Eminence

By Jennifer Watts

The stakes are higher than ever before in the conclusion to the Ex Nihilo Academy trilogy. Lily Hughes’ world is falling apart with threats coming at her from every possible angle. Her Nephilim best-friend, Rowan, isn’t speaking to her anymore and her vampire boyfriend, Luca, isn’t letting her out of his sight.
When an unexpected and tragic event throws Ex Nihilo Academy into turmoil she is sent back to her hometown of California to hide out. But with her sadistic half-brother still out to get her and the Synod not far behind it’s only a matter of time before the forces of evil find her. Torn between her heart and her head Lily must fight to protect the ones she loves while saving the supernatural world as she knows it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Watts
• Release date: Aug 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310528828

Jennifer Watts

Jennifer Watts was born in Vancouver and attended the University of British Columbia, graduating with a degree in English and Creative Writing in 2002. Jennifer has been working in finance for over 10 years and by day makes her living as a Bank Manager.Jennifer currently lives in Surrey, BC with her husband, two children and two dogs.

Book preview

Eminence

Ex Nihilo Series

Book 3

Jennifer Watts

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2014 Jennifer Watts

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval systems without prior written permission of the author except where permitted by law.

Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Contents

Dedication

Chapter 1 - We Didn't Start the Fire

Chapter 2 - Hey Jealousy

Chapter 3 - Mark Me Absent

Chapter 4 - Bombtrack

Chapter 5 - The First Cut is the Deepest

Chapter 6 - Problem Child

Chapter 7 - Going Back to Cali

Chapter 8 - Temple

Chapter 9 - Get Lucky

Chapter 10 - Let it Ride

Chapter 11 - Somebody that I Used to Know

Chapter 12 - Airbag

Chapter 13 - How do you Talk to an Angel?

Chapter 14 - Supernatural Superserious

Chapter 15 - Take Out the Gunman

Chapter 16 - South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)

Chapter 17 - I Will Follow You into the Dark

Chapter 18 - Do You Believe in Magic?

Chapter 19 - Soul to Squeeze

Chapter 20 - You and Whose Army?

Chapter 21 - The Battle of Evermore

Chapter 22 - Fortunate Son

Chapter 23 - My Immortal

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

Playlist for Ex Nihilo series

Dedicated to my nana, Irene Dow, who taught me all about girl power.

Chapter 1 - We Didn't Start the Fire

Six months is no time at all. Usually I can blink and six months flies by. But since an unplanned and dangerous reveal pretty much cleared out the halls of Ex Nihilo Academy back in December we've been taking things days by day. A group of us have been working on putting things back together and rebuilding the school but most of the time it feels like we are just waiting around for the other shoe to drop.

The reveal happened in Belfast when a small group of vampires let loose on a religious rally to feed. Humans were killed and vampires took the opportunity to share how strong and superior our supernatural races are and to tell the crowd all about our schools. Of course someone captured it on video and the clip is still up on YouTube for everyone to see. Suffice it to say that Ex Nihilo suffered most of the wrath and we're still picking up broken pieces of glass from the front lawn and scrubbing graffiti off of the exterior walls. I remember how much I hated the appearance of the castle-like school when I first arrived with its motley grey stone walls and creeping ivy. But seeing it trashed beyond belief made me realize just how much of a home it has become and I know now that I would do just about anything to protect it.

I'm sitting in class staring daggers at the back of Kennedy Quinn's head. I wish it was the last view of her that I'd ever have to see but I'm not that lucky. Luca is leaning over her desk helping her with her latest 'math' problem and I have to grit my teeth when she not-so-subtly brushes her hand down his arm. My fingers are twitching to let loose a ball of fairy fire and while I've had another half of a year to cultivate my kick-ass powers of elemental control I don't think I'll be able to control myself if doesn't stop touching my boyfriend.

Boyfriend. There's that word. In reality Luca Morello is neither a 'boy' nor my 'friend'. He is an uber-powerful, uber-scary one hundred year old vampire that I am head-over-heels in love with. When we first met last September he wasn't my biggest fan; partly because of his history with fairies; more specifically the one sitting right in front of me and partly because I seemed to him like a huge liability. And while he might have been wrong about the first part, the second is completely true. He had to save my life like five times in my first month at Ex Nihilo and when he later tried to keep his distance I repaid the favour by getting him kidnapped by my demented, demon-possessed half-brother. I watch him as he patiently answers Kennedy's questions and take the opportunity to survey her swimsuit-model-calibre body that's decked out in a mini skirt and corset tank top. Sometimes I wonder what it is that he sees in me if she's the type that he used to date. I think I liked it better when Kennedy was the enemy and they were at each other's throats. Now that her Dad, Rossum Quinn, has returned to the school to help with the rebuild Luca thinks it's best if we leave the past in the past and try to maintain a united front. The only problem with his plan is that both Rossum and Kennedy Quinn are possibly the most manipulative fairies I have ever had the misfortune to come across.

Thank you Luca. I don't know what I'd do without your help, Kennedy says sweetly as she runs a hand through her short strawberry blond hair. She's British and normally I love the accent but hearing it come out of her mouth is like nails on a chalkboard. As I stare at the back of her head I can't help but wish that I had the power of spell like the witches to conjure up some huge wart or clubbed foot or crossed-eyes. But again I'm not that lucky. It proves that the universe is unfair since she's far too mean to be that pretty.

Not a problem, Luca replies in a smooth, deep voice that contains only a trace of his Italian accent. He smiles at her then glances back at me. I take in the silky dark hair that falls just past his ears, his flawless olive skin and his beautiful espresso coloured eyes and let out a sigh. It amazes me that he seems totally unaware that she's flirting with him when it's really no surprise that Kennedy can't help herself. The six feet of lean muscle leaning over her in designer jeans and a slim-fit sky blue t-shirt must be hard to resist.

I roll my eyes at Luca and angle body away to look out the window. The sun is peeking through the cloud cover and reflecting off the lough. It makes the navy blue water sparkle like glass. There are no sailboats bobbing in the distance or other signs of life but that's probably because Ex Nihilo is hidden back on a rocky crag in a remote part of the lake and shrouded from the prying eyes of humans. The island the school is on juts right out of the water and stretches wide but it is so narrow that I can see all the way across it from where I am sitting. It's a beautiful day out though not as warm for June as I'm used to but there's only a week left of class so that's a bonus. The lough or 'loch' as the locals call it is what separates Ex Nihilo Academy from the village of Strangford, which is located on the east coast of Northern Ireland. I got my first dose of small town living when I was shipped here from California last fall after my parents died and left me an orphan. To say that it was a change from my La Jolla bungalow near the beach would be the understatement of all understatements. My free-spirited parents moved us around a lot and I've always lived in coastal places like Australia and Hawaii. When I was young I thought we moved around so much because they loved the beach but as it turned out their true intention was to keep me away from this place for as long as possible so I could have a normal childhood. But that all went to hell after they were murdered in a deliberate plane crash and the next thing I know I'm living in Northern Ireland and going to a secret school for supernaturals. When you find out that you're not a human-being but actually a fairy princess with a waiting throne it kind of messes with the mind. The 'throne' or seat was my mother's and as the last Hughes in a long line of fairy royalty it is my charge to continue the bloodline and serve on the Council of Five. The Council is the group of leaders who govern our communities there is a representative from each of the supernatural races: trolls, witches, wolves, fairies and vampires. Above the Council are the Pontiffs of the Synod, a group of ancients who function kind of like the Senate and who until very recently stayed well out the way. It is the Synod who was behind the reveal in Belfast months back and who recently orchestrated another at one of our sister schools. There are other Ex Nihilo Academy's around the world in places like South America, China, Malaysia, the Middle East and New Zealand. So far only two have been revealed but that can't last for long. Humans aren't dumb and their suspicions that more of us are out there continue to grow. The government is being called into action and supernatural 'activity' dominates the ticker tape on news channels the world over. We are being called terrorists, radicals and freaks. It's funny really when you consider that the human population is seven billion while supernaturals number in the hundreds of thousands but our abilities do give us special advantages and I guess it's all about perspective. The Council has been able to postpone any further reveals by convincing the Synod to have patience if they want to do it right. They are buying it for now but I can sense their growing impatience. The Council, including myself, is due to meet next month with a group of high ranking human politicians to discuss the next move and I don't doubt that it will involve more collateral damage for both humans and supernaturals alike. There is a small group of humans in power who are aware of us and who provide us with the means and resources to crush the uprising of the past. They also fund our headquarters which are located in London. It's always been this way but now, with the reveals, the rest of the world knows about vampires, werewolves and witches. It's understandable that the witches are even more nervous than the rest since no more than three hundred years ago a few hundred people in the US were tried for witchcraft and at least twenty were executed. Not to mention the ones imprisoned or the tens of thousands who were killed around the world in the hysteria that followed. And while there may have been a few real-deal witches in the mix it was the humans who suffered the most in those trials. After being interrogated for days many admitted to being 'witches' and to practicing the 'devil's magic' as it was called. Whether it was fatigue, possession or more likely undiagnosed mental illness most of the ones killed weren't true supernaturals. But that previous stain on human history seems to have been forgotten as the call for action is being made again. How quickly people seem to forget the past when it suits them. I'm worried for my friends, and even for the witch leader Zander who barely has the time of day for me. I'm worried for us all and even though trolls and fairies are hidden for now I can only imagine that backlash we would face if the rest of the world knew about us. All of the races have very different but very complementary abilities. From the wolves with their genius level intellect and the agility and speed that come with being able to shift into an animal, to the witches with their spell casting and telekinetic abilities. Us fairies have control of the four elements of earth, air, fire and water along with an invisibility charm and thought-planting abilities — though the last one is not considered ethical unless absolutely unavoidable. The vampires have speed, strength, flight and glamour and some of the older, more experienced vampires have mind-speak abilities like Luca does. But it's the troll's power that is the most unsettling - the ability to see the future through precognition and the ability to make humans and supernaturals hallucinate through mind-trickery are both pretty bad ass powers. Lucky for us all they can only come out at night and the troll leader, Zaros, does a great job of keeping his people in line. Even though every supernatural possesses powers they come in varying degrees. The way it was explained to me is that while one fairy may be able to create a wave in a swimming pool another may only be able to swirl the water in a glass. Fortunately or unfortunately for me I'm the wave in the swimming pool - definitely the wave.

Ugh. She's so obvious it's pathetic but you can't let it bother you, darling, my best friend Nissa whispers from the seat behind me. It's kind of hard not to let it bother me since I'm well aware that they used to date, I say, turning around to face her. In addition to being one of the most powerful witches I've ever met, Nissa is absolutely gorgeous. She comes from old money and has the kind of natural style and grace that I only wish I had. There's never a strand of her jet black hair out of place, her wide expressive eyes are always rimmed in coal and I don't think I've ever seen her without signature red lipstick on. A delicate diamond stud sparkles in her nose and even though its summer she's still dressed from head to toe in expensive black clothing. At least this time it's a black sleeveless blouse and black silk skirt to match the weather outside. The past should be left in the past, she replies, waving a hand at me dismissively. It's hard for me to do that when the past looks like that, I say bitterly, nodding my head at Kennedy who's got a long-nailed hand now wrapped around Luca's bicep. You are zinzin, my beautiful friend, she says in her musical French accent. Have you seen the way Luca Morello looks at you? she clicks her tongue. Yeah right, I sigh, spinning back around in my seat.

We are in Level Three Demonology class reviewing the basics, which is timely considering that I was recently possessed by a demons and currently have a demon after me. I found last December that my father had a son with another woman and that son now has a serious hate on for me. His name is Beck and I met him in December back in Greece when he tried to plunge a stake into my heart. As a fairy I should be able to go head to head with Beck but since he's cheating by using demon power I'm in no position to eliminate the threat on my own. My half-brother seems to think his fatherless life is somehow my fault and he'd like me out of the way so he can rule the fairy race. And since demon summoning requires the help of a powerful witch one of the Council's top priorities has been to try and find out who Beck is working with so we can handle them both. Summoning dark magic of any kind is taboo and not permitted by the Council but Becks' definitively not answering to us. The challenge with a demon is that it's a formless evil that can be conjured and controlled and can even possess but if a supernatural chooses to summon a demon they run the risk of being taken over completely. I got a taste of that last winter when a demon entered me and if not for the help of my friends I would've been lost completely. Demon power itself has five influences; coercion, subversion, lust, gluttony and indulgence representing the five points of the pentagram and Beck would've needed both a witch and a Grimoire to summon the evil. He then would've signed a diabolical pact in blood which he becomes bound to for a hundred years and the contract would've had to be sealed with a sacrifice which in Beck's case was causing the death of my parents, Ayfred and Alura Hughes. So stopping him is about more than just my safety - it's personal. Even if I have to wait a hundred years for the pact to end I will find him and end him if it's the last thing I do. That's one good thing that came from finding out I'm a supernatural - I have a lot more time than the average human to hold a grudge. Though we are born just like humans and can live a mostly 'normal' adolescent life once puberty hits the aging process slows down considerably. We still age but it takes decades which to the naked eye looks a lot like immortality. But we are not immortal - you can still very much kill us. And speaking of killing, as I look back over at Kennedy's desk I see one dark-haired vampire that I'm about ready to kill. Luca is still hovering over the little tart but now she's got her arms around his neck and she's hugging him. He doesn't look totally comfortable with it but he's not exactly pulling away either. His eyes meet mine just as the bell rings and they widen a little when he sees my expression. I sweep my books off my desk and stalk out of the room before he can stop me.

Chapter 2 - Hey Jealousy

I'm slamming around my dorm room cleaning up the mess when Luca comes in. He eyes me warily, then locks the door and goes over to sit on my narrow bed. I do my best to ignore him as I pluck a crumpled up shirt from the floor and stuff it in one of the open drawers. I kick a pair of shoes into the closet and bend down to retrieve a stack of surfing magazines destined for the garbage. When I steal a glance back at him he's watching me with his arms crossed, an amused smile playing on his lips.

Are we going to talk about it?

Talk about what? I say icily, not meeting his gaze.

Whatever it is that's going on with you.

Nothing is going on with me. What's going on with you?

He sighs and crosses the room in three quick strides then wraps his arms around my waist. I automatically stiffen and he notices. You are a very frustrating creature.

Back at you, pal.

Pal? he says, choking back a laugh. Turn around, Lily.

No.

I wasn't asking.

There's no trace of humour left in his voice so I let my shoulders slump and turn around to face him. Talk. To. Me. He says through clenched teeth.

What are you doing with Kennedy? I blurt out before my brain can catch up with my mouth and surprise flashes in his eyes.

Lily, he says slowly. I'm not doing anything with Kennedy. She asked for my help so I'm helping her. Nothing more. I believe it was you who said I should make more of an effort to 'integrate' so I don't live up to my nickname. When you've been around for one hundred years and are as fierce as Luca Morello a name like 'Luca the Great' is sure to follow. Obviously I didn't think your charity would extend to Kennedy, I mumble. It's not charity. I'm trying to be a better person. This whole upheaval with Ex Nihilo, the Synod and the reveal has really gotten to her and she's scared, he explains and I laugh inwardly. Right. The only thing Kennedy is scared of is losing her grip on Luca. But you have history! I whine.

Ancient history. I love you. How can you not see that?

I don't know - maybe because your ex-girlfriend, who still wants you by the way, is doing anything and everything she can to monopolize your time. She's manipulative!

She's changed. If you'd give her a chance you would see that.

Changed how? Changed like she doesn't shoot me death glares every time I look in her direction? Changed like she's no longer about insulting my clothes, spray painting insults on my locker or dumping her lunch in my hair? I huff out. On my first day at Ex Nihilo Kennedy introduced herself by depositing a wet salad on my head and it's something I haven't forgotten.

You did light her shirt on fire.

She deserved it! I yell at him.

You are adorable when you're jealous, he grins at me, his eyes glittering.

I'm not jealous.

Sure you're not, he says dryly, walking me backwards until my legs hit the edge of the bed. He bends his head so that our noses are almost touching and I have to tilt my chin up to meet his eyes. People rarely really change, Luca. Try to keep that in mind.

That's not true. You've changed me, he slides his arms up so his hands are braced on either side of my face and speaks in my head. Sei tutto per me. Ti adoro. When I first heard Luca communicate this way it kind of freaked me out but now I think it's sweet