Page 33 of Wings of Ashes
Nix did not think they had looked at each other head-on like this before. Her chest twinged as her thoughts were swept away by the warm, homey, golden honey color of his eyes.
Ryker lifted his head from the lowered position. He typically always looked down or hid his face in the shadows of his hoodie. But now, the classroom light perfectly illuminated his features.
Ryker was…beautiful. His chiseled cheekbones and round chin reminded Nix of old, erotic paintings of male nymphs who would steal women from local towns to have their wicked way with them.
His eyes were slanted slits, like a mischievous fox up to something. Yet, the shape of his face looked like an angel’s. Soft and virtuous.
Was there such a thing as a sexy cherub? Because that was what came to mind when Nix stared at him.
He did notlookbloodthirsty the way Nix always imagined dragon shifters to appear.Does the monster hide beneath a beautiful visage?
“What part of my being knife-happy makes me a mentally unstable incubus?” Bael asked, but Nix could not tear her gaze from Ryker’s face.
“Privileged?” Ryker asked again in a low rumble.
Having lost some of her steam, Nix tried to pick the pieces back up and feign confidence as she added, “Privileged alphas with more strength than anyone needs.”
“Mmm, compliment my muscles more,” Bael remarked.
“Do you know what happens to people with more power than others?” Nix asked. “Corruption. Warped morals. Nefarious actions.”
“Wait, where did you get my to-do list?” Bael interjected, fanning the flames of Nix’s fiery anger.
“You think you can have and do whatever you want to those with less power,” she said. “Including judge and criticize what thosewithoutpower have to do to survive.”
She sneered at Bael, “This school is full of alphas who classify cygnus shifters as gold-digging sluts—not here for an education, just here to seduce a future husband—and you know why? Because those samebig, strongalphas will not protect those who need protection without the promise of getting their dicks wet.”
Nix’s chest moved up and down as she inhaled her first breath after such a speech. “Yeah,” she added. “We are here to find husbands because of the world youtwisted alpha motherfuckers built.”
Ryker and Bael—and Mara—stared wide-eyed at her.
Bael’s tongue licked his plush lips as he tilted his head and analyzed her face.
“Professor Bowen!” a student yelled at the next table over, where Graeves’s group sat. “We finished the potion.”
Bael blinked. The contemplative and reflective expression he had worn blanked from his face. He smoothly moved with paranormal speed to the other team.
Plucking the glowing vial of liquid from the hand of the student, Bael blurred back over to Nix.
And he poured the vial onto her head.
14
CHAPTER
Liquid dripped down Nix’s face, catching on her eyelashes and nose as she bit back a scream. That damn incubus.
She was going to…well, there wasn’t much someone like her—no supernatural strength, speed, or magical abilities—could do. She could hit him and break her hand.Might be worth it.
I hate him, she thought as her skin heated.I hate all of the alphas in this school.
“Watch it turn color,” Bael confidently told Mara and Ryker, like he was proud of his little experiment. “An enchantress caught in the act.”
The potion began hissing and steaming onto Nix’s skin. “Fuck,” Nix gritted in pain as it bubbled over her hair and her forehead. He really couldn’t have poured it onto her hand or something?
“Uh, Professor?” Mara called out for his attention.
Footsteps neared as Nix bit her tongue and refused to release any sounds of pain as she glared at Bael.
