Chapter 13
Iwas very surprised when Vale agreed to help me get these ingredients.
I got a cryptic note to meet him at midnight outside my room.
It was easy enough to sneak past Lock. Once I figured out how he warded the room, I made sure I put a counter ward on it to never let him know when I’m coming and going.
The stupid ring will alert him, but only if he wakes up, but I doubt he will because of the sheer amount of sleeping potion I dropped into his drink earlier.
His snoring lets me know it’s working well.
I tap my foot outside my room before Vale opens his door and walks out, cloak pulled up.
I only know it’s him because there isn’t another male in this place as big as Vale or even an inch as intimidating.
“You came,” he says.
“Well, you have something I want,” I remind him, pushing off the banister and closing the space between us. “And you’re actually talking to me now. That’s interesting. You grunted as an answer in potion class, and I wasn’t sure you even heard me.”
“I hear everything you say.” His answer is clipped.
I don’t understand him at all. “I need to steal food. The village is struggling, and there are hungry shifter children who need some help. The food storage happens to be right next to the special ingredient vault. I thought I’d invite you to come with me. You can carry food too.”
“We will be like Robin Hood.” I pat his shoulder, and he glares at me from under his hood.
“Who’s Robin Hood?” he snaps. Wow, he really is in a mad mood.
“It’s a human thing. Steal from the rich, give to the poor. It’s like a fairy tale they made up,” I mutter. “Are you going to be grumpy all night?”
“Right. We’re not this Robin Hood, Hex,” he grumbles. Hearing that nickname he gives me makes my traitor heart jump. We don’t like Vale…what am I doing? It must be the bond between us.
“Yes, we are.” I grin at him, but he doesn’t look at me.
He’s already stomping down the corridor.
I roll my eyes and follow him. It feels like we go through endless corridors in pure silence forever before we get to a domed room.
On the other side are two witches in red cloaks.
They go to ask Vale what he’s doing, but they don’t even finish their sentences before two daggers zoom across the room, slamming into both their throats.
Fire burns them to a crisp as he walks over, picking the daggers up out of the ashes and sliding them back into the holds at his waist. A spell from Vale makes the ashes fly out of the windows and into the night.
My eyes must be like saucers when he looks at me. “Are you judging me, Hex?”
“You didn’t even know those witches and—”
“And what? Yes, I knew them. Both of them are assholes and would never have sided with us in the end. I’ve secretly killed twenty witches this week, all of whom I know would fight back against us.
Kane, Maz and Black have their own lists.
People die at this academy, and it’s not uncommon.
No one will notice, and if they do, so what?
Killing isn’t banned in the academy. It’s encouraged by your kind.
” He lectures me and leaves me silent. That’s what my bonded have been doing?
Killing witches who are in our way. I know witches will need to die, but it’s hard to stomach all this death.
“What about their bonded? Wouldn’t they die too? If they manage to survive it, wouldn’t they tell on you?” I ask, my hands on my hips.
He looks at me, tilting his head to the side.
“They know the risk and they do not side with their bonded. Any shifter dared to reveal my name…I’d kill them, their families and burn their names from existence.
You’d be surprised how loyal shifters are.
I do not suspect a single shifter here would side with the witches over their own kind.
I kill a lot of people around here. No one ever says anything. ”
“I don’t know whether this pure arrogance is good or bad, but it’s risky,” I remind him. “And since when has the Vale Drexan trusted anyone?”
He shushes me.
No, he did not just shush me. “What—”
We walk in and I nearly screech. He wasn’t shushing me for no reason.
Mindless are locked in cages, and they roar against their shackles when they see us.
They are just as horrid as I remember, all pale skin, black hollow eyes and long nails.
They fight to get us, the bars holding them back, and they are like animals.
“They use them as guards. If one of us sets off an alarm, all the cages open and the Mindless will flood this area and kill anybody that came in. It is the perfect way to hide things they don’t want other people to see.
Don’t worry, I know where the alarms are. I regularly steal from this place.”
“Any chance this is the way down to the middle of the castle and the middle of the Bloodstone Academy where the rock begins?” I enquire.
“There is a staircase down there, but I’ve never been down it. You’re probably right to suspect the entrance is here.” Vale shows me where he meant. “There are alarms on it, and I can’t undo the spell work. To get in, the Mindless would have to come out.”
Awesome, another problem. It’s not one I can’t deal with exactly, but Mindless are killing machines, and my magic doesn’t work on them.
Only my dragons would be able to save me from a herd of Mindless.
I change the subject and ignore the Mindless, who are far behind us and quieting down.
“I’m sorry if I upset you with the whole dragon mate thing.
If you felt like I was pressuring you into anything, I wasn’t. ”
“You weren’t pressuring me, and you did not upset me,” Vale coldly responds.
“Well, I clearly did. You stormed out of the room because you were pissed,” I snap right back.
Vale’s laugh is cruel. “You think too much of yourself. My only concern is that one of my brothers is going to get killed with this mate bond theory of yours.”
“It’s not a theory.” I bump his shoulder.
“It has to be tested; therefore, it’s still a theory.”
“Why are you so aggravating?” I snarl.
“Why do you ask so many questions?” he snarls right back, and we both glare at each other for a moment.
I poke his chest with my finger. Damn, his chest is not soft at all. “I do not.”
“Yes, yes, you do. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody who asks as many questions as you do, Juniper Daygan.” He pokes my shoulder back with a mocking smirk, and I nearly fall over from his strength.
“I’m going to take that as a compliment. You’re saying that I’m curious and not boring, unlike some people who never ask questions,” I huff.
His laugh haunts me in the dim light. “I don’t ask questions because I already know the answers.”
“You know, arrogance is pretty boring too.” I cross my arms. I’ve had enough of Vale already. I want to leave, but the bastard knows I won’t. I need my potion ingredients, but I also won’t leave any shifters without food when I can help.
He is laughing at me when we finally get to a series of vaults.
The vaults have big doors with silver locks woven into them in perfect swirls and diamond shapes.
It takes about two seconds to unlock them and get in because Vale has clearly done this before.
“This is the rare ingredient vault. You look for this one.” He points to my list. “I’ll find the other two. ”
“I should mention that I don’t know anybody that bosses me around as much as you do either, Vale.” I take the paper off him.
“You like it.” Vale laughs, walking away from me.
“No, I really don’t,” I bite back, seeing red. “I like Maz being kind to me, I like Kane being protective, and Black speaks to me with his whole heart on the line. You just wind me up and boss me around and act like this!”
I find the first ingredient quickly and ignore the fact Vale has gone silent on me.
I put it in my pocket. Thankfully, all the ingredients are in alphabetical order, and Vale finds his quickly.
Still looking around, I find one more, glowing red dust in a vial, something I didn’t list because I’m not sure I need it yet. I pocket the pulvirud just in case.
We go outside to the next vault while Vale quickly locks it behind us, making sure it looks like we’re only coming in here to steal food.
I help him with the spell to unlock the second one, giving him a touch of power.
He growls at me for a thank you before we go inside.
Vale shoves a sack at me from a cupboard of them by the door, and I fill it as quickly as I can with as many canned foods as I can fit in.
It weighs an absolute ton as I drag it to the door.
Vale’s about to give me another sack when we hear footsteps, followed by a buzzing noise, and sprinklers burst water out of the ceiling.
Vale puts his finger on his mouth, grabs my hand and the bags in one go, and tugs me into the cupboard.
He quietly shuts the door, and I sit down on the bags slightly as there’s barely any room in this small space, and I can’t see anything.
I can feel the heat of Vale’s body so close to mine.
Water drips off me as I check the silencing spell is in place. “What was that?”
Vale is staring at the door; only the dim light shining through the cracks lets me really see him.
“A teacher must be nearby and set off an alarm to remove enchantments with water. Don’t worry, they won’t find us.
I’m prepared for it.” Slowly, he drags his eyes to me, and he stills. “What is that on your face?”