Free Elemental Shining (Paranormal Public Series) by Maddy Edwards

“Of course.”
    “You won’t last the semester,” he said. “Once all the hype over your being a supposed elemental wears off, you’ll get kicked out like so many other students who can’t hack it in the paranormal world.”
    I didn’t say anything, but I was clenching my jaw so tightly that it ached.
    “Until then I’ll have my eye on you. I do believe you are in a class of mine. Don’t think I’m going to put up with any of your nonsense,” Zervos spat. “Or that what happened to you last year in any way exempts you from the work you’ll have to do. I have no problem failing you.” With that he swept away, dragging Rake with him.
    Not for the first time, I was very glad I wasn’t a vampire. Zervos lived in Cruor and helped keep order, and Lanca claimed he wasn’t so bad, but I didn’t believe it. Zervos might have saved my life first semester, but most vampires were nasty and Zervos was the nastiest of them all. He wouldn’t give anyone but some of the other vampires a break. He had now and then been nice to the pixies, but even that had stopped.
    “Is it just my imagination, or does he suck even more this year?” Lisabelle wondered.
    “You don’t have an imagination,” said Sip, grabbing Lisabelle’s forearm in a vice-like grip. “Come on, before you get us kicked out.”
    “Why Sip, I didn’t know you were so strong,” said Lisabelle, letting her drag us off to Airlee.
    “Sip’s the best,” said Lough. “Of course she’s strong.”
    “Thank you, Lough,” said Sip. “At least someone else in Airlee appreciates me.”
    Airlee was as busy as ever, but other students cleared a path for Lisabelle. For me it was strange just stepping through the doors of the place where I had lived when I first came to Public. The wood floor looked freshly polished and there was a forest green carpet laid out. The walls were white and I noticed that there were new pictures on the walls of Airlee students who were out and about in the world doing good. The pictures included a portrait of a werewolf who had spent years in Spain training Spanish werewolves in how to change, and another of a mage named Trix who traveled around making house calls with healing potions brewed by the finest fallen angel healers. I paused at the wall, thinking of all the good being done in the world.
    “You see all that? It’s possible because of you, you know,” said Lough. “My sister says so. You gave everyone hope that the Power of Five spells will stay in place.”
    I nodded but didn’t say anything. How could I? Trix doing good had nothing at all to do with me. She was goodhearted and strong, she saw a need and filled it. Simple as that.
    “Come on,” said Lisabelle, sliding an arm around my shoulders. “I want you to see what Sip has done to our bedroom.”
    “I’ve decorated it,” said Sip defensively. “Someone had to.”
    “But did you have to do it in those colors?” Lisabelle demanded as we made our way to the top of Airlee. Usually the higher floors were reserved for seniors, but Sip and Lisabelle had somehow managed to get themselves installed there as well. I had a sneaking suspicion that Risper had had something to do with it, because he realized that his niece wasn’t good company for most of the other students.
    Lisabelle hadn’t lied. Her room was a study in neon. At least Sip had branched out beyond just yellow; there was also blue, green, and pink. All neon.
    “Lisabelle, why do you only get a third of the room?” I asked as we all found seats on the beds and desk chairs.
    “Good question,” said Lisabelle with a disgruntled look on her face.
    “I’m really glad to have some privacy,” said Lough, sighing. He suddenly looked tired, much less like his jovial self. “It’s so hard being pleasant.”
    “Yeah, you really struggle with that,” muttered Lisabelle. “What’s wrong, anyway?”
    Lough scraped his hand through his hair, the dark circles standing out prominently against his red