Academy of Magic Collection

by Angelique S Anderson et al.

  “The view?” Michael wondered, glancing back. “I guess, since fire is your element, you’d find this beautiful in a grotesquely and deadly way.”

  “Is no one finding it odd that there aren’t any sentinels posted here?” Grace asked.

  “They are on a different planet. They might assume they are safe, and the protection spells will alert them to intruders,” Darren replied.

  “How much longer do we have to wait before entering the cave and continuing on our way?” Noah asked.

  Darren peeked into the cave through squinted eyes. “It’s safe. Let me just plant a sentinel of my own, so no one sneaks behind us.” He walked to a wall and imprinted a seal on the rock that glowed orange and yellow. “Done.”

  “Darren in the front, Michael behind, then Grace. I’ll guard the rear,” Noah instructed. “Leave your cloaks and masks at the entry. We need to stay alert once we move forward.”

  As instructed, everybody ventured into the cave.

  “I like green pastures with a blue sky more,” Michael mumbled as an afterthought.

  “I like rainy days and stormy nights,” Grace shared.

  For a few seconds, everybody remained quiet until, as if rehearsed, they tilted their heads back to look at Noah.

  He frowned. “Are we playing a game?”

  Grace grinned. “Talking helps calm us down.”

  “Fine,” he muttered. “I like dark and starry nights when the two moons are high in the sky and look like silver disks. I also like sunny days. I don’t like this planet, though. It’s hot and dry.”

  “It’s dark in here,” Michael complained.

  Darren held up his hand, and a glowing orb formed on his palm. The orb floated over their heads and illuminated the way.

  Michael sighed. “Much better.”

  For the next twenty minutes, they crossed the creepy corridor and fought against the wizards that came their way.

  “Eight guards aren’t a lot for one of the main entries,” Noah commented as they continued on their way.

  “I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe we’re arriving at the central chamber,” Darren said.

  “Prepare to encounter resistance,” Noah warned.

  “What about the other teams? My comms don’t work here. There’s too much interference,” Michael grumbled. “Do you think they are safe?”

  “We’ll find out soon enough,” Grace said.

  Noah commanded, “Darren and Grace, shields up. Michael, stay behind Darren.”

  Once they stepped into the light, a high ceiling chamber carved into the mountain waited for them. Inside that chamber, aligned into three rows, the wizards stood in a defensive stance with their menacing eyes targeting them.

  Grace put up her shield and merged it with Darren’s. Glancing around, she noticed that the other teams were already there.

  Thirty warriors were guarding two doors that led to the room where the leader was supposedly hidden. Ten hunters against thirty. Under normal circumstances, Grace would believe that the enemy wouldn’t stand a chance with those numbers. Now, she had no idea of how powerful the enemy was.

  Swords and staffs were gripped in the wizards’ hands, and their eyes shone with intent. They weren’t giving up without a fight.

  Grace glanced at Aaron, waiting for his orders. He seemed to be assessing their powers.

  The prince lowered his hands and took two steps forward. “Put down your weapons and surrender. We aren’t here to kill you. We just want to capture your master. No one will get hurt you if you comply.”

  One of the wizards shouted from the back, “Surrender? You are the ones invading our world, our home. We did nothing to be persecuted like this.”

  “We just want to live in peace away from the Celestials,” another wizard added.

  Grace looked at their faces and realized that despite the bravery in them, they also looked terrified.

  “We wouldn’t be here if that was the case,” Aaron intervened. “We have proof that you’re committing acts of terrorism against your homeland. This needs to stop here.”

  “Lies!” one of the wizards at the front shouted.

  “You’re a traitor to your kind,” another one accused.

  Michael growled. “It seems they can’t be persuaded with diplomacy. Let’s just end this already. They might be more helpful once we tie them up.”

  Aaron nodded sternly. Spreading his hands, glowing magic imbedded in Aaron’s palms and shone green and yellow, occasionally flicking into blue. “If you don’t surrender, we’ll need to take action.”

  The other dragon princes did the same, their magic showing the element they controlled: water, fire, and wind. Aaron commanded the earth, which inside a cave didn’t bode well to the wizards who refused to surrender. He could destroy everything with a flick of his finger.

  The hunters aimed their guns at the wizards, their left hands holding a hunting knife.

  Grace sauntered to the front row, letting the fire spread down her limbs, and her hair float in the air. Her eyes turned white, and the electricity in the air shimmered with static.

  The wizards exchanged glances, their swords and staffs still held above their heads in an attack stance.

  “They’ll kill us if we surrender,” one of the wizards yelled as if his companions were pondering giving up.

  Grace frowned at their claims and glimpsed at Aaron. His face was unreadable, but she knew him too well to know that he’d never kill without provocation. Hunters didn’t kill hostages. They weren’t barbarians.

  “Defend your loved ones,” one wizard shouted and ran to attack with a roar of war.

  It seemed like all of the other wizards were ready to charge with their weapons and release their magical powers.

  Grace and the princes didn’t move. They waited for them to come closer before they unleashed their powers and sent the first row of attackers flying back.

  The wizards fought back. Glowing shards made of ice and fire flew at them, and a protective shield was created to absorb the attack.

  The hunters stood their ground. Grace knew instinctively that Noah was behind her, calm as one could be, holding his fist high, so Michael, Steve, Lori, and Andrea stayed put.

  Wizard formations didn’t place the stronger ones in the front. Like any other elite fighters, there were different levels of power between magical beings. The front row included the foot soldiers that had excellent fighting skills but fewer magical abilities. The back row was the most skilled with magic that could summon all sorts of attack spells.

  The hunters fought differently. Since shifters were more vulnerable to magic, they always stood behind a wizard. Wizards were shields against magic. Hunters were skilled fighters who could craft small protective spells but relied on their speed and martial arts to catch their prey.

  The princes joined forces to throw a new attack against the wizards. This time, a collective shield absorbed the wave of power, and the ground shook under their feet. Dust and small pieces of rock fell from the high ceiling.

  The shield dropped, and a new wave of enchanting shards flew at the hunters. In the back, Grace spied two wizards casting spells against the large oak doors they were protecting. They were leaving protections in case they were defeated. They probably knew they were simply delaying the inevitable. Grace wondered if their leader was that special. In her world, many would give their lives to protect the king. Angels would do the same to protect their royal family. The leader of these wizards was being protected as if he was a king. Still, a true king didn’t let their subjects die. If he was that powerful, he should come out and face them. Why hide?

  Royals were cowards who liked to hide behind their guards.

  There were only two people in the world that Grace would give her life to protect: Grandpa and Noah.

  A hand landed on her shoulder. “Focus.”

  Grace glanced back and saw Noah. “I hate that they are willing to die to protect their cowardly leader.”

  Gritting
her teeth, she reinforced her shield and swallowed hard when she felt Noah’s energy soothe her anger and strengthen her resolve. Was he aware that he was offering his vital force to her, or was it unconscious?

  “We need to attack,” Michael said. He was always impetuous.

  “You’ll be incinerated if you leave the safety of our shields,” Grace warned.

  “It takes less energy to protect than to attack,” Ewan muttered without looking back. “But I have to agree with the hunter. We need to do more than just protect ourselves.” He turned to look at Aaron. “It’s your call.”

  “He seems reluctant to attack,” Kaye noted.

  “Not reluctant, I’m just assessing everybody’s powers,” Aaron claimed. “Grace,” he paused as if he was pondering what to say next. “They are casting angelic seals. Are you able to break them once we deal with the wizards?”

  “I noticed.” She spread her hands and created a second shield that engulfed the princes and the hunters. “I can deal with the seals, and I’m strong enough to protect us all. You should use your attack powers.”

  Grace noticed that the wizards in the front row stepped back with widened eyes when she intensified her powers. She didn’t understand why, but they seemed to fear her the most. Usually, that happened when her wings came out, and they mistook her for a full angel. If they believed that her power was great, they were up for a surprise. The dragon princes were equally great if not more powerful than her. Darren had proven more than once how incredible his powers were. Aaron had been a top student in the year he went to her academy. Kaye and Ewan were equally great fighters and wizards. Not to mention that Ewan was an elf. He liked to glamor himself to look human, but his skills went beyond any of the wizards.

  “We have no idea how many wizards are inside the other chamber. Use your powers sparsely, but let’s end this.” Aaron’s hands moved, and his magic snaked around them and his arms. Tendrils of power spread around him. “Hunters, follow close behind me and the dragons. Use your knives to protect you from the magic.”

  Without further delay, they stepped outside the shield and unleashed their powers. The shock of surprise in the wizards’ eyes was anticipated when their companions began flying left and right, and their attacks had no effect on the dragons.

  The hunters rushed behind the princes and fired their stun guns at the wizards. Their raised knives created a temporary shield to absorb the glowing orbs that were shot their way. As trained, each hunter teamed up with a dragon and watched their back. Grace felt proud of her friends.

  Noah remained beside her. “Are we joining the fight?”

  Grace watched the wizards being thrown around like rag dolls while the dragons’ magical tendrils surrounded their wrists and restrained their hands, putting them out of commission. The hunters threw blows when their guns didn’t knock out their targets. The enemy bodies fell on the ground, unconscious. The screams and yells echoed in the chamber and were ignored by the trained ears.

  Dropping the shield, Grace lunged forward with Noah and stopped the wizards from running from the central chamber into the maze of corridors. Everybody should be captured. The Celestials were planning to bombard the mountain once the enemy was transported out of there. Leaving anyone behind was condemning them to die.

  Noah’s aim was spotless, and his blows precise. The wizards’ personal shields were useless against Grace’s magic. Her glowing shards left her hands and pierced against the wizards’ shoulders. Instead of injuring them, her magic fused with their clothes and spread down their arms, restraining their hands and leaving them powerless. It didn’t take long for all of the wizards to be neutralized and tied up.

  A dreadful calm fell on the central chamber as the princes and the hunters looked around and made sure all the enemies were restrained.

  The cries of pain and the tears falling down the wizards’ faces shook Grace to the core. Why were they crying? What was going on? She twirled around, hearing the mumbled prayers of their enemies. All of them had the same request to their gods: save my family. Please, protect my family from them.

  A hunter shouldn’t cry or show vulnerability, but tears began falling down her cheeks as if their pain was her own. Images of frightened children holding on to their mothers inundated her mind. Their fear and pain became a part of her.

  “Grace, are you okay?” Noah’s hand on her arm and his fingers brushing her chin brought her back to the now. She realized that she was kneeling with her hands holding her stomach.

  “Is she hurt?” Aaron asked, standing beside her. “Grace?” He touched her shoulder.

  She couldn’t reply with the lump that formed in her throat and the unsettling feeling making her stomach lurch.

  Swallowing hard and breathing deeply, she shut her eyes and willed herself to control her emotions. Her attention resurfaced when loud bangs reached her ears.

  “Aaron, we need your help. The protective spells are bouncing back our powers, and the doors don’t open.”

  “Give her some water,” Aaron said to Noah before leaving to help the other dragons.

  Grace’s eyes focused on her mate’s face.

  “Stop this, leave us alone!” someone screamed.

  Grace looked back and saw one of the wizards jumping to his feet and lunging at the hunter nearby. Michael slammed his arm against the wizard’s chest and threw him back. The wizard landed on his ass and coughed up blood. The wizards that were still conscious protested and twisted in their restraints.

  “Monsters!” voices accused them.

  “They are completely brainwashed,” Noah said, helping Grace get back on her feet.

  “They’re protecting what’s inside,” Grace said, breathing deeply one last time before fisting her hand and aiming her attention at the closed doors.

  The dragon princes were using their magic to break the seals, but it was as if the seals were made of liquid fire and were bouncing back their attempts. Ancient runes glowed and circled, creating a spectacle of lights.

  “What ancient magic is this?” Kaye grumbled.

  Grace walked to them. “Please, step aside.”

  The princes stopped what they were doing once Prince Aaron agreed with her order.

  “It’s ancient angel magic.” Darren spoke.

  Grace acquiesced. “I’m not well-versed in angel runes, but my instinct is telling me the same.”

  “How did they learn it?” Noah asked behind her.

  “Someone must have taught them.” Aaron glanced back. “But I doubt they’ll tell us who and why.”

  “Everything about this mission feels wrong,” Darren shared.

  “I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking that,” Grace voiced.

  “You’re overthinking it,” Ewan claimed, folding his arms.

  “The hunters and the dragons should step back,” Grace warned, spreading her arms and embedding her hands with magic.

  “We have no idea what’s behind the door once we break the seal,” Noah warned.

  “I have an idea,” Grace murmured. She glimpsed at the wizards’ daunted expressions. Her voice came out sober and powered with magic. “They won’t be safe for long even if we don’t break the seal. You’ve made your prayers, I’m answering them.”

  She wasn’t expecting the others to understand what she was saying, and she didn’t have the time to tell them her suspicious. The energy around them had shifted. The Celestials were coming. She could feel it in her bones as if their presence triggered an alarm in her mind. The Celestials were waiting for Aaron’s message to invade that place.

  “Master, she’s one of them,” a wizard said.

  Grace ignored the shouts and laments that came next. She had no use for their fear and distrustful thoughts. Their collective mind had already told her what she needed to know.

  She focused on the magic running through her veins and the wings spreading behind her back. It should be a terrifying view to the wizards who feared angels as if they were the dreadful and bloodthirsty m
onsters that some humans believed vampires to be.

  Her hair flew up and floated above like a wave being caressed by the breeze. The protective runes appeared in her mind and melted one by one, transforming into orange smoke. Her hands pushed her magic forward, and the seals broke and dissolved like fog under the sunlight.

  Opening her eyes, she used her powers to open the doors. The sound of the creaking wood being pushed back sang inside the chamber. The open doors released the cries and frightened gasps from the children and the women in the cavernous hall.

  “There’s just children and women,” Aaron stated what Grace already knew. “Where’s their leader? Is he hiding behind innocent children?”

  “I’m their leader,” someone shouted from the group of wizards that Michael, Steve, and Lori were surveilling and keeping away from the doors. “You have us, leave the innocents behind.”

  “What’s going on? No one said there were women and children here,” Kaye grumbled.

  Grace ignored the frightened eyes of the children and women and turned to look at the dragons. “We need to get them out of here before the angels arrive.”

  Aaron locked eyes with her. “What? What do you mean?”

  “I’m requesting sanctuary in your world for them,” Grace added. “We need to join forces to transport them out of here.”

  “We found the materials to make bombs. They were behind the attacks on our world,” Michael protested. “Tell him, Aaron.”

  Aaron nodded. “It’s true. Before you arrived, we found explosives in an adjacent room of the corridor we traveled.”

  “The explosives can be used to break through the rock and form the rooms,” Grace said. “They have no way to leave this place. There’s no portal. The only reason why the angels know where they are is because they were the ones leaving them here. This is a prison. The angels are keeping them here, so they don’t threaten the ideologies that we are fed every day.”

  “That’s blasphemy,” Andrea accused. “You’re my best friend. I understand that you don’t like your family very much, but speaking those things about the angels, that’s blasphemy. We all know they keep us safe and protect the portals.”