Wicked Heirs (Electi Academy #1)

2. ~Orpheus~

2

~Orpheus~

There was an angel in our midst.

The girl who I already knew to be Alena Rose, daughter of the high and mighty joint leader of Exemplar , was a true beauty, without a doubt.

She had an edge to her as well that didn’t really compute when it came to her species. They were usually reserved and regal in their appearance, attitude, and actions.

But this girl, she’d clearly broken from that.

In fact, I knew she had.

Her long, vibrant-pink hair cascaded about her face in loose waves, flowing freely—again, not something synonymous with Nephilim. She was wearing a tan kimono with multicolored sleeves and a black embroidered leather bralette beneath that did some amazing justice to her round, perky breasts. It gave way to a pair of denim shorts with chains hanging off them. Gold sandals with straps that snaked halfway up her calves completed her look. She was short, especially up against Dean Bronson, and really toned, like she spent a lot of time in the gym, in combat, or doing physically demanding work.

I knew it to be the former.

It was her way of working out certain frustrations. Overcompensating for her denying her heritage and keeping her abilities on lockdown.

“Who in the fires of hell is that?”

I jolted at the sound of Talon’s voice, and turned to find him suddenly right beside me.

For all I knew it wasn’t actually sudden, I’d been far too laser-focused on the girl to pay anything else much mind.

“Ore?” he questioned, aware I was the one to come to for information on anyone, or any thing.

“She’s Abigail Rose’s daughter.”

That bright smile that was far too wide and perfect to be anything but fake—as it most definitely was—fell as my revelation hit. He shoved a hand through his bright orange hair. “You’re fucking kidding me. She’s the new girl we’ve been hearing rumors about joining us?”

“Sure is.”

He tracked her movements as she ascended the double staircase that led up to one section of the student chambers, Dean Bronson guiding the way.

“She’s not what I would’ve expected of that bitch’s heir.”

I smiled to myself. No, she certainly wasn’t.

“She’s our first target this year then,” he determined.

“Leave her be,” that familiar smooth, silvery voice of Xavier’s came as he joined me on my right side with a burst of vampire speed.

He shook his head in his usual way when he didn’t approve of a plan of ours, when he thought it was crossing an unjust line. His caramel-brown choppy layered hair flew about as he did so.

Tal scoffed. “No can fucking do, X.”

Xavier grasped his shoulder. “Leave it be, firebird. She’s Nephilim. Too powerful.”

“She can’t use her magic,” I informed them.

“You’re serious?” Tal asked, incredulous.

“You’re sure, Orpheus? I don’t sense weakness from her,” X told me, slapping a hand to his ripped jeans, brushing his white tee in the process that was pulled taut across his powerhouse form, all wide and tall with a whole lot of muscle.

Of course not, her mother would have put things in place to prevent other beings from sensing her daughter’s weakness and ineptitude. “Mere bursts while under extreme duress are all she’s capable of,” I assured them.

“Hmm,” Xavier mused, fiddling with the turned up collar of his open denim shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. “So that’s why she’s here.”

“More than that. She hurt someone. Well, some ones.”

“That’s what they do. Damn fucking angels doing whatever the shit they like, thinking they’re above it all, above all of us,” Tal groused bitterly, his phoenix temper rising all too quickly as usual.

Hot-headed didn’t begin to cover it with him.

But he had his reasons. Deep-seated, painful reasons for being that way.

And part of it had to do with the girl’s mother.

Her actions—or lack thereof—three years ago.

The same place where my hatred of that undeservingly revered Fallen was rooted.

Unfortunately, our ire and loathing had been denied anywhere to go, because you couldn’t come at the likes of Abigail Rose. It just didn’t happen. She sat so far above us all. She was effectively untouchable.

Until now.

Out of desperation, she’d made the mistake of sending her only child here.

Her inept and clueless daughter.

She might as well have painted a bullseye on her back.

Especially for us.

Mmm. I had to make a sustained effort to keep my power at bay as it started coiling at the delectable thought of ruining the little angel.

Corruption and torment were our specialties.

Xavier, always the diplomatic one and the voice of reason, started shaking his head again. “Why would her mother send her here knowing the risk given the existence of detractors Abigail has after the Cataclysm three years ago?”

“Because she doesn’t believe it to be a risk,” I told him. “Like the rest of those outside these magically-infused walls, she buys into the strict rules and regulations the place espouses.”

Just like the dean and most of the faculty did.

It was because they had no idea what was lurking beneath the surface.

Us.

We were known as Obsidian to the initiated and our targets alike.

Black obsidian was known for many things, particularly for its energy pushing people to face their truth in a bid to achieve growth and personal change, no matter how trying it might be. And that was what we did. We lived our truths, our unrepressed selves, and we didn’t accept anything less from those around us.

We flew in the face of the ridiculous rules they tried to enforce here, the suffocating restrictiveness when it came to the use of our magic and abilities, in order to keep us all in line, and to prevent us from becoming a danger to the Academy and the outside world also.

We pushed boundaries. We challenged the status quo.

And we did so working tirelessly—and a whole lot ruthlessly—from the shadows.

For now.

Until we got out of here upon graduation a couple of years from now.

Until we were released upon the supernatural world with the skills and know-how they’d tried to deny us here with so much control levied upon us.

Many spells were outlawed.

High-level magic was prohibited.

Darker magic—the kind my species, the Dark Fae, were associated with, was twisted and pushed toward that of the Light Fae instead, meaning a whole brand of magic and links to my culture were cut off from me.

Vampires were only provided animal blood to feed from.

Defensive combat strategies were the only kind taught. It didn’t help that the professor leading that subject matter was a born-again fucking pacifist after his bad experience as my father’s former Commander of the Dark Fae Army.

Werewolves weren’t allowed to roam free during turning on the full moon and had to remain locked up instead until the time passed.

As for black magic, the worst of all according to the Academy and most of the supernatural world too, it wasn’t even touched upon here, let alone discussed. They acted as though it didn’t even exist.

All of it was out of fear, of course.

Fear of losing control of us.

Fear of us supplanting them.

Fear of us rising up.

And most disgustingly of all, fear of us reaching our full, untapped potential, wherein we wouldn’t require their teachings and guidance anymore, where we’d be free to reign as we saw fit.

It was a whole lot of fucked up.

Three years ago, I’d vowed never to stand for that sort of thing again.

And so I’d created Obsidian with Talon and Xavier.

A counter to all the hypocritical and despicable bullshit that ran rampant through these supposed hallowed halls.

“I’m out on this one,” X informed us.

I’d expected as much.

He was on board with punishing the guilty and those who deserved our wrath. But to him at this point, the girl was an innocent.

Xavier Sabre was worldly in a lot of ways thanks to his father’s teachings, Elliot Sabre being the most accomplished sorcerer in the world. But when it came to these sorts of matters, I considered him na?ve. He insisted on seeing the best in people until they proved him wrong. As far as I was concerned, that was a foolish way of looking at things and it invited potential threats and the very real risk of being unprepared when people did turn and reveal their true, deceitful colors.

“As you wish,” I told him.

No one was truly innocent, he’d come around once her true colors showed as much.

Talon turned to face me head-on, twisted excitement brimming. “So, how do you want to handle it? What’s the strategy with the girl?”

“Introduce ourselves, of course.”

“After Dean Bronson is done with her, once she’s in her chambers all alone?”

“Creepy fuck,” Xavier grumbled. “Tone it down, firebird,” he said, his espresso eyes flashing in warning.

I nodded. “He’s right, take it easy, baby bird.”

He gave me a withering look with his amber pools that possessed special flecks like those of his phoenix flames.

“Aww, I thought you enjoyed me calling you that?”

“Not when we’re talking Obsidian business.”

“Only when you’re swallowing my cock like my good boy then?”

“Ore,” he grunted.

I chuckled, my mood excellent now we had this little angel to play with. It had been too long since a challenge had come our way. We’d already established our rule, so punishments and targeting others were rare occurrences now. Only the foolish ever dared to challenge us these days.

I gave Talon’s shoulder a squeeze. “We’ll introduce ourselves at the Kick Off Party , get a read on her, then take it from there.”

“Don’t you already know a shit load about her?”

“Gauging someone in person is also necessary.”

“Fine.” He brightened again. “Can’t wait, brother.”

Neither could I.