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“Don’t blame me for choosing my fated mate over you,” Héctor said. “You’d have done the same if she were yours.”
The veins on Paxton’s temples jumped while rage and jealousy burned so intensely in his eyes I nearly stumbled back.
Then, the storm in him was gone.
“Marigold is mine as well,” Axel said. “Don’t forget that, old boy.”
“Certainly mine,” Zak confirmed. “You need to learn to be less possessive, cousin.”
Héctor clenched his teeth, his jaw tight.
Marie and Esme traded a look, and Esme let out a resigned sigh.
“If this family quarrel is over,” Esme said drily, “we need to get back on track. This meeting isn’t about Marigold’s love life, but her academic future. I appreciate that the four of you, now five, haven’t destroyed my office. The four of you should never be in the same room, especially with Marigold in the mix. She’ll be the spark of fire that will ignite everything. I wonder how long my Academy will stand, seeing as the four of you won’t leave while she’s here.”
“I’m not that bad,” I said. “I was a law-abiding citizen and a great and fearsome hunter before Axel dragged me here against my will.”
Axel sighed exasperatedly. “You still hold a grudge, Cookie? I thought you got over it last night.”
“What happened last night between you and her?” Paxton demanded.
“It’s none of your business,” Axel barked back.
Esme shook her head before refocusing on me. “I watched the videos of the ritual and yesterday’s training over and over. There’s a possibility you belong to all the houses, though that shouldn’t be possible. You’re an exception to everything inside our textbooks. You could be our best weapon against Lucifer, or you might be our worst nightmare. For now, I’ve decided to look on the bright side.”
I swallowed. What if one day she decided to look on the dark side? I knew the ritual had awoken something dark in me.
“So, here’s the deal,” she continued. “You’ll learn and train harder than anyone. You’ll also train with all four demigods.”
“I don’t want—” I started to protest.
“You’ll need the Demigod of Sea for the training, believe me,” she said. “I know it’s not easy for you, but you’re a soldier. So suck it up. Despite your unimpressive record so far, Marigold, I know your heart is in the right place. I know you’re loyal to your friends, so don’t you want to protect them while this war is ripping our world apart? But to do so, you need to grow stronger and let your power become your second skin.”
Before I could issue an opinion, she raised a finger to stop me.
“You’ll put down your personal grudge, train hard, and become the best—not the worst—this Academy has ever had. Your next class, House Magic, will start in forty-seven minutes. Use the luxury of your break until then to reflect and meditate. It’ll do you good. You’re dismissed.”
I raised a hand, surprised that I even behaved. “With so many classes, what about weekends? Do I get to have weekends free?”
I shot a quick glance at Héctor. I could spend some time in his Jacuzzi on weekends and overlook the great Manhattan from his suite. Héctor smiled at me, a promise in his smoldering eyes.
Axel growled, and I darted a quick glance at him and Zak. If they wanted to tag along, then so be it. The Jacuzzi was big enough.
I ignored a cold stare from the sea demigod.
“There’ll be no weekends,” Paxton hissed. “While the war rages on, we need more soldiers. There’ll be no time for any kind of leisure entertainment.”
Sure, because the leisure entertainment wouldn’t involve him, but I didn’t bother to argue with him this time.
“You’ll have Sunday afternoons off,” Esme said graciously.
And I didn’t feel grateful at all.
I bit my bottom lip before releasing it. “Who’s going to teach me Demonic?” I asked, my heart pounding. “There are no demons in the Academy, right?”
Please don’t tell me we have a demon professor here.
“I am,” said the headmistress.
