Page 22 of Vicious Kings
We pass through rooms that blur together in their opulence. A library with books floating at different heights. A conservatory where plants grow in impossible colors. A ballroom with a ceiling that shows the night sky even though it's still afternoon.
"You are fortunate," Madame Loriyne continues, "to have the academy to yourself. Typically, we host a dozen or so students per session."
"Lucky me," I mutter.
She stops so abruptly I almost run into her. When she turns, her expression could freeze hell.
"Sarcasm," she says, each syllable dripping with disdain, "is unbecoming of an omega."
"Guess that'll be our first lesson then."
Her nostrils flare slightly, the first crack in her icy composure. "You were a hunter, were you not?"
It's not really a question, so I don't bother answering.
"I suppose you think yourself above all this," she continues, beginning to walk again. "That yourbackgroundsomehow makes you superior to the role nature has designed for you."
"Nature didn't design shit," I snap. "This is just biology fucking me over."
She gives a laugh that sounds like ice cracking. "Such crude language. Yes, we have much work to do." She pauses at a window overlooking the gardens. "Tell me, Miss Moreau, what do you know of omega history?"
"They're rare. They can breed with Fae. The end."
"Precisely the level of ignorance I expected." She turns from the window, fixing me with those violet eyes. "Omegas are not merely breeding stock, despite what your hunters taught you. They are the bridge between our species. The only humans capable of truly understanding Fae culture, of moving between both worlds with grace and purpose."
"Because they can pop out hybrid babies."
"Because," she says, her voice taking on a tone of exasperation, "they possess qualities that resonate with Fae magic in ways regular humans cannot. Your pheromones, your very presence, creates harmony where there would otherwise be discord."
"That's a fancy way of saying we're walking aphrodisiacs."
She sighs. "You will learn, Miss Moreau, that there is more to being an omega than base biological functions. You will be welcomed into the highest circles of Fae society. You will experience wonders that even the most successful humans could never dream of. You will walk in worlds they cannot even imagine."
"All for the low, low price of my freedom and autonomy."
"Freedom?" She laughs again, and this time she sounds genuinely amused. "Child, you will have more freedom as an omega in Fae society than you ever would have had as a hunter. The doors that will open for you, the power you will wield?—"
"Power?" Now it's my turn to laugh. "Is that what you call this?" I gesture to the collar around my neck. "Being tagged like livestock?"
Her expression hardens. "That collar is for your protection during your transition period. Once you have proven yourself capable of behaving appropriately, it will be removed."
Bullshit. But I file that information away.
So itcanbe removed. Good to know.
She leads me up the curved staircase to the second floor, down a hallway lined with portraits of what I assume are former students. All human, all wearing expressions of serene contentment that make my skin crawl. Brainwashed, every last one of them.
"These will be your chambers," she says, opening a door at the end of the hall.
I step inside and have to bite back a curse. It's bigger than the entire residential block at the compound. A sitting area with furniture that looks too expensive to actually sit on. A bed that could sleep five people comfortably. Windows overlooking the gardens, framed by curtains that shimmer like captured starlight.
"A wardrobe has been prepared in your size and colors," Madame Loriyne says, gesturing to a door I assume leads to a closet. "If you require assistance with any of the items, you need only ask."
"My colors?" What the fuck does that mean?
She gives me a look that suggests I've just asked what water is. "The tones that best complement your complexion andnatural coloring. Really, Miss Moreau, did the hunters teach you nothing of presentation?"
"They taught me that clothes should be functional. Everything else is vanity."
