Page 36 of Fortune Academy: Year Two
She scoffed. “Uh, yeah?”
Olivia was a total book nerd and I loved her for it.
“Do you need backup?” Olivia didn’t like for me to defend her, but she was my friend and if there was something I could do about it, then I would make it a priority no matter what was going on with me. The end of the world could wait.
She tapped her lip. “What about Hendrik? Make him useful for something. He’s all about that alliances shit.”
It was true, but I wanted to deal with this personally.
Olivia picked up on my unease and sighed. “I can handle myself, Lily.” She straightened, as if mentally brushing off her irritation and smiled. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re here? Usually you’re blowing off steam at the Awakening Arena on our days off.”
It was true. What can I say? I have rage issues.
I leaned against her and propped my chin on her bony shoulder. Olivia was so cute and tiny, but she made for a poor pillow. “Orion left campus just to get away from me. Logan is trying to dominate me like I’m just another member of his pack. Dante goes on a year-long mission and comes back as if everything he’s done has been for me. Kaito acts like I should be grateful for everything he does. And Hendrik wants me to be his pet.”
Olivia chuckled. “And I thought I had guy problems.”
“I feel like everyone is out to get me,” I said mournfully. Normally, I didn’t want to whine about my problems, but Olivia was always a good listener.
Her smiled dimmed as she glanced around the library. “Gee, what would give you that idea?”
“I just told you—”
Olivia shifted out from under me, making me fumble. “Lils. Look.”
I blinked up for the first time to see that we were no longer alone. Hundreds of students had appeared and stared at us with glazed looks as they slowly shuffled closer.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I dove into that cold pit in my chest. My Blood Stone reacted, creating an equilibrium of power in my body that hummed to life.
Then I sensed it. Everyone here had been spelled.
“What should we do?” Olivia whispered as she slowly got to her feet, ready to bolt.
Not that we had anywhere to go.
There was only one staircase down and there wasn’t a window in sight on this level. A wall of students formed in front of it, their emotionless expressions creeping me out.
My nostrils flared. “Melinda,” I growled.
Olivia nodded in confirmation. “She’s nearby.”
I knew a Muse was powerful, but this kind of show took the cake.
A line of thralls parted to reveal a smug-looking Melinda as she waltzed towards us, hips swaying with confidence. “Well, well, well. I finally have the both of you in one place.” She chuckled and flicked a curl of her hair over her shoulder. “Really, how stupid are you guys? I’ve seen your little roommate coming to study here for ages, and it’s such a perfect place for an ambush.” She grinned, the gesture verging on maniacal. “All I had to do was wait.”
She snapped her fingers.
Each student produced a weapon ranging from silver flashes of daggers to sharpened pencils held in white-knuckled grips. One of the thralls without a weapon looked stressed, then bent down and picked up a heavy book to hold over his head, ready to strike.
“You’re crossing a line,” I warned Melinda. “The Dean will expel you if you force them to hurt us.”
I knew that the cliques were encouraged to develop supernatural relationships and abilities, but outright killing students was forbidden. I hoped that maiming would be off the table, too, but given what I’d seen on campus so far, I wasn’t so sure.
Melinda’s laughter chimed through the library with an irritating echo of power rushing behind it. Her eyes glowed with a soft azure heat that smoked pleasantly around her face.
Where had she gotten so much power?
“Really? Because from what I’ve heard you are a stubborn dud that refuses to Awaken. I might have convinced the Dean that a real life-or-death situation would do wonders for you. And if you were as strong as Hendrik thinks you are, then a little fun with thralls could hardly do you harm.” She shrugged her tiny graceful shoulders. “Professor Payne also backed me up, saying that with your fighting skill at such a high level, this is the kind of challenge that might just work. I mean, you faced your little Hunter and lived to talk about it.” She flashed me a grin. “Consider me extra credit.”
