Page 79

She doesn’t deserve it anymore.

“You’re making it harder and harder for me to not just kill you,” I growl, sweeping my hair back off my face. She cups her nose, blood pouring down her chin.

“Wait until my father hears about this,” she seethes, and I scoff.

“I believe he already tried to have me expelled. How’s that working for you?”

“It will stick this time.”

I roll my eyes. “Good luck with that.” Taking a step back, she rushes to her feet and two of her friends hurry over before they head for the exit. She’s never going to learn. She’s persistent, that’s for sure. That’s twice she’s caused a scene with me that’s ended physically, and both times she’s ended up worse for the wear. Maybe the third time is when I snap altogether.

“Her father tried to get you expelled?” Cassian grunts with furrowed brows, and I nod.

“And yours. Does anybody else’s parent want to add their name to the list?” I ask, looking at Brody, Raiden, and Kryll.

“It is hot when she’s angry,” Kryll states, making my jaw fall slack as I stare at him.

Flora chuckles until I glare at her and she covers her mouth, but a frown quickly transforms her face as she points at me.

“You’re bleeding.”

I lift my hand to my hair, the thick liquid familiar against my fingers, and sigh.

A breeze flutters around me, and a second later, Cassian is standing in front of me. His gaze is set on my head at the wound that has been reopened from last night. His jaw is set in a firm line as he reaches out to run his hand over it. A warmth blossoms at his touch. Instinctively, I panic that my body is overreacting to him again, but I quickly realize it’s magic that’s dancing along my skin.

Before I can react, he leans forward, pressing his lips against the crown of my head. “All healed.”

I gape at him, unable to find any snarky words to make him back off, when a siren blares, jolting me.

“What does that mean?” Flora asks as everyone starts to rise, and it’s Raiden who has the answer.

“It means the dean is ready to give a speech.”

THIRTY-SIX

ADDI

Adrenaline still courses through me as I follow the crowd outside. I’m acutely aware of the wide berth everyone seems to be offering me, and I appreciate it. Maybe Vallie’s repeated attempts to bring me down are working in my favor a little. I don’t want everyone to fear me too much, but at least they know I’m not a pushover.

“Where are we supposed to go?” I ask, keeping my head tilted toward Flora on my left. Arlo flanks her other side, and although I can sense the assholes hovering nearby, too, they don’t cause any further irritation than usual.

“To homeroom,” Arlo explains, and I nod in acknowledgement as we head in that direction. When we near the entryway, I spot Vallie off to the side, dramatically sobbing as she points to her bloody nose before her red-tipped finger aims in my direction.

Professor Holloway, the vampires’ guide, follows the direction of her extended arm, frowning at me as she continues to listen to whatever bullshit Vallie is feeding her.

Amazing.

“It looks like you can add my mother to that list of yours,” Raiden states from a step behind me. I glance back at him with a frown as I slowly understand what he’s saying.

“Your mother,” I breathe, slowly turning back to Vallie and Professor Holloway, who is now glaring at me.

I sigh. Honestly, fuck my life.

I knew coming here, I would have the odds stacked against me, but this is on another level. No one could have predicted this.

Upping my pace, I dart into our homeroom, taking my seat before Brody and Kryll in hopes of building invisible walls around myself. The mage to my left makes it impossible when he drops into his chair and instantly places his hand on my thigh.

Fuck.