Nightshade Academy Episode 5: Deadly Contract by Kestra Pingree

Author:Kestra Pingree [Pingree, Kestra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: contemporary fantasy, paranormal, vampires, young adult, new adult, Monsters, Academies, paranormal romance
Publisher: Kestra Pingree
Published: 2020-03-02T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

I ignore my throbbing wrist and swipe the watermelon tourmaline off the floor. Then I reach out with my good hand, but I don’t make it close enough to touch either Archer or Eduardo. I slip on the Crow’s blood. My almost-severed wrist gives out on me when I try to catch myself, and I hit the stones below, ear-first. My head rings, and my vision tumbles.

Fire pushes through the open window wall, reaching up and over the gothic desk. Eduardo drops Archer’s limp body to dodge the flames. Archer crumples, but she’s safe at the desk’s base, and a stuttering heartbeat means she’s alive.

The smoke filling the room singes my nose, hiding the bad blood smells while replacing them with something just as bad. Or worse. It plants a growing pressure in my head. The heat is too much. Sweat slicks my skin, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it melted, turning all of me into liquid. But at the same time, my mouth is as dry as sand.

“This school failed to teach you the importance of combat,” Eduardo says and crouches down next to unconscious Archer. Orange light flickers across his Color, saturating it.

I shake my head and reclaim my thoughts. This is bad. Eduardo’s right. We’re no match for him.

I don’t know if Archer and I can do this on our own, but we don’t have a choice. Helena won’t protect anyone if we go down.

And I don’t want to die.

Eduardo holds Archer’s bloody, limp neck and bares his teeth.

“Stop,” I say. “Let her go.”

He smirks. “I suppose you’ll stop me if I don’t.”

I stand on wobbly legs. “Yeah,” my voice tries to break, but I hold it together. “I will.”

I hydroplane across the blood, and I curl and flex my fingers to check my wrist. It’s healed well enough to use. Eduardo drops Archer when I make a grab for his forearm. I switch targets and catch Archer before her head can hit the hard ground. After gently laying her down, I whirl, kicking out a leg. My boot catches Eduardo’s scuffed Oxfords.

Unfortunately, he lands on top of me, catching my wrists and knocking me down at the same time—but I still have the crystal. Maybe this is fine. He’s touching me. I have to concentrate if this is going to work.

His minty breath encompasses my senses. It’s like he just brushed his teeth. And here I was expecting something vile.

“You’re both much more trouble than your mother,” he says, “but you’re also more valuable, so I suppose it’s to be expected.”

“Why did you do it?” My voice warbles with pent-up rage. It’s all I can do to keep from shouting. I need to stay in control. Focus, Nova. You can do this. You have to do this.

Stay in control and drain his Color.

Lotus pink and rust orange mingle where Eduardo’s hands touch my wrists. Slowly, my Color turns redder, the texture rougher.

“Make it look like a suicide?” Eduardo muses.

“Why didn’t you take her Color like you did Archer’s?”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.