Page 10 of Wicked Heirs

“She’s not what I would’ve expected of that bitch’s heir.”

I smiled to myself. No, she certainly wasn’t.

“She’s our first target this year then,” he determined.

“Leave her be,” that familiar smooth, silvery voice of Xavier’s came as he joined me on my right side with a burst of vampire speed.

He shook his head in his usual way when he didn’t approve of a plan of ours, when he thought it was crossing anunjust line.His caramel-brown choppy layered hair flew about as he did so.

Tal scoffed. “No can fucking do, X.”

Xavier grasped his shoulder. “Leave it be, firebird. She’s Nephilim. Too powerful.”

“She can’t use her magic,” I informed them.

“You’re serious?” Tal asked, incredulous.

“You’re sure, Orpheus? I don’t sense weakness from her,” X told me, slapping a hand to his ripped jeans, brushing his white tee in the process that was pulled taut across his powerhouse form, all wide and tall with a whole lot of muscle.

Of course not, her mother would have put things in place to prevent other beings from sensing her daughter’s weakness and ineptitude. “Mere bursts while under extreme duress are all she’s capable of,” I assured them.

“Hmm,” Xavier mused, fiddling with the turned up collar of his open denim shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. “So that’s why she’s here.”

“More than that. She hurt someone. Well, someones.”

“That’s what they do. Damn fucking angels doing whatever the shit they like, thinking they’re above it all, above all of us,” Tal groused bitterly, his phoenix temper rising all too quickly as usual.

Hot-headed didn’t begin to cover it with him.

But he had his reasons. Deep-seated, painful reasons for being that way.

And part of it had to do with the girl’s mother.

Her actions—or lack thereof—three years ago.

The same place wheremyhatred of that undeservingly revered Fallen was rooted.

Unfortunately, our ire and loathing had been denied anywhere to go, because you couldn’t come at the likes of Abigail Rose. It just didn’t happen. She sat so far above us all. She was effectively untouchable.

Until now.

Out of desperation, she’d made the mistake of sending her only child here.

Her inept and clueless daughter.

She might as well have painted a bullseye on her back.

Especially for us.

Mmm.I had to make a sustained effort to keep my power at bay as it started coiling at the delectable thought of ruining the little angel.

Corruption and torment were our specialties.

Xavier, always the diplomatic one and the voice of reason, started shaking his head again. “Why would her mother send her here knowing the risk given the existence of detractors Abigail has after theCataclysmthree years ago?”

“Because she doesn’t believe it to be a risk,” I told him. “Like the rest of those outside these magically-infused walls, she buys into the strict rules and regulations the place espouses.”

Just like the dean and most of the faculty did.

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