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3

Summer

T he command. The danger. The power.

I whirl to face the new dangerous presence. The oppressive gravity of his power levels off once I am facing him, but his silver eyes pin me in place. I can barely breathe under the weight of them, and any lightness that returned when he recalled his power vanishes beneath his gaze. He towers in the open doorway to the restricted section, swallowing the light from the rest of the library. It isn’t just his size that has my instincts blaring in alarm and my nerves closing my throat. Every inch of this man screams lethal.

His dark golden brown skin is tight around his jaw, the muscles twitching under the dark stubble. An intricate rune slashes through his right brow, the white of it stark against the richness of his skin. What species creates white runes? His hair is swept back, but a rebellious wave in the raven black mars its perfection. Based on his clothing, he has to be staff. A three-piece black suit would be an odd choice for a student. Even dressed so urbanely, it is too easy to imagine him on a battlefield, his armor drenched in blood.

I open my mouth, trying to say something, but no sound comes out. My lungs burn, desperate for the oxygen I can’t seem to take in. I take an involuntary step back from him, instinctively trying to escape his penetrating gaze. The books that had been so loud and persistent in their attempts to lure me in go silent as if also retreating from the man. I wish I could sink into the stacks, disappearing among the tomes to escape.

Unaware of the danger, Alice nonchalantly comes around the corner. His gaze snaps toward the movement, and a gasp of relief slips past my lips. Alice looks up and drops the solid gold book she is holding. The sound of it hitting the floor echoes loudly in the otherwise eerily silent space.

His gaze sharpens, and he looks at me again. His perusal is not as intense this time, but I can practically see the anger simmering in him. Whoever this guy is, we have not endeared ourselves to him. Maybe he’s the librarian?

“Auditorium,” he commands and turns to the side, waiting for us to leave. He obviously does not trust that we will go without his supervision.

I swallow and hurry past him. In my haste, I trip on a chair leg and fall into him. The ominous aura surrounding him folds around me, taking my breath again. He grabs my arm tightly, putting me back on my feet with a hard yank. I look up at him, intending to thank him, but his face is etched in annoyance. The words get stuck in my throat, and this close, I can see that it is not a white rune cutting through his brow. It’s a scar in the shape of a rune.

“Breaking into the restricted section on your first day is a bold move,” he grates out. His voice is a shiver of icy fury down my spine, and his grip on my arm is close to bruising. That rune turns even paler, his eyes a molten silver.

“It was my idea. I dragged her along,” Alice fumbles out. She must sense the lethality oozing from this man. I suspect that for my new slightly homicidal vampire friend, being afraid is not something she is used to.

I force myself not to look away from his silver gaze, hating how my cheeks heat even as I lift my chin. “I apologize, sir. It won’t happen again.”

He releases my arm, disgust curling his lip. “Go. Now.”

Alice grabs me and pulls me into a sprint, only slowing when we get to Manananggal Hall so we can safely ascend the steps, joining the stragglers filing into the auditorium.

“Why didn’t you tell me he was there?” Alice whispers, her voice still shaking slightly.

“I…” Fuck, use your fucking words, Sum. The fear of that male’s presence lingers on my skin, whispering of the danger coiled inside him. It felt like I had roused a sleeping dragon, and it had opened one silver eye to lock its gaze on me.

Whoever he is, I must stay away from him while I am here. I hate that out-of-control terror I felt, and I never want to feel it again, ever.

Alice pulls me through the doors of the building. “It’s fine. I mean, I don’t think we can get expelled on our first day. Right?”

I manage to shake off my stupor. “I’ll take the fall,” I say confidently. This isn’t my world, not really, not yet. I can figure something out. Avalon is supposed to be the nexus of most realms. I am sure I can find a portal and fall into another.

Alice scoffs. “You wish. If someone is getting expelled on the first day and becoming a legend, it’s me.”

I roll my eyes, but inwardly, I smile as Alice and I find seats near the back of the auditorium. The room is comically big to accommodate all the students. The stage at the front is so grand it almost looks like a dais.

I look around, cataloging faces and species. Am I looking for other potential allies? Is that what I consider Alice? An ally? Maybe. My eyes sweep over the room, catching the markings of the various races. There was that dryad from earlier. A woman with silver hair and a shining shell necklace. I’m pretty sure she is a mere. The sorcerers are easy to spot. They wear their black runes on their skin with pride. Despite what the guide had said, they really do make up the majority of the student body. Great. I’ve never fit in anywhere, and I’m pretty confident Avalon will be no different.

A young sorceress sits next to me, talking to her friend. “Trust me. He’s as scary as they say. And as hot.”

Alice’s ears twitch. “Who is?”

The sorceress shoots Alice a glare. “The headmaster, of course.” Alice blinks blankly, and the sorceress sneers. “The son of Merlin. Wow, they really do let anyone in here nowadays.”

I snarl, my hands curling around the arms of the chair. “Careful.” I’m not sure where the outburst comes from, but hearing her talk about Alice that way felt like a personal attack.

The sorceress sniffs at me. “And what are you supposed to be?” she scoffs and rolls her eyes before turning back to her friend, giving Alice and me her back. The way she dragged the word what out reaffirmed what I already suspected. Sorcerers are elitist dicks.

“What a bitch,” Alice murmurs.

A woman walks onto the stage. Her hair is swept back from her face, and the white streak at the front is stark against the shiny black. She narrows her dark eyes, tightening her already pointed and sharp features. The bright lights shimmer against the red silk fabric of her robe, glinting off the gold characters embroidered onto it. She claps once, the sound reverberating around the entire room, drawing everyone’s attention to her, but there is still some hushed chatter.

“Hello, students. I would like to start by welcoming the new first years. We are thrilled to have you. Welcome back to our returning students. I trust you all had an enjoyable summer vacation. First, some introductions. I am Deputy Headmistress Locke. I specialize in advanced alchemy, specifically for use in combat, so I won’t meet some of you for a few years yet.” She gestures behind her. “This is Professor Draco, head of Shifter Studies.”

There is a surge of whoops and hollers as Professor Draco steps forward, bowing his head in acknowledgment. I roll my eyes at the shifters’ show of respect for their leader. I study Professor Draco’s face, trying to work out what kind of shifter he could be. There’s a slight shimmer to his skin when he moves a certain way, which looks almost like scales. That can’t be right, though. They are extinct. He straightens a lock of black hair that had fallen across his forehead. His golden eyes tilt at the edges, and his smile is unnerving, too charming and handsome.

Deputy Headmistress Locke claps again, and the shifters’ hoots and hollers die down. “Professor Harrison, head of General Species Studies. Professor Uxley, head of Occult Studies. Professor Reign, head of Realm Studies. Professor Buraeux, head of Combat Studies…”

She goes down the line, introducing all the heads of departments. By the end, my head is a mess of names and faces.

“Now, before I release you to no doubt celebrate the last night of summer, the headmaster has a few words of wisdom for the year.” Deputy Headmistress Locke steps back, and the room goes completely silent for the first time since we entered the auditorium. I glance around in surprise. The quiet chatter and whispers had continued throughout the deputy headmistress’s speech and the introductions, which only makes the silence that much more oppressive.

Everyone’s eyes lock on the tall figure as he steps onto the stage. His power flares around him, swallowing the light and seeming to cast him in shadows. The same silver eyes that pinned me in the library make a searing sweep over the audience, taking in every student. That same terror locks me in place. I knew coming to Avalon would mean meeting all manner of beings, but the headmaster is… something else, something deadly. My primal instincts scream at me, begging me to run. I have no doubt there is no worse location to be than the center of this man’s focus.

“Fuck,” Alice mouths, slouching in her chair. I can’t move enough to do even that, my muscles having locked in place.

“Welcome.” His deep voice fills the room so there’s not one crevice unaffected by it. The frigid cold that emanated from him in the library has failed to thaw. If anything, his voice reverberates with even more power, and I see people in the audience shiver with it. “Your time at Avalon can be the best and brightest of your life. It can be full of heartbreaks and parties, sorrows and studies, debaucheries and exploration.”

He pauses, every student sitting transfixed and seeming to hold their breath, waiting for him to continue. My breath feels trapped in my lungs, and I flinch from the magnetic pull of him, something telling me to fight what feels like a compulsion.

“But I’m more interested in what you want these years to be. Who you want to be. Most of you have been told your entire life that you needed to be one thing, whether it was based on your species, your power, your family, or your realm. All of that is gone as of today. Wash yourself clean of those responsibilities and obligations. Within these halls, you have the freedom to figure out the one thing most of you have never gotten the chance even to consider. On your graduation day, you will cross the stage and shake my hand as you receive your Mark.” He slips off a ring to show the Avalon seal on his finger, marking him a graduate of Avalon and a being at the height of knowledge and power. “When that time comes, I want you to be able to answer one question. Who do you want to be? For now, I charge you to work on your answer. Dismissed.”

Everyone stands and gathers their things before heading out of the auditorium. Alice pulls me from the room as quickly as possible, shoving other students out of the way and snarling at them when they get upset. “Fuck, he’s the headmaster?”

“It’s fine. He’s probably already forgotten about it.” I try to make my voice sound as confident as possible, but my breath is still ragged. What was that? Where did that ancient, forbidden power come from?

“Forgotten about what, Miss Tuatha De Daanan?” His low voice makes my whole body tense. Alice crashes to a halt and lets out a squeak.

I turn and look up at him. He towers over me and the surrounding students. His size is just another thing about him that puts me on edge. I clear my throat. “E-Excellent speech, sir.”

He glances at Alice, but his silver gaze quickly returns to me. He crosses his arms over his chest, and I try not to notice how his dark suit jacket strains a little over his muscles or how broad he is. Instead, I focus on the glint of obsidian rings on his fingers but become distracted by the runes covering his hands.

Okay, maybe I can see what that sorceress was talking about. He is hot and terrifying. The cult following makes sense now. This guy is the headmaster? He seems more like an evil warrior king plucked from the battlefields of old and slipped into a dark suit. The black runes that crawl up the side of his neck toward his jaw only seem out of place in an academic setting.

“I will consider today to be an aberration. Just two curious students who wandered too far from their tour. I will not make such an allowance again.” Without another word, he spins on his heel and walks away. The dismissal is clearly from a male accustomed to wielding power and knowing the weight of his word. Air rushes back into my lungs so violently I nearly choke on it.

Son of Merlin. I don’t know much about Merlin other than he founded the school and the Sorcerer’s Guild. Well, there is also the King Arthur stuff, but I don’t know how much of the Arthurian legends of my past world are accurate. They definitely never mentioned Merlin having a son. Or, if they did, they didn’t mention how terrifying he is.

Alice lets out a breath of relief as we watch him walk away. Students part like the sea before him, and though several try to get his attention with heated looks, he never pauses.

“Fuck, that was close.” Alice wipes imaginary sweat off her forehead, though the gesture is laden with genuine fear.

I smile at her, trying to cover my lingering unease. “Well, now that we’re not being expelled, I should get back to unpack my things.”

“We should stop on the way and get some tequila.” Alice slips her arm through my elbow. I guess we are going together. After that encounter with the headmaster, I am grateful not to be traveling across campus alone.

We stop at the small shop to grab some tequila and limes. At least the university doesn’t pretend we will not drink. Sometimes, it is the only thing that dulls my senses enough to come close to a semblance of normal. From past experiences in my old realm, some alcohol and recreational drugs take the edge off.

“You know, you’re not like I thought fae would be,” Alice says, juggling the limes on the walk home. I carried the bags with the tequila and other snacks she had picked up for me. She hadn’t asked what I liked, just picked them out and paid for them. I don’t know why I find it so endearing, but it is. Especially as a vampire, she has no idea what tastes good.

“Oh?”

Alice nudges my shoulder. “Yeah, but I mean, I don’t know a lot. I wasn’t allowed to leave Dr?culea until Old Windbag finally died.”

Old Windbag? Wait, does she mean Dracula? The ruler and creator of the vampiric home realm, Vlad Dracula, had just recently died under rather ominous circumstances, with no heir to the throne. Was that why I’d never seen a female vampire before? Were they not allowed to leave the Realm of Blood?

“Oh, right. I heard about that.”

“He was the worst. You know I was betrothed at birth because of that asshole?” Alice shakes her head. “To a guy who is five thousand years old. Powdery motherfucker.”

My lips twitch. “I take it you’re not into age gap?”

Alice gives me a look. “I was a baby! I had squishy fangs!”

I laugh. “I’m messing with you.”

“Well, all I know about fae is that you guys don’t talk to anyone but… well, fae.”

My laughter dies. Yeah, maybe other fae, but not me. I’m a blue-eyed enigma. I glance around, searching for a distraction. “Oh, look, that’s the canteen. We should check it out.”

Alice blinks at the change in subject but follows my gaze. It looks like they’re hosting a student club fair. It seems the quad was only the start of the Hellscape that is group activities. What looks like hundreds of multicolored booths touting the various clubs clutter the enormous room. First-years mill around the tables while the clubs attempt to recruit them into their ranks.

“Hey, sexy, come sign up.” The claws of an incubus’ power rake down my back. It’s a sensual lure, trying to find its way into my mind and manipulate my emotions. I don’t even look in the direction of the beckoning voice. He could just back the fuck off. I’d spent my life ruthlessly aware of and suppressing my own powers. I could immediately sense the presence of someone else’s, and I will never allow them through my shields.

“No,” I state flatly.

“Why not? Scared? Our club is about realm politics.” His voice is laden with suggestion. “At least, on paper.”

I finally lift my gaze to give him the most bored look I can before moving past him with ease. The affronted look on his face as I bat off his magical wiles with the ease of swatting a fly is very satisfying.

Alice flips him off. “That fucker did not actually try to mesmerize us in the middle of the canteen.”

“Really? I didn’t notice,” I add matter-of-factly.

As we move deeper into the room, more people call out to us, trying to get us to sign up to their various clubs. This school has a thing for group activities.

“Maybe you’re immune to the incubus’ lure. It might be because they are related to fae. Though, I guess, very distantly related,” Alice says.

My power crawls along my skin, insidiously seeking a way out. My fight-or-flight instinct digs its claws in, and I don’t have to look to know why. Fae . I’m sure the Fair Folk Club has a booth here. My body starts to hum, my magic about to rip from my skin. I shake my head and grip Alice’s arm in a vise grip before turning around, hoping to get out of the canteen before I can no longer contain my power. I tug her toward the door, but a group of students steps in front of us, blocking our exit.

“You’re strange,” the female at the head of the group says, her voice tinkling like a chorus of silver bells. She slides her hand into mine. “And you shouldn’t be hanging out with a vampire.”

I keep my eyes away from the other fae and yank my hand out of her grip, holding tighter to Alice. I had hoped to avoid this, but… here we go. My eyes lock with hers, violet with a magenta ring around the pupil, just as I expected. Predictably, they widen in shock, and she takes a step back. Several of the other members of her club hurry to her side, each reacting with fear or surprise when I meet their gazes.

“The fuck?” Alice hisses, flashing her fangs. Several fae respond by showing their own, though they are far shorter and less lethal. Alice’s are made for ripping out throats. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to her. She tugs her arm from my grip and steps in front of me, putting herself between me and the Fair Folk Club. Even my power goes silent as fissures form in the walls around my heart, and warmth seeps in. No one has ever fought for me, never protected me.

I take a step to stand right behind Alice. “If you want to keep those pointed ears on your head, I’d suggest going back to your little suck-off fest,” I growl.

Two of the fae look at each other in confusion. One of the males steps forward, crowding Alice but ignoring her to talk to me over her head. “You’re fae. You belong with us.”

“I don’t belong to fucking anyone, least of all you.”

Alice shoves him back. “She said fuck off.” She flashes her fangs at another when he growls aggressively, her eyes turning red with murderous intent. Alice oozes a killing aura. It swirls around her like a bloody mist, and as a group, the fae take a step back.

“What are you?” a small female asks, her violet eyes flickering between Alice and me, trying to figure it out.

“My name is Alice, but I also go by Mistress of Bloodshed, Lady of Carnage, that evil bitch, and please stop peeling my skin from my face,” Alice says and flashes her fangs again. She flicks her fingers open, her nails darkening and lengthening into black claws. The fae backs up another step.

I put my hand on Alice’s shoulder. “Alice. Let’s go.”

She turns to look at me, the red of her eyes fading to brown. “Yeah, let’s,” she says with a final snarl in the direction of the group of fae.

I grab Alice’s hand again and barge forward, the group of fae parting to let us pass. We stalk toward the other side of the room, where food is still laid out. I can feel their eyes boring into my back, and my power coils tight, ready to explode from me.

Alice chooses a couple of bottles of blood, and I grab an apple before we head back to the dorm. Once I step into the fresh air, my roiling power draws back enough that I’m not worried about implosion anymore. We don’t talk until we’re almost home, and it’s Alice who breaks the silence. “You want to go out tonight?”

Fuck yes. I need to let off some steam. “As long as those fuckers aren’t there.”

Alice smirks and unlocks the door to the dorm. “Yeah, what the fuck was that about? Just cause you’re fae doesn’t mean you belong to them. Like clearly, they’re too late. I’ve already claimed you.”

“Well, thank gods for that because I never want to belong to any fae assholes.”

Alice smirks, flashing her fangs. “Good. Vampires are very territorial.”

I take a bite of my apple, feigning nonchalance. “So, where are we going tonight?” I ask, changing the subject. I am still feeling rattled, but warmth continues to resonate in my chest. Alice stepped forward to protect me. Why? She had nothing to gain. Did she? None of this makes sense, including the defensiveness she provoked in me earlier.

Alice pulls her phone out of her pocket and scrolls through it. Alerts pop up, but she ignores them. “Looks like it’s at some place called the Morningstar House.”

“You drink, right?”

Alice snorts. “Yes, vampires do drink and not just blood. You didn’t grow up around us, huh? I mean, like the beings of the maelstrom?”

How had she caught that already? I thought I was doing pretty well, considering my patchwork research. She is more observant than I realized. As comfortable as I already am around Alice, that could be a problem.

I hurry into my bedroom and come back through with two shot glasses. “I came prepared.”

Alice makes grabby hands at the glasses. “Oh, I love you, Summer.”

I laugh and open the bottle of tequila, pouring two shots. I lift my glass and clink it to Alice’s. “To getting fucked up?”

“To getting fucked up!”

We down our shots, and Alice quickly pours two more, slamming hers. She’s a partier. Good, so am I. Being trashed makes it easy to forget, at least for a little bit.

“I’m going to get ready before I’m too drunk to put eyeliner on,” Alice says and takes another shot before heading to her room.

I take the bottle and wander into my room. Undressing, I pull on my one going-out dress. It’s short, black, and silky, with a thigh slit that ends right below my hip. I slip on a pair of matching black heels. The outfit is the showstopper, so I decide on simple makeup and to leave my hair down, allowing the long, brown locks to lie in their natural waves over my shoulders.

“Too slutty?” Alice asks, twirling in my doorway. She is wearing jeans that look sprayed on and a lace bralette.

I shake my head. “You look hot.”

I glance at myself in the mirror once more, tilting my head as I assess my outfit.

“You should wear this with it.” Alice holds out a leather jacket that must have cost thousands. It is buttery smooth and supple, the color not rubbing off under my thumb.

“This thing must be worth everything I own and more.” When I arrived at Avalon, my bank account was automatically converted to digital credits I could access from my phone. But since I’d barely had a balance, my credits were also low. It is a struggle I am pretty sure Alice does not share. I was lucky even to have a SIM card that allowed me to access the runic network before I got here.

Alice covers my mouth. “Shh, you’re my roommate, and I’ve decided you’re stuck with me, so I get to give you things. Deal with it.”

I huff behind her hand, and she lowers it. She forces the jacket into my hands, and I pull the leather on and look in the mirror again. I shouldn’t accept this.

“You look like such a sexy badass,” Alice says, drinking some tequila straight from the bottle. Okay, she might be wealthy, but Alice is still definitely my kind of person.

We take two more shots of tequila each before stumbling out of the dorm, bringing the bottle of tequila with us, and heading in the general direction of the Morningstar House.