“Is there any possibility of a master vampire being around?” Master Gabriel asks. “We believed all the bloodlines were killed off and what is left of the coven are mated to humans and living normal lives.”
“Vampires don’t ever work together unless there is a master vampire around. That’s why all the attacks on the wolf packs, the demon academy on earth, and the tales island are so concerning. We assumed we are safe, but if there is a single chance a master vampire is still alive, we must summon the angel army and find the creature,” Professor Badhur says.
“Thankfully we haven’t suffered as many injuries as the other races. We must be far more prepared in case this happens again. I am suggesting the angel guard be placed around the academy,” Professor Louton says.
“No, the angel city has its own problems of late, but some angel guards at the academy would not be a bad thing,” Master Gabriel says with a long sigh.
“Fine. I will start ripping the vampire’s limbs off and see if he will talk. Or he will die, one or the other is acceptable at this point,” Professor Louton calmly suggests.
“Every angel will fall under his rule. His new queen is born, and the gods will bring death to all those who seek revenge!” the vampire screams, and suddenly Ren is next to him, reaching a hand into his chest. He harshly turns his hand to the side, and the vampire screams and screams before his head rolls to the side and blood pours from his mouth. Disgust and shock fill me as I stare at Ren, my vampire ghost, being a monster.
I guess I always knew he was a monster, and I just chose to ignore it. I chose to let him get close and to not care about the dangers. Ren turns to me, and he simply winks before fading away as the teachers all stare at the body in shock.
“Hold on,” Henry whispers in my ear, holding me tight against his body. In seconds his wings surround us, and the world is dipped into pure darkness. When a trickle of light flickers in my eyes, I look up and get locked in Henry’s deep gaze. Sometimes it’s like the embers in his eyes bounce around, sucking you in, making you want to walk through the fire.
It’s a game, and Henry is always winning.
He is the king of Angel Academy, and there is nothing the king doesn’t get.
“Why were you there?”
His breath blows against my lips in the cold darkness. I don’t know how he is doing this. “We all have our secrets, don’t we, darlin’?”
“I have a feeling you have far more than I ever could.”
His thumb lifts up, brushing ever so softly against my bottom lip. “You should forget everything you just saw. It’s not good for you to know anything.”
“Do you have something to do with the vampire attack?”
“Why would I?” he pulls away from me, and I suddenly realise we are in the academy gardens.
“Why didn’t you kill the vampire that was on top of me?” I ask him as he walks away from me, suspicion high in my voice. “You killed the other two but not her. Why would she run away and not attack you? How did you move us here?”
“Be careful not to accuse the king who just saved your life,” he coldly warns me, and without another word, he flies into the air.
Chapter 20
I raise my arms in the air, feeling the heat from the angels dancing around me, the loud music blocking out all of my senses I no longer want to feel. It’s been a week since I saw that vampire die, and Ren hasn’t appeared once. I want to ask him a million questions, and a stupid part of me might even miss him a little bit.
Partying with dark angels might not be the best way to get Henry to tell me all his secrets, but it is sure a good step in the right direction of getting his attention.
It’s been a week since the vampire attacks and one awkward assembly later where Master Gabriel told us all it was a misunderstanding, and now new angel guards are flying around the academy night and day. In my borrowed purple mini dress that Vesnia let me wear, I move my hips and enjoy the music for a long moment. I feel myself relaxing and forgetting the goal, as the more I dance, the more I lose myself in the music around me.
“That’s enough of the show,” Henry growls in my ear, his arm hooking tightly around my waist, and the next thing I know, he is pulling me out of the room and down the corridor. We get to the stairs, and he drags me up them and pulls a key out of his pocket when we get to the top, never letting me go. He unlocks the door in front of us, pushes it open, and then drags me inside.
He flips the light switch on as I take in what is clearly his bedroom. A messy double bed is pushed against one wall with at least three deep midnight blue blankets piled on top and dozens of pillows. There are three cabinets, no doubt full of clothes, and on top of them is a mixture of books. One has five snow globes on top of it, and I walk over, forgetting the rest of the room as I stare at the globes. There is one with a yellow heart crystal inside, another with what looks like New York, and the biggest snow globe has a Christmas tree and presents in it, but it’s the last one that is the best. Inside the last one is a carousel with red horses on it, reminding me of my eighth birthday.
“One year the fair got stuck in our town for an extra few days due to a snowstorm. My mum and dad had said I couldn’t go; they didn’t like things like the fair. They said it was tacky, but I didn’t believe them, and thankfully neither did Riley. He helped me climb out of my window, and we walked three miles to the fair. When we got there, the only ride still open was the carousel, and we rode it once before my parents caught up with us,” I chuckle, remembering how mad they were. “I was grounded for two weeks, and Riley was banned from my home for a month. Totally worth it though.”
“You really do see him as your best friend,” Henry murmurs as he sits on his bed, stretching his legs out and crossing his arms. “And not as the boy in love with you and who is a jealous fuck.”
“It’s just teenage hormones, and all this change is making him cling to the past. He is still my best friend, and that’s all he will ever be,” I reply.
“Good, because he could never be enough for someone like you,” he warns.
“And what is that meant to mean?”
“Beautiful, smart, secretive and lost. So fucking lost,” he softly tells me, tilting his head to the side. “And trust me, baby, a boy like that isn’t going to save you. He will ruin you and walk away.”
My breaths seem to come out laboured as I watch Henry so carefully. “What if I wanted someone else to ruin me?”
“Careful what you wish for, Kaitlyn,” he warns, his eyes locked with mine as he smoothly stands up and slowly walks right up to me. I’m sure for a second that he is going to kiss me, but he walks by me and opens his door. “Now go back to your room, and don’t come to my parties in dresses like that again. The dumbasses downstairs don’t need a reason to do something stupid.”
“At least you’re admitting you’re a dumbass,” I seethe, pushing past him and feeling my cheeks burning red. Liking me is really that bad? Bad enough to be considered a stupid decision? Am I really that bad, that unattractive to him?
“Where you going, newbie?” the “lovely” Jessica drawls, grabbing my arm as I pass her by the front door. “Is the king bored with fucking you yet?”