“Too much information, Tory,” Diego said in disgust once he’d recovered and I laughed.
“I could put that information to the test if you like?” a voice came from behind me and Sofia looked over my shoulder with wide eyes.
Before I could turn to face him, Caleb’s hand landed on my shoulder, his fingertips walking up my neck.
I jerked away from him, facing him with a scowl.
“Let me guess, the leech is here for breakfast too?” I snarled, trying to front him out despite the trickle of fear that his touch elicited. A rustle of tension went through the A.S.S. crowd around me but they seemed unsure about getting involved with the Heir.
“Tempting.” Caleb brushed my hair over my shoulder delicately and I pointedly ignored the shiver which danced over my skin as his fingertips caressed me.
He leaned down and I refused to flinch away as his lips brushed my neck and he inhaled deeply. There was no point in me trying to fight him off despite how much I wanted to, he’d only pin me to the ground in front of everyone again. As I’d turned this situation over in my mind last night, I’d come to the decision to weather his attacks with as much dignity as I could muster. I’d put up with him biting me until I could figure out how to stop him for myself. Until then, running or trying to fight him off only made me look stupid.
“But I’m still full from yesterday,” he breathed before placing a kiss against my skin. I flinched at the weirdly intimate gesture and turned to glare at him as he stayed put in the space three inches away.
“If you’re not after my blood then why are you still here?” I asked icily, pinning his dark blue eyes with mine.
“I just didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten you,” he purred, patting my neck like I was a good pet. “Keep it warm for me. I’ll leave you outcasts to your meal.”
Caleb walked away and we released a collective breath of relief.
“I half expected him to flip the breakfast table up or something,” Darcy muttered as we watched Caleb weaving his way between the crowded space. Everyone moved aside for him. Some people even bowed their heads in deference. What the hell was up with that?
“I don’t think that’s his style,” I grumbled. “He just wants us to be afraid of him. To remind us that we’re at his mercy.”
“Well let’s hope we get the opportunity to give his toothbrush the Pete treatment,” Darcy suggested and I snorted a laugh.
“What does that mean?” Diego questioned. Him and Sofia had practically shrunk into the shadows when the Terra Heir had arrived but I could hardly blame them. I wouldn’t have chosen to be on his radar either given the choice.
“I’d just like to give it a dip in the toilet, that’s all.” Darcy shrugged innocently.
Sofia opened her mouth, seeming unsure whether to laugh while Diego gave a bark of laughter before quickly checking around to see if anyone had overheard.
We demolished our breakfast like a pack of starving beasts and I couldn’t help but feel happy about the food in this place. Months of surviving on essential items and basic meals had left a lot to be desired and the cooking in The Orb was exceptional. If I didn’t watch out I knew I’d be gaining weight pretty quickly.
When the bell sounded to tell us to get to our first class of the day, Darcy and I said goodbye to our new friends and the A.S.S. and headed towards our first Water Elemental lesson.
Geraldine had told us she’d be in our class, but luckily for us she’d forgotten something in her room so we wouldn’t have to walk there with her.
After Darcy’s run-in with the Heirs last night, I could tell she wasn’t looking forward to taking a class with some of them present but there wasn’t much we could do about it. And at least this time we’d be facing them together.
We followed the directions on Darcy’s Atlas which led us to the west of the grounds. We began to follow a winding stream before crossing over a stone bridge into an area filled with burbling brooks, ponds and swaying reeds. The path weaved between the various water sources and the sound of dripping and gurgling filled the air alongside a heavy layer of moisture which misted against my skin.
We passed by Aqua House on the lake and I eyed the floating island made up of glass pods with interest. There was a symbol above the entrance stopping anyone without the Element of water from entering but that wouldn’t keep us out. The urge to explore the building filled me and I filed it away for a later expedition.
The path drew us on, passing over more bridges with iron railings and moss clinging to the stonework.
At the end of the trail, we found ourselves looking at a waterfall which fell over a tumbling rock face. The path disappeared beneath it and I glanced at Darcy in confusion.
“Is this some kind of mistake?” she muttered, looking at the map on her Atlas again. A flashing star indicated that we were standing right outside our classroom but there was nothing here aside from the waterfall.
“Come along girls, no time to dilly-dally. The rest of your class have already headed in,” a deep voice came from behind us and I turned to find a man striding towards us. Although ‘man’ wasn’t exactly the right word to describe him. He only wore a pair of super small black shorts to cover his junk and every inch of his exposed, muscular body was covered in iridescent blue scales.
He stepped towards us, placing a hand on each of our shoulders as he looked down at us. “I’m Professor Washer,” he said kindly. “Are you worried about the class today?”
“I am a little,” I admitted, immediately wondering why I’d been so forthright with this stranger. The place where his skin met with mine beneath the fabric of my uniform felt warm and oddly comforting and it tingled a little at my admission.
“And how are you girls settling in? I heard the other Heirs have been giving you a bit of a hard time?” he said, concern lacing his voice.
I was so surprised to hear one of the teachers acknowledge the awful behaviour of the other students that I didn’t even know how to respond but Darcy beat me to it anyway.
“They’re horrible,” she admitted, her voice catching a little. “It’s so much to take in, we’ve been ripped out of the life we’ve known and we’re struggling to figure this place out and fit in. And then on top of that to have to deal with the four of them…” Darcy trailed off, looking like she was going to cry and I felt tears spring to my eyes too.
“There, there,” Professor Washer said as he pulled us both into a hug.
It should have felt weird to embrace a teacher who was wearing skin tight, tiny trunks and had scales covering his flesh but it was oddly comforting.
I pressed my cheek to his bare chest as I exhaled deeply, letting go of a whole host of the anguish which had been building up inside me since our arrival.
I could feel a strange tugging sensation in my chest, kind of like I was using my power reserves somehow but that didn’t make any sense.
Darcy squeezed Professor Washer tightly beside me and I smiled at her tear-stained face as she glanced at me.
A bark of laughter pulled me to my senses and Professor Washer released us with a smirk. Max Rigel was looking at us with a highly amused expression on his face and my cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I realised he’d just seen us cuddling our nearly nude teacher. What the hell just got into us? To make matters worse, Darius Acrux sauntered up behind him, his face falling into an amused grin as his gaze turned our way.