Lure Academy Read online

  “Of course, Lilith is the highest ranked in the Pantheon and everyone only whispers her name. But, seriously, she’s always exaggerating. It’s not all about work. There are many ways you can enjoy yourself, too.” She glanced in a playful way at her companion, and even gave her a suggestive wink. “And I repeat: many ways.”

  The succubus’ behavior made a sudden wave of warmth rush to Sophie’s cheeks. She had a feeling that one of her most burning questions had just been answered, and to her surprise, she was looking forward to those ways of enjoying herself. Except… but no. She couldn’t think about that. She couldn’t allow her fears and insecurities to take a hold of her now, when she had gotten so far and so many new, incredible experiences were waiting for her. When Lilith had looked her in the eyes, Sophie had felt an unnatural feeling building in her stomach: impatience, enthusiasm, and some sort of inner peace at the thought that, finally, she would belong somewhere, she wouldn’t feel out of place anymore, like a child abandoned among strangers.

  They had already climbed the stairs to the second floor of the building that was exclusively destined to the students’ dorms. The first thing she noticed was that the heaters were probably functioning at full blast. Way more comfortable than the cold air outside. They stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, and Sophie thought this was one extraordinary thing about the Academy: all spaces were wide, and all ceilings were tall and gave a sense of freedom.

  “This is your room. You’ll share it with Lamia. She’s your age but she’s already been here for quite a while. She’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

  Sophie took the key from Hebe, and the white-haired girl made to leave.

  “Got to go now! Don’t forget: the hetaerae will be here in two hours to help you prepare for the Midnight Ceremony.”

  “Hey, wait!” Sophie tried not to raise her voice. When Hebe stopped in her tracks, she continued: “Who’s that?”

  The person Sophie was referring to was a young man who was angrily trying to find the right key to his room. He was tall, his body strong, yet lean and elegant. He had shoulder-length blond hair, and he was wearing extremely skinny, low-riding jeans and a plain black T-shirt. Even though she couldn’t see his face, Sophie could guess his angelic features which, combined with the quick, confident way in which he moved, could only make a dangerously delicious combination.

  “That’s Kain Svjetlo.” Hebe had moved closer to Sophie. “He’s just moved on this floor but, trust me, he’s the last person you’d want to mess with.”

  Hebe’s giggles didn’t make Sophie feel any better, so she took her advice for granted and went into her own room.

  ♥

  The room was quite large, with light pink walls and a huge window right across from the door. At her left, Sophie could see a small bathroom and, at her right, there were two four-posters covered in rich covers and soft pillows. There were two desks as well, a computer and some books on each of them. The bed near the window was already taken by a young girl who looked up from the book she was reading.

  Lamia was Sophie’s age and about the same height. She had olive skin, black eyes, and black curly hair that flowed over her shoulders in a river of dark, luscious waves. Her body was slender, with small breasts and narrow hips. At first sight, Sophie thought that the firm, athletic girl, lazily spread over the thick blankets, resembled a Greek Amazon.

  “Are you just going to stand there? Your things have arrived.”

  Lamia’s voice was full and melodious. With a slow movement of her hand she gestured to the other bed, where Sophie saw her luggage. When the new girl didn’t move from her spot in the door frame, Lamia got out of the bed and, a couple of seconds later, Sophie found herself dragged inside the bedroom, the door slammed shut behind her.

  Lamia had a strong grip on Sophie’s hand and a huge smile on her face. “I’m Lamia. We’re gonna be best friends. Can’t wait! I’ve been here for three months now and it’s the first time they’re giving me a roommate.”

  Sophie smiled hesitantly. Before she could answer, she felt Lamia’s hands all over her face and hair.

  “Let me see you.”

  Lamia threaded her fingers through her new friend’s soft hair and touched her delicate features. She had always been a touchy-feely person, and the three months in which she had only had her books to keep her company had gotten her bored and nearly insane. As she was tracing Sophie’s full lips with the tips of her fingers, she couldn’t stop imagining all the things they were going to do together.

  Sophie felt Lamia’s touches like fire on her skin. Her heart started beating faster, the other girl’s scent invading her nostrils, the warmth of her body enveloping all her senses. She felt admired, desired, seeing satisfaction and pleasure in her roommate’s eyes. The brunette was now looking intently at her lips, and Sophie almost leaned in to kiss her. Just as she shivered in anticipation, Lamia drew back and dragged her briskly to her bed. She let go of her hand only to free the mattress of the entire luggage, dumping it to the floor. Lamia made herself comfortable and motioned to the still dazzled Sophie to sit by her side. When she did, the brunette took the book and papers from her hands.

  “Is this your file?”

  At Lamia’s inquiry, Sophie wanted to grab her things back, but the girl avoided her hands.

  “Come on! I only want to see who your parents are.”

  “Well, that’s easy. My father was a priest and my mother’s an accountant.”

  “No, not those parents! Your real ones,” said Lamia, but stopped when she picked the implications of Sophie’s answer. “Wait. Your father was a priest?”

  “Yeah… he died two years ago. Heart attack.”

  “I’m so sorry. You must miss him a lot.”

  Sophie gave Lamia a weak smile. “It was hard at first, but you get used to it. Now tell me about those other… parents.”

  “Oh, let me tell you mine first. Tengu’s my dad, and that crazy Nyame bitch’s my mom.” Lamia laughed at Sophie’s expression. “Of course, I don’t call them mom and dad. You never do that.”

  “Tengu and Nyame?”

  “My God! Don’t tell me you don’t even know the Pantheon.”

  “No, I just got here.” Sophie looked boringly at the huge history book. “I guess I’ll have to start reading this.”

  “You bet. But it can wait. I can tell you some things myself. Come on, let me see your file. It’s not like it’s some kind of secret. We all know our parents here. It kind of helps us understand each other better.”

  Curious, Sophie took the file from Lamia and opened it between them, on the bed.

  “So, so… who made your precious existence possible? There: Ke-sar and Anahit.”

  “Who are they?”

  “Well, baby, it seems like you’re pretty lucky with this lineage. Anahit is second in rank after Lilith, and Ke-sar is the first ranked incubus. Quite a hottie too.”

  “What do they look like?”

  “Well, you can browse the History and see for yourself, or you can wait ‘till tonight. They’re all going to be present at the ceremony. I can show them to you.”

  Sophie was studying the file over her roommate’s shoulder. “Will I talk to them?”

  “What? No! No way, you don’t do that. They’re important because you may have inherited some specific features from them. This makes us, your colleagues, know you better. Lure is all about knowing ourselves and knowing one another. Other than that, The Alluring Ones are not exactly our parents. Sometimes they’re barely even teachers.”

  “Have you ever talked to… mmm… like… mom?”

  “No. Never. And you don’t call them that, okay?”

  “Okay…”

  Looking at Lamia’s profile, Sophie wished she had known everything her roommate knew and even more. The world she had started discovering only a couple of hours ago kept getting more and more fascinating, raising confusion, curiosity and delight in Sophie’s soul. She simply wanted to take her book from La
mia, dive under the soft blankets of her bed and absorb the new information as fast and as hungrily as she could. Unfortunately, Lamia wouldn’t have any of that.

  “Come on, let’s do something useful. I’ll show you the palace.”

  ♥

  “Now we’re in the West Pavilion. Here, there are only dorms, the cafeteria and the kitchen, downstairs. Oh, and there’s also a common room.”

  “How many buildings are there?”

  “Four. And an infirmary between the North and the East Pavilions. We also call them Occidens, Oriens, Meridies and Septentrio. It’s easier that way.”

  They had already reached the first floor and passed the cafeteria, heading towards the front door. Between the entrance and the stairs that led to the upper floors, there was a wide hall. The ceiling was supported by tall pillars and everything was covered in white marble. Here and there, the walls were covered in paintings displaying various mythological creatures. Sophie noticed that in this part of the building, unicorns seemed to be the main motif. She didn’t have time to study her surroundings as Lamia opened the heavy door and they stepped into the cold January air.

  “Now, the classrooms are in the North Pavilion, or better, Septentrio, along with the library. You’ll see it’s impressive. This is where we’ll spend most of our time. Mmm… maybe not exactly in the classrooms…”

  Lamia turned to Sophie, took her hand and squeezed it lightly to get her attention. When Sophie looked up into her friend’s eyes, she was intrigued by her suggestive grin. “What do you mean?”

  Lamia laughed cheerfully, satisfied by her impact on her innocent roommate. “You’ll see. If you’re a good girl, I’ll take you there tonight.”

  “Where?”

  To answer the question, Lamia got closer to Sophie to whisper in her ear. This seductive gesture made her shiver and blush.

  “The Red Chamber.”

  When Sophie wanted to ask her next question, Lamia silenced her by putting a finger to her lips. They were very close, and Sophie could almost forget about the freezing wind which seemed to blow right through her clothes. Not drawing back, Lamia continued with the presentation of the palace in a hushed voice. If someone were to see them so close and intimate, they would think the two girls had some secrets to share.

  “In the South Pavilion, which is actually the smallest, you can find the offices and chambers of The Alluring Ones. You’ve already been there.”

  “How many are there in the Pantheon?”

  “Eleven.” Lamia circled Sophie’s waist with her right arm and dragged her to the middle of the court. “And that’s the East Pavilion. This is where they keep the prisoners.”

  “Prisoners?”

  “Sure. Who do you think we use for our practice lessons?”

  “Practice?” At that point, Sophie’s eyes couldn’t have gotten any bigger. She’d expected many things from this new, surreal place, but she had never thought they kept prisoners. And the East Pavilion was huge, almost of the same size as the West one, which contained the dorms. She didn’t know what to think or expect. She was no longer in control, and maybe she hadn’t been from the first moment she came to this place, but it was certainly the first time she realized that. And it struck her.

  Lamia was amused by Sophie’s obvious thoughts, which were practically flickering in her dark brown eyes. She hugged her tightly, giving her all her body warmth and showing her how happy she was to have her close. Sophie melted into the tight embrace.

  “We should go inside, dinner is about to be served. I bet you’re starving. And then we’ll have quite a long night ahead of us.”

  Lamia started walking back to the West Pavilion with her roommate still attached to her waist. Sophie let herself guided, and raised her eyes to the night sky and the tall trees guarding the Academy. The wind was blowing lightly and Sophie took a deep, hungry breath. She felt like a stranger in this place, but at the same time, as she watched Lamia’s profile, so close to her burning cheeks, and felt her scent and warmth in her arms, Sophie felt impatient and enthusiastic. Yes, it was strange and even scary sometimes, but this was what she’d dreamed of. This was who she was and she was determined to do her best. She was ready.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Kain was sitting at a table in the cafeteria, lazily poking at his food. His golden bangs covered his ice-blue eyes as he was bending above his meal. One had to pay close attention to see that Kain wasn’t actually looking at his salad, but was rather observing the man across from him: Alexi Volkov, his Russian roommate. The blond had moved in with Alexi one month ago and they still didn’t talk a lot to each other, which was driving Kain crazy. Around Alexi everything was quiet and peaceful, and Kain was a man of action. The guy would only read and study, and then read and study again. Now, normally, Kain wouldn’t wait to get bored, he would go have some fun. Practicing on the new prisoners, screwing the new students… “But still…”

  Alexi was eating as fast as he could while skimming through a heavy book, paying no mind to his surroundings. As he was turning the pages, Kain couldn’t help but stare from behind his blond locks. Alexi was a bit taller than Kain, with strong, lean muscles and sharp, noble features. His dark green eyes were full of concentration, and his black hair, overgrown and disheveled, was sticking into his eyes. Kain was looking intently at his slightly upturned nose, his thin lips and, finally, at his long fingers. “Ah, yes. This is why I prefer getting bored near him instead of fucking around. He’s too damn hot.”

  Truth be told, the blond hadn’t felt like this around someone for a very long time. Which scared him, surprised him, enticed him. He had heard about Alexi before moving in with him. The two of them were the best cambions Lure currently had, so of course they had heard about each other. But they had never worked together or even sat at the same table together. Until Ke-sar decided Kain needed some social interaction that implied more than his fuck-and-leave routine, and Alexi needed another roommate after his first had mysteriously disappeared. So, Kain, who was very difficult to live with, was now stuck with this silent, sexy geek. And he kind of liked it, except he was determined to like it even more. So the stupid book Alexi was focusing on had to go.

  “What are you reading again?”

  Alexi was startled by Kain’s sharp tone and raised his eyes for a mere second. Kain didn’t intend to sound harsh. But again, he couldn’t fight his natural attitude.

  “There’s a new book on the Dukes.” That being said, Alexi got another mouthful of chicken and went back to his reading.

  Kain couldn’t help rolling his eyes in annoyance. “What’s with you and the Dukes, anyway? I’ve seen a lot of research materials about them on your desk. Err… it’s now like I was looking through your things or anything.” Why was he stuttering? Dangerous, tough Kain stuttering? That was just wrong.

  Alexi didn’t notice the change in his roommate’s behavior. “It’s nothing. I’m just trying to understand them better.”

  “For what?” Disbelief crossed the blond’s beautiful eyes. The stuttering became a harsh growl. “You don’t understand them, you eliminate them. Filthy, abnormal creatures. And, anyway, you don’t do that by reading. You practice.”

  “Practice is nothing without knowledge.” Alexi seemed unfazed.

  “Yeah, whatever. Don’t need some stupid book to tell me what to do.”

  “Hey! We just work differently.” Alexi’s brows were now furrowed. “Doesn’t mean you can simply insult me.”

  That being said, Alexi stood up, dumped his remaining food in the bin and went back to their shared room, book in hand.

  “Shit!”

  A couple of stares were sent towards the angry blond. But seeing it was just him, the students went back to their food and chattering. Kain was always like that. Except now. Now he hadn’t intended to make Alexi angry. He had to learn to control his emotions. This was not the battle field, this was Lure. This was home. He could let go. Just for once, maybe, he could let go. So Kain threw away his own foo
d and headed after Alexi, a new plan taking shape in his mind.

  ♥

  Once in his room, Alexi plopped onto his bed and resumed reading. He was still thinking about his roommate. “What’s with him always bugging me off? I just want to be left alone. Jacob knew his place.” Jacob was his ex-roommate. It wasn’t like he missed him, but he couldn’t help thinking about him from time to time. They still didn’t know if he was dead or alive. Or, they didn’t tell. The Pantheon had their strange ways sometimes.

  Peace and quiet couldn’t last long when you shared the same bedroom with a blond bomb-shell. Kain burst into the room and slammed the door behind him. Spotting Alexi on the bed, he hesitated one moment, unsure of how to proceed. He put one hand on his hip and cocked his head to the side, watching his roommate. Alexi was sprawled onto the dark blue covers, resting his chin on his left arm. He was lying on his stomach, his shirt riding up just one or two inches, leaving a line of creamy, white skin uncovered. His baggy jeans were riding low enough to show a glimpse of his butt, his round buttocks creating a delicious curve in contrast with the narrow plane of his lower back.

  Kain licked his lips, arousal overtaking his senses, making him feel hot and sweaty. His skinny jeans grew tight and uncomfortable. He had seen a lot of unbearably sexy cambions and he had fucked them all. But this time, it was different. Alexi wasn’t the submissive kind of guy who would give anything to get into the blond legend’s bed. He didn’t even seem to acknowledge his stalker. He was unreachable. Because Alexi was a Lure legend himself. And, as he was lying on his bed, looking all hot, he was playing his role perfectly: he didn’t give any sign that he had even noticed Kain’s presence, which made the blond add the last touch to his newly formed decision. He walked to his own bed, making a total show of his swaying hips. He hoped that the feeling of being watched wasn’t just his imagination.