“Yes. Coral Isle is free land. A place where the students can…be themselves, without academic repercussions.”
It made sense. Thropes and Phages were both bloodthirsty in different ways. Working together wasn’t a natural state for them, and they needed some place where they could expel their rage. Clary and Dori had explained as much on the lift ride up to the Main Building. I should have realized that the fight would take place there.Outsidethe confines of the no-aggression rules.
Vitra crossed his arms, distracting me with the inked patterns on his skin. Gorgeous whorls and unfamiliar writing in a language that I didn’t recognize.
“Miss Onyx?”
Shit. “I’ll be fine. I can handle my…” I trailed off, recalling the last time I’d said those words to him—how it had felt to be pressed to the wall, his thigh between mine. An air bubble formed in my throat, and I swallowed it down. “I’ll be fine.”
A ghost of a smile played on his luscious lips. “Good girl.” He stood in one fluid motion and headed for the door. “Come now. I’ll walk you back.”
I didn’t want to walk back with him. I wanted to put distance between us so I could figure out why he affected me in such a strange way. What was so special about him that he could bypass my curse?
“I don’t have all night, Miss Onyx.”
“Why, Master Vitra? You got a date?” Why had I said that?
His brows lifted. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
Selethis, the lucky bitch. “In that case, we’d better not keep her waiting.” I hopped off the stool. “Lead the way.” So that I can ogle your butt.
He glanced over his shoulder. “What did you say?”
“I said,lead the way.”
“No, after that.”
Wait… Had I said the last part out loud? No. No, I hadn’t. I was sure of it. “I didn’t say anything else.”
“Hmm…” He continued down the corridor, and I followed, leaving enough room for a good view of his ass.
CHAPTER 14
Not all Horrors must be extinguished, for there are those that can be tamed.
ANONYMOUS
Dori insisted on walking me to Trinity the next morning—a walk that took almost half an hour, driving home just how large the Nightsbridge campus was. We passed the barracks, a sprawling structure with a central tower, spokes jutting off it and connecting to two smaller towers.
“The Phage and Thrope Hunter teams have separate sleeping quarters,” Dori explained.
Figures dressed in the Hunter garb of black on black moved about at the base of the main tower, probably heading to the training grounds behind it. There was a garden somewhere back there, too. I had a mental schematic now, thanks to the map in my admissions pack.
The location of the library housing theLibra Veritaswasn’t on the map—because that would have been too easy. It was clearly a secret library—hidden, forbidden, or both.
I’d find it, though. In time. “What about the Arcanus Hunters? Where do they sleep?”
“They bunk with whichever team they happen to be on.”
“How many Hunters do we have here?”
“Most everyone above the age of eighteen is a Hunter, but there are thirtyactiveHunters at any time, living in the barracks. The teams cycle every year to give everyone a respite, and the non-active Hunters get the option to leave Nightsbridge for a few months. When they return, if they’re not a seasoned Hunter, they’ll take classes and prep to go back on active duty.”
Smart to keep the teams fresh and revitalized. “And how long does it take to become seasoned?” Not that I cared, but she’d expect me to ask questions and be interested.
“It’s not about time served, it’s about kills. More than twenty-five kills and you’re a Gold Stripe and officially seasoned. Five kills make you a Brown Stripe, and ten gets you a Silver Stripe.”
“So you can come here and shoot straight up to seasoned status over another Hunter just by getting more kills? No real experience or time on the job required?”
