Page 76

As a laugh came from Kai, relief filled me that they’d managed to veer off the antagonistic path they’d been headed down for a bit back there.

But the relief was short-lived when I bumped into somebody in my distracted state, only just managing to balance the two plates I was carrying—one in either hand.

“Demon,” someone sneered at me.

I stepped back and adjusted my balance of the plates to see three students now crowding me predatorily.

One was Sorin Tenebris, a Dark Fae fourth year.

His layered deep red hair brushed the shoulders of his charcoal blazer, a fitted black turtleneck beneath it that was tucked into a pair of gray distressed jeans. He was tall and lean with an elitist air to him that he carried strongly.

The other two were vampires in their third year, Drake Maddox and Jace Hogan who followed Sorin around reverently,taken with the rarity of Dark Fae beings actually being present on this plane, let alone the Academy, given the bad blood between the Dark Fae Realm and here. They were being unofficially mentored by Sorin in how to live up to their predatory natures and be tough sons of bitches, basically, like the Dark Fae fucker was known for being. More like a dangerous asshole, who used the two of them to do his bidding and his dirty work.

Drake’s dark auburn hair was always artfully messy. He had the sleeves of his deep-red button-up pushed up to expose his muscular arms. He was shorter than Sorin, but a great deal bulkier and he stood there with his legs in his slim-fit jeans spread in a wide, intimidating stance as he glared at me.

Jace had a grungier look, in ripped jeans and a denim shirt with leather patches. His white-blond hair fell just past his jawline, his dark eyes narrowing on me with clear menace. He was bulky, just like Drake, the two of them giving off a whole bouncer vibe.

Just what Sorin wanted from them.

“You spelled my girl,” Sorin spoke to me, a whole lot of animosity coming off him.

I was sensing something deeper, too.

Nervousness.

I concentrated, pulling harder of my emotion-reading abilities. They really came in handy during tense situations like this.

It didn’t take me long to gauge his true sentiment here. He was afraid that his authority and standing was going to take a hit if it got out that I’d impacted his girlfriend and pulled her from him.

“It wasn’t intentional,” I told him. “It won’t happen again. I apologize.”

“Don’t bullshit him,” Drake piped up, getting up in my personal space. “We all know it could easily happen again with you.”

“Yeah, you’re such a fucking loser, you can’t control shit about your powers,” Jace added.

“Back off,” I warned. “Escalating things isn’t a good idea.”

“Because you’ll twist our minds around and make us kneel before your cock with our mouths open?” Drake bit at me.

“I would never do that.”

“My girl came to my dorm room talking about how she wanted to fuck you and play a game to have me watch,” Sorin claimed.

“It was the residual effect of me accidentally unleashing my allure. It would have worn off within a couple of hours fully. Again, I’m sorry. I can apologize to her, too, if that would helpandcalm this situation down.”

“We’re gonna need more of an apology than that,” Jace said.

“Like what?” I asked.

“Like us descending on you and fucking you up,” Drake told me.

I felt a surge of powerful emotion—anger and protectiveness—and I looked out toward Kai to see him shooting to his feet, as he’d seen what was happening, his eyes flaming rose-gold with his power. Vorzyr rose beside him, a dangerous growl rumbling from him.

But then the two of them suddenly jolted in surprise and pulled up short.

In the next second, as Drake went for me, cracking his fist and clearly intending to break my face with a blow bolstered by vampire speed, a silver film shot up, enveloping him and the other vampire. Sorin was then lifted off the ground a couple of feet, his head snapping back and his arms forced out either side of him.

And then I looked, startled to shit as none other than Ariana Martel stood there, one hand glowing with her silver power directed at the vampires she was holding at bay with some sort of suspension spell, the other levitating Sorin off the ground.