Bloodline Secrecy: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Academy Novel (Bloodline Academy Book 2), Lan Chan [readict TXT] 📗

Sophie said. She quickly opened the door. I waited until I got my temper under control before I stepped inside.

Basil wasn’t home. He was in the library again. They’d waited until he wasn’t around to do this. “They’ve been watching us,” I said.

Sophie stuffed some lasagne into her mouth. “Soph!”

“Don’t,” she said. “You don’t want to get into a flame war with these kids. Some of them literally have nothing better to do. If you show them it affects you, it’ll only encourage them.”

“If we don’t do anything, they’ll think we’re spineless.”

“No they won’t. They’re afraid.” I cocked a brow at her. “Come on, Lex. You defeated a manticore in your entry trial. And then you fought demons in your final exam. They would be stupid not to be afraid.”

“Well, they certainly are stupid.”

On the way out, I inspected the paint. It glowed faintly. “It’s magicked,” Sophie said. “That’s going to take a spell to remove.”

I had to clamp my jaw shut to stop snarking. As if I didn’t already have enough problems. Arcane Magic was up next. I did not want to go. But aside from not appearing like I was avoiding Kai, I needed to check in with Professor Mortimer about my next blood magic lesson.

I almost gave myself a crick in the neck trying to look in the opposite direction to wherever Kai was sitting. My only relief came when the professor took me aside while everyone was practicing their circles.

“Alessia,” he said. “How are you?”

“Considering we just spent the first half of that lesson on how to fortify our circles against light magic and inter-dimensional shifting, I’d say not that great.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I understand the headmistress has had a chat to you about how to go about reporting anything inappropriate.”

“I wasn’t complaining, sir. Just making an observation.”

“Of course. Now, let’s talk about this blood magic Basil has been teaching you. I’m sure you’re very aware of the fact that the Academy does not include this branch of magic in our lessons well into the senior year because of its unpredictability. It is also potentially harmful to the user as well as forbidden with blood that does not belong to you.”

“Yes, sir. I know all of that.”

“Be that as it may, Basil has indicated that he is proficient in the practice. I might have to agree given what you did with it during your final exam. I’ve had a talk with Basil and we both agree that for now, I will allow you to continue learning. But if ever there comes a time when the practice has to be discontinued, I want you to promise me that you will heed my instructions.”

“When would that time be, sir? When I double-cross everyone?”

He coughed. “I’m not accusing you of anything, Alessia. But you have to understand, we’ve already had one student succumb to dark magic recently. The last thing we need is to lose you as well.”

I knew he was trying to be helpful, but it felt slightly insulting. Thanks to the fantastic morning I’d had, my response was not tempered.

“I can promise you, sir, that I don’t care enough about my grades or making it in this world to bother using my blood to make it happen.”

Of course that was the very moment Kai walked past us. He was barefoot. A lick of green chalk was smudged across his cheek. His shoulders tensed. Nephilim hearing was almost as good as shifter hearing. Dammit.

Professor Mortimer sighed. “I really didn’t mean to offend you, dear.”

“None of you do,” I said. “It just seems to happen anyway.”

The rest of my lessons went just as swimmingly. The rest of the week made me want to play hookie. I was practically raring for a fight by the time my first High Magic class rolled around. Brigid was in this one too.

When I slid into a seat in the back near Max, she snickered. “It’s only a matter of time before they drag you out of here,” she said.

So far, I’d managed to keep my cool. I’d taken every hit like Sophie asked and didn’t make a peep. The vamp beside Brigid turned around. She too was grinning. Everyone in the room had heard. Now they were all avoiding my gaze.

“For goodness sake,” I muttered.

A hand came down on the back of my chair. Max shook me in my seat. It almost lifted me off the floor. “Ignore it.”

“Easy for you to say,” I snapped. “I’ve seen you throw a punch during the full moon just because someone stepped on your shadow.”

He actually laughed. “I’m not the one who’s being accused of joining Lucifer’s army.”

“Just wait until I have a vision of my own,” I said. “There’s going to be big-time payback.”

Any other response died on my tongue as Isla walked into the room. I had thought she would head straight for Brigid and her friends. Instead, they made brief eye contact. Brigid turned her nose up and gave Isla the cold shoulder.

The golden-winged Fae was just as hard-headed as I was. She didn’t make a fuss and moved to the only empty seat in the room which just happened to be next to me.

“What happened?” I asked as she sat down. “Did you wear the same outfit as her to a party or something?”

Isla’s eyes shot daggers at me. “I made the mistake of saying you might not be the spawn of Satan,” she snapped. “And now they’re not speaking to me. So thanks for that.”

She spent the rest of the class completely ignoring me. I spent the rest of the class tripping out over the fact that she had actually defended me. Sufficed to say I had no clue what was going on in the class at all. Professor Mortimer, who also taught this class, dropped a book on my desk and Isla’s when he dismissed the rest of the students.

“Something to help you catch up,” he said.

Isla groaned. “That’s just what I need right now,” she