I remained quiet, watching him carefully for that glint of satisfaction from hurting my feelings. Too bad I wasn't going to give him such enjoyment.
He continued, "Come now, Celestia. Admit it. I know you’re feeling a whole lot of jealousy right now. I got into the Academy where Master Magnor himself first learned the art of magic. Let me guess. You applied and got the decline letter? Poor little unicorn. Sucks to be so useless." He sighed, shaking his head and wiping his cheeks, as if to remove invisible tears.
I could feel goosebumps crawl up my skin as his eyes took another long look down my frame, continuing before I had a chance to speak.
"You should give up on the whole "huntress" thing. You...a fighter? More suited to be a housewife than a warrior. At least you have a decent body to show for it," he admitted, those red eyes lingering on my legs before moving up to my hips and waist.
Great. Of all the men in this damned place, I have to have this blood-sucking fool lust over me. Just my cup of tea.
"Thank you for your concern, Vincent. Now if you’ll excuse me, I'm off for a run. Need to get going if I expect to stay on schedule for my training session with Magnor," I said, using my sweet voice.
And I hope you fall off a cliff and get eaten by scorching maggots that suck out your soul at an agonizingly slow pace.
Before I could pass by him, he grabbed onto my arm. I narrowed my eyes, exhaling to calm my magic that was ready to pounce.
"You will learn your place soon, Celestia," he threatened.
"Uh huh. I guess you'll never get to see me put in my place since you'll be at Aslan. Good luck to you, Vincent." I tugged my arm out of his grasp, beginning a slow jog, away from him and toward the trail.
I'd gotten halfway down the road when I silently cursed.
Dammit, I forgot my headphones!I groaned, running in place for a moment before biting my lip, turning swiftly back to the house.
"Stupid bloodsucker distracting me," I muttered. I glanced around, wanting to avoid Vincent at all costs. One encounter was more than enough for me, even after all these years, but I reckoned I'd be seeing more of him now that we would be attending the same school.
He'd been aiming to get into this Academy for years, whereas I applied to get payback. I could already imagine his shocked expression when he saw me on campus and realized I got in too, before his face burned a bright red with anger.
That would be a rewarding moment.
I grinned, shaking my head at the thought. I quietly went back into the house. I retrieved my music player from my room; the white pair of earbud headphones were wrapped neatly around the pink device. I had to fight for dear life to get this color during its limited-edition release.
I was ready to head back, unwinding the earbuds and slipping them up under my shirt so they wouldn't get in my way. I paused when I heard raised voices coming from the main living room.
Frowning, I silently made my way there, curiosity getting the better of me. I recalled Vincent saying his father was here to talk to Magnor, but it seemed the conversation wasn't going their way, the yelling an obvious indication of my hypothesis.
Thanks to Magnor’s training, I could hide my presence with ease, not making a sound as I reached the doors that led to the living room.
Thankfully, it wasn't as open as other homes; Magnor explained he wanted privacy when he had business conferences here. His office was big enough to fit at least six people.
The living room was a better option and having the door gave us a sense of security that no one would roam around the rest of our home.
I hid behind the closed half of the door, listening carefully at the exchange leaking out from the room.
"I don't understand why you train her, Master Magnor. She isn't anything special. I have seen her over the years and have yet to see anything of worth come from her!"
I winced at the cold words, taking a deep breath to calm my emotions. Sure, I portrayed a tough personality, but it didn't matter how many years had passed, those words still hurt.
"Celestia may have exceptional parents who've accomplished many things during their lives, but she's nothing like them. She has an unrealistic mindset and you encouraging her delusional visions of becoming someone important will only hurt her in the long run," the man advised.
Magnor sighed heavily, but the man continued.
"There is no such thing as a unicorn shifter. We all know this! She's never even shifted to prove to us she is. Yet, you believe her and have trained her for all these years. All your efforts must have been wasted because I've yet to see any of it bear fruit."
I stood up straight, crossing my arms over my chest and closed my eyes for a moment. I needed to stay calm or Magnor would sense my presence and realize I was listening in.
I knew that no one believed me. Magnor always told me not to concern myself with what others said about me. People didn't believe until they saw something with their eyes, and even then, they would often make up some excuse rather than accept reality.
I stayed silent, wanting to hear how Magnor would respond, but the man continued yet again.