by S. L. Morgan
“How are you doing this?” Dom growled.
“Getting pissed isn’t going to help either. I’ll explain later.”
“The black buildings, the quiet places,” Ethan said. “Boilers, the furnace.”
“I don’t know where that is. Can you take us there, E?”
Dom rose us up, “I’m going with this, only because my wolf is ready to shift and follow your commands.” He looked at Ethan, then me, “after we figure out what the heck is going on, both of you are going to tell me why this is happening. I have better control over my shifting abilities—”
“Where are the buildings, Ethan?”
“Follow me,” Dom said. “I think I know what he’s talking about, and if we get caught there, we’re all in the dungeons.”
“Yeah, I’ll tell you about those later,” I rolled my eyes, knowing now that the freaking things didn’t even exist.
“Let’s go.”
We marched out of the dorms. Lusa split to the left, heading toward the ball, and we followed Dom toward the library. We snuck off to where I saw the black buildings and the body bag with Kat in it.
“Are these the buildings, E?” Dom asked his cousin, who had become silent once we got on the trail to hopefully saving Jess and catching this dean in the act.
“Through the basement doors,” Ethan said.
We stepped down steps, and all three of us molded into the brick walls of the musty place when we heard feet shuffling. Dom went into some commander of the supernatural army mode and motioned for us to duck while crossing over to another hall. We ran through wet floors and turned up concrete steps that led to a closed metal door.
“This place is the ultimate creep show of this whole school,” I whispered.
“That’s why students don’t come to the abandoned buildings,” Dom retorted.
“Through the door, to the right. She is dead now. Immortals dead.”
“What?” I seethed. “We’re too late?”
“We must go now,” Ethan ordered and shoved his robust cousin out of his way.
When we walked into some chamber, we saw Jess’s lifeless body lying on a white bed with metal legs. Her arms had rubber tubes coming out of them with green fluid being pushed into them. A soft whimper came from her final breath.
Dom rushed to her side, gently trying to rouse her awake by tapping the sides of her face. “Jess. Come on, you stay with me.” His voice was cracking, in shock. Who knew, maybe he lied and did have feelings for the girl. Instead of getting jealous, I was actually heartbroken, knowing he and Jess had a little kissing fling. Now, here she was…dead.
Dom turned back to me, eyes severe. “Who the hell are you, Jenna Silvers?” he growled. “How did you know about her? How did you manipulate my wolf? What the hell is going on?”
“I see you have finally learned the truth of the unique shifter. Yes. We wondered if she was the one who killed this innocent girl. Immortals don’t die, yet here is a dead shifter.”
I looked back, seeing this whole rescue mission backfiring on me. Mistress Sirena slowly approached from behind. None of this made sense to me. I thought this was the dean’s doing.
“I didn’t do shit!” I snapped at the eerie look on the lady’s face while three black, faceless demon men stood tall at her side. “The dean did this, and now you? How many more are involved?”
“Get the dark shifter child out of here. Put her on the machines. She gets to experience what it’s like to die an immortal death, just like the poor shifter she killed.”
“What!” I looked at Dom, “Stop them! Dammit it, you’re smarter than this.”
“You won’t stop us from seeking justice. You loved this shifter, you both were just too young; isn’t that right, Dominic Rossi?”
“Dominic and Jenna are mates!” Ethan shouted, mainly toward Dom who fell under some weird hypnosis the witch had hit him with.
Ethan shifted at that moment, and his owl tore into the black, faceless men, his large talons turning them into dust particles where they once stood. Ethan swarmed the room, but a large green energy swirled around his owl. My only ally was suddenly gone, and I felt a needle get stabbed into my neck. Slowly, the room blurred, Dom’s face was blank, and I dropped.
Everything was dark, and all I heard was the crashing of metal objects, a shriek, a growl—Dom had shifted—and then it was game over for me.
My insides started burning, my lids became too heavy, and the next thing I knew, I was floating above my body. How was I supposed to help any of the kids at this school as Casper the ghost? I needed a restart on this. I needed godmother granny to give me another shot at this. This is not what she was expecting to happen, or was she? Maybe she was the trap the entire time, sending me straight to the evil witch who was obviously doing the dean’s bidding to get me killed.
I seemed to be in spirit limbo, and if I was still lurking around like a ghost, staring at my body crashed out on the ground, then where was Jess in this limbo of death world I was floating around in?
Chapter Thirty-Six
The spirit world had me tethered to the real world, and it was frustrating not to be able to punch a black demon in its face. I swung at one of the black faceless entities after Dom’s wolf was pinned by two of those things. I heard him call out in pain, so I lurched into it only to swoosh in spirit form right through the thing.
I had no sensory perception by not feeling mass and being in this state. My wolf was present with me, but her eyes were set on the black wolf—her other half—and that’s when I felt something real. She wanted to join his wolf. I had no idea if it was possible since the Dom of the past hadn’t accepted her yet, but maybe because of the feelings of the strong wolf I still carried from our kiss it would work.
Dom’s wolf had three of those respawning, undying things smothering him. All I could hear were his growls, then one of the faceless creatures disappeared, and another back to take its place.
He needed something, and my wolf was pretty sure her power could help. I wasn’t going to argue because if I didn’t act fast, then Dom would be with me—or wherever Jessica’s fox shifter spirit went—and nothing would be left to save this school from the crazy witch clan that took it over.
I sank down and found Dom’s wolf snarling in the corner he was trapped in. I had no idea how my wolf was going to transfer this energy she had to unite us, but she was in a crouching position and ready to pounce. She was ready, and I went with my gut instinct.
I crawled over to the snapping, vicious wolf and dove toward the massive alpha. I felt my inner wolf leave me, and for the first time ever, I couldn’t feel my inner wolf…she was gone.
I slumped in spirit form against the wall, feeling like letting go and moving on. I couldn’t explain this feeling of void, it was as if part of my soul was ripped from me. Dom’s wolf seemed to jump into a more powerful action, and when he stood, slowly stepping toward the faceless demon things, they stepped back. They must have sensed the alpha charged up with more power—or they knew he carried death in his eyes.
The black wolf must have sensed my presence—or it was my girl working with him—because Dom’s bronze-eyed wolf craned his head back to where I was watching and waiting. When I saw the wolf’s eyes, I was blown away to see Dom’s bronze eyes had been replaced by the blue eyes of what I knew was my wolf. Then in a blink, his eyes were his silver lined, bronze wolf eyes again.
Show off! My wolf sensed me and was relieved that I finally listened to her plans. Dom went to action, ripping those things apart and defeating them with brutal force.
Everything happened so swiftly from seeing my wolf to where I was now. The war was over, but I was still dead and couldn’t find my way back to my body. I watched in disbelief as my surroundings changed. It was daylight now, and my body was lying out on the front lawns to the school’s entrance.
Five black SUV’s pulled up and followed each other down the driveway and up to the school. The school students all stood out, Mistress Sirena—t
he vampire who worked for the Maddison coven—was handcuffed with warded sigil cuffs and being walked out to one of those black cars.
A large group dressed in black suits and long black dresses worked the area.
“The owl won’t leave her,” Dean Edgewater said with a hand clamped on Dominic’s shoulder. “We must take her and Jessica’s body and…”
“No one is to touch the bodies,” a short man with an authoritative voice said.
I looked over and saw my body lying there—in my Queen of Sparta costume, no less—with Ethan’s large owl behind me. One of his massive wings was spanned out and reaching around my head, planted like a barrier in front of my body, reaching almost to my waist. His owl was enormous, and his owl was pissed. No one was going near the angry shifter, even Dom had a fearful expression on his face toward Ethan as his owl was in full predator mode.
“I see you have learned a little about this ancient school,” a voice said to my right. “The darkness will soon lift, for now.”
The school scene faded when I looked and saw a tall man with my brown eyes and short brown curly hair.
“Dad?” I questioned the familiar features I shared with the man.
His lips pulled together in a fine line and drew up in one corner, offering me a curious smile and nod. “Your mother was right, look at you, you certainly do look like me.” He chuckled. “Although, I see so much of her in you too.”
“Am I in shifter afterlife? How is this happening?”
“You’re still needed on this earth, you won’t be coming with me, Jenna.”
I ran to hug him, but an invisible wall stomped me inches from contact. “As much as I long to embrace my baby girl, I’m only here in your spiritual mind.”
“I’m so confused.”
“I would think you were insane if you weren’t,” he said, eyes locked on mine. “Listen, we don’t have much time before they take you from here. I need you to understand that you must always fight. The war may seem to be over for now, but until the creature is exposed and you find a way to destroy her and the coven that cursed our family, you must always watch and be ready.”
“Ready for what? They just took that professor who was killing immortals out of this place,” I said, my mind still blown I was talking to my dad. Naturally, I should’ve been skeptical that this was him, but it wasn’t even a question in my mind.
“The darkness lives and breathes in the walls of Immortal Academy. Look at the school.” He pointed back to where I once was, watching all the students as they huddled together and stared at House Draugar’s headmaster being hauled off, my dead corpse positioned like sleeping beauty waiting for the prince to kiss her and lift her curse, and the dean talking to the army of people in black clothes.
I saw the brilliance of the charming school. I could see the alluring nature it projected and the fairies’ magic sprinkled everywhere…the beautiful, majestic school that I hated even past its beauty.
“Look harder, Jenna. You have the ability to see past this façade. The school is spelled to allure students—to be everything they want it to be in a school. That’s where it takes them and slowly digests them to thrive.”
All he had to do is hit me with that cryptic message, and I narrowed my eyes at the school I hated…the creepy school that took my friends from me. That’s when the façade dropped, and I saw the school for what it really was now.
It was dark gray, eerie gray. Thick brown twigs replaced the vibrant glittery vines that had bright blooms in a variety of gemstone colors. The lawns were brown and overgrown. The crystal clear water was a murky green and brown mud hole for the deteriorating fountains that graced the lawns. The trees were all dead, branches like skeleton fingers sprawling out from their massive trunks and reaching toward a greenish black sky. Everything about this school screamed death and darkness.
“It looks like death…like this has been abandoned for decades.”
“Now you see what the evil has done here. Lift your eyes, but don’t forget—this is what Immortal Academy truly looks like. Once the creature is destroyed, the coven of witches who destroyed this school will be gone with their creation, and the school will return to its natural beauty. Even more beautiful than what your mind sees in its façade.”
“How do I do any of that? Apparently, my mother was part witch and part fairy. I have no control over the crazy powers when they hit me, but they seem to come in when I beg them to.”
“You have to control that. Do not beg for the powers, but you should know that you have much more than just the powers of the fae and witch. You are the strongest shifter. Once you and House Braeclaw’s strongest alpha are mated, you will begin to see your powers develop further. Until then, you must continue on your path of destiny.”
“Destiny? Why can’t I just help to free the kids out of this place? Why can’t we just leave to save our lives?”
“If you all leave, the darkness will follow you out into the world, and Earth will look like this place.”
“Why is this all on my shoulders? What if this all fires back up again and more immortals die?”
“Immortals will die, Jenna. You can’t save all of them, even by freeing them. Every immortal at this school was selected to be here, and once here, they feed the beast. They feed the walls of that place. They are connected. The connection has been reversed by you and the alpha working together to destroy the darkness for now, but it’s not left the school. It will always continue to feed until the coven, their spell, and their beast have been defeated. The time will come, but that time is not now.”
“Then, when is that time?”
“You’ll know. Until then, all you can do is work to help House Mage and the surveillance council that is at the school now to get rid of the ones who fall under its possession.”
“Dean Edgewater. He is part of this, but he stands out there, free.”
“Dean Edgewater has not been possessed by the school, not fully. His fairy genetics have kept the dark fight within him at bay. It was the vampire who fell, she dabbled in the darkness that lured her. She wanted more power, the school gave her what she wanted and took what it wanted in return. That woman will be locked away by the council.”
“And if the Maddison coven finds out about her and what the surveillance council—those people dressed in black—did?”
“The war would come sooner. The Maddison coven knows there is one who can defeat them, they just don’t know exactly who that is.”
“This is all insanity.”
“Evil is insanity, Jenna. That’s why we took you away before they spelled you and hid you from them. They still believe you are the nineteen-year-old child, the oracle that you spoke with—”
“Fairy godmother,” I offered.
He grinned. “Yes. She’s protected you since the fire. We trusted her to protect you, to keep you from this place, but as she warned, your blood wouldn’t be able to withstand the dark magic from sensing that you are all immortal. We’d hoped her spell would hide the fact that your mother and I were full-blooded immortals, but fairy and witch blood in your system kept overcoming it all. Now, you’re at the age where she can’t reverse your memories anymore. You will know and remember everything now.”
“Hold up,” I said. “My memories have been screwed with?”
“Yes,” he said. “For your protection. There are so many people secretly working for Maddison coven that we couldn’t take chances. There are also many working for us—for you—to help keep you protected. The oracle—your godmother—has stepped in more than once to erase your memories and to mute your abilities outside of being a shifter.”
“Can’t you all take us back in time, like she did for me to unsuccessfully save Jessica and stop Dominic Rossi and me from doing that connection thing?”
“Does your soul wish to be separated from him? We’ve already pulled your wolves apart once, we will not make that mistake again. It could have cost more than poor Jessica’s immortal life.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked in a low voice.
“You and Dominic have already connected your wolves. That’s when your powers came too early. You were too young. We questioned all of it, and we altered fates because of it. If there is one thing we won’t do again, it is separating your wolves.”
“When?” I asked him. “When did this happen? How many times have I had my brains scrambled by this oracle?”
“It was at your previous school. You and Dominic sensed each other’s wolves. You were both too young for such a connection to be forged—he eighteen and you seventeen. We were sure both of you were in grave danger and not mature enough to fight off being mated for the power. It had to be stopped.”
“So you all just came in and stopped us. This is why our wolves both sense more, but we mentally fight it off in our natural forms?”
“Yes,” he said sorrowfully. “You must understand that no malice was intended. We’re doing our best to protect you.”
“But now it’s okay?”
“Now, you both are ready,” he answered.
I should’ve been angry that my memories had been tampered with, but I knew that it was meant to protect me. The more I heard, the more it made sense. Our wolves already knew each other. It’s the reason I didn’t cower to his alpha stuff, the reason I felt a pull toward him, and him towards me.
“Dominic doesn’t remember me. Since that Oracle Godmother brought me back here, he doesn’t remember our connection.”
“Dominic will always be your mate. You’ll just have to be patient. It didn’t take long for you both to reunite, it won’t take long again. Your wolves already know each other, just stop fighting them and their instincts.”
“How do we beat this thing?”
“The school—your friends even—have been given a fresh start. Even now, they are working to ward off all the sinister spells that fell on the students; however, as I said, the school will lure them all back to it. It will slowly digest who they really are, and they will fall under the spell again. Some may be able to fight it. You should work with your friend, Vannah. She is a strong witch—a Woodson witch. You will need her, so don’t lose her to the school again.”
