Strange Academy (Hot Paranormal Romance) Page 6

  Pippa got her dreamy look again. “Heartwarming.”

  “In an annoying way,” she agreed. “Do you hear that pounding noise?”

  “I hope it’s Gray,” Pippa said.

  *

  ***

  ******

  ****

  *

  It wouldn’t work. Gray reached around the marble statue to pound on the door, the pulse of pain in his knuckles a welcome distraction from his aching stress knot.

  Why the hell did it take her so long just to answer the damned door? To irritate him, of course. She calculated everything she did to drive him crazy, from the time he caught her spying on him and Sterling, to the kiss he hadn’t been able to forget for two weeks. Well, it wouldn’t work.

  The door swung inward and a thrown-together Sadie, still tying her lopsided robe around a willowy waist, peeped around Thalia. Fresh pillow marks pinked her right cheek, like she’d rolled out of bed, leaving her sleeping lover. She’d probably maneuvered that, too. It wouldn’t work.

  “It won’t work,” he exploded, quietly. He’d be in it deep if anyone caught him here.

  “Huh?” She pushed an unruly lock of hair off her face.

  “I’m engaged,” he informed her.

  Sleepy brown eyes opened further. “How pleasant for you.”

  “I’m coming in.”

  She stepped out of the way. “Mind the muse.”

  He checked to see no one was watching before he ducked under Thalia’s arm and shut the door behind him.

  “For me?” Her eyes lit in feigned pleasure when she noticed the cardboard box under his arm. “Peace offering, maybe?”

  The knot under his shoulder blade tightened. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

  “The most extraordinary chemistry teacher on the planet?” She rubbed the corner of her eye with her third finger, flipping him off.

  “Don’t toy with me. It won’t work. I’m engaged.”

  Her eyes blazed with fury. She jutted out her hip and stabbed her finger into his chest. “Now, you listen to me—”

  He thrust the box at her breasts. Chest, he corrected himself. Right. Chest.

  She raised a curious eyebrow. With cautious fingers, she parted the flaps and peeped in like she expected a poisonous viper. But the only snake here wore a black kimono.

  “I’m—” She pulled out two triangles of facial tissue joined by a band of dental floss. An odd look crossed her face. “If you want to wear ladies’ panties, it’s not my business.” And she tried to shove the box back at him.

  “Not funny, Sadie. Or is it ‘Sadist?’” He tapped the shipping address on the parcel. “This part was a big mistake.”

  Her face fell as she read the address. S.S. c/o L. Gray. Strange Hall, Strange Academy, etc. etc.

  “I didn’t order these.” She rooted through the box, the tissue paper crinkling. “Maybe someone is playing a prank.”

  Watching Sadie, the vee of her robe revealing white flesh as she explored the contents of the box, he had the sudden urge to spill everything. Sadie, no one put Thalia at your door. She goes where she wants to. We think the statue’s haunted, but she’s considered lucky, so we leave her alone. Lots of weird things go on here. See, every kid at Strange Academy has something special about them. Magic users. Mutants. Werewolves. IQs off the measurable scale. Technopagans. Genies. All the teachers have Talents, except for you. I’m one of the premier mages of the age. We teach these kids to be heroes. You can’t, so you should leave. But before you do, we could...

  “Did you unwrap every one?” Balancing the box under an arm, she stretched a pair over her hips to check the size.

  He could see her black kimono through the leopard-print mesh. His pants suddenly tightened.

  “Oh, pretty!” She brought out the smallest red scrap he’d ever seen. His mouth dropped open as she slid it over her cheek, eyes closing in pleasure. She sighed. “Silk.”

  The air growled. No, it was him. Brown eyes shot open. Sadie’s breath caught, then matched his, their chests rising in unison. She froze, the panties still held to her cheek.

  With her long hair wild around her head and her robe threatening to fly open, he wanted to take Sadie Strange right there. To throw her down on Pippa’s floor and find out what she wore underneath her kimono.

  Maybe it was the tension, the conflict. Maybe it was the thrill of the chase or pure chemistry. He wanted her more than he’d wanted any woman. Definitely more than April.

  His fiancée. She was like a sister to him, but he grabbed the thought of April like a drowning man grabs a lifejacket.

  He squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m not going to spend my time thinking about what you’re wearing underneath your robe. I should sue you for sexual harassment.”

  Sadie threw back her head and laughed, an alto chuckle, husky from sleep. The motion spread her robe open to the curves of her breasts. “Go ahead. I’ll see you in court.”

  Somehow, he kept himself from ripping his hair out. “I’m engaged, so knock it off.”

  “Listen to what I am telling you.” She spoke slowly, enunciating every syllable. “I. Did. Not. Do. This.”

  He stormed out the door. He’d never stormed out the door to get away from April.

  He heard a voice behind him. “Gray.”

  As if it wasn’t enough she’d gotten the last word, now she wanted another one? He set his jaw like iron.

  Shadows cast by the hallway lights, left low to guide students to the shared bathroom, played softly with her curves. Small bare feet slapped on the ancient wooden floor. Her lips pursed with concern. “How’s Sterling?”

  His temper flared. He grabbed her by the shoulders. Only his overwhelming physical advantage kept him from shaking Sadie until her head bobbled on her neck. “Stay away from my nephew.”

  She shoved him. Actually shoved him. She didn’t have his strength, but the surprise of it made him let her go and step back. “I just wanted to know if he’s okay, Alumnus.”

  “I can take care of it.”

  “Sure.” Sadie turned on her heel and swung her sweetheart ass back into Pippa’s apartment, twirling an orange scrap from her index finger. He hated he was still watching after her when she popped out the door again. “Oh, and Gray...”

  Waggling her tongue at him, she posed the orange thong panties over Thalia’s marble hips.

  He turned his back and stalked down the hall. No more playing. She had to go.

  He stomped down the stairs to his apartment, his mind whirling. Problem was, in front of everyone else, she didn’t act like the she-devil he knew she was. How could he make Cross and the others see Pippa’s visions of the future were wrong when they came to Pippa’s niece?

  A memory bubbled up. Something Sadie had said on her first day. He froze in mid-stride, clutching the curved handrail of the stairs. About being looked up to. No, about being looked down on...Her work. Being looked down on.

  He stalked down the hall, buoyed by the thought. Something to look into.

  *

  ***

  ******

  ****

  *

  Two days later, Gray strutted into the Friday staff meeting with a briefcase containing everything he needed to get Sadie fired. Ironically, he’d considered using magic against her when the answer to the problem sat on the shelf of the local convenience store next to tabloids claiming Angelina Jolie was an alien clone.

  Of course, the truth about Ms. Jolie was far more interesting.

  The room was packed with teachers of different ages and backgrounds, most of whom talked in animated groups, usually about the progress of their students. Shapeshifters drifted toward shapeshifters, psychics toward psychics. Only a few of the more eccentric types, like Ella Roman, who muttered complicated mathemagical formulas to herself, sat alone.

  This was why Sadie didn’t belong here. These people were all different, but they’d come together as a community for the good of their kids. She could never understand thi
s, never be a part of it.

  A square-jawed man nodded in Gray’s direction from near the back of the room. Gray strode over to him.

  “Lorde Gray.” The guy leaned against the window ledge. Next to him leaned a pair of crutches. The right leg of his khakis was pinned up above the knee so it wouldn’t hang empty.

  “Parker Klark.” Gray took up a position next to him. “Haven’t seen you since we graduated. Who knew an ass like you would become a legend?”

  “Ah, now I remember why we weren’t friends in school.”

  “Actually, Klark, I couldn’t fight my way through the crowd of girls following you everywhere.”

  “They would have been interested in you if you hadn’t singed your eyebrows off. Three times.” Klark smirked. “You don’t smell like formaldehyde anymore. Congratulations.”

  Gray chuckled. Not many people dared to insult him. His thoughts turned to a certain Non...

  Klark eyed him sideways. “I heard you took out a dozen ghouls in the Marrakech night market last year.”

  “A lie,” he tossed off. “I counted fourteen. I heard a naked virgin with a bag of unmarked bills could drive ten miles an hour through Chicago at midnight with her doors unlocked, the way you kept the crime rate down. Until you got caught in a burning building last year.” The Meta healers had gotten to him too late to save the leg.

  “Yes.” Klark’s voice twanged oddly, making Gray wonder whether there was more to that story. “I’m a big hero. I’ll be teaching physical self-defense.”

  “Chicago’s loss. Welcome to Strange Academy.” When they shook, Klark’s grip matched his own strength.

  Cross ahemed at the front of the room and all conversation died. “First, Jewel, do you have Sadie distracted?”

  Gray scowled. They stuffed themselves into a classroom instead of the cozy staff room for fear she’d find them. Did she have to be the topic of every conversation, too?

  “She’s supervising the seventh graders at their kitchen duties,” Jewel said.

  His scowl turned into a grin. Supervising work duties wasn’t any more pleasant for the teacher than for the kids. Especially the cafeteria work. You had to have a keen eye to keep the slackers in line at the same time you were keeping thieving fingers out of the food.

  At the front of the room, Cross started the announcements. He went through the upcoming week’s events, including whoever was assigned to keep Sadie out of the way. Mostly, they just scheduled the magical training for periods when she had a class. Still, his stress knot grew at every mention of her name.

  She has to go, he thought. But the red haze cleared from his vision when he focused on his briefcase. He’d take care of it. If no one else took responsibility, he would.

  “Finally,” Cross said, “Michaiah says his independent study experiment is ready.” A few groans went up from the assembly. Cross silenced the group by raising a hand. “As an added precaution, I want a volunteer to cast an extra magic circle.”

  “I nominate Gray.” From the group of shapeshifters, Cloren Walsh winked at him. With Sadie elsewhere, she didn’t bother with the glamour hiding her golden feline eyes.

  “What’s so dangerous about this Michaiah kid?” Gray asked.

  Tao Zhang spoke up. “His element is water, and he’s trying to summon a Leviathan demon. Last time, the thing got out of hand and destroyed the indoor pool. But we have his parents to thank for the new aquatic center.”

  They’d been lucky to just lose the building. An enraged Leviathan could rip open the hull of a nuclear submarine. “Sounds like fun.” Gray yawned. “I’ll do it.”

  Cross folded his arms. “Well, I’m done. Anyone else?”

  Gray raised his hand, like an obedient little student.

  The principal looked right at him. “Talk to me in my office.”

  Gray stood, collecting the interest of everyone in the room. A thrill went through him, as if he were facing an enemy. Only this time, the enemy was Sadie and he had won already, thanks to the contents of the briefcase.

  “I was against Sadie Strange being hired. Look at us. We can’t even have our meeting in the staff room. Why are we changing everything we do for an outsider?”

  Jewel Jones piped up. “Pippa recommended her.”

  The faces of the eleven Staff Coven members turned hard. He’d get no support from the most powerful group on campus. Pippa had trained most of them—their hard-core loyalty meant they’d never doubt her ability to forecast the future.

  “This used to be a sanctuary,” he said, “a place for our kids to be themselves. Now they have to hide here, too.”

  “Temple approved her. She stays.” Cross set his jaw.

  Gray sidestepped the subject of Temple. “I’ve found something concerning all of us.” He snapped open the locks on his briefcase. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are not people to her. You want to know who she thinks we are?”

  He held the thing up so everyone got a good look. The teachers took in the glossy cover with stiffening reactions. In glowing colors, two figures fought in mid-air, framed by a backdrop of skyscrapers. A guy wearing a cape drew back a glowing fist to pummel an impossibly muscled man whose identity-concealing mask seemed about to tumble to the ground.

  “Why did you bring that thing here?” Klark growled.

  “I think you know we don’t encourage those on campus, Mr. Gray,” the principal said, his low voice a warning.

  Gray paused for extra drama, about to launch into the speech he’d been mentally preparing all day. This woman thinks heroes are cheap fiction. She thinks people who fight the forces of darkness wear tights. We’re not real to her. Not people. But he didn’t have to say it. The teachers’ eyes told him they knew she thought they were a joke.

  The rest of the room fell silent. So everyone heard the creak of the wooden door opening.

  He fought a smile at Sadie’s flustered blush as she entered and saw everyone looking her way.

  She was in librarian mode again, all beige. But thanks to him, she wasn’t fooling anyone with the innocent act.

  “I’m so sorry. I just found out about this meeting.” She bit her bottom lip as she looked for a seat and found every one was taken. The teachers leaning against the walls shifted to fill the empty spaces next to them.

  A few silent heartbeats went by. Coffee-colored eyes searched the room, then pulsed hatred as she focused on what Gray held.

  Their gazes had just locked as Cross spoke up. “We’re just finishing. Sadie, come with me. I’ll fill you in.”

  Sadie’s tone changed from apologetic to icy. “Are you finished, Mr. Gray?”

  He smiled, his lips curling so high his cheeks hurt. “Maybe you could help me, Miss Strange. Tell everyone what this is.”

  “A comic book, Mr. Gray.”

  “Very good. But it’s also known as a ‘graphic novel.’”

  She folded her arms, making her breasts strain against her beige jacket. “Says who?”

  “Your thesis advisor. Mr. Timothy.”

  “You mean Dr. Timothy,” she said.

  “Right. I forgot they give Ph.D.s for comic books now.”

  “Actually, his thesis was on Restoration theatre,” she informed him.

  “Is your thesis about Restoration theatre?” he asked, as if he didn’t know.

  “Didn’t Dr. Timothy tell you?” She blinked innocent brown eyes. Why was she calm? “It’s on myth and the modern graphic novel. But, Mr. Gray, you’re being rude, talking to me when you should be telling the staff something. What do you want to say?”

  Oh, what he’d really like to say. If only he could tell her the truth: that no Meta would ever been seen dead with a comic book. All Metas had hated superheroes ever since an American writer and a Canadian artist living in 1930s Cleveland had seen a Meta rescue a woman from kidnappers by lifting the car. A couple of months later, he’d seen a silly line drawing of himself on the cover of a new comic book line. The two, “inspired” by the event, had turned his life into a farce
in front of the whole world.

  Tights and capes. Gray gritted his teeth. Faster than a speeding bullet, his arse.

  And whoever this “Stan Lee” character really was, he had a lot to answer for. How he kept figuring out Meta powers and giving them to his fictional characters, no one knew. Several Metas had chatted with the white-mustached guy who claimed to be Lee, but he didn’t know anything. An actor hired to play the role. No wonder he wanted to appear in every movie based on Lee’s work.

  But Gray couldn’t say any of that without revealing the school’s secret. It didn’t matter, though. Every other person in the room knew. They were all sensitive to the effect that comic books could have on young Metas. “I’m not sure I want someone who thinks comic books are high art teaching my nephew. He’ll end up shouting shazaam and thinking he can leap tall buildings in a single bound.”

  Oddly, her face was relaxed, calm. “Anything else?”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. Support wafted toward him from every person in the room. Not even Cross would defend her now. But why wasn’t she panicking? “Only one more thing. This is for you.” He tossed her the comic book. She caught it with one hand. “Maybe you could trade it for some bubble gum.”

  “Finished, then?” She actually started flipping through the comic book.

  “Yes.” He clenched his teeth. Why wasn't she panicking?

  She cocked her head to the side. “Nothing more?”

  “Positive.”

  She rolled the comic into a tube as she walked to the front of the room, getting everyone’s attention. Of course she did, with her sweetheart ass drawing the eye. And the way her trousers clung to the groin-tightening curve where her legs met her backside.

  His mouth went dry. No panty line. She had to be wearing one of those thongs.

  Her voice broke into his thoughts. “All of you know why I got the job here. My aunt recommended me.” She took a deep breath and put the comic book down. “But I don’t think any of you know Pippa Strange thought she was a witch.”

  The members of the coven twitched. Where was she going with this? She should be claiming comic books were literature, like Dr. Timothy had. A bitter taste filled his mouth. She had warned him that if he tried to play at politics, she’d win. He might have powers beyond a normal human, but her time at university had given her more experience in an educational setting.