Nightblood Academy: A Paranormal Bully Romance

by Allison West

  There was a soft knock at the door. Lil slipped beneath the covers, uncomfortable in her new attire. "Come in."

  Hudson stepped inside the bedroom. Lil sat up under the blankets as he walked over to her. "I looked at your—" He seemed to forget the word and glanced up at Lil, probably hoping for a little help.

  "My phone?" She drew closer once she saw it in his palm. Hudson took a seat at the edge of the mattress, handing it back to her.

  "Yeah, that's right. Your phone," he said. "We don't have anything like this here. I'm not familiar with the technology."

  Lil nodded her head weakly. "It's fine." She shoved the device to the bedside table. "I guess it was a long shot, hoping it would work here. I'm not even positive Bray has his with him."

  "Don't worry, Lil," Hudson said, resting a hand on her arm. "We'll find your friend. We'll find both of them."

  Lil glanced down at his hand on her arm. A sea of warmth coursed through her body when he touched her, making her want to never pull away. Hudson caught her stare and pulled his hand back.

  Why had he pulled away? She sighed softly, hating that she had feelings for him. He was a perfect stranger, at least he had been a day ago. Now, she felt the slightest stirrings of butterflies in her stomach and her heart. Maybe she had sized him up wrong when they'd first met. He seemed like a bully, the jerk at school who had a troubled and hardened past. The truth was everyone from Orenda had it hard. He was probably no different than the rest of his world. She didn't want him to leave.

  "Can I ask you something?" Lil's voice sounded unsteady as she spoke. She cleared her throat as her eyes met his. Hudson waited for her to continue. "What's the deal with Rawlie?" She was stalling for time, trying to find a reason to keep him in her room. She didn't want to be alone and he, surely, he wanted to be there with her, right? Otherwise, he would have waited until morning to hand her back her useless phone.

  "What do you mean? He's worried about Willow. He knows what Eilith is capable of—we all do."

  Lil grimaced. That wasn't what she'd meant. "Yeah, I know that." She emitted a soft sigh and ran her hand through her hair. "He's different."

  "How so? Because he's not from your world, or because he's from across the sea?" Hudson's eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you like him? Is that it?"

  "No." Her eyes widened, and she answered a little too quickly, which could have been taken to mean she did, but deep down, her feelings for Rawlie were strictly platonic. She smiled, laughing. "That's not it. There's something about him. He seems…" She couldn't even voice what she was trying to say. It was frustrating.

  Hudson grinned, nudging Lil's shoulder. "Are you sure you're not asking because you like him?"

  "God, no!" Lil's eyes widened in horror. "I swear. That's not the reason." She was bad with boys and intimacy. All she knew was her best friend and how to hang out and be like one of the guys. Anything that dealt with a relationship, was uncharted territory. Flirting was an even worse disaster in the making, which was probably why she felt like she was fumbling speaking with Hudson.

  "Oh, right, you have a boyfriend. Bray."

  "Bray isn't my boyfriend." She glanced at Hudson, her cheeks burning red with embarrassment.

  "Do you have a boyfriend back home?" Hudson asked.

  Lil slowly shook her head no, chewing on her bottom lip, glancing down at the bed, embarrassed. "No. I've never…" She stopped herself from finishing that sentence. He didn't need to know that she'd never had a boyfriend, let alone kissed a boy. She was as virgin as they come. It wasn't that she was prudish; well, that probably was true, a little bit out of nervousness, but boys just didn't seem interested. She was practically invisible.

  "I get it. It's not like there's a lot of action happening around here," he said, gesturing toward the space around them. He cringed, probably realizing the joke was bad considering they were in her bedroom and he had perched himself at the edge of her bed. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked. His tone appeared genuine. He didn't seem like the bully she'd met earlier.

  "No. I mean, honestly, yes, but I kind of like it." She was all sorts of nervous, fiddling with her fingers in her lap, barely able to meet his gaze. She wanted him but didn't know how to show it without seeming desperate or needy. Besides, she was in this world to save her friend and their friend. What would happen once they were saved? She would return home, their world would still be hell, and a relationship would never work. He was from another universe! She couldn't date Hudson; it would never be possible.

  "We have a long day ahead of us," Hudson said, and he smiled as he climbed backward off the mattress. He stopped just before he left, turning back to her seriously. "Rawlie is in love with Willow, you know. I always assumed it was because he had protected her and Jamie for so long. When you live with someone for eight years, you tend to develop feelings for them." He continued backing up as he found the door handle at his back.

  "Does that mean you're in love with Arianna?" She tried not to let her question sound as though she were jealous, but the words cut deep into her heart.

  "She's like a sister to me. Always has been. That's all it will ever be."

  She tried not to smile, but those were the best words she'd heard tonight. She didn't want to confess that she did like Hudson, but if he caught her awkward grin, then he probably already knew.

  "I guess the words you can't find to describe him are because he's hurting. The one person Rawlie cares deeply about was taken. He lost everything in the Scourge, and right now, it's happening all over again." He stepped out into the hallway, the door ajar. "Good night, Lil," he said, closing the door behind him.

  "Good night." She doubted he heard her. She reached above her bed, glad there was a light switch. She flipped it off, masking the room in total darkness and climbed farther beneath the covers. She rested her head back and shut her eyes. Tomorrow, was going to be a long day.

  Hudson had spent far too much time staring at her worthless piece of garbage electronics that was useless. He tried fixing it but didn't know how. He wanted to steal a moment with the girl from another universe.

  Maybe it was cliché. He felt that it was all sorts of wrong, liking her, knowing she'd leave him. Maybe it gave him the courage to pursue her. His heart wouldn't get hurt if they didn't fall in love. He could never fall in love. It would be too painful.

  After returning the phone to her, he was pleased to have a moment with her alone. He wanted to know if Bray really wasn't her boyfriend. Why travel across another universe to save just a friend? It didn't make sense to him, but she was here because of Rawlie.

  His stupid cousin had insisted on bringing her into their world. Repeatedly, he had shot down the idea, told him he was insane for even considering it, but now maybe they had a slight chance of surviving.

  Okay, truthfully, Lil was still pretty amateur with a sword, and stealing wayward glances at her could inevitably get him killed, but he felt his heart soften, something he never thought possible—his icy emotional heart, which he now had to protect from her.

  Quietly leaving her bedroom, bidding Lil goodnight, he headed down the hall, catching sight of Rawlie.

  "Did you just leave her bedroom?" Rawlie's eyes widened with excitement. "Tell me you two didn't—"

  "Not that it's any of your business," Hudson said, "but I returned her phone to her."

  Rawlie looked disappointed. "Oh, that's too bad, though probably for the best. There's no way a relationship across universes could ever work. She's cute, but it's a doomsday disaster."

  "Not funny." Hudson wasn't in the mood. They'd lived through their own post-apocalyptic world. As a kid, he'd loved reading science fiction novels about aliens and apocalypses. He never imagined that their world would crumble around him when he least expected it. "Don't call Lil cute; it's creepy." Hudson chided Rawlie, wanting to protect the girl he was growing feelings for.

  "Why? She looks just like my girlfriend, Willow."

  As much as they resembled twins, they weren
't anything alike. Hudson had never felt the slightest feelings of anything other than friendship toward Willow. That wasn't what he felt toward Lil. She stirred a desire that he hadn't known still existed. He would have to silence the flame before it destroyed everything, especially her.

  Lil awoke to the sound of a soft rap against the bedroom door. "Come in," she said, flipping on the light above her bed. Squinting as her eyes adjusted, Jamie walked into her room.

  "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know you were sleeping." He paused for a long moment before adding, "I'm nervous about tomorrow."

  "Me too." Lil patted the empty space on the mattress beside her. "Sit with me."

  Jamie closed the door behind him, before climbing onto her bed. "Do you think Eilith is hurting them?" His brow furrowed in concern.

  "I know my friend Bray is strong, and if your sister is anything like I am, she's not going to give up."

  Jamie nodded vigorously. "She's a fighter."

  "Then, you have nothing to worry about. Tomorrow, we'll rescue your sister and my friend. We'll all be able to go home and live happily ever after," she joked.

  Jamie stared at her, confused. "Happily ever what?"

  Were there no fairytales in Orenda? "A happy ending to our story, that's what I'm hoping we'll have tomorrow night." A knot formed in the pit of her stomach. How would they have a happy ending? Even if they rescued their friends, so much of their world had been destroyed. There was no way to undo the past.

  Jamie's eyes lit up, not noticing Lil's souring mood. "Oh! Willow used to read to me when I was little, before bed. Now, she shoves the book at me and tells me to read it myself."

  Smiling through the pain, Lil tried to be strong for Jamie. "Sounds like something I'd say to my sister." Lil had tried so hard to be nicer to Jamey after she'd finally understood about her sister's illness. The thought of one day losing her, made everything seem so bleak in comparison. The room grew silent. Her stomach knotted thinking about her younger sister and her parents. They'd worry about her being gone without calling. There wasn't much she could do about it, though. Her cell phone didn't work in Orenda. She couldn't get a note or a message to her family, not without risking their lives. She would have to hope that everything would be okay.

  "Do you get along with your sister?" Jamie asked.

  Lil's eyes stared down at the quilt on the bed. "Over the years, we've become a lot closer." She missed Jamey dearly and worried about her sister's health, with her being away. Stress aggravated Jamey's illness, but there was nothing she could do to help her from Orenda.

  "You should get back to bed. It's late, and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." She gave the young boy, Jamie, a hug before guiding him out of her room and back to bed.

  When Lil rolled over, the bright pink morning light streamed through the sheer white curtains. It no longer seemed as strange as it had the first time she'd seen it, but still, she buried her head beneath the pillows, wishing she was back in her own bed at home. She pushed the pillow aside and groaned in frustration. Too bad, it wasn't all a nightmare. She sat up and changed back into her clothes from yesterday. At least they fit her. Later, they would probably make her dress in the eternal suit, but until that time came, she'd enjoy her comfortable jeans and super soft t-shirt.

  Lil stepped out from her bedroom and glanced down the hall. It was eerily silent. If what Hudson said was true and Rawlie was in love with Willow, then he wouldn't put off finding her any longer. He was in this as much as she was, though for different reasons.

  Lil headed down the stairs to the main floor. She walked into the kitchen, hoping to fix herself cereal for breakfast. Pushing the door open, her eyes widened upon seeing everyone else already awake. "You guys are up early."

  Arianna sat at the counter along with Jamie. Hudson and Rawlie were attempting to make something, though Lil had no idea what it was. Flour littered the floor, the counter, and their faces.

  Arianna grinned. "It was my idea to let you sleep in this morning. I thought you could use the rest before we venture off into the unknown." She climbed off the stool at the counter. "Take my seat," she said.

  Lil didn't object. She grabbed Arianna's seat, knowing that whatever battle was fought here, it didn't look like either boy had won. "What'd I miss this morning?" Lil asked.

  Jamie poked Lil in the arm to get her attention. She shifted on the stool, looking at the young boy. "They were trying to make pancakes, but they can't remember the recipe," Jamie explained.

  "I know the recipe," Rawlie countered. "Hudson is the one who's confused."

  "Not true!" Hudson rolled his eyes. "I wasn't the one who dumped the flour all over the kitchen instead of in the mixing bowl." He glanced apologetically at Lil and mouthed a brief 'sorry'.

  Rawlie huffed under his breath. "Whatever. That was your fault, anyway." He pointed at Hudson. "You were blocking my way, insisting I was doing it wrong. Which I wasn't."

  "Hey!" Lil interrupted them. "We have someplace to be this morning. The pancakes don't matter."

  Rawlie shot Hudson a glare, before he grabbed one last handful of flour and chucked it at him.

  "That's enough!" Arianna got between them, keeping them an arm's length apart. Hudson tried to reach across and retaliate for what Rawlie had done. She eyed Hudson. "Go get cleaned up for breakfast." She turned toward Rawlie. "You clean this mess up while Lil and I make breakfast."

  Cleaning up after breakfast, Arianna walked Lil over to the training arena and helped her don the eternal suit. It took less time putting it on than it had the previous day. Arianna strapped her own weapons to her body. "Don't forget your sword," she called to Lil.

  "Thanks." Lil stepped back into the weapons closet, eyeing the sword. "Do I carry it the entire way there?"

  "You can put the strap for the sheath across your body. Here, let me help," Arianna offered. She found the sheath and attached the leather material so it would wrap around Lil's body. "Let's see if this fits." Arianna helped put it over her head and one arm through as she positioned the sheath at her back. "Perfect. Now you just need to put the sword into it."

  "I think I can handle it." It took Lil one attempt to slide the sword into the sheath. She pulled it out and put it in again, repeating the motions until she was comfortable with her movements. She needed to be ready when the time came to go into battle.

  "If you're going to practice, it'd be best to do that in the arena." Arianna ducked the second time Lil pulled out the sword.

  "Sorry," she apologized before stepping out of the small weapons closet.

  "Send the boys in to suit up!" Arianna called loud enough for Hudson, Rawlie, and Jamie to overhear.

  Ten minutes later, they were descending into a dark chamber, following the dimly lit path away from the academy. Arianna led the team of five through the tunnel.

  Lil glanced over the stone walls. "Protection markings?" she guessed, remembering the walls inside the academy.

  Hudson walked behind Lil, keeping an eye out behind them. "These tunnels lead into Eilith's land. We mark them to keep her out."

  "And it works?" she asked, full of wonder. "Then, how come we don't bring the marks into her kingdom? We could drive her out." Lil's eyes widened with excitement. "And if we did that, it'd be easier to safely rescue Willow and Bray."

  Rawlie walked in front of Lil, shaking his head in dismay. "It doesn't work like that. Her walls are made of dead pixies."

  Lil stopped walking.

  Hudson bumped into her. "Sorry," he said. "Come on." He nudged her on the back to insist she keep moving. It was a long journey on foot.

  "Dead pixies? Really?" She caught up with Rawlie. "Why wouldn't it work around dead pixies? Are they your kryptonite?" Lil guessed.

  Rawlie turned around, glancing over his shoulder at Lil. "I don't read comic books."

  "Not saying I do." Lil held up her hands. "It's a movie where I live. Hey, wait." She laughed. "You wouldn't know what kryptonite was unless you'd read about it." Lil became
lighter on her feet, happier, with a reason to tease him.

  "I may have borrowed a copy or two when I went to your world for supplies."

  "You're a thief?" Lil asked.

  "Don't be too mean to him," Hudson whispered as a reminder. "It's a tough day for him."

  "And it isn't one for me?" Lil shot back, glancing over her shoulder. Why was Hudson defending Rawlie? Had the bully come back out of him?

  "Come on," he said. They kept walking through the chamber, for what seemed like hours. Lil was grateful they'd eaten a decent breakfast before leaving, though, already, her stomach rumbled. "Here." Something nudged her back, and Hudson handed her a canteen of water.

  "Thanks." She took a sip before handing it back. "You didn't put any water from those sacred springs in here, did you?"

  Hudson laughed. "Worried?"

  Lil shook her head. "No." She kept walking, keeping up with Rawlie in front of her. Jamie followed Arianna. She wondered how well he had trained for today. He was so much smaller than the rest of them, but there was no convincing him to stay behind. After all, it was his sister he was trying to save from Eilith.

  Lil slowed down. She could feel Hudson's presence behind her. "What's Jamie's special power?"

  "What do you mean?" Hudson asked. "Oh, because Willow and Rawlie have abilities, you thought Jamie does too?" He merely shrugged, not answering her.

  "Cryptic. Do you always like being this forthcoming?" she mocked. "What about you? Don't you have one?"

  "I've never had the need to use my power," Hudson said. "Whatever it is, I have no idea. When all our teachers died at the academy, it made it difficult to fully learn and understand how to harness our gifts. We do the best with what we have. Besides, I prefer to be normal. Isn't having a chip in my hand enough weird for you?"

  "You said it, not me. Weird boy." She mocked him again. It was the only way she knew how to flirt and, boy, was she failing miserably. He probably thought she was a brat.

  Hudson came to stand beside her as the passageway widened. "Am not." He grinned. "I am highly trained, even if I don't have any magical powers. I'm one hundred percent capable of beating Eilith in an arm-wrestling contest."