Oath Breaker

by Shelley Wilson

  Lizzie and I had talked long into the night about it, not necessarily looking for answers but just voicing our thoughts. It had helped. Eventually, she’d fallen asleep and now here I was staring at my mum’s file and wishing I could drift into a dreamless slumber.

  I flipped back to the notes and resumed reading the handwritten entries. It read like a personal diary with Sebastian mentioning their conversations as he administered the injections. Stories about life, me and Zak, and how they would be reunited one day.

  It felt strange to be reading something so private, even if it was about my mum.

  At the bottom of the page was a hastily written addition, the messy scrawl almost illegible. I could just make out a few of the sentences.

  The final words remained unwritten, instead the ink trailed down the page as if Sebastian had lost the will to write any more.

  Everything was different now. Things were going to change. I didn’t know how I was going to cope with what was coming, but as I listened to the soft snores of my roommate, I knew, without any doubt, I wouldn’t have to cope alone this time.

  AFTER THE STARTLING revelation that my uncle was, in fact, my father, I managed to successfully avoid all contact with him for the next few days. I needed time and space to get my head around it all. With the end-of-term assessments, it was easy to throw myself into schoolwork and training.

  Miss Ross managed to get my ban lifted, telling Sebastian how isolation would only damage my mental health further and that if I was going to heal I needed to mix with the other students. This meant I could attend regular classes, much to Elizabeth’s delight, but I made sure to stay far away from Felicity.

  The redhead had made a few snarky comments on my first day back, but ultimately she kept her distance. The faint outline of her bruised eye stopped me from seeking her out and confronting her about Terry. That and the fact Sebastian was still unaware of my involvement in the werewolf’s escape.

  I hadn’t managed to sort through all my emotions yet. Discovering the truth about who my family were had been like hitting a brick wall at full speed. Finding out I was descended from werewolves and the result of an illicit relationship had blown my entire existence apart.

  ‘Ready for the sparring assessment?’ Elizabeth bounced up and down, balancing on her toes and jabbed her fists forward in quick succession. ‘Our annual Karate Kid-meets-Buffy tournament to the death.’

  I remembered Miss Ross telling me about the assessments during my first one-on-one session, but I didn’t remember her telling me it was to the death.

  At the look of absolute horror on my face, Elizabeth laughed out loud before assuring me that ‘death’ meant a winner’s medal.

  ‘Nope,’ I mumbled, struggling into my pumps. ‘The last thing I want to do is punch anyone in the face again. Look what happened last time.’

  ‘In my humble opinion, Felicity deserved what she got, and after what Miss Ross told us, the girl needed a good slap to shut her up.’

  ‘I guess it did give Terry a few days’ break while she was recovering in the nurse’s office.’

  We giggled as we made our way through the gardens towards the gymnasium. Adam rushed over to give Elizabeth a good-luck kiss, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at just how damn cute the two of them were.

  When the handsome groundsman had vanished back behind the rose bushes, I elbowed Elizabeth and wiggled my eyebrows.

  ‘So, it’s going well?’

  She lowered her voice to a whisper and leant in close.

  ‘It is, but we’ve had to take it slow the last few days because Terry was in Adam’s room and it would have been, well…awkward.’

  I laughed, imagining how Terry would react to playing gooseberry to two teenagers. He didn’t strike me as a romantic type of werewolf.

  My mind flitted to Cody. We hadn’t spoken since my little outburst in the woods, and I was beginning to regret being so upset with him. He was the first person I’d wanted to tell when I found out about Sebastian. I knew he was only trying to protect his own family and, in his own weird way, he was also shielding me. I decided to send him a message to meet me at the overhang after the assessments were over and make it up to him.

  My cheeks grew hot as I contemplated the various ways I could say sorry. Our first kiss still vivid in my memory, I prayed that the tournament wouldn’t take long.

  FOUR SECTIONS WERE cordoned off inside the gymnasium, each with a fighting arena in the centre and rope barriers. Along the far wall were several rows of chairs full of everyone’s family members. Elizabeth waved at a couple sitting in the back row, and I deduced that the beautiful woman who shared Elizabeth’s long blonde hair and blue eyes was her mum. I spotted the imposing figure of Felicity’s father sitting in the front row between Sebastian and Miss Ross, his wide shoulders held taut as he surveyed the students with a predatory glare while we streamed into the gym.

  Sebastian stood and walked into the centre of the hall, turning to face the visiting guests with a forced smile on his face. He had shaved and wore a clean suit, but the dark circles under his eyes were a giveaway that he was a troubled man. I felt a sharp pang of pity but shook it off. I couldn’t afford to care for the man who had ultimately caused my mum’s death, even if he was my biological father. If he hadn’t given her the flawed serum, she would have healed and been alive today.

  It was hard to believe Sebastian was unaware that I was his daughter. My mum had confided in my teacher but never dared to utter the truth for fear of what my dad would do if he found out. With the benefit of hindsight, I now realised that Frank wasn’t stupid and had clearly worked it out for himself. Something Sebastian had failed to do.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hood Academy.’ Sebastian’s voice was clear and crisp as he spoke to the assembled crowd. ‘Before we begin the tournament, I have the great pleasure of swearing in our newest member of the academy, Mia Roberts.’

  I flinched as all eyes in the gymnasium slid my way. My cheeks were burning as I made my way to where Sebastian was standing.

  When Miss Ross told me about taking the oath, she failed to mention the pomp and ceremony involved. My hands felt slick and I surreptitiously wiped them down my T-shirt. The gymnasium fell silent and the only sound I could hear was the roar of blood pumping through my veins. My stomach churned as I drew closer to Sebastian.

  He gave me a tight smile as I approached and lifted a tattered old brown leather book. Taking my hand, he placed it on top of the book and rested his hand over mine. I felt myself tense up at his touch, but he misread it for nerves.

  ‘Don’t worry, Mia. It’ll be over very quickly,’ he whispered.

  Lifting his head, he spoke loudly so the gathered guests could hear.

  ‘To every pack, a cub is born. The hunter shall be unleashed to protect and serve. Mia Roberts, do you swear to uphold the hunters’ oath and serve this academy and cause?’

  I really wanted to tell him to shove his oath and run screaming from the gymnasium, but instead I nodded my head and replied, ‘I do.’

  ‘Then I hereby declare you to be a hunter of the realm.’

  There was thunderous applause from the parents and students and I wondered if I’d burn in hell if my werewolf gene were ever triggered.

  Sebastian patted my shoulder to dismiss me and turned to address the audience.

  ‘You are here today to support your children in this assessment. These tournaments have been held for many generations, and the student with the most points at the end will win the coveted prize.’ He held aloft a gold medal on a red ribbon, and the crowd erupted into applause.

  ‘So we get to beat the crap out of each other for a chunk of metal?’ I whispered to Elizabeth as I returned to her side.

  She snorted. ‘Pretty much. It’s one point for a strike to the arm, two for the legs and four for a body blow. Just let whoever you’re paired with punch you in the gut a couple of times and then you’ll be out and can sit back and watch.’

&nbs
p; She had a valid argument, but deep in my stomach, I could feel the rumblings of my competitive streak. I’d never bothered to interact with anyone at my old school and I certainly wouldn’t have taken part in tournaments, but joining Hood Academy, meeting Elizabeth, Cody and Miss Ross, had awoken something inside me. Something dangerous.

  Sebastian had taken his seat and was talking to Felicity’s father when I made my way to zone number one. We were allocated a partner and stood at the barrier until Mr Peterson, the boxing coach turned commentator, called our names.

  One by one the pairs were ushered into the arena. The cries of the parents carried above the grunts and yelps of the students in the ring. A young girl called Helen stood next to me as our names were called. She was slightly smaller than me, but I’d seen her using the staff in training and knew she was fast and methodical. My inner wolf, if I even had one, was likely to slink off with its tail between its legs as soon as the whistle blew.

  ‘Hey, Mia.’ Helen grinned at me. ‘I’ll try not to hurt you too much.’

  She said it in jest, I knew that, but I couldn’t stop the roar of power that shot through my core and into my limbs on hearing her words. Helen’s eyes grew wide as I growled, the sound escaping before I could stop it. I clenched my fists and waited for the whistle.

  I COULD HEAR Elizabeth’s shouts of encouragement above the overwhelming din in the gymnasium. We had been fighting for well over an hour, and I had moved through the tournament with surprising ease. Elizabeth was out of the contest and sporting a fat lip courtesy of a large girl called Nessie. Helen sat by her side clutching a cold compress to her bruised shoulder caused by my roundhouse kick.

  It had surprised us both when I launched my full-scale attack. I wasn’t sure how or when I had retained all my training skills but I was able to use them with deadly precision. I wondered if Sebastian was proud of me.

  ‘Mia Roberts and Stacy Calver, please move to zone four.’ Mr Peterson’s voice boomed out over the hubbub. He was in charge of the scoreboard and directing the students to their respective pairings and appeared to be enjoying the brutality far too much.

  Something that felt oddly like pride washed over me as I approached the next contest, and I felt my shoulders straighten and my chin lift. Never had I felt this powerful or so in control. I’d had any semblance of confidence thrashed out of me from an early age and I honestly thought that capability was gone for good.

  I understood all too well the irony of it being Sebastian who I had to thank for bringing me to Hood Academy and for persuading me to give the school a chance. I risked a glance in his direction and caught him watching me. A warm smile lit up his face as I took my place on the mat opposite my next opponent.

  Felicity’s father was concentrating his attention on the other side of the hall where his daughter was pulverising her latest victim. I felt the side of my mouth twitch slightly as I gave Sebastian the smallest of smiles. The look of delight that flashed across his face touched a long dormant part of my heart. I tried to shake it off. I didn’t want to let him in. I couldn’t form any attachment to the man other than that of a distant relative. So why was I so happy to have his support on the sidelines? And why did it feel so right to have him there supporting me?

  The whistle blew, bringing me back to the present with a jolt. Stacy secured her first point as she took advantage of my distracted mind. I rolled my shoulders back and bounced from one foot to the other then circled my prey. It was at that moment I realised that prey is exactly what she was. If I did become a werewolf, I would need to hunt and this tournament was becoming a useful experiment for honing my skills.

  Stacy didn’t see me coming as I leapt forward and punched her once in the stomach and then swung my leg out to swipe her feet from under her. She fell to the ground with a thud and the referee waved his flag in my direction.

  ‘Six points to Mia Roberts,’ he shouted.

  Elizabeth cheered and I saw Sebastian rise to his feet, clapping his hands enthusiastically.

  I bowed once more to Stacy, who glared at me from across the mat. Too bad. My competitive streak was strong, and I was going to take her down.

  IT WAS LATE afternoon when I finally got a break. Although each fight didn’t take very long, I was still exhausted when Elizabeth pulled me out into the fresh air of the gardens. Adam was waiting with a long, cold drink and I took it from him gratefully.

  ‘You are rocking this tournament,’ Elizabeth squealed. ‘I’m so damn proud of you.’

  I grinned at her as I handed the empty glass back to Adam.

  ‘It’s like all the training has suddenly clicked and I can anticipate everyone’s moves. I don’t think Stacy will ever speak to me again, though.’

  ‘Pft, no great loss.’ Elizabeth flicked her hand to the side as if to dismiss Stacy’s entire existence. ‘You’re a way better fighter than her anyway.’

  ‘How many fights do you have left?’ Adam asked.

  ‘Two. I’m through to the semi-finals.’

  ‘That’s amazing, Mia,’ he said, lowering his voice and adding, ‘must be that werewolf DNA.’

  I thumped him on the arm and Elizabeth clipped him round the ear at the same time as he burst out laughing.

  ‘We don’t know that Mia will inherit that gene,’ she scolded him. ‘She could just be an extremely skilled hunter.’

  ‘Yeah, so you better watch it, Adam, or I’ll kick your butt too.’

  We laughed together, chatting and discussing tactics for the next half an hour, enjoying the relative peace of the gardens. Once they cleared the space and erected one big fighting arena in the centre of the room then the remaining competitors could return to the gymnasium.

  The air was much colder as the afternoon vanished and the sky darkened. I found my gaze wandering to the treeline, and I thought about Cody and the wolves.

  ‘I wonder if Terry got home okay.’

  ‘He did,’ Adam said. ‘I saw him earlier today in Ravenshood. He was in Taylor’s Coffee Shop with his brothers.’

  I snapped my head around and gawped at Adam.

  ‘You saw them all?’

  Adam nodded.

  ‘Was Zak there?’

  ‘I don’t know what he looks like, Mia, but there were three others with Terry, so I can only assume one of them was Zak.’

  I hadn’t seen my brother in nearly ten years. I clung onto the faint memory of his dark hair and hazel-coloured eyes, the developing muscles, and the early signs of stubble on his face. He was sixteen back then, still so young and naïve. He would be twenty-five now and was a pack leader. I was sure the muscles would be well defined and he might even have a full beard.

  My chest felt constricted and I struggled to breathe. I was crazy mad at him but also missed him so much. Once this tournament was over, I would ask Cody to set up a meeting. It was time to be reunited with my brother.

  Mr Peterson’s booming voice cut through my musings as he announced the first semi-final match.

  Elizabeth jumped to her feet and held out her hand to help me up.

  ‘Come on, champ. It’s time to win that medal.’

  IF I BELIEVED in fate, or planets aligning, today would have been the perfect day to confirm those theories. As I walked into the gym sandwiched between Elizabeth and Adam, I looked up to see my name scrawled across the whiteboard directly above Felicity Parker’s name.

  The air left my lungs instantly and I stopped dead in my tracks causing Elizabeth to stumble as she spun towards my now motionless body.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘I’m paired with Felicity,’ I said.

  Elizabeth looked over at the board and then closed the distance between us, grasping my hands tightly in hers.

  ‘You can do this, Mia. You have pretty much cleared the board of other competitors. She’s just another student who stands in the way of you winning that medal.’

  I nodded blankly at my friend. I wanted to tell her that I wasn’t scared or worried. I was elated. The gods, go
ddesses or universal energy had delivered this to me and I wasn’t about to mess it up.

  I looked into the bright blue eyes of my best friend and squeezed her hands.

  ‘Don’t worry about me, Lizzie. I’m going to kick that bitch’s ass.’

  WE WERE THE second team to fight, having already watched one of Felicity’s squad, Elena Fields, obliterate Nicole Berry to secure her place in the final. Elena stalked up and down the gym like a lioness on the hunt, eyeing us both with hungry eyes.

  It annoyed me and I prayed once more that I was the one who made it through this fight and got to wipe the smug smile off her face. Although I had the strangely comforting thought that if Felicity did beat me, she wouldn’t think twice about taking down her friend.

  I took up my position opposite the redhead, who glared at me from across the mat. She was clearly unimpressed that I’d made it this far in the tournament.

  Mr Peterson drew us close and repeated the rules of the fight. We nodded our understanding and stepped away far enough to bow, first to the referee and then to each other.

  The whistle blew and we began the fluid dance of sizing each other up and looking for an opening. My heart was hammering in my chest as adrenalin surged through me, powering my confidence and keeping my mind sharp.

  I watched her step to the right and then to the left, her long legs carrying her across the mat with grace. My fingers ached from clenching my hands into tight fists, but I remained in a defensive stance. We mirrored one another as we explored every inch of the mat, both of us weaving and ducking, neither ready to strike first.

  Felicity jabbed forward. I sidestepped her, blocking her strike and managing to get in an uppercut to the gut.

  ‘Four points to Mia Roberts!’

  Half of the audience cheered, the other half gasped.

  I stepped away and looked over at the front row. Felicity’s father’s face was a mask of stone. He stared at his daughter with a loathing that I understood all too well.