by Elena Gray
“I’ve known for a long time that someone was out to hurt you. When word got out that Sarah Haylan’s ancestor would be a part of our coven and studying at our academy, it caused a lot of excitement, and not all of it good.”
Samara’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t understand.”
“Most knew you would be the next chosen witch to hold the power, but your radical way of thinking preceded you. Then rumors began spreading amongst a few of the staff and elders. That if the ancestors did choose you, you would need to be removed from your position before others began to agree with your way of thinking. That’s when I decided to pretend to hate you so I could figure out what exactly they planned to do.”
“So someone in this coven is behind what happened to Samara?” Jax asked the same question that I was thinking.
Melynn shook her head. “No, I haven’t found out if anyone here is behind it, but I’ve been pursuing a few leads. Emma has been helping me. She’s been my eyes and ears around the school. I’m not sure if a student is behind these threats or if it’s an elder, but I knew students would talk to her if they had any information about what happened. Samara and Emma weren’t exactly the best of friends, so it would be easier to confide in her.”
“I have a question,” Samara interjected. “Is there a link between the threat against me and the missing witches?”
Both Emma and Melynn glanced at each other before they nodded. “We think so,” Emma answered. “We just don’t know why.”
As I stood in silence, listening to the conversation, I questioned how deep this plot to kill Samara ran. “I assume that the council was opposed to Samara’s ideas as well. Right? It wasn’t just the staff and elders?”
Nodding at me, Melynn wrung her hands together and stared in a daze. “Most of the council didn’t like the thought of lowering the veil, but there were some who considered the idea. Rayna was one of them.”
“Are you serious?” Samara floated closer to Melynn and circled around her when the elder witch nodded. “If that’s true, she was as good a bullshitter as you, because she never let on that she agreed with me on anything I said or did.”
“Rayna never spoke much about the situation, at least not willingly,” Melynn admitted. “Whenever someone brought up the subject and asked about her stance, she would always shrug and ask them how they felt. It’s like she was more interested in hearing what everyone else had to say. She only admitted her feelings to a couple of council members, and I happened to be one of them.”
“This is...confusing.” Samara resumed her position beside Nicholai. He placed his arm around her and whispered something I couldn’t hear.
“I realize this must be hard to process,” Emma said as she approached us with cautious steps. “Our last conversation didn’t end well, and you must have thought I had it out for you too.”
Samara snorted. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“It was all for show. You and Rose, Natasha and I…we were inseparable at one time. After I joined the Council of Peers, the things I learned disturbed me, especially when I learned some of the first term witches had gone missing. I went to Melynn with my concerns. She’s been a friend of my family since I was a baby. I knew I could trust her.”
Melynn nodded. “I’m the one who instructed Emma to put distance between herself and you. She wanted to protect you and your friends, and we felt this was the best way to do it.”
“I can’t believe you’ve been on my side all this time.” Samara massaged her temples. She’d had a lot thrown at her these past few days and I was worried that it was all too much for her.
“Well, I can’t say I agree about lowering the veil,” Melynn said, “but I love our coven and the students attending this academy. I would do anything to protect them, and that includes you too. I’m sorry I failed you.”
I didn’t need the goddess of truth to know Melynn’s apology was sincere.
Samara said, “It’s not your fault I was murdered, but I do appreciate your honesty. We can use allies in this realm. At this point, we’re not sure who to trust.”
Melynn crept closer to Samara. “You can trust us. Whatever information we learn, I promise we’ll pass it along to you.”
I had to admit, having a council member on our side would make it easier for us to spy on the council and stay one step ahead of them.
“Thanks. We appreciate it,” Samara told her. She smiled at Melynn and Emma, then drifted back to her old bed. “I still need to grab my Book of Shadows. There’s a spell in it that I think will help us find my—I mean—Katarina’s missing guardian, Slade.”
“I didn’t realize he was still missing,” Melynn replied.
Her response puzzled me. She was on the council. Rayna had assured us that the council had been apprised of my brother’s disappearance and they were doing all they could to look for him. Even Draven had confirmed his mother had been taking part in the search.
“The last time we spoke with Rayna, she told us the council knew about our brother,” I explained. “She swore she had people looking for him.”
“I know that was the case after Samara’s burial, but no one discussed a search party in the last meeting. We have to vote on things of that nature, which is why I assumed he’d been found.”
“That’s odd,” Samara mumbled as she hovered above the bed. “Maybe the guardian’s council asked her to let them handle the search?”
“Or, someone might have misinformed her that he’d been found,” I added. If that were the case, who would have the authority to make that kind of declaration? Any news of Slade would have been relayed by my elders to the High Council.
“Who knows with Rayna,” Jax grumbled. “As the high priestess, she has a responsibility to find her own missing witches. Maybe she didn’t want to waste resources looking for a guardian.”
Samara turned to face us, as she twisted a strand of hair between her fingers. “In either case, we won’t need to worry about it if this spell works. Speaking of which, would you guys mind hanging back a little bit? I have to cast a spell to reveal my book, and the only person that can be close to me is Katarina, since my powers are now inside her. I have no idea what kind of reflux there will be now that it’s out of my control.”
Emma and Melynn were the first to reach the balcony doors. Nicholai followed. Jax and I joined them, but for a moment, I thought I’d have to drag Jax away. His protectiveness over Katarina had increased since they began her combat training. Yet something else between them had changed. They were closer, and the bond I sensed between them pulsed twice as strong as the ones the rest of us shared with her.
My thoughts crashed around me the instant one of the women yelped. When I glanced at them, Melynn had her mouth covered. Her eyes were twice their normal size as she stared at the balcony. The sound of flapping wings filled the air. It didn’t come from Jax. His were still tucked away. I shoved Emma and Melynn away from the balcony doors as one thought filled me with panic—dragon shifters. Rayna used them as guards, and they were here.
Chapter 12
~Quinn~
I glanced around the room to make sure everyone was out of sight. Kat ducked behind the chair, Samara and Nicholai had vanished and Jax flanked the other side of the balcony door. I couldn’t let the guards find all of us in here. They would ask questions that I wasn’t prepared to answer. I needed to buy Samara time so she could get the Book of Shadows.
Untucking my wings, I approached the balcony ready to lead the dragon shifter away, when Roark landed in front of me. His wings flapped twice before he tucked them behind his back
“What the hell, Roark?” I said. “You scared the shit out of me. I thought you were one of Rayna’s guards.”
Roark glanced past me to Melynn and the expression on his face changed from confusion to anger. “What’s she doing here?”
“It’s a long story, brother,” I answered. “Believe it or not, Melynn is an ally.”
His steely eyes turned on me. “Ally? What the
hell did I miss?”
“I’ll explain later.”
He glanced at Samara and Katarina as they worked together to break the spell hiding the Book of Shadows. Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, “We don’t have much time. I just spotted the guards on patrol. They entered the building a few seconds ago.”
“Great,” Jax grumbled, just as a flash of white light blinded me. It was the magic reflux Samara had just warned us about. Whatever she cast, it took a lot of magic to create, which meant that energy had to return to its original source once the spell was broken.
The way Katarina winced and held her stomach was an indication of how much energy she’d just absorbed. We all flinched when we felt her pain through our bond. We took a step forward in unison, but Samara and her threatening glare kept us from acting on our gut instincts.
It took me a moment to realize why she didn’t want us to approach. The raw energy in the air could latch on to any of us. While it may not kill us, it sure as shit wouldn’t feel great.
“Did it work?” I asked, keeping my distance. My question was answered when Katarina knelt on the floor and pulled the Book of Shadows out of a compartment under the bed.
“Good,” Roark said. “Let’s get out of here before those guards find us.”
Nicholai quickly crossed the room and reached for Samara’s hand. He motioned us closer and spoke in a voice so soft I had to strain to hear. “The shadowing abilities I used to get us inside the building, undetected, aren’t working. I can’t portal us out either.”
“What do you mean?” I double checked that Katarina was surrounded by me and my brothers. If the shit was about to hit the fan, protecting her was our first priority.
“There is some kind of protective ward over the building. I didn’t notice it when we were outside earlier. But now it’s not allowing me to access my shadow capabilities. I think they might have just activated it.”
Great. We had guards in the building, most likely searching each floor for any signs of a threat. Now we couldn’t hide from them on our way out. It would make leaving tricky, but I had no doubt we could do this.
“Samara, you need to leave now,” I ordered. “We can’t chance anyone seeing you. Do you think with Katarina’s help that you could spell the book out of here? I’m hoping the ward only applies to humans and not to ghosts and objects.”
“I can try.” Samara released Nicholai’s hand and if I wasn’t mistaken, she was reluctant to let go. She then turned to Katarina and clasped her hand. Samara’s lips moved as she whispered the spell. The book disappeared just as Katarina flinched. This spell didn’t require old magic, so the reflux was minimal. With one last look at Nicholai, Samara was gone.
My gaze settled on Emma and Melynn next. “The two of you should leave now too. If you’re caught with us, your cover is blown. The guards won’t be suspicious if they find you in the dorms. You could also be the perfect distraction.”
“Jax, what are you doing?” Katarina asked.
I glanced over my shoulder to find her cradled in my brother’s arms.
“If walking out of this building is too much of a risk,” Jax said, “I’ll fly us away from here.”
The instant Jax’s wings released from this back and spread wider, Roark stepped in front of him, motioning him to stop. “That’s not going to help either. Rayna’s dragon shifter guards have taken to the sky. If you fly out, you run the risk of being spotted. We need to leave the same way we came.”
Jax appeared as if he wanted to argue but Nicholai interrupted, “My abilities will come back as soon as I’m away from the protective ward. I just don't know how much of the estate is under the spell.”
“I have an idea,” Melynn spoke up. “Emma will still go ahead and clear a path for us. Then I can take you to a tunnel that leads from the coven and ends near the cemetery.”
Here was another bonus to having Melynn on our side, and she had no idea that the piece of information she’d just revealed would help us twofold.
“There’s a secret passage that leads away from the coven?” I asked the question I knew my brothers were thinking. When Melynn nodded, my gut churned.
How could Rayna and the council keep a secret passage at the academy from us? As guardians, we were required to know all entry points so we could better protect Samara. It was their duty to tell us everything.
This passage could have been leveraged by other supernaturals, including the one who’d murdered Samara. For all we knew, he could have been stalking her for weeks. Was this the reason the other witches had gone missing? How had Zander not sniffed this out during his search of the estate? This was a betrayal I wouldn’t forget or forgive.
“I have to say I’m stunned by this news, Melynn.” I held my anger back, making my voice as steady as I could. “Regardless of the fact that I want to drill you and every council member with questions, we don’t have time. Just get us out of here.”
“Follow me.” Melynn walked past us and went to the door. After peeking outside, she waved each of us into the hall.
Emma gave Melynn a hug and whispered something in her ear before walking away. We went in the opposite direction and made our way to the back staircase, moving as quietly as possible. Just before we made it to the second floor, footsteps echoed below.
Melynn held her hand up as she leaned over the railing, observing whoever had begun to ascend the staircase.
We waited for at least a minute before she waved us forward again. I motioned everyone to go in front of me so I could bring up the rear. As we passed the second floor, a guard at the end of the hall stopped.
I froze in place, my back pressed to the wall, waiting to see if he would come toward the stairs. If he did, I would be the only one he spotted. Everyone else had already made it down to the bottom floor.
My heart slammed in my chest. Not out of fear for myself, but for Katarina. If Rayna found her, she would not allow her to leave again. We would have to break the pact the guardians had with the covens and that was to not engage unless necessary. If we challenged the high priestess, without proof that the coven was involved in the attempt on Katarina’s life, my brothers and I would be imprisoned. But if it meant Katarina was safe, it would be worth it.
The guard began to walk my way, then turned when a familiar voice called out behind him. I released a relieved breath when I realized it was Emma. Whatever she said to the guard, it led him away from me. As soon as they were out of sight, I raced down the steps. The rest of the group waited for me near the first floor.
Jax and Roark nodded at me, but it was the relief I saw on Katarina’s face that made my heart squeeze. So did the thrum of our bond. I felt the erratic pang of her worry, but the moment she saw me, it settled into a steady rhythm.
“Okay,” Melynn spoke in a soft voice. “We have to exit the building and enter the staff quarters. It won’t take us long to get to the passage once we’re inside. Most of the professors are asleep except for those that teach the night classes, and they’re already gone.”
“Good.” Roark’s voice hit that deep, serious tone he used when he was in guardian mode. “Let’s not waste any more time.”
Jax motioned for Melynn to go, then he fell back to Katarina’s side, opposite Roark. Nicholai positioned himself in front of her, while I stayed at the back. I sensed her anxiety lessen now that we all surrounded her.
As soon as we exited the building, we stuck to the shadows. They weren’t as good as the cover Nicholai could provide, but it was better than nothing. The building Melynn mentioned was only a hundred yards away. I scanned the other buildings, searching for more guards.
We were less than twenty yards away from the door when Melynn whispered, “Let me go in first and make sure it’s clear.”
Not a minute after the door closed behind her, a noise caught my attention. Something flapped in a slow but steady pace. I didn’t need to turn to know what was there, especially when three fireballs flew past my head. They crashed to the ground a fe
w feet from the door.
A wall of fire formed in front of us, blocking our escape. What the hell. The guards should only be ordered to detain us, not burn us alive.
Two could play this game.
The instant I spun around, I formed fire orbs in my hand and aimed them at Rayna’s dragon shifter guard. The fountain in the middle of the courtyard began to rise and swirl, a wall of water surging toward us as Roark activated his element. The ground beneath our feet began to tremble as Jax joined us. I used our bond to ensure Katarina was unharmed. Her adrenaline and anger pumped through the tether, and thankfully there was an absence of pain.
Knowing she was safe for now, I focused on the dragon in front of me. He stood almost two stories high, with obsidian scales covering his body. Normally, I would be in awe over being in the presence of a dragon, right now, I just wanted to kick his ass.
Under normal circumstances, attacking a realm guard would cause us to lose our roles as guardians. But the dragon shifter had engaged first and we had every right to protect our ward. Duty to her came above all else.
Sweat trickled down my temple from the blast of heat at our backs. Roark flung out his arm, sending a wave of water crashing down on the flames. Was the guard trying to burn the campus down? He was risking the lives of the students and staff that he was supposed to be protecting.
I rotated my hands, ready to release my fire if the dragon so much as twitched his mouth. I could feel Roark pulling the water back to him. I had no idea what other tricks Nicholai could do, but our odds were better with him on our side.
“Stand down,” Rayna called as she approached us from across the courtyard with Draven by her side. The mage didn’t seem pleased to see us and I couldn’t blame him.
I knew it would be only a matter of minutes before Rayna was alerted. I was tempted to aim my orbs at her. She needed to get her guards in check. Katarina could have been killed, and Samara’s powers would have gone with her. Unless that was her plan? Kill Katarina and steal the power for herself?
