Page 13 of Caelum

There were always dicks, though. Samuel, Reed, and Frazer were three of them. They’d been spawned by wealthy parents, and even though they were several years’ deep into the Academy program, they’d failed to realize that we were all equal here. My gaze drifted over them as we headed into the admin block where they were beating the shit out of each other in one of the boxing rings.

It was difficult to say that I hated them. I didn’t. I didn’t care enough about them to hate them, but I thought they were pricks, and I had no problem telling them that when they got in my face. They were our natural opponents too, so that didn’t help.

Those three and my quartet were always racing to beat each other. We thrived on competition here, and those three jerks were, although I hated to admit it, just as talented as us. As we were for them, they were the ones to beat.

“Stop looking at them,” Nestor hissed, elbowing me in the side. He muffled the words with his towel, which he tossed into the laundry basket before we crossed the threshold and moved from the bright atrium into the darker foyer.

“Just checking out their form.”

“You study them any harder and they’ll think you’re checking out their asses,” Eren joked, making me roll my eyes.

Eren had been reared a Muslim. But, just like Nestor and me, we were no longer what we once were. Two years ago, he’d have prayed for my eternal soul at the prospect of me being gay, but it was no longer two years ago. And it was the same with Alexandre and Nestor who weren’t Catholic anymore. And though I’d been forced to take part in Orthodox services as a child, back in the orphanage where my mother had dumped me as a baby, any need to pretend to believe was no longer necessary.

It didn’t matter if you were black, brown, white, or blue, believed in ten Gods or one, in Caelum, we were all equal.

I’d remind Dre of that fact when he woke up after the ass-whooping Reed had given him an hour earlier, which probably wouldn’t be for a few days at least. Arrogant ass needed taking down a peg or two. He’d grown sloppy in the ring, sloppy enough for Reed to gain the advantage during their scheduledfight.

Seeing Damon guarding the front entrance, I strolled over to him, aware my friends had my back. “Does the new girl need a guide?”

Damon cocked a brow at me then let his gaze drift over our group. “Where’s Alexandre?”

“Knocked out.”

He snorted. “In the sickbay?” When I nodded, his lips twisted. “Let me guess… Frazer.”

“Close. Reed.”

Damon laughed. “I told him to watch out for his right hook.”

Eren joked, “I’m sure he’ll take you more seriously now.”

Damon’s grin said, without words, that he’d help hammer the point home, and then he squinted at us as he asked, “Why are you asking about the girl?”

“She suffered when she crossed through the portal.” I wasn’t sure why it bothered me, but it did. We all experienced something different when we stepped onto the Academy’s land, but the girl had sounded like she was in true pain.

Damon shrugged. “It hits us all in unique ways.”

“I know, but someone showing her around, someone who isn’t ancient,” I tacked on wryly, “might help her fit in. She’s already two months late for the year.”

He studied me as though I were shit on his shoe—and I didn’t really blame him. Damon was a kickass Enforcer that had a rep as large as Caelum’s floor plan—but he dragged his cell from his back pocket and connected a call.

“Three volunteers to guide Eve around. You want them to help out or not?” There was a pause, then he said, “Nestor, Eren, and Stefan.” Damon listened, his face blank, and then he dipped his chin. “Go to Nicholas’s office,” he directed when he cut the call.

I shot him a smile that he didn’t reciprocate because he was studying me like I was a textbook he had to cram before finals. “Since when did you get nice?” he questioned as I went to turn on my heel with my friends at my back.

I shot him a smirk. “I’ve always been nice.”

He shook his head. “You keep telling yourself that, Stefan.”

“Don’t worry. I will.” I grinned at him then started down the foyer.

“She must be more fucked up than we thought,” Eren stated once we were far enough away from Damon that he wouldn’t hear.

“Why?”

“Because they want help.”

“Hardly help, Eren. We’re only showing her around the place.”

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