Academy of Monsters (Descendants of Nightmares Book One) Page 4

  Thorn, also in a black tee and jeans, stands close by him with a gentle pout perched on his lips, as one of the three steps up and slaps his handsome face. He gazes at them with his green eyes, a bored look on his face. He and Matthias almost could pass for brothers, if Thorn wasn’t as pasty as a ghost. Then the next one does the same and the third is posed and ready, I halt her hand mid-air as I flash to them at a speed that even shocked myself.

  My anger boils, no one treats my Thorn that way. Wait, my Thorn? When did I start thinking of him that way?

  I have to calm myself before I talk myself into taking a bite out of them. I will not rage like my father, his temper is legendary in its own right, well at least not on the first night.

  I give the three a simple taste of my power, hypnotizing the hags and they leave with anger raging in their witchy gazes. I glide up to Thorn and wrap my arms around him. I get a whiff of his scent, grass mixed with smoky brimstone, I have to stop myself from digging my teeth into him. Did his eyes just glow?

  Matthias on the other hand is lucky to get a hello. He is the practical joker and somehow I was always the universal center of his pranks and jokes.

  Vex seemed to be an interesting monster, the violet eyes are a little trippy. I dropped him off at the common room with his bunkmates. He got the special treatment because usually you find your own way around here and march your monster ass to the administrations’ office to deal with Blobby Blue.

  I have bigger monsters to hunt, Dru is here. Watt is a fucking mess; the headmaster was insane to have the new term start on the full moon. Then there is Jr., he is a walking and talking valentine card.

  Dru, is back in our lives. As children, our parents got us all together for starlight camping. She was like the annoying little sister, always following us around, her pigtails whacking us as she would zoom by, her gremlin giggles always giving her away.

  All that stopped when the prophecy was told, Dru the first of her kind, would be the strongest, most powerful of all the supes. After that, our parents forbid us to have anything to do with the Counts.

  Out of the four of us, Watt’s parents instilled it in him, that it was his place to rule the monsters. He is the Alpha, and it was his birthright.

  “Jr., let me go.” Watt yells, his voice muffled as his snout grows, baring sharp teeth at us.

  A laugh erupts as Jr. is bear hugging a half transformed Watt, bringing him out towards the cave.

  “Thorn, help me with the silver chains. Watt is losing his shit. He had a run-in with Dru and she made him bark. If I let this fucker go, it will not be unless he’s on a leash.”

  “Dude, I would’ve paid money to see that. What did he do to Dru?” I'm curious because I know for a fact Watt used to worship the ground she glided on.

  “He wolfed out a little and told her she wasn’t welcome. You know the typical Watt asshole Alpha shit.” Jr. scowls at the fact of him even hurting Dru feelings.

  We reach the cave and the torches light themselves as we head into the deepest part where the cave grows damp and water drips down the rock walls. Jr. hasn’t loosened his grip until I have both of Watt’s hands bound by chains of magic.

  “Nothing personal man,” I sigh. “Jr., you good to keep an eye on dogman?”

  “You bet, I got this. And wait until you see Dru. She is even more beautiful than when we were kids.” Jr. gushes with a dreamy look gazing his eyes.

  “Jr., enough of your Hallmark shit, we aren’t kids anymore. You know the prophecy just like the rest of us. She can’t stay.” Watt growls while fighting against the chains.

  His face hangs in disappointment before turning stoic, watching over Watt as he struggles with the chains. I head back towards the castle to see if I can get a glimpse of Dru, before I am called to help with the Spectors class.

  Yes, I can become a phantom like my father, but no matter how many times I tell them I cannot talk to the ghosts, they insist that I am able to.

  Pulling out my scream phone, I shoot a text to Matthias. He doesn’t know it yet, but I changed his tone to a shrieking hag.

  Not a moment later, he replies.

  “Fuck you ghost boy. Just you wait until I get my hands on your phone. Meet me in the courtyard, I heard a rumor that the Princess is there.”

  See you in five.

  Pocketing my phone, my heart rate starts to rise at the thought of seeing Dru again. My family is one of the big monsters, but they don’t always get the respect like the others do. Dru never treated me any different. I would be lying to myself if I didn’t say I had a crush on her and her pigtails.

  The path to the courtyard is lit with jack o’lanterns, their faces are carved to represent all the different monsters that attend and I always get a kick out of how they laugh evilly when you walk by.

  I smooth my black hair, straighten my shirt a little as my feet leave the path and enter the courtyard.

  Matthias is already there, scream phone in hand, leaning on the statue of his father. His other hand is rubbing the sides of his shaved head, and no surprise the triplets are all gawking at him.

  “Laci, Staci and Traci, don’t you three have Ghoul squad or something?” I snark with my hands fisted in my pants pockets.

  “What? Who’s there?” Laci replies.

  “Oh, you.” Staci rolls her eyes.

  “What I don’t see anyone,” Traci remarks sarcastically.

  “Matthias,” I continue, “Why do you hang with these hags? I’m surprised you haven’t gotten warts.”

  Laci walks up to me and slaps my face. “I never.”

  Staci follows and does it too. Okay that one stung but I keep the smirk on my face to show these witches how weak I think they are.

  Traci is next in line, her hand stops inches from my face. She abruptly turns around.

  “I do not know you three,” a silky voice comments, “but if you ever, I mean ever lay a hand on Thorn again, you will have to answer to me.”

  I sidestep and peer around them, and my jaw drops. Jr. wasn’t wrong. Dru is drop-dead gorgeous. She has not only gotten taller but leaner. Her hair no longer worn in pigtails flows like the night sky down her back. Her blood-red eyes seem to have a glow to them, for a flicker of a second as she fights through her anger.

  Laci steps towards her, “And who died and made you queen?”

  “My mothers. Now leave, you fairy hoes are excused.” her voice sounds eerie as she dismisses them with a wave of her hand and she never broke eye contact with them until her orders are followed through.

  In unison, Laci, Staci and Traci walk away. No more snide remarks, no rude comments, nothing.

  With her arms crossed over her chest, Dru’s ruby red lips tip into a smile. This look from her has awakened more than one thing in me today. I awkwardly try to adjust my jeans as she steps closer and then envelopes me in a hug. Which I return, pulling her cool body next to mine, without pushing my dick against her, as much as I wanted to.

  “Thorn,” she whispers into my neck. She pulls back to look me over. “How I have missed you. You’re not gonna be an asshole like Watt are you?”

  “Well,” I joke.

  She releases me and gives me a friendly punch in the arm.

  “Matthais,” she nods.

  “What no hug for me, Dru?” He cracks a smile of perfectly straight white teeth.

  “I thought about it, but I remembered you filling my pigtails with scarabs, so I changed my mind.”

  I run my eyes over her, studying her, Ghouls she has grown and damn it if Jr. wasn’t right. She is beautiful, I am having trouble tearing my eyes from her.

  Matthias punches me this time, “Ghosts to Thorn.”

  Throwing him a dirty look, “What?”

  “Dru was talking to you, spector plaguing you already?”

  “Yes, sorry. What were you saying Dru?” I turn back to her.

  “Will you escort me to my first class?” She asks giving me a fangy grin and looping her arm within mine.

  Spooks, I’m gonna be wrapped around her finger and it’s only the first night.

  I watch her walk away with Ghost boy and can’t help but feel envious. She hardly gave me a second glance, a wandering thought within the sand. I wanted to whisper sweet nothings of my language into her ear and maybe gift her with a curse. I ponder this, a curse of never-ending gold to grace that delicate swan neck.

  Oh, for the love of dread!

  I push off the wall in frustration, storming to my first class. I pass the three witches that spell trouble. Dru really shouldn’t have pissed them off, they will only seek revenge. I can see them already plotting by how each of them are glaring daggers at anyone who looks their way. I think these bitches I mean witches are ugly as hell but it passes the time. Besides Laci has been brooming it for Watt for a long time now, she wants to rise higher in the ranks and Watt is the answer.

  I decided that walking is too simple for my anger right now so I shift to full-on mummy mode. The ground shakes as I gather particles from the earth and transform into the sand causing a small tornado. One second you can see my charming smile then the next you only see a sand storm heading your way in mass destruction. I always get a kick out of everyone shielding their eyes and seeking shelter as I pass them. On the way to Cursing 101 which is a joke, I can’t stop thinking about her.

  Watt warned us this would happen, she must've hypnotized us all to fall to her feet with her beauty. I am a prince of all Egypt, a devilishly good looking man who can curse you with just the touch of my hand. No woman can make me fall to my knees in worship, it’s the other way around. I picture Dru on her knees before me, looking up at me with eyes that remind me of the sun setting over the pyramids, casting a glow over all of Egypt's sands. The thought of her deadly rose-colored lips parting as she leans forward to take me into her mouth has my dick harder than pure gold. Those hazel eyes were full of anger towards me for years of my pranks and yet I’m sure I didn't imagine the glimpse of longing from her.

  Maybe it’s time I showed that bat what exactly what I have up my mummy sleeve. She might be colder than a witches tit after I’m done messing with her but at least she will stay away for good. I wonder how Watt is handling this? I glance up at the moon to see it at the highest peak and I know without a doubt that he's chained to the dripping wet cave walls with Jr. standing guard as usual. That scary bastard may look tough and large… Intimidating really but his heart is way too big. He'll do anything for the monster he cares about.

  I stop outside of my classroom, a cloud of dust billows through the air and small grains of sand remain as I lean against the cold stone wall. People keep their distance from me, choosing to not come to close to the mummy who gives out curses like Halloween candy. Yet the ladies can't stay away, they can sense the danger and it drives them mad with wanting to break the bad monster and brag how they had a piece of me. As of right now, a group of gold-dusted pixies surrounds me, pawing my biceps and chest like I'm a cat. I can't stop the shudder that works through my body at the thought of cats. Nasty felines, always causing destruction and very stubborn little shits. They take my shudder as a sign that I like their hands on me which I don't but I play my part as a well-loved prince.

  “Now, now ladies, maybe later but unfortunately I have to get to class. Someone has to show them how a real curse works.” I toss them a wink and ignore the groans that sound behind me as I slip from their glittery grasps.

  Fuck a Ghoul, I have glitter all over my arms now.

  I didn’t take this class when I should have freshman year but it seems I can’t escape it. You’d figure the school would let me off the rusty chain but nope. Stuck in here until I pass which should be easy. I stride into the classroom like I own it, but come to a sudden halt when I take in the small room. About ten high top tables fill the space with bar stools, and on top are cauldrons that look to have something brewing in them as steam rises. There aren’t any windows so it can be kept dark and bookshelves line the walls filled with bottles in all different kinds of shapes and sizes. I glimpse at the books that say how to curse for dummies behind the teacher's desk alongside some that read how to put a hex on humans.

  No this can’t be right, no way! I start to slowly back out the class but I’m stopped as my back collides with someone. Turning around, I gulp in dread and absolute horror as I take in my new teacher. Short and round with a long cloak on that drags behind her, she doesn’t even try to glamour herself. A witch at its best, the whole ensemble, and I can’t help cringing as the longer I stare at her. Long pointed nose with a large wart at the tip, black beady eyes that are currently narrowed right at me.

  “Matthias I presume? Glad you could make it, now take a seat.” Her nasally voice rings through my ears and she scoots around me with her pointed shoes tapping on the cobbled floor.

  I think for a second of escaping but the wall disappears before I can take a step towards it. I curse all of Egypt for making me take this class. Turning back around to face the class, I realize all the seats are taken but one. With a long-suffering sigh, I stride over to the chair next to the weird creature that follows my every move with violet eyes. He turns back to the cauldron and pays attention to the ugly hag as she drones on and on with her introduction of how to hex.

  I can’t believe I’m in a witch’s class, this sucks zombie balls.

  The guy next to me starts adding different colored vials to the brewing cauldron and I decided I might as well do something before the hag hexes me for not helping, she does keep glaring at me from the front of the room. I randomly pick up a dry piece of the branch looking object next to me and toss it in the pot without looking. The guy next to me sucks in a sharp breath that causes me to look up and we both watch the cauldron start to bubble at rapid speed.

  I thank the ancient Gods are not looking down on me today because a big purple bubble starts to form and grow from the pot, floating in mid-air. Shouting from the hag can be heard as she tells us not to panic but you can hear her shoes running to the door that suddenly appears for her. The guy next to me hastily grabs me and we both duck under the table just as the bubble pops, making my ears ring. I peer over the desk once the coast is clear and wince as I take in the screaming monsters rushing around and crying from being covered in sticky purple goop. I drop back under the desk before I have an angry mob coming after me and nearly fall over from the pounding on my back as the guy next to me starts laughing with deep belly chuckles. He shakes his head and wipes the tears from his weird eyes as he pulls his glasses off.

  “Man, that is the best thing that has happened since I arrived here; well almost the best.” He sobers and trails off with a small hint of sadness lingering in his voice.

  Ah, a new student. Usually, I wouldn't bother with other monsters because I already have my brothers but this guy just helped a brother out. He’s earned my respect.

  “Thanks for that man. Really, I would have probably cried if my hair was threatened.” I joke but little does he know I just might have actually wept, it takes forever to get hair this good looking. “ What’s your name? I’m Matthias.”

  I hold out a tan hand for him to shake, and he just sits there for a second staring at my outstretched arm before giving it a strong, firm handshake. I like this guy already, he has guts. Touched a mummy without flinching, that takes some seriously huge zombie balls.

  “Vex. Vex Henderson. Nice to meet you son of the pyramids.” He jokes with a slight smile.

  We both decided it was probably best to make our escape now while everyone is running around like the headless horseman. He moves left while I take the right, ducking down to make it to the open doorway. We almost make it but come to a screeching halt as hairy wart hag steps into the class with a death glare directed at me. With a blinding smile of a thousand suns, I salute Vex just as I disappear into my sand storm. I last thing I see is the hag shouting and pointing a finger in his smiling face.

  “See you around Henderson,” I shout with glee and if that fucker makes it out alive, I’ll introduce him to the guys. Anyone who has my back is pretty trustworthy.

  I decide to head back to the house before the ceremony, maybe to slip a little surprise in Dru’s sheets. I think a few scorpions might give her a little scare and sting to make her life a little more miserable. I push the guilt away, so what if she’s absolutely gorgeous and dreadful. She’s perfect for me but yet I can’t have her. That spookalicious ass of hers makes me want to build a structure of that butt so I can stare at it for eternity and worship her like a Goddess that she is. Not weird what’s so ever. Passing peek-o-boo trail, the ghosts are unusually quiet tonight then I hear the howl split through the air and I understand why. Watt sounds haunting yet lonely. Dru really messed with his head, always has… no matter how much time passes from seeing her it feels just like yesterday. I’m going to put her in her place, lock her in my tomb in the pyramid back home.

  I blow past the drawbridge and onto the entryway of the house. The eyeball rolls its eye at me and refuses to open the door until I shift back. With frustration, I spin in a circle with sand and bits of ancient wrapping flying around until it’s just me on the front steps. Crossing my arms waiting for the eye to grant me access, I run into the hall once the door creaks open. Sprinting up the stairs, I halt at her bedroom door not even a bit out of breath. I can’t help rubbing my hands together in excitement. With a muttered word under my breath, a scorpion appears into my palm staying deadly still. With a stroke along his spine, his sharp tail whips back and forth. Slowly opening her door, I take in the black walls, the furniture that’s the same color and the small fire dancing in the fireplace. It casts a warm glow around her room and helps me make out her four-poster bed with the red drapes. Stepping closer, I watch with wide eyes as a body moves along the sheets, then another.