Monsters (Prodigium Academy, #1)

by Katie May

I’m not certain what I’m going to face at Prodigium, only that it’ll alter my life forever. And for a girl that’ll live for eternity? That’s scary shit.

We arrive at the dormitory just as someone is coming out. A headless someone. “How’s your father doing?” Dad asks the young man. Obviously, my father recognizes the headless… The Headless Horseman. Well, his son anyway. How the man can hear remains a mystery, but he does a weird half bow thing. When Dad nods and continues walking into the dorm, I realize that must mean his dad is doing good. Noted. I officially can speak Headlessness.

“Err...yeah. Don’t worry about it. Accidental murder happens all the time,” I reply. Because, really, what can I say?

“So the Roaring,” I repeat, smiling disarmingly at the man to show him I’m not going to kill him. It takes real skill to perfect such a smile. I had to practice for days in the mirror before the humans stopped running from me. Apparently, grimacing malevolently while holding the severed head of your enemy is not the way to make friends. Who knew?

“Okay!” I say happily, skipping along beside her. If I’m murdered, at least I’ll die knowing ahead of time that I’m a dumbass.

Note to self: don’t ever, not ever, trust a man. Instead, cut up their bodies and bathe in their blood.

All I can do is nod. Is he wanting to be my friend? Is that what this is about? Does he expect me to give him a blowjob or something? Fuck. I hate peopleing.

Oh shit, she’s talking to me. Say something normal, Violet. For the love of Dracula, say something fucking normal. “I gave your brother an orgasm,” I blurt. There you have it, folks. The reason why I have no friends. Fucking shit, brain. You had one job to do, and it was not that.

Listen up ladies and gentlemen. Don’t ever, not ever, allow a guy or girl to treat you like Vin did me. You’re not trash, and the minute someone starts treating you like it, carve out his heart and eat it. This concludes my public service announcement. Suck dicks. Don’t be one.

Being a monster isn’t about the connections, but the way you can kill the people in your way. Or something. I zone out a lot when he talks.

Vin places his hands on my shoulders to steady me. “You okay? I saw—” Before he can finish whatever he’s going to say, I lift my leg and knee him in the balls. Motherfucker shouldn't have messed with a monster.

I stumble to a stop just in time to see Violet knee Vin in the groin and grab a fistful of his hair. She speaks to him, too softly for me to hear, and I watch in rapt fascination as she then shouts to the gathering onlookers, “Does anyone have a removable arm I can use to beat the shit out of him?” One of Frankenstein’s creations—a large green monster with thread woven into his face—removes his arm and hands it to her like an offering. She takes it with an easy, slightly sardonic and sociopathic grin, before turning back towards Vin. And proceeds to hit him with the arm.

I focus on Violet who is currently sitting on Vin and...tickling him? Yup. My little monster is using the borrowed arm to tickle Vin’s side, and Vin—the epitome of cool and collected usually—is laughing hysterically, attempting to bat her away. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

He doesn’t slouch, and he seems to wear this metaphorical cloak of imperiousness. Sort of like: fear me, peasants, or I will smite you. Sexy as fuck, I’ll admit.

Silence. I kind of wish crickets would start chirping to add to the badassness of this moment. Note to self: buy crickets.

He smells good, I realize somewhat distantly. Almost like peppermints. If I was weird, I might start inhaling him like one would inhale cocaine. But I’m not weird, so I just lick him instead.

It’s every man’s dream for his mom and sort-of-girlfriend to go on a murder spree together.