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23

Summer

I read through my assignment for ancient runes and start tracing them on my pad. Ignis. I pick up my small dagger and prick my finger, carefully writing the archaic Latin on my skin. As my blood dries, the rune turns iridescent. Holding out my hand, I focus on the rune drawn onto my arm and snap my fingers. A small flame flickers above my thumb, and my lips twitch as I open my hand. I let the tiny flame dance through my fingers, controlling it with my mind. Too quickly, the rune fades and the flame dies.

My nose scrunches in disappointment. Professor Brooks said there was a balance with runes, and their temporary nature is one. Once a rune is activated, the timer starts, and depending on the caster, it can last a matter of seconds or days.

Flipping to a later chapter, I copy down another rune, Ancient Greek this time. I trace over the character again and again, learning the feel of the swooped lines as they curl into a sharp edge. The rune is meant to open a lock made of steel. I tilt my head, studying it.

The rune seems to glow in my mind’s eye, and then it starts to change. The curved line at the top inverts, scoring through a newly formed crescent-shaped line. I watch in amazement as things continue to shift. Another line angles to the left, and the rune bends slightly, making the entire thing something I’ve never seen before. I quickly flip the page of my notebook and start sketching out the new rune I can see so clearly in my mind.

“You’re still studying?” Alice asks, barging into my room. The rune dims a little and then completely disappears into the recesses of my mind as I complete the drawing. I stare at the pad, frowning at the new rune, trying to make sense of it. What language is this?

“Summer?”

Her voice snaps me back to the present. “Sorry, I’ll be fifteen minutes.”

Alice nods and leans toward the mirror, focused on correcting her eyeliner and barely paying attention to me. She is wearing a microscopic dress, and she is definitely trying to impress someone tonight. I stand up and stretch. My muscles are stiff from sitting for so long while lost to the fascinating world of ancient runes. Where had that rune come from? I must have seen it somewhere and remembered it, but where?

The questions continue circulating through my mind as I sort through the new clothes Alice bought me. I’ve never had a wardrobe this extensive, and new things continue to appear in my closet. When I ask Alice where they came from, she just shrugs. She is such a little weirdo.

I pull out a racy, royal blue number just as short as Alice’s postage stamp of a dress. The silk whispers against my skin as I pull it on, and the straps are so thin that braless is the only option for the evening. The cowl neckline plunges low enough that I’m showing a good amount of cleavage, but I am in no danger of spilling out of the top. I’ve always thought the tits and ass gods had blessed me. I appreciate and don’t mind showing off those parts of my body, and this dress definitely highlights them.

I slide my feet into a pair of silver stilettos before leaving my closet. Alice is still checking herself out in the mirror, and I can’t help but roll my eyes at her vanity. But then I’m the biggest hypocrite in all the realms because I start to primp beside her. I gently push her out of the way and apply my lipstick, bending slightly to get closer to my reflection. I finish my makeup and put my hair half up, holding it in place with a sparkling bow clip.

“Damn, we look hot,” Alice says, grabbing my phone and snapping a photo of us in the mirror before immediately posting it.

For someone who never used to record their life, I certainly enjoy doing so here. I post multiple times a day, and my page is full of photos of me and my friends. My friends. I never thought I’d have even one friend. Now, I have multiple people who want to know me. At least as much as I’ll let them, at least the side I am willing to share. I may not know who I am becoming here, but she is someone who has friends and posts on Nexus regularly. I always have at least ten stories up a day, each showing a different aspect of my life, and I’m weirdly enjoying it.

Alice wraps her arm around my waist as we leave the dorm. “Thanks for coming with me. You sure you wouldn’t prefer a meal of angel dick instead?”

I snicker. “Shut up.”

The house is just coming into view when I feel my muscles start to tighten with awareness. My blood surges, my power rising from the depths when I sense the fae. I have no idea why my power roils when they are near, but I’m going to have to work on controlling it. They crawl all over campus. How are there so many of them, yet not a single one has eyes like mine? Alice squeezes my hand when I slow.

“You okay?”

I nod and resume walking. Control it, Summer. “Yeah, I just need a drink.”

None of the other fae react like this when I am nearby, at least not visibly. They are uneasy with the difference in my eyes, but they mostly seem curious. However, the more time I spend near them, surrounded by them, the more my visceral reaction to them grows. It coils and brews, itching under my skin until the need to lash out is nearly unbearable. Sometimes, it is impossible to resist. It wants violence. In class, if there are enough of them, my notes turn?—

I shake my head. I need to stay focused here in the present so I can get this under control.

Like that night at the Morningstar House, the party has spilled out onto the front lawn and the chaos from inside is bleeding into the night. Music booms, and the techno rhythm rattles my bones even out here. Alice and I enter the house, and as we make our way through the mass of bodies, I try not to look around for Connor. I’m not sure if I want to see him here or not.

Brett, the snow leopard shifter from the library, catches sight of us and waves. We make our way toward him, bobbing and weaving through groups and couples dancing and swaying to the beat.

Brett leans in to speak into my ear. “Hi! Good to see you!”

I smile at him, looking around the room. Alice is already making eyes at a wolf shifter who is throwing suggestive looks her way. I wonder if he’s the owner of the hoodie or just another from her roster. I grab Alice, and we wander into the kitchen.

Brett is pulled into a serious-looking conversation with a guy who looks like an older, angrier version of himself. They both have dark auburn hair and a smattering of freckles across their noses, but the older one has darker eyes and a sinister air about him. Alice watches shamelessly as she pours an amber liquid into a bright red plastic cup.

“It looks like Brett is related to the alpha,” Alice remarks, taking a deep drink from her cup before heavy-handedly topping it up.

“Okay?” I down a shot of tequila and shiver slightly before pouring another.

Alice leans against the counter behind her, nursing her drink and watching the two shifters. “His name is Fergus. I’ve heard he’s a massive prick.”

I glance at them and see how Brett shrinks under his brother’s glare. Fergus snaps one last thing and then storms away. He is none too gentle as he forces his way through the crowd, obviously looking for someone. Brett stays rooted to the spot until Fergus returns, pulling a woman behind him. She keeps her eyes on the ground as Fergus bares his teeth at Brett, snarling loud enough that his words surge over the music.

“Man up and get it over with, little brother,” he growls. Brett looks at the woman, a slight glimmer of apology in his eyes, but she keeps her gaze on the ground.

Before I know what I’m doing, I’m across the room and stepping between Brett and Fergus. I’m unsure why, but my instincts are surging, telling me to intercede.

“Who the fuck are you?” Fergus sneers at me, and Alice hisses at him from my side, rage radiating from her.

“I’m someone you don’t want to piss off.” I lift my chin, looking down my nose at him even though he is taller than me.

“This is pack business, little pointed-ear freak.”

My lips curl into a smile.

“Back the fuck up,” Fergus snarls at me.

“Ferg—”

“You shut up, too. You’re already enough of an embarrassment to the pack,” Fergus interrupts Brett, turning his furious gaze on him.

Fergus’s body shakes as he struggles to contain his rage. I don’t move, and he shoves me. The second he does, the entire room moves, trying to get away from him. Alice calls for me, but she’s washed away in the sea of people.

I shove him back. “You’re a fucking asshole bully, throwing your size around to intimidate your pack.”

One minute, I’m looking up at him, and the next, pain explodes across my face, my ears ringing with the force of his backhand. The power I’ve repressed most of my life stretches awake at the threat. I realize now that I have just been pretending to have it leashed. It has grown stronger and more unruly each time I’ve encountered another fae. The wall holds, but just barely, my power eagerly pushing through the fissures created by the force of my anger. It is raw, untamed, and vicious. Light sears my eyes, and the sound pierces into my ears painfully.

No. Not again. How could I have done this again?

Show me what you can do, Summer.

I blink away the light, a deep exhaustion permeating my body. Chaos reigns around me, assaulting my senses. Fergus is in a heap on the floor, and the room is a mess. People are screaming and scrambling for the doors. Someone obviously managed to erect some sort of force field to limit the harm to the other partygoers, but the furniture was not so lucky.

Blood trickles down my cheek, but I don’t care. The room quickly clears except for Brett. Fergus narrows his eyes at me, his body vibrating and his rage palpable. His form explodes, shreds of his clothes and skin fluttering to the floor. In his place is a massive snow leopard with bright yellow eyes filled with malice. Brett shoves me out of the way, and I see that his eyes have gone completely feline, the same luminous yellow as his brother’s.

“Run.” A roar laces his voice as he starts to shift.

I shake my head. Fuck that. I have been running my entire life. This time, I am going to fight. Besides, I’ve already burned through decades of repressed power. Why not finish this? Swiping my cheek to gather the blood there, I try to recall some of the runes we’ve been learning and push away the frustration that I’m not further on in my studies. I draw the runes on my arms and push, casting circles illuminating before my palms. The power throbs, writhing within my hold, eager to get free. How can it still be throbbing like this after being unleashed so ferociously? I look down at the general runic circles that I have managed to create. They are not great, but I grit my teeth and focus on fueling them. Carefully, I draw only what I need, trying not to consider the depth of my power.

“Come on, kitty cat. You can’t bully me,” I purr.

Fergus’s maw pulls back in a snarl, revealing his large canines. The light of battle flashes in his eyes, and I know he relishes the approaching fight.

The scrap of power I’ve sunk into the circles tempts me, pushing for release, urging me to let it out to play and destroy. If I unleash it without direction, I could hurt people. Again. The wall is now imperfect, and my power is barely contained, even with the runic circles and the runes to help me. The wall is now imperfect. Many of the runes I’ve been storing on my skin now fill the circle, ready to be used, and I am thankful I’ve been practicing.

Fergus leaps for me, and I throw one of the spells at him. I lean into my power, and my reflexes become sharper, everything clearer.

Power. Make them pay. Stain the realms with blood. The words whisper through me, teasing at the edges of my mind, the darkness in me peering out from the abyss.

Fergus snarls when the magic hits him in the shoulder. I ready myself to throw another spell at him, but he lunges again, pain exploding through my thigh as his claws slash deep into my flesh. My leg gives out, and I crumple to the floor, struggling to hold on to the casting circles. The light of victory flares in Fergus’s yellow eyes, but he only manages one step in my direction before a blur collides with him, pinning his huge feline body to the wall.

“His throat, Sum. Aim for his throat,” Alice growls. Her fangs are larger than I’ve ever seen them, but she is still struggling to keep him pinned. Even a vampire’s natural strength will have trouble against a fully transformed and super pissed-off shifter.

I delve a little deeper into my power, fighting through the pain and anxiety to summon another spell. I throw it at him, watching in satisfaction as it hits the center of his neck.

More. Revenge. Kill. Destroy. Obliterate.

The chant is oddly familiar, comforting, and irresistible.

No. Only maim, I command, refusing to cede control.

Fergus slumps and Alice releases him, letting him fall to the ground in a clumsy heap. I stare at him, fear coiling through me until I see his chest rising and falling with life.

I struggle to my feet, every muscle in my body groaning as I move. Awkwardly, I kick a broken piece of a coffee table out of my way with my good leg. “I just want to go to one fucking party without getting into a fight with some dickhead,” I groan.

Alice is right behind me as I limp out of the house and walk directly into a hard body. I bounce back and look up, surprised to see Professor Draco’s handsome face glaring down at me. His eyes flash gold, his pupils narrowing to eerie slits.

I take another step back and cross my arms over my chest, preparing to be in trouble for the third time in two weeks. I want to care, but my body feels so broken, even as my magic simmers wildly.

Professor Draco looks at me and then at Alice. “Jim said to look out for you two.”

I try not to shrink beneath his golden stare. It is almost as bad as the headmaster’s. “Who’s Jim?” I ask.

Professor Draco looks at my bleeding leg and cheek, then at Alice, cradling her arm close to her torso. I’m not sure when she got hurt in the madness, but it was probably when she tackled a giant snow leopard into the wall. “The headmaster will not be happy about this.”

I look away and sigh. Another strike and another lecture from the headmaster would be a delight. Not a good start, Miss Tuatha De Daanan. His words from the cliff ring in my head, and it’s not like I can disagree.

“But since he is on sabbatical,” Professor Draco adds, “He has left me in charge of all school matters, including punishments.”

My gaze snaps up. Professor flicks his hand, and a blast of scorching heat blows my hair back and makes me flinch. When I open my eyes, I see the open portal beside him.

“Go,” he commands.

Alice and I peer through the portal, and I can see the infirmary on the other side.

“Now,” he insists, growing impatient.

We step through, and the portal closes behind us with another blast of heat. Flame portals? But shifters can’t summon portals like that. It is a high-level sorcerer ability.

The nurse lifts her head when the portal closes. She expertly finishes making the bed, but her gaze is on us. Her brows knit as her eyes find our injuries, and she assesses them. She stands up and straightens her gleaming white dress and hat. She walks toward us, her hand slightly outstretched and her palm glowing.

“I am Matron Dolly. Please lie down on the gurneys. Your wounds are not serious, but you both require some mending.”

I glance at Alice before lying on top of one of the beds. The starched cotton is rough against my skin, and there is a strong smell of disinfectant in the room. My leg throbs painfully, but nothing can distract me from the way my power is rioting within me. I turn inward, struggling to repair the walls around it.

Matron Dolly disappears into a side room and emerges with several bottles and dressings. Her hair is in a severe bun, pulled so tight her face looks pinched, and my head throbs in sympathy at the sight. She sets her supplies down on the table beside me before hovering her hand over my leg. It glows brightly, and her eyes go somewhat vacant, turning from solid purple to molten violet.

“A shifter?” Her voice is monotone, completely different from when she addressed us before.

I nod, but she doesn’t respond, still staring out into the distance. “Yes,” I confirm after another moment of weird silence. Alice is watching from the other bed, looking a little anxious about her upcoming examination. My leg tingles beneath her hand, the muscle and skin slowly knitting back together. She blinks, coming out of her trance, and smiles down at me, looking much more human.

“Shifter wounds can be tricky. Luckily, this one wasn’t poisonous. Much easier to heal.” She looks at the table and selects a bottle filled with neon green liquid. The narrow top has a label that reads: Do Not Ingest . She turns the bottle upside down several times, not quite shaking it, but disturbing the shimmering liquid. The pop that sounds as she pulls the stopper from the top is much lower than I expected. Carefully, she measures three drops into her small mortar before selecting a tub of seeds. She adds one small scoop into the bowl and then three spoonfuls of paste.

“This wouldn’t be something you could fully heal on your own at your level, though you have potential. You could be a great healer.”

Yeah, I don’t think so. Healers are sympathetic and kind. They don’t have the swirling darkness of the abyss within.

I look down at my wound. It is no longer gaping, but there are three angry red lines, the skin on either side still jagged and gruesome looking. Matron Dolly uses her pestle to mash up the concoction she made. I watch her closely, counting exactly how many times she mashes and twirls the pestle. I am always learning and preparing.

Matron Dolly then picks up a large white piece of cotton and smears the newly made paste on it before placing it on my leg. She waves her hand over my thigh, and a bandage wraps around it, covering the dressing. She decants the rest of the paste into a small tub and hands it to me.

“Apply the paste three times a day for four days, and it’ll be good as new.”

“Thank you.”

She nods and goes to Alice to tend the bite wound on her arm. She also gets a paste to take home, but hers is gray and nastier looking than mine. Apparently, it’s not one paste fits all.

Alice and I are saying goodbye to Matron Dolly when Professor Draco strides in. He nods to Matron Dolly, and she smiles before making herself scarce. He regards us both, crossing his arms over his chest. If his goal is to be as intimidating as Headmaster Emrys, he’s failing. That doesn’t mean he’s not scary in his own right, just in a different way. A different, sexy way.

“Well? Who would like to go first?” he asks. His voice is soft, though woven with anger.

“He’s a complete dick. And a bully.” I bristle, instantly furious.

“And who used magic first, Miss Tuatha De Daanan? You or him?”

“Me,” I say truthfully, refusing to back down.

Professor Draco purses his lips, no doubt considering my punishment. I wonder if he’s been talking to Headmaster Emrys about it. No doubt if he had, the decision would be expulsion, thanks to my previous faux pas.

“You are aware, Miss Tuatha De Daanan, that using magic against other students outside of class is forbidden?”

“He assaulted her first!” Alice chimes in, coming to my defense. “And he’s a huge, hulking brute! What would you have had her do? Try to punch him?”

“It’s fine, Al. This is strike three,” I say, smiling gratefully at Alice.

Professor Draco’s phone alerts, and he pulls it out of his pocket, reading the message. He doesn’t look up as he addresses us. “You are both on a two-week restriction. No leaving campus. You go to your dorm and to class. Nowhere else.”

“And Fergus?” Alice hisses. “No consequences, I’m guessing.”

I roll my eyes, but honestly, I’m so relieved that I’ve not been expelled that I don’t much care what happens to Fergus.

Professor Draco finally looks up from his phone, his eyebrows drawn. “It is a pack affair. The council will see to it.”

“Unbelievable,” Alice growls.

“Come on, Al,” I say, grabbing her hand.

Professor Draco’s eyes flash as we pass him. “Be grateful it is me handling your punishment and not Emrys. He would not have been as lenient,” he says, his voice low and angry.

I stop in my tracks and meet his gaze, practically able to feel the fury stoking in my gaze. “And you should be grateful, professor , that I saved a young shifter from his asshole alpha who was forcing him into something he didn’t want to do.”

He scowls, and Alice yanks me out of the room before I get us into more trouble. We walk back to the dorm, our phones blowing up with notifications the entire way. I grimace at the sound of each one. No doubt some idiot recorded the whole thing at the shifter house, and now it is all over Nexus . I’m really going to get a reputation around here for fighting. Ironically, the only time I seem to be able to throw a punch is outside of combat class.

When we arrive back in the sanctity of our dorm, I finally face my phone. As expected, there are at least a hundred notifications from Nexus . I sigh. Exhaustion has settled into my bones. All I want to do is go to bed and sleep for an eternity, but I open my texts. My eyes go to the one at the top from Connor, and I open the chain, sighing at the number of messages.

Connor

Why did I just hear about your getting into a fight at the pack dorms?

Are you all right?

Summer?

What happened?

I send a quick reply to him.

Summer

I’m fine. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Done with my phone, I chuck it on the couch and walk to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

“Fucking pack affairs. He’ll get a slap on the wrist at most,” I grumble mostly to myself, but Alice nods in agreement. She continues to scroll through her phone, unconcerned with our growing reputation and all the attention.

“I just want to go to bed and forget about today. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Alice nods again, and just as she stands from the couch to head to bed, someone knocks on the door. She looks at me, and I shrug. She opens the door to a panting Connor.

His gaze immediately locks on me. “You’re okay.”