Crossroads (Crossroads Academy #1) (12 page)

Blaine and Lexie watch in shock. Neither
moves to intervene on Jade’s behalf. As we struggle I see Shaye
rush across the clearing and grab the human girl by the hand,
pulling her to her feet and leading her swiftly toward the back
half of the maze and safety.

“Bitch!” Jade snarls scratching at my face
with blind fury. She gets a handful of my hair and pulls with all
her might. I never imagined hair pulling could hurt so much! She’s
got a death grip on my ponytail, and I swear I think I’m going to
be scalped. I struggle to free myself from her grasp, and we roll
to the left, inching closer to the spring.

Jade drives her fist into my stomach and
climbs to her knees in a weak attempt to crawl away. The blow to my
stomach hurts, but not enough to slow me down. I recover quickly
and grab her from behind, dragging her back to the ground and
dunking her face first in the nearby water.

She thrashes wildly, but I’m unconcerned.
It’s not like she’s going to drown, after all. I figure the cool
water will help her calm down and be more reasonable. Like me.

“I think she’s had enough, don’t you?”
Nikolai. I wonder how long he’s been watching. I never saw him
enter the clearing, but there he stands, hip cocked and arms draped
casually over his chest.

I resist the urge to tell him that she
started it and simply shrug in reply. I release Jade, and she
scrambles to her feet seething with anger.

“You’re going to pay for this!” she promises,
pushing her soggy hair back from her face. She’s a hot mess. It
kind of makes me smile. Her makeup is running. Her designer sweater
is torn and her leather pants are covered in mud. I probably don’t
look much better. The difference is that I don’t care. “You’ll be
kicked out of school!”

I hesitate briefly before calling her bluff.
“I’ll be kicked out of school? You were the one terrorizing human
children! If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were about to feed
from that girl. I’m sure Professor Lynch would love to hear all
about it,” I return sweetly. “Actually, I probably saved her
life.”

I’m fairly certain that Jade wouldn’t have
bitten the girl, but that isn’t the point. What they were doing was
despicable, preying on the weak. The girl probably won’t sleep for
days, not without nightmares anyway.

“Alright girls, you’re both pretty,” Nikolai
cuts in sarcastically, stepping between us. We both stare daggers
at him.

“You will be sorry!” Jade shouts at me as she
storms out of the clearing. Lexie and Blaine follow still looking
stunned. I’m not worried though. Shaye has a good head start. I
decide it’s best to give them a few minutes before following. I’ve
had about as much fun as I can stand for one evening.

“Have you learned nothing?” Nikolai asks,
looking me over.

“Excuse me?” I answer, shucking a clump of
mud from my hair and refastening my ponytail.

“Garcia would be disappointed.” He shakes his
head in dismay before continuing. “Hair pulling? You’re better than
that.” He’s making fun of me again. He’s got that gleam in his eye,
and, from the way his shoulders are shaking, I’m pretty sure he’s
suppressing a laugh.

“Shouldn’t you be catching up to your
friends?” I ask raising an eyebrow questioningly.

He ignores me and continues down the same
antagonistic line of commentary. “Frankly, I think you can do
better. You have excellent teachers. And your form is good. Do you
know what your problem is? You lack imagination. Your fighting
style is predictable.”

“Predictable? That’s one thing I’ve never
been called before.”

“Well, I don’t want to split hairs here, but
I didn’t say you were predictable.” He smiles impishly, as if he
thinks showing his swoon-worthy dimple will soften me up. “I don’t
know you well enough to say that... yet. Your fighting style is
predictable; the way that you string the moves together,” he
clarifies seriously.

“Thanks for the insight,” I reply pushing
past him. I don’t need to stand here and listen to this garbage.
His whack-job friends are terrorizing humans, and I’m the one who’s
getting a lecture? I don’t think so.

“I could help you,” he calls out. “Just say
the word.”

It’s a
bad idea. I know it’s a bad idea. But I can’t stop thinking about
it. Tucked away safely in my room, far from the Masquerade, I can’t
stop thinking about Nikolai’s offer. I lay on my bed in the dark,
staring at the ceiling, my mind racing. He’ll drive me crazy. He’ll
antagonize me every chance he gets. We’ll be lucky if we don’t kill
each other.

But he’s my best option. Garcia is too busy
for one-on-one instruction, and Nikolai is good. If he can teach
half as good as he fights, I’ll learn a lot. I’ll definitely learn
more quickly than I would by relying solely on classroom
instruction. And isn’t that the reason I’m here? To become the best
that I can be?

What the hell. It’s worth a shot. I grab my
boots with reckless abandon and slip them over my feet before I can
change my mind. I head straight for the party. I have no intention
of stopping until I find Nikolai, but I’m flabbergasted when I
reach the main hall and stop frozen in my tracks. Shaye wasn’t
kidding when she said the staff went all out.

I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s a
bizarre cross between a haunted house and an underage rave. The
result is… mind-numbing. The entire first floor has been
transformed for the party. There are candelabras everywhere. They
hang from the ceilings and walls, creating an ominous atmosphere
and casting shadows all around. The hallways are filled with fog
leaving the floors invisible. The walls, which are draped in gauzy
black fabric, appear to breathe with life. I pass coffins,
skeletons, and a colony of bats that flap their wings and screech
loudly as they fly freely up and down the halls. Outside of the
dining hall, there’s an ornate stone fountain spewing blood from
the mouth of a naked maiden at its center. The scent of blood is
ripe in the air and my mouth begins to water. The whole scene would
be disturbing if it weren’t so cliché.

Mockery must be the theme of the night. I’ve
passed no less than a half dozen students dressed in some vestige
of hokey vampire garb. Capes, powdered faces, blood dripping from
their mouths. I’ve counted three Dracula’s, one Count Chocula, an
Elvira, Vlad the Impaler, Count von Count, a Nosferatu, two brides
of Dracula, and one hellishly ugly beast with a mouthful of fangs
that is surely meant to convey the worst myths we’ve fed the
humans. I have to admit it is kind of ironic.

It only gets better when I enter the dining
hall. It’s been converted into a first-rate club. The room is dark
save for the flash of strobe lights and glow sticks. Techno music
blares from speakers overhead, and the room is writhing with
movement, as the students dance to the rhythm. There are limbs
flailing all around me, many of them alight with glow paint. It
seems I’m the only one not feeling the spirit tonight. I take in
more of the costumes. They run the gamut: werewolves, witches,
monsters, politicians.

I push my way into the crowded room. Blaine
is spinning at the makeshift DJ booth on the far side. It’s
probably my best bet for finding Nikolai. Unfortunately, getting
through the sea of dancing vamps is easier said than done. I’m
shoved back and forth by the force of their powerful bodies
bouncing and twisting all around me. I get more than a few nasty
glares as I go. No one likes having their flow interrupted.

I ignore them and keep my eye on the prize. I
spot Nikolai quickly. He’s easy to find. Blaine is staring intently
at him and Jade dancing a few feet from the DJ booth. They’re
totally engrossed in the music. Jade is grinding on Nikolai,
rubbing her body against his provocatively. I doubt they’re aware
of anything going on around them.

I contemplate retreat. The last thing I need
is another run in with Jade, especially with this many witnesses. I
know I can catch up with Nikolai later, but determination wins out.
Besides, I might wimp out if I don’t do it now.

“Nikolai!” I shout over the music. He doesn’t
hear me. I call his name again, this time tapping him on the
shoulder a little harder than necessary. He spins around to face
me, breaking off the dance with Jade.

“I knew it wouldn’t take you long to decide.”
He smiles, looking pleased with himself. Jade on the other hand
does not look so happy to see me. Go figure.

“What do you want?” she cuts in angrily,
fists clenched and at the ready. She looks to Nikolai and then back
to me.

“You clean up well,” I comment looking her
over. There’s not a trace of the mud and grime that had been
clumped in her hair at the maze. “Showering has done you wonders.”
I shouldn’t antagonize her, but it’s just so easy.

“Jade, why don’t you go get yourself a drink?
There’s something I need to discuss with Katia,” he tells her
diplomatically. Probably he wants to prevent another wrestling
match between us. “This will only take a minute,” he assures
her.

“Whatever.” She storms off in the direction
of the fountain, and I can’t say I’m sorry to see her go. This will
be easier without an audience.

“Sorry to interrupt your fun.”

“Fun? Ha!” He laughs, eyes raking over the
costumed vamps grinding all around us. “I can think of better ways
to spend the night, but I’m making the best of it.”

“Oh? Glow sticks and body paint isn’t your
thing? Could’ve fooled me,” I retort, eyeing the trail of glitter
that Jade has left on the front of his dark shirt. Perhaps it’s
Jade’s way of marking her territory.

He doesn’t bother replying to my ridicule. He
just stands there expectantly, eyes locked on mine. He’s not going
to make it easy for me. And why should he? I haven’t exactly been
easy to get along with or even to like. I don’t know why he’s
offered to help, but I guess it’s time to find out. Time to swallow
my pride.

“Will you train me?” I ask through clenched
teeth. I practically choke on the words. I hate asking for help. I
hate asking for anything.

“Sorry. I didn’t catch that?” he returns,
raising his voice to be heard over the roar of the music. “It’s so
loud in here, you know?” I’m certain he’s messing with me. He knows
damn well what I said. Arrogant jerk! I turn to leave.

“Katia, wait!” He grabs my arm preventing
retreat. “I offered, didn’t I?”

“What do you want in return?” It’s hard to
keep the edge of suspicion from my voice. I know the lessons won’t
come without a price.

“What makes you think I want something from
you?” he asks crossing his arms over his chest. He’s clearly
amused.

“The fact that I wasn’t born yesterday,” I
retort. “So? What is it you want? Name your price.”

“Isn’t it obvious? I want to get to know
you.” He’s got that mischievous look in his eye again. “You
intrigue me. After all, there’s never a dull moment when you’re
around.”

Right. I’m sure it’s that innocent. Probably
he wants to get closer to me because of Aldo. It doesn’t matter
though. Not as long as I get what I want.

“When do we start?”

“Tomorrow. Meet me in the training center at
11 o’clock.”

“I’ll be there.”

I nearly escape the dining hall without
incident. Jade intercepts me at the door, grabbing my arm and
digging her blood red nails into my skin like talons. If it weren’t
for the baleful look on her face she might actually be able to pull
off the white wings affixed to her back. As it is, there’s nothing
angelic about her right now. “What do you want with Nikolai?”

“It’s a private matter,” I return, biting my
tongue to keep from saying anything inflammatory. What is up with
this crazy possessiveness of hers? Maybe she hasn’t heard the old
adage about freeing that which you love the most. Then again, maybe
she knows there isn’t creature in its right mind that would
voluntarily come back for more of her bitchiness.

“Stay away from him,” she warns, her brown
eyes flashing angrily. “Nikolai is mine.”

So much for playing nice. I can’t help but
smirk at the tawdry threat as I wipe her glittery handprint off my
forearm. “Jade, I have only one interest in Nik and I can assure
you it’s purely physical.”

**********

Our first session is getting off to a rough
start. There are other students practicing in the training center
this morning, but it still feels different from our regular
classes. I’m very aware of Nikolai’s presence; more so than usual.
And then there’s Blaine. Apparently he’s decided to babysit us.
Maybe he thinks we can’t be trusted alone. Maybe Jade put him up to
it. Or maybe, like me, he thinks we might kill each other.

Whatever the reason, he’s here. And even
though it’s weird to have him monitoring us I don’t say anything. I
don’t want my trainer to bail on me. Blaine’s a creep, but Nikolai
seems to think he’s got some redeeming qualities. I’ll just have to
ignore him. It can’t be that hard.

“So what’s the plan?” I ask, anxious to get
started.

“We’ll start simple. I’ll show you a series
of moves and you repeat them. Watch carefully.” He performs the
moves slowly, stringing together some very simple punches with more
complex kicks. I realize he’s blended together several different
martial arts techniques. While I don’t know all of the moves, I do
my best to replicate the pattern. The sequence is awkward, and it
shows in my performance.

“Again.”

I repeat the pattern, taking greater pains
this time to ensure my moves are sharp and clean. My arms and legs
cut through the air like a knife through warm butter. The whistle
of displaced air is music to my ears and a testament to the
improvement of my form. It’s not as good as Nik, but it’s
definitely better this time.

“Again,” he tells me.

So much for positive reinforcement. As I
begin the sequence for the third time, Nikolai steps in front of me
throwing out counter moves to block my attack. He catches me off
guard, but I find the challenge interesting. Given one more
attempt, I feel confident that I could perform the pattern
adequately and land a couple of blows.