Katrina

Katrina

The rest of the class is uneventful. Everyone keeps their mouth shut as the professor drones on and on about vampires and faeries. The vampires are demonic, while the Faeries are angelic creatures. Vampires feed off your blood, faeries feed off your laughter, and so on and so forth. The subject might have been intriguing if I wasn’t stuck on the fact that a horde of succubi might be lying in wait. But in waiting for what, and why were they attacking the school? Could I have called them to me? If my mother was the Queen, would that make me their new Queen?

“Katrina,” Samael calls out, “Are you alright little demon spawn?” He whispers, using my newest nickname.

“Yeah, all good here,” I reply, forcing a small smile to appear on my face.

Samael doesn’t look convinced but lets it go, “Okay, well, I’m going to cut class a few minutes early. The headmaster and I need to have a discussion. Miles should be waiting outside for you when class ends.”

“Okay,” I nod leaning in and giving him a quick kiss before he leaves.

Not even a full minute later, my phone rings.

“Hey, Kitten. Midterms are running late. I’ll meet you in class. Samael can walk you to class.”

Samael must not have shared his plans with Miles, but instead of worrying him, I send him a quick okay. It won’t hurt me to walk to class by myself.

As the bell rings, a weird tingle runs through my body, but I ignore it. My body has felt weird since I woke up this morning. I quickly shove my notebooks into my bag before heading out the door. As I turn the corner, I bump into someone.

I begin to apologize but stop midsentence as I look up at the person I walked into. This man is the definition of a silver fox. His dirty blond hair was streaking with strands of silver, and his surprisingly red beard also had strands of silver weaved throughout it. His deep blue eyes were crinkled, making me wonder if he’d lived a life full of laughter or one full of anger. For a man who appeared to be in his mid-fifties, he was surprisingly fit. His chest was broad, and his blue dress shirt looked like it would bust open if he flexed his arms. If I’d met him before I was a mated woman, I would gladly call him daddy.

“You are as strong as they say.” The man states, his eyes roaming over me. His gaze made me realize just how little my school uniform covered.

“My apologies, but who are they? Also, I don’t think we’ve met before. I’m Katrina.” I reply, sticking my hand out.

Instead of shaking it, he brings my hand to his lips and places a kiss on top of it.

“I know who you are, Katrina.” He states, chuckling, “But it isn’t often that I meet someone who doesn’t know who I am.”

My mind raced as I tried to recall who this man was and if he was anyone important or someone I should be wary of.

“But of course, you’ve only just learned about all this, and my son favors his mother with his fiery red hair.”

Fiery red hair? Wait, no, it couldn’t be, could it? Was I in the presence of the man I should avoid at all cost? The king of the Sky Kingdom and Aphelion’s father, Zeus, himself.

“Ah, there it is. You’re a smart girl too, I see.” He replies, still smiling charmingly at me.

“I’m afraid Aphelion isn’t here right now. I usually don’t see him until lunch.” I reply, the glint in his eyes at his son’s name proving that he is indeed Zeus.

“I didn’t come here looking for Aphelion,” Zeus states, taking a step toward me, causing me to step back, only realizing once it’s too late that he’s cornered me. “I was sorely disappointed when I learned you wouldn’t be coming to the sky kingdom this weekend, that I decided to come to the school and meet you here instead. My son’s highly elusive mate. Tell me, Katrina, what is it that you’re hiding?

“I’m not hiding anything,” I state as I glance around, hoping that one of my mates will come and find me.

“No one’s coming. I’ve frozen time; not a single person can move once I do that. Well, not a single person except for you, it seems.”

“Maybe my special ability is deflecting the power thrown at me,” I suggest, shrugging my shoulders nonchalantly as if to brush off whatever Zeus was trying to insinuate.

“That’s a possibility.” Zeus responds, pausing for a moment, “Or you’re a danger to our kind, someone who’s too powerful, more powerful than even Cronus. So tell me, what is it you’re hiding from me, Katrina?”

I feel that weird tingly sensation runs over my body again. I watch as Zeus furrows his eyebrows in frustration. It’s only then that I realize the tingly sensation I’m feeling is Zeus' power running through my body.

“I’m not hiding anything,” I state firmly.

“Then why are you avoiding the council?” He asks sharply, all pretense of the charming man he was pretending to be gone.

“I’m not avoiding the council. I’m trying to catch up with school and get to know my mates, all while trying to persuade my mind that this is my new life and I won’t wake up in my tiny apartment wondering if my gas would be shut off.” I reply bluntly.

While it wasn’t the entire truth, my statement was true. Some nights I do wonder if when I wake up in the morning, this will be a crazy random dream. Lightly based on the book I just finished reading. 

The Sky God stared at me intensely like he hoped to catch me in a lie, perhaps frightening me into telling him everything I knew. Whatever the stare meant, it wouldn’t work on me. I’d lived in an orphanage for too long to let anyone try to bully me or push me around. Yes, he might be the almighty Zeus, but to me, he was no more than a schoolyard bully.

“You might be able to avoid me for now, Katrina, but remember, midterms are around the corner, and once you’re done, you’ll be at the mercy of the council. You’ll do well to remember that I could be a friend in your corner during your council meeting, or I can be the one who takes you down. It’s your choice.”

I feel a trindle of magic roll over my body before I can respond, and in the blink of an eye, time begins to move again, and Zeus has vanished.