Darkblood Academy: Book Three: Demons Page 2

  “Sorry about that.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “With Fenix taking over as Alpha, I had to step up my game on the council.”

  “Yeah, right. You forget Fenix actually keeps in touch with me. He told me you spent all year messing around with that Firestone girl. I kept waiting for you to bring her home over break so we could meet her.”

  “Firestone?” The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

  “That’s Zephyr’s family. I think Flare’s new girl is his cousin or something.”

  I slapped my hands on my hips and stared up at Flare. “You have a girlfriend, and you didn’t tell us all winter?”

  He shrugged. “She’s more of a female friend than a girlfriend. Besides, I’m still in talks with the producers of Hitched. They want me to be the next bachelor. I can’t get attached right now.”

  I couldn’t help the laugh that burst from my mouth. “You’d make an awesome bachelor, Flare.”

  He bent into an elaborate bow. “Thank you, my lady.”

  “Are you going to come in for a bit?” Cinder cocked her head at her brother.

  “An entire academy full of hot supernatural co-eds? Just try and stop me.” He winked as he grabbed our bags and headed up the snow-covered walkway.

  My best friend rolled her eyes and weaved her arm through mine. “You ready?”

  “About as ready as I was the first time I got here.”

  After dropping off Cinder on the fifth floor, I plodded up to the Fae level with my heavy bags over my shoulders. Flare had insisted on helping, but I’d convinced him I’d be fine. As I panted up the steps, I was starting to reconsider my decision. Two months without a steady training routine had already softened my muscles and taken a toll on my endurance. Ryder would’ve been pissed at me. Too bad he wasn’t here.

  I swallowed down the thickness in my throat, refusing to cry after only seconds of being back on campus. I turned the corner to the seventh floor dormitories to a quiet hallway. I guessed since the Fae lived so close they waited until the last minute to return.

  As I trudged the final steps to my room, I wondered if Scarlett or the girls were back. I dreaded seeing Raine. No doubt she’d find some way to turn her betrayal around on me and hate me even more than usual. When I reached my dorm, the door was ajar. Dropping my duffel bags at the entrance, I poked my head in. “Scarlett? Are you here?”

  I walked in another step, swinging the door fully open as a chilly breeze prickled the hair on the back of my neck. The scent of musky sandalwood filled my room, and my heart stopped. “Ryder?” I darted around the room, checking the bathroom and closets but the chamber was empty.

  My heart sank back to the dark depths it had taken refuge in for months now. The clatter of the open window slamming against the outer building wall pulled my attention across the room. I rushed over and closed the windows, locking the frigid air out. Sliding back the curtain, I scanned the newly fallen snow below for footprints, a shadow, anything.

  I shook my head, mentally scolding myself for getting my hopes up. He’s not here, Luna. He’s gone.

  “You’re back?”

  I spun around to the familiar voice, a big smile unexpectedly lifting my lips. Before I could stop myself, my feet had carried me to the ice prince and my arms were flung around his neck. He stiffened beneath my embrace for a moment before his tense muscles finally relaxed.

  “If I’d known you were going to miss me this much, I might have made more of an effort to visit over the break.”

  I released him and took a step back. “No you wouldn’t have.”

  His frosty lilac gaze ran over me, a twinkle of humor in his eyes. “Yeah, probably not.”

  “Did you just get back?” I hadn’t even noticed Drake’s princely attire when he first walked in. A powder blue uniform jacket with a high collar accentuated his broad shoulders, a few medals dangling over his breast pocket. He looked older and decidedly regal in his royal get-up. Flashbacks of his brother, Elrian, the king of the Fae crossed my vision.

  “Yes.” He motioned at his attire, which he must have noticed I was staring at. “There was a small celebration at Winter Court marking my departure.”

  “They were that excited to get rid of you, huh?”

  His lips twitched, but he refused to give into the full smile. “I must say I didn’t think it was possible, but perhaps I did miss you, human. Your constant attempts at spiting me provide the challenge I don’t often get at Winter Court—or anywhere for that matter.”

  “Glad to be of service, your princeliness.” I dragged my duffel bags over to the closet as Drake watched with a bemused grin. “So are the others back yet?”

  “Triston and Zephyr were unpacking when I arrived, but I haven’t seen Raf or the girls.”

  After hanging a few more items, I turned back to him. Raine had been weighing heavily on my mind. With everything else I had to deal with, I’d rather not go into our first meeting blind. “Did you talk to Raine during the break?”

  His gaze lowered to the floor. “A few times.”

  “And?” I willed him to meet my eyes, but apparently my magic hadn’t gotten that good yet.

  “You know, same old Raine.”

  “Does she blame me for her winter break house arrest?”

  Deep lavender sparks flashed across his irises. “Blame you? She nearly got you killed,” he snarled.

  My neck snapped back from the force of his tone. “Cillian said she claims not to have any idea what Des was plotting.”

  He huffed out a breath and pressed his arms against his chest. “Raine’s a lot of things, Luna, but stupid is not one of them. She may not have known exactly what was going on, or that Luxora was involved, but she must have had an inkling that something wasn’t right.”

  I turned back to my unpacking hoping to distract myself from the invisible steel bands wrapping around my chest. I wanted to believe Raine really knew nothing. She and I had started to make some progress, and now we were back to square one. No, definitely worse.

  I left the rest of my clothes in the bag and whirled on the prince. “You know, this is all your fault.”

  For once, he actually looked sorry. The expressionless mask he typically wore was replaced with one of real remorse. “I know.”

  That was unexpected. All the fire rushed right out of me, and my body sagged.

  His lower lip jutted out, and he seared me with one of those piercing Drake gazes. “I never would’ve kissed you if I’d known the problems it would cause between all of us. Putting you in more danger was the last thing I wanted.”

  The silence between us lingered slightly longer than comfortable, and I whirled back to the closet to finish unpacking.

  “Knock, knock. Everyone decent?”

  I poked my head out of the closet to find Scarlett squeezing through the door pushing a luggage cart. “Geez, how much stuff did you bring home?” I darted over to hug my vampire roommate.

  “Oh, I only brought one luggage home. This is all new stuff I got over break.”

  I arched a brow. Scarlett was nothing like Cinder or Raine with their extensive shopping-mall-sized wardrobes. “What exactly do you have in there?”

  Her dark eyes sparkled, a ring of crimson lining her irises. “Weapons.”

  Drake crossed the space between them and began unlatching trunks and unzipping cases. Tons of blades and shiny metal weapons spilled out, bringing a smile to the ice prince’s face. “Impressive.”

  “I figured we’d need it against Luxora and her demons. Even Carmen Rosa seemed worried before I left. A few of the vampire covens have switched sides despite her best efforts to keep them under control.”

  “It’s a good thing we have you then.” I tried to keep my smile steady, but anxiety rippled in my gut. I’d spent the past two months in the safe bubble of Skye Lair, and now I was back to reality. A reality where a warlord of the Underworld wanted me dead.

  “So now that Ryder’s gone full-demon, do we know who’s taking
over our training?” asked Scarlett.

  Her words were like a knife to the heart, and it took everything I had to keep breathing.

  Drake inched closer, his hand closing over my shoulder. It was such a small gesture, but it kept me from buckling over in pain. “Cillian said we’d meet them first thing in the morning.”

  “Them?” My brows slammed together.

  “That’s all he said.”

  We all assumed Logan would be the one to take over. He’d trained his gargoyle teams for years, but unlike Ryder, he didn’t have magic. Maybe that’s why we were getting a second?

  I guessed we’d find out tomorrow.

  Chapter 3

  The eight of us stood in a line against the back wall of the training room as Cillian, Logan, and a dazzling brunette walked in. It only took me a second to decide she was an angel. The beautiful face, tall, slender form and graceful moves pegged her as one of the Sons of Heaven. She was the exact opposite of what I’d imagined in our new instructor.

  “Welcome back, team.” Cillian stepped forward extending his hands palm up. “I hope you’ve all had a restful break and are ready to return to battle mode.”

  A few of the guys whooped, but I couldn’t even fake it.

  “I know continuing on without Ryder will be difficult for everyone. Believe me, it’s hard for me too. And I’m afraid it will only get worse.”

  My gaze jumped to his.

  “As most of you already know, Logan and I have spent the majority of the winter break searching for Ryder. Unsuccessfully. What you may not know is that he’s been spotted with Luxora on a few occasions.”

  My heart froze. No. It can’t be.

  “Ryder spent many years battling his inner demon, and unfortunately the monster has been set loose. It’s very likely we may encounter him on one of our missions. Our task is to capture him by whatever means necessary.”

  “Whatever means?” I squeaked out, unintentionally.

  Logan nodded. “He needs to be stopped, Luna. He’s left a trail of bodies from the Winter Court through Nocturnis and back to Aquatica. We will do our best to capture him unharmed, but if it comes down to it…” His words trailed off. “Ryder’s my friend, too. We’ll do whatever we can to bring him in without resorting to unnecessary force.”

  “And that’s why I’ve enlisted Calliope to assist in your training,” Cillian cut in and motioned to the beautiful angel beside him. “Logan will be splitting his time between training you and his normal duties on the Gargoyle Guardian Council. Calliope will be joining the Darkhen faculty full time. In addition to training you all, she’ll also be the new Divinations and Prophecies instructor.”

  I tried to focus on Cillian, but my lungs were having a hard time inflating with the vice grip tightening my chest. They expected us to bring Ryder down? Darkness crept into the corners of my vision. With force, if necessary. I leaned against the back wall, grateful for its firm support.

  Calliope stepped forward and smiled, showcasing a mouthful of perfect white teeth. Her black uniform sweats hugged her shapely form as she pulled her silky chestnut hair into a high ponytail. Even without her wings extended, an aura of golden light surrounded her. “I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you, and I’d like to begin right away. I’ll tell you a bit about myself to start things off. I recently graduated first in my class from Academia Angelus.”

  Cillian cut her off, “For those of you that aren’t familiar with Celestia’s warrior angel academy, that’s quite an accomplishment.”

  Our new instructor’s cheeks turned an annoyingly perfect shade of pink as she smiled at the headmaster. “You’re too kind, Cillian. But he’s right. Don’t let my appearance fool you, I promise I know my way around a sword.”

  “How about magic? Have you mastered any additional powers?” Drake’s question surprised me. I was glad I wasn’t the only one questioning our new leader’s abilities.

  “Calliope has spent the past two months studying with Professor Arcana,” answered Cillian, leveling the prince with a glare. “She’s mastered a range of spells and incantations. However, she’ll be leaving most of the magic use to the eight of you. Her specialty, like Ryder’s was, is combat.”

  “And on that note, I’d like to get started.” She clapped her hands and pointed at the wall of weapons. “I understand Scarlett has brought us some new treasures so I’d like to begin with those. Also, if you typically use a sword, I’d like you to try something new today. This is a new semester, and we’re starting out fresh.”

  As the rest of the team headed toward the wall, I raced behind Cillian and Logan. Grabbing the headmaster’s arm, I pierced him with my own icy glare. Apparently, I had learned a few things from the Fae prince. “Can we talk in private?”

  Cillian glanced at his watch and then at the gargoyle beside him. “I need to discuss a few things with Logan first. You can come by my office after training.”

  “But—”

  The angel placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “It’s important that you all get back to practicing together. Having Calliope as your instructor will take some getting used to, but I assure you it will be for the best.” He spun me around before I could get another word out. “See you after class, Luna.”

  Grumbling, I traipsed back to the wall of weapons and chose a crossbow. It wasn’t something I typically practiced with and as much as I would’ve preferred a little hand-to-hand combat right now, some distance between my target and me would probably be wisest.

  Arrow after arrow soared, hitting its mark. After awhile I didn’t even have to use my magic to guide the projectiles anymore. I was on autopilot as I watched our new instructor from afar. She was working with Zephyr and Triston with broadswords. The two shifters’ razor-sharp claws were their natural weapons so they rarely trained with real blades.

  “What do you think of her?” Drake whispered, sidling up beside me with a high-tech metallic bow and arrow.

  I shrugged. “Too soon to tell. You?”

  “She’s good with a sword that’s for sure. To graduate first in her class from Academia Angelus is no easy feat; the top warriors come from that school. But I’m surprised Cillian would choose an angel—well, I guess not really. Although Ryder didn’t let him in on all the details of the darker stuff, Cillian had to guess. I’m not sure how that will work out with angel girl.” He let an arrow fly, the thunk echoing across the room when it sank into the target.

  We shot arrow after arrow in a syncopated rhythm, and for a little while my heart didn’t hurt quite so much. I glanced over at Drake as he strung up the bow, his bicep straining against the metal cord, his angular jaw clenched. When had Drake’s presence started to soothe me? For the first time in months, the permanent knot in my stomach began to unravel.

  “It’s kind of hard to focus when you’re ogling me.” He shot me a sidelong glance before releasing the arrow.

  “I wasn’t ogling; I was studying your form.”

  He laughed. “And how does it look?”

  “Not bad for a stiff ice prince.” I let another arrow fly, and I could feel his frosty gaze intent on me.

  “How are you doing, really, after what Cillian said?” he finally mumbled. “I know you and Ryder were close.”

  My heart staggered, but I willed it to continue beating. “Just as close as we all are.” I hoped it sounded more convincing aloud than in my head.

  Drake raised a brow. “Right…”

  “Could you do it? Could you kill him if you had to?” Out of everyone on the team, not only was Drake the most powerful, but he was also the most ruthless. I’d seen softer sides of the prince, but that didn’t mean I’d forget what was behind his cold exterior.

  His lips twisted into a pout. “If I had to, yes. I wouldn’t take any pleasure from it. Ryder and I may have had our differences, but he was our instructor and friend. But if it came down to me or him or even one of you—” His eyes flickered with intensity as they razed over me “—I’d do what was ne
cessary.”

  “Enough chatting, you two.” Calliope appeared beside us, her cheeks rosy from exertion. She’d stripped down to a tank and shorts, revealing well-muscled arms and legs. She put my measly biceps to shame. “Come join us on the mats.” She motioned to where the others had gathered in the center of the space.

  Returning our bows to the wall, we trailed behind her to join the others. I sat as far away from Raine as the room would allow. Somehow, I’d managed to avoid her all morning.

  “Okay, now for some hand-to-hand combat. I’d like to see what you’ve been working on for the past year.” She glanced down at her tablet and began to call out names. “And lastly, Raine and Luna.”

  About a dozen curse words swirled on the tip of my tongue. Seriously? Did no one let this woman in on what happened last year?

  “I’m not feeling so well,” muttered Raine.

  My head whipped toward her. I’d never heard the redheaded witch back out of a challenge.

  “Let’s give it a go, and if you’re not up to it, you can sit out for the remainder of class.” The firm set of Calliope’s jaw allowed for no arguments as she pointed to the circular mat.

  Raine rose grumbling, and I pushed myself off the ground to move to the center mat. She eyed me from across the circle, fury burning through her mossy green irises. I only pitied her for a second, and then I remembered what Drake had said. I could’ve been dragged to the Underworld and killed. She had no right to be angry; I did.

  Calliope tossed us some gloves and headgear as the rest of the team gathered around. No one breathed. Anxiety spilled from my friends thickening the air. I felt it through each cord wrapped around my heart. I’d barely gotten my gear on when our instructor’s voice rang out, “And begin!”

  I leapt forward, allowing all the rage that had consumed me for the past few months free. I threw a few punches, landing about half while Raine dodged the others. She got in a few good ones to my stomach and even one to the head. I growled as my brain spun from the impact. Pulling my arm back, I faked an uppercut, instead hitting her with my trademark roundhouse. The smack of my foot against her head sent a wave of satisfaction through my chest.