One wrong step, p.19
One Wrong Step, page 19
Suddenly, a gaggle of fairies zipped past at speed, reminding me of the girls I used to befriend at school. Popular, fun, excited. Except now, instead of knocking bags from shoulders, they flew overhead, scuffing your hair. I’d overheard one girl complaining about her earring getting caught on a fairy’s belt buckle, ripping it out.
“Excuse me,” I muttered, pushing past a gossiping group that gathered in an archway. Glancing for an exit path, I recognised the superior expressions and arrogant smiles. The holy-than-though laughs, sharp and high. Huffing my annoyance, I shoved harder and stumbled into a small courtyard, the air fresh with wildflowers and honeysuckle. I knew this quad. It was where Jade and Larc had accosted me after the Ally Ball. A fountain gurgled in the middle and late at night, stringed lights glowed softly overhead. Around the fountain, however, were four stone benches, one of which everyone gave a wide birth.
“…see her?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dare show my face.”
“…at least back to my room. Or know my limit.” Everyone was standing around, gawking.
“Are you kidding me?” I snarl viciously before storming over, my blazer already off my shoulders.
The girl, with her petite frame and delicate features, made her look like a precious porcelain doll. Ringlets of hair fell across her shoulder in mousy brown waves. A splattering of freckles covered her nose, which was currently wrinkled in a frown.
Tossing my jacket over her bare legs and flashing underwear, I shot a thunderous glare at those around, daring them to remain doing nothing. Thankfully, after a breath, most of them left, though not all. Briar stood to one side; her hands clasped around her stomach as a nauseous expression crossed her face. She didn’t me my gaze but bit her bottom lip before hurrying away.
Ignoring her; ignoring everyone, I focused back on the girl, who mumbled something incoherent. “Hay.” I shook her softly. “Hay, girl. You can’t sleep here.”
She groaned with a whimper, and I softly rolled my eyes. “Yer, your hangover is going to be a bitch.” Sighing, I slipped an arm under hers and drew her to a stand. Luckily, she was light and coherent enough to put one foot in front of the other or I might have dropped her.
Students sniggered as we passed. No one offered aid, even when I juggled my tome out of my pocket, checking the directions to the infirmary. Hobbling the corridors, sweat collecting under my pits and as I saw my destination, another bout of sniggers echoed at my back.
“You found another stray, Heart?” Larc asked with a cocky tone, his pack hooting in agreement. “You just kicked two to the curb, do you really think you can cope with another?”
“Calling your girlfriend a stray bitch, Larc?” I snapped, not slowing my strides. “That’s not nice, considering how much time Jade spent on her knees for you.”
“You only wish you could take her place.” His voice grew closer, his footsteps echoing behind me at a leisurely pace. Like everyone else, he didn’t feel inclined to help.
“Nope. I choke on small objects.”
Gruff sniggers were cut off with a yelp, and a smile curved my lips, sure someone just got slapped by their big, bad Alpha. Right on cue, Larc stepped into my path. His lips curled back enough I could see his pearly whites.
“You’d better start showing me some respect, Heart.” He said, his chest puffing bigger. “That’s twice you’ve insulted me, not to mention stirring shit between me and Jade. I am an Alpha. Girls like you should be begging for my attention.”
“You have to earn respect, Larc. It’s not given.” Huffing heavily, I readjusted the girl on my hip, her dead weight growing heavier with the lack of momentum. “As I have more respect for a worm than I do you, this girl will continue to say whatever she wants, though if you’d like more soprano lessons, stay in my personal space. I dare you.”
Jaw tightening, I could see Larc’s arteries pounding ferociously along his neck as his Adam’s apple bobbed. “You’d better watch what you say-,”
“And thirdly,” I cut him off, setting cold steel in his eyes. “Any girl who begs for your attention clearly doesn’t have standards and they clearly don’t know you’ll be riffling through their underwear draw for later. You shoved your doggy nose up my skirt so fast, it’s like you were gagging for a sniff.”
“I. Do. Not. Sniff. Underwear!” He snarled, far too loud, and I grinned as another snigger bubbled from his pack.
“That’s what a pantie-sniffer would say,” I whispered, taking his moment of fury to push through the infirmary's double glass doors. “But, rest assured, Larc, I’m sure Jade really, really doesn’t mind.”
Allowing the door to swing closed behind me, I released a happy breath, feeling more like myself than I had all week. Daring to smile, I walked along the familiar corridor, finding rows of private rooms to my right, while to my left tall windows overlooked a herb garden. Finding a free room, I deposited the girl onto the bed, tucking her under the sheets, and after a quick scout, found a glass and some water to put on the bedside.
“One good deed and all that,” I muttered, shaking my head before tipping it skyward. “You bastards damn well owe me one now.”
At least the week was over, I thought. Now, two days of freedom. An entire weekend to search every inch of this place for an escape, be it hole, door or magic-fricking carpet. Flipping my blazer back on, I picked up my bag and headed for the door just as it swung open.
“Shoot. Sorry. I-” Jade cut herself off, reeling in the doorway as her lips quickly pressed into a thin line. “Oh, it’s you.”
“The one and only.” I pinched a smile, shoving past. Dealing with one more jackass was the last thing on my mind. I’d already met my quota for the day.
“You brought Helen here?” Her voice carried enough surprise I looked back. She held the door open, the unconscious girl just visible behind her.
“Yes. So?”
“But I heard…” she trailed off, something flashing behind her eyes. “I just thought you, of all people, wouldn’t care, seeing as you hate everyone.”
“Not care?” I spat, feeling some residual anger flare behind my ribs. “Compared with all those assholes who just stood around and scoffed at her? Wow! I must have really made an impression for you to think so lowly of me.”
Jade bristled. “I don’t think so lowly of you.” Jade defended, yet looked away as I raised my brow in disbelief. “I don’t. You’re just so… ugh!” She failed to find her words.
“I’m just what?”
“Everything you do is so… challenging. You challenge Larc, you challenge Nic, you challenge Sabrina and even make friends with Briar, despite the fact she’s…” Jade cut herself off, shaking her head. “It’s like you have no idea how anything works, how anything is meant to be, and it’s infuriating.”
I gaped for half a second.
“BECAUSE I DON’T!” My scream rattled the windowpanes, and someone cursed from another room. “Jesus-H-Christ, are you only just getting that? Briar figured out I grew up in the mortal realm, but not you. I don’t know anything and I especially — and thankfully — don’t know your bullshit rules. So yes, I will challenge that furry asshole, and yes, I will pluck that leech’s fangs out and wear them as earrings, and yes, I will be Briar’s friend.”
Sucking in a desperate breath, I realised my words and the truth behind them. Then and there, I decided I’d apologise to her. Though only her, because even as I spoke, Jade’s expression clamped down.
“And that’s just the problem. You’re meant to listen to me when I tell you not to pick fights. I can’t be your ally if-”
“You are not my ally!” I cut her off with a snarl. Her eyes popped wide. “You are, by far, the worst ally in the history of allies and I’d sooner trust that vampire than trust anything that comes from your lips.”
Something crumpled in Jade as she staggered back. Her wings stilled, falling limp.
But I didn’t care. Turning, I stormed away, and it wasn’t until later I thought to question why Jade had gone looking for the drunk girl – Helen – in the first place.
◆◆◆
Climbing up to my room on weary feet at the end of the day, all I wanted was the soft, soft covers of my bed and a deep, deep sleep. Tomorrow was Saturday. A day of pre-rest, to prepare for the Sunday rest, which summarised my plans nicely. Dropping my bag and kicking off my shoes, I belly-flopped onto the mattress, only to groan as something dug into my hip.
Shifting, trying to not lift my head from its perfect place on my pillow, I pulled a lumpy package free and examined it in the dying light. Fingerless gloves, made from soft leather and long fabric that wrapped up my arms, while over the knuckles, thick padding. Separating the pair, a note fluttered free.
“Tomorrow. 10 am,” I read with a frown, before thumbing the note open. “I’m listening. C.”
Something shivered in my chest, and I refused to believe it was my heart. More likely my nerves. Yes, that sounded better.
I’d wrung my nerves so tight for so long, but now I felt like there was someone on my side. Rolling to my feet with renewed energy, I trotted to the window and looked out onto the training grounds as a smile tugged my lips. “All right, Caspian,” I whispered. “It’s a date.”
Chapter Twelve
“You know, when you give a girl an accessory, she has to buy a whole new outfit to match.” I mused, flipping the black fighting gloves over in my hands. “That was very considerate of you.”
And damn, didn’t I look good in them? The tight navy leggings and matching sports bra I now wore had been a part of my self-care shopping spree. Looking up through my lashes, I watched Caspian pause in his training, taking my sweet time to devour the curve of his pecks, the washboard abs and that lickable v that disappeared beneath low-slung pants. Pushing his damp, dark hair back, his lips parted while heated eyes devoured me in return.
“Well, when a man knows a girl will show up looking like that, it’s in his best interest,” Cas replied, wiping his face with a towel. He had similar gloves on too, his feet bare and as I walked further into the room, the heavy musk of sweat doused the air. “Though now I’m wondering what other accessories I might provide.”
“Ah, and we all know men can only concentrate on one thought at a time.” I hitched a brow, curving my lips. “You’re right. It’s inconsiderate of me to distract you.”
Chuckling, Cas folded his arms over his chest and tried to set his mouth in a firm line. He failed, which lightened the breath in my chest. “Are you trying to call me shallow, Zara?”
“Are you calling me distracting, Caspian?” I retorted with a smile, slinking around him onto the training mats, and pulling on the fighting gloves. “Your gift gave me the impression you were going to help me. However, if you can’t keep your promise, I could always find someone else who- Wo-ah!”
Hands grabbed me. The world tilted. The room blurred. With a heavy oof, I slammed into the padded floor, coughing out a groan. “Ouch, ouch, ouch…” I wheezed. “What the hell?”
Blinking heavily, I found Cas grinning over me, his legs straddling my thighs and my hands pinned on either side of my head. “I find you very distracting, Zara, but I am also highly trained in a great many skills that help me ignore such … distractions.”
“Highly skilled, huh?” I licked my bottom lip, liking how his eyes followed the movement. “You going to teach me these skills, or stare all day?”
Laughing, Cas pushed himself up, holding out a hand to take me with him. “By the time I’m done with you, you’re going to wish today had been a staring competition.”
Heat coiled between my thighs as my imagination panting around my head, but I brushed it aside and eyed him suspiciously. “Why?”
“Because right now you’re weak, unskilled, untrained and, most of all, naïve.”
“Wow, Cas. Tell me how you really feel.” I rolled my eyes, feeling a prickle of heat along my cheeks.
“I said, ‘right now’.” He stressed with a shy smile, moving to his bag to pick out two pads and slipping them onto his hands. “I’m going to help change that.”
“Dare I ask how, or are you going to insult me again?”
Beckoning me forward, he slapped the pads together before holding them up. “You said no one’s listening to you. Well, here I am. Ask any question you like, talk about whatever you want, and I will answer them the best I can.”
Mellowing slightly, I shifted closer with half a dozen questions already on my lips. “And the pads?”
“Well, if you plan on continuing to get into fights with the pack, the vamps and anyone else that pisses you off, you’re going to have to learn how to throw a punch.” He grinned. “First question?”
My heart rose to gallop in my chest, and with no hesitation, a question fell from my lips. “How do I leave this academy?”
Shifting my feet, I launch my fist, expecting a slick thwack of contact. But wobbled when I missed. Cas had moved at the same time as his padded hand smacked me on the side of my head. “Hay!”
“No assailant is going to stand still, waiting for you to attack. Move.” He grinned, edging me on. “And there are the obvious ways to leave: carriage, car, motorbike. But you’ll need permission from Lopez for any of them.”
A snarl curled my lips as I rubbed my temple. “How else?”
“Fly.” Cas raised the pads again.
“Do I look like I have wings?” I huffed.
A chuckle slipped past Cas’s lips, heat flashing in his eyes. “I don’t know. I’d have to take a closer look.” He flicked the pads, beckoning me again. I moved my feet and punched.
Tantalising flirting aside, for the first time I was getting real, helpful answers. “I don’t need to just get off the grounds, I need… I need to get to the mortal realm.”
That made Cas pause, but not for long. “Then, from the sounds of it, you’d be more interested in a portal.”
My heart leapt, helped by landing a second solid punch to the pad. “That will take me where I want?”
“Yes,” Cas’s smile slipped, the thwack of pads echoing faster and faster as a rhythm began. “But it’s heavy magic. Power that is hard to contain. No one in this school can do it.” My hand skimmed off the pad as my strength dipped alongside my stomach. Hope had never tasted so bitter-sweet.
“Why do you want to leave?” Lifting my eyes, Cas watched me with a curious gaze.
“Why would I want to stay?” I scoffed, dropping my hands to my hips. “I’ve been attacked and mauled and peed on, and everyone keeps calling me princess. Who even wants to be a prissy princess?”
Cas nodded once and then, like lightning, launched forward. A screech fled my lips as my hands came up, but the punch was already past my defences, lightly skimming over my shoulders. “Never drop your guard. Hands up, always.” He ordered. “And why does being called a princess anger you?”
“Because I am not a princess. I’m not a royal. My parents weren’t a king or queen.” I began punching again.
Cas danced around me, making me move my feet. “First: There are no kings or queens anymore, just the Great Families. But the Heart name is as close to royalty as you’ll get. Second: princess isn’t a title, it’s a role and they are powerful in their own right: a beacon in a storm, to gather and charm the masses, an object of desire.”
"Oh, well, I've always wanted to be the discounted fringe lamp in the Macy's sale," I narrowed my gaze on the pads.
“And third,” Cas continued, hearing me or not. “After the Heart families demised, Azariah Heart disappeared from society. Some presumed locked away, some said missing, and some said killed. You wouldn’t be the first princess to appear again.”
“I don’t care. That’s not me. I’m a Johnson. Zara Johnson.” Teeth grinding, I locked eyes with the pads and swung. Hard. “I am not a princess.” I snapped out a satisfying hook. “I don’t need anyone else to save me.” I curled for an uppercut, following Cas’s pad prompts. “Because I am not a damsel in distress.”
For the last swing, I lashed out too hard, falling sideways. But muscular arms caught me.
Panting against his collarbone, I sucked down Cas’s heady musk. Looking up, he was breathing hard too, and his arms tightened even as I regained my footing.
“Princesses are powerful, Zara.” His voice rumbled against my chest. “They can cohere those in their following with a simple smile, commune with fauna for aid, and command great respect from those who don’t always want to listen.”
“So, they’re powerful because they are pretty and can talk to animals.” I scoffed, unconvinced, and my tone amused Cas.
“Alright, so they’re not the most powerful role, but they are a force to be reckoned with, just like you will be.” Releasing me, almost reluctantly, we resumed a fighting stance. Lowering his hands, indicating I should kick the pads. “Because every role has a part to play in the Great Stories.”
The thwack was satisfying as I snapped a leg forward. “Roles, right…” I’d heard that term before. “What are these roles all about?” Swinging again, I sought that same elation as Cas watched on, smiling.
“Roles keep our kingdoms in order. Everyone has one, but their importance in any Great Story is a sliding scale. For example, it is the role of a prince to save the day and the girl. It is the role of a witch to cast nasty curses and cause chaos.”
“So, masculine bullshit and feminine repression,” I muttered, before raising my voice. “So, it’s like a part people have to play, and they can’t be someone they’re not.”
“Exactly.” Cas nodded as I hitched my leg to kick the pad level with his ribs. “A dryad couldn’t save the day; their role is to guide and aid. A vampire could heal: they are to strike fear and attack. A knight couldn’t save the damsel because they protect and serve the prince.”
Someone should tell Ronon that, I thought, but still, I didn’t like the image Cas was painting for me. “But what if someone wants to be more than what their role allows?”
