because I already have a hurdle in front of me due to my disease.”
“You’re a typical Arcanea. They all have a problem with power,” Ethan drolled. He leaned back in his seat and lounged casually. Damn him, he looked so sexy like that. I just wanted to bang him right here and now.
I tore my eyes off the bulge in Ethan’s pants... no easy feat... before I asked, “What do you mean?”
His face darkened. “You haven’t been around long enough to hear about the Great Supernatural War.”
“That sounds ominous.” Just how many wars did the Arcanea have in their past?
Ethan nodded solemnly. “It was quite awful. Happened around eighty years ago. Back then, the Arcanea were ruthless and cruel. We longed to take over the humans, and the rest of the supernatural world. We made alliances with the Midnighters— the vampires— and the Celestials—the angels— to try to force the other magical races into submission. If they didn’t comply, we had the fullest intention to destroy them. Mermaids, witches and enchanters fought against us, but we had the upper hand.”
“Gods!” I burst. “What happened?”
“A miracle. If it wasn’t for the Elementai getting involved last moment, and fighting against us, we would’ve won,” Ethan said. “And I shudder to think what would happen if we had. Magic is kept secret for a reason. Without boundaries, it causes chaos. Supernaturals aren’t meant to be the supreme rulers of the world. Nature demands balance. And she would’ve crafted an ultimate solution if that balance was offset.”
“You mean... kill everything?” I whispered.
“Perhaps.” He shrugged. “Though the Arcanea beat her to it, in one instance. The elves used to be a powerful supernatural race, but we completely wiped them out during the war. And I think few Arcanea have any regrets about it. They believe the elves deserved it.”
My stomach churned. “We exterminated them? How?”
“The usual ways. Mass killings. Camps. Concentrated battles. Famine. Manufactured plagues and illnesses.”
His hands gritted into fists. “And there’s still people who deny that it happened. Ask any Arcanea. Half of them will say the numbers killed during the elven genocide are exaggerated, or that it’s a plot by the other supernatural races to garner sympathy. We have records and data on those who died, yet so many will refuse that it’s part of our history. That we willfully slaughtered people.”
“Ethan...” I didn’t know what to say. This all sounded so sick.
Ethan’s tone became a whisper. “It’s one of the reasons I wanted to become king after I learned about it. So I could make sure the Arcanea never did anything so horrible ever again.”
I reached out to grab his hand. “You can still do that in some way. We’re the new generation. We can change things for the better.”
Ethan frowned. “You’d be surprised at how many Arcanea are desperate for their chance at revenge.”
“What?” I snarled. “But that’s crazy. And vile!”
“Old prejudices die hard. There are a lot of people in Malovia who have a god complex, thinking the fae are the superior magical race. The war has long been over, but some haven’t forgotten about it.” He shook his head. “They see our losing the war as a great offense. Something that must be rectified, so that humans are put in their rightful place below us.”
“Is Eli one of those people?” I asked.
“Yes. I’m sure Elijah wants to start something like that again,” Ethan said. “It would be a very bad move. I’m not sure if the other supernatural races would permit our kind to live if we attempted to pull a stunt like that twice. That we’re not occupied and still allowed to have an army is a miracle in itself.”
I mused over what he had said. The more I found out about what Gabby and Elijah were planning, the more terrible an idea it seemed to put them on the throne.
Even worse, if they managed to use my blood to raise Droga... the Dark God would help them, and the Arcanea would win this time. They’d enslave humans and kill all the other magical races, making fae the dictators of the planet.
I didn’t know anything about the other magical societies, but I was certain we were more alike than different. No one race deserved to be enslaved and wiped out. Magical or not.
We had to stop them. Before their actions destroyed our world.
“You all did very well today,” Professor Lunesta said. “I expect you’ll all pass the midterms coming up. Class dismissed!”