Page 11

10

Summer

T hanks to the absence of any hangover, getting ready for our second day is much smoother. Alice and I leave the dormitory looking much fresher than the day before. Both of us are wearing uniforms similar to what we wore the previous day, but I have opted for a white shirt instead of a black one, and rather than a tie, I’ve wrapped a small scarf in the school’s colors around my neck. I forgo tights again today.

The sun is shining through the window, and my room is almost uncomfortably warm. I look at my selection of shoes and decide to go for a pair of heels this time. Sliding my feet into them, it’s like I’m donning armor. When I face angel boy this time, I’ll feel more than prepared. He may have grown up with a sword in his hand, but at the end of the day, a warrior has a moral code. A survivor has none.

Alice and I walk through the quad, and she lifts her face to the sky, closing her eyes. “This is glorious.”

The sun is never something I’ve had to live without for long. In my old realm, the weather was cyclical, with certain times of the year colder than others. But usually, we wouldn’t go more than seven days without seeing the sun. It’s one of those things that can easily be taken for granted, but at the moment, I appreciate it as much as Alice.

We walk to Fenrir Hall, both of us deciding to skip the coffee before our first combat class. My stomach tightens and twists. I’ve never taken so much as a self-defense class, never mind partaking in actual combat. That combat is a general requirement for Avalon students is archaic. Why do I need to know how to throw a punch when I could just draw a rune?

When we step through the door, our clothes change again, this time into matching shorts and t-shirts. The clothes are easy to move in, but I frown when I notice I’m still wearing my heels. The gym is enormous and filled with various workout and sports equipment. A large male lifts heavy-looking mats, his muscles bulging under his dark amber skin. He drops them in the center of the room, keeping them pretty evenly spaced. The heavy mats slamming against the wooden floor echo in the cavernous room. A group of girls stand in the corner, watching him and giggling, and a few of the boys cross their arms over their chests, trying to flex their muscles. This is already unbearable, and it is made even worse by the fact that there are several fae in this class. I make a point not to look at them, but I can feel their eyes boring into me.

The tall man throws down the last mat and stands in front of our group. He gathers his long, midnight hair and secures it at his nape. “I’m Ike. I have taught combat at Avalon for ten years. Yes, I am trained to teach you. No, I am not a professor, so do not call me one.” His nostrils flare a little as if he is scenting us. He moves his head to the side, and I see lightning flash in his dark eyes. Thunderbird . I thought they were a myth. “Two to a mat. Try to match up with people who are roughly the same size as yourself for this class.”

I grab Alice and pull her to a mat on the other side of the room. When everyone has taken off their shoes and is standing on a mat with a partner, Ike walks through, looking at us all with a leveling stare.

“Combat has been taught at this academy since its founding, though as you can imagine, the lesson structure and techniques have changed drastically. Once, students would fight to the death in this very room.”

I glance at Alice, who is smirking and nodding in approval.

“For this first year, we will be working primarily on defense and building from any knowledge you already have regarding restraint and deflection. We will use both magic and strength in these classes, but I am asking that for this first semester, while we settle into the year, none of you use your arcane powers. As you are aware, certain species have advantages in speed, stealth, strength, agility, and so on. These advantages are not to be used until after the end of term basics exams. While you are learning the basics, I want to utilize an even playing field.”

Ike settles on his own mat at the front of the room. He conjures a moving mannequin and begins to go through a number of different defense moves. The mannequin attacks him, and my mind fires, analyzing the mock battle between our teacher and the mannequin.

Ike leans back as it swings, dodging its blow artfully. The mannequin’s leg sweeps out to target his legs, but Ike jumps, lifting his feet toward his chest. Static zips around the room, making the hair on my neck rise. Ike launches both his feet into the dummy’s chest, sending it flying into the wall with shattering force.

My eyes widen in awe. He used runes to enhance his own abilities. His kick was more powerful because he used a rune to focus his natural power.

“Right. Your turn,” Ike says, the resonance of his voice pulling me from my thoughts. Nerves make my empty stomach clench, and the fascination dies inside me. “Whoever is on the left, use the moves I demonstrated to defend against the moves used by the dummy. Those on the right, watch and prepare for your turn.” A dummy appears on each mat, and Alice moves out of the way.

Ike walks around the room, correcting people’s stances. When he gets to me, he raises my right arm slightly and uses his foot to widen my stance. “Okay, good. Ready? Go.”

The dummies all move in unison. I quickly duck to avoid the strike, but I overcompensate and lose my balance. I right myself but feel my cheeks burn. This is why I run.

Ike sighs and lowers his chin to his chest, his hands on his hips. “We have a lot of work to do. Switch.”

Alice and I swap places. This time, when Ike calls for them to start, the dummies move, but fewer people fall over. Alice moves deftly, dodging the dummy’s swing and countering with a blow of her own. She even manages to rip it with her claws.

“Switch,” Ike calls again.

The class doesn’t get much better for me, but by the end of it, I am able to remain on my feet for at least two out of the five defensive moves Ike showed us. Ike finally dismisses us, and our uniforms return. I say goodbye to Alice, my spirits lifting as I head to my next class. It’s another rune class, thank the gods. This is the only class I’m doing that Alice won’t be in. It’s specifically for fae and sorcerers, and while I’m not overly excited about spending an hour with those two groups, the subject excites me. I found Ancient Runes to be so interesting yesterday. I cannot wait to see what the Elder Futhark runes have in store for me.

When I arrive, the class is already teeming with students, and I get some curious looks from some of the fae who are, unsurprisingly, standing in a pack. I swear, they are worse than the shifters. They drop their voices when I pass, but I keep my eyes forward and sit in a seat at the other end of the classroom.

A tall, slim woman walks into the classroom and claps her hands. Her bobbed, red hair barely moves as she walks down the middle of the classroom.

“Quiet! Quiet! I am Professor Henley. Welcome to Elder Futhark runes. Now, let’s get started. We have a lot to cover today.”

She walks to the blackboard and writes in an elegant script as she starts her lecture.

“Now, Elder Futhark runes, also known as Older Futhark or Old Futhark, is often described as the oldest runic language in existence. However, as I’m sure Professor Ambrose explained, we know this to be false. Though it is an old runic language, we now know the oldest and first to be that of Daoine Sith.” She turns to face us again. “For those of us able to use multiple runic languages, Elder Futhark is best utilized when attempting practical magic. For example, moving objects.”

Professor Henley tilts her head, showing the Elder Futhark rune drawn on her skin just above her collar. It glows as she holds up her hand, sending her desk a foot away before pulling it back.

“This is push and pull. It can be accomplished with the more common Archaic Latin and Ancient Greek runic languages that Ambrose teaches you. But it is the utilization of each runic language combined with the being’s most powerful intentions that makes the greatest of spell casters.” She chuckles. “You’d never catch the headmaster using Archaic Latin or Infernal to move a desk, and that is the truth.”

The class lets out a chuckle of understanding, but I barely hear. I take down every word she says, my hand flying across the page in my notebook. My brain feels alight with the prospect of learning about this language and the ways these runes differ from the ones I already know. My thirst for knowledge was something I’d never truly been able to entertain, especially in the realm I came from. In my world, the reality of the arcane world was relegated to myths and fairytales.

When I was young, my caretaker forced me to lock my power away. Later, after Torin, I repressed it myself, pushing it so deep that I could only hear the whispers of it beckoning me, a haunting echo from behind an impenetrable wall. Even so, I could never extinguish my love of runes and the magic they hold. Though, without the full use of my powers, they are never as strong or effective as they should be.

Professor Henley turns back to the blackboard and writes out the Elder Futhark alphabet along with each character’s meaning in both the common tongue and a further translation into Latin.

“Once you have copied these down, I would like you to start on a 5,000-word paper on your current knowledge of runes. Include the implications of using them and the advantages of using them over base magic.”

The second I finish copying the alphabet, I dive into the text she assigned for research and start taking notes. I am so engrossed that I don’t notice the time, and class seems to end in a blink.

“Thank you, everyone! I am available for questions, but the papers are due by the end of class on Thursday. Until then!” Professor Henley says, dismissing us.

She waits a few moments but opens a portal when no one approaches her with questions. The rift glows brightly, the edges curling with yellow and green light. She steps into it, disappearing from view.

Alice is waiting outside my class, scrolling through her phone. She smiles when she sees me. “Ready for lunch?”

I nod. “How was your class?”

“Boring. My father insisted on me taking a class on the vampire monarchy. I think he’s hoping to radicalize me, and this is his last-ditch effort to get me on his side. How was your other runes class?”

I frown, wondering what she means. There is something about her demeanor that has shifted, and I sense that she cannot say anymore about the subject without exploding into a furious rage.

“Oh! It was fascinating! We were learning about…” Alice’s lips are pulled into a supportive smile, but her eyes are already glazed over with a look of soul-destroying boredom. I laugh. “Never mind.”

I sigh when I notice that our table from yesterday is not empty. Connor fucking Morningstar is sitting in the exact seat I sat in yesterday, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Alice covers her mouth, and I can tell she’s doing it to hide her smirk. Asshole.

We collect our food before walking to the table we’ve lovingly dubbed ours , even if Connor is sitting there. I sit at the other side of the table, intending to ignore him. Connor is immediately on his feet, rounding the table and sitting right beside me. His thigh brushes against mine as he turns his large body to face me.

Hundreds of phones start going off, the sound of the alerts filling the canteen. Alice frowns, and I look around, watching people read their screens intently. Even Connor pulls his phone from his pocket and checks it.

I open my yogurt. “Your brothers are lost without you. How can they possibly breathe without the golden brother watching over them?” I snark, eating a spoonful of peach-flavored yogurt.

Connor’s deep laugh surrounds me like a blanket, and I can’t help the shiver of pleasure.

“You think you got me pegged, huh?” he asks.

Connor’s phone alerts again. “Shouldn’t you be checking your phone to read the message from… whoever is in this thousand-person group chat you have going on?”

“Nah, it’s just an alert,” he replies with a shrug, not taking his eyes off me.

“Who knows? It might be one of your million friends or followers desperately needing your attention.”

His lips curl into a half-smile. “The only person I want attention from is an evasive, beautiful fae.”

Alice rolls her eyes so hard I can practically hear it.

“Evasive and beautiful? Who could you mean? I’ve heard that Landon is pretty hard to get to know. I could get you an in, though,” I replied snidely.

Connor laughs again, and the sound is so full and infectious that I have to work to hold back my own. “So, are you going to be my date on Friday?”

“After I’ve put all this effort into setting you up with Landon? Ungrateful.”

Alice cackles into her blood bag.

Connor hooks his finger under my chin and gently tilts my head up so I meet his gaze.

Oh, you smooth fucker.

“Be my date.”

I find myself studying his mouth, enjoying how the bow curves. My lips tingle as if the memory of our last kiss still lingers there.

Alice slurps loudly from her blood bag, breaking me from his stupid angelic spell. I clear my throat and look away. “I’ll be at the party. Maybe I’ll see you there.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Connor replies, confidence lacing his words.

I quirk a brow, looking up at him. “Take it as a maybe I’ll bump into you and say hi before moving to talk to someone else.”

Connor smiles and surprises me by stroking his fingers along my jaw before dropping his hand. “I’m taking it as a I want to be your date, Connor. But I like being chased .”

I roll my eyes. “Can you leave now?”

Connor winks. “Got to go. I have a meeting with the doom master.”

“The doom master?” Alice asks.

Connor nods, grabbing his bag. “Headmaster Emrys.”

My ears prick up a bit at the sound of his name. Once again, my stomach knots with the memory of the library and how I was almost expelled before I could even begin this journey. Unease wriggles through me, but I refuse to acknowledge the terrifying monster I sense in him, the one that calls to my own beast.

“I can see your thoughts.”

I lift my gaze to Alice. “What am I thinking then, mystic Alice?”

She brings her fingers to her temples and rubs them dramatically. “Ommmmm, I see your thoughts, oh pretty little Summer. You are thinking… Ommmmm… What does angel dick taste like?”

I burst out laughing and swat at her.

Another surge of notifications fills the room, and I frown as Alice picks up her phone. “Okay, what the fuck is this alert all about?”

“It’s EverydayEmrys ,” Rafe grunts as he walks past our table, heading toward the exit.

“What the fuck is EverydayEmrys ?” Alice asks, but Rafe is already at the canteen door.

I pull my phone from my bag and search for it. Multiple results pop up, and I click on the first one. A picture of the headmaster walking through campus appears on my screen. He is holding a coffee and heading toward Ambrose Library. The accompanying post says:

Beneath the comment are hundreds of thirsty comments and some discussing plans for parties.

Alice shifts, taking the seat Connor just vacated. “I mean, they did say a cult following, but…”

“A stalker page?”

Alice nods. “I think it’s also a way to avoid him if needed.” She takes my phone and scrolls through the page. “Holy fuck. How far does this go back?” She hits the follow button from my account. I give her an annoyed look, but she just smiles innocently at me. “For research.”

I grumble and snatch my phone back from her, stowing it in my bag.