“It is about Atlantis,” he said.
I wasn’t surprised. Atlantis rising again was the biggest news in the supernatural world. Our school had been flooded with hundreds of supes, all of them requesting information from me and my guys. They all wanted to know what had happened when we’d been down there and what we’d learned from the different Atlanteans we’d met. Eventually I’d magically recorded my information so that Princeps Jones could just hand it out.
The supernatural world didn’t really have media the same way humans did, but they still reported the news around their communities.
“Has it risen?” I asked Louis, unease tinging my words. My fate was irrevocably tied to this world, and not knowing what that meant was killing me. “Have you seen it?”
Louis shook his head. “It hasn’t risen yet, and that’s the issue. I’ve spoken to Connor and what’s left of the Arterians—they’re basically living on a houseboat near the alleged site—and he has no idea what’s causing this delay. It should be above the surface by now.”
I swallowed roughly. “Is it a bad thing if it doesn’t rise?”
Louis was thoughtful. I liked that before he answered he actually considered all the information he possessed, piecing together the many, many thoughts in his head. “There’s no stopping the rise,” he finally said, “that much is clear. With that in mind, the delay is concerning me—that’s an awful lot of energy and magic and history stuck there between worlds. I’m worried how this is going to affect the ley lines … how it’s going to affect the supernatural communities … how it’s going to impact Faerie. Because that land, more than anything else on Earth, was closely tied to Atlantis. Ever since last year, I’ve been gathering information on Atlantis, but there’s very little in the wider community.”
I shook my head, frustration gripping me. “We need the library.”
“Are you any closer?” he asked.
“No,” I said shortly. “No one can figure out its location.” A sigh escaped. “I’m starting to wonder if Asher’s family didn’t move it again when he was born for some reason, and it’s not on Academy grounds at all.”
Louis looked thoughtful but didn’t say anything else about the library.
“I told Connor there was no point in you heading to the site yet. If Atlantis has not risen, you would just be wasting time waiting. Best that you stay here and continue your education.”
I was more than a little relieved by this news. “He can contact me if something happens,” I said, and Louis nodded.
“Yes, he’s agreed to those terms.”
We wrapped up the rest of the meeting quickly, and I was glad for the update—however small—about Atlantis. Now it was time for me to enjoy my first day of the new year at school.
For the first time in my life, school excited me.
6
Larissa and I made it into the commons with twenty minutes to spare before the first assembly. We wouldn’t have long for breakfast, but it would be enough time to eat something. I’d grown pretty accustomed to my four square meals a day—second breakfast was totally a thing—I needed at least a snack.
It was packed this morning as we made our way to the table the Atlantean-five had claimed—apparently since their first day of year one. It was unspoken, but everyone knew not to sit there. Everyone except me back on my first day. Jesse had schooled me, and I’d schooled him right back. Which apparently was enough for him to put me in the “interesting” category. Shifters loved fire, and I had it in spades, but Jesse didn’t make my heart race like Asher. No one I’d ever met made me feel like Asher.
“Feels like a lifetime ago I first sat at this table,” I said, shaking my head at the memories.
Larissa laughed. “So much has changed. Remember how big of an asshole Rone was?”
My eyes almost rolled out of my head. “God, I could have throat punched him twice the moment he first opened his mouth.”
“Not talking about me, are you?” Rone’s deep voice came from right behind us and I jumped about a foot in the air. Larissa, on the other hand, just swung around and shoved him hard. “Don’t use your vampire skills to sneak up on Maddi. She doesn’t have our advantage with that.”
It warmed my heart when she stuck up for me.Family.It was my theme for this year.
Rone’s hands wrapped around Larissa’s tiny biceps and he yanked her closer to him. “You didn’t mind my vampire ‘skills’ last night.”
My jaw dropped open and I looked between the two of them. As far as I knew, nothing had happened between Larissa and Rone outside of her massive crush on him. Her cheeks were pink, but she didn’t smile. “He’s joking,” she said through gritted teeth. “The only thing we did last night was join in the hunt.”
Rone shot me a toothy grin, a hint of fangs there. I was used to that and his cold energy now. All the vampires had a similar feel, but Rone’s was very strong. “She wasn’t complaining when I saved her from a snowdrift. It would have completely covered her.”
Larissa jerked herself back before turning and stomping off. Rone watched her, a confused expression on his beautiful golden face. He was all golds and blonds and silvers, except for his clothing. There he stuck to the clichéd black outfits.
“You’re an idiot,” I told him. “Just don’t be sad if you wait too long and she finds someone who appreciates her.” His face morphed into a scary scowl, but I wasn’t done. “The old pulling-a-girl’s-pigtails-to-get-their-attention is not a good look. Be the supe she needs. Fight for your girl or fuck right the hell off and let her go.”
I swung around and left a clueless and bewildered Rone standing in the middle of the commons.Idiot.Men were such idiots at times.
