Page 74 of Mortal Blood
But I’d never been all that smart.
I backed away slowly from the portal. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
My father’s pale eyes flashed with anger, his lips curling back from his fangs. “You dare defy me, girl?”
Before I could react, he moved in a blur of preternatural speed. His hand cracked across my face with crushing force, sending me flying backwards.
I hit the ground hard, skidding several feet as pain exploded through my head. Dazed, I pushed myself up, tasting blood in my mouth. My father loomed over me, rage etched on his face.Shit.
“Get up,” he commanded. When I hesitated, he grabbed a fistful of my hair, wrenching me to my feet. I cried out as he bent my head back, baring my throat.
“Perhaps I should remind you of your place.”
“You can’t!” I gasped. “I’m a dhampir, you’ll become addicted.”
“Then the myths are true? Interesting…”
His grip slacked in his distraction, and I twisted away, wrenching myself free. He whirled on me in a heartbeat—shit, he really was fast—and I raised my hands.
“I’m not fighting back,” I told him quickly, while I still had some hair left. “I’ll go willingly.”
“Quick to break. He’ll enjoy that, I’m sure,” he muttered to himself, and his lips twisted in amusement. “Raised hands might be a sign of peace amongst lesser creatures like humans, but it’s a sign of war amongst magic users. You’d do well to remember that, where you’re going.”
Oh, right. I guess that made sense. I dropped my hands with a curt nod and reluctantly started toward the portal, feeling Ezekiel’s eyes boring into my back with every step I took. I was two steps away from it when my hand burned and movement flashed in my periphery. I twisted to my right, gaping at the second portal that had sprung into existence. One rapid glance at Ezekiel told me he hadn’t been the one to conjure it, and that was all I needed to know. Anything had to be better than going with him.
With no more hesitation, I sprinted for the new portal.
His enraged roar echoed behind me. Just before I plunged through, I felt his fingers graze my back, grasping for purchase.Then I was tumbling weightlessly through the darkness.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I hit theground anything but weightlessly on the far side, slamming my shoulder into the hard earth and tumbling until I crashed into a tree. Aching and disorientated, I sat up slowly, shaking my head. I was right back where I’d stepped through the first portal. Maybe Aodh wasn’t such an asshole after all.
No, wait, scratch that. Aodh wasdefinitelyan asshole, and— Wait, shit. I looked around. I wasrightback where I’d gone through the portal, which meant I was outside of the academy’s wards. Which meant father of the year could follow me.
I scrambled to my feet. There’d be time to worry about what Aodh was playing at later. Right now I needed to get back over the wall, because unless he’d somehow managed to enroll—and at several centuries old, that seemed unlikely—then he couldn’t follow me there.
It wasn’t until I’d made it back over the wall—and into the relative safety of the academy’s grounds, that it occurred to me that Aodhneverwasted magic without a cause, and my life had never held much value in his eyes.
Whatever. I wasn’t about to look a gift horse—or gift portal—in the mouth. I scanned the shadows carefully, making sure there was no-one else lurking and waiting to give me a hard time, because frankly today had sucked enough already. The last thing I needed was another run-in with Thaden, or Mr. I-Could-Make-You-Kiss-Me. As luck would have it, I was apparently completely alone out here, and made it back to the academy itself safely. I rushed across the threshold…and smashed into something—someone—on the far side. Oh no, not this shit again.
I lifted my head and found myself staring at Cole, his strongarms steadying me as he searched my face in concern.
“Cali? Are you okay?”
I nodded and drew in a breath that only shook slightly.
“Yeah, I’m fine, I—” I broke off and shook my head. Fine? That was about the furthest thing from what I was right now.
“Come on,” he said, wrapping his arm around me. “Let’s get you back to our dorm.”
I let him steer me back through the academy’s winding hallways, held safe against his side in his protective embrace, where I could almost believe nothing could hurt me.
“Sit down,” he said gently, guiding me to the bed and then doubling back to close the dorm room door behind us.
“You left the academy, didn’t you?” he asked. “And it has something to do with that Cailleach stone.”
I nodded. There wasn’t a lot of point in denying it. I felt as much as heard his heavy sigh. The bed dipped slightly as he sat beside me, and I risked a glance at him through my lashes.
