Page 89 of Validus Vale Academy 1
I put on a particularly convincing sneer. "Hardly call it volunteering. You said I had no choice."
“Ah, and yes, how true that is,” Feniks nods as he snags my collar in his hand once more. “Come along then.” With me dangling from one hand, I watch as Feniks gives a fucking bow. “Dean Crankshawe. Gentlemen.” With a cheery wave, he frogmarchesme quickly across the grounds. "Keep walking," he mutters under his breath, “they’re watching up.”
A long, involuntary exhale leaks from my lungs as I round the corner. Feniks quickly bundles us inside Defectivum. “What did they want? Wait, don't tell me yet. This way." He heads down some narrow stairs to a dingy basement.
"What the actual fuck are we doing down in here?" I grumble; the damp air clinging to my skin makes me shudder. “Is this where you keep your gimp, Feniks?”
“Yes, exactly that, Drakeward. I’ve got a latex suit and ball-gag all lined up for you.” He pulls a rickety chair out of a pile of debris and skids it across the floor to me. “Sit down.”
I guess this is as good a place to avoid the dean and Singleton-Smith as any, so I slump into the chair and watch as he takes another couple of chairs and places them around the small space. “How long do we have to hide out in this shithole?” I ask.
“Shithole? That’s not a nice thing to say about my dorm room,” a voice says from behind me. The little dud is walking down the stairs, packets of sandwiches loaded in her arms. "Feel free to leave as soon as you like,” she adds.
“He’s not leaving,” Feniks growls. “I just found young Drakeward in a tense meeting with the head of the WMO, the dean, and some men from the building site. I’m anxious to know what that was all about.”
The dud looks confused, “Wait, what?” She moves further down the steps, and that’s when I see the fucking janitor behind her, balancing cups of takeout coffee.
"I've officially entered the goddamn Twilight Zone," I mutter under my breath as the dud starts rummaging in a takeout bag, pulling out packets of chips. She tosses some food in my general direction, and against my better judgment, I snag it one-handed.
“You met with Jordan’s dad?” the dud asks, at the same time giving Feniks a huge roast beef hoagie and a sickly sweet smile. I look down at my own sandwich—PBJ on white bread. I hold it out to her. “Give me something else.”
Without acknowledging me verbally, the dud raises a middle finger in my direction. The overgrown ape stares me down, while Feniks snickers.
Fuck this shit. “I’m done with this Scooby gang bullshit.” I stand to rise, but the next second, a wave of magic slams me back into the chair.
What the fuck?
38
I’m slipping.
That’s twice now I’ve exposed my power to Drakeward. A dumb mistake, and I don’t make dumb mistakes.
Mistakes are what happen when emotions are involved.
My eyes flick to Theo, whose mouth is making a perfect O of surprise. A flash of lust washes over me, which I quickly tamp down. Not the time, not the place.
Actually, it will never be the time or place, so I might as well take my frustrations out on the trust-fund baby I’ve got pinned to the folding chair.
“FENIKS, LET ME GO!” he roars.
Oh well, step in cow’s dung, might as well dance in it, as they say in the old country.
“No,” I say with a patronizing smile. “Now settle down and answer some questions.”
Drakeward doesn’t take this lying down. I feel his magic warring with mine. Gods, he’s strong. Neither of us moves a muscle; it’s a battle of internal spell-casting—something only Elite witches can do.
The tension is broken by a series of loud bangs on the basement door. My grip falters, and Drakeward pushes himself to his feet.At the same time, Ludo moves himself in front of Theo, an impenetrable wall of muscle.
Another round of knocking starts on the door, and Theo peeks her head around the janitor’s torso. “Um, you guys stay quiet, I’ll go see who it is.”
I don’t see why that should be a problem, so I nod. Drakeward has also fallen quiet. Ludo, of course, continues to be silent. Knock, knock, knock.Louder this time.
Theo darts up the stairs. “Who is it?” she asks through the door. I don’t hear the answer, but my stomach drops when she slides the bolt back. “Come in,” she says, her voice calm, “but don’t freak out.”
And that’s when I see her new visitors. It’s Theo's friend, the Bloomhower kid, and some other Defectivum boy.
“This is a fucking circus,” Drakeward growls, his jaw ticking.
