A hand gently nudged my shoulder, causing me to jump and nearly lash out with my magic.
"Whoah," the vampire I spoke with before said quietly. "Didn't mean to startle you."
I must have slept through the entire drive. "We're already in Viksenti?" I looked out my window, where we were parked in a warehouse-looking building. Other vehicles lined the inside.
The vamp nodded in response to my question. "I'm Lenon, by the way. I go by Lee."
"Ikaria," I said, stretching my body after the long trip. The vamp's eyes darted to my neck. I quickly recoiled, my eyes growing cold at the familiar hunger I saw in his expression.
"Sorry," Lee said, realizing his error. "I've actually never encountered a female fae before. The scent of your blood is... overwhelming." Lee backed away from me, and I stepped forward as we followed the rest of the bus out into the open.
"It's okay," I said quietly to him, "Just don't bite me without asking, and we'll be on good terms."
"Do you - do you let vamps bite you?" Lee asked, his hopeful voice barely above a mumble.
But everyone around us essentially froze, his question ringing through the air.
I took it for the opportunity it was. "No, not unless you ask very nicely," I said sweetly, emphasizing the statement with a quick shot of flame that arced into the sky, an indicator that I should not be fucked with. Everyone backed away from me, Lee included.
Perfect.
The more idiotic vamps I was able to deter, the better.
The group of them emptied into the warehouse, and I watched as large groups of Serpents moved busily around me. The Serpents that I had been standing with left quickly, likely already having places to be. Ryder had told me that the chapter in Viksenti was constantly busy.
"Come this way," a stern, female voice said to a group of Serpents near me. An elaborate tattoo of a snake curled around the woman's neck, in the same fashion of all registered members of the Serpents. Placement was the only thing that could be controlled. Some opted for more subtle designs, but some, like this female, liked having it visible.
When my training was over, I would be receiving one as well.
"Hey, special case!" A voice said near me. "Pointy-eared!" I turned towards a shifter walking past me who smelled more like a dog than a wolf. He gave me a lascivious grin. "You better watch out," he said quietly, "You may be a pretty thing with fae blood, but you're just competition here. And a good snack." His jaws snapped the air pointedly, and a group around him burst into laughter.
A snarl emanated from behind me before I could retort, and the air grew suddenly cold. The shifter looked nervously behind me, and I scented fae. I instinctively moved to the side as a large male swept in front of the shifter with a very, very dangerous grin. "I'd be careful if I were you, dogdick," the male purred, "There are so many of you, and such a large space. It would be far too easy to accidentally get lost, especially during training. The woods are a dangerous place, especially for low-magic, dog-shitters like you."
The fae walked away from the shifter without a glance towards me, a cold breeze trailing behind him that seemed to dampen the air around me. The dog shifter didn't risk another look in my direction before skittering away in fear. I could almost picture the metaphorical tail between his legs.
I turned and watched as three large males stepped forward towards me as the shifter retreated. There was a distinct aura about them. Power flickered in the air around them, a stinging, staticky sensation in my nostrils.
Three of the Six, I realized with a start. These would be the ones issuing my orders for the next ten years. I wondered nervously if they had seen my brief pyrotechnic show.
"Ikaria, is it?" the male in the middle said boredly, flicking something off his suit. I nodded in response to his question. "I don't care what Zephyr told you in Starlight City, but here, you're not special. Regardless of what Zephyr perceived in you, you'll be tested here. For real." He was a vamp. I watched as his dark eyes took me in with that same cold, calculating stare that I'd seen Zephyr issue.
The fae male to his left met my gaze with a golden-green combination that unnerved me. I had never encountered another full-blooded fae before, and he seemed to think the same thing as his nostrils flared.
A shifter on the right smiled, his teeth gleaming underneath the sparse warehouse lighting. "Training will be rigorous. You'll wish you'd never set foot here."
I shivered, a movement that did not go unnoticed by the Three.
"Follow me," the cool voice of the vamp commanded as he stepped around me. I inhaled sharply at the ripple of power while the three of them slid past me. My pulse leapt into my throat, and I followed them through the warehouse.
"Due to the safety concerns," the shifter said without looking at me, "You won't be staying in the normal barracks. You'll be staying in the Six's quarters."
"Safety concerns?" I found myself asking.
"You're fae." The vamp gave me a cold grin. "Your blood smells too good for you to stay in the barracks, regardless of how good our safety measures might be." He made a big show of scenting me, leaning over my body, "Has anyone ever told you that your blood smells like gold?"
"I didn't realize gold had a scent," I returned, trying to keep my voice steady as my blood ran cold.
"It does." The vamp offered no additional words.
I followed the Three into an elevator nervously.
"Calm your pulse down," the fae male snapped. "You have nothing to be anxious for."
"I'm not convinced," I said quietly as I caught the vamp eyeing my throat hungrily. His fangs peeked ever so slightly beneath his lips.
I carefully surveyed the three males in my periphery. They were all taller than me by far, dwarfing me by at least a foot each. Power simmered in the small elevator space, threatening to overtake my senses.
The fae male had dark bronze skin and hair as dark as night. His skin was absolutely covered in tattoos. Those golden-green eyes were calculating, watchful. And I knew without a doubt that they didn't miss a thing.
The shifter had dark eyes as well, his eyes upturned ever so slightly. I tried to pick up his scent beyond just the shifter musk, but I couldn't figure out what animal his form resembled. His tan skin rippled faintly every once in a while, as if it was containing a form much larger than his humanoid skin could contain.
The vamp had equally dark features, and a short, well-trimmed beard. His skin was far more pale, but like the fae, it was covered in tattoos from the wrists up.
I could feel each of them watching me in kind, observing the new thing that Zephyr sent to them. I couldn't help but feel as if they were looking at me as if I were a piece of meat to be devoured.
"Ten years, eh?" the fae asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes. Ten years."
"Brilliant," the vamp hissed, sending shivers down my spine. The elevator halted, and we all filed out as the doors opened. I could do nothing but follow the three as we meandered through hallways that were laid out in a similar fashion to Zephyr's Serpents base in Starlight City. We passed offices and training rooms, gyms and pools, dining halls and barracks. The building was massive.
We finally reached the end of a hallway with double doors, and I followed the three males inside. The space was laid out in a way that I expected of Zephyr's infamous Six. The room itself was gilded in gold. Six massive desks lay at one end, each of them with their own unique styles. Several couches lined the walls along both sides of the room, and an elevator entrance glistened at the other side.
"Why an elevator?" I asked curiously.
"It leads up into our quarters, which is where you'll be staying as well. It's the only entrance into that part of the building. Another security measure," the shifter explained. "Is that it's been spelled. Anyone not preauthorized to utilize it will be drugged by vapour the moment they step foot in the elevator, and we will be alerted to their presence.
"Ah."
"Sit, Ikaria," the vamp said firmly. He wasn't using his compulsion on me. He wouldn't dare try, not to a fae. I had my guard up, my species one of the few that could resist compulsion with the right training. My mental shields had been up and ready for battle ever since I heard Zephyr's voice on the phone. Some vamps, like the leader of the Serpents, were able to use compulsion, even over technology.
I took a seat in the chair where the vampire gestured, and the three took their respective seats in the desks directly in front of me.
"Introductions are expected, I suppose," the vamp said boredly. "I'm Shane. The fae is Steele. Rhynn is the shifter. And we're going to make this very, very clear to you." He leaned forward. "You are not welcome here, Ikaria Silverstone."
I was not expecting that. I leaned back in my chair, folding my hands in front of me, keeping my expression stony. Emotionless.
"Zephyr may have chosen you because you're fae," Steele added, his gold-green eyes staring into me, "But you are nothing without training and experience."
"Neither of which you will get," Rhynn said with a too-white grin, "Unless you keep us happy and stay out of trouble. Understood?"
I scoffed. "So, what? I'm just supposed to bare my neck to Shane every time he gets hungry?"
"And to me," Steele said with a grin. His two front teeth were too sharp, too elongated to belong to a regular fae. "I happen to have some vamp blood somewhere distantly in my family tree. I may not need to feed as often as Steele, but I still need to." He bared his teeth at me, and I mustered up the most bored expression I could. But I was certain they could all hear the pounding heartbeat in my chest.
I leaned forward in my seat, addressing Shane in a challenge. "What are you saying, then? Are you not going to honour the agreement that Zephyr and I made?"
"Obviously," Shane answered boredly. "But your training will be just as rigorous as it is for our other recruits."
"Of course," I said, my tone clipped. "I would expect nothing less. Where do I need to go?"
"First," Shane said with a too-wide grin that sent goosebumps up and down my arms, "I'd like a taste."
No, I immediately thought. No no no. But it was part of Zephyr's bargain with me. Ten years, and any of the Six could feed as often as they needed to from me. I was to give in with no protest.
I let out a deep breath. "Fine. Where do you want me?"
"Stay there," the vamp said with a grin, and in a split second, his hand was in my hair, lifting it away from my neck carefully. His head bowed low as I sat in my place, not daring to move. Movement always triggered vamps. I'd been bitten too many times to count. Wretched, vampiric pain would fill my body as my life force was slowly drained. I had nearly died from it on occasion, too. The idea of being bitten again was abhorrent to me.
Shane groaned as he caught the scent of my blood. "It's truly pure gold." He leaned forward, his nose brushing my neck, and then froze. He backed away suddenly, withdrawing. His voice grew quiet. "I'll not be biting you today."
I looked at him in shock. He had been so intent. "Why?"
"You're injured," Steele said quietly from where he sat at his desk, his nostrils flaring. "How were you injured?"
"Did Zephyr not tell you anything about the nature of my bargain?" I asked.
The three males shook their heads.
"My back was clawed apart in an attack. And that's all you need to know." The Three leaned forward, intrigued, but I kept my mouth shut. I didn't need to tell them anything if I didn't want to.
There was a long, pregnant pause.
Steele pressed a button beside his desk, not breaking eye contact with me. "Rowe, bring Ikaria's stuff up to her new rooms. And tell Brady to come up to the office, ASAP."
"What will training look like?" I asked as he hung up, wanting to change the subject. I tried to put authority into my voice. Considering I was exhausted and it was now around seven AM, I was sure it didn't sound all that convincing.
Steele looked at me with cold, calculating eyes. "You'll start the day after tomorrow, as per Zeph's orders. Training will consist of hand-to-hand combat, magic combat, and a basic lowdown on Serpent shit. When you've passed training here, you'll go to Lornley to meet the other Three. Or they'll come here, depending on whether or not Lornley can spare them. After they've also assessed you, if you're deemed worthy enough, the Six of us will decide where you'll fit in our ranks."
I kept my expression calm. "What do you mean?"
"We mean," Rhynn grinned, leaning forward in his desk, "That we'll get to decide whether or not to make you a Seventh."
I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips, "Why would Zephyr even consider that?"
"You're fae," Steele said quietly. "He'd be stupid not to place you high in the ranks. Not with the power I can scent on you."
"Bullshit," I hissed. "How does being a Seventh keep me safe? All that will do is place a target on my back and on-" I cut myself off before I could mention my parents. "This is bullshit. I need to talk to Zephyr. I thought the plan was that I was going to stay below the radar."
"By all means, go ahead." Shane stood from his chair and towards the door of the large office, promptly letting in two other males. I scented them both as nymphs. Shane made eye contact with me. "If I'm not mistaken, nowhere in your agreement did it say that you could say no to direct orders from a member of the Six. Besides, the chances of you actually managing to impress us enough to make you a Seventh are unlikely."
I let out a hiss of frustrated breath, watching as one of the nymphs approached me.
"This is Brady," Rhynn introduced. "Brady, this is Ikaria. She's in need of medical attention. And the one over there is Rowe," he pointed. "He'll basically be your chauffeur while you're here."
I raised a hand in greeting, and shifted in my seat as Brady cautiously approached me to take a look at my injuries. I hesitated, not wanting him to proceed with any kind of healing in front of the others.
"You'll forgive us if we stay," Shane said, leaving no room for disagreement. "But we need to know the extent of the damage."
"Fine," I tried not to spit the word out, "But if you make a single comment, I'll incinerate you right here. I don't care if Zephyr has me killed for it."
"You incinerate him," Steele's eyes grew cold, "And I'll freeze you where you stand and take a mallet to your body."
We stared at each other until I broke eye contact. I slipped off my jacket and shirt so that the nymph could have full access to my injuries. Brady removed the bandages from my back.
"Oh," Brady said behind me softly, "I didn't realize that-"
"Save it, please," I interrupted quietly. "This is humiliating enough."
Brady didn't say anything for a good long while. All he did was poke and prod at my back with careful gloved fingers. "The healing process for this will take quite a bit of time, but I think we can have you ready by tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" I breathed, completely in shock. "How?"
"Healer," the nymph grinned, wiggling his fingers in explanation. He slipped off his gloves and raised his eyebrows at me in question. I nodded wordlessly, and he began to work on my back.
Healers were incredibly rare. I'd never encountered one.
I didn't move, even as I watched the Three silently move around me to survey my back. At least I couldn't see the sympathy in their eyes this way.
Shane let out an angry hiss. Rhynn growled. And Steele's voice was cold as he said, "Who did this to you?"
"It doesn't matter. I'm not with him any more," I said evenly, inhaling sharply as Brady's fingers moved across my back. I felt several wounds heal up at his touch, but the deeper ones, the big ones, I knew would take hours at this rate.
There was silence for a few more moments as I felt the shallower pains leave my skin. My ribs were still a mess, but the bruises were actively fading as I looked down. I turned my head to Brady. "Thank you."
The nymph nodded in acknowledgment, moving around to my front. The Three stayed behind me, eyes glued to my back, to the devastation that I knew they saw. I could hear their heartbeats quicken.
Brady spoke quietly. "I'd like to finish healing it up in your new chambers. It'll take some time, and it might be best if you're laying on a flat surface or a bed."
"That's fine," I said, pulling my shirt back over my head. Like a spell, the Three broke away from behind me and returned to their desks.
Steele looked pale, and his eyes were angry. I knew I'd feel the same if their roles had been switched. No one could have deserved what happened to me. To my people.
It was silent for a few more moments, until those golden-green eyes met mine.
Steele's voice was quiet, but I had never heard so much fury in someone's voice before.
"Someone tore out your wings."