Fire & Flood (Mythverse #1)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

“Twenty minutes into your first class and you’re back in my office.” Ms. Themis glares over the top of her glasses. “I’m afraid this does not bode well for your future at Mount Olympus Academy.”

“What are you saying? Am I getting expelled on my first day?” I sink further into my chair.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Expulsion would be a last resort. And Mr. Zee would make that decision, not me. However, this may be a sign that the assassination class is simply…” she pauses and shoots me an apologetic look. “Not a good fit.”

She’s right. I know she’s right. And yet, “I thought he was killing me. It didn’t feel like an exercise. Also if that had been real, I would’ve won. Isn’t it good that I didn’t freeze up? You said we’re at war. Don’t you need someone who does what needs to be done? I honestly didn’t know if I could kill someone, but now…now I think I could.” It’s a strong speech, despite my wavering voice.

But Themis is unimpressed. “We need more than beings capable of killing. I would call that the bare minimum requirement, actually.” She stands and comes around the front of the desk. “I don’t suppose Cassie told you about the incident we dealt with over summer semester?”

I shake my head, confused by the sudden change of subject.

“We lost a student in battle. At first we feared it was two, but one played dead, and though badly wounded, managed to make her way back to us. We were so relieved at having this student returned that we never questioned her story. It never occurred to us that she might’ve been compromised. Months passed before we realized she’d been turned and had become an agent working with the monsters—against us. With the help of another student, she escaped before we could fully interrogate her.”

Themis slams the desk with a balled up fist. Then she gestures to the golden scale sitting on the far edge of the table. Nothing sits on either end of the scale and yet the one side floats higher than the other. “Ever since then the scales have been unbalanced. The whole campus is on edge. Trust has been frayed.” Her hand closes around my jaw, forcing my eyes up to meet her own. “And the war—we are closer to losing everything than we ever have been before. The Academy was always a sacred place, free of fear, but now that it’s been invaded once, it will never be the same again. The next time the war comes here it will not slip through the gates in disguise, but instead tear them right down. If the scales are to be tipped the other way, in our favor, we will need to be strong. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”

I stare at her. “And right now, I’m the weak link?”

“I honestly don’t know. You’re strong, with an unknown power. You must understand, though, everyone here is strong. We need more than that. We need a team that works together. Seamlessly. Doubtlessly.”

She releases me and returns to her side of the desk. I rub where her fingers dug into my skin. “I understand that,” I say quietly. “And I want to be part of that team.”

“Then it’s time to shift, so we can all see what’s on the other side of your skin.”

She makes it sound like I’m a shirt that’s on inside out. “I don’t know how.”

“Take that.” Ms. Themis points at her desk, to a glowing lump of something that looks like mold. Hesitantly, I reach forward and take it in my hands. I’d expect it to be slimy, but it’s hard and smooth as a rock. “Hold the stone between both hands. Close your eyes. And just breathe.”

I do as she instructs. The moment my eyes close, the thing inside me stares back. It snorts anxiously and steam rises, hot enough to warm my face. It wants out. But it—me—is also scared. As searing pain rips through me, I realize why.

“Auuughh!” The scream rips from my throat.

My eyes fly open. Dropping the stone, I leap to my feet. “What the hell, lady?”

She nods, calm as ever. “As I suspected. Your shifter self is trapped inside of you. A magic spell that was no doubt made to last a lifetime. Your father’s work, I’m betting. No doubt he was trying to protect you.”

“My Dad cast a spell on me? I don’t think so. He didn’t like brushing my hair because I’d scream when he’d tug too hard.”

“But this would have been painless. And your father was quite talented in the magical arts.”

“We are both talking about Danny Evans, right?”

This earns me a small smile. “We are indeed. But your father wouldn’t have shackled your shifter self without having some release mechanism.”

“Release mechanism? Don’t even think of telling me to bend over and cough. Not after that stone—” I hold out my hands which have been stinging horribly and for the first time I notice they’re covered in angry red blisters. “Holy s**t!”

“Yes, you’ll need to visit the infirmary before your next class.” She consults the watch on her wrist. “And you ought to hurry. Being late will not help your situation.”

Relief pours through me. “So I’m still in the assassination class?”

“For now. But”—Ms. Themis holds up one long finger— “you must let go of the fear and find a way to free your inner…whatever it is inside you, or I will have no choice but to find another place for you.”

The infirmary is the next building over, which makes it easy to find. Fern, the medic who helped Val, is there. I expect her to be stand-offish but she waves me over.

“That was an impressive display in class,” she says to me with a lopsided grin. “I’ve never seen anyone take down a vamp like that.”

“Totally not on purpose,” I tell her.

“You’ll learn to control it…whatever it is.” She takes out a bottle and squirts it on my tender skin. It stings a bit as it foams. “It seems hard now, but you’ll get through.”

“Thanks.” I say, weirdly touched by her kindness.

“Us girls with little old lady names have to stick together,” she tells me, flashing her broad smile. She wipes the foamy medicine off my arm. My skin is as good as new. It’s absolutely amazing.

Well, amazing to me. I can’t help exclaim, “Like magic!”

Fern lets out a little laugh. “That’s because it is magic.”

“Oh. Right.”

Fern leaves me to attend another student and I eye the magic medicine. I hesitate a moment and then shove the can of the spray foam into my bag. With a vampire for a roommate it seems like it might be a handy thing to have.

A glance at the clock tells me I only have ten minutes before my next class starts. Throwing my bag over my shoulder, and with a farewell wave to Fern, I rush from the room and almost immediately slam into a wall of cold steel muscle. I reel backwards and stumble over my own feet. Before I can land on my a*s, the wall grabs hold of me, reeling me back in.

Of course, it’s not a wall. It’s a bare chest. Less extravagantly muscled than Kratos, and smoother, but still undeniably masculine.

“Oh,” I say. “I’m sorry, I—” I finally stop ogling the perfect chest and move my gaze upwards to an equally perfect face. A perfect face I already know too well. “Val.”

“Edie. Right?” He smiles, his pointy canines not at all threatening. At least that’s what I tell myself.

“I’m really, really sorry for burning you. I mean you look good now—” My eyes can’t help but drift back down to his bare torso. “Really good.” Quickly I refocus while I can feel my face burning red with embarrassment. He lifts his eyebrows slightly as if to say he knows exactly why I’m blushing and then returns the favor, his eyes sweeping down my body and back up again.

“You look good too,” he says at last.

I can’t tell if he’s mocking me or if he’s sincere, or maybe some combination of both.

“That reminds me, your t-shirt. It was ruined.”

He shrugs. “No biggie. Tina made it for me. I’ve got several others like it. It’s a joke between us. She says I’m the least discriminating vampire in the world when it comes to fashion.” He pauses and then adds with a small private smile. “And other things too.”

I want to ask what those other things are, but it feels too forward. “I should go. I’ve got class.” I spin around and make a lunge for the door, suddenly desperate to exit this awkward conversation before I make a total fool of myself.

“Me too. I’ll walk with you.” Val reaches for the door handle a split second before me so that my hand lands on top of his. His hand, like his chest, is cool to the touch.

“Great!” I say, forcing myself to let go.

We walk in silence as all around us students pour from different buildings and out across the quad. There’s no missing the way people stare at me, or the double takes when they see Val at my side.

“Is this a deliberate display?” I ask him. “Showing everyone there’s no hard feelings?”“There aren’t any hard feelings. You’re an animal.” I visibly bristle at this, but Val shrugs. “All shifters are animals. You felt threatened and acted on instinct.”

“I was threatened. You nearly killed me.”

“I smelled that you were human. I would’ve stopped,” Val says, and then adds with an arch smile, “before you set me on fire.”

“I’m…” I’m close to saying I’m sorry again, but since it appears I didn’t actually damage Val, I’m not feeling nearly as bad as I did before. Plus, I’m not entirely sure I believe him.

We enter a shady path that runs between two of the buildings and Val suddenly stops. “At least tell me it was special for you. You don’t set every guy you meet on fire, do you?”

He’s flirting with me. Not just flirting. He’s looking down at me with that heavy lidded look like he’s thinking of kissing me. Which is crazy! The medics might have healed his body, but they couldn’t quite remove that burnt flesh smell from what was left of his clothes and hair. He needs a good long shower—maybe two—before that will be washed away.

And yet, he leans in closer.

“Who else have you set on fire, little Edie?” His voice is teasing. Coaxing. Like this is all just a joke.

“No one,” I start to say, but then with a gasp I remember. “Oooh, so it really wasn’t gonorrhea.”

As the sexy look disappears from Val’s face, I realize I’ve said that last bit aloud.

“No! I don’t have…I didn’t give, or get…or transmit.” Stopping, I take a deep breath. “I made out with a boy at school. It was, you know, fine.”

“Fine?” Val is back to being amused, and slightly flirtatious. Though more cautiously so.

“Well, there were some other things going on like he had a girlfriend and I—we shouldn’t have been kissing, but that’s not important to this story. The crucial bit is that he had a rash at school the next day and told everyone I’d given him gonorrhea.”

Val’s lip curls. “Humans are disgusting.”

“Well yeah, I mean, this human was. But anyway, I figured it was some sort of reaction to my soap or moisturizer. Now, though, I think, is it possible that I…”

“Burned him?” Val helpfully finishes for me. He rubs his chin as he thinks about this, playing at thoughtfulness. “I’d guess it was more likely that when you got hot and bothered, this boy ended up slightly singed.”

I slap a hand over my mouth and then moan from behind it. “I’ll never be able to kiss anyone again.”

Val, the jerk, has the audacity to laugh at this.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re amused,” I huff.

“Edie…” He reaches for my hands and I jerk them away. “We’re gonna be late for class.”

He catches hold of my hand, refusing to let me push past him. “No we won’t. It’s right around the corner.” I tug at our joined hands but he refuses to release me. “What are you, Edie? I’ve never seen anyone create fire before. Not from their mouths, anyway.”

“That does seem to be the question of the day.” I try to make it a joke, but my voice wobbles toward the end. Frustrated, I fling myself back just as Val finally lets me go. I stumble several steps and as I blink Val is suddenly there to catch me. It seems impossible that he could move so fast. But lots of things seem impossible these days.

“Can I…” He hesitates as he sets me back on my feet and then takes a step back. “Can I see your wings again? I was a little on fire the last time so it was difficult to get the full picture. The guys pushing my gurney to the infirmary gushed the whole way there about how extraordinary they were.”

There is something about the way he says it, totally sincere with not even the slightest hint of his usual underlying mockery, that I can’t resist. I set my backpack on the ground and then like a girl doing a twirl in a pretty dress, I fan my wings out. And then am embarrassed when I realize they are a rosy blushing pink.

“Nice,” he says, reaching out to run a finger along my wing. It’s a gentle touch, slow and soft. The wings twitch and send a shiver down my spine. And I don’t mind it… at all. “Now I see why they’ve been looking for you.”

“Huh? Who’s been looking for me?”

At that moment a bell begins to toll.

“Uh-oh, that’s our cue that class is about to start.”

“About to start? You said we had time!”

“No, I said it was right around the corner. And it is. Which is why we have time for this.” Leaning forward he presses his lips to my cheek, just barely catching the corner of my mouth. “You’ll kiss again,” he says softly as he pulls away. “You just need to find the right person.”

And then before I can react or reply, he grabs my hand and tugs me through the corridor and out into the sunlight where the rest of our class is already waiting. Depositing me beside Cassie, he drifts off into the crowd of vampires. It’s almost like he was never there at all.

Except when I touch the spot where he kissed me, it’s still cold to the touch.