006: FOUR GUARDIANS...

MAYA'S POV

He quickly looks away when he catches me staring. He's really muscular, wearing a sleeveless shirt that highlights his strength and burnt skin. He looks smoky, like he's just walked through a fire. He has red spikes and amber eyes that look like they are on fire. His pants blend with the color of his hair. There are tiny scales on his jaw and collarbone, and a few scattered on his arms; he's not just a man... he's something else.

I feel my skin burn from just staring at him. So I look away and finally glance at Jaden, but he's smiling like he knows what is going on.

The professor runs up to me and pours the warm glowing potion he mixed on my body. I close my eyes, and when I reopen them, everything is back to normal.

The class looks calm, the leaves, the ground, the objects—it's like nothing happened. Is it magic?

"Maya Carter, new recruit." The professor waves his hands dramatically in the air, but his voice comes out flat as he introduces me.

There are lots of students gathering around the corners, dressed in white shirts, skirts, leather pants, jackets, and dresses. A number of them appear normal, but a bunch look like freaks, like monsters from Monster High come to life. Almost all the students have weapons attached to their clothing. "What just happened?" One of them asks.

"It was the academy's way of welcoming her." The professor grits his teeth and walks back to the front of the class. "All of you students were received in special ways. You just don't remember."

"I don't remember anything special happening when I got enrolled." A girl counters as she steps forward. She's tall with blonde hair, and sharp facial features. She's the classical high school bully. She glares at me. "Late and clueless. Typical surface dweller."

I don't have time for this. I sigh and look away.

"All ranks are displayed on the orb," the professor says, gesturing toward a glowing crystal in the room's center.

Names appear midair—Morien: Rank 9. Maddox: Rank 8. Miles: Rank 8. At the very bottom, I see my name, Maya Carter, with a U sign. "What's that?"

The room goes quiet. Then laughter. "Unranked, clueless." The blonde from earlier on answers. "Never heard of someone starting below zero," another person mutters. "She won't even make it a week before she's dead."

Could I really die in this academy like Jaden claimed? Is my life at stake if I don't reach a higher rank?

"Luckily for you, the academy has a solution to help you meet you." The professor's words jolt me out of my thoughts.

Can he hear my thoughts? I look around. Can anyone else hear my thoughts?

"Be quiet!" The annoying girl snaps at me.

"You're assigned four top students who'll act as your guardians, training you to attain higher ranks." The professor goes on reading from a scroll in his hands. "Morien Ashwin, the dragon shifter." He points to the huge fire guy who mind linked me earlier. "Maddox Vargis, the werewolf." He points to the first guy I met—the one who stepped out of my mirror.

"Guardian?" I repeat, choking on the word. "More like... a babysitter with fangs."

"Try executioner." Maddox glowers at me.

"Blake Miles, the incubus." The professor points to the bluish guy from the dream, who is staring at me with the most seductive eyes I've ever seen. "And our new transfer student, Jaden Mcleech, the vampire who's on the 9th rank."

"I won't be her guardian!" The dragon shifter—Morien—opts out immediately, his skin turning red.

"I would never work together with you." Miles throws back at Morien like a punch, causing him to visibly flinch, but there's pain in Miles eyes too as he said those words. I feel some mad tension between these two.

Maddox and Jaden glare at each other, and Jaden just shakes his head. "How does the academy pair two sworn rival beings together?"

"You should have stayed at the Shadows Academy. You're not needed here." Maddox says with a smile, but there's nothing sweet about it.

"I'm sorry, boys. It's not your decision to make," The professor says. "It's a mandate from the academy." After he's done making the announcement, he returns to his desk at the corner of the field.

I walk up to where the professor is sitting. He seems like the only one who can help with answers to my unending questions. "Professor—"

"Billy."

"Billy, thank you for... earlier on. I don't know what happened, but... this whole thing has been a terrible mix-up. Could you help me out of here, please? Or just mix one of your spells and explain why the hell I'm here.

He twists his lips and nods as if listening to what I'm saying. But the second I'm done, he gets up, his eyes flicking with emotions I can't describe... fear, guilt?

He roughly toss three really heavy books in my direction as if they weighed nothing. I dodge, and they land on the floor. "The library's on the third floor in case the books are short on knowledge." He snorts and walks to the back of the flowery branch that stands like a fence around the class.

I decide to go after him. I walk through the flowery branches and step into a beautiful garden. I look around, but the professor isn't here. Where did he disappear to?

I turn back to leave but jerk when I spot a tall figure in the garden. He's seductively leaning on a branch, with black wavy hair, deep purple eyes, a teasing smile on his lips, and a very stylish purple shirt and chain-filled black pants. "Queen of ruin." He calls me.

"Miles?" I pinch myself to confirm I'm not dreaming about this hot incubus again.

"It's nightmare; that's what the academy calls me." He straightens from the branch, and runs a hand through his hair. He's simply breathtaking. "You returned to us."

"Us?" I step back a little so I can see beyond. "He calls me queen too. What am I?" I mutter.

He takes a slow step toward me. "Our reincarnated queen." I step back, and he takes another slow, predatory step towards me. "Mated to the four realms of the immortal world."

I'm finally pressed against a hard branch and I realize I'm trapped. He leans in, slowly brushing my lips and staring at me through long lashes. I drink in his features with an audible gulp. "What else do you know?"

"Everything." His voice is so smooth and composed... it's hot. "I remember everything. I swore to be bound to you across all my lives. Do you still feel the bond?" He slowly touches my arm, lifting my hands to his lips.

"What bond?" My voice comes out low and ragged.

He doesn't say anything more, and neither do I. The silence stretches, and it's at this moment I realize we're standing really close with our bodies pressing and our eyes fixed on each other's lips. The only thing I can sense is him. If this were a romance novel, this is the point where the magical kids would happen, but too bad this is real life and...

He's kissing me! His lips glides over mine, he's gentle yet commanding. His cups my face in his palms and...

My brain shoots open. What the hell am I doing letting a strange, sexy incubus kiss me like we've known each other our whole lives? I push him backwards. "What was that?"

"The bond... I'm sorry." He apologizes, and then he kisses me again. His lips moving expertly against mine. Whatever he's doing with his tongue, he's a damn master. I can feel every hair on my body standing.

I try to push him, but instead my body leans in as if an invisible string is pulling me to him, and my sigil burns in response to the kiss. I close my eyes and kiss him with the same energy, forgetting I'm in a weird academy with no way home. I had no idea kissing could feel this good.

My head is spinning, my knees are weak, and the kiss burns its way down to my waist and fingers. I fling my hands, but it's still burning...like. "Fire!" My eyes fly open, and the surrounding things are burning.

Miles breaks the kiss, but he doesn't look disturbed by the fire. "It reminds me of the old tale." His voice is low as he whispers against my lips. "The Hex Queen returns in fire, with four hearts to break the sky." He smiles, and I hear a bond snap into place.