Darcy raised an eyebrow at me as we walked away from them and my lips lifted in response. She’d never been quite so keen to rock the boat as me but I’d never been too concerned with making friends. Especially not the kind who demanded respect instead of making sure they earned it.
Before I could say anything else to her, a solid weight slammed into my side and I released a cry of surprise as I was propelled around and shoved up against the golden wall of the curving room.
My heart leapt with fear as I tried to break loose of my attacker’s grip and Caleb smiled at me as he pressed his strong body against mine, pinning me in place.
“Wanna beg for forgiveness?” he purred and a shiver raced down my spine as my sister yelled at him to stop and tried to come to my aid. Max grabbed her before she got close and my gaze slid around the room, hunting out the teachers but none of them seemed to care about what the Heirs were doing to us.
My heart was pounding and I struggled feebly against Caleb’s hold on my wrists before trying to slam my knee into his crotch. He avoided my attack easily, pressing his body to mine so that I couldn’t repeat it.
“Last chance,” he offered, his gaze sliding over me in a way that sent fear crawling through my limbs despite his devastatingly good looks.
“Fuck you,” I growled, my fists clenching with the desire to punch his pretty face.
“I hoped you’d say that.” His mouth dipped to my neck and for half a second I thought he was going to kiss me before the sting of his teeth pierced my flesh.
I cried out, bucking against him in disbelief as the most horrifying sucking sensation pulled at my blood and worse than that - my newfound power. I could feel him draining it, drawing it out of me and into himself.
Holy shit, what the hell is he?
Everyone in The Orb was staring at us now but no one took so much as a step forward to help.
My gaze fell on Sofia who looked like she wished she could intervene, Orion who seemed mildly bored, the Principal who appeared disappointed and finally the other three Heirs. Max held my sister back as easily as if she were a child, despite the fact that she was thrashing and cursing at him. Darius and Seth had moved to stand beside him as they watched the show with amused expressions. They watched their friend feed on me with a sickening sense of satisfaction rolling from them. Darius caught my eye and for a moment I felt like I was looking at a monster instead of a man.
He smiled at me with all the smug satisfaction of a mainstream asshole who thought he could win just by throwing his weight around.
My heart slammed against my ribs and my knees grew weak as Darcy shouted for someone to do something. Somewhere deep inside my chest a defiant little spark lit beneath the pyre of my panic and I clung onto it like a life raft. I wasn’t going to let this touch that flame. And together we’d ride out the dark.
I ELBOWED THE muscular Heir who held me back from my sister, looking to the room for anyone who might help.
“Let me go,” I snarled.
The beast continued to chomp on Tory's neck like a complete freak and she struggled wildly to push him off. I managed to twist my wrist free of Max's hold and thrust my palm against his chest in anger. A flood of power crashed through the barriers of my skin and a storm of air sent him careering over the heads of the crowded lounge and slamming into the back wall.
My heart turned to a solid, unthawing lump of ice.
Caleb released Tory and everyone stared on in shock at what I'd done. I gazed at my hands, beginning to shake as the truth of our current situation finally sank in. I could do magic. Actual, real life magic. And I'd just used it to throw that two hundred pound guy across the room.
And pissed him off real good no doubt.
Oh crap.
“You're gonna regret that,” Darius said coolly, flexing his muscles. The long-haired one, Seth with the etched-from-stone jawline, smiled around at the chaos.
Tory shoved Caleb back, clutching her neck as she staggered toward me. “What the hell is wrong with you, you psycho!?” she snapped at him and Caleb started laughing. Several girls close by giggled as if they were involved, glancing hopefully at Caleb for a crumb of recognition.
Did all Fae bite people? What kind of crazy species are they?
“Are you alright?” I asked Tory as she inspected her blood-stained fingers. She nodded stiffly, her pride clearly wounded more than she was.
I looked toward the teachers at the back of the room, hunting down Orion and discovering that he was the only one paying us any attention. A wild intrigue lit his eyes and fury bled through my veins like magma. Is he for real right now? He's supposed to be a teacher!
Max reemerged, rolling up his sleeves as he barrelled through the crowd like a stampeding rhino.
“Back off,” Tory spat at him, moving to my side as fear crushed my heart.
“Or what?” Darius asked while his friend, Seth, continued to laugh like this was the most amusing thing he'd ever witnessed.
The group of our apparent supporters closed in, headed by the dark haired girl who was built like a viking warrior. “Or we’ll fight for our queens,” she announced and I shared a surprised look with Tory.
Max opened his palm as if he was about to cast some spell and fear daggered into my heart.
“Multiple Element freshmen it's time to choose your houses!” Principal Nova called, stepping away from a few members of the faculty who she'd been deep in conversation with. So deep that she hadn't noticed one of her students biting Tory? I didn't think so. But what kind of school let their students attack each other without so much as a verbal warning?
The other Heirs surrounded Max, pushing him back with shakes of their heads and a heavy sigh of relief left me.
I was thankful for the excuse to end our altercation with them and Nova clapped her hands to hurry us up. Tory and I strode over to join the small division of freshmen who were bundling together in front of the faculty.
The rest of the students fell back into their seats but the Heirs remained standing, folding their arms as they watched us go.
“House Captains,” Nova beckoned them and I turned, my gut sinking and sinking until I was fairly sure it was wedged in my left sock. The four Celestial Heirs were the House Captains. Of course they were. “State the name of your house and why the freshmen should pledge to join you. And for a little suspense, we'll leave the newest Heirs till last,” she said excitedly.
“Great,” Tory said to me under her breath. “Which asshole are we picking?”
“Umm.” I gazed at our abysmal options with a frown and they stared back with looks that said they were gonna eat us up. And one of them had already had a go with Tory. So he was definitely ruled out.
Max stepped forward first, brushing a hand over his mohawk with a smirk and his bicep hardened. He was a tower of pure masculinity and those eyes held nothing but a sea storm. He looked at Nova but somehow I sensed his words were for us. “Water focus, House Aqua. My house is for those who have what it takes to face the deadly sea of life in Zodiac without flinching.”
“Thank you for that poetic description,” Nova said, clearing her throat as she pointed to the bitey blonde guy, Caleb. My heart pounded harder at his angelic face which hid a demon beneath it.
“Earth focus, House Terra. And terror is exactly what you'll get if you don't fit in.” He gazed firmly at Tory and my gut shrivelled into a tight ball.