Syanna should’ve heeded Juliet’s advice. She shouldn’t have looked back. Because when she did, she wanted to run.
No, forget that.
She wanted to evaporate into thin air.
The look on Cole’s face as he stormed toward them was nothing but wrath, and he was staring directly at her.
What the hell did she do?
Only ten minutes ago, he was staring at her with a blank expression as if he didn’t even know her! And now… now he was looking at her as if he wanted to kill her—as if she was the very bane of his existence, and he would do anything to wipe her from the face of this earth.
The worst part? Syanna had no idea why.
The flowers along the ground shrivelled and died as he got closer, and Syanna’s grip on Juliet’s hand grew impossibly tighter. What would he do to her?
What COULD he do to her here at Unici?
It was then that Syanna realised he couldn't possibly hurt her right here in front of everyone in the middle of the first day of school. And so, she decided that she wasn’t scared of him. Besides, even though she told herself to forget about the man she met two years ago, did he really have it in him to actually hurt her?
So, with a deep breath, she released Juliet’s hand, avoiding her friend's protests and warnings, and met Cole halfway, with nothing but confidence in each stride.
On a regular day, Syanna would never make a move this bold. But Cole was confusing and frustrating. They have interacted three times in her entire life, with this confrontation making a third. And all three times, Cole had a different reaction to her.
Quite frankly, it was annoying.
His eyebrows shot up at her bold gesture as Syanna stopped in front of him, and for a minute, he almost looked impressed before he pointed an accusing finger in her face.
“You,” he growled, his voice low and threatening like a beast in disguise.
“Me?” Syanna asked in a teasing voice, pissing him off even more.
His hand darted out, as if he was about to grab her, but it froze suddenly. It was almost like he was stopped by force. But this, of course, only caused Syanna’s to smile even wider.
“What are you?” he demanded. “Are you a witch? Are you working with Genevieve to keep me here?”
“Geny-who?” Syanna scoffed. “Look, Cole, I don’t know what you think I am, but I am a human and have done nothing to you.”
He laughed. It was almost sinister, with a hint of sarcasm. “You expect me to believe that you’re a human in a supernatural school? And if you haven’t done anything to me, how do you know my name?”
This was her chance.
This was her chance to scream at him and tell him that they had met before, that he had haunted her dreams for two years and invaded her thoughts every day. That it was unfair that she had wasted so much of her time thinking about him when he didn’t even spare her a second thought. That it hurt like hell knowing she was so forgettable, and knowing he was nothing but a jerk all this time.
But she didn’t. She didn’t think she could even get half of her thoughts out. So, instead, she said, “You’re pretty hard not to know.”
And it was true. He was the only Phoenix, and the only supernatural who could literally do whatever the hell they wanted in this academy. From what she had gathered in the ten minutes she had been talking to Juliet, Cole could do anything he wanted and no one would dare step to him.
He was feared here at Unici, because he was considered to be the ‘Prince Of Darkness’ whatever the hell that meant. But no one challenged him. Not even the headmistress.
“You did something to me,” Cole insisted, breaking Syanna from her thoughts. “And when I find out what, you will not be happy with what I’ll do to you.”
His golden eyes, which were so warm and soft two years ago, were now sharp and deadly. He was steaming. Syanna could literally feel the heat radiating from his body.
Yet, she had no idea where this confidence and fearlessness came from. Maybe it was her spite, just wanting to poke hurt at him the same way he had done with her. And she knew the only thing she could have done at that moment to upset him more, was disregard his threat.
“Oh, whatever you want,” Syanna said with a careless shrug. “Do your best, really.” She laughed simply for emphasis. “You’re not worth a minute of my day, anyway.”
And then, she turned and stepped away. Or, at least, she tried to. But his hand circled around her wrist, pulling her back to his chest with a force that shook her entire being.
She gasped as something ran through her—something quite similar to what she had felt two years ago when he had touched her for the first time. And hell, she knew he felt it too. She could see it in the way his back tensed.
But his anger or ego (whichever was stronger) made him pretend he didn’t feel a thing.
And then it occurred to her. Was he just pretending all this time? Did he truly know her, or was he pretending he didn’t?
No, Syanna decided. If he had recognized her, even a little bit, she would’ve known. But the look in his eyes now held no recognition of her.
Not even an ounce.
So, she yanked her hand from his grip, flashed her hair over her shoulder, and stormed back to her seat, leaving him in a heaving, hot mess.
“Oh my gosh, give me your hand,” Juliet demanded, holding the area where Cole had grabbed Syanna. “We’ll have to get some water from Ivy Lake to—”
But Juliet’s face fell with both shock and confusion as she gazed at Syanna’s spotless wrist.
“What’s the matter?” Syanna asked, glancing back quickly, but realising that Cole was once again gone.
“Your hand…” Juliet shook her head. “If he was that angry and grabbed you, your hand should’ve been burnt. How… How did you…”
Syanna pulled her hand from Juliet with a shrug. “I don’t know. It’s not a big deal.”
But the look on Juliet’s face showed Syanna that it, indeed, was a big deal. Yet, Juliet dropped it.
Some mysteries were best left unsolved, but Syanna swore at that moment that she would solve the mystery of this Prince of Darkness.
No matter what it takes.
The bad thing about being a human in a school full of supernaturals was that one would be considered a ‘Unique.’ As Syanna had gathered from Juliet, the Uniques were the rare supernaturals in the academy. In this particular class, the supernaturals who weren’t common studied together. It was a cool group, with an actual banshee and gargoyle. Syanna didn’t even know those things existed. The class consisted of about twenty people, with two or three creatures alike, and of course, the human, Syanna. The good thing was Juliet was also in this class. The bad thing was, so was Cole. And right now, he was perched on a girl’s desk, and Syanna’s chest had been squeezing since the second he started talking to her. The girl seemed utterly annoyed by his presence, but the way he smirked at her proved that they knew each other quite well, even if that wasn’t in a good way. The girl's eyes were blue and diamond-like—like most of the high witches in the school—and her hair was jet black,
Cole didn’t plan for this to happen. He didn’t get up this morning and decide that he’d push on a stupid brick and get him and Syanna stuck in a witch’s secret library. Yet, he couldn’t deny the fact that he liked it. She looked terrified, that was for sure. And Cole didn’t know if he liked it or not. On one end, this seemed like what she deserved. But on the other hand, seeing her in pain made his chest feel weird. She was pacing the tiny room with her hands in her long, silky hair. Cole couldn’t help but wonder how soft it was, and her big brown eyes were wide in terror. He also noticed how her breaths had gotten shorter and heavier, but he knew it wasn’t because of his presence this time. She obviously didn't like tiny, cramped places. Cole had two choices. He could either relish in the sight of her in pain, knowing that it would be what she deserved for doing whatever the hell she did to him. Or, he could actually try to help her. Help her? He has never helped anyone b
Screw bad decisions. Screw regrets and everything bit of self-loathing she would feel after this moment. Because right now, all Syanna wanted was to feel more of Cole. She knew it was a bad idea from the start to sit beside him. She wasn’t sure if he was aware, but something in his eyes and his entire aura was seductive. They undoubtedly had a connection that she still couldn’t seem to understand, too. So, the moment he held her, she was done for. And now he had his nose buried in her neck, driving her crazy with just the bare hint of his breath fanning against her. It was warm, and by the second, it grew hotter as his fingers dug into her waist and his body drew closer to her. “What is it about you, Syanna?” Cole mumbled, but Syanna could tell it wasn’t a question to be answered. “From the minute I saw you yesterday, you have been doing something to me that no one has ever done before. No one.”“I’m sorry,” she found herself saying, completely forgetting that she was mad at him f
It’s been a week. An entire week had passed, and Cole had made it his duty to ignore Syanna at all costs. He would see her and snarl at her, but he wouldn’t say a single word to her. Syanna didn’t know why. On one hand, she assumed he was still upset about the entire ‘stuck in a witch’s library and almost kissing’ thing, not that it was any fault of hers. But deep down, Syanna knew he was avoiding her because of what she saw. It puzzled her. Because Cole didn’t seem like the type of person to be ashamed of his darkness. From what she’s gathered from Juliet, Cole was a devil in the body of a handsome phoenix. He never changed or hid from anyone. So, she had no idea why he would start now. Maybe she should’ve just left him alone. Perhaps that was best. But every time she closed her eyes, she would remember the feeling of his breath against her neck, and she’d ache for more. Gosh, how she wanted more of him. And she hated herself for it. She felt like a love-sick fool. This
It happened again. The second the vampires arrived, Cole’s eyes grew dark. And if it was even possible, they were darker than they were the first time it happened. Syanna jumped from her seated position as more and more vampires arrived at the border. It was about twenty against Cole and Isaac, and Syanna knew it was an unfair match. “Don’t,” Cole warned without looking at her, as if sensing that she was about to approach them. “Stay behind the border.” “But why?” a vampire asked through a snarl. His blood-red eyes watched Syanna as if she was the garnish on his plate. She knew he was the leader from his position and the way the others were arranged around him. “You’re not getting anywhere near her,” Cole growled, and the other vampires shrunk back as the grass beneath his feet shrivelled and turned black. Syanna gulped as she watched the encounter. She wanted to scream, run, and, most of all, cry. She wanted to cry because a group of vampires was ready to have her head,
In a minute when it felt like the world had utterly stopped spinning, Syanna didn’t know what to do besides scream. One moment she was trying to stop Cole from committing murder, and in the next, someone or something had grabbed her from behind. Isaac was the only one who saw it coming. He had been pushing against the barrier and growling at something behind her. But Syanna had been too consumed in Cole to notice, and Cole was too busy threatening the vampires. Either way, he wouldn’t be able to help. He was behind the barrier, and there was no way that Syanna could run back to the other side now. It was too late. The sun had started to dip beneath the hills, and the birds flew to their respective homes in flocks of blue and green. At least she’d go peacefully. At least she could watch the beauty of nature as this vampire--because she was sure that he was--would kill her. The minute it all became clear to Cole, his eyes widened, and he launched forward, but was stopped by the barr
Was this what death felt like? Was it supposed to be dazy, crippling and even painful? Syanna didn’t think so. But who was she to know what death felt like? She had never really died before, until now. There was mumbling in the background, and she shuffled in her spot, thinking it might be her parents. Were they waiting for her? Would she be at peace with them, knowing she lived a good 20 years, and that now Cole was free? Cole. Gosh, she remembered the look on his face when that vampire grabbed her. The look of utter pain and agony, and he didn’t even like her. She remembered how he pushed passed that barrier, trying to save her. What force was so greater than the headmistress’s barrier, that Cole, of all people, managed to break through solely to save her? It couldn’t be what she thought it was. It was too soon--far too soon. They barely even shared a proper conversation other than the night two years ago, and he didn’t even remember that moment. So it couldn’t be what she th
Cole came back. He wasn’t halfway across the country, and he wasn’t relishing his freedom. Because, for sure, Cole was standing right in front of them at Genevieve’s door. The witch seemed just as shocked as Syanna. More than anyone else, Genevieve knew how much Cole craved to be free—that he’d do absolutely nothing for his freedom. Yet, here he was. He glanced over Genevieve’s shoulder and met eyes with Syanna, and her stomach erupted in a bundle of butterflies and lit with fire. It was the most amazing feeling she’s ever felt. Cole crossed the room towards her, not even sparing Genevieve or Isaac a glance as he sat beside Syanna. He reached forward, as if he was about to touch her face, but quickly retreated his hand when he realised what he was about to do. But Syanna grabbed it and placed her cheeks in his warm palms. Her eyes fluttered closed as she relished the tingling sensation that ran through her body when he touched her. If Cole even knew what he did to her, he would’