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We can learn in the academy, I told Sy.

You do the learning, she said. I’m watching the hot boys.

I laughed when a boy got hit by earth magic and was strung upside down by an ankle. He yelped, conjuring his water magic, but it wasn’t any help in getting him down.

“Are you amused, squire?” Gunnar asked.

“It’s funny,” I said.

“You’re not here to have fun, squire!” he scolded.

“That dude should’ve shot his strong water at his opponent to make her lose focus, then he’d be able to get down. If he knows how, he should also manipulate the water within the brunette and choke her, but then he’s no good when he’s panicking like that. Fear kills.”

“What do you know about magic?” Gunnar sneered. “I told you to learn, not to pretend to be something that you’re not and make ignorant comments!”

“Yeah, yeah,” I said.

He had no fucking idea that I was every magic user’s worst nightmare and their greatest enemy. But I wasn’t foolish enough to show my hand.

Gunnar was right about learning, though. I needed to observe closely how the students summoned their magic. I was living on borrowed time unless I could harness my own magic; then I’d stand a fighting chance against Ruin.

“Let me aid you.” America rushed toward the trapped boy as she noticed the princes were all looking on at his struggle with light amusement.

It seemed that they were mostly supervising the students, bickering with each other, fishing for information, or exploiting the others’ weakness. Drusilla had given me a crash course on the heirs and the house rivalries in the realm. None of the princes wanted to show the other houses what was up their sleeves.

America stood in front of the unfortunate student, waiting for all eyes to fall on her.

This was the perfect opening to get all the princes’ attention. She’d paraded herself shamelessly in Jubilee Haven earlier. This time, her aim was toward Killian. She batted her blue eyes at him, even though he wasn’t even available. Seducing him was like cheating with a married man, though he wasn’t exactly married. Not yet anyway.

But that fae chick didn’t seem to care. The two top buttons of her uniform were open to reveal more of her cleavage.

What a slut!

I glared at her.

Maybe I should snuff out her magic and embarrass her in front of everyone?

Do it, Sy encouraged. Don’t let her take your man.

He isn’t my man! I folded my arms across my chest.

America tossed her fireballs at the vines that gripped the boy’s ankle, burning the vines, and the boy tumbled down to the ground with a yelp. America laughed at his expense, and others joined her.

Sympathy wasn’t an admired quality in Mist of Cinder. It was perceived as weakness. I’d learned that when I snuck into the class. Only power was respected.

America didn’t achieve the result she wanted, as none of the princes paid her much attention. Cade and Silas put their heads together again. The mage prince said something, and the shifter prince darted a suspicious glance at the chaos prince.

Out of earshot of Cade and Silas, Killian and Louis were trading information.

At my summons, Sy came as close to the surface as she could get, and her superior hearing aided me.

“So, you got yourself a new pet, Louis?” Killian asked, nodding in my direction.

I bristled. I didn’t mind others calling me that, but such an insult from his sensual mouth hit me like a brick.

I lashed out without a second thought, my dark wind setting forth to suck out his magic and render him fatigued. He’d be replenished in a few hours, considering how powerful he was. There was a difference between siphoning the land and supernatural beings. The acreage would be barren after being drained of its magic. Supernatural beings could survive if I didn’t absorb their essence, and their magic would return, unless I harvested every drop from their very core.

I was being reckless, but the arrogant Prince of Chaos wouldn’t know what had hit him. He wouldn’t expect a low servant like me to be able to sip his energy like it was juice.