Intimate? Gross - though not as gross as I was trying to convince myself. And trust? She was insane if she thought I’d ever trust him. I’d sooner trust a monkey with a bunch of bananas than believe anything good of him.
We came to a halt beside the Heirs as Darius pinned Caleb to the ground, his hands tight around the other guy’s throat. Caleb was thrashing, trying to get up but he didn’t look likely to succeed.
Darius snarled and the sound was so animal that I almost flinched. He was a predator taking down his prey and at any moment I could imagine him ripping into Caleb’s flesh.
Professor Pyro merely watched the interaction with a faint level of interest as Caleb’s lips started to turn blue.
I opened my mouth, wanting to step in. I mean, Caleb was a total dickwad but it was starting to look like Darius might kill him and that was probably going a bit too far. Before I could say anything, Caleb smacked his hand against the ground three times and Darius released him with a smirk.
Caleb started laughing and Darius got to his feet, offering the other Heir a hand so that he could pull him up too.
“I’ll get you next time,” Caleb announced as he slapped his friend on the back.
“You said that last time,” Darius teased and for a moment they both seemed… well not nice but not entirely loathsome at least. Or they did until their attention moved to me.
Darius’s face dipped into a scowl instantly and Caleb tossed his curly hair back as he eyed my neck hungrily with absolutely zero shame about the fact.
“I have a new assignment for you, Mr Acrux,” Professor Pyro announced and my heart sank like a stone as I realised there was no way out of this.
“Yes, Professor?” Darius asked, his face set with a look suggesting that he couldn’t think of anything better than doing whatever she requested of him.
“I’d like you to give Tory here some one on one tutoring to help her learn to harness that tempest of power within her. I tried to guide her myself but she needs someone more powerful than me and as the most accomplished fire weaver in the Academy, you were the obvious choice.”
Darius’s eyes darted to me and I felt like he’d just plunged a dagger through my chest as the sharpness of his gaze hit me.
“Of course, Professor Pyro,” he agreed smoothly. “Only, I do have a full timetable at the moment so it may be better for her to choose someone else.”
“Okay,” I agreed with a smile that let him know this hadn’t been my idea in the first place. “Never mind.” I began to turn away from them but Professor Pyro stopped me.
“That’s not a problem,” she said firmly. “You can train her on Thursday evenings after dinner and we can add Mondays if necessary.”
Darius’s gaze darkened as she stole his evenings from him and I had to force myself to keep my chin high.
“Yes Professor,” he agreed finally and she smiled with satisfaction as she led me away from him.
I hadn’t said anything but I didn’t think my input would do anything other than possibly make a bad situation worse.
As I made it back to where the other freshmen were practicing, I couldn’t help but glance back over at the Heirs. The two of them were looking at me and I almost flinched away from the ire in their gaze.
Perfect. This day was just getting worse and worse.
I LAY ON MY bed, reading over the notes from the day on my Atlas. My air Elemental class had been incredible; Professor Perseus had brought us to the cliff at the eastern edge of Air Territory and we'd cast wind down onto the turquoise sea. Eventually I'd been able to direct it at specific waves and send the spray flying up the side of the cliff. So much power was difficult to harness precisely, but he’d seemed content to let us unleash everything we had on the ocean.
I was still buzzing with the excitement of it all, but as seven o'clock neared, my excitement finally gave way to nerves. I had my first session with Professor Orion tonight. And I was still reeling after seeing him bite Diego without a care in the middle of his classroom.
What if he tries that with me?
I brushed my fingers together, a light breeze dancing between them. After releasing the full force of my power on the sea, I felt slightly more confident. But I didn't fancy my chances up against an opponent yet. Especially one who had razor sharp teeth and was built like a fortress.
I picked up the banana I'd grabbed from The Orb earlier, wishing I'd taken something more substantial now. Tory and I had plans to meet up after my Liaison session anyway, so I'd survive.
When I’d finished my fruit, I changed into my sports kit in favour of my uniform which I'd been in all day. There was nothing else to wear and I half wondered about that stipend Orion had mentioned. If he’d been more frank back at our apartment, I could have brought some more clothes with me.
I tugged on my Converses at a quarter to seven and slung my satchel over my shoulder. My heart was bouncing with anxiety as I headed out of my room, locking it before jogging toward the stairwell.
The tower was quiet and I suspected most of the Aer students were hanging out in the common room upstairs or eating at The Orb.
As I circled down to the ground floor, a ping sounded from my Atlas. I took it out, finding a notification flashing up on it.
You’ve been mentioned in a FaeBook post, Darcy!
I frowned, tapping on the app even though I imagined I was about to regret it.
Kylie Major: Great first day, I am so blessed to be here at ZA! It must be harder for girls like Darcy and Tory – they don't even have basic Coercion defense. Be careful out on campus girls. #loveya #besafe #girlssticktogether
Comments:
Lois Hargreeves: Not even a basic shield??? Hahahahaha
Jillian Minor: OMG hun you’re so sweet :）
Yewande Rubel: Are you really going steady with Seth Capella, Kylie??
Milton Hubert: YESSSSSS!!!
I bit into my cheek so hard I almost drew blood. Everyone in the entire Academy would see this and over a hundred people had already liked it! It was practically painting a neon target on our heads. And I didn’t have a single doubt that Kylie knew exactly what she was doing.
Girl code my ass.
I glanced over my shoulder, feeling overly cautious of being pounced on.
Being in Orion's office suddenly didn't seem like the worst fate in the world. I checked the map, heading out of the tower onto the grounds. Iron lanterns lit the path as the evening drew in and I quickened my pace along it as I took a shortcut through The Wailing Wood.
The winding path led me into the trees and a cool wind gusted over me as I stepped onto a dirt track. Goosebumps bristled along my arms. The further I walked, the quieter the world seemed. The leaves rustled above me, some of them licked with the first colours of fall.
The deeper I delved into the woodland, the closer the trees seemed to gather, arching overhead to create an endless tunnel before me.
The lanterns had become more sparse and the amber glow of the next one seemed to shrink and flicker up ahead.
Should have taken the longer route. This place is creepy as hell.
My foot caught on a root and I stumbled, nearly hitting the ground before catching myself at the last second. I muttered curses at myself as I hurried on, wanting to get out of this place without a couple of scuffed knees. Honestly, I should have grown out of it by now. But I fell over more times in a week than was normal for a toddler, let alone a grown woman.