Page 5

“I am an elite fighter—”

“With one arm.”

“And yet, I took down more than your men did with one arm and no help. I am Spectre, whether you’d like to believe it or not. I am a skilled hunter and a skilled fighter who has already mastered every single class that your pathetic school has to fucking offer. And you doubt me? My abilities?” I snapped, brows pulling together. Sure, my arm was a mess and needed to be fixed, but I was who I said I was, just lied about it to everyone.

Father smirked. “Well, that settles it.”

“Settles what?”

He sat straighter, causing me to too. “You have a week to prepare to prove you mastered every class. Then I will believe you, and you can stay in this ‘pathetic school.’”

I stared at him. “A week? What do I do now?”

“Find a place to live. The academy will be giving all its students money for the traumatizing day. You will be able to afford a hotel in Evercrest, but I don’t advise going to Ashbourne. Especially now that everyone knows you’re an oracle and possibly Spectre. You are dismissed, Ms. Adams.”

It took a moment to pry my eyes away from him before moving from his office. What just happened? I closed the door behind me, thinking about the arrangement. One week to prove myself.

Students in the hall all looked at me while trying to gather their things. I ignored it, moving to my dorm room.

Now, I was valuable, open to all their opinions on me and what they were whispering about.

Luckily, I hadn’t unpacked yet. I grabbed my bags and threw them on my body. My right arm hurt, though it was in a sling to make it not so limb. Something in the mechanics broke, leaving it fully useless.

I didn’t get paid much as a vigilante, but I didn’t do it for the money. I left my room, putting my hair up with one hand. I was used to doing everything with one arm; this was nothing new.

Medics covered the front courtyard. They worked on healing injured kids while keeping count of those dead. The morning sun was up now, reigning down on us, and I couldn’t believe an hour or two ago, we were facing the deadliest things ever.

Finding Kier in the crowd of Priests, Osiris’s older brother and the alchemy teacher, I moved to him. “Can I borrow your phone?”

He looked down at me, hands on his wide hips. His hair was pulled back, and his face had one injury, which didn’t stop him from looking so delicious. “Anything for Spectre,” he teased, wiggling a brow at me.

I snatched his phone before saying, “Suck my cock, Kier.”

He smirked. “If Spectre says so.”

“Oh. You would look so amazing with my cock down your throat,” I sighed, eyes closing to imagine Kier on his knees before me. Instead of an imaginary dick in his mouth, his mouth was on my pussy, eyes locked onto mine.

“I was thinking the same about you.” He bumped my side, heat rushing through me.

I scoffed, dialing numbers. “As if you ever had a chance. Don’t switch up on me now that you know who I am.”

Before he could answer, the ringing stopped, and the phone was picked up.

“Hey, I need you,” I said to the silent person on the other side.

Kier cocked a brow, but I turned away and ignored him.

“So, now you need me?” the voice asked. I could practically hear his smile.

“Please don’t do this. Something’s wrong. I can’t move it. It’s just… dead.”

He sighed. “Ashbourne, still?”

“Evercrest. Pack up, and I’ll have a ticket waiting for you at the station. I’ll pick you up when you get to Evercrest.”

“Oh? Will I actually get paid this time, P?” he teased. But it reminded me of how we were as kids and the nickname the vampire said.

Swallowing, I didn’t let my fake attitude fade. “That’s all I am to you? A cash cow?”