Evermore Academy (Evermore Academy #3) - Audrey Grey Page 0,106
powers, and they were starting to question if the rumors were exaggerated.”
Mack fixes her windblown hair. “So he showed off his full power and called their bluff?”
“Full?” Asher raises a dark brow. “This isn’t even a taste of his full power.”
Thank the Shimmer, Valerian finally tosses them onto the rooftop. They collapse and once again I fear they might be dead until Bane rolls onto his side and vomits. Reina and Lyra try to stand only to fall into each other.
Then Eclipsa calmly dismisses the class as if my mate didn’t just play with three of the biggest bullies in school like ping pong balls.
I look up to see Valerian watching me. I will never let anyone in this school hurt you again.
For the first time, I wonder what Valerian would have been like if the Darken had been able to manipulate Valerian onto his side. But the answer makes me so uneasy that I put the thought from my mind completely.
45
Now that Inara and the others are on their best behavior, my focus shifts to my final enemy—Helle-Douche.
Training ramps up to four times a day. One session in the morning, one during lunch, one right after Combat Skills class, and the final training time is right after dinner. That one lasts the longest, sometimes a full three hours. Every night I limp home, bruised, pickled with sweat, and exhausted. I shower, do my homework, and then get up at 5:00 AM and do it all over again.
My insane schedule makes the days bleed together, and before I know it, there are only two weeks left until my fate is cemented.
I try not to think about that—which means I compulsively obsess over every potential detail.
“Too slow!” Eclipsa sends a luminescent ball of lunar magic straight for my head. I duck, the strange magic rolling over me.
I’m supposed to use my own borrowing skills to conjure her energy and send it back, but the adrenaline makes it hard to focus.
“You choked,” Eclipsa accuses, marching over. “If this were the Nocturus you’d be dead.”
I kick the dirt, taking out my frustration on the meadow. “I know. I’m trying.”
“Take five and we’ll do it again.”
I want to keep training, but I know that I need the break. My mind is frazzled. Midterms are this week, and I’ve hardly slept more than four hours a night for the last month. For the hundredth time, I think how nice it would be if I were Fae. Not only would my magic come easily, but Fae bodies don’t require so much upkeep.
I jog over to my gear, sitting in the shadow of a giant oak at the edge of the forest. We do our magic training here in the evenings, away from the nosy students on campus. I’m still operating under the assumption that Hellebore doesn’t know I have magic. Which means basically pretending that Inara never realized I was the one who saved her from the darklings near the portal.
I know that’s not true. I saw the look of recognition in her eyes. But sometimes pretending something isn’t real is better than acknowledging your future is basically screwed.
Because if Inara knows I have magic, she would sell that information to Hellebore in a heartbeat.
Moonlight glints off my steel hydroflask as I tilt it up, cool water sliding down my throat. When I’m done, I check my messages. Now that Hellebore has lifted restrictions against messaging or talking with Valerian, we’re in constant contact.
Valerian’s latest message pops up. Is E being nice to you?
Glancing at the lunar assassin, I reply, She’s kicking my butt every which way.
Good. I’ll ice it for you later. Maybe throw in a massage.
Don’t tease me.
Our texts are part wishful thinking, part full blown delusion. We never mention the obvious. That while I can text him, train with him, even touch him in certain contexts, something as simple as a massage is impossible.
Will I see you at the butt crack of dawn for training tomorrow? I ask.
The three dots flash for a long time before he finally replies. Sorry, more meetings with court advisers. I’ll miss how adorable you look when you try to kill me.
“What’s the prince up to?” Eclipsa asks without even looking at my phone. I gape at her and she adds, “You always have this weird smile on your face when it’s him.”
“Oh.” I feel my lips like a weirdo and they’re indeed stretched practically ear-to-ear. “He has to attend more meetings in the Winter Court.”