Daring Provocation (Shadow Veil Academy Book 3) Read online

  We’d spent many of the nights I was with her exchanging stories about my mother, both the good and the bad. Laughter was more prevalent than the tears, but no matter the emotions I felt, I knew I had needed the family connection to truly begin moving forward.

  Enzo’s hand grazed along my thigh, halting me from my thoughts. “Keep inching higher and you risk losing a hand, darling,” I said with a smirk.

  “If that’s how you want it, then fine. Just know, I’ll remember this moment, and payback is a bitch,” he grunted.

  Shrugging, I moved toward the door. I might regret pushing his buttons later, but I didn’t care at the time. That was a problem for future Raegan.

  Just before the door shut behind me, Enzo snagged it and locked up our dorm. When he caught up to me, he tugged on my hand. Thinking he was going to continue to whine about my clothing choice, I rolled my eyes and huffed as I turned toward him.

  “Raegan, this is serious, and I need you to listen to me.”

  I nodded, quickly realizing my assumptions had been wrong. “What happened?”

  “Nothing, but something undoubtedly will, and we don’t know when that might be. I know we slacked off for most of the summer, and I wasn’t near as paranoid knowing Malina had to completely rebuild her resources, but she could have done so by now. We need to be prepared for an attack at any time.”

  I patted the thigh he hadn’t previously tried to grope. “I’ll have a weapon on me at all times, and I have Chelle. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  Malina won’t get away again, Chelle confirmed.

  It had taken her weeks to process the fact that Malina had come very close to killing her. To say Chelle still held a grudge would be an understatement. It was much more personal than that for her, especially since Malina threatened to go after Drakken and all the dragons there as well.

  “Raegan, we can’t pretend she’s not more powerful than us. We need to stick together. It’s not that I want a guard around you at all times or to smother you, but we need to at least stick in pairs. All of us.”

  “So, you’re saying you won’t ever be alone, either?” I countered.

  He nodded. “It applies to anyone Malina might be after.”

  Huh. He was taking this more seriously than I thought. I knew our situation was precarious, but Enzo was normally only concerned with me. This was the first time I’d seen him really worry about the bigger picture.

  “Okay,” I replied.

  “Really? Just like that, with no argument?”

  “Yep. If it’s important to you that we all work together to stay safe, then it’s important to me. That’s how this whole relationship thing works. Give and take, supporting each other no matter the situation, is what it’s all about.”

  He cupped my face as he gently pressed his lips against my forehead. “Being in New Orleans without the stresses of Malina and the council showed me what our future could be like. I’ll do whatever it takes to have the possibilities I could so clearly see there.”

  No longer was I eager to find out my schedule and speak with Headmaster Stone. No longer did I give a shit about Malina and the threats that hung over our heads. All I wanted was what Enzo saw, and damn if it didn’t piss me the hell off that we still had to wait for what we wanted.

  He laced his fingers through mine as he pulled me forward. “Come on. We can’t change what’s happened, but we can do our damnedest to make sure Malina pays for what she’s done and prevent her from doing more.”

  He was right, and as we passed by the other students in the halls, I knew we were doing this for more than just us. We were doing this for all of the supernaturals who would be affected, not just the ones around in the present but those who would come after us as well. We had a legacy to leave behind, and I’d do my best to make sure it was one worthy of being remembered.

  Headmaster Stone’s door was open when we arrived, so we walked in, surprised to find him alone on the first day of classes. His face was creased with concern, but it seemed to be a permanent look for him since Malina escaped, so I tried not to worry about it too much.

  “Good morning, Alistair,” Enzo greeted him.

  He stood from his desk and came around to shake both of our hands. “Nice to see the two of you back. I assume you had a nice visit?”

  I nodded. “We did. Was there anything we missed while we were gone?”

  “Lots of construction to ready for the arriving students and a few council meetings, but I’m assuming Jules already filled you in on those?”

  My aunt had decided that she would be interim council member as long as she was able to still handle things in New Orleans as needed. She wasn’t an official leader down there, but she was one of the liaisons for her pack, and they missed her dearly.

  The council had happily agreed, and while we’d been gone, she’d taken several phone calls that I tried to ignore so we could enjoy our time away. I knew if there was something imperative, she’d have shared the information without me having to ask.

  “Actually, no. We tried to keep the trip as close to a vacation as possible,” I replied.

  He moved back to his chair. “Well, have a seat and I’ll fill you in, though I wish Marek was here. He was supposed to meet me about a half hour ago, but I haven’t heard from him.”

  It was out of the ordinary for the dragon king to be late, and I made a mental note to go look for him once we left the headmaster’s office if I had time before class.

  “I’m sure he just got caught up with something else,” Enzo said, trying to ease Alistair’s tension.

  “Right. Well, Bennett has been helping me track Malina. She doesn’t appear to be moving much. She’s moved west instead of back up north, but the connection we have to her is poor at best. I’m not even confident it’s her we’re picking up.”

  “What about Marek? Being as they’re both Doyens, has he been able to help now that he’s completely healed?” I asked.

  He had been down for a while, and none of the council were willing to ask for his assistance while he was on the mend. Marek hadn’t even had enough energy to go back to Drakken, so he’d chosen an interim leader, which JayLeigh had gone back to announce to their people.

  “He thinks he might be onto something but won’t tell us. It’s rather frustrating, but we’ve been compliant considering his position.”

  The headmaster’s tone told me that their compliance wasn’t going to last for very long.

  “We’ll talk to him today, before or after class, depending on when they start,” I said, casting a glance at Enzo. He nodded in agreement.

  “Speaking of classes, do you have a schedule for us?” Enzo asked, seeming to realize we weren’t going to get anywhere until the whole group was together. That was supposed to happen that evening, last I’d heard.

  “Ah, yes. I finished that up while you were gone. I hadn’t uploaded anything to your tablets, because I had to confirm a few things, but it’s all been sorted,” Headmaster Stone said.

  “What’s been sorted? Aren’t we going to class like all the other students?” I asked.

  He shook his head while searching through the papers scattered on his desk. “Not exactly. Your training will be more specialized. You’re only going to have three classes, and they’ll be privately held.”

  I blinked rapidly as I tried to process what he was saying. “Why?”

  “Well, we thought it would be best. If you’re going to be so heavily involved, then we need to focus your trainings on subjects that will best help you succeed in defeating Malina. Otherwise, if you’d like to take normal classes like the rest of the fourth-year students, then we will have you sit out of the remainder of our dealings with Malina.”

  Damn, that was quite the statement, and not one I expected at all. I wasn’t sure I liked it. Having classes with the other students was the only thing that made me feel like we were somewhat normal. Well, as normal as someone could feel with magical powers.

  When the headmaster p
assed the paper across the desk, Enzo quickly snatched it and stood, pulling me with his other hand. “We appreciate everything you’ve done. We’ll take a look at this and be wherever we’re needed. Are we still meeting tonight with the others?”

  “Yes, we are. Please let me know tonight if there are any issues with the schedule,” Alistair replied.

  Enzo nodded, and I followed him silently out of the room. He closed the door behind us and headed for the platform, but it was packed with students, so he pulled us toward the stairs, stairs that would take at least ten minutes to traverse depending on where he was leading us.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, wondering what I had missed in that meeting that had him losing his damn mind.

  He didn’t speak. Instead, he practically ripped the door off its hinges to enter the stairway only crazy people used and then pinned me against the wall.

  “You were going to argue with him, so I cut you off to move things along. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t wait any longer.” His voice was low, and desire sparked in the air around us.

  “Wait for what?”

  Instead of answering me, his lips crashed down hard on mine in a demanding kiss. He gripped my thighs before picking me up, allowing me to wrap my bare legs around his waist. Maybe he had been right, and the skirt wasn’t the best idea if we planned on getting anything done on our first day of the new school year.

  “I couldn’t wait a minute longer to get my hands on you,” he murmured against my neck as he turned me into putty with every well-placed kiss.

  “Back to our room?” I suggested, but he shook his head.

  “We have class to get to.” With those words, he pulled back and set me on my feet.

  I was officially hot and bothered, and he was going to leave me in that state? Not. Happening.

  Hands on my hips, I glared at him. “Seriously? All that buildup and then nothing?”

  He leaned forward and stole a kiss before whispering, “Payback is a bitch, isn’t it, darling?” Then, he darted from the area before I could beat him senseless.

  As he rounded the corner and slipped onto a platform, he peeked his head out. “Meet you in the atrium!”

  Well, at least he told me where I was supposed to be going for our first class. Though, I had no idea what we were going to be doing or if I should have anything with me besides my tablet.

  Closing the stairwell door behind me, I went back to the platform and contemplated heading back to our room to change, but I’d have Enzo zap us there if I needed to. I was more curious about who our first teacher was and what the headmaster thought was best for us to focus on.

  The next platform was empty, and I was surprised until I realized it was already 8:25 a.m. and most smart students would already be in their classes, waiting for them to start at 8:30 a.m. sharp. My heart went out to those who had Professor Phox this year.

  I’d been surprised when I heard she was sticking around but grateful as well. Hopefully, she’d forewarn us if anything life-threatening was about to happen. Though, the dragon seers seemed to do whatever the hell they wanted, so I wasn’t counting on it.

  When I arrived at the atrium five minutes later, the door was closed, and when I tried to pull on the handle, it was locked. What the hell?

  Knocking hard, I waited until I heard footsteps approaching. “You’re late. Try again tomorrow.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I screeched while throwing my hands up in the air at the sound of Phox’s voice on the other side. Apparently, I was the poor student who had to deal with her. “Enzo took the schedule before I could see it and left me behind on purpose. Kick his elfy ass out, too, if you want to be fair.”

  His payback for me wearing the skirt was going to cost me so much grief.

  The door cracked open. “Elfy ass? Really, is that the best you have?” Phox raised a brow.

  I sighed. “It’s the first day. Cut me some slack.”

  “This will be the only easy part of your day, Raegan. Now, get inside and prepare to be tortured.” The grin on her face was menacing and had me hesitating, but I knew there was no way around it. Professor Phox really was the best person to be teaching me, so I straightened my big girl panties and entered the room, only to be surprised once again.

  Standing in the center of the room were Gemma, Lyssa, Peyton, and Finley, while Enzo and Talon were just coming from a closet with an armful of weapons.

  “What are you all doing here?” I asked.

  Gemma grinned. “Lyssa wasn’t happy about being left out and called Daddy to save the day. Peyton and Finley caught wind of it, and the three of them spent the summer training together. Lyssa’s dad approved of their progress and made a call to the headmaster.”

  “Seriously? You three want to fight Malina?” I didn’t understand why they weren’t running far in the other direction.

  “No, but we want to protect what this school stands for, and if Malina is threatening to take all of that away, then we will do whatever we can to stop her,” Lyssa said with an air of confidence.

  “All right, then. I won’t argue with you as long as you all know what you’re getting yourselves into,” I said.

  “Now, what we really need to talk about are those legs.” Gemma whistled at me, then Phox glowered at her, and Enzo growled, effectively ending the conversation before it even began, thankfully.

  Peyton and Finley laughed, and I caught a flash of fangs from Finley. Vampires weren’t the most common supernatural I’d seen around the school, so it still freaked me out when I saw her fangs, even more so when she had a cup of blood in her hand.

  Holding in my shudder, I accepted what was and decided I couldn’t keep everyone I cared about in a bubble. If they wanted to fight, then that was their choice, and I’d never hold them back. Though, it did just make the dynamic of training a lot more interesting. I was more excited than ever to see what boundaries I could push with my abilities next.

  Chapter 3

  There had been no doubt that Professor Phox was an unyielding teacher in a normal classroom setting, but she was a straight-up tyrant in a private one. Since Enzo had yet to show me the schedule, I hadn’t known what to expect when things got started, but it definitely wasn’t what I thought.

  We practiced spells for two hours straight, but not the normal ‘mumble some words and hope for the best’ kind. No, these were high-level sorcery spells that looked like something out of a movie. By the time class was over, I was able to string magic from one hand to the other, creating shields and weapons from thin air. They didn’t last long, but with practice, that would change.

  It wasn’t necessarily a witch trait, Phox explained, but a supernatural thing, though it helped if you had witch or elven qualities. Even though I’d been completely stripped of my elven abilities, Phox believed there was still some natural witch magic left in me since Malina had created me, but since it wasn’t a forced addition like the elven portion had been, my dragon had still broken free of her previous hold.

  With that information, I understood better why Gemma, Enzo, Lyssa, and I had been able to accomplish creating the physical presence of our magic while Peyton, Finley, and Talon were only able to create sparks after the first class.

  I wasn’t too worried about the girls. The same determination that had been on their faces when I entered the room was still there when we left, but Talon was frustrated and pissed off. He and Gemma had taken off before I could get a chance to offer him help.

  “Where to now?” I asked, hoping Enzo would pull out the schedule so I could steal it.

  “Back to our rooms to shower and change; then, we spend two more hours with Phox before getting a lunch break,” he answered without glancing at the paper.

  “Seriously?” Peyton groaned. “What’s the point of even changing?”

  Finley snorted. “She’s crazy. Besides giving us a false sense of hope that maybe the hard part is over for the day, she probably just wanted a break from us.”

  Phox appeared out of
nowhere like JayLeigh loved to do, halting our walk back to the platform. “Or maybe I don’t want to smell your disgusting body odor for the next two hours while I continue to make you my bitch. I guess you’ll only find out if you’re ballsy enough to come learn from the crazy professor again.”

  Phox disappeared, but we all assumed she was still around, so nobody said anything until we were on the platform. Then I let out a snort, which turned into a laugh, and then I was in full-on hysterics.

  “Uh, babe? Are you okay?” Enzo asked as he placed his hand on my back.

  Peyton and Finley joined in, while Lyssa looked just as confused as Enzo.

  “I’m pretty sure it’s a dragon thing. They all seem a little unhinged, if you ask me, and it’s rubbing off on the others,” Lyssa commented, which made me laugh harder for some reason.

  When I finally regained my composure, I apologized. “Phox’s goal will be to break us. I just had a vision of her standing over a pile of our broken bodies and saying, ‘They just weren’t ballsy enough to handle the crazy professor.’”

  Enzo cracked a smile, but Lyssa didn’t buy into the hilarity. While she had come a long way from her mean girl vibe, she still seemed to believe she was above some people. I wondered if she was only choosing to train with us to prove she was just as essential in keeping the academy safe.

  Either way, as long as she kept up with the trainings and didn’t talk down to any of us, then I was happy to have her help. We’d be idiots to turn down her assistance. I still wasn’t sure who her father was or what he did, but everyone always made him sound so important, so we’d hopefully be able to use her resources if needed.

  “Where are we meeting up next?” Finley asked when it was time for us to go our separate ways.

  “In the garden of tranquility,” Enzo replied casually, but my entire body tensed.

  I’d yet to go in there again for many reasons, but mostly out of fear. Fear of being rejected and the pain it had previously caused. This time, I’d have an audience, and I wasn’t sure I was okay with that.