Fortune Academy: Year Three - J.R. Thorn Page 0,62

course,” I managed to say as I turned on my heel before she saw the worry on my expression.

I retrieved Dante and our guests, sitting them down across from the Dean while I sat next to my Hunter.

He absolutely radiated anger and heat, making intimate parts of me respond to his need. Despite what he and Hendrik thought about my capabilities, I could take whatever violence they cared to throw at me, but I did worry about them for their sake. My succubus-side had a tendency to go haywire, especially now that we weren’t in Hell where that side of me had seemed somewhat satiated.

“I’m terribly sorry that we mistook your mate to be a rare monster,” the Dean began once everyone was settled. Her “apology-face” was impressively genuine, so much so that even I almost believed her, but that was probably just an extension of her powers as an ancient immortal. All the more reason not to underestimate her, even if I did want to dig that Angelstone out of Dante’s belt and trap her here and now.

“I’ve been trying to tell you,” the vampire growled, interrupting my thoughts, “that I wasn’t a monster. Yet now when Evelyn forces you to release me, you see the error of your ways?” He crossed his arms. “I don’t buy it.”

Huh, maybe it would be harder to fool the vampire than I thought. Kudos to him.

The Dean didn’t miss a beat and turned her disapproving glare on me and Dante. “What have you two to say to Marcus and our new guest?”

All the blood rushed from my face when Dante pulled out his blade.

Do not use the Angelstone, you idiot! I yelled at him in my head, but I didn’t think he heard me.

My Hunter plucked at the blade’s edge with his fingertips. The Dean waited patiently for his response, not looking threatened in the least.

“How was I supposed to know it was a problem?” he asked defensively.

I thumped him in the ribs. “You’re supposed to say you’re sorry!”

He just glared at me and even though I couldn’t hear his thoughts, I took a moment to consider his position. Capturing the vampire had been one of many jobs, and I had no doubt the Dean had him on overtime getting her new monsters to throw into the Monster Arena.

I relaxed when I realized Dante’s rudeness was actually him playing his role. He’d been given a job, one he’d executed as asked. If he didn’t seem pissed off when told to apologize, the Dean might smell a rat.

He sighed and lowered his knife, turning to the Dean again. “I’m trained to find magical oddities. I found one. A vampire who still had his warlock powers.”

The Dean’s jaw began to tick and I wanted to nudge Dante that he’d made his point, but he continued.

“Vampires are monsters, right? Monsters are only good for two things.” He pointed his dagger at the vampire for effect, but I knew that his comments had a doubled-edged meaning meant for me. “For study, and for killing.”

His gaze raking over my body, leaving no doubt what he wanted to “study” when it came to me. That thought made me swallow the lump in my throat.

“Enough,” the Dean snapped, her control on her powers loosening as the ground trembled. “You two have done enough damage. Apologize to our guest and then show her the way back to her home.”

“We’re sorry,” I blurted before the Dean changed her mind. When Dante frowned, I jabbed him until he grunted out a sound that was as close to an apology as I was going to get.

The Dean leaned back, giving me the silent go-ahead to get Evelyn and her mate back to her timeline.

I didn’t test her patience and looped my arm through young Evie’s, dragging her out of the room before the tightrope I was walking snapped under my feet.

“All right. You from Earth, I hope?” I asked, because that was the only portal the Dean had given me access to that would work with a time-warlock’s powers. The vampire followed from a short distance along with Dante who didn’t seem all that amused with my antics. “That’s the only other place I know how to get to,” I continued, “so we’re going there.”

I went down the hall and counted the doors like the Dean had instructed. When we got to the third one, I jiggled the knob that wouldn’t budge.

“Do you do this often?” Young Evie asked, looking skeptically at the