Legacy Academy Year Four: Paranormal Academy Romance

by M Guida

  Grrrrrrrr

  Shadow demons surrounded the snarling wolf that was backed up against a pine. I thought I saw streaks of blood on his fur.

  Anger seized me. I sucked faster, faster, and faster, filling myself with their foul and bitter magic that swelled in my belly, turning it rock hard. Gray smoke floated around the clearing, burning and blurring my vision. The demons’ screams hurt my ears.

  I smashed branches with my tail, scattering the enemy, drawing their attention away from the trapped wolf. Unclenching my talons, I swopped down and clutched the terrified wolf who yelped and snapped at me, but at this point, I didn’t care. I had to get him out of here.

  Red spears whizzed around us and then I thought a saw familiar muscular figure with long red hair and deep green eyes step out from one of the trees. I blinked, and he was gone.

  I had to be imagining it. It couldn’t be.

  I flew over Legacy’s walls and glided onto the grounds. I gently lowered the wolf who had stopped yelping and had gone strangely limp, which I didn’t think was a good sign.

  Rhys and Mina cheered and Anton had a proud look on his face, but it was the surprised faces of King Finbar and King Gregori that made me smile, in spite of the pain in my gut.

  I shifted back and cried out. Jagged pain jabbed my insides, ripping me apart. My legs wobbled and I landed on all fours, panting.

  Scalding bile rolled up from my gut, bursting out of my mouth. I coughed and hissed.

  Someone knelt next to me and put their hand gently on my back. “Get Greenwood now.”

  I wasn’t sure, but I thought the concerned husky voice was King Gregori’s.

  I shivered uncontrollably and couldn’t stop emptying my stomach that had no food to counter the black magic.

  Footsteps hurried over to me.

  “Raven, sip this.” Dr. Greenwood put something up under my mouth, and I sniffed something sweet and soothing.

  “I can’t… I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can.” King Gregori hadn’t move away from me.

  I forced myself to swallow the concoction.

  One long stream of dark magic spewed out of my mouth. Stabbing pain slammed into my gut repeatedly, blinding me to the voices around me until I cried out. My eyes fluttered shut, and I fell to the side.

  Someone picked me and whisked me away. I raised my eyes and couldn’t believe King Gregori held me close to his chest. I could feel his thundering heart.

  “Get her to the infirmary.” Dr. Greenwood’s voice was barely above the king’s heartbeat.

  King Gregori kicked open the door.

  “Dad, what’s happening? What’s wrong with Raven?” I recognized Lucien’s worried voice.

  Someone lowered me onto a bed, and I thrashed my head back and forth.

  “Keep her warm,” someone said.

  Someone threw a warm blanket over my shivering body, but I kicked and moved my arms. I felt like I was suffocating.

  “You’re going to have to hold her down.” Someone said next to me, but I didn’t see anyone. Beads of sweat rolled down my temples.

  Lucien was at my side. He brushed my hair out of my eyes. “Raven. My God. What did you do?” He wiped his mouth with his arm. “Shit, I can taste the black magic. It burns.”

  I panted. “I’m… sorry… Didn’t want you to go through this.” More pain pulsed through me and I arched my back, closing my eyes.

  “Drink this. Please,” Dr. Greenwood urged.

  I wasn’t sure who he was talking to, but some of the anguish gripping me eased and my locked up lungs exhaled and inhaled leisurely. I slowly opened my eyes.

  Lucien smiled, but his face still looked drawn and pained. “Hey.”

  I frowned. “What happened?”

  “I drank…” He chuckled. “To be honest, I don’t know what I just drank.”

  Dr. Greenwood stood at the end of my bed and smiled triumphantly. “Brew of Phantoms. It dissolves black magic, even if ingested. One of my finer potions.”

  King Gregori strolled over. “You don’t think the poison left her, because she expelled most of it in the courtyard?”

  “That’s true.” Dr. Greenwood tilted his chin up. “But the potion was supposed to help Lucien, not Raven. She needed help in getting rid of the rest of the shadow demon’s poison and only her mate could help her.”

  King Gregori clasped Lucien’s shoulder. “How do you feel, son?”

  Lucien glanced up at him. “Better. I’m done being chained to this infirmary.”

  “You’re not a prisoner,” a voice said. It was Montae’s, but I didn’t see him. I could hear him and I swear he was standing on the other side of Lucien.

  Lucien crossed his arms and frowned. “Yeah, I am. Every time I try and leave, you turn invisible and I can’t leave.”

  I had to bite back a laugh at his angry voice.

  “King’s orders,” Montae said.

  “You may appear.” King Gregori snapped his fingers. “And if Dr. Greenwood approves, he may leave the infirmary.”

  “I believe he’s ready,” the good doctor said.

  Montae materialized, but he had a scowl. He definitely hadn’t put faith in Greenwood.

  Concern filled his eyes. “I must attend my other patient.”

  I followed his gaze. Xavier lay motionless on a bed near mine. He appeared to be wrapped in bandages and Mina was at his side.

  Fear rattled me. We couldn’t lose him. We needed him. “Is he okay? Did one of those red spears hit him?”

  Dr. Greenwood shook his head. “Those weren’t magical wounds. He was stabbed certainly and required several stitches. Luckily for him, no major organs were damaged. He was to the point of collapsing from pure exhaustion, so maybe he was deliriously when you rescued him.”

  I stared at Xavier, wishing he would wake. I missed his jovial presence, but according to Rhys, he had changed. “Why do you say that?”

  He put his hands behind his back. “I know of the two students who perished last year, and he said something strange.” His soft voice played the haunting tune of my nightmare, and I didn’t want to know how the song ended.

  “What?” Lucien asked.

  “He said Bo Read stabbed him with his sword.”

  My mouth dropped, and my voice dried up.

  Nonononononono

  Lucien frowned. “That’s crazy. Xavier must be delirious. Bo’s dead.”

  I shook my head. A hoist of emotions flashed through me. “No, he’s not.” A tear slid down my cheek. “Lucien, I saw Bo, too.”

  “Cormac.” King Gregori gritted his teeth. “He’s claimed his first victim. I believe he’s raised your friend Bo from the dead, son, and now he’s your deadly adversary.”

  “Damn him,” I muttered.

  Lucien sat with disbelief in his eyes. “The bastard can do this?”

  King Gregori nodded. “Yes, unfortunately.” He turned his gaze to me. “I owe you an apology, Raven.”

  “You do?” I asked, stunned. I wasn’t sure I believed him.

  “Your majesty?” Montae asked quizzically.

  “I was wrong about her, Montae. I saw her fight those shadow demons. She single-handedly absorbed the shadow demons’ magic. That’s why she was so sick.”

  Montae studied me. “But she’s just a slip of a girl.”

  King Gregori looked at me as if I were a celebrity. “And the most powerful girl I have ever seen.” He tilted his head. “If it hadn’t been for her, our courageous friend over there would have perished.”

  His compliment made me squirm and my body turned hot. “Anton would have saved him.”

  “Perhaps, but he might not have been able to get there in time. He can’t perform magical absorption like I saw you do.” He patted my hand. “I was wrong about you. You’re very talented. I’m curious to see what other skills you possess.”

  I gave him a half smile. “I don’t think I’ll be doing anything for a while.”

  Dr. Greenwood nodded. “Rest is on the agenda fo
r you.”

  Lucien kissed my hand. “I think that’s a good idea. These are one of the times I wished Armond was here, and he could heal both you and Xavier.”

  King Gregori gripped his shoulder. “I do too.” A turmoil of sadness and grief welled in his glossy eyes, and then he blinked them away. “We don’t even know if he’s alive.”

  “Once this war is over with Ryker, my men and I will search for him again.” Montae’s body drooped along with his voice that was ridden with guilt.

  I took a deep breath and cleared my throat. “I might have some news for you.”

  Montae narrowed his eyes. “You? What do you know of the missing prince? My men and I have searched everywhere for him.” His icy tone made me second guess on whether I should have blurted this out.

  King Gregori held up his hand. “Montae, stop. Raven, what do you know of my missing son?”

  Lucien squeezed my hand, and I realized I was walking on quicksand.

  I had opened up a can of worms, and there was no point in going back now. “Did Lucien tell you about the Magic Orb?”

  King Gregori frowned. “How did you come in the possession of the Orb? I thought it belonged to Anton.”

  Lucien blurted, “Anton gave it to her.” Not exactly true, but Anton had eventually given it to me.

  King Gregori frowned. “Only the most powerful beings can make the Orb reveal secrets.”

  “But Raven can,” Lucien said. “You saw. She’s a silver dragon.”

  King Gregori sat slowly down on the bed and uneasiness shown in his gaze, almost as if he was afraid to hear another false trail. “What did the Orb reveal?”

  His fearful voice made my gut tighten. I didn’t know how he was going to take the news that his son was being tortured. I was naked under the blanket and scanned the infirmary. “Where are my jeans?”

  Mina left Xavier, who was sleeping. “I have them.”

  “Could you get the piece of paper out about Armond? It’s in my back pocket.”

  Mina looked over at King Gregori as she pulled the paper out. “Are you sure about telling them this?”

  King Gregori, Montae, and Lucien all looked at each other.

  Montae glared and reached for the paper. “Why?”

  “No.” King Gregori snapped. “Let Raven speak.”

  Mina quickly gave me the paper and I read through my notes. “We saw Armond in a small bedroom that looked more like an attic.”

  King Gregori clasped the edge of the mattress. “How old was he?”

  I shrugged. “About thirteen or fourteen years old.”

  “What did he look like?” Montae’s mouth twisted in an expression that suggested that he was the king’s champion and not easily amused by girls who spun tales that gave his king false hopes.

  He was obviously testing me.

  “Armond had long curly dark hair and had brown eyes.”

  King Gregori’s mouth tightened. “Go on.”

  I cleared my throat. “A tall man burst into his room and Armond called him Uncle Peter. Peter was a large man with blue eyes and had orange curly hair. He almost looked like an evil clown.”

  “We think he was a preacher, because he had a white collar around his neck like a priest.” Mina’s eager voice matched the excitement in her eyes.

  Lucien frowned. “Why did you refer to this Peter as an evil clown?”

  I gritted my teeth. “Because he was a total asshole.”

  Mina hung her head. “He wasn’t very nice.”

  An understatement, as I ever heard one.

  King Gregori looked between us, and I could see the alarm in his eyes. “What did the man do?”

  Mina and I glanced nervously at each other––the final moment of truth had arrived.

  I met King Gregori’s worried stare, but I didn’t falter. “Peter grabbed Armond by his long hair, lifted him off the floor, and beat him with his fist as if he were a punching bag.”

  The king closed his eyes and his face turned ashen. He put his hand over his heart. “My God.”

  Mina slumped back on the bed. “I’ve never seen anything like that. The man showed no mercy.”

  Montae’s mouth twisted and his eyes darkened, but he didn’t say a word.

  Lucien didn’t blink. “What happened?” He couldn’t hide the pain in his strained voice. He always blamed himself for Armond’s disappearance and the last thing I wanted to do was pour salt in his old wounds, but I couldn’t keep the truth from him, either.

  I gathered my wits and forced my tone to be calm. “The man called Peter tossed Armond onto a metal twin bed. He warned him if he visited the Ellis’ one more time, then he’d be sorry.”

  “The Ellis’?” King Gregori opened his eyes. “Who are they?”

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged and hung my head. “Sorry. The Orb didn’t reveal them.”

  King Gregori rubbed his forehead. “Then we’re no closer to finding him.” His miserable tone mimicked the slump of his shoulders.

  I wished I could give him more hope. “There was something else.”

  King Gregori dropped his arm. “What? Anything will help.”

  I looked at the king, Montae, and Lucien and the tightness in their faces. I felt like I was torturing them just like Peter had Armond.

  “There was another boy,” I said. “He was about sixteen or seventeen, and he climbed through the small window. His name was Rusty, and he had long red hair. He had a bandana on his head and wore dark sunglasses. On his right bicep, he had a tattoo of a skull. I think he drove a red motorcycle.”

  “Or it could have been a scooped up car,” Mina corrected. “We just heard a loud engine.”

  I refused to be discouraged. “We also think we know the name of the school Armond attended. Mina saw a red notebook with Canyon View on it, but we couldn’t tell whether it was a high school or a middle school.”

  King Gregori lowered his head. “Armond would be thirteen, almost fourteen. He and his brother have a birthday this summer.”

  Almost a full minute passed before the king spoke again.

  He raised his head. “There’s a couple of things you should know. Armond doesn’t have an Uncle Peter, but as far as the beatings go, since Armond is a healer, no matter what the bastards do to him, he can heal himself in three days.” He gritted his teeth. “As long as they don’t kill him. He can’t bring himself back from the dead.”

  Montae crossed his arms. “Are you sure this Magic Orb speaks the truth?”

  I rolled my eyes at Montae––the Doubting Thomas.

  King Gregori sighed heavily. “I have seen the Magic Orb, Montae. It does not lie, but in this instance, I wished it had.” His voice cracked, and he rubbed his eyes as if to wipe out the pain.

  Montae knelt before the king and put his fist over his heart. “I swear, your Majesty, my men and I will hunt down this Peter and make him pay for what he has done to the young prince.”

  King Gregori lifted his head and nodded, but he didn’t answer him. I had the feeling he was struggling not to lose control.

  Lucien kissed my hand. “Thank you. This is the first time we’ve heard any news of my brother, even if it is bad. The Defenders could help locate Armond. We need to track down Ryker. He knows where this Peter lives.”

  Montae stood. “Why do you have so much faith in the Defenders?”

  Lucien grinned. “Because we have a bad ass silver dragon.”

  Everyone turned to me as if I had all the answers. I wasn’t anything special, but I wasn’t a coward either. The stakes were even higher this time, and I was ready for the challenge.

  Chapter 13

  Something finally dawned on me as I looked at all their faces in the infirmary.

  I frowned. “Where are Anton, King Finbar, and Rhys?”

  King Gregori tilted his head at Montae, who bowed.

  “I will go find out,” he said.

  Dr. Greenwood returned. “I believe Raven needs some rest.”

  Mina looked over at Xav
ier. “Can I stay with him? I’ll be as quiet as a mouse.”

  “As long as you don’t disturb him.”

  She crossed her chest. “I promise.” She hurried over to where Xavier slept and to take her place as his self-appointed sentinel.

  King Gregori stood and glanced at both Lucien and me. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

  “Lucien––” Dr. Greenwood said.

  Lucien gave him a stern look. “Don’t even think about it. I’m not leaving her.”

  Dr. Greenwood didn’t flinch from Lucien’s fierce stare. “She needs to sleep, not anything else.”

  “She’ll sleep.” He stretched out next to me and pulled me close.

  Only the quilt kept my naked body from his clothed one. As much as I wanted to snuggle, my weary body needed to rest. I closed my eyes and fell asleep, listening to Lucien’s strong heartbeat.

  I woke slowly, listening to Lucien’s snores, and blinked. I thought I was imagining it, but Katona was sitting in a chair next to me, reading a book. Her layered black hair had gotten longer since last time I saw her and her beautiful blue eyes looked tired.

  “Katona?”

  She put her book down and smiled. “Hey, sleepyhead. I never thought you would wake. It’s nearly dinnertime.”

  Lucien stirred next to me. “What’s going on?” He stretched his arms. “How did you get here?”

  She grinned and pulled a piece of manila paper out from the pages of her book. “The letter. Both Dante and I got one.”

  Lucien sat up and looked around the infirmary. “Where is Dante?”

  Mina was gone too, and Xavier was still asleep.

  “Outside with Rhys,” Katona said softly. “Hopefully, he’s not getting drunk on High Tempest.”

  I laughed. “I don’t think that’s a problem. Rhys’ dad confiscated his only bottle.

  “When has Rhys smuggled only one bottle of High Tempest,” she mused.

  “True.” Lucien clasped my hand. “Are you feeling better?”

  I nodded. “I am.”

  I frowned. “How did you get past the shadow demons?”

  “You won’t believe it, but Dante’s father, King Nico, knew of a secret way inside Legacy.”

  Crap, another king. I pulled the quilt around my throat tighter. The weariness of trying to win the favor of another royal made me want to curl up and go back to sleep.