“Miss Day may enter. You Mr Massi, however, are not on the approved list for this gate. Proceed to the south gate via the path on your left.” There’s a slight electrical click then silence. I grab the gate testing to see if it’ll even open. It swings open in my hand and I breathe a sigh of relief. At least I won’t have to scale the gate to get in. I laugh to myself but Eric just shakes his head.
“It’s okay, Ryx, I’ll find you once we’re inside.” Huh, guess Eric thought I was hysterical laughing. I’m shaking my head before Eric even finishes talking. I don’t even want to go in there but going in by myself makes me even more nervous. “The gate’s open, just come with me.” I hiss under my breath. “It’s not like they’ll know.”
“We have to do what they say. I’d rather not get into trouble on our first day here.” Eric reprimands getting that steely look in his eyes he always does when I suggest we do something that might not be entirely on the up and up.
“Fine, but if they decide to sacrifice me, I’m going to come back as a ghost and haunt your ass.” I throw my hands up in the air and do my best impression of a ghost.
“I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Eric laughs, giving me a hug. The hug is over far too quickly for my liking, but any longer and he’d probably be uncomfortable. With his hands still on my shoulders, Eric leans in close as though he’s going to whisper something, but the electrical voice comes back, growling, “No inappropriate touching!” making both Eric and I jump.
With a groan, I pull away from Eric just as he whispers, “I’ll see you soon.”
I turn to watch him walk away with his suitcase in tow. I really don’t want to go in by myself, but I have a mission now, albeit a self-proclaimed mission, but I’m determined to learn the truth and let the world know what really goes on inside these gates. I stare down at my suitcase for a moment, wondering if it really is safe to leave it there or if I should sneak my phone out of it.Whoever is behind the voice is obviously watching, so I better not risk getting caught with the phone.
With a sigh I turn my back on my case and mutter, “It’s not like I brought anything too personal or valuable. The website said they provide us with everything we’ll need so if it goes missing, I won’t be walking around naked at least.” I pat my pocket and groan as the gate clicks closed behind me. “Great, I left my wallet in the F’n suitcase.” Another sigh, “And I’ve been reduced to talking to myself just to delay the inevitable.”
I walk towards the hedge wall blocking my view of the school with a heavy heart. The path leads me through what I think might be a hedge maze, but I emerge less than five minutes later to stare up at the most amazing building I’ve ever seen. The website was wrong, it’s not a gated community, it’s a freaking castle. Spires, turrets, arrow nooks, the castle before me has it all. “Fairy-tale land.” I nod my head at my own words. “I’ve emerged into Fairy-tale land and there’s no prince waiting for me, just a bunch of dick-less Gods-in-training.”
“I actually do have a dick. Can’t speak for everyone, but I know I have one.” I should be more shocked that he came out of nowhere, but I’m too distracted by that voice… I turn my head slowly, peering over my shoulder at the boy behind me. I have to admit, calling him a boy is definitely an insult, he’s all man. I wasn’t really in the right mood to get a good look at the Gods-in-training up close while being cornered at the assembly, but I’m seeing this guy now…
Those shoulders fill out his shirt quite nicely, pressing tightly to those… eight - there are eight abs. Holy hotness! Why do the douchebags of the world have to be the ones with hot bodies and looks that make you drool? His dark hair and dark eyes give him a very bad boy vibe, but it’s the cocky smirk on his full lips that make him evil in my opinion. It’d be so easy to fall for that smirk and get sucked into a world of hurt and heartache. His almost black eyes are practically twinkling as he stares at me the same way I’m looking at him.
“Not interested. You forced me to come, I’m here, now F off and don’t threaten my friend again.” I snap, turning back to face the direction I was heading.
“Is that any way to talk to your God?” His deep husky voice sends a shiver down my spine, the kind of shiver that precedes the need for clean panties and a cold shower. I hesitate for a moment, my heart and head warring.
Should I turn and catch another glimpse of that fine body or ignore him and be the bigger person?
Yeah, nah.
I spin around once more to face him; his self-righteousness pissing me off. “You may be born from the Gods, but that doesn’t make youmyGod. It just makes you a douche who thinks too highly of himself.” I raise my brow and give him a look, one that says I’m not going to take his B.S.
His laughter rings out around us, but it’s the way he stalks towards me that alerts me to the danger I’m in. “You’re not allowed to talk to us like that. We wouldn’t want you ending up under the stadium with the dragon now, would we?” He’s only a few steps away from me now. I have to tilt my head back a bit to look him in the eyes.
I sigh. I could play this one of two ways, keep snarking at him and hope he’s bluffing or see if I can weasel some information out of him.
Okay Ryx, big girl panties, let’s see what this douche can tell me.
I plaster on a fake smile and tilt my head like I’ve seen girls do when they flirt at school. “Seriously? You guys have a dragon?” I ask in a fake excited voice. At his nod, my smile slips. I hide my shaking hands behind my back as I tilt my head to the other side.
What if that’s what really happens to the sacrifices?
No, couldn’t be.
“Is the dragon like the ones in the stories? Bigger than a house and covered in scales, or are they actually really small and cuddly like kittens?” I want to groan at the sound of my own fake flirty voice, but I grit my teeth and keep the sickly sweet smile on my face.
“Are you thick in the head or something?” He asks, backing me into the shrubs. “We have a dragon, yes, and half the time she decides to play with her food instead of eating it, it’s not like in the stories, she’s a fierce beast and very territorial.”
I can feel the prickly leaves scratching my bare arms, but I don’t pay them any attention as he leans closer to me. As the wind picks up, I catch a scent that reminds me of home, this sweet nectar that tantalises the senses.
Shaking my head, I drop the fake fan-girl act and reply, “Considering you know all about my test scores, I think you already know the answer to that.” I deliberately ignore the comments he made about the dragon. “I just don’t think you‘Gods’are all that.” I say, using my fingers to make air quotes as I say Gods. “Every single one that I’ve met so far has been an arrogant, self-righteous a-hole who I’d like to kick in the teeth.”
Pulling my hands out from behind my back was a mistake, not only does he grasp my wrists, trapping my hands between our bodies, but he uses the move to push his chest right up against me.
He tilts his head so his lips are so close to my own that all I’d have to do is pucker up and we’d be kissing. Is he going to kiss me?Do I want him to kiss me?I shudder as lust pools low in my stomach.I really want to kiss him.
“How about we drop the act, Angel, Iwantyou and by the reaction I’m getting right now, you want to find out what it would be like to be with a God. What do you say, want to see if I can make all your dreams come true?”
If he was anyone else. I mean it,anyone elseI’d be a puddle of lust on the ground right now.