Ember
Identity. That was the topic of our exam this semester. It was an ongoing project that we were expected to work on both inside and outside the classroom, due by the end of the term and worth seventy-percent of our grade.
And the reason why Victor was calling me his muse.
"You're serious about this," I said to him, flipping through the countless pictures he had of me. He hadn't taken all of them, he'd gotten most from other people. Kane's interest in me had made me into an interesting subject apparently.
"I'm always serious about my grades," he replied. "I used to get called a geek all the time in high school."
I took in a deep breath. "Why did you choose me for your project?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
There was no sarcasm in his question, yet I still couldn't make sense of his reason. "I'm serious." I said tightly.
Victor picked up two pictures, one of me in my old wolf mask and the other of me huddled in the back of a classroom, braids hiding my face while I bit nervously on a pencil. "Are you talking about your two supposedly contrasting personalities?"
I wrinkled my nose. "Supposedly?"
"I have a theory about these," he brought the pictures up and down repeatedly, head moving from side to side with the movement. I smiled, his energetic nature reminded me of Ian. I had a feeling they'd get along well if they met. "You have a hard time speaking up for yourself but no trouble at all fighting behind a mask. I'm assuming it's because the anonymity of the mask gives you courage- but well, how about doing it the other way around?"
I shifted in my seat. "The other way around?"
"Next time someone tries to attack or bully you, put a mask on them instead."
"Put a mask on them," I echoed.
He nodded. "Figuratively speaking. Pretend like their words and hostility is actually being directed at someone other than you. Someone you love." He brought the two pictures together, threw them into the air with a flourish. "And then let loose the beast on them."
I nearly got goose bumps, what he'd described had been very close to how I used to imagine Kane's face on an opponent. Letting my anger run free by imagining I was seeing a person I hated had worked, but would Victor's way work too? If it did, it meant I could stop being afraid of going out in public all the time and more importantly, I wouldn't have to worry about embarrassing Kane with my timidity.
"You like the idea," Victor poked me on the forehead. "I can see it."
I nodded. "If it works."
"It's just a theory I'm throwing out there in case you want to try it. Come on, I'll help you brainstorm an idea for your own project."
I brought out my sketchbook and scooted closer to him, suddenly feeling more optimistic about the rest of my day.
And almost forgetting about the possibility that Kane was mad and avoiding me.
Almost.
***
Victor helped me choose a topic and organize the overall setup of my project pretty easily. He was full of explosive ideas and liked to sketch little funny stick figures whenever he was thinking, making the usually lonely work both amusing and productive. Tyra came in not too long after we began but stayed leaned against the wall next to the exit the entire time, focusing on her phone and ignoring the rest of us.
I know she was on the job but I found the lack of communication disappointing after the progress I thought we'd made earlier. She was stunning and confident, the perfect match for Jett's quiet intensity. I wanted them to get together but it was obvious Tyra was wary of joining a werewolf pack for several- mostly unknown- reasons. It meant wooing her over wouldn't be simple.
I was contemplating different ways to befriend her and half-listening to what Victor was saying while we moved on to our next class when we were intercepted in in the hall by two guys. The sight of them instantly had my hackles rising: I remembered them from the worst years in high school, they used to hang out with Caroline and Helen. That meant they were devoted members of the Make Ember Miserable club.
Rodney and Juan. Or Dumb and Dumber as I called them. Rodney resembled a reedy rodent and quite frankly would've been a target rather than aggressor- if his parents weren't super rich and had controlling interest in the businesses where Helen and Caroline's own parents worked. Whether Rodney knew this or not wasn't clear, he seemed simply content with being one of them. Juan was the opposite of his counterpart, handsome but not as well off, he was the most vicious. He was also the one who spoke first.
"We heard about the shitstorm you caused this week," Juan sneered. "Mind explaining it to us, Omega?"
My gut tightened at the sight of my worst nightmare turned reality: my high school bullies were giving it a shot at being my college bullies. If such a thing existed.
"Why did you wait until Ember came to school before asking this?" Victor demanded, breaking me out of my panic. "Oh, that's right, Kane was home with her."
"Shut up." Lightning fast- Rodney punched Victor, blood as red as his hair splattering from his nose. His head snapped back from the hit, but Rodney yanked him forward by the collar of his shirt, shaking him with a growl.
I had my mouth gaping in horror at how quickly the violence had escalated but Victor's mouth spread into a huge grin, body swaying with Rodney's angry shakes. Still grinning, he glanced at me. "Ember, Juan just hit Ian. What are you going to do about it?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Rodney snarled. "You're Victor Mckeen, you idiot."
He wasn't alone in his confusion, my own brain stuttered once before catching onto what Victor was doing. Putting his theory into practice.
"No. I'm Ian Morel," Victor said.
A dubious look came across Rodney's face. He opened his mouth to say something else, but a shout came out instead.
I'd slashed at his arm with my claws, drawing four angry red lines across the exposed skin.
He turned on me. "You stupid little-"
I placed a hand on his chest, shoving him into Juan. They stumbled in a tangle of long limbs and arms, eventually collapsing onto the floor with loud curses.
I straightened Victor's shirt, glowering coolly down at the two idiots. "If a couple of guys had attacked your sisters would your first reaction be to confront your sisters for speaking out?"
They really did have sisters- way younger so I've rarely seen them- and I could see the brief moment of fear when they lived through the scenario I'd narrated, but it was gone in a flash. Juan leapt upwards, expression furious. "As if our sisters would tease a guy enough-"
"That's where you should stop talking," Tyra drawled, swinging a kick that took Juan's feet right from under him. He was on his back and bellowing profanities but Tyra continued walking as if nothing had happened, going out of the building's exit without a backward glance.
"Get her!" Juan scrambled to get off his ass, sneakers squeaking against the polished floor.
Victor started laughing so hard he clutched his stomach but I managed to keep a straight face...until the door opened again and the sight of Jett standing there glaring stole the strength out of both their legs. I lost the battle with my will then and was holding onto Victor to keep myself from falling, tears streaming from my eyes as I howled with laughter.
We were still laughing when Jett jerked his head at us and we walked around Dumb and Dumber (Victor stepped on Rodney's fingers and he shrieked, sending us into another round of uncontrollable giggling). Then we were stumbling outside behind Jett, holding hands and trying to get ahold of ourselves.
That's exactly how Kane found us.
***
Tyra
Jett hadn't lied when he said he wouldn't chase after me. He didn't.
Not even when I'd told him flat out that I was leaving while he'd been going after Ember and those two fools in the hall. He'd barely acknowledged my declaration with a nod, hadn't even watched me walk away. I knew because I looked back. Three times.
All in all, escaping the fearsome hybrid had taken less than a minute. Bummer.
Getting back home took much longer in comparison, it wasn't because I was unfamiliar with it- I've made sporadic visits to the human world whenever I was bored in the past- but because I didn't have any cash on me and couldn't give the fae guarding the gates the alternative they were asking for.
"Thirty years of your youth," a toad requested.
"Go scam that fly over there instead, old hag," I replied with a sigh.
The toad cast a brief glance to the side, blinking its huge eyes very slowly. "Life span is too short."
I scoffed. "So is mine, get lost."
That conversation was followed by seven more and in the end it had taken the entire day for me to finally get home. (I promised a wasp a bracelet small enough to fit its stinger, all the while silently making plans to never go its way ever again.) Our home was recently built and it showed in the brilliant white columns, the well-kept gardens and flurry of servants moving about to maintain the place. The sight of it had sent a bolt of pride through me in the past but now I faced it with apprehension.
How would my parents receive me? What if they forced me to go back after I went to all the trouble of leaving? Gosh, the humiliation of having to face Jett again if it came to that.
No time to regret it now.
Shaking the negative thoughts off, I raised my chin and stalked across the courtyards, nodding a greeting to the nervous servants and throwing open the front doors.
But what greeted me in our tastefully decorated flyer was worse than a pair of furious parents.
"Tyra Grunder," Light said. "I've been waiting for you."