by Katie Dunn
The kitsune made a run for it but Laneli was not as distracted as she seemed. She whipped out a net that landed over the kitsune, and it let out a cry. It was the same cry I heard before. The one that drew me over to the alley but now it was much louder and more frightened.
I rushed over to the kitsune. “What are you doing?” I shouted at Laneli, trying to tug the net away.
I was suddenly shoved from the side and fell back on the asphalt. My hands stung from skinning them, but I was too focused on freeing the myth to care. I stood up and knocked Laneli away from the net. She had been trying to lift the animal in it and carry it away but stumbled back when I shoved her.
“I am trying to take it to a secure location,” Laneli explained annoyed. Her blue eyes held determination and something else that made her look crazy.
Her words were innocent enough but that something else in her expression made me block her from the animal. I didn’t know what Laneli really wanted it for but there was no good reason she needed to take it away from its natural habitat. A silver glint alerted me of danger before Laneli charged at me. I dodged the attack, stunned that she would try to stab me. She used the same dagger I had seen her with the first time we met.
On instinct I opened my mouth and called out for Tam. I had no idea why I thought she could hear me, but it was worth a try. Tam was a powerful djinn after all. Purple smoke filled the alleyway and I took the opportunity to jump forward and release the kitsune while Laneli was distracted.
“You know you could have just called me on a phone like a normal person!” The voice spoke from the smoke. When it cleared, Tam stood there with Marion.
Laneli stared at us with an open mouth, glancing between the kitsune and the newcomers. Deciding she was outnumbered, Laneli darted to the end of the alley, escaping us before we could catch her.
Crap. I might have made a huge mistake.
Chapter 14
She Be Crazy
“What is going on here?” Marion asked, still holding on to Tamara.
Tamara hadn’t moved since she discovered Laneli and I in the alley. She continued to stare at the spot Laneli used to be with unblinking eyes. I didn’t blame her. I had just revealed her secret to an outsider and one who loved to abuse power.
“Laneli had a two tailed kitsune cornered and then tried to attack me with a dagger,” I explained softly.
I stood a few feet from them with the net dangling from my fingers. The kitsune was long gone so the only thing I had to prove my story was the net and the fact that they had seen Laneli a few moments ago flee the scene. My head spun with questions about Laneli’s motives and worry over Tam’s predicament. Maybe If I sang to Laneli and forced her to forget, then Tam’s secret would be safe. I mentally shook my head at the thought. I didn’t want to take away people’s free will, even if it was Laneli’s will that I would be taking. However, I did have fire breath. I mentally smacked myself for not thinking of that sooner. Mr. Drakari would know what to do.
“I think we should go back to the school,” I suggested, aiming the words at Tam.
A small frown was the only indication she heard me. I dropped the net and walked over to her slowly. Marion stood to the side watching our interaction with wide eyes. I placed my hands on Tam’s shoulders and made her look at me. I could see hurt and anger in her hazel-gray depths causing my stomach to squeeze in guilt. I expected her to disappear and leave me alone to find my own way back to the school but what she did next surprised me.
Tamara wrapped me in a hug and whispered, “I’m glad you’re ok.” Then she grabbed Marion’s hand, keeping one arm wrapped around my shoulders, and transported us away from the alley in a cloud of purple smoke.
I wasn’t surprised to see that Dominic Drakari’s office was where we appeared. Thankfully we didn’t interrupt any meetings and Drakari was alone, writing in a journal at his desk. He glanced up at the three of us and put his pen down, studying us with a calm unsurprised expression.
The three of us started talking at once trying to get in our parts of the story but Drakari held up a hand, instantly silencing us. He was used to drama at the school and didn’t react at our behavior.
“One person,” he said, holding up a finger.
Marion and Tamara looked at me. It made sense that I should tell him since I saw more than they had. I stepped forward and rested my hands on his desk then immediately stood straight again when the scrape on my hands stung from falling against the ground. “Laneli attacked me with a knife.”
Finally, Drakari’s calm exterior cracked and he leaned forward with a deep, concerned frown. He pierced my gaze with his green eyes and for the first time I could see the werewolf blessing in them. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
I explained everything to him from the moment we left the dorms, though he seemed uninterested in our shopping adventures, all the way to the moment we arrived in his office. His brows drew upward as I retold Laneli’s actions and Tamara’s revealed secret. Once I finished speaking, I collapsed in the high back chair across from his desk and waited for his response.
He glanced over the chair at Marion and Tamara before settling on me again. “This is truly alarming.”
“Ya think?” I asked sarcastically.
Drakari ignored me and reached for the phone. He held it to his ear after dialing and we waited patiently, except for me who waited with a tapping foot, for Drakari to say something. “Come to my office.” He hung up the phone and regarded us. “Ms. Michaels will of course be expelled but the first order of business is getting your secret cleared up.”
A moment later, a guy dressed in all black stepped from the shadows in the corner of the office. “You rang?” Harvey asked. He took in all our serious expressions, his eyes landing on Tamara last. As soon as he saw the look of fear and anger on her face, he turned to Drakari with even darker, stormy eyes and clenched fists. “What’s wrong?”
Drakari didn’t react. I was starting to think Drakari had a special poker face for all the students at the Academy. “Where is Laneli?”
Harvey blinked, the fury leaving him instantly. He looked from Drakari to Tam and back. “She should be in her room.” Harvey seemed unsure now that we were staring at him with varying degrees of anger and concern.
Drakari leaned back in his chair. “Bring her here,” he ordered.
Harvey gave a fond look to Tamara before stepping into the shadows and disappearing. Once he was gone, Drakari spoke to Tam with a stern tone. “Go home and I will deal with this.” She was about to argue but Drakari’s words stopped her. “We can’t let Ms. Michaels see you when she arrives.”
Tamara frowned but acquiesced. I stood up wanting to say goodbye to my friend and apologize before she left but I came face to face with only smoke. I would call her later to talk. Hopefully she could forgive me for revealing her secret. A moment later, Harvey arrived with a wriggling, blonde she-monster in his grip. When she saw us all staring at her, she composed herself and strode over to the high back chair I was sitting in and stood by the arm. She glared at me before resting her gaze innocently on the principal.
“How can I help you?” She asked Drakari sweetly. Her tone made me want to punch her and pick up what we started in the alley.
“I have heard some very concerning things about the behavior you exhibited earlier today,” Drakari stated, giving her a chance to confess.
Laneli’s face hardened and a scowl replaced her sweet smile. It was like seeing an angel turn into a demon. “She was interfering in matters that don’t concern her.”
Drakari frowned at Laneli, the first emotion he expressed since I told him the story. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
“I was trying to help a wounded animal-” she started.
I snorted, interrupting her explanation. There was no way trapping a mythological being with a net and terrifying it was helping.
Laneli glared at me before morphing her face into one of innocence. “I was just about to grab the animal to he
lp it when Serena ran over howling and pushed me. I pushed her back then had to defend myself with a knife when she attacked me again. I barely got away when a strange smoke filled the area.” Laneli’s voice cracked in the end and she tilted her head down as if she was going to cry.
What kind of garbage was she spouting? That was not how everything went down at all! I never attacked her first, and she tried to stab me without provocation. I was fuming at her words and the innocent act she was playing. Thankfully Drakari was too strong to be manipulated by a siren song or I’m sure she would have tried that too.
Drakari continued frowning at her, not at all moved by her words. “Laneli, I tried to give you a chance to redeem yourself but attacking a student with a knife and trying to capture a mythical creature is the last straw. I don’t know what would have happened if Marion didn’t show up and spread the mist everywhere.”
I titled my head and furrowed by eyebrows in confusion. Marion looked even more confused and started to speak up to ask what he meant by mist but Drakari gave her a pointed look. Suddenly I understood. Drakari was trying to protect Tam by making it seem as if Marion had caused the smoke. Marion was a water myth blessed so mist would be believable. I smiled at his ingenious cover up.
Drakari turned his attention back to Laneli. “For your unacceptable behavior today and for the past two years, I have no choice but to expel you from Myth Blessed Academy. You will be escorted off campus later today once you pack your things.”
Laneli stood by the high back chair with her mouth agape. I was expecting her to argue his decision but instead she looked at me with hatred and flung herself toward me, trying to scratch my face. I jumped from the chair and backpedaled, avoiding the attack and her nails barely missed my skin. Harvey darted forward, wrapping his arms around her to keep her contained. She stared at me with a look that promised revenge before Harvey stepped back into the shadows and transported them away. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Marion gripped my arm and I noticed she was as shook as I was by Laneli’s attack.
“Tamara should be safe now,” Drakari said.
I could hear an edge in his voice that was the only indication that he was disturbed by Laneli’s actions. Otherwise he sat back in his chair with his fingers steepled and kept a neutral expression on his face.
My heart was still racing at the events of the past half hour but now I felt as if I could relax a bit. Elliot would be pleased to know that he will not have to worry about Laneli anymore. In fact, the feud might even end completely. Marion and I shuffled out of the office and once the door closed, we let out a deep breath.
“That was insane,” Marion commented softly, ending the silence she had fallen into since getting to the office.
I nodded, not feeling like I could speak just yet. Everything was sorted out, but Tam was probably still upset at the fact I had almost blown her cover. I quickly sent her a text letting her know that Drakari covered up the truth and she was safe now. I didn’t get a reply. I would have to call her later.
“You hungry?” Marion asked, steering us to the cafeteria.
I glanced at her bags that she still carried. “You should drop those off first and meet me there.”
Marion blinked down at the bags as if she forgot they were there. “Right.”
Marion made an about face and headed towards our room while I continued to the cafeteria, checking my phone along the way hoping for a reply from Tam. A set of footsteps fell in step beside me as I passed a shadowy part of the hallway. I glanced up, not at all surprised to see Harvey. He was frowning and his hands were stuffed into his pockets, but he stayed quiet.
Knowing what he wanted to ask, I filled him in on the events of the past few hours. His frown deepened at the mention of Laneli trying to stab me then his face morphed into concern when I explained that his girlfriend may be in danger. Without a word Harvey stepped into the nearest shadow and disappeared. Presumably to check up on Tamara.
I heaved out a sigh and walked to my usual table in the cafeteria, wanting to wait for Marion before getting food. A heavy body thumped down into a seat beside me causing the table to shake and startled me from my thoughts.
“Hey there,” Elliot said grabbing my hand and holding it in his own.
I was stunned. I stared at our joined hands, feeling heat dance between us. I knew that asking me to the dance was almost the same as asking me out, according to every teen chick flick I had ever seen, but I hadn’t expected hand holding yet. The show of soft emotion in public had my cheeks reddening and my heart beating faster.
The memories of earlier came to mind and I glanced up at Elliot, excited to share my news. “Laneli was expelled today.”
He kept his face calm, but I could tell the news affected him due to his hand tightening around mine. “Why?”
I explained to him in a low voice about the events of my shopping trip and how it ended in Drakari’s office. I glanced around as I spoke making sure no one else was listening. I left out the part about Tamara and her djinn powers, but I still didn’t want anyone overhearing our conversation. When I finished, he sat back, releasing my hand and crossed his arms over his chest. I tried not to feel cold or saddened by the absence of his heat and contact.
The barely contained fury behind his next words startled me. “She tried to stab you?” Black scales erupted over his arms and parts of his face.
I understood now why he let go of my hand. In this state, he would probably crush my bones or burn them to a crisp. I wasn’t worried which surprised me since I had gone up against him before and it had terrified me. He would never hurt me though. I laid a hand on his arm wanting him to calm down and be happy that she was gone. He glanced down at my touch with fondness, but the heat still blazed under his skin.
“Sirens be crazy,” I joked, hoping to make him smile and relieve the tension in the air.
It worked. Elliot slung an arm over my shoulders and pulled me in close. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, sending chills down my neck. “You’re siren blessed too,” he chuckled.
I raised my chin resolutely. “I stand by what I said.”
I jumped at the deep laugh that burst from him. I had never heard him laugh like that and it made my own grin break out on my face. Elliot’s laugh was officially the best sound ever.
The doors of the cafeteria opened, and Marion walked through, spotting us immediately. Elliot noticed her approach and leaned toward my ear again. “Laneli will pay for trying to hurt you.”
Marion’s arrival stopped any protest I was going to make and left his ominous promise hanging in the air.
Chapter 15
Oh No They Djinn Not
I checked my phone for the millionth time in two weeks. Ever since the alley incident with Laneli, Tamara had only messaged me once and it was a reply to my first message about her identity being safe in which she replied ‘ok.’ To my annoyance, my constant harassing of Harvey didn’t reveal any of Tam’s emotions or opinions. The dance was in two days and I had no idea if Tam was going to prepare with Marion and I or avoid us the entire night.
Panda bumped her head against the back of my knee drawing my attention away from my phone. I put my phone down on the desk in front of me and crouched down to pet her behind her ears. Panda bleated in pleasure and pushed against my hand for more. Energy jolted up my arm and the fire and water within my chest stirred. Over the past week, Panda’s energy ran through me, helping me balance my inner elements and strengthen my control. It was a heady feeling that left me wanting more but I was warned by Elliot and Marion that taking too much energy from my familiar could leave us both weak.
A buzz from the desk had me springing up and scrambling for my phone. I expected to see a purple flower on the caller ID indicating a call from Tamara but a picture of a cartoon sun with a smiley face greeted me instead.
“Hello?” I answered, trying not to feel disappointed.
“Serena, I think something is wrong,” Rae spoke urgently through
the phone.
Her tone made me tense and my breathing came fast. “What happened? Are you ok?”
Rae choked on a sob and my heart clenched for my friend. I began pacing, feeling impatient for her answer and helpless that I couldn’t be there with her. I imagined her freckled face flushed as tears ran free. Whatever it was, it was serious but what could cause Rae to be so upset?
“It’s Tam, I think something happened to her,” She finally answered.
I froze. I couldn’t speak for fear that if I did then Rae’s words would be true. They couldn’t be true. What could possibly happen to a powerful djinn? Images of purple smoke in an alley and Laneli popped into my head. Did Tam run away thinking she wasn’t safe around us anymore? No, that couldn’t be it. Rae would have mentioned a note left behind or said that Tam’s whole family was moving. Rae sounded scared and worried.
“Why do you say that?” I asked slowly, afraid of the answer.
Rae sniffled before answering. “Well, I just talked to her last night and we had plans to go to Tang’s tonight. When I went to pick her up her parents informed me that she was out with a friend.”
I was getting impatient. I continued pacing and wished Rae would get to the part about what was wrong with Tam.
Rae continued, oblivious to my impatience. “I immediately thought of Harvey, so I called him, but he had no idea where she was either. We searched for her for hours and just now discovered her phone laying on her bed.”
“Is Harvey there with you now?” I asked, imagining the two of them standing in Tam’s room staring down at the abandoned phone.
“Yes,” Rae replied.
Harvey must have transported them to the room. I understood now why Rae called. If Tam wasn’t with Rae or Harvey, and she didn’t take her phone then something was wrong. That djinn loved her phone and I hated to say it but Rae, Harvey and I were her only friends. There was no way she would be out with someone else without one of us knowing about it. Also, did I mention that Tam loved her phone?
