Wicked Heirs (Electi Academy #1)

18. ~Alena~

18

~Alena~

The corridors were crowded with students rushing to their next classes.

I strolled hand-in-hand with Xavier as he pressed close to me on my right side, while Talon walked beside me on my left.

For our part, we’d just come out of our Matter Manipulation class with sorcerer Professor Callum Cornwell, and we had a couple of hours before any more classes, so we were headed to the cafeteria to grab something then eat in a peaceful area of the quad.

“So, how come I’m not getting any looks or shit from the faculty about being around you?” Talon asked me.

“Because of the restraining order they enforced against you,” Xavier commented with a withering look at him. He hadn’t been happy about that, to say the least, especially not about Talon’s attack on me.

“It wasn’t exactly a restraining order.”

As they went to argue about it, I cut in before it could get started, “I took care of it.”

They both eyed me in surprise.

“I told them it was no longer necessary, that you weren’t a threat, and that it had been a major misunderstanding.”

“You did that for me?” Talon asked, looking really touched. “Is that why I’ve been able to return to my classes? I thought it was something Orpheus had done for me.”

“I didn’t want you to be punished unduly. I also attacked you right back, remember?”

“A warranted, defensive attack,” Xavier said. “Except for the iron weapon part.”

“X, I said I’m sorry to her. And I am. Nothing like that will ever happen again.”

“It better not,” he grunted.

I stroked Xavier’s fingers in mine. “It’s okay. I promise.” I looked out at Talon. “After that night in the woods where you came to me and apologized, then we hung out peacefully, I talked to the dean about the restraining order .” I smiled out at him. “I wanted you to be around me.”

He stared at me, stunned for several moments, before he uttered earnestly, “I want that too. A hell of a lot.”

Xavier actually smiled as he looked between us then. He was also probably picking up on the fact that I wanted all the bad blood done with, a thing of the past, and to move on, leaving all that negativity behind.

We walked in comfortable silence then until we made the turn into the half-full cafeteria.

I noticed Isabella and four of her friends gathered by the entrance doors chatting away.

As soon as she caught sight of us, her eyes narrowed and she nudged her friends.

Then they started talking loudly so even those without sensitive supernatural hearing could hear—namely me.

“Whore for the Dark Prince.”

“Greedy little bitch wanting all three of them.”

“All used up by three dicks. Talk about being ruined for other men.”

“Orpheus will spit her out soon enough and it’ll be supreme.”

A snarl came from Talon. “Slut-shaming skanks,” he ground out.

The next thing I knew, he was bolting forward, wanting to go at them.

I threw out my arm, stopping him with my celestial strength.

Our eyes locked and I shook my head.

“Alena, I can’t just allow—”

“They thrive on this sort of response. Don’t let them get to you. I’m not.”

Before he could confirm he’d stand down, Xavier shifted his weight, then raised his hand in their direction.

He closed his fist and uttered firmly, “Sileo.”

Hush.

In the next moment, their mouths were sealed shut.

Talon chuckled. “Much better.”

Off my concerned look, Xavier told me, “It’ll wear off in ten minutes, beautiful.”

“Enough for them not to bother you while we grab our food,” Talon pointed out.

Well, I couldn’t really argue with that.

It was definitely for the best.

As we made our way over to the counter, Xavier told me, “You might want to consider a strike against them. Isabella, specifically.”

I stared up at him in surprise. “You, the most peaceful and diplomatic being of all, is actually suggesting an offensive?”

“He only attacks when necessary,” Talon said.

Xavier nodded. “And I believe it’s warranted in this case. She won’t stop and now she’s brought in others to further her abuse.”

“Yeah, it’s not gonna just be verbal attacks soon, firecracker.” He looked at Xavier. “Maybe we should make it an Obsidian offensive.”

“That has to be Alena’s choice.”

“She shouldn’t have to fight this battle. It was caused by us.”

The scent of cloves filled my senses a moment before Orpheus appeared directly in front of us.

He looked his usual alluring self, his stark white and black hair styled perfectly high on top and spiking out to the sides a little, a silver silk shirt pulling taut across his hard, muscular compact body, a pair of black leather pants dialing the sexy up several notches.

“She shouldn’t have to deal with this, no,” he rumbled.

“Ore!” Talon cried, throwing his arms around him. “You’ve been off the grid.”

“I’ve been on campus, in my same classes, in my same chambers.”

“But you haven’t been around us at all.”

As Talon eased off, Orpheus stroked his cheek. “My apologies, baby bird. I know you don’t like it when I’m not with you. I was just taking stock.” His gaze flicked to me, intensity flaring. “And giving space to certain someones.” He threw an accusing look at Xavier for good measure. “As requested by those certain someones.”

Xavier glared back at him. “What I said was—”

Orpheus held up his hand, his commanding presence out in full force. “I apologize.” He looked between us. “To the both of you.” His gaze flicked to Talon. “And you, my good boy, for pulling you into it.”

Talon frowned, looking a whole lot confused.

“You… what?” Xavier uttered, as stunned as I was.

Orpheus rolled his eyes at our reactions. “That’s correct. I said that I’m sorry for what transpired. As rare as it is, I was driven by emotion.” His eyes burned into mine. “By jealousy.” He shoved a hand through his thick hair. “It’s not an emotion I’m familiar with, so I responded poorly. I apologize to you all.”

“We’re good, brother,” Talon told him immediately.

“Apology accepted,” I spoke.

“All right,” Xavier said, holding out his hand to Orpheus. “It’s appreciated that you could do this.”

They shook, then Orpheus stroked his hair. “Missed you.”

“Missed you too.”

“Come on then, let’s eat together. They have that special rhubarb jam today. And a crumble made of the same, Ore! Your favorite!”

“Rhubarb?” I asked Orpheus, curious.

He shook his head. “Crumbles.”

“Crumbles, huh? What about pies?”

He made a gagging sound.

“No pies,” Xavier said, chuckling.

“Got it,” I said, a giggle escaping me.

The three of them stilled and stared at me in wonder.

“Most mesmerizing sound ever,” Orpheus commented.

I waved my had dismissively at them all. “Stop it.”

More chuckling ensued, and then we reached the counter and grabbed the food I wanted. Orpheus went straight for dessert in the form of the crumble, and Talon piled his plate high with all the fruits on offer, along with a BLT sandwich. Xavier, who I’d come to know pretty much ate everything, piled as much as he could onto his plate. I went for the crumble too because it satisfied my sweet tooth, but when I was about to grab a couple of slices of pizza, I pulled up short.

“What’s wrong?” Orpheus asked, noticing me screwing up my face.

“Nothing, I just hate mushrooms.”

“How come?” Xavier asked.

“Like slugs, right?” Talon said.

“Yes, how did you know?”

He laughed. “I’m not a fan myself.”

“Cover me, Ore,” Xavier said, and in the next moment, Orpheus threw up a small glamour to cover Xavier as he used his blue sparks to remove the mushrooms from the pizza and any trace of them.

“We’re not supposed to use our magic on the food,” Talon whispered to me, letting me know why they needed to cover it up.

“Thank you,” I told Orpheus and Xavier as they each placed a mushroom-free slice onto my tray.

“Of course,” Orpheus said, smiling at me sweetly.

Sweetly? What was going on?

Xavier lifted our joined hands and planted a kiss on my knuckles.

Then we all gathered our food and headed outside to the quad to a bench underneath an overhanging willow tree.

I took a seat and before Xavier could join me on the same side, Orpheus smoothly maneuvered himself beside me, leaving Xavier to take a seat opposite me and Talon opposite Orpheus.

Xavier gave him a withering look to which Orpheus merely smirked.

And that was it for the animosity.

They both managed to let it go as we all dug into our food.

Despite the strangeness of the four of us sitting down together and breaking bread, with the way things had played out, it was actually really nice.

Comfortable.

Interesting.

Pleasant.

And fun.

The three of them actually had me laughing as they told me about a mishap involving Talon’s phoenix fire when he’d first come to Electi Academy wherein he’d burned off his eyebrows and all his hair and even taken out a couple of the turrets on the top of the main building. Xavier had tried to intervene but he’d been so unsure of his magic back then that it had ended up backfiring and making the flames rage all the wilder. As they’d singed his favorite denim jacket and been on their way to melting through his t-shirt too, Orpheus had shown up and thrown up a shield.

“So that’s how the three of you first became friends,” I mused.

They nodded along.

“It’s also how we bonded with Cornwell,” Talon said between munching on a nectarine.

I cocked an eyebrow. “Professor Callum Cornwell?”

“Yup,” he confirmed.

I eyed Xavier and Orpheus who looked a bit uneasy now that his name had come up.

“What?” I asked.

Xavier went to respond, but hesitated when he glanced at Orpheus.

“It’s fine. She can know now.”

“Really?” Xavier asked, surprised.

“Yes, really. Go ahead.”

They all looked around and I saw Xavier doing that intense staring ahead thing that he did when he was employing his vampire hearing. Nodding to himself a moment later, satisfied that it was safe to talk, he told me, “Orpheus struck up an alliance between Cornwell and Obsidian. He’s on board with what we’re doing and he helps run interference during our hosted nights of liberation. ”

“He’s a cool guy,” Talon added.

“A little dark,” Xavier said.

“Where’s the bad in that?” Orpheus spoke and he had me jarring in the next moment as his intense gaze penetrated mine, his meaning and the challenge there clear.

“Orpheus—” Xavier warned.

“No, let’s do this.”

“Nicely,” Talon urged him.

“Of course, baby bird. I can be nice.”

“You can?” Xavier questioned with a glint in his eye.

Orpheus rolled his eyes at him, then nudged me gently. “I know that’s really why you’ve been staying away—the main reason, anyway.”

“No, that’s not what—”

“ So , little angel, I’m going to give you what you want. There will be nothing left to hide behind then.” He reached out and cupped my cheek, sending a whisper of pleasure through me as he stroked it with the pad of his thumb. “You’ll come to me then.”

It took me a moment to respond and when I did it was barely steady.

He just affected me so much, in a different way to how Xavier did.

“You’re really going to tell me why you targeted me, why you despise my mom?”

“I am. Are you ready for that?”

I swallowed hard. “Tell me.”

A dark look flickered across his face, as he said, “Tomorrow night. Meet me on the southeast turret. You’ll learn the truth then.”

“What about us?” Talon asked.

“Alena first, then I’ll fill you both in.”

Xavier’s eyes widened. “This is huge. You’ve never talked about it. Not the whole deal, just very vague mentions.”

“Yeah, Ore, you don’t usually give up information—at least not freely.”

Orpheus smirked at me. “Who says it’ll be free?”

Of course he had a plan deeper than the surface of it all.

It didn’t matter.

I’d be ready either way.

I wouldn’t run or hide.

I wouldn’t let fear rule me.

Not anymore.