Page 48 of Monsters Within (The Creatures We Crave 1)
She was one of those people that thought she owned the world and everything in it.
Why was she walking towards him when she’d purposefully just said she wanted to test me, though?
“Hello there, handsome,” she purred as she stopped in front of him.
He didn’t answer, and I knew he wouldn’t, but I was two seconds away from intervening. I would respect anyone who gave me the same in return, and just because she was a professor didn’t mean I was going to allow her to treat us like this. The time in my life in which I turned an eye to the nastiness sent my way was over.
That part of my life ended the moment I fell through the portal in Estrid’s office, and I wasn’t looking back now.
My hand snapped out as she reached for his face, grabbing her wrist and letting out a menacing growl. “Do not touch him.”
At the same time, I noted Kylo’s eyes filling with their white haze as he fed from her soul. It traveled through him and directly into me, feeding the beast inside of me. It reminded me of the way he’d called me a conduit last night, but it didn’t feel unbearable or painful this time.
Strands of my hair lifted and began to glow with a purple hue as shadows licked from my hand over her skin, and a gasp from the faculty behind her rang out.
This time I welcomed the energy sifting around within me and coaxed it out further, feeling more in tune with it the more I used it. Instead of pooling in my chest or flowing down into my hand, I asked it to consume me.
I wanted this woman to know I wasn’t helpless, despite not having a complete grasp on my powers. No one would touch anyone without their permission in front of me, be it my monsters or someone else. I was done being quiet and letting shitty people get away with terrible behavior. There was something inside of me that would help me stand up for myself and others now, and I was damn well going to use it.
“Get your hand off of me, brat,” she seethed, ripping her wrist out of my grip and stepping into my space right after. Leaning in, her lip curled up in disgust as she spit, “I’m going to figure out what you are, but you know what? It doesn’t matter who or what you are. No one at this school is more powerful or beautiful than I am.”
There it was. The missing puzzle piece that clicked everything into place.
“Helen of Troy,” I mused, crossing my hands across my chest as I cocked a hip out. “That’s big talk from someone who was hatched from an egg like a bird."
She screeched and I prepared for her attack, but wind whipped in front of me and she was gone in the blink of an eye. The next time she appeared, the vampire professor was tossing her onto her ass next to Estrid. Baring his fangs at her, he hissed, “Never harm a student. It’s the first oath we took. Or did you forget, Helen?”
Damn, I had definitely gotten the wrong impression of him earlier. The way he’d intervened and spit her name in disgust had him officially crossed off my list of potential threats.
Sweeping her arms out, Estrid smiled like nothing had happened. But the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, and I saw the pinched look she was trying hard to contain. There was something going on behind the scenes here, but it was clear she wasn’t going to air their dirty laundry in front of students.
“Welcome to Dark Imaginarium Academy, officially. Professor Saggia and the demon sector will be an excellent home for you for your duration here. I expect great things from you all, and remember, we are here to help you succeed, so never feel like you’re alone on this uncertain path.”
I wanted to believe her, but from my interaction with Professor Helen, I was beginning to question if we truly were safe here.
Professor Saggia shot Helen a scathing look before coming back over to us. “I promise you will be safe with us. I’m going to visit with Victoria quickly to get your schedules prepared and to figure out what we’ll be doing for permanent dorms. Why don’t you head to the library and pull some books from the demon section? It might help for you to read up a bit on what you’ll see with your fellow classmates.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that I had devoured all material pertaining to them already back in Ordinarius, but maybe being lost in shelves of books was exactly what I needed right now to calm down.
“Okay,” I agreed, forcing a smile to my face and nodding before flicking my eyes to Professor Helen as she stood back up, brushing her dress off.
The hatred in her gaze made one thing crystal clear: We were enemies.
Tipping my chin up, I narrowed my eyes. Bring it on, bitch.
