Lore’s wings flutter, and her claws grip on to my left wrist. “Are you ready?”
I close my eyes again. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?” I huff as she allows her magic to flow through me, the pain not as harsh as it was before. “You couldn’t have done it like that the first time?”
“You should have only done one side. You didn’t know how much blood this cryptex needed to open. You could have died.” But beneath the reprimand, her worry shines through, making me smile.
“I know. But it’s not like the Academy of Light would kill their own students. I took a risk based on that judgment.”
I finally peel my eyes open. My vision blurs as light spots flit around my eyes before disappearing. The world around me slowly grows sharper until I can see everything more clearly. Even the mixture of horror and worry on the faces of my teammates as they stare at the cryptex in disgust.
“Why would they give us a blood cryptex as part of our trial? That makes no sense.” Rory holds it up, staring at it as if it were a despicable creature, but Declan glances at his other friends.
“Because this year is different. We are to work as a team. And one team would have to have a member of the Dark.” His eyes meet mine. “They wanted to see whether you knew what it was and whether you would sacrifice one of us, or if you would sacrifice yourself.”
“But that would mean…” Rory trails off.
I shrug as I stretch out my hands, the tightness from the new muscle loosening. “It means they were testing me. And this was a trial, not only for this school, but to see if I possess the qualities that make you a student of the Light.”
“So why put everyone through it?” Dane asks.
Declan shrugs. “It’s only fair; a sort of ‘if she can do it, we should be able to do it’ situation.”
We remain silent as the situation finally sinks in, the whole reason for this stupid bonding exercise was for them to see how well I can do with a team… Or maybe they just get their jollies off by seeing people stab themselves. Assholes.
“This isn’t just about you getting into a prestigious school anymore. Being in a team with me means we’ll be tested in other ways. To see if I’m compassionate, caring, self-sacrificing… and any other qualities they think I need.”
The four share a look, and they nod as one. Declan holds out his hand to me as Rory stands with the cryptex in hand. I take his hand and revel in his strength as he helps me to my feet. “Welcome to the team, Serena.”
My limbs feel weightless, and a grin grows on my face.
“It looks like phase one is completed, Mistress. You now have the acceptance of the highest-ranking students at the academy.”
And all it took was a little blood. Who would have thought gaining their trust would be so easy?
Chapter 3
Rory holds the cryptex at arm’s length, the runes glowing bright red. “So, what do we do with this?”
I hold out my hands, and he drops it into them immediately before backing away, wiping his hands on his jeans. I run my fingers over the sides until I feel another two buttons, then press them. The caps on either end fall open with a pop.
I shake the tube, and a roll of paper falls from inside. I unroll the scroll and snort at the riddle even a child could decipher. “Is this a joke?”
I hold it out to the guys, and Declan takes the scroll, frowns, then passes it to Dane whose lips twitch as he reads. His eyes move toward a marble temple off in the distance; the roof is barely visible above the treetops, but the sunlight bouncing off the gold accents is like a glaring sign.
As Dane passes the scroll on, I crane my neck over their heads to check on my barrier; a few bodies litter the ground beyond it. It appears the entire student body decided to follow us to the clearing, assuming I’d found something. Several teams eye us with curiosity, others’ animosity. The rest continue to do everything in their power to open the cryptex—except one group.
The three blonde stooges stand outside my barrier, watching us and our scroll carefully. “Lore, how much do you think they saw?”
Lore hums in my mind, weighing her thoughts. “I wasn’t paying much attention, but I believe they started watching as you removed the spikes from your hands. You were quite loud,” she remarks.
I poke her in the stomach. “Well, I’m sorry I couldn’t grin and bear it.”
We turn to see the golden blonde hold out the cryptex to a boy, who takes it curiously. She directs him to hold the ends, and he does so.
I wince as a blood-curdling scream leaves the boy’s lips. Seeing the damage on someone other than myself has me turning away—but I still can’t help a perverse glance back every few moments.
“And they question if I’m worthy of being here,” I huff.
“Sabrina has always been like that,” Rory notes, pointing to the leader. “She barely passed the Light’s determining examinations. But I’ve always said she belongs to the Dark. No offense.”
I smirk. “None taken. But she’s not Dark material. She would have been killed off long ago.”
A spine-chilling scream sends fear across my skin and adrenaline through my veins. My body grows tense as I bounce on the balls of my feet. But I don’t run—not yet.
“Serena?”
Pressure on my shoulder. Claws sink into my flesh. My power rises like a tsunami ready to destroy whoever dares touch me. My hand shoots out in front of me, sending a stream of green mist that wraps around my assailant.
“Mistress. You are not in the Forest. Release the boy!”
I blink. The haze falls from my eyes and Rory’s fear-ridden ones stare back at me. Lore hoots from the ground, drawing my eyes downwards where I see Rory’s arm, extended in front of him, holding my shoulder. My green mist remains wrapped around his throat, ready to constrict, ready to squeeze the life from him.
“Serena, let him go.”
Declan stands behind Rory, his hand raised and his aura flaring. My mouth drops open, and I release Rory, stepping back and sucking my power back into my body. I feel its complaints, its evil desires left incomplete.
“I… I’m sorry, I don’t know what—” I stare into Rory’s eyes, the constricted feeling in my chest loosening as he nods with a small smile, a small amount of fear still lingering in his expression. “Please forgive me,” I whisper.
“There’s nothing to forgive…” he says, then after a moment adds, “But whatever that was, you should probably talk to someone about it. About whatever happened.”
I stiffen at his words. But it’s the understanding in Paxton’s eyes that allows me to draw my first deep breath. His lips curve upward slightly when I exhale.
Declan exhales deeply and relaxes. “As much as this has been a boatload of fun, we need to finish this.” He holds up the scroll before nodding to Sabrina’s group, who are finally unraveling theirs, and then to the others following suit. “Do you feel up to running?” he asks Rory and me, and we nod in unison.
“Good. Let’s move. And Serena, if you attack one of us again, you won’t be getting off so easy.” His eyes harden, and the other’s nod.
I salute him, “Noted,” and we set off. I drop the barrier surrounding us, and Lore takes off to fly above the treetops as we shift into a jog.
We reach the edge of the clearing, and I pause to look back. Several of the groups have paused in their examination of their cryptex to watch us go.
“Hold up!” I call to the guys. When I turn around, they’re already among the trees, but have stopped to look back at me. “Everyone’s just going to follow us. We need to throw them off if we want to keep a good lead.”
Declan nods slowly, stepping out of the trees and back into the clearing. Rory follows close behind. Paxton remains deeper in the trees, partially concealed by shadow. Dane, who still stands closest to me, says, “How about we split up? We all know where to go, right?”
The five of us exchange glances and nods. “See you there, then,” Declan says.
Paxton shoot
s off into the forest first, quickly disappearing between the trunks. Declan waits a moment before sprinting a little farther across the clearing, then through the trees in a different direction. Rory goes next, running all the way to the other side of the clearing. Dane and I follow him halfway, then split up and run in separate directions.
I reach the tree line at a lonely section of the clearing and pause to look over my shoulder at the groups we’re leaving behind who are looking around, absolutely baffled. I smirk and sink into the shadows myself.
I run a fair distance before calling up to the canopy above. “Okay, a little help here would be nice!”
“Veer left, Mistress. You’ll encounter a stream. Follow it.”
I follow Lore’s instructions and adjust my direction, crunching over the leaf litter toward where I can hear the trickling of a stream under the constant rustle of leaves overhead.
“What do you make of them?” I ask as I reach the thin line of water. After a quick glance down at its movement, I follow it downstream.
She hums. “They are strong. Close-knit. They have obviously known each other for a long time. They appear to be respected. We have already established they can trust you, but if we can become friends with this group, this may serve us better.”
I nod, agreeing with her assessment as we exit the forest, the midmorning sun illuminating the lush green grounds around us. Lore descends a moment later to land on my shoulder, and we both let out a whistle at the sight of the gleaming, white marble temple. With its rising columns and elaborately carved design filling the triangular space between the columns and the roof, it looks like it could be the Parthenon. More columns encase a smooth brick walkway leading to the temple’s steps. I spot four figures standing short of the path and speed up to a jog to approach them.
“And the scroll. Do you think it has a hidden meaning?” I ask Lore.
“No, it was obvious. ‘To find all the things you’ve left behind, look for the marbled divine.’ A simpleton could figure it out. Though, I will admit the ease of the clue is suspicious.”
“So… a trap?” I huff out as we near the temple. The guys grow alert as they overhear me.
“If it is, we need to be cautious,” Declan mutters, his eyes scanning the sky as the others scan our surroundings. I walk closer to the columns.
“Careful, Serena,” Dane calls.
I wave my hand back without turning and pause just before the path. All is quiet, and I’m just about to step forward when I spot a stone on the ground. I stoop to pick it up.
Rory appears next to me as I stand with the thing in my hand. “What’s that for?”
I shrug, “No idea,” then bring my hand back and throw it toward the temple.
Nothing happens.
The stone doesn’t make a sound as it lands on the path. In fact, it doesn’t land at all. It just disappears at the point it should have impacted the white bricks.
Declan, Dane, and Paxton join us now. Rory crouches to pick up a slightly larger rock, then does the same. The rock disappears upon touching the brick path—but a moment later, a distant clatter echoes up to us.
I frown. “It sounds like…”
“A hole,” Rory says.
Dane nods. “There must be a glamor covering the pit.”
Declan’s heavy hand lands on my shoulder. “Good thinking, Serena.”
I dip my head. “I just got lucky. So how do we get to the temple?” I ask, squinting down the long path to the open archway leading inside.
“Well, we can’t go through it, around it, or under it,” says Rory. “That only leaves over.”
The other three nod, but I frown back at them.
“Okay? That’s all well and good, but how do you expect us to do that?”
Declan stares at me as if I’m the daftest person alive. “We’ll just fly in,” he declares, his eyes falling to Rory who nods in response. He lifts his hand and quirks an eyebrow at me as he wiggles his index finger in a circle.
Air swirls around us, gently at first, but eventually, the speed and intensity pick up until dust and leaves are whizzing around us. It becomes difficult to stand, and I grasp on to Dane’s arm when the winds threaten to pull me from my feet.
My shoes leave the ground.
I shriek and kick my legs frantically to regain my footing, but upon looking around, I notice the guys are cool as punch. We all hover for a moment, and Rory says, “Ready?”
Declan nods, and so do Paxton and Dane. I don’t, but apparently my opinion doesn’t matter because Rory pushes his palms forward. Before I can catch my breath, we shoot down the path, still surrounded by flying bracken and stones until arrows and blades join the mix.
I scream and cover my face with my arms when I see a bejeweled dagger flying through the air, right for me, its point of origin unseen. But the winds carrying us forward catch it before it can reach me, and it joins the leaves and dust flying circles around us. I draw in a shaky breath and then cough, choking on what I hope is air and not a damn bug.
“Keep your arms in, everyone!” Declan warns, eyeing the dagger as it whooshes past Dane’s neck at high speed.
Rory’s face grows serious as he concentrates, pushing us toward the entrance faster and faster. I spot a shadow descending from above and look up to see a deadly sharp guillotine about to drop right into our path.
“Rory! You may want to pick it up—I like being alive!” I shout.
We’re underneath it. Closing my eyes, I pray to the gods, and my throat constricts as the slice of a knife fills my ears.
But nothing happens, and the freight-train-like whooshing begins to quieten as we slow, the air no longer whipping around us. Drawing in a breath so deep it burns my lungs, I open my eyes, expecting to see the gates of the Underworld, but instead, I’m greeted by marble statues of the gods forming a circle around the center of the room, their arms stretched up high to hold up the ceiling of the temple.
Slaps echo around the walls, and I turn to see the guys high-fiving each other with wide grins on their faces.
“Children…” I mutter as I run my hands over my jeans, checking to make sure all of my body parts are safe and attached, but I tut when I find a long slash across the red leather of my jacket.
The beat of wings precedes Lore’s entry to the temple. She glides in from the sunlight and lands gracefully on my shoulder.
“Got through okay, then?” I ask her.
“Do you doubt my agility?”
“Not at all!” I smirk.
The clacking of heels bounces around the room as the prim-and-proper woman from earlier walks toward us. Her brow creases into a frown as her eyes fall on me. “You must be Serena Stollmeyer. Our… transfer student.”
Lore bristles on my shoulder, her eyes narrowing on the woman. But the woman dismisses me in a moment, and her face brightens as she turns to the guys. “It’s no surprise that you four finished first. I’m sure your families will be proud.” She gestures for them to move to the center of the temple, under the gaze of the gods, not bothering to include me in her speech.
I follow after the guys, equally not bothering to listen to the woman’s words as I take in the temple. “You’d think that it would be bigger,” I snort.
The woman cuts me a glare before turning her attention back to the guys and the rows of tables positioned throughout the center circle. Piles of suitcase sit by each table, and on top are the group designations, ours being the easiest to find, as it glows bright green.
Five packets lay on top, our names scrawled on the fronts, and I spot my bag at the very top of the pile. The woman draws our attention back to her by clapping her hands. “As you were the first to complete your trials, you will be awarded the right to choose your team,” she begins, her eyes falling to me. “However, I understand that you were paired with our new… student… so if you do not wish to have her on your team, that is up to you, and we wouldn’t look down on you for wanting another to take her place.”
I shrug a
t the smug smile on her face, playing off her words as if they don’t hurt—but a part of me does, just a little.
“She really does not like you, Mistress.”
“No shit,” I mutter.
The woman turns back to the guys, her fake smile back in place. “Secondly, you will also get first choice of classes and housing. Take your packs with you, and at the end of the day, hand them back in with your decisions.”
Without a word, I take my pack and my bags and head toward the statue of Nyx, my goddess always a comfort whenever I need Her... Well, She used to be.
I drop my bags on the ground at her feet and sit down cross-legged on the floor. I stare at the packet in my hands. “I guess we’re in, Lore.”
She hoots, jumping from my shoulder and landing on my leg. She nips at the packet with her beak. “We are, indeed, Mistress. Now let’s see what classes we can choose from and then we can hopefully find a group that will take us in.” Her voice comes out as an excited squawk, the prospect of learning naturally filling Lore with happiness.
I scratch her head as I open my packet, but four sets of feet stop in front of me. I follow them up, and the guys stare down at me with amusement and confusion.
“What are you doing?” Declan asks, nodding toward my bags and my odd position on the floor.
My eyebrows pinch together as they chuckle, except Paxton; he just smiles widely. “I was going to decide on my classes and then find a group to join.”
Rory bends down and takes my bags, rolling his eyes at my screech of protest. “Did you honestly think we’d dump you after you helped us get here?”
I nod slowly, my eyes flicking between the woman at our desk and the grimace filling her face and the guys who don’t seem to care. “What about her? She basically told you guys to choose someone else.”
Dane leans down next and picks up Lore, who hoots in protest but quickly succumbs as he strokes her head and takes my pack in his already full hands. “You’re on the team, Serena. Get used to it.”
Cursed Magic: A Paranormal Academy Romance (Daughter of Nyx Series Book 1) Page 3
