Page 7 of Princess Takes Academy
My life had changed overnight.
Mama had made living outside the nest an adventure. We’d set up our own camp. She laid her own blood circle, while I made the fire pit. We had a beautiful spot along the river. Food was plentiful, though I missed my friends.
Until I realized they weren’t my friends. Not really. They’d slowly pulled away from me over the years as my unpredictable abilities came to light.
Mama told me not to hide. Not to lie. The goddess made me this way. It was good. I was good. I had a purpose.
But then they forced us from the nest—because of me.
And Mama died—because of me.
“Xotla cueponi.” The god’s voice rumbled like thunder, making me shiver. “She grows, she flowers. Such an amazing sight to see.”
I had always known about Mami Wata. But I’d never actually met our goddess. It’d never occurred to me that She might actually walk the earth and talk to us. Ever. Certainly not to me.
I still didn’t know why the Great One had brought the little girl to get me. Why had She taken an interest in me, when I wasn’t even descended from Her line? Was Xochitl? I had no idea.
I certainly never in a million years thought she’d bring me to her nest. Where a god lived and breathed and walked like a normal person.
“I’m Tepeyollotl. What house were you born to, son?”
I gulped. “House Wata.” I should add some kind of title. Your Majesty wasn’t right. Not for a god or goddess. Sir? Holy one? My mind blanked.
“Ah, yes.” The god smiled and my heart exploded into a frantic cadence that made me wobble. At least he wasn’t insulted by my ignorance. “The Mother of Waters. My daughter has chosen well.”
I blinked rapidly several times, and before I could stop my mouth from opening, the words tumbled out. “You know Her?”
He made a low growling sound that sent chills slithering down my back. But then I realized he was only laughing. “We are all children of the Mother. Some of us are reflections of the same aspect. Others are shattered reflections that no longer resemble their true selves. Don’t let events of your life shatter you, Keras. Flow like your goddess. Find the cracks and seep through any blockage.”
I nodded, though I didn’t really understand what he meant.
“So you’re my daughter’s first Blood.”
I straightened to my full height, trying to look the part. Though I was only eight years old. “The Great One—”
He waved his hand, silencing my words. “I’m not angered by these events, merely surprised. Xochitl is much too young to take on a queen’s duties yet. Though there’s a great deal of wisdom in giving her a guardian. I’m sure you already see how quickly and easily she gets into trouble. She’s a fearless thing, wild at heart but filled with beauty and light. She dances from flower to flower, flitting away on a whim. That’s why she’s my butterfly.”
The nickname suited her, even though she had a unicorn shape now. Her goddess had said something about giving her wings. Then she really would fly.
I looked around at her bedroom. The huge, fluffy bed that was bigger than the entire hut Mama and I had lived in just hours ago. Thick blankets and dozens of pillows made the mattress a soft haven. The entire room was massive, with soaring ceilings and large windows that made it feel open and wide like the sky.
Every inch of the room was pink and purple. Evidently her favorite colors.
Everything was perfect and comfortable and luxurious in my eyes. Befitting a future queen.
Silence stretched between us, weighing heavier. I focused on the tile beneath my feet, afraid to meet the god’s gaze. I couldn’t breathe as boulders stacked on my chest. I felt like I was slowly being buried alive.
He wanted me to look at him. I could feel his will crushing me beneath a mountain.
Deep inside me, my beast snorted. Rhinos were heavy and ponderous—until they were enraged. Then they turned into battering rams at frightening speeds.
I’d never tried to use my beast for fear I’d shift all the way and hurt someone. But with Xochitl’s help, I should be able to control it. Even a king rhino wouldn’t be able to hurt a god if she wasn’t paying attention and allowed me to shift.
I allowed the rhino’s heaviness to fill me. Thick hide. Armored head. I could feel my hooves sinking into the ground, even though I remained human. My horn wasn’t very long yet, but one day, it would be a formidable weapon.
“Very impressive,” Tepeyollotl said in a soft rumble that still managed to sound threatening. “You will need such stubbornness to stand firm and keep my butterfly safe.”
I finally raised my gaze to his, unsure how much of my rhino glared through my eyes. Tepeyollotl’s eyes gleamed like shiny black mirrors, empty and endless. Sucking me closer. Deeper. Until I felt like I was falling off a cliff into complete darkness.
