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CHAPTER TWENTY

ISOLDE

I land in a graceless heap at the bottom of the stairs, my white top now stained crimson. Laughter erupts around me, and my face burns with humiliation. So much for my dramatic exit.

“Smooth move, vampire girl,” a woman calls out.

I glare at her and her friends, laughing openly. Did they trip me somehow?

Scrambling to my feet, I slip slightly on the blood-slicked stones and brush ineffectually at my ruined clothes.

Isaac and CJ race over to me, but CJ hovers back as Isaac helps steady me. “What the fuck? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I grit out. “I think the cackling witches tripped me up.”

CJ’s head snaps to the side, fangs bared, hissing at them, and they shut up, lifting their chins defiantly and stalking off.

Yeah, they definitely had something to do with it. Bitches.

“Stop fighting my battles for me,” I say wearily. “The more you do, the more I seem to get picked on.”

“I’m not standing by while you get hurt, Issy,” Isaac says, taking my wrist and pulling me away from the mess.

CJ holds out his hand and a cloud of reddy-black smoke drifts out of his palm, cleaning up the mess of the stairs and me instantly.

The power is dark, filled with a signature I can’t quite place, but definitely isn’t vampire . What other secrets is he hiding?

“Listen, Issy. You need to try to call Mum and Dad on the scrying mirror. They aren’t answering me, and this is getting worrying. Why were you sent here? What does the red moon mean? Who were these creatures that came for you, and why?” He lowers his voice for the last question, but CJ still hears him.

“I want to know as much as you do, but part of me is scared,” I admit. “I don’t want to know.”

“Maybe not. But you have to think of your safety. And why did they send you here? And why did Blackridge act like it wasn’t a surprise when you landed here?”

Okay, so he’s asking some damn good questions I don’t have the answers to. But I doubt our parents would tell me anyway. Even if I could get hold of them… “Wait, you can’t get hold of them?”

He shakes his head.

“What if the creatures who came for me got them?” I whisper.

“That’s why you need to call them,” Isaac says. “We need to start figuring this shit out.”

I nod. He’s right. I’ve been so preoccupied with CJ and being here and fending off creeps and ghosts, I’ve lost sight of the big picture. My existence at this academy in the first fucking place.

Before either of us can say another word, there is a commotion coming from outside, and a warlock rushes out of the dining hall. “The angel is fighting Benz. Taking bets. Who’s in?”

My heart drops to my stomach. Cassiel and Benz? What the hell is happening now?

Isaac grabs my arm as I turn toward the commotion. “Isolde, don’t get involved. We’ve got other stuff to deal with.”

Shaking my head, I yank free of his grip and sprint through the crowd, following the excited chatter and whoops of the other students.

The courtyard is packed with spectators forming a ring around the combatants. I push my way through, ignoring the grumbles and threats, until I reach the front. The sight makes me gasp .

Cassiel hovers several feet above the ground, his magnificent black wings spread wide, creating gusts of wind that whip hair and clothing. Below him, Benz circles, his body half-transformed. He’s not fully wolf, but not human either. A lycan. His claws gleam in the dim light, his teeth elongated into vicious fangs.

“Come down and fight me properly, bird boy,” Benz snarls, his voice distorted by his partial transformation.

Cassiel laughs, the sound oddly musical despite the tension. “Why would I give up my advantage? I may be new to fighting, but I’m not stupid.”

The crowd roars with approval, and I notice money changing hands rapidly as the odds shift.

“What happened?” I ask Cordelia, who pushes her way to my side from further around the circle.

“Benz was saying nasty things about you,” she replies without taking her eyes off the spectacle. “Angel Delight took offence on your behalf.”

I grimace and open my mouth to yell at him that I can fight Benz myself—stupid, yes, but fucking hell—when Cassiel raises his hand and a bolt of gold lightning etched with black shoots out of his palm and slams into the ground at Benz’s feet, cracking stone and sending the dirt underneath flying everywhere. Benz stumbles backwards, crashing into none other than CJ.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I groan .

“A hundred on the prince of darkness!” Cordelia yells and then throws me an apologetic look when the bookies scramble to add CJ to the odds list and take her bet.

“I’d take that bet,” I mutter, watching CJ’s dangerous smile spread as he steadies Benz with mock-helpfulness before shoving him forward into the fight circle.

“Three-way death match!” someone shouts, and the crowd goes wild.

CJ strides into the circle with predatory grace, ignoring Benz completely, his focus entirely on Cassiel, who has now descended slightly, his wings creating a downdraft that stirs the dust at their feet.

“Wasn’t our last lesson sufficient?” CJ calls up to him, rolling his shoulders as if preparing for a light workout rather than supernatural combat.

Cassiel’s smile is radiant, almost innocent despite the circumstances. “I’m a fast learner, but some concepts require repetition.” His gaze flicks to me briefly. “Besides, I was defending a lady’s honour.”

“How chivalrous,” CJ drawls. “But unnecessary. She’s quite capable of defending herself.”

I clench my jaw so hard that my teeth crack. Fucking arsehole.

“So I’ve heard.” Cassiel’s wings fold slightly as he drops lower. “I just wanted to participate in the local customs. Violence seems to be the primary form of communication here.”

Apparently tired of being ignored, Benz lunges at CJ with a snarl.

Isaac steps into the circle, his face a mask of cold fury as he grips Benz by the throat and hauls him away from CJ.

My jaw drops. “What are you?—”

Isaac snaps, his eyes never leaving Benz. I’ve never seen my twin so furious before. “This ends now,” he snarls.

The crowd’s excitement ratchets up another notch. The bookies are frantically adjusting odds, taking more bets. I catch snippets of their frantic calculations.

Cassiel lands gracefully, folding his wings behind him but keeping them visible. “I don’t recall inviting assistance,” he says, his voice carrying a hint of amusement despite the tension.

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion,” Isaac retorts, his grip on Benz’s throat tightening. “This academy has enough problems without you three idiots destroying the courtyard.”

CJ gives him a superior stare. “I was merely an innocent bystander.”

“Bullshit,” I mutter, loud enough for everyone to hear. “You are never innocent.”

The crowd laughs, and CJ’s eyes find mine, dark with promise. “Something to add, Isolde? ”

“Yes. You’re all acting like children fighting over a toy.” I step into the circle, ignoring Isaac’s warning look. “And I am not a toy.”

Cassiel’s wings flutter slightly, catching the light. “I was merely defending your reputation.”

“I can defend my own reputation,” I snap, turning to face him fully. “I don’t need celestial intervention or vampire protection or—” I wave vaguely at Benz, “—whatever the hell his problem is.”

Benz struggles against Isaac’s grip. “You think you’re so special because these two want you? You’re nothing but a?—”

Isaac slams him into the ground before he can finish, the impact cracking the stone beneath them. “Choose your next words carefully,” he warns, his voice deadly quiet.

The crowd falls silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

“Actually, let him finish,” Cassiel says, striding over. “I want to test these powers.”

“Stop it!” I exclaim, but I might as well be shouting into the void.

“Slut!” Benz hisses, his gaze on me, “A little slut who enjoys jerking guys off with an audience.”

Isaac’s furious gaze lasers into mine, and I gulp. But my brother is the least of my worries, right now. Cassiel beats CJ to it, lunging towards Benz, hauling him away from Issac, and throwing him across the courtyard.

The crowd scatters as Benz’s massive form crashes through the air. He lands with a sickening crunch against the far wall, stone dust billowing around him. But he’s up in seconds, and his lycan healing is already mending whatever damage he sustained.

“That all you got, feathers?” Benz taunts, blood dripping from his muzzle.

Cassiel’s expression shifts from curiosity to something darker.

CJ moves with deadly speed. “I believe this is my fight, angel.”

Cassiel turns to him, wings still extended. “Is it? Or are we sharing the honours?”

A strange moment passes between them before CJ nods slightly. “Ladies first.”

The crowd gasps at this unexpected development, and the bookies scramble to keep up with the changing odds.

Benz looks less confident now, his eyes darting between his two opponents. “This isn’t fair,” he growls.

“Fair?” CJ laughs, the sound echoing off the stone walls. “Did you consider fairness when you insulted her?”

Cassiel moves with startling speed, appearing behind Benz before anyone can blink. “In heaven, we observed the concept of justice,” he says conversationally, as if discussing the weather. “It was theoretical, distant. But now—” he grips Benz by the sides of his head and twists his neck sharply.

The crack is sickening, and I cry out in horror as Benz slumps to the ground.

CJ growls, his face furious as he spins quickly to find my gaze. I stumble back, shaking my head, and I turn, only to slam straight into Blackridge.

“Miss Morvoren,” he says in that silky, scary voice. “My office. Now.”

“But—”

His glare is enough to shut me up. He turns and sweeps away, the crowds dispersing to almost nothing immediately. No one wants to be caught up in this shitshow. But why me? I didn’t do anything.

I cast a glance back over my shoulder at Benz, dead on the ground, Cassiel looming over him, staring down at his first kill with a look on his face that has no description. CJ strides across the courtyard, but I shake my head and look at Blackridge’s back as he leads me away from this nightmare.

Feeling a gaze on me from up above, I look up and see William standing in the window of my bedroom. He places his finger to his lips and then vanishes.

What does he want me to keep quiet about?

My stomach churns as I follow Blackridge’s imposing figure through the winding corridors. The image of Benz’s neck snapping replays in my mind, making me shudder. I’ve never seen someone die before. The casual violence of it, the way Cassiel did it with such academic detachment… because of me.

Blackridge doesn’t speak as we walk, and his silence is more terrifying than any lecture could be. Students press themselves against walls as we pass, trying to appear invisible from the storm that is Blackridge.

When we reach his office, he opens the heavy oak door with a wave of his hand and gestures for me to enter.

“Sit,” he commands, and I sink into a chair across from his massive desk.

He remains standing, studying me with those fathomless eyes that seem to see straight through to my soul. “Two days,” he says finally. “You’ve been at SilverGate for two days, and already you’re at the centre of multiple incidents of violence.”

“It’s not my fault,” I protest, my voice smaller than I’d like.

“And yet, here we are.” He moves to the window, his back to me.

“I understand the severity of this, sir, but I was trying to stop it.”

“Were you?” Blackridge asks, turning back to face me, his eyes glinting with something I can’t quite identify. “From what I’ve observed, Miss Morvoren, you may not have started these conflicts, but you certainly haven’t discouraged them either.”

I open my mouth to protest, but he raises a hand, silencing me.

“A student is dead,” he continues, his voice eerily calm. “Granted, death at SilverGate is not uncommon, nor is it permanent in all cases.”

“What?” I whisper, my mind reeling. “Not permanent?”

“Benz comes from a family with considerable magical power. He will have protection spells, and whatnot, as do other students here who can ward against certain death.”

“Is that why you allow the violence?” I blurt out. “Because you know some creatures won’t die?” I struggle to process this information. SilverGate is even stranger than I thought, with rules and systems I can’t begin to comprehend.

“Of course. Violence is in the nature of the beast, Miss Morvoren, and in case you hadn’t noticed, you are surrounded by beasts.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed,” I mutter.

Blackridge’s lips twitch slightly. “I thought you might have.” He moves to sit behind his desk, the ancient wood creaking under his hands as he leans forward. “But what concerns me is not the violence itself, but your role in it.”

“My role?” I keep my voice steady despite the chill that runs through me. “I didn’t ask anyone to fight for me.”

“No, but you are the catalyst.” His eyes narrow, studying me with disturbing intensity. “You have garnered the attention of not one, but two very interesting creatures, Miss Morvoren. Forgetting your brother and his power for a moment, which is quite remarkable, I must say, it is unusual for a student to arrive and suddenly be the driving force behind not only an angel falling into our midst, but the protectiveness that these creatures wish to bestow on you.”

“Again, not my fault,” I grit out.

“Perhaps not intentionally. A word of advice? Try not to be the result of any more deaths while you are here, Miss Morvoren.”

That in itself sounds like a threat.

I nod and decide not to try to fight my case. This is a battle I can’t win. “Are you sure Benz will be okay?”

“He will be.”

“And Cassiel?”

He gives me a sinister smile that chills me to my soul. “Now that will be a fascinating case study.”

Case study.

“Dismissed,” he says as if he expected me to get up and go ages ago.

I rise and disappear as quickly from his sight as I can before he decides to blame me some more for all this shit .

The academy is like a mausoleum as I make my way back outside. Students and staff have made tracks, not wanting to be anywhere near Blackridge and probably me as well. I don’t blame them.

I force myself to walk back out to the courtyard, and I see Cassiel still staring down at Benz, who hasn’t been moved.

CJ is crouched over him, drawing deep on a cigarette before he exhales the smoke through his nose.

“Issy,” Isaac says when he looks up and sees me. “What happened?”

“Nothing much. I’m okay. Benz will be as well.”

“I killed him,” Cassiel says.

“Yeah, you did, but he will live. Powerful magic, blah, blah.”

CJ rises slowly. “Oh, really? Blackridge told you that? No wonder he has more balls than a billiards table. He has a way back.”

“Do you?” I ask, my gaze boring into his.

He raises an eyebrow at me in mild surprise. “I can’t say that it’s been tested, but I doubt my mother would allow me to stay dead for very long.”

Isaac’s gaze shoots to CJ, interested. I guess CJ doesn’t talk about his family much, even to his best friend.

“How much trouble am I in?” Cassiel asks, finally lifting his gaze from Benz.

“None, that I can see. You are a case study now for Blackridge to see how you handle this.”

He nods, seeming to accept that. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about this,” Cassiel murmurs, his wings folding against his back, the bloodstained feathers rustling softly. “Taking a life should have more weight to it.”

“Welcome to SilverGate,” CJ says dryly, flicking his cigarette away. “Where death is sometimes just an inconvenience.”

I wrap my arms around myself. “This place is insane.”

“No,” Isaac corrects, his eyes scanning the darkening sky. “This place is exactly what it’s supposed to be. A training ground for monsters to learn how to be even more monstrous.”

CJ’s gaze pins mine, and I see something there I didn’t expect—concern. “You should get some rest, Issy. It’s been a long night.”

“I need to call our parents,” I tell Isaac, ignoring CJ’s suggestion. “Tonight.”

Isaac nods, his expression grim. “Use the mirror in your room. I’ll try from mine at the same time. Maybe one of us will get through.”

Cassiel steps away from Benz’s body, moving closer to me. I half expect CJ to interfere, but he stands back, watching.

“I would do it again to protect you,” Cassiel says .

I bite the inside of my lip. “Don’t.”

He reaches out and cups my face. I feel an electric shock go through me, like liquid lightning. Ignoring CJ’s hiss of annoyance, I lean into it a bit.

“I will always protect you, Isolde,” he says. “I have this need… here.” He thumps his fist over his heart. “It’s staggering. It’s instinct.”

“Welcome to the club,’ CJ drawls.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Isaac snaps and storms off, not wanting to see his sister getting hit on. At least that means he trusts these two. I’m not sure if that’s wise.

I place my hand over his and squeeze, pulling it away before I let it go. “I need to go. Are you okay?”

“More than,” he says, sounding it. “I feel like I am actually alive now.”

Staff from the infirmary bustle into the courtyard and ignore us as they go about setting Benz on a stretcher to take him to resurrect or whatever it’s called.

Cassiel nods and steps back. “I will check on Benz later.”

“He will come for you,” CJ says. “He won’t let this go.”

“I don’t expect him to,” Cassiel says. “But I killed him once… how many times do you think he can resurrect before it affects him? ”

My blood runs colder at that, and I watch him walk away.

I force myself to look at CJ. “I’ll see you later.”

“Are you okay, Issy?”

“I’m fine.”

“If you are anything like my mother, fine doesn’t mean fine.”

I snort, pressing my lips together. “Then I guess I am like your mother.”

“She will like you,” he says softly in a tone I have never heard from him. Wistful, I think.

“I’m sure I’ll like her too.” And with that, I turn on my heel and head back to my bedroom to call my parents and to see what William is up to and if he’s still miffed with me from earlier.