“You’re here now, so don’t get your panties in a bunch.” Phox glanced at her watch. “They should be almost done and making their way back to us now.”
My chest heaved as I tried once again to get free of Marek’s power. Damn him and his Doyen abilities.
“If Malina should be gone, why can’t we go to them?” I asked when my attempts to get free failed once again.
“Because there is a process, and you need to wait. It will be good for you. Something you should learn sooner rather than later,” Phox deadpanned, and I wanted to rip her head right off her body.
Deciding I wasn’t going to get any more out of Phox, I let Marek catch Jules up more gracefully than I had and went inside my head.
Chelle? You there?
Yes, I’m here, but I can’t help you get free. If I could have, I would have done so the minute you sat on this couch. I can’t even force a shift on you. Marek’s power is much stronger than me.
It’s okay. What should we do?
See if Phox will tell you about Malina’s magic. She mentioned something about only magic being able to defeat the form Malina was currently in.
Ah, I had forgotten about that piece once I learned Enzo was in trouble.
Sitting up straighter, I kicked Phox to get her attention and was glad I could at least move my legs even if my ass was glued down. She snarled at me but didn’t make a move to retaliate. “What is the magical form Malina created that you mentioned earlier?” I asked.
“Oh, yes. This is an old form of magic I haven’t actually seen before, but basically, it’s like an astral projection of herself. She isn’t, or wasn’t, actually at Shadow Veil, but she can wield magic as if she was.”
“What did you mean before about defensive magic being the only thing to weaken her form?” Marek asked next.
“Well, think of that version of Malina like a video game character. She will weaken with every hit, and when she disappears, she only has to channel enough power to come back again.”
“How many times can she do this?” Jules piped in.
“Thankfully, not much. While it is an effective way of staying alive for small intrusions like today, if she tried this in a battle, her physical form would need to be close by. She would be defenseless and would weaken quickly against too many attackers.”
Well, cheers to small blessings.
A few more minutes ticked by, and the room remained awkwardly silent. Phox had nothing else to reveal, and I had nothing else to ask until Enzo and Talon were safely back.
Shit. Talon. Gemma. I had to call her.
“Someone needs to get Gemma. She should be here when they get back.”
Phox smirked. “Actually, Gemma already found them, and Finley should be arriving in three, two…”
The door burst open, splintering in the process. “Raegan, you have to come now.”
My eyes met Marek’s, and he released me with a nod of his head. Before I left the room, I turned to Phox. “If either of them was more than moderately hurt, I will do whatever it takes to kick your ass until you know what pain feels like because right now, I’m pretty sure you have no heart.”
Without giving her the chance to reply, I raced after Finley and followed her to the infirmary. “Did you see them?”
She nodded. “Talon has some scratches and Enzo was dirty from being tossed around it sounded like, but they seem fine. Pissed beyond reason, but okay. What’s up with Phox?”
“We’ll talk about that as a team.” Tension left my body in waves. They weren’t dead. Malina hadn’t won. Phox was wrong. Which meant maybe she was wrong about the other things, too.
When we arrived in the room they were being kept, Gemma was darting around the bed, tucking covers and moving Talon until she seemed absolutely sure he was as comfortable as he could be.
“Babe, I’m fine. She only took a few scales, and they’ll grow back.”
My body flinched when I heard that, because I knew how painful it was, even when they grew back, but I didn’t dwell on it too long. “Where is Enzo?”
“I’m right here, Love.” His voice never sounded sweeter.
Spinning around, I ran right into his arms and wrapped myself around him as close as I could. “They wouldn’t let me go to you. Phox knew what was happening, and the bitch did nothing to stop it.”
I might have begun to like Phox at some point, but she had crossed a line, and I wasn’t sure I could trust her again. Visions aside, I should have had a choice to be there for Enzo.
“It’s okay. I’m glad she kept you away. Otherwise, Malina’s plans might have changed. She only came here for dragon scales, and she got them. Now, we just need to figure out why she wanted them.”
Shit. Malina had won. Even if this wasn’t a battle of normal circumstance, she’d invaded and taken what she wanted, then escaped with her life.
Wiggling out of Enzo’s hold, I glanced up at him. “I know where she’s going, and we have to warn the dragons. The last time she had me, she took a scale and used it to insert enough dragon DNA into herself that she could go through the portal into Drakken.”
Enzo let out a string of curses, and I wasn’t sure how we were going to stop her, but Marek better have a plan in place, because I doubted Malina was going to just look around this time.
This time, she was going to make a statement.
Chapter 13
Enzo grabbed my hand and zapped us to Marek’s room. Since the door had been broken by Finley, we didn’t have to knock. Instead, we stepped carefully over the splintered pieces, and I was surprised to see Phox and Jules still present.
Phox wore a smirk that told me she likely already knew what I was about to say, so I disregarded her and focused on Marek.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Your people are in danger. We have to go to Drakken right now.”
Phox stood, stealing Marek’s attention. “It’s as I said earlier. You will lose, and it’s imperative for that to happen so things can come full circle. I know it’s difficult to understand, but you must trust me. I’m not saying lives won’t be lost, but Drakken will be better for this. Trust that you’ve prepared them for this exact situation and know that one day soon, it will all make sense.”
Taking a step further toward Marek, I was fuming. “You’re not just going to take her word for it, are you?”
His face pinched, and Jules took his hand. “Trust yourself. Do what you want to do. It hasn’t led you astray so far, and you’re the one who has to live with the choice.”
He nodded before closing his eyes. Standing there, my foot tapped on the ground. Enzo placed his hand on my shoulder, his hold being the only reason I didn’t lose my shit and go off on Phox. She was either making things up as she went, or she was withholding something important.
Something that could help us to trust her.
Either way, I really wanted to take my frustrations out on her face.
Marek finally stood. “We will stay put. As you said, my people have been preparing for this day for decades.”
Phox grinned. “Very well. I’ll be in touch soon.” Then, the seer disappeared.
“Are you sure? Malina took scales from Talon. More than a few of them. And who knows how many she took when she was in Drakken before? She could be bringing an army to Drakken right now,” I said, trying to make him see how dangerous the situation could be.
He smiled softly at me. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but a dragon seer is bound by duty. Yes, I believe Phox toes the line of those responsibilities, and I’m also certain she’s omitting something useful, but she isn’t lying. Whether any of us like it, this is a path we must follow for the best chance at success when it matters most. Now, let’s gather the council and get in touch with your grandmother.”
“No.” My hands went to my hips and I glared at him.
“What do you mean ‘no’?” He tilted his head, seeming genuinely surprised.
“I mean no, we’re not going to i
gnore the threat to Drakken. I won’t just stand by and let innocent people die. Phox wasn’t even sure that we’ll stop Malina. Why should we listen to her now?”
Marek walked toward me, and Enzo stepped away. He’d remained my silent support, which I appreciated, but I also wished he would speak up and agree with me.
“Raegan, your spirit is strong. Your love for others is unbreakable, even complete strangers. I’m not trying to disregard that, but I have lived for a very long time, and I know how these things work. Phox can’t be certain we will defeat Malina, because people still have free will. If I chose to go to Drakken now and fight Malina, then Phox’s vision would change once again.
“But by heeding her advice, no matter how poorly it was given, I am allowing that possibility of us winning to remain. Choices will need to be made along the way and every choice has a consequence. Some of them will come with a heavy burden, and some won’t, but one thing is for certain, all of them will either lead to our success or failure.”
Tears of frustration brimmed in my eyes. “I don’t like it. It’s not right to leave them on their own.”
He hugged me tightly, and the tears finally fell. He’d never hugged me before—probably because I’d subconsciously been keeping him at a distance—but his arms around me felt right. It felt like a piece of me I didn’t know was missing clicked into place, and my heart filled with a joy I shouldn’t have been feeling when people were about to die.
“I know, and I will minimize the damage as much as I can. I already sent a message to Ethaniel when I learned Malina took the scales. Now, we just have to hope he gets it in time. I’ve made the choice to be here, and here I will stay until the task of removing Malina from this existence has been completed. I’ve failed you before; I won’t do it again.”
Pulling back from our embrace, my brows pinched. “How have you failed me?”
“How about we chat more later? I’d rather not be rushed to have this conversation, and I believe we need to be on our way.”
Glancing at Jules behind him, she smiled with tears of her own. “The council has already called a meeting, but the team doesn’t need to attend. Raegan, why don’t you go fill them in and we’ll meet later?”
“Yes, you and I have some catching up to do,” I said while looking between her and Marek.
There was a blush to her face that told me my earlier thoughts had been accurate. There was something going on between her and my DDD, and while it might not have been something I’d have ever predicted, I didn’t mind it. Everyone deserved happiness in their life, and if they’d found it with each other, then so be it. There was no reason to hide their feelings, especially not for my sake.
Enzo had already begun working to repair Marek’s door. Just like when he’d repaired his windows my first year, he pieced the broken wood back together with his elf magic before straightening the hinges. “There. Nobody will ever know a vampire burst through here not too long ago.”
Marek nodded. “Thank you. We’ll see the two of you soon.”
With that, we all went our separate ways, and the knot that had been growing in my stomach since the moment Phox came back finally began to unravel.
“Are you okay?” Enzo asked.
“No, but I will be,” I answered honestly.
“Is there anything I can do?”
My head shook. “Nothing more than what you’ve already done. Let’s get dinner with the team and then wait for Jules and Marek to finish. I doubt we’ll learn anything new, so I’m not going to worry about it for now.”
Marek was right about one thing: we all had free will, and I could only be pushed so far before I stopped caring about what other people wanted me to do and did what I believed was right.
If I had known how to open a portal, I’d have left a note and gone to Drakken myself. Visions or not, every life was worth defending, even if it put mine at risk.
Dinner with the team had been tense and not at all how I thought it was going to go. Talon had been just as irate as I was when he learned Marek wasn’t going back to help defend Drakken. He’d stormed off, and Gemma left to calm him down.
Lyssa had been understanding of the situation, while Peyton and Finley didn’t really voice any opinions other than they were excited to be going to New Orleans. Gemma and Talon never made it back, so we called it an early night and headed to our dorm.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Enzo asked as soon as we sat down on the couch.
“Not really. I mean, I know I need to chat with Jules. There’s a lot more going on around here than I think we’re aware of, and if we’re just expected to sit tight and obey, then the council is going to see just how rebellious I can become. They need to be more forthcoming.”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I’m not sure you’re going to get what you want. It’s why I didn’t argue with Phox earlier. Yes, we might be essential in defending against Malina, but ultimately, the council could do this themselves along with Marek. They don’t need us, and there is no changing their minds when they’ve made a decision.”
My chest rumbled. “So, you’re saying we’re doing the dirty work they’d rather not do themselves while they also choose not to be transparent with us?”
“Essentially.”
I’d been around this supernatural community for over two years now, and I still wasn’t sure I liked it. The only time I’d ever really thrived and enjoyed myself was when we were in New Orleans. School life officially sucked, and I was ready to move on.
I’ve been thinking about it as well, Chelle chimed in.
And what did you come up with? I asked.
Well, I agree. Marek made some valid points, and I think we need to trust the bigger picture.
Damn her for agreeing. I hated feeling like I was just throwing a fit for not getting my way, but again, I didn’t grow up in this world. Maybe it was possible for me to dig a little deeper and let this play out how Phox saw.
“What did Chelle say?” Enzo asked with a smirk.
“How did you know I was talking to her?” I asked instead of replying.
His finger traced between my eyes. “You get this crease right here whenever you’re checked out. It’s adorable and helpful to know I’m not being ignored when you don’t answer me back.”
My face warmed as he kept up with the soft touches. “What did you say?”
“I told you your phone was ringing and almost grabbed it, but Jules hung up.”
Grabbing my phone, I glanced at the screen and saw a missed call, followed by a text.
Jules: Making plans to head to New Orleans, so I’ll be busy for another couple hours. Breakfast tomorrow morning?
Me: Sure, but if you don’t show up, I will find you.
She didn’t answer, but I didn’t worry about it. She knew I’d follow through on the threat if she canceled on me.
“Should I call my grandma? Amalia should know war is coming for her territory,” I said. I didn’t care what Phox thought, I’d warn my Meme with or without permission. If she tried to force me to do anything differently, the seer would learn quickly how fierce my dragon was.
“War isn’t coming tomorrow. Let’s deal with it in the morning,” he suggested, and I wanted to object, but he was probably right.
Jules would have more information for me, and letting Amalia know everything at once was probably better. As much as I didn’t agree with everything that happened, I also didn’t want to be the reason things moved faster than necessary.
“Do you think we’ll get to finish school this year?” I asked, because it had been on my mind a lot as of late. There were no tomorrows promised with our given situation, and as frustrated as I’d been, I missed the beginning days of my time at Shadow Veil Academy.
“I do. Something tells me Malina going to Drakken is the start of something that won’t end until one of us has been defeated, and I refuse to believe that someone will be us. She’s running out of resources, and if she doesn’t start making mov
es quicker than before, then she won’t have any help to do so.”
“It’s not going to be the same, though.” I sighed, resigned to the fact that the foreboding battle meant lives would be lost.
“No, nothing will ever be the same after this. Not for us or any of the supernaturals. Whatever is coming will change everything, no matter who wins. War affects everyone, even if they’re not on the battlefield.”
He was right, but my biggest concern was for those who would be coming with us. Losing any part of our team would gut me. Losing Jules, Marek, Headmaster Stone, or anyone else who had helped me get to where I was would equally destroy me.
As much as I wanted Malina gone, I wasn’t sure I was mentally prepared to pay the price it could cost me.
Chapter 14
Early the next morning, I slipped out of bed and left Enzo a note. We’d been up late into the night, so he was still out cold, allowing my escape to go unnoticed.
Once I was outside our dorm, I headed straight for Jules’s room. When I arrived, her door was just closing, and I smirked.
Raising my hand, I knocked instead of barging in.
“Did you forget… oh, hey, Raegan. I didn’t think I’d see you this early,” Jules stammered.
“I bet you didn’t. Who was just here?” I asked casually.
“Nobody.”
“Lies. Now move out of my way and keep the details to yourself. I may not call him Dad, but I still don’t want to hear anything about whatever the two of you have going on. Well, other than whether or not he makes you happy and you do the same for him.”
Her whole face lit up when she grinned. “You’re ridiculous. It’s not like that. Too much is going on for us to start something new right now.”
“So, what you’re saying is there is something going on, but both of you are too selfless to act on it?”
She gave me her best aunt-mom face. “Raegan.”
Daring Provocation (Shadow Veil Academy Book 3) Page 10
