Rude.
Headmaster Zankry cleared his throat from the front of the room, his hazel eyes boasting a bluish color today. They tended to change with his mood. Green meant angry. Black correlated with irritation. Brown indicated boredom. And blue typically suggested excitement.
Which meant he had a dangerous task for us to complete today.
I wondered if anyone else noticed that his class plans matched his irises or if they were all too busy talking to each other to pay attention.
“Aflora,” Kols murmured.
I ignored him. Just like I did during breakfast when he asked me to wait for him before going to class. I didn’t see the point, so I’d gone on ahead. He’d caught me at the entrance to the academic building but had wisely stayed quiet.
It seemed that bout of wisdom had come to an end.
Fortunately, Headmaster Zankry cut in with his trademark clearing of the throat to signal for our required attention. Black tendrils of power slithered like a snake up and down his arms, his Malefic magic on full display. “I hope you all followed the course assignment list and read the chapter on hallucinogen charms, because that’s our task for today.”
Excited murmurs broke out in the room, causing the hairs along my arms to rise.
Oh, I’d read the chapter all right.
He wanted us to play with optical magic, the kind that disrupted the mind and created dangerous illusions. If not properly deflected, the opponent could be rendered completely useless in seconds.
“And I’ll be matching you all through a compatibility enchantment,” Headmaster Zankry continued. Magic swirled through the air, the strands reminding me of that day in Advanced Conjuring class when Headmaster Irwin linked me to Shade for the entirety of the course.
His ice-blue eyes caught mine from across the room, his lips curling as if to confirm he had the same thought. The notion of being tied to him again didn’t upset me like it did that first day. Actually, I really wouldn’t mind?—
“Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me,” Emelyn snapped as the ropes connected my wrist to hers.
My eyebrows lifted in surprise.
“How isshecompatible to my magic?” Emelyn demanded, taking the thought right out of my mind. Because we were nothing alike. At all. The only thing we had in common was Kols. Sort of.
“No shit,” a male said from across the room. It was the guy Shade always seemed to hang out with during classes. His name started with anA. Ajax, maybe? “There is nothing compatible between me and the friggin’ Midnight Fae Prince.” He held up his wrist, the magic strand attached to Kols.
My Elite Blood mate snorted. “I think your enchantment needs some work, Headmaster.”
Shade just yawned, his magic cord linked to Stiggis. The latter appeared thrilled to be tied to my Death Blood mate. Heclearly hadn’t forgiven Shade for turning his back on the mating to his sister, Cordelia.
It was like everyone in the room was tied to someone they disliked, making them the opposite of “compatible.”
The dark-haired fae snapped his fingers from the front of the room, forcing our attention back to him. “I said nothing about these being pairings based on friendship qualities. This class is about dueling and offensive magic. Now stop messing around and get to work.”
Kols glanced warily at me before he stood. The warning in his eyes was clear.Don’t give anything away, he was telling me.
I didn’t dignify the look with a response and instead watched as our desks disappeared into mist, the room shifting forms to resemble a gymnasium-sized arena with marks along the floor. The first time this happened, I’d gaped at the transformation.
Now, I’d expected it and waited until it was done before allowing the illuminated cord to guide me to the appropriate sparring ring. As soon as Emelyn and I were in position, the magic vanished and she readied her wand.
The spell left her lips before I even had a chance to prepare. Bright red flames engulfed me, the heat shocking the hell out of my system. It feltreal. Itburned. My knees buckled on instinct, my hands frantically seeking a wand that didn’t exist. Somehow, she’d cloaked it. I couldn’t find it. I searched futilely while the fire ate through my clothing, leaving me naked and hot and mortified as everyone turned to watch me fail.
Then they all evaporated into a cloud of smoke, the infamous death fields in the Spirit Kingdom taking their place.
Screams.
Terror.
Death.
I couldn’t breathe. This place had haunted my nightmares as a child. Every Earth Fae feared this place—the one where plagued souls went to die.
