Page 85 of Validus Vale Academy 1
“Oh, there’s a choice, alright. And yes, it’s simple. You choose her, you lose me. So where do your loyalties lie?”
“Brother, don’t do this. Don’t push us away.”
“This isn’t on me,” I’d growled in answer. “It’s all on her. Fucking Theodora Wilson.”
Fucking Theodora Wilson.
Fucking Jordan Singleton-Smith.
Fucking Father.
I hate them all.
“This is ridiculous,” I say to myself, pulling on some loafers. “Why haven’t Feniks and the dud been in touch?” Slamming the door behind me, I race down the stairs as the weight of everything pummels my brain. I hadn’t slept last night, but that wasn’t new. Add in Jordan as an extra nightmare, and I wanted to beat my brains with a brick.
Since the twins left, I haven’t exactly been making the best choices, but I guess I’m not ready for self-induced physical trauma. Headed full force out of the Electis Tower, it feels like I’ve got a fucking fever.
Is the dud with Feniks right now?
A wave of almost possessive anger consumes me. I don’t examine it; I just clench my fists and march along the driveway, making the other students scatter. I’m almost at the remedial dorms when the hair on the back of my neck lifts. I scan a three-sixty and see the dud. She’s walking between the professor and some other giant dude. “I can’t believe you guys waited for me.” Her laugh drifts across the lawn towards me.
Suddenly, the little dud twists her head in my direction, meeting my eyes. I wonder if she can sense me in the same way I’m annoyingly aware of her presence. When she halts, so do her two companions.
Picking up my pace, I march straight over. “Well?” I snarl, not even knowing what I’m asking.
“You’ve got a problem, Drakeward?” the professor snaps back. The giant guy beside him looks slightly familiar. I can scan the uniform. Oh, right, he’s one of the school janitors, that’s why I’ve seen him before.
The overall-wearing Hulk glares, taking a step forward. I’mneverintimidated by lesser people, but for some reason, I flinch internally. Huh. I cover up the moment with more of my bad temper. “I don’t like having to chase you all over fucking campus. Pick up the phone if I call. I want frequent reports.”
“Tone it down, boy,” Feniks growls.
“Please, Cosmo,” the girl says, placing a hand out, as if to keep me back, as if that were possible. “Not here.”
I notice several groups of students watching our interaction. No doubt, some of them will be reporting back to Jordan any minute. “Fine. Then where?”
Feniks exchanges a long look with Wilson, who shrugs, then nods. “If you can keep yourself in check, we can go to my office,” Feniks says. “But I’m tired of this attitude. You want to know anything, you’ll need to figure out a different approach, because I’ll not allow this,” he gestures in my direction, “around Theo.”
The Janitor makes a low growl in his throat, which I take as agreement. Do I know him outside of his caretaker role? Why the fuck does he seem so familiar?
With a fucking testament to my willpower, I rein in the next words on my tongue and instead say, “Fine. Lead the freaking way.”
It pisses me off even more when the little dud looks over her shoulder, silver eyes filled with amusement, and gives a slight tilt of her head, indicating I should follow.
Fuck my life.
Feniks’ office is in just as shitty a state as I’d last seen it. He closes the door behind us and mutters a silencing spell. The giant leans against the wall, arms crossed, looking like he’s ready to bounce me out on my ass at the slightest provocation. “Sit down, Theo,” Feniks murmurs gently, pulling out his desk chair for her. He’s got fucking hearts in his eyes and has to be fucking her. So much for the crocodile tears for my brothers. Fucking bitch.
“Why is Andre the Giant here?” I hiss, not taking a seat—I don’t want that goon glaring down at me.
“He’s with us,” the dud declares.
Like, what the fuck does that mean? “You got a three-way going? Didn’t take long for you to shop your cunt out to some new takers.”
Her cheeks turn pink, obviously in guilt, but before I can point that out, the white haired ape has me on the floor in an armlock—a very fucking heavy knee in my spine.
“Put him down, Ludo, he’s not worth it,” the dud sighs, like I’m a pain in her ass, not the other way around.The nerve of her.After a beat, the ape lets me up. I try to gather my dignity, wiping down my clothes and adjusting my hair.
Feniks’ eyes bore into me. “Look, Drakeward,” he begins, “cut your shit out. You wanted to speak to us, not the other way round. We don’t need or want you.”
