Van
The day went by faster than Van anticipated. Most of her classes were ordinary fare, like math and English. In those classes, she found herself surrounded by students her own age. No trembling thirteen year olds were in sight, but as she made her way to the final class for the day, she noticed she was once again surrounded by Novitiates of all ages.
"Van, wait up."
Hailey's voice rose up from the crowd, and Van swept her eyes across the hallway until they landed on the blonde girl. Her round cheeks were flushed and wisps of hair escaped the intricate braid hanging over her shoulder.
"What are you doing here?"
"I have early release at school everyday because this class is mandatory for all Novitiates."
"They teach gym at the Academy."
Hailey giggled as she looped her arm through Van's and tugged her into the cavernous gymnasium where the other students were waiting. Immediately, she knew exactly what caused the other girl's mirth. Weapons hung on the walls, their wicked edges gleaming with menace, but despite the pristine condition, Van knew with certainty that each and everyone of those blades had ripped through flesh.
It made sense that the Asylum would use the gym for combat training instead of softball games and track. She bounced on her toes, getting a feel for her balance and reflexes, suddenly very grateful her father had insisted on the private lessons with Trixie before sending her to school here. Even with her supposed bloodline enhancements, she worried she wouldn't be able to hold up against students who had been training since they could walk.
In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of Isaiah moving toward them. His gait was so different from Luca's. His steps heavy and his posture rigid where the young shifter revealed his feline grace in every motion. But he shared the same confident swagger. Beside her, Hailey sighed.
"Isaiah Abbot is so handsome. I've never seen anyone else who comes close to him. I mean his eyes look like ice against his dark skin."
Van glanced over at the girl and frowned. Hailey's bottom lip rolled between her teeth while she tracked the boy's approach with lust, lidded eyes. The wanton expression looked strange on a face so angelic.
"Hello ladies," Isaiah said, sparing Hailey a glance before latching all his attention on Van. "You tell yourself anything interesting yet?"
"All the time," she said, "which is more than I can say for you so far."
"Van!"
"It's okay, Hailey. Vanessa and I got off on the wrong foot. I wasn't aware she was so prickly."
Van rolled her shoulders, trying to alleviate the itch forming between them. She couldn't argue the prickly statement, but that wasn't what caused her irritation with Isaiah. It wasn't that he had said anything worth raising her ire. She replayed the incident in her mind. If someone else had caught her talking to herself, she'd probably have been just as aloof, her embarrassment driving her to coldness, but after the shame faded, she would have felt silly. Might have even apologized for acting so foolish.
No, she didn't like Isaiah. It was that simple. There was something off about him. Deeply, fundamentally wrong.
She shook off the feeling and tuned into the conversation Hailey had started. Isaiah was doing a passable job of looking like he was paying attention but every so often, his blue gaze would slither to Van, lingering longer than was comfortable before shifting back to Hailey.
"Slayer Frances is going to lead today," he said in answer to a question Van had missed. "She always handles Shifter Day."
"Shifter Day?"
Hailey's lips lost their flirty tilt, and she swallowed before replying, "Once a quarter some of the shifters are brought in for training."
That struck her as odd. Why would the Slayers want to train shifters? Her lips formed the question before she could stop herself.
Isaiah laughed until tears dripped down his face. Students nearby eyed them curiously but no one called him out. Finally, holding his stomach with one hand, he wiped his face while saying, "We're not going to train them. They're here so we can fight them."
Hailey's nails bit into Van's arms. That alone was what saved her from blurting out words that would blow her cover. Isaiah still smiled at her, but now it was brittle and calculating as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Oh, of course. Makes a lot more sense, huh," Van bit out between clenched teeth. She looked toward the center of the gym. A perfect circle remained empty. So that would be the arena. "Is it the same shifters every time?"
"Depends on what the lesson is on."
Isaiah swooped behind them and pushed them through the crowd until they were standing at the edge of the circle. The bright lights felt very hot and perspiration dotted Van's forehead.
"Most of the time, they pick an animal, and we learn the particular weaknesses. Wolves. Tigers." His voice dropped an octave and became a hiss. "Panthers."
Luca.
When she turned to look at Isaiah, she hoped her expression exuded boredom. "But why? I mean, we control the shifters. Shouldn't we be learning how to fight against vampires?"
He searched her face, apparently liking what he found. Dropping a heavy arm over her shoulder, he wedged himself between her and Hailey. The girl pouted but didn't say anything.
"You'll get plenty of practice against the blood suckers, but don't think for a minute that we control the shifters. Unless they're Collared, they're still free to do whatever they want. Eventually, one of them will get a bright idea and think they can come after us. Destroy the Contract and rescue their children. We have to be prepared because-"
Doors opening on the other side of the gym saved her from having to listen to the rest of Isaiah's speech. His hateful words knotted her stomach until the sour tang of bile coated her tongue. She decided then and there that Brantley would only be the beginning. She wouldn't stop fighting against the Slayers until Luca and his family lived in a world where they could be free.
"This does not look like an orderly group," the new arrival boomed. He was a man of gargantuan proportions. Arms like tree trunks and thighs double that size. But it was all muscle. Dangerous and powerful.
The air filled with the sounds of shoes scuffing on the waxed floor as everyone moved into lines. Isaiah stood behind Van, but he kept his hand on her shoulder.
"Much better. For those of you who don't know me," he began, looking directly at Van with a smile, "I'm Slayer Frances. We have managed to bring in some very special talent today."
Van tensed as the doors opened again, and she didn't imagine Isaiah's grip tightening. Everyone around her roared and clapped in approval as three people walked out. Luca, Livy, and... holy crap that's Bane.
Luca and Livy looked resigned, but Bane's entire body shook with rage as he stomped into the arena. His eyes flickered between green and brown, and she knew what that meant. Luca had taken the time to give her a short lesson on shifters. As children they had pale eyes- green or blue- but once their first shift took them, their human eyes turned brown. Only in their animal form did their natural color return. Which meant Bane was having a very difficult time controlling himself.
Despite the threat coming from Bane, Van was more focused on the other boy. Luca was playing the same game she was. His expression was one of apathy and cruel arrogance, but she knew him well enough by now to know that the rigid set of his shoulders and jaw meant he was on edge.
"The three you see before you are examples of shifters in their prime. Not to mention they're panthers." Some of the younger students gasped. "They're notoriously dangerous fighters. The Brooks and Forests have long been the dominant families, producing Alphas for centuries. In fact, Luca will become Alpha one day. Who here thinks they could take on the future Alpha?"
Bane snarled at Frances, disgust evident in the noise. Isaiah leaned over and whispered in Van's ear, "This is why we prepare. Because when filthy animals like the ones before you go rabid, they have to be put down."
The weight of his hand disappeared, and she knew he was preparing to raise it. But the thought of Isaiah fighting against Luca made her want to scream, and without thinking, she thrust her hand up high.
"I'd like to fight Lu- the panther, Slayer Frances."
Slayer Frances looked pleased. Livy looked ill, and Van didn't know how Luca looked because she couldn't raise her eyes to meet him as she stepped into the circle. When she finally dragged them upward, she found Isaiah had moved so that he was standing across from her once more, and it was his expression that scared her the most.
Because he looked victorious.