Free Corsets and Crossbows: A Drake Chronicles Novella in Letters by Alyxandra Harvey

when my parents both died during a botched takedown of a
Hel-Blar
nest—but sometimes he sounds like a bigot. It can be a little embarrassing. Vampires are vampires are vampires to him. If he found out Kieran was dating the sixteen-year-old Drake vampire daughter, he’d freak right out. He thinks of Kieran as an honorary grandson and would totally marry us off to each other if we showed the slightest inclination. Hell, he tries to pair us up anyway, and he’s about as subtle as a brick. Kieran’s like a brother to me though, and I know he feels the same way about me. I might be willing to sacrifice a lot for the Helios-Ra, but who I date is not one of those things.
    Unfortunately Grandpa’s not exactly known for giving up. The thing is, neither am 1. The infamous goat-stubborn streak runs strong in every Wild, and I’m no exception.
    “Would you please change into something decent? Just looking at those cargos is giving me hives.” Chloe grimaced at me before going back to blowing on her wet nail polish. She was wearing ashort sundress with lace-up sandals and earrings that swung down practically to her shoulders. Her dark hair was a wild mass of curls as usual, her brown eyes carefully lined with purple to match her clothes. She’d already unpacked every stitch of her wardrobe and hung it all neatly in our miniscule closet. It was the only spot of neatness I’d see all year. I’d bug her about her stuff everywhere, and she’d make fun of me for making my bed every morning. I couldn’t wait. I’d missed her over the summer. E-mails and textingjust aren’t the same, no matter what she says.
    “I don’t mind the cargos,” I told her, shrugging.
    “Please, I’ve seen what few clothes you have and they’re all pretty and lacy.”
    “Not a lot of call for lace camisoles in survivalist training and drills,” I pointed out.
    “Well, since I don’t intend to set foot in that smelly old gym until I absolutely have to, I demand you wear something pretty.” She grinned at me. “I took you to dinner, didn’t I?”
    “We went to the caf for mac and cheese,” I shot back, also grinning. “And you’re not my type.”
    “Please, you should be so lucky.”
    A knock at the door interrupted us. Spencer poked his head in. His dreads were even longer and more blond, nearly white. He’d spent most of the summer at the beach, as usuaL “I am so stoked to finally be on the ground floor,” he said by way of a greeting. “I’m never climbing those stairs again.”
    “Tell me about it,” Chloe agreed.
    The dorm was an old Victorian five-story mansion. Ninth graders lived in the converted attic and had to climb the narrow,steep servant stairs several times a day. Every year we were promoted, we descended a floor. Our window now overlooked the pond behind the house and the single cranky swan that lived there.
    “That bird’s looking at me again,” I said. He’d nearly taken a finger my very first day at the academy when I tried to feed him the bagel I’d saved from lunch.
    Spencer sat on the edge of my bed, rolling his eyes. “It’s dark out, genius.”
    “I know he’s out there,” I insisted. “Just waiting for me.”
    “You can take out a vampire, you can take out a pretty white bird.”
    “I guess. You don’t know how shifty those swans are.” I wrinkled my nose and sat on the end of my bed, resting against the pillow. “But speaking of vampires—”
    “Aren’t we always?” Chloe said. “Just once I’d like to talk about boys and fashion and Hugh Jackman’s abs,”
    “Hello? Like you ever talk about anything else?” Spencer groaned. “I need more guy friends.”
    I nudged him with my boot. “Guys would never have been able
    to put in a good word for you with Francesca last year,” I told him.
    “Yeah, but she broke my heart.”
    “Give me a break.
You
dumped
her.”
    “Because there’s only room in my heart for you two lunatics.”
    I threw a pillow at his head.
    “What she