13. Adelaide

13

ADELAIDE

The Practical Defensive Magick classroom is more of a gymnasium, with padded floors and various obstacles scattered around. Professor Waldron, a burly werewolf with more scars than unmarked skin, greets us with a growl.

"Alright, pups," he barks, his voice carrying easily over the chatter of students. "Recent events have made it clear that theoretical knowledge isn't enough. Although this should've been kept for terms three and four, today, we're going to put your skills to the test in a practical scenario."

A ripple of excitement and nervousness runs through the class.

"You'll be working in pairs," he continues. "One offensive, one defensive. Your goal is to either incapacitate your opponent or successfully defend against all attacks for five minutes. Black, you're on attack, with defensive Nethershade."

I turn to Zephyr, and he gives me a smile that scares the shit out of me. He won't go easy on me, not that I'd expect him to. Too bad, I have literally no offensive magick unless I use his and turn it back on him. Do I have the guts to do that, though?

I guess we'll find out.

"This should be interesting," he murmurs with a smirk as we take our positions on the mat.

"Remember," Professor Waldron calls out, "this is a magickal duel. No physical contact. Begin!"

My eyes widen as I realise I can't touch him. So how the fuck am I going to do this?

Zephyr and I face each other. The chemistry is like a living thing between us. For a moment, neither of us moves, each waiting for the other to make the first move. The rest of the class has already begun their duels, the air crackling with various spells and counter-spells. But here I am, frozen, unsure how to proceed.

Zephyr raises an eyebrow, a challenge in his mischievous purple eyes. "Come on, Addy," he taunts softly. "Show me what you've got."

I take a deep breath, trying to centre myself. That's when I feel it - a faint pulse of energy emanating from Zephyr. It's his magick readying itself for defence. Is he giving it to me? I raise an eyebrow back, but his face is expressionless.

Focusing on that pulse, I reach out with my mind, tapping into my Vesper abilities. Well, my fully vampiric powers now, I guess. It's like grasping a thread of smoke - elusive but possible if you know how to touch it. I pull gently and feel a trickle of Zephyr's power flow into me.

The sensation is exhilarating. Dark Fae magick courses through my veins, and I gasp. Without thinking, I hurl it at Zephyr.

He smiles, that slow, half smile that makes me go damp between my legs. "Clever, princess," he murmurs.

Emboldened by my success, I reach out again, drawing more of his power. This time, I form the shadows into tendrils that whip through the air towards him. Zephyr counters with a shield of darkness, absorbing the attack.

Shadows gather around his hands. "Good, but weak. Let's see how you handle this."

The shadows coalesce into a swarm of dark creatures, their forms indistinct but menacing. They surround him, a wave of darkness protecting him. For a moment, panic rises in my throat. Then I remember her .

"Okay, cuntface. Let's see what you've got."

Is that any way to talk to the creature who is going to save your arse in this class?

"Look, lady. You want to be the class star. You need to help me. I don't know if you're reliving your glory days or if you're making up for being a loser in the Academy back in the day, but now's your shot to show these fools who you are."

Oh my. You know how to rile a girl up, don't you? But let's be perfectly clear. It was glory days. I ruled this fucking dump.

"Then quit yapping and do whatever it is you need to do to get me, no wait… us out of this."

As the shadow creatures swirl around him, I feel her take over. She is not in control, so much as guiding my actions. She taps into Zephyr's power, but also actively draws it from his creations. The creatures begin to disintegrate as she pulls their energy into us.

We are very much an ‘us' right now. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but she doesn't want to hurt me.

Yet.

I am not a fucking idiot, and I'm starting to get what she wants with me. She wants my body. She wants to take over completely, so that she is me and I am… nothing.

Aww, don't be like that. You won't be nothing, little bitch. You will be all powerful.

She shapes the stolen power into a burst of blinding light. The remaining shadow creatures dissipate on contact, leaving Zephyr momentarily exposed.

She presses our advantage, sending a barrage of shadow bolts his way, each one fuelled by the power I've syphoned from him. Zephyr weaves and dodges, his movements fluid and graceful. He retaliates with more shadow constructs, but each one only serves to feed her attacks as she drains them of energy.

As we trade blows, I become aware of a growing silence around us. The other students have stopped their own duels to watch us. I can hear whispers rippling through the crowd.

I can feel the power of this creature building inside me, a wellspring of energy begging to be released. It's exhilarating and scary. Part of me wants to let go, to see just how far I can push this ability.

But another part, the part that remembers the vision of war and destruction, holds back. I can't lose control. I can't let her lose control. Not here. Not now.

Zephyr seems to sense my internal struggle. His attacks become more focused, pushing me to concentrate on defence rather than offence. It's a clever tactic, forcing me to channel the energy in a controlled manner.

"Time!" Professor Waldron calls out, his voice cutting through the tension in the room. "Excellent work, both of you. That was unexpected of Black. Well done."

I lower my hands, suddenly aware of how hard I'm breathing. The borrowed power fades, leaving me feeling drained. Zephyr gives me a small nod. He knows without me even saying a word what that was. Or who that was.

As the class disperses, whispers following in our wake, Professor Waldron approaches us. "Black, Nethershade, a word."

We follow him to a corner of the room, away from the prying ears of our classmates.

"That was quite a display," he says, his scarred face unreadable. "Particularly you, Black. I was under the impression that you didn't have offensive magickal capabilities."

I grimace, unsure how to explain, So I lie. "Me either, but there you go. Guess no one really knows a Vesper's abilities, huh?" To my utter mortification, I punch him lightly on the arm. Zephyr stifles his snicker, badly, I might add, as Waldron glares at me in something akin to horror that I dared to be so casual.

He grunts, clearly deciding whether to believe me or not. "Right. Well, whatever you're doing, be careful. A power we know nothing about is dangerous. We should speak to Blackthorn about this."

"He already knows," I say quickly. "He has been mentoring me." So, it's not a massive lie. He has, in a way.

"Hmm." I know he is thinking that he will go to Blackthorn and confirm all this. I just have to hope that Blackthorn covers for me. I suspect he will. Whatever his deal is, it's a bit more than he's letting on.

It's just another thing to figure out.

As we leave the classroom, Zephyr pulls me into an alcove, his purple eyes intense. "You okay?"

I take a shaky breath, the adrenaline wearing off. "Yeah. It felt amazing, Zeph. Like I could do anything. But also... scary. She has got some fucking kick."

"No fucking kidding," he mutters.

"How'd it go?" Corvus asks, coming up to us and leaning against the wall in a casual pose that is sexy as fuck, his blue eyes searching mine.

I glance between Zephyr and Corvus, unsure how much to reveal. "It was a bit wild," I say finally. "She took over. Used my abilities to amplify Zephyr's power and turn it back on him."

Corvus's eyes narrow. "She? You mean the voice in your head?"

I nod, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Yeah. She's getting stronger, I think. Or maybe I'm just getting better at channelling her power. Either way, it's..."

"Dangerous," Zephyr finishes for me, his voice low.

"I think we need to hit up the map book tonight and see if we can find anything out about her. Unless she is chatty enough for you to ask?"

"Doubt it. She is… irritating."

He snorts. "Then it's ditch time."

"I have three more classes," I point out, feeling like a giant nerd, as Zephyr seems to agree with Corvus.

"Oh, Addy," Corvus says, taking my hand and leading me away from my next class. "We are going to corrupt you from the smallest act to the biggest. You are going to become a very bad girl."

The last three words sends a bolt of lust shooting through me. "Oh?" I croak. I glance between him and Zephyr, torn between a sense of responsibility and the allure of rebellion.

"Come on, Little Dollie," Zephyr purrs, his purple eyes glinting with mischief. "Live a little dangerously."

I bite my lip, wavering. "But what if we get caught?"

Corvus chuckles, the sound low and seductive. "That's half the fun, isn't it?"

Before I can protest further, Corvus leads me down a side corridor, away from the bustling main hallways. Zephyr falls into step next to me.

"We'll get the others and go do some hunting," he whispers.

"Okay," I whisper back, suddenly excited. "Let's do it."