Psycho Academy (Cruel Shifterverse, #4)

by Jasmine Mas

Gagging, I let the pain remind me that I was that bitch. Which meant I needed to stop having intense dissociations where I created romantic scenarios with the men who were literally beating me up. Plan accomplished, I felt a lot better. Oh my sun god. Is this Stockholm syndrome?

Back in the beast realm, Jinx had told me I was “the first cannibal vegetarian and an embarrassment to the family.” I missed her.

Sixty percent bruh. Thirty percent dude. Ten percent fuckboy. Those were Aran’s stats, and I was embracing them.

Her lips parted. “Severe hypothermia. Arm broken in four places. Cracked femur. Internal organ damage, and…” I held my breath, certain she was about to say, “He’s a she.” “Severe psychological trauma.” A manic giggle bubbled up my throat, and I couldn’t swallow it in time. The last one I could have told her for free.

but it still surprised me how aggressive he was. Did he ever just chill? Have any hobbies besides torture? I couldn’t see it.

“You will not be who you need to be until you embrace the dragon.”

Maybe the dragon is symbolic of something else? It better be.

What were the odds that just after Lyla told me I needed a dragon, a literal dragon shifter walked into the room? The three reasons I had an enchanted slur carved into my back stood before me. “We’re excited to see what you can do.” Demetre’s pink eyes flashed as he smirked at us.

My first true friends. The men who’d turned into my worst enemies. The three men who’d dragged me from the fae sex clinic and thrown me at my mother’s feet. The half warriors were my new teachers. I needed harder drugs.

“Good. Good. We don’t tolerate fae monarch sympathizers. They’re all scum.” I nodded shakily. The irony was not lost on me. I was the monarchy. Hi, Shane, actually it’s Arabella. Remember when you used to be my friend and then decided you hated me because I obeyed my mother? Same.

Since you were enslaved and fighting in the fae gladiator games for my mother, how was that a mission? Also, aren’t the three kings also fae?

Lothaire smacked his baton against his hands. “All right, you lazy fuckers get a break in the bathhouse because I’m so generous. Follow me.” He was the queen of gaslighting.

We were weak. All the bad blood was behind us. It was hard to hold grudges over inconsequential things like forced feedings when you’d both just hauled a stone for hours. We didn’t need to speak to understand that all was forgiven. Shared trauma did that.

“I’m thinking…” I held my fist up and pretended to wind up a child’s toy. My middle finger popped up. “Go fuck yourselves.”

The quiet man slammed her against the water-streaked wall with so much force that the marble rattled. Holy. Fucking. Shit. He had a divine butt. The pain across my back increased in intensity.

At least you’re not the only one with words on your back. You could pretend “whore” means something in a different language.

It was two against one. Malum’s cock is the thickest. Scorpius’s is shaped the nicest. Orion’s is the longest. I mentally slapped myself for the unnecessary observations. Sadie would have made a bad penis joke.

And in the midst of an extremely serious situation, I giggled. Sun god, I missed Sadie.

He thinks I’m laughing at their naked bodies. Might as well. I laughed harder and pointed at their dicks. “Wow. You guys have a lot of self-confidence walking around naked when you look like that. Embarrassing.”

Red blurred my vision. “So you’re just misogynistic pigs?”

Scorpius sneered at me, “You got something to say, pretty boy?” “Yeah, I do,” I snarled. “You’re all dumber and more pathetic than I fucking thought.”

Just when I thought I was going to pass out, they lifted my head, and I vomited water. I gasped desperately for air. They shoved me back under. They drowned me. Held me under until my monster woke up. It bellowed against its cage. I screamed. My lungs burned. My monster bellowed. Back. Agony. Pain. Everywhere. They didn’t stop. They had no mercy. But in the throes of agony, I rediscovered my will to survive. They drowned it into my subconscious with every cruel movement. My new life purpose—I would destroy Malum and Scorpius.

In the warm water of a bathhouse, Aran was tortured while Arabella watched. He suffered. She learned.

For the first time, monster, girl, and monarch were completely aligned. Our interests in synchrony. I will rend their limbs from their bodies. I will bathe in their blood. I will laugh as they writhe. Malum’s taunts rang in my ear. “You’re nothing but a spineless coward who doesn’t deserve to be an assassin. You’re weak and pathetic. You’re going to die under my watch, and I don’t give a fuck.” Those were the words he said to Aran. All Arabella heard was “Women are weak creatures that need to be taught their place. Otherwise, they don’t fucking listen.” My limbs trembled.

Leaders were forged in misery. Mother was wrong. I was ruthless. Cruel. Cunning. The coldest of them all. A queen was born.

“So just tell me about your emotions. Lyla says it’s helpful to talk things out.” “John.” “Aran.” I stabbed my fork into the desk. “If I asked you to commit a murder, would you help me?” “This feels like a trap.”

“Yes. Fine. Fuck. Yes, I’d help you.” I stopped twirling my pipe with my tongue and stared at the friend I’d only known for a couple of days. “Are you serious?” John slumped forward. “Well you’re my friend, right? So yeah, if you wanted me to kill them, I’d do it. That’s what friends do.” His dark eyes were wide and sincere. Holy sun god. He wasn’t joking.

“But I want Orion, not them.” John fell back in his chair. “You did not just say that.” Shit.

You are not into massive fae psychopaths. Even if they do have bee-stung lips and warm eyes with long lashes. Cut it out, bitch!

John put his fist into his mouth and silently screamed. “This is bad.” He vibrated in his seat. “This is really fucking bad. You’re dead. My new friend is dead.” He rocked back and forth violently. “Why ca...

Jinx’s voice drawled in my mind, “Try to keep your cannibalistic tendencies at bay, Aran. It’s not becoming.”

While I was being submerged, Horace had tried to kill the girl he was fucking. What a nice place. Not.

Men were stupid. Instead of talking shit behind each other’s backs like normal people, they talked shit to the person they were insulting. Then they had the audacity to get butt hurt when the person got pissed.

“What are you doing, Aran?” John asked with concern. “Trying to lobotomize myself.” “Are you sure you should be acting like a lunatic in front of your crush?” He pointedly looked across the room. “I’m going to kill you.” I shoved at him. “I told you it’s not like that.” John slapped my hand. I slapped him back. He slapped harder.

In my head, a monster screamed. Pipe cracking between my teeth, I didn’t bother to respond.

Horace’s nostrils flared, and he smiled like he enjoyed the smell of violence. “New guy is growing on me.” Of course. The guy who murders people likes me.

“I’m going to ruin you,” Malum whispered as he leaned closer. “I’m already ruined.”

Instead of launching myself at him, I gave him the Sadie special and flipped him off with both my hands. “Suck my dick.”

The class oohed, and Horace broke out into aggressive, breathy laughter. Even Zenith and Vegar cracked smiles. John muttered something about the underworld and regrets.

I realized everyone was staring at me, studying my hands with disgust, so I tried to cover them. “It doesn’t matter anyway. You’re not my type.” I glanced over at Orion, who was staring at the three of us with his lips parted and pupils blown. His lashes really were stunning.

“You can speak,” I whispered with surprise. So far, he’d only mouthed silently or not spoken at all. Orion’s bee-stung lips pulled up into a breathtaking smile. Golden skin shimmered like dual suns on a fae beach.

A whispered melody stroked my ears. “My name’s Orion. I believe we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.” Long lashes fluttered, and bee-stung lips were inches away from mine. I forgot how to breathe.

Jinx drawled in my mind, “Because you have the brain capacity of a dead ant.”

They were dumber than I’d thought. I held Orion’s gaze. “Men are idiots.” Pop.

He had me in his web. “Actually, I’ve decided I’m not going to forgive you,” I said haughtily with my chin tipped up. “Good,” he mouthed. Then the bastard winked. Like he was playing with his kill.

I didn’t look up as I wrote. “The thing is, Malum, I don’t care what you think about me. Because no matter how many times you try to assert yourself, we both know the truth.” He took the bait. “What truth?” “That I’m better than you.”

“Perfect, fae man. I look forward to picking your brain. Don’t worry, I have a feeling we’ll get the bitch soon.” A manic bubble of laughter traveled up my throat, and I covered it up by clasping my hand over my mouth. Wait a second. Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was the monster screaming in my head, or maybe it was delirium. But telling the half warriors who I was didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

He relayed an unspoken, You gonna let him toss you around? I yawned tiredly and shrugged. Most likely.

Malum’s sharp jaw ticked with rage. I’m going to steal him from you, I said with my eyes. Was I going to? No. But was it fun to watch the fae bastard seethe with jealousy and rage? Hard yes. His eyes promised suffering. And he delivered. With a roar, the world erupted into shades of red and burnt orange. He set me on fire.

My voice was barely a whisper. “If this is your assassin program, then how come I’m so much better than you?” The cherry on top—I forced my scorched skin into a mocking smile. Malum swore. Excruciating sensations destroyed me, but I held the expression and let my words sink the fuck in. I was petty like that. Pursing my lips, I tried to spit on Malum, but it was too much. I passed out.