Page 20 of Fortune Academy: Year One
I couldn’t help but notice the hush that swept over the crowd. “Is a muse a bad thing?” I whispered to Logan.
He leaned in, his hot breath tickling my ear. “Supernaturals don’t get much more powerful than the muses, other than the Demis.” His hand found the small of my back and drew agonizing circles. “I wonder what you are that you can resist a muse’s compulsion. I bet you’re a Demi, too.”
Even though I knew that was impossible, a shiver of excitement swept through me as Logan guided me up the steps.
It was my turn. Okay, moment of truth.
Merlin and Gwen peered down at me over the arch of their noses as if they weren’t sure what to make of me.
“You must be a new addition,” Gwen said with a fragile smile as she held up her clipboard. “I didn’t have you on the list. What was your name?”
I cleared my throat. “Lily Fallen.” Of course, I didn’t really know what my last name was. Jess had given it to me as a joke and it had just kind of stuck. It was because the first time we’d met I’d fallen flat on my face. Not the most graceful way to earn my name, but I didn’t mind it so much now. I didn’t have much left of Jess and it was a good memory to hold onto.
Gwen frowned at her list and I started to fidget. She flipped a few pages and then her face relaxed. “Ah, here we are. Kaito added you as a last-minute addition. I’ll have to talk to him later about proper procedure, but let’s proceed, shall we?”
Merlin nodded and gestured to the fountain. “It won’t hurt. Simply look into the waters and tell us what you see.”
I looked down at the crowd, half-hoping to see if Dante was there to offer encouragement. He wasn’t there, but Logan waved at me with a giant smile on his face as if I was already his girl and he couldn’t have been more proud of me. The group behind him of dark mages scowled, as if they expected me to somehow fail, although I didn’t know how one failed an assessment. The Demis looked bored and I assumed they were here on the off-chance another Demi was named to join their small ranks. Orion blew me a kiss, making me blush and turn back to the fountain.
“Here it goes,” I whispered as my heart fluttered in my chest. This was my moment of truth. This was when I was finally going to get some answers, whether I liked it or not.
I leaned over the water and... nothing. My reflection stared back at me. I leaned further and furrowed my brows. After a ridiculous amount of waiting, I finally leaned back and offered Merlin an apologetic shrug. “I think it’s not working.”
Gwen put down her clipboard and for the first time her smile disappeared.
Merlin turned to the crowd and announced the verdict. “It seems we have the day’s first dud.”
Dud Duty
Iwas a dud.
“What the fuck does that mean?” I shrieked.
Merlin turned and raised an eyebrow at me. Okay, so maybe I wasn’t demonstrating the best behavior on my first day to the most influential people in Fortune Academy, but the man just called me a dud. And not just that, but he’d announced it in front of a room of hundreds of judgmental supernaturals who were all eyeing me with varying degrees of pity mixed with disgust.
“It just means that we have to bring your powers out, dear,” Gwen said with a reassuring smile. “We don’t get duds often, but we’ve gotten enough that we know what to do to help you. Your supernatural gifts need a little bit of assistance in coming out.” She rested a gentle touch on my arm. “Don’t worry.”
Merlin scribbled something on a notepad and handed me the slip. “Here’s your counselor. Talk to her and she’ll get you set up with the necessary arrangements.”
Taking the piece of paper, I turned it around and frowned at it. He might as well have given me a doctor’s note with some gibberish on it.
I opened my mouth to ask who my counselor was, and probably insult Merlin and his penmanship in the process, but Logan trotted up to the stage and yanked me down. “Come on,” he whispered. “Don’t let them see you sweat.”
When we mingled back into the group I had the feeling that being a dud was just as exciting as it sounded by the pitying looks on their faces.
“I won’t be allied to a dud,” Hendrik growled. “You’re on your own, Logan, and if you choose to keep her around, consider the wolves’ alliance with the dark mages nullified.”
Whimpers came from the wolves, but Logan showed his teeth. “Make your threats, Hendrik, but you know very well that being a dud could mean she’s even more powerful than you.”
“Or,” Melinda drawled, looking far too pleased about this outcome, “it could mean that her supernatural side is so far regressed up her ass that she might as well be mortal.”
Logan snarled and took a step in front of me. “She resists your muse voodoo, doesn’t she? You know very well that she’s not mortal.”
I shoved Logan aside. “I don’t need you to defend me,” I insisted as I took my stance against the group of supernaturals who looked positively offended by my presence. “Look, I didn’t want to make alliances anyway,” I said and held up my slip of paper. “Just tell me what the hell this says and I’ll be on my way, all right?”
Orion leaned in and squinted at the slip, then chuckled. “Aphrodite’s tits, you’ve been assigned to Miss Williams.” He swept his fingers through his glimmering hair that seemed to sway with an invisible breeze meant only for him. “She’s a real hard-ass. Good luck banishing your dud status being assigned to her.”
Frowning, I crossed my arms. “Just tell me where she is.”
