Page 44 of Validus Vale Academy 1
Cosmo turns away. As he runs a hand through his hair, a look of frustration and almost despair appears on his face.
I shift closer to the window and cast a sound-spell. Finally, I can hear their voices. Wilson is speaking. “Where are they, Cosmo? What’s happened to them?” Her voice is desperate. I wonder who the ‘they’ are to cause such anguish.
That prick, Cosmo, strides over to the counter and picks up a glass, throwing the contents down his throat in one go, playing like he’s a big man. “That’s not your concern, dud,” he says toWilson. “Understand me when I say this,” he continues. “Wes and Donovan areno longerany of your business.”
I know the sound of an Elite command when I hear it.
Color me impressed when Wilson staggers off her knees, eyes filled with determination, and she talks back to him. “N-n-no,” I hear her say, voice weak and shaky.
Drakeward snarls back. “No? And why’s that?”
“B-because of… of… l-l-love…” she stutters, her words getting stronger. Drakeward starts to say something, but Wilson interrupts. It’s fucking fascinating. How is this AUA managing to hold her own with Validus Vale’s number one Elite? I could watch this all night.
“...They disappeared nearly a year ago; we should have been searching from day one.”
I concentrate on her words.‘Disappeared nearly a year ago?’
Do I believe in coincidences? Yes.
Is this a coincidence? Fuck no.
What do Wilson and Drakeward have in common, aside from attending the Academy? Are they talking about more missing Validus Vale students?
“Know your place, dud,” Cosmo hisses. He’s close to losing his shit completely, and I’m finding it increasingly hard to keep quiet in the shadows.
“Fuck off back to Defectivum,” he snaps at the girl, “and remember,I forbid you to talk to anyone in authority about the twins.”
Wilson’s trying to fight the Elite command once more, but has run out of whatever power she was using.
“GO!” Cosmo roars.
She hightails it out of there. Seconds later, Drakeward collapses into an armchair, buries his head in his hands, and mutters to himself. “Fuck. Fuck. What should I do?”
Below me, the front door of Electis tower slams open, and the small body of Wilson races out, flying down the pathway that leads back to her dorm. I watch her go, then turn back to the Elite in the tower. Does he have any more information to spill?
I spend ten minutes watching him mumble and down Irish whisky. I’m getting no more information from Cosmo Drakeward tonight. I should really get out of here. I’m far too close to the school to be flying, but a scratch in the animal part of my brain won’t let go of the idea that I need to check in on Wilson.
I should make sure the little Defectivum girl got back to her dorm safely.
Big brother and all that.
20
Iwas so wrong about everything.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
I’m sorry.My mind begs Donovan and Wes for forgiveness. I should never have doubted our crazy, sudden, intense, perfect love.
As I run through the grounds, back to Defectivum house, my mind is screaming at me for being an idiot, to the point where I hardly notice when someone steps out of the shadows and into my path.
I stumble to a halt, and my heart bottoms out. It’s Manu.
“You’re in a hurry,” he says, dragging me closer by my collar. I get the smallest flash of Manu's thoughts and know his intentions are horrible. I have to fight.
Somehow, I manage to swing myself around and slide out of his grip, but that’s the end of my success. He shoves me hard, and I go down, ending on my knees. “Just where I wanted you, baby,” he laughs, but there is no amusement in his eyes, just a dark, soulless hunger.
Shit. Shit times infinity.
