Smoldered Flames: Part I of the Edonia Series
Chapter 18

Valeri

Nausea shoots through my stomach when I wake to the little alarm clock given to me by Professor Blossom. Covering my mouth, I dash towards the small bathroom. My stomach revolts in memory of Cassius and Jillian fucking. I hurled into the toilet when it felt as if I delved into his thoughts. His emotions and his desires swirl around my mind. Why? I couldn’t tell you, but I know we share some sort of bond. I wonder if he can see into my thoughts? For some reason, I didn’t like the idea of someone going through bounded memories that I have yet to look into.

I empty whatever contents lay within my stomach as I remember their intimate encounter. It feels as if a thousand shards of glass pierced my heart while seeing through Cassius’ eyes the pleasure Jillian gave him.

He gives a sensual chuckle. “Why don’t you show me how much you’ve missed me?”

Jillian’s eyes take on a sultry hue. “Come here, big boy.” She takes his hand and leads him into her room.

I could feel the obvious hatred he held for me. He blames me for interfering with his future as an Alpha. They would make a powerful couple. Why did it bother me that he would rather have Jillian than a lowly hybrid such as me? So what, we fucked. Having sex with someone doesn’t mean anything. Obviously. But, why does it feel as if a part of myself is shattered?

I dry heave as more of his memories surface in my mind.

He purred. “Why don’t you turn around for me, beautiful? I want to see that beautiful ass in the air.”

She hums with delight. “Sure thing, Big Daddy.“ She gets on her hands and knees on the bed.

Males were such bastards! How dare he visualize our fuckfest while with another female?! Broken-hearted woefulness slowly turned into fury as I pictured him pounding into her flesh and her moaning while she enjoyed every stroke.

A dull thrumming comes from my chest. I look down and notice my necklace glowing from within the reddish-gold gem. I grasp it, and see its pulsating light coming alive. Warmth unfurls from it, spreading into my hands and to my mind in comfort.

Make him regret ever carrying these thoughts of you, said the voice in my mind. It became my voice of reason, preventing me from doing anything stupid.

You are right, I responded.

Of course I am. Now get ready for the day. The others are waiting for you.

Wait, who is? I asked. I didn’t get an answer.

Taking heed to the warning, I quickly shed my clothes from my body. I place the egg on the small bathroom counter, along with the necklace. I avoid the mirror in hopes of ignoring the hideous scars that cover my body. Frigid water cascades down heated my body, cooling it off. I often wonder why hot water doesn’t run around here. I lather my body with a measly bar of soap you’d replace at a hotel.

My mind wanders to yesterday’s events. I was able to deflect Naka’s flame. How was I able to do that?. For a moment it felt as if the flame was the center of my soul, and I felt powerful after basking in the dragons’ fire.

And then there is this egg situation. Where did it come from? Maybe I can speak with the golden dragon again. He seemed to know what the egg consists of. I should replace out who its parents are, but a part of me doesn’t want to return it. It wasn’t a sense of ownership that I felt when I came to the dragon. It was a sense of belonging, as if this egg was meant to be found by me. Maybe I could go to a library and figure out what kind of egg this was.

Also, who the hell put that wire in the relay race? I bet it was Adeyemi. He seems to have it out for me. But then again, magic exists. It’s a possibility that one of the other students laid the boobie trap for anyone coming in first. Just thinking about how a thin wire was what stopped my being a pod Alpha ticked me off.

I turn off the faucets before stepping out of the stone shower. Chilly drafts brush against my body, tightening my nipples. I decide to risk a glance in the mirror. It’s an old rusted mirror that shows the majority of my anatomy. The small horns are still existent, so are my scars. The scar along my left eye is still there. It looks as if someone gouged my eye out with a clawed hand.

Looking closer at my body, some of the scars appear to bite marks... Deep depressed teeth markings covered my neck, arms, torso, and upper thighs. Old, elongated marks crisscrossed my backside. Faint lines are located along the left side of my torso, but it’s hard to make out the shape of the tattoo. My dark brown eye holds an outer ring of blazing scarlet. The iris of my eye is slitted like a reptile.

Ignoring the repulsive disfigurement, I appear to be commonly attractive. My supple skin is a beautiful golden brown with warm bronze undertones. I have a fully busty chest with a slim waist and round hips, completing my voluptuous appearance. Although my hair is shorn off, the water reveals the small rivulet of curls. Each coiled lock holds a hint of crimson and gold. Even monsters hold a certain amount of beauty.

“What am I?” seems like my daily question. There’s no way in hell that I’m just a vampire-human hybrid. Once I get settled in, I’ll figure it out. I silently declared.

Are you sure you want to replace out the answer you seek? Asked my mental voice of reason.

Maybe, I say with uncertainty.

Rustling sounds from my right side. Small leathery wings flap wildy covering a rather small, and bony creature. It tries to take my clothes from the floor from which I threw them down.

“Hey! Get your own! Shoo!” I shout.

The little winged creature’s ears flatten while it hisses out in warning. “Clothes need clean,”it garbles out. The sound of its voice reminds me of bricks grating against one another. Its pale gray gaze doesn’t hold as much intelligence.

“I can clean my own clothes. Thank you.”

“I clean clothes.” It argues, pointing towards a miniature doorway.

“Huh?” I kneel down to the creature’s level.

From what I could see inside the small straight doorway, dozens upon dozens of these little beasts carry dishes, articles of clothing, and other miscellaneous items.

“You, school. I, clean.” concludes the small critter.

“Fine, but you better bring them back.”

The thing rolls its eyes before fluttering away. Someone knocks on my bedroom door.

“Hold on!” I say before gathering my necklace and egg.

When I put on the necklace, every trace of my past disappears. All except one. I had another bite mark. It sits right on my collarbone and is visibly pearlescent under the harsh fluorescent light. I can think of one person who left that mark. Fucking Cassius!

I storm out of the bathroom and yank open the chest of drawers. I slip on a red racerback sport’s bra with matching panties. I grab another leather-like material and it wraps around my person like a glove. Today, the piece of leather cloth chose a white “Bite Me” t-shirt with a fanged snake in between the words, skinny black jeans, and white high tops to match. I grab an emerald colored headwrap for my hair.

Someone knocks on the door again. I wrench the door open with a scowl on my face.

I curl my lip. “I believe I said to hold on.”

Eros’ stunning smile wins me over.“You are not a morning person, I take it.” he holds another cup of Blood N’Fused drink, this time it was light purple. “Since you enjoyed the cherry flavored, I thought it’d be good for you to try another flavor. You can call it ‘Berry Sweet’.”

My stomach growls in earnest, the pain forgotten. “Thanks.”

I tried to not snatch it from his grasp, but it couldn’t be helped. I was ravenous, like a starved stray on the streets. I inhale the ice cold beverage with greed. He was right, it was indeed “Berry sweet”. A blast of saccharine strawberries is what hits my tongue first, followed by a hint of tarty raspberries, and the succulent taste of blackberries.

Dr. Masterson cuts in. “Easy, tiger. You’ll get a brain freeze if you keep this up.”

He wears a simple buttoned down shirt with khaki pants. His sandy blonde hair is tousled, as if I just rolled out of bed. His bright green orbs hold a mixture of mirth and concern.

I slow down intakes. Adeyemi stands off in the distance, his unwavering gaze never breaking away from my face.

Tanni stands next to Dr. Masterson. She wears a tawny saree with white floral designs. Her hair has a puffed center parting with a back bun.

“I see you didn’t oversleep today,” she observes.

I chuckle. “You can thank Professor Blossom.”

“Did anyone tell you what’s going on today?” she asks.

“No, what’s going on today?”

She jumps with excitement, her hands clapping. “Today is Pod Selection Day! Everyone will be assigned a pod, or group, for the rest of the year!” she exclaims.

I raise an eyebrow. “And I should be equally as excited as you, because?”

Tanni stops jumping, a light frown shapes her delicate eyebrows. “We get to work directly under someone of our desired profession. For instance: I am pursuing my dream as a healer. Hopefully, they pair me with Healer Raemithir.” she sighs dreamily.

“You do realize Healers are pure, right?” Eros purrs.

Tanni sputters and I roar with laughter. We leave the dorms soon after. Students rush around us to get to their nearest destination. Professors shout at them to slow down. Papers flying everywhere. What I notice is that my fellow peers give me a wide berth as if I were a walking plague.

“So why isn’t everyone else going to this little selection?” I ask.

Dr. Masterson answers. “It’s nowhere near little. It’s one of the biggest festivities around.”

“What’s the biggest?”

“Sacrum Solstitium or The Sacred Solstice.” Eros responds. “Twice a year and every few years, the Lion Oracle opens its doors to all. We celebrate and be merry before the Lion Oracle reveals your true mate.”

A cozy feeling spreads from within my chest as Eros explains this. I wasn’t sure I liked the feeling. I couldn’t be stuck with a mate without uncovering my past. What if I actually did kill those Hunters? What would that person think of me then? Would they reject me? Or would they accept my faults and love me unconditionally?

“So when you say solstice, it occurs every solstice?” I questioned.

“Yes, every summer and winter solstice.”

I’ll be damned. I hope to whatever gods are listening that Cassius and I didn’t fuck through the Summer solstice. But Eros said every few years…

I stop my purposeful stride. “When was the last celebration?” I demanded.

They all look at me with a mixture of concern and impatience. But, what I saw in Eros’ gaze didn’t hold what the others held. His eyes were gleeful. As if he knew something I didn’t. I glare at him.

“It was this summer. Sadly, you missed the festivities due to your predicament.” Eros responds.

I was fucked. Royally fucked. I was mated to a wolf. A shitty werewolf. Now I have to figure out how to break the bond. My to-do list is getting long as hell. I could just claw Cassius’ smirk off of that gorgeous face.

We gather around the pebbled courtyard. Students await rides from winged creatures of legends that circle around before landing or taking off.

“Where exactly is this selection taking place?” I ask.

“At the Pinnacle. It’s right in the middle of the town down below.” Tanni says.

Ah yes, that menacing small mountain I saw before Adeyemi and I launched upwards to SU. It’s amazing how one can forget they are thousands of feet from the ground.

A series of high-pitched whistling sounds from up above. Wind picks up around us as two giant feathered creatures land in front of us. I step back a little as both rush to my group. One has the body of a lion with the head of an eagle. It’s plumage is a beautiful pastel yellow.

A griffin.

It’s a magnificent creature that stands at about twenty-five hands tall. It’s powerful wings tucked away while it prowled towards Dr. Masterson. The griffin chuffed and chirped while nestling the doctor. A soft and warm chuckle came from the doctor while the griffin nipped and tried to pounce on him.

The second feathered beauty gracefully trotted towards Eros. This beast had the body of a horse with the head of an eagle. It stands at around twenty hands tal. It’s black coat revealed a hint of green if you looked closely. A streak of lighting green runs from the forehead down to its side dorsally. Holding its head up high, the creature whinnied at the sight of Eros. Eros raises his hand gently as the horse-eagle hybrid bends its head in greeting.

My heart melted at the sight of these two. With Eros, the greeting was more restrained, but held a deeper meaning. As if the two were kindred spirits from a past life. With Dr. Masterson, it felt like two pups from the same brood were reunited again. The innocence and devotion in the eyes of the griffin as it chirped its content in its partner’s presence. The other creature held a sense of dignity and grace that matched the vivacity of Eros.

The doctor turns to me. “Valeri, I would like for you to meet Ouranos.”

This felt important somehow. Ouranos faced me and cocked its head sideways. It’s cyan hued eyes gazed levelly at me before cautiously stalking its way towards me. Once it stands before me, lowers its head, taking a whiff of my hair.

Ouranos lets out a small sneeze and I giggle. I actually giggled. A light chuffing comes from within it’s chest. I felt another presence at my back as the other beast nibbled at my hair. I was soon surrounded in a mass of feathers tee-heeing like a child. If only I knew what my childhood was like, I could envision it to be like this.

Eros lets out a soft chuckle. “And this jealous giant is Tonitru.”

I scratched underneath both Ouranos’ and Tonitru’s chins. “Well it’s a pleasure to meet the both of you.” They give out chirps of satisfaction as I reach behind and scratch both of their ears.

An enormous shadow slowly descends. Looking up, I see the belly side of Naka.

I sigh heavily. “Well, it was nice knowing ya.”

“Oh, come on! Naka isn’t that bad! She can be a little territorial every now and again, she grows on ya!” Eros shouts mischievously.

“You try flying from talons, and then we’ll talk!”

Dr. Masterson stands in front of me. “You can ride with me, if it pleases you.”

Something about the way he said ”if it pleases you.” Thrummed to my core. I wanted him to please me. I wanted to hear him begging as I-

“Valeri, we don’t have all day. The selection takes place in a few minutes. ” Tanni frets.

“Right, of course.” I responded. I turn to face the doctor. “I’ll take you up on that offer, Dr Masterson.”

“It’s Daxter.”

“What?”

“My first name is Daxter. Feel free to call me by that name. Or Dax is fine. Whatever you feel comfortable referring to me as,” he rambles.

“O-”

“No, she will ride with me.” Adeyemi interrupts.

“Kamau, we know how Naka gets when it comes to you. Female dragons are rather territorial.” Eros objects.

“The prisoner will ride with me. End of discussion. ”

I cock my head a little to the side. I didn’t like his tone, nor did I like the way he seemed to make every decision final.

I turn back towards Daxter. “Shall we take our leave?”

Daxter looks between Adeyemi -or Kamau- and I, his Adam’s apple bobbing in nervousness. “I, -um,”

“If you get on that griffin, I’ll-”

I smirked. “You’ll do what? Trip me up?”

Tanni gasps. “Valeri!”

Adeyemi’s stormy eyes widened just a fraction. It made a small difference to his otherwise brooding features. I take the opportunity to jump on the now kneeling griffin.

I decided to push it further. “In what ways do you command me? You are just a guard after all.”

It was so quiet, a dropped pin needle could be heard.

I scratch Ouranos behind the ear again. “Thank you for letting me ride you, sweet one.”

Daxter quickly hops on. His muscular arm wounds its way around my waist, sparks fly with the contact. Daxter gives a silent command and we take off into the wind.

***************

We stand in front of an enormous entrance to the menacing Pinnacle. It’s dark gray interior gives off a frosty feel. Colorless stalactites hang from the roof of the small mountain. Water droplets reverberate against the cavernous walls. We descend deeper into the Pinnacle until a large room greets us. Provost Ritenour and Chancellor Barati stand at its center with students surrounding them.

Adeyemi brushes past me and makes his way towards the Provost. He leans in to whisper something before standing off to the side. The Provost shoots a glance my way before leaning in to whisper into the Chancellor’s ear. What is this, a game of Telephone?

Chancellor Barati opens his arms wide in a welcoming gesture. “Thank you all for coming to Pod Selection day. Pod Selecting gives every student an opportunity to explore what they desire in life. Whether it’s to become a Warrior on the front lines or a Healer behind the scenes, there is sure to be something for you! Now before we begin, know that where you are placed today, can not be undone. We cannot accept any Request for Transfers.”

Provost Ritenour begins to speak but I tune out her voice. How odd. His wording suggested there was more to it than a simple pod selection. And what’s this mention of warriors on the front line? Surely there isn’t a war? I’ll have to ask Nerissa.

Stalagmites take on an otherworldly glow while the Provost starts a chant. My stomach does a flip in memory of the last time she chanted. I wound up at the bottom of the deep blue sea. What the hell was that creature anyways? And what was it he said to me before flinging me to the surface again? You are the raindrop that will cause many ripples…

Someone calls my name, snapping me out of my reverie. “Miss Valeri, must I repeat myself?!”

Great. “I think you must.”

Snickers and tee-hees resound throughout the crowd of students. The Chancellor shakes his head in second hand embarrassment. I feel my cheeks flush, but I hold my head high.

Provost Ritenour’s mouth forms a saccharine smile. “I said that you will join Prince Kamau Adeyemi’s pod.”

Adeyemi gives a cocky grin. The fucker,