Year Two: Rebels - Cara Wylde Page 0,42

I stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath, then stormed inside like I frigging owned the place. The students of the Righteous Death Cabal looked at me like I was insane. Professor Wyvern turned on his heels, his brown eyes going wide when he saw me. I caught him holding his scythe above his head, as he demonstrated a particular maneuver. His hand started trembling visibly, and he set his scythe down and leaned on it.

“Miss Aleksiev,” he mumbled, stunned.

I shot him a fiery glance as I walked past him. Domina had gone pale. She was standing in the middle of her RDC clique. Scarlett whispered something in her ear, but she ignored her.

“Domina,” I said, my voice loud and thundering. It felt like for the first time, I was actually using my voice at its normal volume.”

“How are you…”

“Alive?”

She swallowed hard. I could see it in her eyes that she was afraid of me, afraid of what I might say. She’d probably lied to Professor Maat when she’d returned from the observatory without me. No one knew what she’d tried to do. And I didn’t care. That was not why I was here. I couldn’t give a shit that Domina Wingblaze had tried to kill me, and not because she hadn’t succeeded, but because I knew no one would be able to harm me before I fulfilled my destiny. Lucien would’ve told me. He would’ve seen it in the stars.

“I only have one thing to say to you.” She blinked in confusion. She didn’t know how to react, so she simply waited. “I’m sorry about what happened to you, I’m sorry about your sad childhood, but Davien chose me, so from now on, back the fuck off. You don’t own him. He can do whatever he wants. Also, stay out of my way.” I stepped closer to her. On instinct, she placed her scythe between us, but I was beyond being intimidated by her. She was insecure and petty. She’d demonstrated that much when she’d pushed me over the railing. I grabbed her wrist and squeezed hard. She yelped. Feeling her give in, I pushed her hand, along with her scythe, away. “If you as much as come close to me again, I will end you. You might be a seraph, but I’m the bitch who retired Valentine Morningstar. You have a scythe? Well, guess what? I have a scythe. And mine is infused with the magic of two of the most powerful mages in the world.” I was talking about Headmaster Colin and Lorna Chiaramonte. But I didn’t need to give their names. Everyone knew what had happened in the Great Hall of Life and Death when Valentine Morningstar turned to ashes and my toy scythe turned to a real one. “Piss me off again. See what happens.”

She took a step back, and I knew I’d won. For now. I’d taken her by surprise when she hadn’t even expected me to be alive. It felt good.

Even Corri was in awe of my outburst. She didn’t think I had it in me. As I turned on my heels and walked out of the room, she buzzed around my head, whispering: “You told her! Good for you! Wow!”

“Yolanda,” Adrian called after me as I rushed past him.

I ignored him. I slammed the door shut and stormed down the corridor. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. Go to class? Adrenaline was still flowing through me, making me high. I heard the door open and close behind me, and soon Adrian was running after me.

“Wait!”

He caught up with me, grabbed me by the arm, and spun me around. At first, the gesture annoyed me. Who was he to demand my attention like that, and when I refused to give it to him, take it at his leisure? But then, I looked into his deep brown eyes, and recognized him. He was my lover. I remembered his big hands on my small, quivering body, his lips on my skin, his weight upon me.

“There are people looking for you,” he said.

He seemed to be out of breath, and it wasn’t because he’d run after me. It was because we were so close, and waves of electricity sparked between us. We were undeniably attracted to each other.

“People?” But I didn’t wait for his answer. I turned to Corri. “Wait for me in my room.”

For a second, she looked confused. She glanced at Adrian, then back at me, and she