Supernatural Academy: Year Two Read online

  “Let’s do it,” I agreed.

  4

  Hours later, I was sprawled naked across the beach, burrowed into the warm sand. I was low-key exhausted from swimming, but I knew I’d recover fast. Benefits of being an Atlantean and supernatural.

  A warm hand slid lazily along my back and I sighed, making a contented moan. “Best birthday ever,” I said. “I wish we could stay like this forever.”

  Asher’s lips pressed to my shoulder as he continued to caress my skin, sending goose bumps across it. “Unfortunately, real life is calling, but I do have one more birthday surprise for you.”

  Lifting my head from my arm, I stared at him, loving the sand and salt that clung to his golden skin. He looked sexy, his hair in messy ocean waves, his eyes very sea-foam green.

  “What is it?” I asked, trying not to let the excitement just spill out of me. So far he’d beyond exceeded my expectations.

  “You should probably put your swimsuit on, because we’re not going to be alone for this part,” he warned, and I jumped up and into the ocean to get rid of the sand in places it shouldn’t be before I pulled the bikini on. Asher had dropped some clothing here earlier today, apparently. Always thinking ahead.

  Just as I got the suit on, and Asher was in shorts, voices caught my attention. Four familiar faces came into view, all of them just dressed in swim shorts, a ton of Atlantean muscle on show.

  Ahhh.

  “Hey!” I shouted, running toward them. The Atlantean-five, as they were known, were some of my favorite people in the world.

  Calen got to me first, and I barely caught a glimpse of his golden brown hair—that was a little longer than it had been the first time I saw him—and silvery brown eyes before he yanked me up into his arms. “Happy birthday, baby girl,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

  “Aw, thanks, dude,” I said, shooting him a smile. Calen was the joker of the group, the one who didn’t like shit to be too serious, and the one who had been sleeping his way through the Academy until he got hooked on Ilia. But he was loyal as fuck, and I adored him.

  Jesse was next, and even though I’d never admit it to any of them, he was probably my second-favorite Atlantean behind Asher. There was just something about the huge shifter that made me feel safe and content. I trusted him implicitly; he was half the reason I hadn’t lost my mind when Asher was taken last year.

  Jesse had gorgeous dark skin and a mop of dark hair. His eyes were green, but not like Asher’s; more like a leaf edged in silver. He was hot. Not quite Asher hot, but … close. Maybe it was only that I loved Asher as way, way, more than a friend that made him hotter to me; otherwise, those two were almost on par.

  Jesse hugged me hard, strong arms lifting me off the ground as he held me close. “Happy birthday, Mads,” he murmured, his lips brushing against my ear.

  “Thank you!”

  This continued with Axl, the resident genius and bookworm, and despite the fact he was the smallest of the guys at just over six foot, he was by no means weak or small. I brushed back his messy auburn waves, delighted that they were all here with me.

  “Don’t forget me,” Rone added, and I marveled at the relationship I had now with the prickly vampire. When he’d first met me, he’d been a right old asshole, and his distrust of me had lasted for quite a long time. But eventually we’d found a friendship, and now he was as important to me as the rest of the guys.

  I was beyond lucky.

  Looking between the four, I had to laugh. “Ash said he had another surprise, but I didn’t think it was you four. I got you guys last year.” I wrinkled my nose at Asher. “Way to regift, dude.”

  He just shook his head at me. “No, smartass, it’s not the guys. They’re just here to help me out.”

  Now I was intrigued.

  “You know I hate waiting for surprises,” I said, looking between them all. “What is it?”

  I could almost feel the low thrum of excitement coming from the five of them, and I felt like I was going to burst from anticipation. Asher brushed a hand along my side, running his fingers across the gritty sand there. “I’m going to give you your own Atlantean tattoo.”

  Yes! All the yeses. There was no hiding how thrilled I was, bouncing around like an idiot, while they shook their heads at me. But for reals, I’d been dying to join their Atlantean tattoo club—all five of them were marked with various Atlantean images and symbols across the right side of their bodies and down their right arms.

  “What am I getting?” I asked in a rush. “Where is it going on my body? Right side just like yours? How big can I get?” I paused. “Holy shit, how much is it going to hurt?” I looked between the five of them before settling on Axl. “You’d never lie to me, Ax … what can I compare the pain to?”

  He almost looked dizzy at my random burst of questions. “The pain is minimal,” he assured me, not sounding as “scientist” as usual. Instead, he sounded like a friend who cared. “Asher uses water to infuse the marks onto your skin. It has to be him because the magic in his blood makes him the only one strong enough to still perform this original Atlantean way of marking skin.”

  Asher chuckled. “Something tells me Maddi would be even better at it than me.”

  I waved him away. “I can’t draw for shit, so unless you all want water-drawn stick people, it might be best if Ash sticks with being the resident artist.”

  All of the guys had a lot of marks, and they each had one special one that was completely unique to them. My fascination with their tattoos had led to a lot of long chats.

  Axl lifted his arm, practically shoving his forearm in my face. “Our marks will never fade, and that’s because there’s no ink.”

  “So it’s just water magic and blood?” I asked.

  Rone nodded. “Yep, our blood mixed with the water magic. That’s why it’s this dark, bronzy shade.”

  I stared closer at Axl’s arm, which was still in my face; in the sunlight there were glittery pigments in the swirling symbol. This was Axl’s unique mark, and it was an Atlantean symbol for knowledge. Flowing lines that looked like water but all connected to each other. The water connected the world and it held secrets and knowledge that was beyond all else.

  Axl wanted to unravel these secrets, so his preferred symbol was that of water knowledge.

  Asher’s, of course, was a large crown that was filled in with swirls of water to show that he was directly descended from a royal bloodline. I wondered if he would put a crown on me too, since that was my heritage as well. Royal and a god, apparently. If the rumors were to be believed.

  “My water symbol is the best … you need to touch it though, to get the full impact,” Calen flirted.

  Instead of showing me his arm as Axl had done, he lifted me off the ground so that I was facing his right pec. Across it in a large geometric design was another water symbol. This one meant power. Calen hid his drive and ambition behind a playboy asshole exterior so that no one saw what was really going on underneath. But I knew the truth. He was someone who never gave up. When he set his mind to something, he did not waver.

  Asher stepped forward with an “accidental” clip across Calen’s head, and he caught me as I dropped. “Enough. Let’s get this started.”

  Rone and Jesse looked slightly disappointed not to show off their favorite as well, but I already knew that Jesse’s mark was loyalty. You looked after the water and it would look after you. His was a series of slashes and strikes across his abs. His marks were not as obvious because his skin tone was already dark, but the glittery pigments were still visible.

  And Rone’s was family. The swirls in his all connected to each other, because just like the ocean, family was always connected. To Rone, there was nothing more important than the family he had chosen. The one that had chosen him, giving him the security and comfort he’d never had as a child.

  I couldn’t read the Atlantean language as well as Asher and the other guys. They’d basically been raised learning the symbol-based language. But I was certainly getting better.

  “Where do you want your first tattoo?” Asher asked, still holding me close.

  “On my right side?” I asked, and he nodded. There was probably a long story about why the right side; something to ask them another time.

  I palmed my hands across my ribs, bared under the swimsuit top. “Here, I think.”

  Asher nodded again, and then took my hand and led me down to the water. “It’s easier if I’m close to the ocean. This water was magicked here from where Atlantis sank, by my ancestors, and it’s what I’ve used to ink all of us.”

  “How do you ink yourself?” I asked, realizing that he had no one to reciprocate.

  Calen laughed from nearby. “With a mirror and great difficulty.”

  That was something I really hoped to see one day.

  When I was at the water’s edge, I sat with my feet in the ocean and the rest of me on the damp sand. Asher brushed his thumb across the area I’d chosen and I tried my best not to think about his hands on me only a few hours before.

  “Close your eyes, Maddi,” he murmured, his gaze already far away, like he was mentally preparing the image. “I promise to create the perfect symbol for you.”

  I trusted Asher implicitly. All of them, actually. Calen sat down on one side and took my hand. Axl took the other, and right before I closed my eyes, I saw Jesse and Rone crouch behind my head, like they were protecting me from all sides. Only my feet were not blocked, because none of us feared the ocean.

  When Asher moved closer to me, I felt the tingle of energy that always existed between us. It flared to life, rushing along my bare skin. His hands, when they landed on my ribs, were cool—icy even—and I did my best not to jump.

  “You can move,” Asher said softly. “This is not like the human way of getting a tattoo.”

  I nodded, still nervous.

  When Asher’s magic flowed, there was an odd tingle, followed by a burning sensation. As Axl had said, it was not painful, but I felt a mild discomfort. My energy started swirling in hot arcs inside of me, something that usually only happened if I accidentally lost skin contact with the pendant. But since it still rested between my boobs, this was to do with Asher.

  “Uh, not to alarm anyone,” I said, eyes still closed, “but my power is … reacting.”

  Someone brushed their hand across mine soothingly. “That’s normal,” Jesse said. “The power in your blood is combining with the power Asher is using … with his water magic. It always creates a spark.”

  “Try not to blow us up though,” Calen deadpanned, reminding us all that the first time I’d properly touched Asher, we’d almost destroyed the school.

  “Will do my best,” I muttered.

  5

  “I love it!” Ilia said, reaching out to touch the mark across my ribs. “I want one immediately. Like … right now.”

  I laughed, moving across to the mirror in my room, lifting my uniform to see it again. My tattoo was a crown, but different to Asher’s. Mine was smaller, with spikes across the front, reminiscent of the forks of a trident. A trident crown. Apparently, the trident was the weapon of the royal families, and each family had a slightly different style, with their own crystals and gems infused. Asher had given me the one for my family line: Sonaris. Their royal gems were aquamarine.

  “How come yours is a different color to the Atlantean-five?” Ilia asked, having followed me to the mirror. “It’s almost gold.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, it’s weird. They’re not really sure, but probably something to do with the power in my blood. Since the blood mixes with water and power to form the mark, it’s definitely something in me.”

  Ilia nodded like that made sense. She’d been telling me from the first moment we met that my power was strong and unique. She was a one-woman cheer squad. Every person, whether human or supe, needed a friend like her.

  “Asher truly has a gift,” she murmured, her eyes tracing the lines. “It almost looks three-dimensional. So real.”

  He did. A true gods-given gift. The lines were delicate in some places, thicker in others, each swirling and forming together to make the trident crown. It was about the size of my hand, spanning right across my side, and I was sad to have to cover it up with a shirt today.

  But alas, it was back to school, and I was finally going in with my powers accessible. Not all of them, but I was powerful enough that I was going to have a real shot at learning magic.

  “So based on your near straight A's last year, what did you decide to take this year?” Ilia asked.

  Despite all the drama that had surrounded me, I’d aced most of my first year classes—with a lot of studying and a lot of help from Axl, and that meant I could choose more electives this year.

  Picking up my schedule, which had been delivered last night, I stared down at the blank fields. The magical parchment would give me my timetable as soon as I picked classes. The second piece of paper, which had arrived with it, held the multiple options for classes.

  “I’m definitely taking Water Magic and History again,” I said, knowing they were important. “Herbalism and Sword and Sorcery, as well.”

  Year one had been an introduction year, giving us basic knowledge for each subject, but year two would see us delving deeper.

  “I’m going to ditch Demon Mythology though. Princeps Jones said the more advanced years were for people that wanted to focus on it as a career.”

  I had no interest in a further career in that area.

  “Are you going to try Healing Magic this year?” Ilia pointed it out on my list. “It’s a good pair to Herbalism.”

  I nodded. “Definitely. And I think I’d like to try Advanced Attack and Defense. It pairs with Sword and Sorcery.”

  Ilia nodded. “Hells yeah, that was my favorite of every class I ever took.”

  I looked down the long list, pausing at Race Morphology. “I really should take it again too. I’m still behind on learning about this world, and I love that we’re moving on to more in-depth demi-fey in year two.”

  The six classes I’d mentioned started to swirl themselves into a Monday to Friday schedule, and I realized that there was one space left, which I could either leave for independent study or fill later. The Supernatural Academy, like American colleges, initially let you pick and choose classes for a basic overall education, until eventually you specialized. I had to laugh that on Thursday I had Herbalism and Healing in the morning and Sword and Sorcery and Advanced Attack and Defense in the afternoon. Heal in the morning, kill in the afternoon.

  “I’ll figure the rest out later,” I said to Ilia, shoving my schedule into the leather satchel she’d gifted me last year. “I’m running late for a meeting with Princeps Jones.” I really didn’t want to miss the first assembly of the year.

  She nodded, giving me a wave. “I’m heading out on a job soon,” she said, following me toward the door. “Shouldn’t be gone long though, but I wanted to let you know just in case I have to leave before lunch.”

  I patted the cell phone in my pocket. “Girl, you know I finally got my phone hooked up. Just text me.”

  She muttered something about it being freaking time, and I shook my head. I’d never had a phone in my old life—too expensive—so the one I had now was often forgotten, uncharged, or lost in my room somewhere. I was trying to get better at using it, because a lot of shit had happened in my life and it was an easy way to contact someone in a hurry.

  Speaking of … it vibrated in my pocket.

  Asher: What are you wearing?

  With a snort of laughter, I shook my head. Somehow sexting had come up yesterday—from Calen, of course. Since then I’d been getting my share of random texts from Asher. Something told me he was building up to either embarrass me or turn me on so badly that I would go running to him.

  Me: Skirt, tights, shirt with buttons. Very sexy. I added a winky face emoticon and then sent it.

  Asher: I fucking miss you. Waking up without you … not cool, baby.

  My laughter dried up and an ache started low in my stomach. Asher had been trying to get me to live with him; we’d practically stayed together every night since the drama of last year. But I wasn’t quite ready to give up my room in the Academy. I’d been independent my entire life, and I couldn’t quite go there yet with Asher.

  Me: I’ll see you at breakfast, right?

  Asher: Possibly… I have a meeting with one of my teachers. I might be late.

  Disappointment hit me, but I pushed it down. I didn’t want to completely lose myself in Asher and not be able to function at all if he wasn’t around. On the other hand, I’d always felt couples needed to spend a lot of time together to maintain a healthy relationship. Doing whatever it was they both loved to do … common activities. And if they didn’t have common activities, then go out and discover some together.

  That was my dream relationship. And so far, Asher was making all of it come true.

  A light knock on the door had me turning to find Larissa casually strolling in. She’d changed a lot from the shy, scared vampire I’d met a year ago. Now she bristled with energy, her flawless skin bright and vibrant. She no longer dropped her head when she walked; she wore her awesomeness with confidence. It made me so damn happy to see that.

  “Hey, dudes.” She strode forward to give Ilia a hug. “Dad said you were heading out soon,” she said to our friend. “Be careful out there.”

  Ilia nodded. “Yeah, it shouldn’t be anything too crazy. Old textbook case. This supe should be an easy find.”

  I snorted. “Way to put that out into the universe. You’ve just screwed yourself.”

  Ilia wrinkled her nose at me, and I laughed. “We should get to Princeps Jones,” I said to Larissa. “Lead the way.”

  Ilia didn’t come with us, and I felt a slight pang because last year the three of us had gone to this first day meeting together. “I’ll text you,” Ilia called, and I blew her a goodbye kiss. Family. It was the oddest thing to have that in my life now. But I couldn’t imagine ever again being as lonely as I was before the Academy.

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