Broken Knights: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 4)

by Michelle Hercules

  “Clearly Toby has already made up his mind,” Morpheus says. “So, it’s up to you, Daisy. You were the other one who suffered at her hands. You decide.”

  I don’t need to glance at Rosie to know what she wants me to do. If circumstances were different, I’d tell Renata to get lost. But we aren’t in a position to refuse help.

  “You can stay, but I’ll be watching you like a hawk. Give me one reason to believe you’re double-crossing us, I’ll unmake you.”

  Her eyes grow twice their size. I feel horrible for threatening to unmake her in front of Rufio, but I do need to put the fear of God in her heart. If she betrays us, it could cost our lives.

  “I’m not going to betray you. I swear.”

  Rosie pushes Renata out of her way and stomps back to the diner. I fear I might have set back the progress I made with her. First I didn’t kill Delta, and now I’m letting Renata into our fold.

  Morpheus places a hand on my lower back. “She’ll come around.”

  “I hope so. I can’t allow my personal baggage to affect my decisions. I think that’s what Chaos is counting on. He wants me to lose control and go on a rampage.”

  “There’s something I need to tell yo—”

  The diner door opens again, and out come the two Knight agents dragging Delta between them. He’s still handcuffed with a bag over his head.

  Rick looks in my direction. “Why are you still outside? There’s a bounty on your head, you know.”

  “Come on, Daisy,” Morpheus says.

  Renata is the last one to follow us inside the diner. Rosie and Toby were having an argument on the opposite side of the room, but their bickering stops when the reason for their fight comes in.

  “You’d better stay away from my sister for a while,” I tell her.

  Renata rubs her nose. “She has a good hook for a Norm.”

  We find Xavier, Felicity, and Bryce deep in conversation when we join them. It ceases when we approach the table.

  “What’s our next move?” Rufio asks.

  Judging by Xavier’s face, we might not have one yet.

  “Gunther doesn’t want us anywhere near the Knights’ headquarters.”

  “Why the hell not?” Phoenix asks.

  “Because of the pledge we made to Chaos on the island,” Bryce replies.

  “That was ages ago, and we more than proved we’re not working for that son of a bitch,” Rufio replies angrily.

  “It’s not a matter of trust, son. It seems Chaos is using the tattoos you have on your backs to track you.”

  “That means nowhere is safe,” I say.

  “No, there’s one place, but it’s a little unorthodox.” He pauses, leaning his forearms on the table and linking his fingers together.

  “Are you going to spill, or do we need to tip you over?” Phoenix raises an eyebrow.

  “There’s an underground group, older than the Knights, that has been preparing for this war for centuries. They’re called the Church of the Bold and the Fearless.”

  “What did you say?” The blood from Rufio’s face seem to vanish.

  Xavier narrows his gaze. “You’ve heard of them before.”

  “Long live the Rinnegati,” Bryce mutters. “That’s not a church. It’s the Norm resistance.”

  19

  Daisy

  Since we were transported to the diner by Erebus, we had to split up between Renata’s and Felicity’s cars. Rosie refused to ride with Toby’s tormentor, so they went with Felicity, Xavier, and Morpheus. Which left me no choice but to ride with the girl. I don’t trust her, no matter what Toby said.

  Phoenix is riding shotgun, and I’m sandwiched between Rufio and Bryce. We haven’t spoken since we left. I have a thousand questions, but I refuse to ask them in front of her. She already knows too much. The most burning question is how Bryce and Rufio know about the Church of the Bold and the Fearless.

  Xavier didn’t elaborate on where we were going, but the drive takes hours. By the time we arrive, it’s already late in the night, and the world is pitch black outside. We’re out in the boonies. The car’s headlights reveal a welcome sign that says “Church of the Bold and the Fearless Campgrounds.” The little I can see shows a place that looks like the perfect setting for a horror movie. Everything is shrouded in darkness save for the lonely lamppost in front of a large cabin.

  Two men with long gray beards are waiting for us. They’re dressed like hippies, wearing loose tunics and pants above sandals. It’s hard to believe they’re part of any resistance.

  “That’s the drunk guy from the bus,” Rufio says, breaking the silence.

  “You’ve taken the bus?” Renata asks with a hint of surprise in her tone.

  “Yes,” Bryce replies coldly.

  It seems only Toby truly believes in her redemption.

  We get out of the car and meet the others in front of the rustic building.

  “Greetings, my friends.” One of the hippies opens his arms. “I’m Harry, and this my brother Artex. Welcome to the Church of the Bold and the Fearless.”

  “Harry, thank you for granting us sanctuary,” Xavier replies.

  “We couldn’t say no to the reason this all started.” Both men glance in my direction, making me uncomfortable. Their intense gazes seem to imply that I was somehow responsible for their organization. But that’s impossible if they’ve been around for centuries.

  “Long live the Rinnegati,” both brothers say in unison.

  That’s what Bryce said in the diner. It’s the motto of the church, it seems. Rinnegati was the last name Magia’s descendants adopted. It means renegade. Fitting, since that’s what she did.

  “Now, come, friends. You must be weary from your journey. We have prepared supper. Let’s fill our bellies and get to know one another.” Harry motions for us to follow him inside the cabin.

  “I’m not sure I want to get to know them too much,” Rufio whispers to me.

  The interior of the main cabin is as rustic as the outside and in need of some heavy cleaning. Spiderwebs are in every corner, and the furniture is covered in a film of dust save for the main table in the middle of the room, which has been cleaned. There’s a spread of sandwiches, drinks, fruit, and even a large steamy bowl of soup in the middle.

  “I know it’s not much, but it was the best we could put together on such short notice.” Harry glances at me.

  “You don’t live here?” Phoenix asks.

  “Oh no. We only use this building in the summer when members of our church come from all parts of the country. My brother and I have a camper parked near the lake. Your bungalows are there too. But eat before the soup gets cold.”

  “It looks amazing. Thank you,” I say.

  He nods happily and then points at the bench. “Sit, sit.”

  I glance at Morpheus, who is looking curiously at me. He then lifts his shoulder in a boyish shrug and takes the bench seat across from where Harry pointed. I follow Morpheus’s lead, and soon we’re all seated at the table, digging into the food the curious men have prepared for us.

  There’s not much talking while our mouths are busy, but soon the food is gone and our bellies are full. It’s time to get some answers.

  “What exactly is the Church of the Bold and the Fearless?” I ask.

  The two brothers exchange a glance, and then Harry answers, “We’re dedicated to preserving the memory of our patron, Magia Rinnegati, and fighting for justice.”

  “So, you’re the Norm resistance,” Bryce says.

  “I suppose we are.” Artex smiles.

  “How come we’ve never heard about you until now?” I ask.

  “We’ve always been extremely careful while we waited.”

  “Waited for what?” Phoenix reaches for a piece of bread and sticks it in his mouth.

  “For Daisy’s return.”

  “I’m completely lost,” Felicity pipes up. “Why would you be waiting for her return?”

  “You’re in her company and don’t know?” Ha
rry’s bushy eyebrows shoot to the heavens.

  “She hasn’t been brought up to speed yet,” Morpheus explains. “You knew Magia’s descendant would come back and regain the powers she lost?”

  Both men nod. “Yes, it’s been foretold that the Unmaker would return to bring balance to the world. For hundreds of years, we’ve been preparing for war.”

  I swallow the huge lump in my throat. War. I knew it was where we’re headed, but now that it’s finally happening, I don’t know if I’m strong enough to see it through. Bryce, who is sitting next to me, reaches for my hand under the table and squeezes it. Our eyes lock, and we exchange a silent message. He’s got my back.

  “What do you mean, you’ve been preparing for war?” Rufio asks.

  Harry narrows his eyes. “I remember you. You were on the bus headed downtown. You were going to Unearthly Desires. I hope now that you’ve found Magia’s heir, you’re on the path to enlightenment.”

  Phoenix begins to laugh and ends up choking on his drink. I drop my eyes to the table, wondering what Harry and Artex would do if they knew I worked at that strip joint and that the owner is sitting right next to them.

  “Yeah, Daisy set me straight,” Rufio says in a tone that’s filled with double meaning.

  Jerkface. He’s only making my mortification worse.

  “How many followers do you have? And are they ready to fight?” Xavier thankfully brings the conversation back on track.

  “We have around one hundred followers in the Saturn’s Bay area, but our chapter in Hawk City has about four hundred. Our numbers doubled since the disaster at the mall.”

  “We were there,” I say.

  “We know. You were on the news. We’re ready to follow you, Daisy, and change the world.”

  Shit. Follow me? I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility. I’m not a savior.

  “No offense, but five hundred Norms won’t change anything. We’re dealing with powerful Idols, and they mean to exterminate your kind,” Rufio retorts.

  “You mean our kind.” Harry pierces him with a hard stare.

  Rufio’s face turns into stone. He doesn’t blink or seem to breathe. After a moment, he says, “Yes, our kind.”

  “We have the Unmaker and her counterpart.” Harry glances at Bryce. “The Maker. We can’t lose.”

  “How do you know about me?” Bryce asks.

  “It’s been foretold. You found each other, as was meant to be.”

  It seems all their explanations will boil down to “It’s been foretold.” Great.

  “Wait. Do you expect Bryce to turn your followers into Idols?” I ask, fearing that’s the case.

  “Oh no, child. That’s not something we take lightly. To mess with the natural order of things is against our philosophy. What I meant is that your union will bring forth the God-killer. No Idol on the planet can withstand the God-killer’s wrath.”

  “What do you mean, ‘from their union’? Like Daisy will have a child with Bryce who will have superpowers?” Rosie asks, wide-eyed.

  If the conversation wasn’t already getting awkward, Rosie had to open her big mouth.

  “Well, that we don’t know. But anything is possible.” Artex shrugs.

  I stand suddenly, too tired to handle all the stares and assumptions about my life. “I’m ready to retire. It’s been a long day.”

  “Of course. If the ladies are ready, I’ll show you to your bungalow.”

  “Hold up. Daisy isn’t staying with us?” Phoenix asks, and I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole. If those guys think a strip club is bad, imagine if they discover I have four boyfriends.

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand the question,” Harry says.

  “Don’t mind him. He’s just being overprotective,” I reply.

  “Oh, don’t worry. Your bungalow is right next to the ladies’.” Harry smiles.

  “Besides, this place is safe. No one can find it unless they’re meant to find it,” Artex adds.

  “Not even a god?” Morpheus asks.

  Harry’s face splits into a secret smile. He turns to Xavier. “You didn’t tell them why this place is so special?”

  “I didn’t have the chance.” Xavier stands. “Maybe we should show them before we go to bed.”

  “All right.”

  Harry and Artex each take a lamp from the counter and head out using the cabin’s back exit. The path from the building splits into two a little ahead. One goes down the hill toward the lake and the bungalows that I can see as mere silhouettes bathed in moonlight. It’s so serene and beckoning.

  The other direction leads into the forest, which is far less appealing. The brothers take that route. No surprise there. The light from the lamp casts spooky shadows as we go. Rosie, who is still mad at Toby and giving him the silent treatment, steps closer to me. She won’t talk to me either, but I’m not getting death glares from her anymore.

  The walk is quiet; no one seems to want to talk much. I doubt the dark forest is making them as uncomfortable as I am. It’s not fear of the dark. I just hate nature. It’s stupid to feel this way. I’m no longer a Norm. If some wild animal decides to attack us, I can defend myself, and yet I can’t shake off the feeling.

  Mercifully, the forest thins out after a few minutes, opening into a clearing at the foot of a mountain. A few yards away, the large mouth of a cave stares at us. Strangely, it’s not dark inside. There’s illumination coming from within. Immediately, I begin to feel weak, and the guys all grunt in discomfort.

  “What is this place?” Bryce asks, rubbing his forehead.

  “This is where lightning-glass is mined,” Harry explains. “It was Magia who first discovered the material back in Italy, and the secret was passed down through the generations. This particular source was discovered in the sixties.”

  Phoenix hugs his middle, leaning forward. “Fuck. I feel sick to my stomach.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Renata chimes in.

  Morpheus crosses his arms and casually takes a few steps closer. “So, it affects Idols, but how can you be sure it will prevent a god?”

  “Is it affecting you?” Phoenix asks.

  “Why would he be immune to the cave?” Artex peers at Morpheus more intensely.

  I elbow Phoenix’s arm to make him shush. He was about to disclose that Morpheus is a demigod. I don’t care that these guys are supposedly the Norm resistance. I don’t know enough about them to start spilling all of our secrets. And it’s probably the reason Morpheus has been toning down his powers.

  “Yeah, it’s affecting me.” Morpheus frowns, peering at the cave through narrowed eyes.

  “Why does being near raw lightning-glass affect them this way?” Rufio asks.

  “The crystals emit a gas that’s toxic to Idols. The stronger the Idol, the more it affects them,” Artex answers.

  “So, it would be really uncomfortable to a god or a demigod?” Bryce rubs his chin, deep in thought.

  Phoenix pulls the front of his sweater up to cover his nose. “Are we getting poisoned by standing so close to the cave?”

  “No. Poisoning only occurs when lightning-glass enters the bloodstream. But staying here too long will make you feel horrible.”

  “That’s why you said we would be safe here, because of that cave. But that means we can’t stay at the bungalows tonight,” I say.

  “They’re far enough. Did you feel anything before?” Harry asks.

  “No, just now,” I admit.

  “Back up.” Bryce lifts his hand. “If the fumes from the cave only affect us when we’re near it, how are they protecting the camp from invasion?”

  “The fumes rise up, creating a miasma around the area, like a dome. It repels Idols, even if they don’t know the reason.”

  “I didn’t sense repulsion when we got near,” Phoenix says. “Did anyone?” He glances around our group.

  “A little,” Renata confesses in a small voice. “But it passed quickly, so I didn’t think much about it.”

&n
bsp; “We should return to the bungalows,” I say. “There’s no sense standing here and suffering.”

  “Hold on. I have a question,” Rufio pipes up. “If the fumes affect Idols, who does all the mining?”

  “Who do you think, boy? We do.” Harry stuffs up his chest.

  “But you said no one comes around here.” Rosie joins the conversation.

  “I said no one comes to the campgrounds during winter, and it’s true. But there are volunteers working the mines during the day. Now that the war has started, we need as much lightning-glass as possible.”

  My forehead begins to throb, no doubt because of the fumes. “Can we go now?”

  “Shit. I’m sorry, Daisy. Is it getting really bad?” Rufio steps closer and begins to rub my back.

  Goose bumps form underneath my jacket where Rufio touches me, even through the layers of clothing. The friction also causes heat that spreads through my limbs and between my legs.

  “A little,” I murmur, a bit out of breath.

  He laces his fingers with mine and tug me toward the forest. “Let’s go, then.”

  I feel Harry’s and Artex’s gazes burn a hole through my face. Shit. Do Rufio and I look too cozy for their morals? I don’t pull my hand from his though. I’m not going to let some zealot freaks dictate how I should live my life.

  We don’t wait for them to guide us back. The path in the forest is pretty obvious now that my eyesight has adjusted to the gloom. However, it’s clear the brothers want to remain in charge. They hurry ahead of us and then lead us the rest of the way.

  The first bungalow is where I’m staying with Felicity, Rosie, and Renata. Ah, crap. I wonder how that’s going to work. Rosie still won’t even come close to the Idol girl. Harry unlocks the door, which squeaks as it opens. He walks into the dark and then pulls the switch of the light bulb dangling from the ceiling. There are three bunk beds with exposed, stained mattresses. They’re probably lumpy too. Fancy, this place ain’t, but I’ve slept in worse locations.

  I glance at Renata, who has probably never slept anywhere but five-stars hotels. Surprisingly, she’s not looking at anything with revulsion but rather with detached curiosity. Maybe she isn’t as bad as her other friends were. But whatever.