Page 11

Chapter

Nine

Bloom

Behind Gothic Walls

I fled the dark, enchanted forest, still dazed, and returned to my chamber on the sixth floor of Ravencrux Tower. My fingers fumbled for the key in my pocket, brushing against my inhaler.

I blinked. The night had been a whirlwind of action, like riding a roller coaster, yet I hadn’t once reached for it, not even when the devil kissed me breathless or stole the air from my lungs.

How was that possible? It made no sense. By all accounts, I should’ve fainted when he grazed my sweet spot, the act so obnoxious and brutal. Instead, I’d had the orgasm of the century.

I didn’t even recognize myself.

The door flew open before I could use the key, and I stumbled back.

A girl around my age stood there, holding the door open.“Where did you go?”she demanded.“I thought I’d find you here after class. And why are you so flushed? Looks like you’ve had the best lay of your life.”

“What? No!”I stared at her, my heart hammering.

She couldn’t know, could she?

“Shit, look at your hair.”She blinked, already moving on.“It’s like staring into the sun. I’ve never seen a color that bright.”

She was a redhead too, but her hair leaned auburn. Heavy eyeshadow framed her slate eyes, and a tiny black ring pierced her left eyebrow.

“This color got me into trouble,”I said.“It’s why I’m here. Were you kidnapped too?”

“Kidnapped?”

The answer was clearly no, so I didn’t explain.

I didn’t know her at all, and trust wasn’t something I handed out easily.

Besides, I wasn’t even that angry at my kidnappers anymore, not when Orren had already carved a place for himself in my thoughts in such a short time.

And now, I was finallylivinghere. Starting with orgasms, for one.

I offered a smile.“Never mind. I’m Bloom Aurelius.”

“Oh, you’re the new girl everyone’s talking about,”she said.

“What?”Dread curdled in my stomach. As a homeschooler, I’d never learned to handle the spotlight.“Why would anyone care? Just because I’m the ‘newest item’? That’ll fade, right?”

“Depends.”She waved me inside.“Let’s see if you can keep the attention of the hottest men here. But first, you should know the cardinal rule.”

I perched on the edge of the bed that I’d assumed was mine and folded my hands in my lap.“I don’t know any rules here.”

“There aren’t many,”she said, leaning against the desk. Her gaze lingered, assessing but not intrusive.“Fights are allowed. They happen all the time. Challenge is encouraged.”

My stomach twisted. I wasn’t a fighter, and everyone here looked strong, like athletes, or worse, battle-hardened warriors.

“Maiming isn’t a big deal.”

My face went cold as the memory flashed: a body crumpling in the courtyard, a blade glinting, and not a single person reacting. But that wasn’t right. You didn’t juststabpeople. Weren’t we supposed to be in a civilized society?

But from the moment I’d stepped through the gate, I’d known that civilized society had been left far behind.

“Murder in cold blood is against the rules,”she added.“Get caught, and you’ll be punished.”

That offered little comfort. Murder was merelyfrowned upon? That had already gone too far. How could fighting, even stabbing, be allowed?

“That’s…”I fumbled for words, my voice deserting me.“What kind of schoolisthis?”

“One of a kind.”She grinned, delighted by my shock.“A cutthroat one. And the weak don’t survive.”

Iwasthe weakest here. She’d probably already seen it but was kind enough not to say it to my face.

“How do I avoid fights?”My voice shrank.

Orren hadn’t mentioned any of this. But then again, hewasone of the ruthless kidnappers who’d dragged me here, only to suddenly grow a conscience and decide not to terrify me further.

“You can’t.”She gave me a sympathetic wince.“Lying low won’t work here. You either get strong or you make sure everyonethinksyou are. Otherwise, the predators will circle.”

I couldn’t tell her about my condition. She seemed friendly, but I knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Weren’t best friends always the first to sabotage you? In stories, in life, weren’t they the ones who stole your lover, your husband, your worth?

No one wanted a liability. She might smile today and slit my throat tomorrow. If it came to a fight between us, I’d lose. No question. I might even lose an eye, and she’d shrug, becausemaiming wasn’t a big deal here.

“Fine,”I said.“What’s this cardinal rule you mentioned?”

Her smile turned dreamy.“Never screw a professor. Especially not Professor Ravencrux or his rival, Professor Kingsley—though everyone wants to.”She licked her lips.

“Ravencrux is the most forbidden. Dangerous. But if he ever looked my way? I’d risk it.

Punishment be damned. You only fucking live once. ”

My throat went dry.“What…what’s the punishment?”Please let that stranger whose face I’d sat on not be either professor.

“You don’t want to know.”She waved a hand.“You’re not the wild type. Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, I worry.”My fingers dug into my knees.“It’s what I do. Tell me.”

“If caught, you draw a card.”Her voice dropped.“Public stripping. Flogging. The dungeon. Expulsion. They say there’s even a death card.”

“Are you serious?”

“I haven’t read the fine print on punishments. Not that I care—no professor would fuck me anyway,”she said with sadness in her big eyes.“I’m Sindy Vexley, by the way.”

“A witch?” I ventured.

“Yes!”Her face lit up with pride.

“That’s amazing!”I mirrored her smile, pleased with my correct guess.“I’d never met any supernaturals before today. I’ve always wanted to meet a real witch.”

“Witches are pretty common in the States,”she said.“We just don’t advertise it.”

“I’ve only read about witches and shifters and vampires in books,”I admitted.“Like Twilight .”

“Where have you been all this time?”

I twisted my hands in my lap.“Homeschooled. My mother didn’t have any relatives—not that I knew of, anyway.”My gaze flickered to Sindy, searching and uneasy.“I don’t have any special abilities. Maybe they made a mistake? Dragged me here for nothing.”

“Nope.” Her head shake was decisive. “They don’t make mistakes. Recruiters can see bloodlines. Sense them.”

The air left my lungs in one sharp breath.

“They did mess up my tower assignment, not that I’m complaining.”A sly grin spread across her face.“Getting to stay under Professor Ravencrux’s wing? Chance encounters in the halls?”

“Where were you supposed to be?”I asked.

“Stardust Tower—with my coven.”She shrugged, but her fingers twitched like she was resisting some invisible pull.“Headmistress Kate Stardust oversees all witchcraft, crossroads magic, and…necromancy.”

“Then I’m grateful for their mistake,”I said, meaning it.“I’d hate to have missed meeting you.”

Despite all my reservations about this new school, I got a roommate who was open and friendly. She didn’t look at me like I was some fragile freak, unlike those narrow-eyed whisperers back in that French town.

“Want a hug?”she asked suddenly, grinning.

“Uh.” I blinked. “Yeah. Why not?”

She crossed the room before I could overthink it. I stood too quickly, our foreheads nearly colliding, and then we were both laughing. Her arms wrapped around me, warm, solid, scented like jasmine and candlewax. The first hug I’d had in years that wasn’t from my mother.

When we pulled apart, I nodded at the untouched middle bed.“Where’s our third?”

“Vacant,”Sindy said. Then, with deliberate lightness:“You’re actually Lara’s replacement. Go on. Ask what happened to her. Consider it your first real lesson here.”

“What happened to Lara?”

Sindy examined her nails.“Sent home to regrow her arm. Forsaken Academy only keeps elite supernaturals. No cripples. Bad for publicity.”

My lungs tightened.Iwas handicapped. Asthmatic. Yet they’d taken me anyway, despite Morrigan, Dante, and Orren’s exchanged glances when they’d discovered it.

“A lioness shifter took her arm,”Sindy continued casually.“After Lara fucked her boyfriend. Lionesses are territorial. Lucky we’ve only got one here.”

One was enough.Especially when she’d severed a limb without batting an eye.

“No shit!”My voice cracked.“Well, no love triangles for me—not my style.”

Sindy gave me a look of interest.“People maim each other for dumber reasons too.”

A chill crept up my spine. Was this friendliness or a warning?

“Are you a black witch?”The question escaped before I could stop it.

She flashed me a mischievous grin. “Gray.”

Gray was better than black.Probably.

“That’s good, right?” I murmured.

“One last thing,”she said, leaning in. “The academy sits atop hell’s gate—right between the mortal and immortal realms. None of us see ghosts. But if Nighthaunts appear? Don’t scream. You don’t want to draw their attention. And never,everenter Obsidian Wilds, the dark forest near our tower.”

But I’d already wandered into those shadowed woods and found my first real pleasure there.