Page 28 of Wicked Heirs

A shudder took me as I flew over the above ground swimming pool. I hated being immersed in water. The most I could handle was a quick shower in the morning.

Clearly the universe was in the mood to screw with me, because in the next moment I felt a droplet of rain hit my left wing.

Another hit my head, my right wing, my back, and then it was pouring down, turning goddamn torrential.

Shit-tastic.

I descended quickly, coming in for a jarring landing.

Managing to offset it by crouching low as I hit the asphalt, I only stumbled a little in my step. Then I tucked my wings away and checked my surroundings.

The courtyard was empty because of the downpour.Perfect.

I called my phoenix fire forth for a second and a rush of delicious heat surged through me, drying me in an instant, my clothes, hair, and skin alike.

Much better.

I wasn’t supposed to unleash myphoenix firein any way, except under the watchful eye of our professors during classes related to spellcasting and fire manipulation. It was so potent that it would severely burn others. If I unleashed it at full force it would actually incinerate.

But I had a good handle on it these days so I’d known it would be fine. So long as I didn’t get super angry. Yeah, that was a whole other story.

The reason I had control over it had nothing to do with Electi Academy and the teachings here because there were somany repressive rules making that impossible. It was because of Orpheus andObsidian.

Through creating a powerful illusion and a glamour, we were able to venture out to the edge of the campus grounds where the faculty didn’t go and be free with our powers and abilities. Just like we would be doing during theKick Offin a couple of days. It also helped that Orpheus had struck up an alliance with Professor Callum Cornwell, a sorcerer, who believed in what we were doing and ran interference for us wheneverObsidianhad thesenights of liberation. He’d also helped me with my pyrokinesis when I’d first been learning to wield it. I’d lost my parents before they could get to a good point in my training, unfortunately. While Ore was good at a lot of things and well-schooled in things that were even outside of his own abilities, my powers were a lot different, and not something he’d been familiar enough with at the time. Of course, that had changed over the years as I’d become confident enough to wield them more, and he’d kind of learned about it along with me.

I strode back into the building, making my way to my chambers.

There were a lot of students milling about soaked to the bone from being outside when the downpour had started. I could smell the rain and dampness all over. I hated it.

Best to stay in my suite until things dried up and it was all over.

I hurried up one side of the double staircase, taking the steps two at a time.

A bunch of students were moving their things back in, bags dragging or being levitated with their magic, others carrying boxes piled high easily with their super strength too.

This was the final day for everyone to head back in. The halls would no longer be empty, the place no longer with that eerie silent feel to it.

Finally.

We’d be busy again with classes. Just how I liked it. There was too much time to think otherwise.

I’d been hanging with my boys and keeping busy watching my action movies, then flying too, but being chock-a-block busy would be much better for me. And I wouldn’t have to worry so much about Ore and X being unable to hang because they were doing their own thing. I’d have other things to keep me occupied, my classes and studies.

I made it to my chambers and pressed my hand to the purple glowing film over my door. It was a ward that Ore had made for me. It dropped when it sensed me and then went back up once I was inside. As I could wield fire but not other magic, he’d sorted it for me. Other students without magical abilities like his and X’s, just had an ordinary lock, but Ore always wanted me to have the best. He was attentive and sweet like that—although he’d never admit it and he’d hate for that to even be stated.

I smiled to myself at the thought, then walked inside my chambers.

A bunch of posters of some of my favorite action movies covered the boring beige walls, something that always made me smile and gave me comfort when I walked on in to my own space. I liked the distraction of them and they kind of kept me company when I was alone—I hated being alone, it didn’t sit well with me at all. It made me nervous. Orpheus said it was something to do with myabandonment issues.All I knew was that I didn’t care for it.

My double bed over by the window was unmade as I’d forgot I’d left it, the red sheets all mussed and one of my pillows half off the bed.

In the small lounge area to the left of the door, I had a bunch of papers and a book I was supposed to have read four chapters of so far—I’d only made it through one—strewn over the circularmahogany coffee table, along with a half-eaten nectarine I’d been munching on before I’d gotten bored and unfocused and needed to take a break.Oops.

I pulled off my boots and tossed them near my closet, then I shrugged off my black biker jacket with the golden studs and spikes and slung it over the back of my chair in front of my desk.

And then I snatched the remote of my nightstand and belly flopped onto my bed.

I was just about to turn on a movie from years ago,Expendables,the one I’d made it halfway through until the itch to go flying had taken me over, but before I could even manage that, a spark of that familiar purple shimmering magic erupted by the door.

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