Page 40 of Validus Vale Academy 1
For the last five months, I’ve been going inch by inch over the grounds, trying to detect any energy signature that matches what Max found. It’s painstaking, frustrating work, but I don’t know what else to do. Opening my laptop, I bring up a map of the campus. Gods, it’s like looking for the needle in a billion haystacks—almost pointless.
Tonight, I’ll start on the land around the groundskeeping storage. Day 162 of my tenure at Validus Vale; maybe tonight I’ll get lucky.
18
After the hideous Fateball-fitness morning, things get a little better.
By that, I mean I’m mostly ignored in the advanced classes.
The school day ends with Willow, Duncan, and me in a double session of Nurture Your Spark 101. Professor Octobus has left us in the dark room again, so I lie on a yoga mat and try not to stress out for a couple of hours. It’s not the easiest goal in the world. My mind tumbles around, a million ‘what if’ questions putting paid to any serenity the dark, warm room could bring.
At least my own worries keep the thoughts of my classmates at bay.
Finally, the bell rings for the end of class.
“Food!” Duncan snaps out of his resting position and springs to his feet. “It’s pie day. Savory and sweet. I’m going to start with chicken, wait, no, turkey pot pie. Then go on to…hmm…peach for dessert. What about you gals?”—Pie or pi?/3.141/can’t remember/is it five?/definitely peaches—
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” Willow grins. “Could you be a little morepie-cific?”—haha, I out-punned Duncan—
The joke goes over Duncan’s head as he starts listing out his favorite pies in order. I don’t have it in me to join the banter. Themessage from Simon hangs heavily over my head. “Sorry, guys. I’m out. See you later.”
Cosmo’s mark on my neck burns hot, reminding me that even if I wanted to be late, it’s impossible. Just the thought of not obeying Cosmo’s command sends a flash of searing pain through my body. The entrance to the cafeteria has a fridge full of grab-and-go items: yogurt, sandwiches, etc, so I pull the nearest sandwich off the shelf and chew hurriedly as I drag my stiff body towards Electis.
When I enter the Tower, finally, one thing works in my favor. The elevator door opens when I press the button. Thank Gods. My poor legs were dreading those circular stairs.
My lucky streak quickly ends when the elevator stops on the second floor and Jordan Singleton-Smith walks in. She does a cartoonish double-take. “What the fuck, dud? What are you doing in here—get out!” Her voice quavers as she tries to exert Elite control over me, but it doesn’t work.
“What the fuck? I said,GET OUT!”
The fact that I’m still standing here only makes her madder, but I have no choice. I think the mark on my neck is overpowering anything Jordan is trying to do.
Her fingers start to weave, and I try to defuse the situation before she goes full psycho on me. “I can’t leave,” I say meekly. “Cosmo’s expecting me any minute. He compelled me to go to him.”
Her pretty eyes narrow. As she’s Elite, I can’t hear the thoughts tumbling in her head, but I can get a sense of the tone, the very dark tone.
When Jordan’s lips turn into a smirk, I know that trouble is coming. A twitch of her fingers, and suddenly it’s like I’ve been plunged into an ice bath. My extremities are numb in an instant.
"A little chilly, are you, dud?" she snickers, as my breath comes out in little icy puffs. I shiver uncontrollably and thank the stars when the elevator stops on the fourth floor and she steps out. “Hope you don’t catch a cold,” she singsongs as the doors close again.
Once I reach the fifth floor, I quickly move my icy body into the penthouse corridor. The cold sensation is leaving my bones, but slowly, too slowly. Outside Cosmo’s door, I lean my head against the wall and wonder how my life has come to this. A couple of weeks ago, I was delivering paninis in a British heatwave; now I’m the chewed-up dog toy of two blonde, psycho Elites.
Tick tock, tick tock. My body knows it’s almost six, so I knock my painfully chilled knuckles on the door.
“Dud!” Troy yells, swinging it open. “Ready for some more laps?”
The only reaction I give him is a tight smile as I walk into the huge penthouse space. The floor-length windows are letting in the last orange streaks of the setting sun. Cosmo is leaning against the kitchen island on the far side of the massive room. He turns as I enter, and his arctic-blue eyes stare me down. “Here,” he commands after a beat.
I step within a couple of feet of him, and his gaze continues to travel over me. I wonder what I look like in his eyes—probably a huge mess. My teeth are chattering, my nose is dripping, and probably blue with cold.
His cruel mouth twists, and a smirk spreads across his face. “Hmm, I can smell the spellwork from here. Has someone been playing a game with you, little dud?”
“I’ll play a game with her,” Manu chuckles, and I twist my head to see him watching me from the doorway, like a fox in a henhouse.
Cosmo’s head snaps towards his roommate. “Manu, leave.”
“This is my apartment too, I’m fucking done with this shit,” Manu snarls, snatching a beer from the fridge, then slamming a door as he exits. I find myself breathing a little easier in his absence. Cosmo leans over the counter, picking up a small brown glass bottle.
“Catch,” he says, tossing it in my direction.
