All Hallows' Eve (Ravensbane Academy Book 1)

by Dallysten Mackenzie

  She scoffed. “Are you kidding me? She doesn’t know?”

  “Know what?”

  “Dallas, you are the most selfish, stupid man I ever met. I am taking my sons, and you bet your ass your mother will be made aware of this.”

  I could feel my anger building and all of a sudden my eyes shifted into sepia again. Tingles ran down my arms and the stone vibrated in my hand. I looked down to see the water moving over my arms.

  “Dallas, you know what she can do, you know she can’t control it. You have no idea what that bitch has taught her. You put my boys in danger for the last time.”

  I felt the fury inside of me bursting free as my arm raised and water shot out of my palm and toward Dallas’ wife. She screamed and ducked but not before water landed over the top of her head.

  Dallas turned to face me and pushed my arm down. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

  “Are you kidding me?!” she screamed. “This is exactly what I am talking about. The Queen needs to know about this and I will not put my family at risk for her.”

  She stormed off and soon after I heard my brothers being rushed out the house amid many complaints.

  “I’m sorry,” I said to Dallas. “I don’t know why that happened.”

  “Extreme anger,” he replied. “But it’s okay, I’m not angry. That was actually hilarious to see. However, the threats about telling the Queen may be true, we’re not safe here.”

  “Why not?”

  “The Queen will not appreciate having someone so powerful untrained. She’ll probably have you taken to her castle and trained under her very watchful eye. We can’t have that.”

  “Why? Why will the Queen do that?”

  Dallas softened. “The Queen is threatened by anyone who is more powerful than her. Usually, the most powerful can dethrone any Queen.”

  “But I’m not that powerful.”

  “Yes, Elke, you are, you just don’t know how to realise the powers yet. If we can’t get you trained, they will burst forth every time you are angry. That puts everyone at risk.”

  “How can I learn then?” I asked, panic setting in.

  “With careful study,” he replied. “But we can’t stay here. If she goes to the Queen, they will come here and I’m not losing you so we have to go somewhere safe.”

  “Ravensbane.”

  “No, although outsiders can’t breach those gates, the Queen is exempt. She can go anywhere, at any time.”

  “So where do we go?” I asked.

  “There’s only one place that is safe,” he said. “I really didn’t want to do this but it looks like it’s our only option.”

  “What is it?”

  He took a deep breath. “I have to take you to my mother’s.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Luther

  Anise sat in the classroom, chained to the chair, but she’d tried to use her magic to free herself. Luckily, Antonio Alvarez was a damn good witch. I’d caught her sneaking into the school after locating her grimoire here. There had to be something in the grimoire that connected everyone to this plot. I just needed to know how to read the damn thing so I could figure it out.

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay with this?” Joan asked me.

  “You mean am I sure I won’t send her to Hell if she lies to me?”

  “Elke is your weak spot. She tried to hurt Elke. I’m putting two and two together. Will you be okay with this?”

  I turned to her, seeing the concern in her eyes. “Yes, I know how to separate my feelings.”

  “These girls are mean, Luther. I’m not just saying that, I have seen what they’ve done to other girls their age. They know how to get in deep. I think Tiger should go in.”

  “They fooled her for years. She won’t be able to do it.”

  “Have faith in her, Luther. She’s stronger than you think.”

  I knew that, but she wasn’t one to face her enemies without anger. I didn’t want her to fly off the rails and attack Anise. I didn’t want her to have to do this.

  “Okay.”

  Joan moved off to tell Tiger what to do while I watched from the two-way mirror. Unfortunately, the school had had this happen so much, they’d needed to put in a two-way mirror for interrogation purposes when students fell to darkness.

  After a few minutes, Tiger Lily entered the room, looking pissed off but she was stable for now. Anise was a little surprised, but that changed quickly and a sick smile made its way onto her face. I didn’t like this.

  We needed to rattle her.

  “Nice to see you again, Tiger.”

  “Cut the crap, Anise. What are your plans?” she bit back.

  Anise sat there for a little while, seeming unrattled, but her silence spoke volumes. She’d looked up to Tiger, and for some reason, I feel like she’d been pushed into doing Selene’s dirty work.

  “You can’t stop them, no matter how long you keep me here.”

  “So you aren’t vital to their plans,” Tiger said, heartless. I had to give to her, she was handling herself well. “But Elke is.”

  “You never liked her.”

  “Maybe not, but she doesn’t deserve whatever you’re going to use her for.”

  “Do you not understand how much power she has? What she is?” Anise sat forward, almost excited about the topic of conversation. It made me sick talking about Elke like she was a tool. I felt her power when I taught her how to use fire, but I knew that was just tapping into a small portion of her power.

  “What do you want with her?” Tiger asked again, her voice a little firmer.

  “I’ll never tell.”

  Anise sat back in her chair and looked away. Tiger sat there for longer than I thought she would in silence. Her expression didn’t give anything away.

  As she got up from her chair, she pushed the metal chair along the floor, making a loud screech. Anise cringed but didn’t look at her.

  “I hope this isn’t about you liking Palmer,” Tiger said. Anise’s head snapped up. “Because that boy doesn’t give a shit about you, never did. Selena took care of him a long time ago.”

  Tiger didn’t turn back around before she left the room and locked it. Anise’s face looked tortured. She’d hit a nerve.

  “How’d you know?” I asked her when she re-joined me.

  “She’s always liked him. His family would have never accepted her and she knows it. Selena couldn’t give two shits about Palmer, but Anise doesn’t know that. You have to sow the seed of doubt somewhere. Truth be told, Palmer likes Anise a lot. If he were to find out we had her captive, he may make a mistake.”

  “Remind me never to cross you, Tiger.”

  She smirked at me and headed off to her dorm. I looked back at Anise, her tears streaming down her face. I’d never noticed her and Palmer before. What else had I missed?

  Elke

  The fireball landed beside Dallas who was almost physically shook he couldn’t move. He looked to the scorch mark on the building and back at me.

  “How’d you learn that?”

  “Uh…Luther showed me.”

  “That’s damn impressive, Elke.”

  “Thank you. He got me mad to show me.”

  Dallas laughed. “Usually works. We elementals can be pretty high strung.”

  He didn’t seem at all like the type to lose control. Dallas was cool, calm and collected. I wondered what triggered him and how bad it could get.

  “Let’s try the air element.”

  I nodded and planted my feet steadily before I calmed down, closing my eyes and listening to Dallas’ voice as he spoke softly but firmly.

  “Now, feel the air around you, let you envelop you.”

  I relaxed, feeling the slight breeze on my cheeks, the cool air around me, biting at my skin sending tingles to my fingertips.

  “Now, allow it to wash over you, to seep into your pores.”

  I continued to focus on the feeling of the cold air, letting it wrap around my arms. My fingers tingled again, a sharp
tingle pulsing up my arm. My eyes snapped open and I saw Dallas look over at me, pride in his eyes. A cyclone was circling around me. Panic set in and I struggled to push it away. Dallas’s eyes widened as the force of air shot around him and pushed him into the gardens. The air evaporated.

  “Dallas!”

  I ran over to him and he was laughing. “So maybe we need to work on your control a little more.”

  “What was that?”

  “Air— you had channelled it, but I do remember the first time I had done it, I felt the same way. I shoved it into my grandfather, and he landed on his backside on cement.”

  I chuckled, pulling him up out of the garden bed. He dusted himself off and put his hands on his hips.

  “That was damn good channelling for your first time, kid.”

  I looked down at my feet, guilt shooting me all over. “I don’t think that was my first time.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I think I used it when I caused my parents’ car crash,” I said, the tears burning my eyes. Sobs wracking my chest as I tried to hold back the breakdown that was probably coming on.

  “Kid, you didn’t know. Ianthe should never have put them in danger by allowing them to look after you, especially not after your sixteenth birthday. This isn’t your fault.”

  “But how wasn’t I hurt?”

  “That could have more to do with the Oracle side than the Elemental.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “There’s a rare gift of Oracles that will allow your mind to see into the future. When the accident was about to happen, your brain probably tried to stop you from getting hurt by seeing the eventual outcome. If it was death, your body reacted and you teleported.”

  “I didn’t think Oracles could do that.”

  “In extreme circumstances yes, it’s a fight or flight instinct.”

  The tears fell over my cheeks and onto my hand. I looked down at it just as the water evaporated into my skin.

  “You’re learning quickly, Elke, that’s a good thing. Once you know how to control it, we can make sure you are at your best all the time.”

  Helicopters sounded over us and Dallas looked up, panicked. He took my hand and we ran inside the house. He locked the doors and we ran down the hall to a secret room I hadn’t noticed before.

  “What’s going on?” I screamed.

  “The Queen’s Guards found us,” he said. “My wife must have blabbed. I never thought she would but there would be no other reason they are here.”

  “What’s so bad about the Queen?”

  “She doesn’t want Elementals to be powerful,” he replied. “Your power is ten times what our family’s is. She will exploit and maybe kill you. I need you to be safe, Elke.”

  He pushed me into a room and locked it, and then he led me down a staircase that was lit by panels of light on the sides of the wall.

  “Is this a panic room?”

  “Sort of,” he replied as he then ran down a platform and toward a car. “This will lead us out into the woods, undetected by them.”

  “And then where?”

  “Somewhere no one knows about,” he said, climbing in. I thought about grabbing my phone from my room and texting Luther but Dallas was intent on leaving now. He was my dad. I had to trust he knew what was best. I climbed in and we took off, down a long underground tunnel.

  Luther

  The car swerved just before I caught sight of the golden fur again. I took off, flying overhead to catch her off guard. It had been a week since I’d been hunting her down after getting a tip from another student. She was crafty, and I knew her family’s money was helping to keep her hidden. It had also been a week since I’d heard from Dallas telling me Elke was in hiding after the Queen attempted to arrest her. When I’d heard of the order to arrest Elke, I was enraged, but flying off the rails now wouldn’t be conducive to finding Selena and putting a stop to whatever the hell Palmer had started. I found her again, and kept an eye on her from above as she ran deeper into the woods. It was only after a few minutes that I saw the cottage situated deep in the woods, and surrounded by trees. It was just like Stig’s cottage in the woods on the school grounds, only it was bigger, and it looked like it had a lot of people close by.

  How big was this operation?

  I perched on a branch in a tree near the cottage and watched. People came and went, there was a party inside and when Selena morphed back into her human self, I saw her walk proudly and naked into the house, pushing past people I didn’t know.

  She reappeared just an hour later with someone I didn’t recognise, but he looked like he was in charge judging by the way people shut up when he was near. I snapped a photo on my phone, the flash going unnoticed among the flickering fires in the lanterns around the house. Putting my phone away, I watched as Serena morphed back into her wolf self and took off. Probably thinking it was safe and I’d given up looking for her.

  I took off, above the clouds, keeping an eye on her as she ran back toward the city. She wouldn’t cause a scene with the humans…surely.

  I was wrong.

  Screams echoed throughout the streets as the humans ran from the large wolf baring down on them. I flew around, unsure of what I could do. The Queen would be furious at this, and we’d all feel it. She could easily shut Ravensbane down if she were to know of the rogue students. Joan had been keeping it under wraps but the school was in a lot of danger.

  Once Selena took off again, I tried to keep an eye on her but she disappeared. Feeling defeated, I began to fly back to the academy only to spot her morphing back to her human self.

  Now was my chance. She wasn’t near anyone and she thought she was safe. I landed close by and began to run over to where she hid behind a building. She was in the middle of getting into clothes. She must have a store of clothes all over the city. I pulled out the needle from my jacket and primed it. A shot of wolfsbane would keep her in her human form and knock her out so I could carry her back to the academy safely.

  I edged up to her just as she pulled her top of herself and stuck the needle in her arm. She tried to push away and judging by the look on her face was trying to morph. When she realised she couldn’t, she tried to run but her knees gave out and she landed in my arms. I unleashed my wings and flew toward the academy.

  A familiar car was parked by the doors. I landed on the doorstep and carried Selena inside. Joan ran to me, shocked. “You found her.”

  “Yep, now where do you want her?”

  “In the second classroom.”

  I headed in that direction and dropped her onto a chair. She groaned as the wolfsbane started to wear off. I made quick work of the chains, laced with wolfsbane, and headed out of the room. Ianthe was there with someone I hadn’t seen before.

  “Luther.”

  “Ianthe.”

  “This is my brother Ike.”

  The tattoos on his neck made him look like a criminal, the very kind that found their way to Hell after their life was over. Ike Sayer was infamous, a rebel against the Crown, and one who had been in hiding for almost a decade.

  “He’s come to help.”

  “Where’s my niece?” he asked.

  “With Dallas in hiding, the Queen has taken an interest.”

  “Shit,” Ianthe replied. “I was hoping she could go at least a couple more years before she was discovered.”

  I turned to leave but Ianthe put her hand on my arm.

  “I know you like my daughter, but she really does need to be safe Luther.”

  “I couldn’t agree more, Ianthe. Unlike you, I wouldn’t leave her to fend for herself when she was most at danger of hurting herself or others.”

  Ianthe recoiled, but Ike didn’t defend his sister. Instead, he eyed me off, probably trying to figure out whether it was worth the fight or not, before I turned and left.

  I looked down at my phone again but there wasn’t a message from Elke. My chest felt heavy, like I would sick. I don’t think I would cope if she wasn
’t going to be okay.

  Elke

  Dallas swirled the energy ball at me and I deflected it with the air around me.

  “Good!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “Now throw it back at me using the air.”

  I pushed the energy over and it landed at his feet.

  “You can push it at me, you know.”

  “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

  Dallas smiled. “I have a surprise for you.”

  “Oh?”

  We’d been locked away from the world for a week and I knew he was just as stir crazy as I was, only he had sons to be worried about. I felt bad for taking him away from them.

  “I need to go back to the city for a talk with Joan, but I did get someone to help keep you safe.”

  I looked over at the car that pulled up. Instantly I thought he’d asked Luther to come and protect me but I knew Luther never drove, he flew. I held back my disappointment to see who was going to watch over me.

  When the blond hair got out of the car, I thought for sure I was dreaming.

  “Stig?”

  “Hey Elke,” he smiled at me. “It’s been a while.”

  “You guys will be okay, right?” Dallas said. “It’ll only be for a few days.”

  “We’ll be great,” Stig said. I smiled at Dallas to reassure him and he headed for the car.

  “Behave yourselves, kids.”

  He took off back down the large driveway and out of sight. I looked over at Stig and felt an awkward silence fall over us. We hadn’t been on the best terms when he went away but I actually had missed him around.

  “Let’s go inside,” he said.

  I nodded and headed up the steps and inside the house that belonged to Dallas’ father. It was a spartan type of house used for the certain times my grandfather had needed to get away from my spiteful grandmother. I’d found it relaxing. There was no TV, or radio, or phone. It was just a place to escape.

  “So, I didn’t bring anything to entertain us with, sorry,” he said, taking a seat in the recliner.

  “My grandfather had a range of books that he kept here, you can read if you’re bored.”

  Stig smirked. “I was more concerned with you being bored.”