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Who had this Rebel once been? Why was she still hanging around kissing mages? And more importantly…please, Great Pan…don’t let her stop.

Even though I now had no home, she made me believe that she could become mine.

Then Damelza rapped on Hecate’s ass — clang, clang, clang. Hecate hissed in outrage.

“Sorry to break up your sexy times with yourself,” Damelza yawned, “but it’s late, I’m bored, and you’re creeping me out with all the kissy faces.” I flushed and could’ve sworn that the spook snickered against my neck. “Time to be branded.”

“Whatever…wait, what?” I scrambled backward, but the Hecate with the torch snatched me by the hair, hauling me closer.

She grabbed my wrist, before swinging the torch around. Pink flames leapt out, searing the back of my hand. I howled, and the Omega howled in sympathy along with me. At last, Hecate let go of my hair, and I huddled on my knees, cradling my branded hand, which throbbed with a curling R.

“You couldn’t just have marked me as a Rebel with a name tag?” I demanded.

“It’s R for Random,” Damelza replied, primly.

I groaned. “Hex me to death now.”

“Sadly, that’s against Health and Safety.” When Damelza waved her hand, the night sky lit up with an explosion of fireworks that showered us in a showy display of the RA crest, followed by:

Rebel Academy Blessing the Wicked Since 1870

I oohed and aahed, before politely clapping. Okay, the wicked was rude, but I hadn’t seen fireworks since I was a kid. So, if Damelza wanted to call me a worthless son of a spineless hedgehog in Catherine wheels, then she could.

Oh, but it’d hurt.

Damelza’s cheek twitched again. “I always thought that your mum was exaggerating about you. Well, that was a mistake. Let me make something clear: you’re here to learn control of your magic, and in turn, you’ll help your patrons master their powers. This academy is dedicated to excellence.”

My eyes narrowed. She wasn’t telling me something. I could feel it vibrating through my power of Confess, but she was clever at omitting the truth, which wasn’t the same as lying, no matter what parents teach.

What was the Rebel Academy’s secret?

Every time that Damelza had mentioned the academy, SECRET had flashed up in neon, along with an edgy blast of “Secret” by The Pierces. I didn’t always see the truth in words but sensations, smells, or creepy music chilling my bones.

When I prowled towards Damelza, she backed away in surprise. “Hit me with another one of your motivational sayings. I can’t get enough of them.”

Damelza puffed up. “They’re carved onto my study wall, and you’ll have a copy of the Rebel’s Mottos with your spell books at the start of term. But if you insist: Persevere even if you’re cursed—”

“Gateway,” I blurted.

Damelza became ashen, before she flew at me far faster than I’d ever seen anyone move. I yelped, as she rammed me across the courtyard, slamming me into the wall. Then she pinned me with her arm across my throat. My pulse pounded too loudly in my ears.

Then I realized that someone was leaning on the wall next to me with half-lidded eyes. I almost forgot that I was being crushed by a witch because if sin had been brought to life, then this student would’ve found a way to make him wickedly sexier.

Why were my pants so tight again…?

The student smelled like coco and almonds. My tongue swiped across my lips, craving to dart across his and see if they tasted as delicious as he smelled. When he winked, I pinked because his gaze was too knowing.

The black haired, alabaster skinned, ruby eyed...way too burningly beautiful incubus.

He lounged in the academy uniform of pink blazer and tie with black pants, as well as long pink gloves like a sexy hook-up, rather than an Immortal. I could only tell that he was one of my new patrons by the I, which was embroidered on his blazer in a black crest.

How long had he been standing in the shadows? Since I’d had my first kiss? Snuggled a werewolf? Started a feud with an all-powerful goddess?

Wow, this had been a busy night.

Then Damelza lowered her face so close that her nose was touching mine, and even Rebel Ghost and the Immortal naked together in a giant tub of rocky road ice cream couldn’t have distracted me from her. And I loved rocky road ice cream. “Who’s been talking to you of our secret Gateway?”

I took a deep breath. “Oprah Winfrey, Benedict Cumberbatch, Merlin because that wizard is such a gossip…”

The Immortal snorted with what sounded suspiciously like laughter, but Damelza’s eyes flashed electric pink.

“Silence, Crave,” Damelza hissed, before shaking me. “Who?”

Truth: Someone dies of a nasty case of boot to the balls tonight.

I fiddled with my cuff links. “I’m blessed with the power of Confess, remember? I’m dedicated to the excellence of seeing through your lies.”

The Immortal — Crave — definitely snickered that time.

Damelza took a careful step away from me. Her pale face scrunched in concern. Well, wasn’t that interesting? “The first rule of the academy is that students aren’t allowed to use their powers on witch professors. We’ll all be wearing charms against your magic, which your mother has spent years perfecting.”

I shoved my hands in my pockets to hide their shaking. Why would mum have bothered with that unless she’d always meant to send me here?

I forced myself to smirk. “I hate to tell you that they’re not working.”

Damelza brushed her hand across the feather at her ear, which must be the Anti-me Charm. “You weren’t expected until the morning. Now try to read this with your power of Confess: my academy has been the pride and joy of the House of Crows for generations. I only agreed to accept a mage like you because your mother offered to fund our dragon polo while you’re here.”

I gaped at her. No one had ever asked me to read them before. What a time to discover that I had performance issues. Especially as I’d felt…nothing. There’d been no vibrations, sparks, or bursts of song.

So, had it been the truth? Did that mean mum had bribed (even I wasn’t going to sugar-coat that one with a lie about donations), my way into the academy? The House of Jewels was known for buying its way into power. My hand in marriage had been meant to be just such a bribe.

Weirdly, I no longer felt guilty about that.

I rubbed my fingers over the brand like I could erase it. Was this what it felt like for everybody else who was trapped in ignorance and darkness?

Well, that sucked.

“How do the dragons ride the horses?” I asked.

Damelza sighed, before grinning. “Excellent. Now, decisions, decisions…”

She raised her arms like a crow’s wings, and the bailey lit up with a file that hung from one side of the courtyard to the other, flicking from page to page with a casual click of her fingers.