INTEGRATION (Bonfire Academy Book Two) (Bonfire Chronicles) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  Imogen Rose

  Character Interviews

  Books by Imogen Rose

  INTEGRATION (Bonfire Academy Book Two)

  Series: BONFIRE CHRONICLES

  Copyright © 2012 by Imogen Rose

  Website: http://ImogenRose.com

  Cover art by Phatpuppyart and back cover/font art by Imogen Rose.

  All rights reserved by Imogen Rose. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  A dreamer must dream

  A storyteller must tell

  I dream to tell

  For Lauren

  Broken. I couldn’t think of a better word to describe it. I felt as if I’d been torn to bits, maybe even shredded. I was suffocating, surrounded by a wet tightness of skin and flesh all crusted together. My body was home to excruciating stabs of pain searing about randomly before a final thrust of sheer agony. I couldn’t tell if the source of the pain was within me or if I was being repeatedly sliced open with a knife. Did it matter? I felt as though it was only a matter of seconds before my thoughts would end.

  “Cordelia!”

  My name. I flinched as the same voice repeated my name again and again. Why? Who was it? It—he—sounded familiar. I heaved as the voice triggered the memory of his face. Then, not being able to stop the bile from traveling up my throat, I gagged and purged, emptying my stomach completely. The next time he muttered my name, his voice was laced with disgust. But his revulsion couldn’t compete with my utter repugnance and disbelief at what he’d done. Him. Someone I had trusted with my life, even though the rule was clear:

  Trust No One.

  Two Years Before

  As I looked around my new room, I decided that the staff accommodations at the Academy weren’t shabby at all. In addition to the regular bedroom suite provided to students, the mini apartment I was standing in also had an extra bed, a kitchenette, and a living area, complete with an entertainment center and a study corner fully loaded with the latest in Apple computers. Very nice. Just last week, I’d been a student, and after a week in Paris, I was back as a member of staff. Well, maybe staff was overstating my position. Technically, I was still at the Academy to learn, and I certainly didn’t have all the privileges afforded to regular Bonfire Academy staff. But I didn’t have to wear my school uniform all the time anymore. I was allowed to wear whatever I wanted while working. And I got to live in this awesome apartment.

  I unlatched my Louis Vuitton steamer trunk, like one that might have been found in a first-class cabin aboard the Titanic, complete with a hanger compartment and storage areas for shoes and hats. I started putting my brand new clothes away in the freshly painted walk-in closet. I admired the perfection of each carefully selected outfit, running my fingers over the luxurious fabrics. Most of them weren’t fancy, but simple and elegantly appropriate for my year ahead. My week in Paris had consisted of an orgy of raiding the boutiques lining the Champs Elysees, with my mother orchestrating our journey efficiently and with just the right dose of luxury.

  Although my parents hadn’t been fully supportive of my decision to return to Bonfire Academy, even they could understand my reasons. It wasn’t every day a student was asked to apprentice for Professor Bern, the head of the Department of Paranormal Powers and Control. It was a great honor for anyone, but especially for a demon. In fact, it was the first time a demon had been taken under the wing of one of the most eminent witches in the world.

  Thus, my parents had grudgingly given in, and Mom had even fully immersed herself in helping me acquire a new wardrobe. I was grateful for that. After three years of wearing the uniform at the Academy, my shopping skills were rusty, to say the least. My knowledge of what was this season or so yesterday was practically nonexistent. Not that it would really matter at the school, but it was important to Mom. So I had arrived at the Academy armed in the latest haute couture, along with a bunch of casual stuff I had picked up while shopping with my friends. A girl shouldn’t have to survive without a fix of Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch.

  I smiled as I carefully placed my secret haul of jeans in one of the drawers, imagining the look on my mom’s face if she’d seen me pack those. I placed the one pair of Marc Jacobs jeans she’d allowed right on top, just in case she popped over for a surprise visit. Mom was not one to stay out of my private stuff.

  I didn’t need to change, as Mom had insisted that I wear something professional-looking on my flight over. I quickly ran my fingers through my long tresses, which had pretty much been left alone at my insistence, apart from the few red strands that Mom made sure I covered up. Staring back at me in the mirror was a totally rad chick in a plum-colored, tweed shift dress, secured around the waist with an awesome red Hermès CDC—think studs—alligator belt. I kicked off the nude-colored pumps my mother had practically forced my toes into and jammed my feet into the Balenciaga motorcycle boots I had picked up while shopping with my friend Jill. There. I looked like the me I wanted to be.

  There was a knock on the door as I was dabbing on some lip gloss. “Come in!”

  “Hey!”

  “Faustine. How have you been?”

  She stopped dead at the doorway, then stepped back, looking me up and down. “Wow! Look at you. You look amazing.” Her eyes darted down to my feet. “O-M-G! Love the Balenciagas. Can I borrow them? What size are they?”

  I laughed, feeling slightly dizzy with pleasure at being complimented by the princess of fashion herself. “Eight, and yeah, anytime.”

  “Eight? Awesome! We’re the same size. What else did you get?”

  I pointed her toward my closet, and she lit up in excitement as she danced over and started rummaging through my stuff like a five-year-old in a candy store. A year at the academy did that to most girls, but it must have been especially hard for Faustine. She’d been used to a life of glamour, especially with her mother being such a prominent fashionista. Spending a year deprived of all such luxuries must have been a killer. She could play with my new goodies all she wanted in private, but she wouldn’t be allowed to wear them outside my apartment because of the school rules.

  I smiled at the whimpers of pleasure coming from my closet. She obviously approved. While she played, I sank into the armchair and picked up the envelope labeled Welcome Pack. I slid an iPad out of the envelope, which was the only item inside it. I turned it on, and it i
mmediately prompted me for a code. I tried the passcode I had been allocated by the Academy, and the screen jumped into action, displaying Frau Schmelder’s smiling face.

  “Hello and welcome, Cordelia!” A recording. I waited as The Smelt paused, then her smile receded, and a furrow appeared across her brow. “Cordelia? Can you hear me?”

  Face time! “Oh! I’m sorry, Frau Schmelder. I thought you were a recording.”

  “A recording?” She pursed her lips. “Oh, never mind. Can you hear me okay?”

  “Yes, you’re totally clear.”

  “Well, in that case, let’s start again. Welcome!”

  “Thank you, Frau Schmelder. I’m very excited to get started.”

  “So are the students. Their week of activity camp comes to an end tomorrow. There will be an Integration intake meeting first thing in the morning. The schedule and program are in the iPad folder labeled Day One. This evening, there’ll be a staff dinner; I look forward to seeing you there. Details are in the folder titled Staff Dinners.” She paused.

  “That’s great. Thanks.”

  “Any questions?”

  “How’s my brother doing?” My kid brother, Pascal, had arrived at the Academy a week ago, as part of the Initiation program. I hadn’t had a chance to talk to him, as he’d left Paris just before I arrived back home.

  “I haven’t heard, which means that he has arrived and settled in without drama,” The Smelt said matter-of-factly. “Anything else?”

  I gathered from her tone that I’d be overstepping if I tried to have a casual conversation, so I just said, “Not right at this moment.”

  Frau Schmelder looked surprised. “Well, take your time and look through the folder entitled Important. Call me if you have any questions or concerns. My line is open, day and night.”

  “Thank you.”

  She nodded and cut the call just as Faustine slumped down beside me, wearing my new quilted black leather Chanel jacket.

  “You’re so lucky! Love everything you got.” She sighed, a dreamy grin plastered across her face.

  “Thanks. Feel free to borrow, but remember the school rules.”

  She scrunched up her nose and sniffed the leather sleeve of the jacket. Then she sat up with a jerk. “Oh, I forgot! I’m hungry! I came up to ask if you wanted to get something to eat.”

  Technically, I probably should have said no and made my way to the staff cafeteria to mingle, but there was no rule against hanging out with the students, so I nodded happily. Food and catching up with my favorite demon princess sounded perfect.

  She stood up and walked to the door.

  “Not so fast.” I laughed. “You’re going to have to put the jacket back.”

  “Gah!” She pouted and hung it back up in the closet. “It was worth a try.”

  She linked her arm through mine, and we marched down to the Integrates’ dining hall. The room buzzed with activity, but we managed to find a table in the corner after we’d been to the food station and loaded up our plates with all the pinkish cuts of meat we could find. I was practically drooling into my plate by the time we got to our table. Our journey back from the food station had been interrupted several times as we stopped to say hello to familiar faces. Thankfully, most seemed as hungry as we were and just muttered a few words of hello between bites.

  We sat and ate in silence, as usual. I finished first and watched Faustine devour mouthful after mouthful. After eating what seemed like an entire cow, she sat back and burped.

  “Boy, you’re going to have to attend a finishing school before you are let back into human society.” I snickered at the breathtakingly beautiful demon princess.

  She frowned. “Yeah, but it was so good. I needed that.”

  “So what have you been up to in the last week?” I knew she’d been at activity camp, of course. That was what all Initiates did for a week after graduation, before they were introduced into the Integration program.

  “I spent most of the time on the slopes with Jagger. He gave me a few private lessons. The rest of the time, I just hung out with Martha and Chun, mainly Martha. Chun was pretty busy messing around with Kabir. I bet we’re not going to see much of them this year. Chun’s totally into her boyfriend.”

  “So what did you and Martha get up to?” I liked Martha, the sassy demon princess of Dallas.

  “We hung out and watched movies, skied a bit, played video games, stuff like that.”

  I waited for her to mention Ryker, her not-so-secret crush, wondering if he’d hung out with Martha or if he’d concentrated on watching over Faustine as he was supposed to.

  Faustine suddenly furrowed her brow, her eyes fixating on something behind me.

  “What?” I looked around, trying to figure out what had gotten her goat. A chill zipped through me as I caught a whiff of him. No way! I nearly hurled when I spotted Mason at the door with Ryker.

  “I know how you feel,” Faustine whispered, scrunching up her nose at my obvious disgust.

  I was not only disgusted, but surprised as well. What the hell? She leaned over to say something, but I stood up and jerked her out of her chair. I marched her out of the dining hall using the kitchen entrance. We walked down the stone hallways in silence, dodging the students in our path. I didn’t stop until we were back in my room, with the door locked. Faustine had obviously known because she hadn’t seemed at all surprised to see him there. Why the heck hadn’t she warned me instead of spending her time rummaging through my closet?

  I shoved her into the armchair—maybe stupidly, considering who she was, but I was beyond furious. I had fully transformed and was practically darting flames into her.

  “What?” She didn’t transform. She just stared up at me, waggling her eyebrows.

  “Mason?” I seethed through clenched teeth.

  “Oh? You didn’t know?”

  “Know what? I don’t know anything. What’s he doing here?”

  “Cordelia, calm down. Your blisters are starting to seep. It’s gross. Blech. It’s not like it’s my fault he’s here. I’d have told you earlier if I’d known that you didn’t know. Didn’t Quinn or Jagger tell you?”

  I closed my eyes, trying to get a hold of myself, and transformed back. “No…” I hadn’t given either Quinn or Jagger a chance to tell me anything. I had purposely avoided all contact with them since graduation, feeling the need to take some time and think about things while I was in Paris. I had a lot of explaining to do to both of them and expected them to burst through at any moment, asking why I hadn’t called them back. Now I wish I had. At least I’d have known about Mason. “Faustine, can you tell me? Please.”

  “I don’t really know much. Just that Mason’s dad arranged for him to come back for his Integration year. Ryker’s been hanging out with him, which totally pissed Martha off because she was hoping that the two of them could hang out last week. So she’s been just a peachy demon princess, as you can imagine.” She rolled her eyes.

  Images of my last encounter with Mason flooded my mind. I had nearly killed him. And I would have, had it not been for Ryker’s intervention. I should have.

  Mason was Ryker’s shifter brother. Well, adopted brother. He’d made it his mission to destroy me, and I had spent the entire last year dodging him. He turned what should have been a great Enrichment year at the school into a nightmare. I’d been relieved when he was expelled from Bonfire Academy.

  But he was back.

  “Cordelia?” Faustine nudged my elbow, interrupting my fantasy—visuals of plucking feathers off the annoying bird. “Don’t worry. I’ll have your back, and so will Quinn and Jagger.”

  “I’m not worried,” I spat. “Just fu—annoyed. I wonder what Mason’s dad donated to get him back into school. Must have been something substantial after what he did last year.” I felt my pulse rising. “Why the heck did he want to come back here anyway? Boone Academy is a great school.”

  Faustine shrugged. “Who cares?”

  “I do!” I was at a loss for words, wo
ndering what she was on. Mason had made her life a living hell last year, too. “And so should you! What’s with the new attitude?”

  “I guess it’s different for you,” she mused. “I mean, he can’t do anything to me now that I know how to go all demon. And it’s not like he can get close to me anyway. My powers make me disappear whenever I’m in danger.” She twitched her nose. “That’s a bit boring in a way. I’d love to lay into him for real.”

  I drew in a deep breath. She was so wrong about her ability to disappear when faced with danger. That wasn’t her ability. The vanishing act was all Ryker, the Wanderer whose mission it was to keep her out of danger. He simply plucked her out of harm’s way and transported her to safety whenever she needed it. Faustine didn’t know he was responsible, though—hence her mistaken belief that it was somehow due to a power she possessed. That could be dangerous for her, as there was always a chance Ryker wouldn’t be around to do his shining-knight act in time. Then what? I guessed she’d have to rely on her actual powers, which were not to be scoffed at. All in all, she could take care of herself, but the one thing that could stand in her way was overconfidence, something that could make her careless.

  “Anyhow, you don’t need to worry,” she continued. “We’ll keep you safe.”

  I snorted. “I can keep myself safe. Just don’t get all cocky; Mason is dangerous. We don’t have any idea what he’s up to, so be careful. Promise?”

  “Yeah, no worries,” she drawled.

  I wasn’t the least bit reassured by her tone, but we were interrupted by a sharp rap on the door. I knew who it was even before he entered.