Hillcrest Academy

by Cassie Pierce

  I trust that Jaxon and his brothers will do everything they can to keep me safe. I am just not certain that it will be enough.

  I push the thought from my mind, placing what I hope is my bravest smile on my face. “I trust you.”

  Jax grabs my hand, pulling me to my feet. My eyes spot a solid spot of white on the bed and I smile at the sight of the little feather. I bend down, scooping it up and putting it in the pocket of my hoodie. Jaxon’s eyes watch me as he raises his brow.

  “What,” I shrug. “We might need this later.”

  “Oh princess,” he laughs in that raspy chuckle of his. “There are plenty more where that came from.” He is still smiling as he leads me out of the door and down the hallway.

  “Yeah, but I like this one.”

  I run my fingers over the soft ridges of the feather as I tuck it safely into the pocket of my hoodie. Finding an odd sense of comfort just having it close to me. Hand in hand we approach the stairs, and I draw strength from Jaxon as we make our way toward the voices that drift up from below.

  I do not know what the Fallen king is doing here, but it can’t be anything good.

  I feel invisible fingers like a slimy caress the moment that Xavier’s eyes land on me. The cowardly part of me wants to curl up behind Jaxon and hide, but I resist the urge, mainly because I am not weak. I never have been, and I sure as hell am not going to start being weak now. I am a fighter. Brave to the point of stupidity.

  I hide my fear behind sarcasm and bitchiness. It is my armor so to speak. I place that armor on now, knowing that I will need every solid inch of it to not cower in front of the Fallen king.

  “Ahhh...Maci my dear. I was not expecting you to be here. What a pleasant surprise.” Xavier’s eyes light up when he sees me.

  I bet he wasn’t. Something tells me that he knew exactly where I was. That he always does. I roll my shoulders back, smiling at him as I step out from behind Jaxon. The brothers walk over to us, forming a wall of immovable muscle around me. Protecting me.....always protecting me. Which is funny, since I am not even sure that they like me.

  “I wish I could say the same about you, but that would be a lie Xavier. I can call you that right?” I goad, trying to get him to show his true colors. To let the ugliness that I know lives under his fake exterior show through.

  He smiles, but I don’t miss the slight twitch in his left eye. His hand clenched so tightly that the skin is turning white from lack of blood flow.

  “What do you want?” Jaxon cuts straight to business. His tone suggests that he is over this. A feeling that I share.

  “I see you have your father’s patience,” Xavier growls. At the mention of Jaxon’s father, a jolt runs through me.

  Stupid! How could I have been so stupid?

  I got so wrapped up in the moment with him that I forgot to tell him what I overheard in the woods. The reason why they were chasing me.

  Xavier and Wanda are together. Like together...together, which is gross. That isn’t the point though. The point is that they plan to kill the king. King Gabriel! The triplet’s dad!

  Crap! I need to warn the boys, because I have a very bad feeling that Xavier being here now is a big part of that plan. Call it intuition or whatever, but I know in my gut that if I don’t do something...say something...that Xavier is going to kill Gabriel.

  Think Maci. Think. I can’t just say it out loud, that is too risky. Plus, it will take away our advantage. Right now, we know something that we shouldn’t know. Secrets are power. If you know people’s secrets, then you know their weaknesses.

  I know....

  Closing my eyes, I picture our connection like Jaxon showed me to do that day in the treehouse. I can see the beautiful purple and yellow light as it dances across my eyes, but every time I try to push through the wall of light something is in the way.

  Damnit! I...I can’t do it!

  Too bad that I don’t have some cool ass angel power like my friends. That would come in handy right now. Instead, I look on like the helpless little half-breed that I am. I will just let it play out for now. If it gets bad, then I will just tell them what I know. Even if that means exposing myself. My safety. I am willing to do that, to save Jaxon’s father. To spare him the pain of losing someone that he loves.

  “Speaking of our father,” Braxton says. “Does he know you are here? The last time I checked it was against all kinds of rules for the Fallen royals to step foot on Divine land without permission from the King.”

  Oh no! I see where this is going. I close my eyes, recalling the entire scene in the woods in my mind, hoping that Jaxon will be listening to my thoughts. That way he will know what I know.

  That everything is about to go to hell!

  This entire scene just feels wrong on a cellular level. Xavier being here knowing that he needs Gabriel’s permission. Coming to the boy’s moments after plotting with their stepmother to overthrow the king. It is like......

  Holy angels everywhere! It is like he wants the brothers to summon Gabriel!

  Oh God! That’s it! This is all a giant trap, and the brother’s have no idea. That is partially my fault I suppose. If I wasn’t so busy with Jaxon, and those lips of his, and that damn feather.....

  Ok. Focus Maci. What do I do? How can I warn them without giving away to Xavier that I know all of his dirty little secrets? By dirty, I mean gross, because kissing Wanda is just nasty! That is something that I will never un-see.

  I close my eyes, trying desperately to send my frantic thoughts to Jaxon. Based on the way that he is totally ignoring my presence at the moment, I think it is a safe bet that he isn’t getting them.

  Ok. Plan B then. A girl always needs a plan B. Hell, if I am being honest, she needs a plan C,D,E. and F as well. F is usually the last resort. My plan F always stands for Forget this we are about to die.

  I have to do something, even though I have zero clue what. Doing nothing means letting something bad happen to Jaxon’s dad, and I am not ok with that. I don’t know the man, but he is the only real parent that Jax has. I am not going to just sit back and let some asshole with a God complex kill him.

  Even if that means putting myself at risk. Sometimes to save the people that we love we have to be willing to sacrifice ourselves. Not because we are noble, or even brave, but because their happiness is always more important than your safety.

  I try one more time. Begging whatever useless angelic power that resides within me to help me out, as I reach deep into the recesses of my mind. I think the thoughts, sending them to Jaxon like we are having a silent conversation. When he still doesn’t turn in my direction, I roll my eyes at my lame attempt to mind speak.

  “Screw this,” I mutter, stepping up and grabbing him by the muscular forearm. His head whips in my direction, his eyes focusing on my face with a look of confusion. His brow crinkles as he studies me, and I can just imagine what I look like.

  One part constipated, one part confused, two parts pissed off. The perfect combination for a total and complete disaster.

  That is what I am, an epic angel fail. I can’t even figure out how to talk to my mate using our connection. Ha! And to think....they think that I am somehow powerful enough to save the world.

  I think they have me confused with someone else.

  I let out a groan of frustration. This is stupid. He can’t hear me. That...that is what concerns me the most. It isn’t unusual for me to not have powers, but since the moment that I met Jaxon his powers have always worked.

  Which begs the question? Why can’t he hear me now? What changed?

  It just doesn’t make sense. We are a matched pair. Destined mates. Our bond is older than time. Our connection spanning dozens of lives. He should be able to hear me. I get my answer when a cold laugh echoes into my head, causing me to double over in pain. A pressure starts to build behind my eyes as something pushes into my brain.

  It feels foreign...and cold....and so...so....wrong.

  A smirk settles over Xavier’s face
as his voice pushes into my head. Jaxon let’s out a growl as he takes a protective step in front of me. His eyes search me for injury as I grit my teeth to control the pain. His arms wrap around me as I sway on my feet.

  “Princess? What is it? What’s happening?” he asks, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears that have gathered in the corners of my eyes. I try to answer him, but no words come as Xavier begins to speak...into my freaking mind!

  What the......

  “Did you forget girl that mind control is my power? There is not a mind in the world that I cannot access. Blocking your measly bond to the prince is nothing,” he seethes. I gasp, the air getting trapped in my lungs as his words sink in.

  The bond. How does he know that it is Jaxon? He suspected before, but I never told him. Not even when he had Talon try to beat it out of me. So...how does he know now?

  I guess it is possible that he could have just guessed. Anyone with eyes can see how crazy I am about Jaxon. Yes! That has to be it! If it isn’t.... then there is a traitor among us. I refuse to believe that. Besides, no one knows for sure.

  “Except for Ryker and Braxton,” a tiny little voice says into my mind and I tell it to shut up.

  At least now I know why I can’t get through to Jax. Xavier blocked our connection somehow.

  “The King,” Xavier says, out loud this time. His voice carries humor as he addresses Braxton. I see through it though. This is all a game to him. A perfectly orchestrated part of his master plan. “Your king means nothing to me boy. Call him. I dare you.”

  No! No...no...no! This is all what he wants! Surely they can see that! Every muscle in my body locks up as I wait for what Braxton will say next. Except, he doesn’t say anything.

  At least not out loud.

  He does something though. I know because of the way that the air ripples with an influx of power that is so strong that it almost knocks me to my knees. Like all of the oxygen gets momentarily sucked from the room, and then blown back in on one forceful breath. The world seems to stand still as the fine hairs on my body rise. The brightest light that I have ever seen floods the tiny space, and for a moment I cannot see. Blinded by the intensity of the flash, white spots dance across my vision as I try to force my eyes to focus.

  I see Ryker first, a shadowy figure through the glare. His muscular arms are crossed over his defined chest, and a playful smirk tugs at the corners of his plump lips. A soft blue mist falls from the sky like a fine dusting of rain, dulling the light to a more manageable level.

  From that mist two figures emerge.

  “You asked for it,” Ryker laughs, staring daggers at the Fallen king as an almost manic grin replaces the small smirk.

  “Hello pops,” Ryker says to one of the figures in the shadows, and my next breath gets stuck in my throat.

  This is bad. This is so bad.

  Bad on an epic level, because I know who at least one of those figures is.

  King Gabriel steps from the mist, dragging an irritated looking Wanda by the hand as his eyes make quick work of sweeping the room. My eyes? My eyes make quick work of assessing the King.

  Now Gabriel looks like I imagine a king should. He stands tall, with shoulders that are both wide and muscular. Shoulders that look like they were built to carry the weight of the world. His posture is perfect. His face younger in appearance than I was expecting. If I didn’t know that the triplets were his sons, I would think that he was their brother. He does not look a day over twenty-five.

  He definitely does not look as old as the beginning of time.

  He looks a lot like Braxton actually, with his white gold hair and ice blue eyes. They could be twins, except the king rocks a longer hairstyle that rest just under his chin. A crown. Yes. A mother-flipping-golden-crown sits atop that perfect head of his. The gold broken up by beautiful sapphires that probably cost more than my house back home.

  He even has on a blue velvet cloak. If that does not scream HELLO-I-AM-A-KING, then I don’t know what will.

  If I had to sum up Jaxon’s father in one word it would be hot. Which is beyond wrong of me to think, so I am kind of glad that he can’t hear my thoughts right now.

  The most glorious set of white wings peek out from beneath his cloak, dragging the floor behind him as he steps further into the room. It strikes me then how odd he looks standing next to the head mistress.

  They are just so opposite.

  She is dark in all the places that he is light. Together, they are like two forces of opposing beauty competing for the spotlight. Her cold beauty to his radiating glow. Standing side by side, they are stunning.

  No wonder they were chosen for one another. They fit together perfectly. At least on the outside. It guess it is too bad that what is on the outside means nothing compared to what people have within them.

  Love doesn’t care what people look like. That isn’t how it chooses. It may be what makes us look first, but looks are not what keep people together. Love is, and based on the way that Wanda had her lips sealed to Xavier’s moments ago...she does not love King Gabriel.

  I stare from Gabriel to Xavier and back again. I just don’t get it. I have spent time with Xavier. His insides are as ugly as his outsides. Why would Wanda betray her marriage....her family...for him? It just does not make sense to me.

  Power? It has to be power?

  Panic invades my senses as my heart beats frantically in my chest. The lub-dub-dub so loud that I can hear it inside my ear drum as I try to think about what the right thing to do here is.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Gabriel demands, stepping into the room and turning to Braxton. Annoyance is clear in his tone. He does not like being summoned.

  I see Wanda move behind him, her hand coming up as a soft yellow mist coats her open palm. My eyes snap to Xavier, who also raises his hand toward the distracted king. Jaxon’s eyes widen at the same time that I move, and I know that he has figured it out.

  Too late. It is too late. I can’t explain how I know this, but I just do. The boys will not get to Gabriel in time.

  I dart forward, throwing myself in front of Wanda in a panic. Terror grips me as I shout, “STOP!”

  I don’t know what I expect to happen. If I am being honest, nothing really. Except maybe my untimely death. That...that I kind of expect.

  I do not however expect this.

  Everything freezes.

  I blink , turning in a circle as a new terror takes a hold of me. Frozen. They are all frozen. Perfectly preserved in the middle of whatever they were doing when I told them to stop.

  Xavier stands with his hand out and a nasty scowl on his face as he stares down the Divine King. Wanda is still behind a shocked Gabriel with hands raised and a frozen yellow mist surrounding her open palms.

  Brax and Ry are mid jump. Suspended mid-air, frozen like someone hit pause on the TV in the middle of an action scene. Their bodies hovering several feet off of the ground.

  Jax...My sweet Jax, is turned towards me. His arms are reaching for me, and a look of absolute horror mars his perfect face as he reaches for me. With the entire room in chaos, he still tries to save me.

  A fact that I would appreciate, if I were not so freaked out!

  Did I.......did I do this?

  I mean, I must have? Right? Or I would be frozen too?

  “Oh my god Jax!” I yell, running over to him and shaking him. My stiff fingers dig into him, but he does not move. Panic floods me as I try again. Louder this time. More desperate.

  “JAX! WAKE UP! PLEASE WAKE UP!” I shake him harder, but his body remains stiff and un-movable beneath my trembling fingers as I fight the urge to break down into tears.

  I will not cry. Crying will not help me.

  I go to Ryker next, trying the same thing with him and getting the same result.

  Nothing.....

  I run to Braxton, wrapping my arms around him in desperation as that first treacherous tear falls. Before I know it, they fall freely down my cheeks, wetting Braxton’s shirt
as I cling to him.

  “Come on Pinky. Wake up. Yell at me. Insult me. Anything! Please,” I cry, digging my nails into his shoulder. A sob leaves my chest, as a coldness settles over my soul. Absolute stillness surrounds me.

  I am going to fix this! I have to.

  Think...think....think...think.....

  “SHIT!” I yell, gripping my hair and pulling so hard that some of it rips free from the roots. I turn in a frantic circle. I can fix this! I can!

  “What did I do?” I whisper to myself, going over to Wanda and waving a hand in her face. When she doesn’t move, I get an idea. I walk over to Xavier, bringing my leg back and driving it forward as hard as I can. I smile when it connects with his man bits. I have been wanting to kick him in the balls since the night that he kidnapped me.

  I hope he feels that tomorrow. Asshole!

  I cannot believe that I froze them. Just by thinking it! Holy Hell! Is this my superpower? Can I somehow control time? That would be cool and all, but a little disappointing. C.J. can conjure pizza out of thin air. Just saying.

  As it stands now all of my friends are frozen, and I have no clue how to un-freeze them.

  Help!

  ∞

  ~ Chapter 21~

  Twenty minutes. That is how long I sit here freaking the hell out before I accept defeat. I have tried everything. Hell...I even tried saying abracadabra. Yes. I am that pathetic.

  I have no clue how to fix this, and at this point I am just praying that I did not turn the love of my life and his entire family into statues. As much as I would love to keep Xavier and Wanda in their semi-frozen state, I need Jaxon and the others to come back. I don’t know what’s coming, but I know that whatever it is, that I don’t want to face it without him.

  Too bad there isn’t a manual on how to restore time.

  Restore time....ha! How do you restore something when you don’t even know how you broke it? And that is what I did. I broke time. Only me!

  Every sci-fi show in the history of ever warns you not to screw with time, and I broke it! Yeah...I am thinking that this is not going to turn out well unless I can find a way to fix it.