I shifted, and he shifted with me, gasping in a breath of air and hissing it out. Hissing in my face, his mouth wide open. His baby fangs sparkled. Taunting me.
He thought he was so badass. Time to show him what badass was.
“You know what, Rob?” In a single, swift movement, I let go, reeled my right arm back, and punched as hard as I could, smashing my fist against his jaw. “Bite this. ”
Pain exploded up my arm, so complete it stole my breath. Punching wasn’t like in the movies at all. Punching hurt. But I’d gotten good at compartmentalizing pain, and I tucked it away, a distant thrum in the back of my head. Something to deal with later. I was savoring this moment too much to bother with pain.
Clouds drifted overhead, sending a splash of moonlight over us. It glimmered over a ribbon of blood dribbling down the side of his cheek. He turned his face and spat. A small object landed on the gravel, gray in the darkness.
Both our eyes widened, realizing at the same moment.
I’d knocked out a fang.
He let loose some primal, nonsensical yell, and I pulled back as he popped to his feet. Holding an arm in front of his mouth, he stared at me. Our eyes held and locked for a weird, long moment, both of us panting for breath. He looked confused, unable to make sense of what’d just happened. At that moment, I couldn’t either.
What became of a Trainee bested like this? What was a vampire without both his fangs?
He stepped backward, faded into the night. Disappeared.
Carden was right. I was stronger. Even stronger than I’d realized. I was supersized.
By the time I went inside, dumped my stuff in the locker room, rinsed off, and hit the pool, I was in a grand mood. I felt expansive, filled with a sense of anticipation. What would happen next? Would I tell anyone about it? Would people just find out? I’d need to ask Carden if he’d ever seen anything like this.
It fed my workout. I glided through the water. I was a missile. A great aquatic mammal. I surpassed my record, holding my breath for a whole 147 seconds. I was on the deck toweling off, still riding my high, when Josh appeared.
“Heya, nerd bird,” he said in that cute Aussie accent of his. He stole a glance at the clock—we were closing in on curfew. “Never thought I’d see you here this time of day. ” He scanned the deck and pool, which was emptying out as students began to hit the showers. “I don’t see Ronan, which means you’re here…of your own…choice? Hold on. Is apocalypse nigh?”
“Shut up. ” I nudged him with my shoulder.
Unfortunately, this reminded me how scantily clad we both were.
Josh wore the standard-issue swimsuit, which for the guys was a pair of supertight boxer briefs—emphasis on super. Those things probably outlined more than I needed to see, but I couldn’t say because there was no way in hell I was looking down. And besides, my eyes had snagged on his upper body. He was lean but muscled, walking that line guys tread at our age—almost a man yet still almost a boy, too—though Josh was definitely tipping over into the almost-man side of that equation.
I tore my eyes away, pointing my gaze in the direction he was looking. Kenzie, my Proctor, was the last one in the water, still doing her laps. She had this trick of gliding all the way across the Olympic-sized pool and back again. Without taking a breath.
“She’s amazing,” he said.
I nodded. She was a blur of blond hair and navy blue Speedo. Her hair was a perfect bob to match her perfectly proportioned body. “She’s always reminded me of one of those American Girl dolls. ”
“Yeah, if there were an MMA version. ”
“MM…ohh, mixed martial arts?” I watched her, all sleek perfection. She was solid, but not buff like I imagined those MMA women would be. “Nah. More like…American Ninja Girl. ”
“That’s it,” he exclaimed, clapping his hand on my shoulder, a naked slap that made me self-conscious. “You seen her weapons? Those sai knives?” His Australian accent lilted at the end, making his every sentence sound like it might’ve been a question. “Like a manga chick. ”
It’d been Yasuo who’d told me what those knives of hers were called. She carried two of them, long and thin, each blade framed by two sharp prongs, making them look almost like tridents. They did seem like something a manga badass would wield.
She reached the edge and smoothly pulled herself up and out of the pool. We weren’t friends, but we were friendly enough, and she spared me a curt nod as she walked by, headed for her towel. I noted how she didn’t spare a glance for Josh, or any of the other guys for that matter.
We were surrounded by half-naked cuties, but Kenzie didn’t care. She was in her own world. It made me realize something: I’d never seen her with one vampire in particular, which implied she’d made it to Guidon by consuming only the shooters of blood they served in the dining hall. She probably didn’t drink from the source, and yet there she was, power and ease, swimming all over the damned pool. Without breathing.
I’d been nervous about the water, but Kenzie was an inspi
ration. Not that I’d break my bond with Carden, but if she could accomplish all that, if she could be that strong without a blood bond, then how far could I go? Could I truly break into the keep? Might I uncover their secrets? Discover what’d happened to all those fallen girls?
My journey started now. Here. I’d go to the pool more. Work out more. I’d be a force.
“Earth to Drew. ” Josh was looking at me funny. I registered how he’d gone for his towel and come back, and I was still in the same spot, staring at that pale blue water. “You’d better shower up. Curfew’s soon. ”