Wicked Heirs (Electi Academy #1)

8. ~Alena~

8

~Alena~

My first week of classes was going well.

I’d already had Factions and Coexistence with Professor Luna Esmira who was a werewolf, Professor Dante Wilhelm who was a Vampire Elder with History and Politics: Rise of Exemplar, wherein I’d actually started to learn a lot about my mom’s organization, things she hadn’t told me and had kept from me. It had made me realize just how much I hadn’t been aware of. I’d begun Matter Manipulation with sorcerer Professor Callum Cornwell, as well as Herbs, Healing, and Chlorokinesis with Professor Dominique Targus, which I liked with it all about nature and the very light side of magic, something I was much more comfortable with.

There had been a mass amount of readings I’d been assigned. As a new student and being so far behind others my age, I had a lot more to get through than everyone else, so I’d basically been holed up in my room whenever I wasn’t in class, reading and starting my Natural Healing project that involved finding the right plants in the expansive gardens surrounding the campus and using just a very small amount of magic to create an elixir to heal third degree burns. That was my task. Each student in my class had been assigned a different ailment to alleviate.

I’d thought an aloe plant and a bit of magic would have done the trick, but it had turned out to be more complicated than that, so I’d taken to doing all the readings first for that class before trying—and failing—again.

Fortunately, I’d had a lot of quiet to work through it all.

Things had been uneventful on the Obsidian front.

None of them had bothered me.

None of the students had even reacted to me either, no sign of any fallout from that video that the asshole, Talon Creed, had released to the whole student body.

It was definitely strange, but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. The peace was welcome.

The only thing I’d noticed at all was Xavier Sabre glancing over at me during our shared Matter Manipulation class. Then whenever I’d been lost in the halls because Isabella had resigned as my Guide, a blue magical trail had materialized showing me the way, magic that I’d recognized as his from when he’d teleported me to my room the night of the Kick Off .

When he’d dropped me off that night, he hadn’t said a word. He’d just smiled and waited until I’d gone inside my suite, getting somehow that I’d needed space and alone time.

And I really had.

What had happened between me and Orpheus had made me sick to my stomach.

Not the sexuality of it, because I’d never been shy about expressing that, or doing what I wanted and following my desires.

But because it had been with him, a fucking nightmare of a being. One who hated me and who I’d come to hate from his behavior toward me.

“What are you doing to me, little angel?”

I didn’t fucking know.

The closest I’d come to figuring it out was when he’d said my attraction toward him had corrupted my spell that had been intended to blast through his magic and then drive him to his knees.

It seemed to have opened us both up to the utmost raw emotion of desiring someone without all the reservations and reasons for not acting on it stripped away. It was like if you noticed someone attractive and you’d just pass on by and barely acknowledge the sentiment and just get on with your life. But my magic, the way I’d released it while feeling that, had deepened things and made it impossible to just ignore.

That night of the party it had come to a head.

And the whole Academy had borne witness to it.

Fortunately, I wasn’t easily embarrassed, especially not about something like that. I was open-minded and free. It was the way I’d lived my life for the last two years. So, I’d managed to just let it roll off my back, and to own it—the acts themselves, not the part about it being Orpheus who I’d done that with.

I just needed to keep away from him and it would bury it. It had been working for the last week without us coming into contact in any way whatsoever, thank goodness. Fortunately, it was easy to keep away from him because he was only in the advanced classes, given his level of magical ability.

And right now, I was sitting in Foundations of Spellcasting.

I resumed my focus on what mattered and stared at the single candle on my desk. Just like the setup for all the students around me.

I was at the middle desk, as we all listened to the very pleasant Professor Dominique Targus, a witch, who I also had for my herbal class.

I’d been trying to ignore the unsettling feeling of that bastard, Talon Creed, boring metaphorical holes into the back of my head as he sat at the desk right at the rear of the class, with Xavier one over from him.

“Not all magic-wielders require incantations to use their magic. Nephilim, Fallen, Dark Fae and expert Sorcerers. Their power is so potent, their will suffices,” she was saying as she walked back and forth in front of the mammoth whiteboard that filled the front wall of the big classroom that held over forty students.

Apparently, this was a very popular class, even those not first year students—like Xavier and Talon—still taking it into their later years, because it was such an expansive and important subject, there was always more to learn. Although, the way I understood it, students like them also took it in conjunction with Advanced Spellcasting which was taught by the sorcerer, Callum Cornwell.

Professor Targus adjusted her white ruffle blouse that stood in stark contrast to her bright-pink dress pants and complimented her spiky platinum blonde hair. “All right, let’s begin. This task seems simple on the surface, but it can actually be mired by complications if your conviction and concentration aren’t up to par. Light your candle.”

I sucked in a breath and cracked my knuckles, readying myself and trying to get into the right headspace.

It was only a small spell.

It would only require a tiny amount of magic—a sprinkling really.

It wouldn’t tap into anything dangerous, and it wouldn’t risk taxing me or, thereby growing out of control.

This I could do.

Just like the small food items conjuring.

I shifted my weight on my chair, then cupped the candle in my hands and concentrated.

I felt my power rise and I let it out, just a tad, watching as the flame flickered into being, the candle lighting.

I smiled to myself at how easy it had been.

Or so I thought until the flame started rising, then flickering wildly, growing and growing beyond what should be possible.

As students around me started to notice, crying out in warning, gasping, some chattering with amusement, the flames became swirling like a tornado of fire.

I jerked back from my desk and frantically sought out the professor.

She was over on the other side of the room.

Fortunately, a couple of the students she was helping with this exercise in conviction and control pointed her toward the situation with me, and she came running.

As she did, I heard laughter amongst all the rest.

I swung my head to see Talon smirking nastily at me as he twirled his finger, his movements matching that of the fire.

He was using pyrokinesis and fucking with my candle!

One of the flames caught my rainbow maxi dress and tried to tear through it and turn it into kindling.

Blue light infiltrated my vision, and then the burning was gone, the candle snuffing out too.

I looked to see Xavier standing there, shaking his head at Talon, a fierce reprimanding glare fixed on him.

With a burst of vampire speed, he was gone back to his desk, like he’d never been there.

“What happened?” Professor Targus cried as she reached me.

“I… something interfered with my spell.”

“Something? Were you not focused?”

I considered her question and the implications of revealing the truth.

The lie would be worse and make me look like I had zero control, even at this most basic level.

I couldn’t allow that.

My mom and the dean who was supporting her by allowing me here to learn would see me as a lost cause.

The truth it was.

Besides, I didn’t owe Talon Creed anything. Quite the opposite.

“Talon intervened with pyrokinesis,” I told her.

She looked out at him for a moment, then back to me with a kind smile. “Head back to your chambers and sort yourself out,” she said, eyeing my partially scorched dress. “I’ll send you the rest of the class notes that you’ll miss. Try to relax and take some time for yourself, Miss Rose, this will be dealt with.”

I thanked her, then grabbed my messenger bag off the floor and headed down the gangway out of class, feeling a whole lot of eyes on me.

I ignored Talon, but as I passed by Xavier, I leaned in and whispered, “Thank you.”

The last thing I saw was him smiling sweetly before I pushed open the door and headed out.

I’d spent the rest of the day in my suite—or chambers as they called it here in this hoity-toity institution.

And, no, I hadn’t been crying my eyes out over what had happened in class, or cowering from everyone, unable to face them either.

That was what a weak person would have done.

And I wasn’t weak.

Despite my issues with my magic, I wasn’t.

I’d lived in the human world and defended myself and fought for what I’d wanted without the use of any powers at all. Not only had I survived, but I’d been building a life for myself. One that it had turned out had been a waste because I couldn’t go back to it now, but still. The point was there, nonetheless.

I’d stayed in my suite and missed my last class to knuckle down and work through my grimoire.

It had become painfully apparent to me that being at a disadvantage in the magical regard was no longer an option if I was going to not only survive here, but thrive.

Talon and Orpheus had made themselves into my enemies.

Along with Isabella and her friends too now because of her unfounded jealousy over that video.

One bad decision and you were tarred as a leper around here apparently.

I’d thought that sort of thing had been reserved for high school, just like Talon setting my dress on fire. But obviously not.

There was no more time for me to be scared of my own power.

I had to at least start back on that track.

While I couldn’t risk moving too quickly in that vein, I could move determinedly, yet carefully.

Things couldn’t go on as they were.

Responding reactively was doing nothing.

It was inviting further attacks, further bullying, and further negativity.

Because of my vulnerability concerning my power issues, people thought they could come at me all too easily.

The only way to respond to that and stop all of this was to strike back.

It required a show of force.

Or, several strategic hits.

I wouldn’t be anybody’s victim.

It was time they all learned.

For the first couple of hours, I’d extended my food conjuring, managing to create a whole meal. I’d mixed it up with Italian meatballs, French onion soup, Rosemary chicken for the entrée, then rocky road for dessert.

After I’d finished eating, I’d conjured fifty candles into being in a circle around me, then I’d worked on my control and precision by lighting each one in turn. After a couple of tries and once throwing a glass of water at some out of control flames, I’d managed to pull it off.

With all my repressing, I’d forgotten just how easily doing magic had come to me. Just how natural that it was.

Things had gotten so skewed and tainted after what had happened to me during the Cataclysm three years back that I’d only seen the bad of it all, the dangers to me and to everyone else around me.

I figured now that I was under threat and being pushed back into it, as fucked up as it was, it was something that served to help me rise above my worries about it all. To see beyond the negative and focusing on the awfulness of what could happen if I lost control.

Right now with assholes coming at me without me having control, that awfulness stood too much of a chance of happening anyway.

The only way out was through.

After being cooped up and studying my grimoire hardcore, I’d headed outside to the grounds to get some fresh air and to also test out another aspect of my magic usage.

It was quiet where I was walking—at least two acres from the main building—as I’d noticed most students kept close to the building, only venturing as far as the pool that was just five hundred feet from it. The Kick Off Party had been the exception to that.

I smiled to myself as I held my right palm upturned using a glowing golden sphere of my magic to light my path in the dark as I made my way into the depths of the forest toward a clearing I remembered from that night.

I reached it, noting the wide tree stump at the center.

I levitated the sphere much like a lightbulb a couple of feet above my head, and then I knelt in front of the tree stump.

Sucking in a steadying breath, I held my palms downward over the wooden surface and carefully pulled on my power until it began to release in gentle sparks of gold that looked a lot like glitter.

Focusing and keeping the image I needed strong in my mind, I twisted my fingers on either hand and brought it into being. First the exterior walls, then the drawbridge and, finally, the turrets.

I stepped back and admired it—a golden sparkling model of a castle.

“Stunning.”

I jolted, only just managing not to snuff it out, and spun to see a familiar figure standing in the shadows illuminated enough by my sphere to make him out.

“Xavier,” I breathed.

He was sporting his usual down-to-earth casual look in a brown leather jacket with a gray hoodie beneath that matched his jeans. His layered brown hair was a little wilder than normal and his espresso eyes were glinting from my magic in the darkness.

“I didn’t mean to scare you. I scented you while I was walking about out here and I just wanted to make sure you were okay out so late.” He gestured at my magical creation. “Now I can see that you’re absolutely fine—in more ways than one.”

“It’s just a magical model. No big deal.”

“It is for you.” He sauntered closer. “My father told me about these magical models of yours, that it was a way for you to perfect your control over your magic. He actually was so impressed with the method you’d developed on your own that he had me craft a couple myself.”

“Wow, that’s—”

“Comforting that we share that connection?”

I smiled. “Yeah.”

“I know. It is for me too. And I’m sorry I couldn’t admit to that when you so bravely put yourself out there to come to me and try to strike up a friendship.”

“I get it. It’s complicated for you with those two dickheads being your best friends.”

He chuckled. “ Dickheads, yeah, they can be.”

“You know, it didn’t escape my notice that you sent me on a roundabout route to my classes a couple of times.”

“About that, I was just—”

“Sending me out of harm’s way? You’d gotten word that Talon and Orpheus were lying in wait and planning to come at me in some way or another?”

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

“ You have nothing to be sorry for. I actually thank you for going out of your way to do that for me, and for stopping that fire in our Foundations of Spellcasting class.”

“Well, you didn’t deserve any of that. Your mother doesn’t deserve their hate either.”

“A lot happened during the Cataclysm , things that weren’t ideal. I get people being upset and even some—like Orpheus—putting the blame on her. After all, with Constantine Vale dealt with, she was the only one left.”

“Aside from my father. He got away without any blame because of Sabre Tech , how much us supernatural beings need and depend on his products.”

“I think my mom took the full blame because she’s a bit of a martyr. You know, angel complex and all that?”

He smiled at my attempt at humor. It wasn’t exactly something I was known for. I was the brash and straight to the point type, not the joker type. Once in a while I could bring it though.

“It might’ve been more than a martyr situation. She cares for my father a great deal.”

“It’s definitely mutual. He was there for her a lot when we lost my dad.”

“The number of times he was over at your estate and he couldn’t have once brought me along, huh?”

“It was my mom not wanting me to mix with any other supernatural beings until she’d deemed me ready. With my power potential, she was afraid I would hurt someone until I’d mastered my abilities and learned control. Elliot Sabre was the exception because of how insanely powerful he is. He’s probably the only being alive who could survive against my mom or me if we lost control.” I lifted my shoulder. “Not that she would. She’s pretty damn infallible, honestly.”

“No one is. And don’t sell yourself short.” He gestured at my castle. “May I?”

“Sure.”

He walked past me and I noticed that he went really wide, avoiding getting close to me at all.

He studied my castle, looking at all the intricate details of the sparkling gold.

“This is incredible.”

“I haven’t made the interior walls or the furniture yet. It’s basically just an outline.”

He looked out at me. “You can do that? Go into that much detail?”

“Yeah. I mean, when I’m at my full power, I can make it life-size, like a real castle.”

He whistled. “There’s a market for this, you know? You could make a living out of creating structures like this. The resources it would save… it’s unthinkable.” He thought for a moment. “Could you sustain the power at full-size?”

“It doesn’t take much once it’s created. There’s barely a pull on me.”

His eyes lit up. “Definitely incredible.”

“Thanks,” I said, stepping closer.

He moved back all too quickly.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just best I keep a physical distance right now.”

“I showered this morning, you know? And after that class to get the charred smell off me.”

“I can tell. I can smell the fresh shower scent and the enticing cotton candy perfume you wear every day.”

“Enticing?”

His gaze raked over me in my blue flare jeans paired with a loose lace off-the-shoulder top. “Yes, enticing,” he admitted.

“Well, that’s mutual.”

He shoved a hand through his thick hair, looking distressed. “I need to go. Just… before I do, know that I’m working on stopping the campaign against you. I’m dealing with two highly stubborn individuals, so it’s taking more time than I would like, but it’ll happen. I won’t stop until they stop with you.”

“I really appreciate that, but I’ll handle it. Don’t worry about it.”

“Handle it? Hold on, is this… training?”

“It’s me getting back my power. In more ways than one.”

“Striking against Orpheus Hart is unheard of.”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

“No. He’ll destroy you.”

“He overestimates his position and his power.”

“It’s not just about magical power, Alena. There’s a lot more involved that’s put him at the top here at Electi Academy.”

“He won’t take things all the way against me.”

“You think his attraction to you is affection?”

“Could very well be.”

“And if you’re wrong and it backfires?”

“It won’t matter either way. There’s only one resort when dealing with a threat and that is to respond with a show of force beyond theirs.”

“That will take this from a battle to a war.”

“I can’t allow them to make me a victim.”

“I know and I’ll stop this.”

“And then you’ll compromise yourself with them, your two closest friends. No, I don’t want that for you, for anyone. I don’t want anyone to end up lonely and ostracized.”

His expression softened. “Because that’s how you feel, isn’t it? It’s what your life has been?”

“Maybe,” was all I could offer without allowing emotion to take me over.

That would lead to pain and I didn’t do well with that.

I couldn’t allow that while I was working on my magic and abilities. I needed a clear head. And I definitely didn’t need doubt and regret poisoning things.

“If you need somebody to talk to, or turn to, know that I’m here. Unfortunately, it will have to be like this… in the dead of the night, or in the shadows. For now, at least. Getting them to back off is one thing, but getting them to see you as an acceptable friend to me is a whole other thing.”

“I might take you up on that… in spite of the complications that abound.”

We both chuckled at that.

But then that seriousness and worry I’d seen from him returned all too quickly, and he went to make his escape.

I snagged his wrist before he could.

He stilled, then spun back to me.

“What’s going on, Xavier?”

He looked me up and down, desire sparking, then he swallowed hard and averted his eyes. “I came out here to feed.”

“You didn’t have dinner?”

“Squirrel blood.” He stared at our joined hands. “I can feel your pulse jumping. Hell, I can hear it pounding. It should be fear at standing in the middle of a deserted forest in the dark of night with a hungry vampire. But it’s not, is it? It’s excitement. Arousal, even.”

“I’m a strange one, what can I say?”

He smiled for a moment, then told me, “I was meant to meet Artemis out here to feed on him, but he texted telling me he was hooking up with a girl instead.”

“Being denied that for a vampire is intense.”

“Yeah, it is,” he said, looking at me in wonder for getting it. He blew out a breath. “The diet they have us on here makes me weak. They forget or don’t understand my hybrid nature. With my sorcerer side, I need proper sustenance to fuel my magic. The diet here barely fuels the vampire and keeps it going. It’s been over a week since I fed properly at the party. Now I’m really feeling it.” He sighed. “I’ll try again tomorrow.”

“Xavier—”

“No, I know. I shouldn’t have laid all this on you. I just wanted to explain why I was being so skittish around you and probably coming off as standoffish and rude.”

“I didn’t think that. I figured something was up.” I held my wrist out to him. “Feed on me.”

“What?” he choked.

“Feed from me,” I encouraged him. “I have celestial blood. It will sustain you for weeks. It will buy us time to do something about this ridiculous diet here.”

“Do something about it?”

“With all the hatred toward my mom that I’ve experienced since coming here, people forget her great side and what she can put into being. I’ll talk to her and have her overturn it and bring in some human blood bags.”

“You’d do that?”

“Of course. You’ve helped me out, I’ll help you out.” I walked closer to him. “Now, speaking of that, take my blood.”

“Angel blood… what it does to a vampire… it’s too dangerous. I might not be able to stop.”

“You’re not just a vampire.”

“Still. I have issues with my control.”

“Then I’ll stop you.”

“Even if you could summon your magic like that, you could be too weakened from the feed to be able to actually hurt me enough to get me to pull back.”

“That’s why I’ll be here as well.”

We both spun to see Orpheus, the creeper, now suddenly leaning against a tree in the clearing eyeing us.

He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a purple long sleeve tee that matched the exact shade of his eyes. His stark white hair stood out in the darkness.

“What are you doing out here?” Xavier asked him with an obvious edge, clearly worried that he’d come out here to start something with me.

“I tracked you. I need to talk to you about Tal. It took me a lot to get him down for the night. He’s really worked up with…” He looked at me. “Everything.”

“Well, of course, he nearly got kicked out.”

Kicked out?

Orpheus waved his hand. “We’ll talk about it later. When we’re alone.” He gestured between me and Xavier. “For now, we’ll deal with this situation.”

He pushed off the tree and came to us, telling me, “You’re going to want to sit down. He’s a young and inexperienced vampire. When he feeds, the draw is intense and it’ll leave you lightheaded quickly.”

I slapped my hand to my chest dramatically. “Wow, your concern for my health is touching.” I glared at him. “I’ll be fine.”

“Have it your way, little angel.”

“I will, little prince.”

His lips quirked.

“Ore, are you sure you can pull me back?”

“I can, but it’ll hurt.”

“I don’t care about that. Just don’t let me hurt her .”

“I won’t.”

“How can I be so sure with your attitude toward her, your fucking battle?”

“Because, brother, I know how much it would hurt you if I didn’t stop you.”

That seemed to do it, because Xavier nodded and murmured, “Okay.”

He came to me then and closed the distance between us. “You’re sure about this?”

“I am. My blood will make a difference to you.”

“She’s right about that,” Orpheus confirmed. “It will tide you over for a long while.”

Xavier steeled himself, then let the demon take him, his features contorting, his fangs dropping. He still looked handsome, just in a different and darker way. A highly alluring way actually.

He must’ve sensed the effect it had on me, because he told me worriedly, “As interesting as your reaction is, beautiful, I can’t bring sexual desire into a feed. It impacts my control.”

“Oh, I… sorry.”

“Absolutely nothing to be sorry for.”

“I’ll pull it back and think about something disgusting instead. Orpheus is here, so I’ll just focus on him.”

“If only that was the truth of the matter it would be easier on the both of us, little angel.”

“Oh, shut the hell up. For once.”

“With pleasure. I want to enjoy the sight of you being fed on.”

Urgh.

I ignored that and told Xavier, “Go ahead.”

I held my wrist out again and he took it in a careful grip.

And then he brought it to his mouth and bit down, his fangs piercing my flesh.

I grunted at the bite of pain.

When he began the draw, it was a whole other thing.

Pain collided with a strange sense of pleasure.

It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

Orpheus had been right about how Xavier fed, it was a heady thing and it had me lightheaded in moments.

As I swayed, I was suddenly stabilized and I looked over my shoulder to see Orpheus there holding me. One hand glued to my hip to keep me steady, while his other stroked my hair in an unexpectedly tender gesture.

“Good girl,” he breathed at my ear. “You’re taking his fangs so well.”

While Xavier was distracted by savoring my blood and snarling away happily as he gulped it down, Orpheus whispered at my ear, “He wants you to take more than his fangs. You know that, yes? And after feeding from you, he’ll desire that all the more intensely from you.”

“How is that your concern?”

“He’s my friend.”

“Is that really the reason?”

“Maybe not the only reason.”

“Yeah?”

Before he could answer, a whine escaped me and my eyes grew heavy.

I was close to losing consciousness.

“X,” Orpheus called. “That’s enough.”

Xavier didn’t respond or let up.

I went to pull my wrist away, but he snarled viciously.

“Xavier, last chance,” Orpheus spoke in that commanding tone of his.

“Stop now,” I added, my voice weak.

I looked to see Orpheus calling his power with the hand he’d previously had in my hair.

But then Xavier eased from my wrist and retracted his fangs.

He’d done it!

“You just resisted the pull of celestial blood,” Orpheus told him. “And you think you don’t have control.”

Xavier, looking all high and out of it, licked some remnants of my blood off his lips, as he gazed out at me.

I closed my eyes for a few moments, but Orpheus’ fingers brushing my cheek had them fluttering open again.

“I need to sit down,” I croaked.

Instead of saying I-told-you-so , he helped me onto the grass beside the tree stump.

He conjured a glass of water in the next moment.

“She’ll also need iron,” Xavier said, crouching down beside me and taking my bloodied wrist in his hand.

He swept his fingers over the puncture wounds from his fangs, his blue magic sparking for a moment and healing the bite marks instantly.

“She won’t need it. And you didn’t need to do that. Angels heal exceptionally fast. She just needs to hydrate and rest and she’ll be good as new from the blood loss in a few minutes,” Orpheus told him.

“Some things may not be deemed necessary, but they’re nice and chivalrous acts, Orpheus.”

“Sure,” he said, non-committal. “How do you feel?”

“Incredible. Strong. Clear-headed and sharp.”

“Good, my friend. You deserve it.”

Orpheus tipped my chin up. “Thank you, all right? Thank you for doing that for him.”

“Some things may not be deemed necessary, but they’re nice and chivalrous acts,” I said, repeating Xavier’s words to him.

The two of them laughed.

“Something else, aren’t you, Alena?”

“Don’t you forget it.”

“Oh, that’s impossible.”

“Right there with you there,” Xavier said. “Ore, let’s get her back to her chambers. Let her rest.”

That was the last thing I was aware of before sleep took me.