by L. A. Banks
“Sarah?” Allie called. “Come on, Sarah, it’s me.”
“Go away!” Sarah shouted. “Just go back with them!”
“Some of us think you’re right. I don’t wanna see anybody get hurt. Neither does Wil.”
Sarah slammed out of the stall, making the door bounce and rounded on her friend. “Then why didn’t you speak up? Why didn’t you say anything!”
Silence met her, and Allie looked down. “What if they’re right, though?” she finally said quietly.
“And what if they’re not? Are you ready to live with that?” Sarah began to pace.
“We’re gonna be late for homeroom,” Allie said in a soft voice.
“Screw homeroom!” Sarah shrieked, losing all control as the tears came. “My brother and his crew are about to commit murder!”
“But what if…what if Stefan is part of what’s going on?” Allie asked, her voice unsure.
“Then if any of us know where he is, we tell the school authorities, we lay low till they pick him up. And if he is connected to the contagion, we let them follow the lead from his dark consciousness energy back to the dead zone looking for the missing people and the PIUs! What about this don’t you get? Al is only doing this because Stefan scared the crap out of him, and I know my brother—now that he knows how strong Stefan really is, he doesn’t want to walk around looking over his shoulder all the time. He thinks this is the easy answer, the quick fix, so he isn’t even rational right now, and Val is no better, I’m sorry to say. He’s stupid loyal to Al, just like Miguel and Donnie are, and once Al gets them all fired up in ride-or-die mode, they’re liable to do anything.”
Sarah slumped against the wall. Defeat claimed her, disappointment burrowing into her heart like a tick.
“You gonna rat ‘em out?” Allie asked softly, staring at Sarah.
Releasing a long sigh, Sarah closed her eyes. The end-of-breakfast gong sounded, and she straightened.
“Only if I have to.”
It was the longest half hour of her life. Even Miss Tittle was subdued. No homework assignments would be collected until next week, given the shock all the students were experiencing. Only English, math and bio classes would be held, and the school would be dismissed for a half day—since the chemistry, history and specialty-section instructors were all engaged in holding vigil over the critically ill students or searching the grounds and surrounding area for the missing students, missing PIUs, open portals and Stefan.
Sarah didn’t meet anyone’s eyes. She kept her focus on Miss Tittle. It was too upsetting to look at her brother, too stabbingly painful to look at Val. Glancing at Wil just made her weary. Hyacinth’s chair was empty, and when Sarah saw that out of the corner of her eye, she could have put her head down on the desk and wept.
“Classes will end at eleven-thirty,” Miss Tittle said in a somber, gentle voice. “Amazon Akoben’s gym will be open, as some may find it easier to relieve their stress with vigorous activity. The chapels will also be open, and Counselor Zehiradangra will be in the Great Hall until two p.m., available to any students who are having difficulties processing this. After that, she will be convening with Headmistress Stone and the rest of the administration. The library is off limits for now, but students are welcome to congregate in the lounges, game room, auditorium and cafeteria…though access to the outside, for now, is not permitted.”
Miss Tittle looked around the classroom and sighed deeply. To all the students’ surprise, a large, diamond tear rolled down her gaunt cheek, and as it did, gorgeous, multi-hued plumage began to overtake her dress and skin. Long, jewel-toned feathers in azure blue, emerald green, topaz, golden fuchsia, crimson and bronze sprouted from her skin. Her eyes became large, oval pools of beautiful onyx, and her pursed mouth stretched out to become an amazing golden beak.
Students gasped as her arms became majestic wings and her tail spilled out in a golden fan. She was the most beautiful creature Sarah had ever seen, next to Peggi.
“I share your pain,” Miss Tittle warbled. “Oh, students…so much potential wasted, if any of these children die. I promised myself I wouldn’t do this in front of you all, that I would remain composed, but… Forgive me, I am simply overwrought.”
More teardrop-shaped diamonds fell from her eyes to bounce across the classroom floor as she broke down and openly wept. It started the girls in the class weeping, too—first someone in the back, then Allie, then, the next thing Sarah knew, everyone had gone there. The guys just looked away, sometimes sniffing, trying to act like they could deal. But a few wiped their faces openly, because they either didn’t care or couldn’t help themselves.
A girl in the front row stood, ready to go to Miss Tittle to console her, but another student wisely held her back.
“Stay back. She’s gonna go,” the second girl told her friend.
“Yes,” Miss Tittle warned, hastening from the room, “but bless you, child.”
An awful shriek and an influx of floating cinders made the students cringe where they sat. Sarah finally lowered her head to her desk. She could hear frantic elves scrambling about in the hall, and the sound of fire extinguishers discharging. Their chemical scent, along with the odor of burning bird flesh and feathers, made several students hurl.
That was Sarah’s breaking point. She was out of there. She got up and headed for the door. Val was on her heels as she passed the awful sight of Miss Tittle’s entrails frying. She ran harder and faster than she’d ever thought she could run. The outdoors was calling her. She had to get to fresh air and peace and beauty and hope, and rules be damned.
“Don’t follow me!” she screamed, feeling Val closing on her. “Get away from me!”
Tears flowed down her face as she ran blindly toward the only portal to freedom she knew, past the gym, to the exit staircase. If Titan Troy would let her, she’d go clean the stables—that would be her excuse. She’d do it in daylight, moonlight, whenever. She’d clean horse shit until it soaked into her pores—anything but this!
When she rounded the bend she hit the steel door and started crying even more hysterically.
“Damn, damn, damn!” she shouted, sobbing. “I don’t know the code. I’m not strong enough to open the door!” She turned around and looked at Val, who’d skidded to a halt behind her. “Why aren’t I strong enough to fix the things I’ve messed up? Why can’t I get my own brother not to do something terrible? This isn’t how we were raised!”
“I’m not going to let him kill anybody,” Val said, softly, coming to her quickly. He held her by both arms and then hugged her. “Al is a hothead—we all know that. If you go against him in public, he just digs in, gets blind. We talked about it at the table after you left. I don’t think any of us wants innocent blood on our hands. Do you trust me?”
Sarah held his sweater to her face, clutching it in her fists as she nodded, breathing hard as he kept talking.
“We’ve got a senior Tactical with us, Wil; two senior Clavs; a couple more of Ayana’s friends who can work with Donnie, plus a couple of Shadows like Wil and his boys from track. They can rig something to triangulate on Stefan’s PIU, not the missing ones in the dead zone. Nobody’s gonna do anything messed up or put anybody at risk. You, Tami and Allie need to lie low. We’re just gonna try to locate Stefan and bind him in white light, then call Headmaster Shabazz. Cool?”
She was almost too spent emotionally to answer; for a moment she could only nod and allow her heart rate to slow. Val’s voice had petted her hair and scalp with comforting warmth, and his solid frame felt like safety, a haven, as his arms enfolded her. His heart beat a steady, calming rhythm against her cheek as she kept her eyes closed tightly against the world. Soon she became aware of his scent. It was nice, earthy, masculine, oddly comforting and unsettling at the same time. She relaxed, and she wiped her tears on her sleeve then finally looked up.
A pair of deep brown understanding eyes filled with patience—and something else she couldn’t define—stared back at her.
&
nbsp; “Thank you,” she said with a sniff.
He didn’t answer, just closed his own eyes, his long dark lashes dusting his cheeks, and lowered his mouth to hers.
It was the softest of sensations, the most tender of touches, and it sent a jag of heart-stopping electricity through her. She had to remember to breathe as she looked up at him when he pulled back a bit. He had only touched her lips. A hint of more to come that hadn’t. He hadn’t assumed, hadn’t force his tongue into her mouth or pushed her against the wall. Now he just stood there, holding her in a friendship hug that held the promise of so much more. She could see the question in his eyes. He was waiting for her answer, waiting to see if it had been all right to coax her heart out to fly.
In that moment she felt so crazy, so skittery, yet so free, as her mind grappled with what had just happened. She felt strangely like Peggi must have—anxious and unsure, scared but curious, but not wanting to be rushed or made to do what she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Someone caring had asked. Someone respectful hadn’t assumed. Someone patient and with a different perspective had seen her beauty. Someone had cared. Every living being wanted to be cherished. In that moment, she knew that she was.
She lifted her chin to try the sensation again as he lowered his head. But then a booming voice made her freeze, and made Val jump away from her as though he’d been electrocuted.
“All students are to be in designated areas during this emergency lockdown!” Titan Troy thundered.
“I…we…I was just going to show him Peggi… since I was supposed to go back and shovel for Mr. Milton.” Heart pounding fast, Sarah thrust out her backpack and unzipped it quickly, so she could show the appley contents to Titan Troy.
“You are supposed to request an escort so that we know where each student is at all times.” He walked over to Val and leaned down to study him, his shadow falling intimidatingly over her friend as he lowered his blade. “Also, you do not have the door code.”
“It’s cool,” Val said, holding his hands in front of his chest. “I was just walking her here so she could wait for you, and then I was—”
“Silence!” Titan Troy bellowed, and then punched in the code. He put his shoulder to the task of opening the door, then looked at Sarah. “For you, young queen… I will take you both to the Pegasus stables. But do not ever let me find you lingering here in the hallways alone—your father, my brother in arms, is not so understanding…. And I don’t care that this young suitor is the son of his best friend, Guardian Yolando. Friendship between those old vampires will perish if more than what I witnessed ever transpires before it is time, are we clear?”
She and Val just glanced at each other and nodded.
Chapter 29
“Aye, I see you’ve come back with a friend,” Mr. Milton said in a cheerful tone.
Titan Troy glowered down on them as he shoved Val forward with the face of his shield. “Emotions are running high. Please give these two something constructive to do. They need to expend energy under a watchful eye.”
“Aye, yes, and it’s not even spring,” Mr. Milton chuckled, rubbing his beard as he bit on his pipe.
“I will be back to collect them in a few hours, after rounds. Call me if they make trouble, and I shall come take them off your hands by lunch.”
Mr. Milton gave the huge Titan a jaunty salute and began walking to the barn. Sarah’s face burned and she kept her eyes on Mr. Milton’s back, unable to even glance at Val.
“I thought you all had English, then math, followed by biology, if me memory serves,” the little man called back at them. “Skipping three classes will levy a heck of a toll on your studies, don’tcha think? Little early in the semester to be playing hooky. Then again, nothing is going according to Hoyle now. I don’t suspect teachers with a heart will be handing out assignments until all this tragedy has been resolved.”
Mr. Milton didn’t even turn around as he opened the barn doors.
“Miss Tittle was really upset,” Val said, trying to offer an explanation for why they’d been in the hall. “Pretty nasty to see her explode like that, and Sarah—”
Mr. Milton nodded. “I know just what ye mean, laddie—witnessed me first phoenix rising during the Fae Spring Equinox Ball when I was a just a boy. I had no idea it was so gruesome,” he said, making a face. “So I guess a little fresh air after that is in order.” He laughed and stepped through the open barn door. “Aye, at your age, when tensions run high and wild, fresh air is definitely a must.”
Sarah glimpsed Val from the corner of her eye and swallowed a smile. The old man was talking in riddles, as old folks tended to do—seemingly talking about one thing while hinting at some other thing he secretly knew.
Friendly whinnies greeted Mr. Milton, but most of the stalls were empty. “My Pegasus fliers are already out to pasture. Only my unicorns who like to go about at night are being recalcitrant, so I gave them the option to stay in… and of course there’s our Peggi.”
Sarah took off running. “Val, I wanna introduce you to her. Come look!” She heard him running after her, then coming to a stop when she did. “Peggi, look what I brought you,” Sarah said, extracting a juicy apple and holding out her hand.
Mr. Milton leaned against the wall nearby and smiled. “Careful. You’ve brought someone with a little demon in his blood. She might take exception.”
“But she let me near her,” Sarah said, turning to look at Mr. Milton.
“Aye, but Neteru blood overrides a bit of the vamp in your veins. Always does.”
Peggi swiped the apple, then backed up with a loud snort and stomped the hay covered floor.
“Val is all right,” Sarah said, laughing. “He’s like me and you—a mutt.”
“Hey,” Val said, laughing. “Watch it. Do I call you names?”
“Well, we are,” Sarah said, tossing him an apple. “Your Mom is a Valkyrie… and for a long time your dad was a vampire, until he became a daywalker and the Light granted him amnesty.” She shot Mr. Milton a meaningful look.
He nodded, catching on. “It’s as the lass states,” he said to Val in a loud voice. “Peggi wouldn’t be prejudiced against someone’s pedigree, not after all the ridicule she’s encountered.”
“Of course not,” Sarah said with a smile, slinging another apple toward the mare. “She let me ride her, and my dad was once a vamp, too. Peggi is no snob.”
After devouring the apple, Peggi slowly walked forward, snorting. She peered over the low half-door of her stall and considered Val with a tilt of her head.
Sarah went to him and held his forearm, showing him how to lay his palm completely flat using touch, not words.
“Hey,” he said softly, looking at the mare.
“He has gorgeous amber wings like yours… wanna see?” Sarah said, then smiled as Peggi took the apple from Val and came closer to allow him to rub her nose. After a moment she nuzzled him and then bumped the door, asking to be let out.
“She’s curious,” Mr. Milton said with a droll little chuckle. “So, laddie, show her what you’ve got.”
“Right here? In the barn?” Val said, and then started laughing. “Show a horse?”
“She’s a Peguni, or maybe a Unipeg,” Mr. Milton corrected, drawing on his unlit pipe as he let Peggi out into the aisle.
The moment she was out, she began prancing and strutting as though in a parade. Sarah laughed and clapped as Peggi showed off for Val, spreading her magnificent wings and beating the air.
Val laughed, yanked his school sweater over his head and took off his button-down white shirt.
Sarah stood mesmerized for a moment just staring at Val’s beautiful dark skin and the way the muscles in his chest, abdomen and back moved with fluid grace as he ran alongside Peggi. Wild and free and natural, his hair was a thick mane of unruly Afro, his arms were open wide, biceps flexing as his long strides kept up with Peggi’s, pure joy on his face as the mare played with him. Then it happened, the moment when he could generate enough energy to let his gorg
eous amber wings unfurl from his shoulder blades to spread and beat the air.
Peggi went up on her hind legs, rearing with an excited whinny. It seemed as though she knew something, sensed something, and she danced for Val before dropping down to all fours, snorting wildly.
“It’s in ‘er blood—to fly alongside the Valkyries in battle,” Mr. Milton said, running to the front of the barn, as Peggi took off at a gallop. “Go to her, boy! She wants to show you to the other horses.”
Sarah dropped her backpack and followed as Val ran full speed, his wings out, then was suddenly airborne. Peggi lifted off with him, staying at his side and leading him to the pasture. Initially Sophocles charged, but as soon as he saw Peggi by Val’s side, he fell into formation, leading Peggi and Val, and the rest of the herd lining up behind them, in an impressive aerial display.
“They’re magnificent,” Sarah said quietly, standing beside Mr. Milton.
“To fly with the Valkyries is a magnificent thing indeed, child. You picked a good friend… dogs and horses know.”
She stood quietly on the ground, gazing up, a smile on her face, her heart full enough to burst. One day they’d all come out there. She hoped it wouldn’t have to be for battle but could be like this…flying for the sheer beauty of it, flying to rescue people, flying for peace. No matter what they said her destiny was, she didn’t have the heart of a warrior, didn’t have the blood lust for shadow battle… she had the heart of a loving soul. The battles she wanted to fight were different from the ones her parents had fought…were still fighting. Maybe one day someone else, like Val, would understand that.
“Whooo hoo!” Val shouted, coming to land in the barnyard with Peggi at his side.
