“Big surprise there,” Eva said.
She looked even more tense than before, and I had an inkling why. Eva’s parents, more than anyone else’s, would want her to succeed during the Beltane Trial. Them being here put immense pressure on her.
We made our way into the wide open space, toward the same dais we’d waited upon before. A handful of our classmates already sat in chairs. I found Diana wedged between Kira Johnston and José Valdez. I shook my head, I’d never seen her talk to either of them. Clearly, she’d only sat there to keepmefrom sitting next to her. Unfortunately for her, I was not so easily swayed.
Plopping down in the seat behind Diana, I wasted no time tapping her on the shoulder.
“Diana. We should talk.”
“Isn’t it enough that I will be the one who ensures you progress to the Grind year, Legacy?” Diana said, her back resolutely to me.
My lips parted in surprise. “You’re not even going to try to talk to me before the biggest test of our lives? What if I have something to offer that’s helpful?”
Diana snorted. “Admittedly, you are getting better. However, you know nothing that I don’t.” She whipped around, and her blue eyes bore through me. “Let’s just take this for what it is—an annoying twist of fate that brought us together. There’s no need to bond.” She turned back around.
I slammed my back against my chair and crossed my arms over my chest. Fine. If she didn’t want to talk to me now, I could handle that. But once we went through that warphole, she couldn’t ignore me so easily.
In fact, she might even need me.
Of course, I was not the first to face my trial, as I would’ve liked to have been. I was dead last.
Again.What does the universe have against me?
At least I’d been able to witness Eva and Amethyst return from their trials unscathed. That, and because my peers had gotten through their trials in just under three hours, when Headmistress Wake called Diana and I up alongside Alex and Hunter, I still felt fresh.
While my partner sneered at me, my boyfriend squeezed my hand reassuringly as we approached the warphole. The headmistress handed out the same gold bracelets that we’d worn for the Samhain Trials as a way of calling aid should we need it.
“And now, Diana Wake, Odette Dane, Alexander Wardwell, and Hunter Wardwell shall begin their trial. Your test starts now.”
Without further instruction, Diana stepped through the vortex, and I followed. For the first time, the heat of the warphole caressing my skin and the energy tingling over me didn’t startle me, and I landed on the other side with grace.
I scanned our surroundings. We’d landed in an alleyway.
My gaze shifted to Diana, who was pointedly looking away. “Do you know where to go?” I asked.
Diana snorted and pointed toward the mouth of the alley. “Already you need my help?Obviously, we need to get onto the street, Legacy.”
She stomped away, toward the bright lights of the street. I refrained from rolling my eyes and followed. If I had to, I would try to keep my attitude positive for both of us.
When we emerged onto the street a smile cracked the tension riddling my face. “We’re in Brooklyn.”
“How do you know that?” Diana asked, her tone sharp.
“Before my parents dropped me off at Spellcasters, we spent a few days in the city before heading to Portland, Maine. I wanted to explore Brooklyn and remember this spot. There’s a popular goth hangout just down there called ‘Fangs and Fetishes,’ which could be a perfect place for—”
“Vampires,” Diana finished, and took off in the direction that I pointed.
We spotted the bar from a couple blocks away. “Fangs and Fetishes” wasn’t a subtle name for a vampire establishment, but sometimes hiding in plain sight was best.
We ducked into an alley, and Diana conjured us both appropriate clothing. I’d asked for tight, faux leather leggings, a skimpy top, and glittery Converse sneakers. Diana looked similar, except for the severe stilettos she wore on her feet. I had concerns about whether she could fight in those, but thought it best not to bring it up. Either way, our new outfits would fit right in with the scene we were about to enter.
We pulled out the fake IDs that Spellcasters had supplied their students for instances such as these. Thankfully, there was no line, and after the bouncer examined our fraudulent cards, he let us in.
As soon as we stepped foot into the bar, pounding music filled my ears, and the scent of bodies, sweaty and lustful, teased my nostrils. Fangs and Fetishes wasn’t just a bar, it was a strip club.
“So, do you think—”
I didn’t get to finish my question, because Diana walked toward the bar.
