I’m not their dog. They can’t tell me what to do, or bark commands that I’m expected to obey.
Suddenly, I freeze.
Darren glances in my direction. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I say, but I release his arm.
Since when do I use people to anger other people?
“Well.” His voice is uncertain as he points up ahead. “Your class is right there.”
I look to see that across a huge lawn, in one corner, is a dirt lot. A group of maybe a dozen students stand on one end, and there’s no professor in sight.
“Are you sure?” I ask, suddenly wondering if I’m about to experience another round of killer students.
“Trust me,” he says, this time flashing me his fangs.
Then, turning around, he leaves me alone.
Across the campus, I see my guys making a beeline for me. I take a step toward them, the logical Izzy I’ve always been telling me that it’d be safer to stick with them. But a voice whispers in my mind, safe maybe, but sure as hell not fun.
I feel myself smile, then turn back around and cross the distance between me and the other students.
“Hello,” I say, when I draw closer. “I’m--”
“We know who you are,” one girl says, her tone scathing. “Fucking Loki. The tricker, shapeshifting asshole who likes to create chaos for fun.”
My mouth drops open, but I quickly recover. “I was going to say…I’m Izzy.”
“Izzy,” she repeats in a nasty way. “Call yourself anything you want, sweetheart, but we know who you are.”
My gaze slides over her, from her strawberry blond hair, to her dark, almost black eyes. She wears the same uniform I do, but I’m pretty sure she’s tailored the skirt to be even shorter, to barely cover her ass. She looks like an anime girl drawn by a teenage boy came to life.
If you don’t put this bitch in her place, she and her lackeys will torture you forever.
I have no idea what I’m doing when I’m already walking up to her. Everyone behind her seems to shrink back, and she glances back at them, nervousness written across her face.
Turn her hair green. Make rats pour out of her mouth. Change her clothes into snakes.
I raise my hand, and freeze. No!
“Listen,” I say, my voice soft no matter how I feel inside. “I understand that to all of you we’re just a problem you don’t want to deal with, but a few days ago I was an ordinary human living a human life. I hope you’ll take that into consideration when you decide just how much to hate us.”
Turning around, I pick a spot not far from them to stand.
“Wait!” the girl says.
I look back at her.
“You were really human?”
I nod.
“Did you go to...like…a normal high school?”
I nod again, feeling confused.
“And to malls? And movies? And all that stuff?”
“Yeah,” I say, staring.
She moves closer to me. “Will you tell me about it? I’ve only ever read about the human world.”
I try not to feel a swell of triumph. “Of course!”
A small smile touches her lips. “I’m Erica, by the way. A siren.”
I feel my eyes widen. “An actual siren? I didn’t know those really existed!”
She raises a brow. “Says the god.”
We’re both suddenly smiling. Did I just sort of make a friend? No, it’s too soon to call her that, but at least we aren’t enemies.
For a second I remember the unexpected thoughts that had wanted me to cause trouble to her. Where did those come from? Whatever they were, I was glad I’d decided to try this route instead of that one.
Suddenly, I sense the guys behind me. Without saying a word, I look straight forward.
From out of the air, a tiny man with massive ears and a robe appears. I choke down a gasp, but manage to take one stumbling step back. How the hell did he do that?
Erica gives a soft laugh and looks at me, but it’s a good-natured kind of laugh.
The tiny man sweeps a bow to us. “Good morning, students! Who’s ready to burn some stuff?”