Immortal Academy- The Complete Series

by S. L. Morgan

  Damn. If this malevolent creature was freaking even an evil leprechaun out, we were definitely dealing with some pretty dark crap. I went in and inwardly gathered as much power as I could, and then I sprang out to where Melanie was being held in the figure of my mother’s embrace. This was my chance to do the sneak attack takedown of that thing.

  “It’s taking my—” Melanie screeched as I felt a barrier wall go up, and I felt my cloaking spell drop. I slammed into the invisible barrier, and now, I couldn’t reach it as it drained Melanie into nothing but skin and bones. “Make it stop,” she shrieked.

  “Jen,” Dom said. “You can do this.”

  I focused on the terror I felt pouring out with each and every cry from Melanie. The creature looked at me, but it was no longer my mother. Its façade dropped, and I could see it for what it really was. It was a gray, scaled beast with two, horned heads. The thing flashed its teeth at me, and I saw rows and rows of vampire fangs. Then, I saw the most disgusting thing I’d ever seen in my life. Hands were pressing against the inside body of the creature as if people were inside its belly, trying to push their way out. It tossed a crying Melanie off to the side and walked toward me, pointing and growling.

  “You tried to hide, but it didn’t work.” Its voice oozed with evil. “I should kill everyone you brought with you, but I think I’ll make you do that for me. More enjoyable.”

  “Screw you, asshole,” I said, “You know I have more power than you.”

  “You don’t know the first thing of how to use it, young Silvers. Give me my power, and your friends will live.”

  I looked back and everyone, horses included— had been turned into stone.

  “You might have all your power, little girl, but you’re not ready for it. Join me, child. Join me, and I will free them, the students, and, most importantly, I’ll let your mother’s spirit free. That spirit needs peace. It’s been a long time for that one.”

  The thing started chanting to me in short, choppy, witch incantation talk, and I inhaled, forcing the power it had out of it and into my veins. I watched its eyes bulge when I called for more of its power.

  The worst part of this was that I knew exactly what I was doing by mentally draining that thing of life, energy, and power. I was going dark. This was a dumb move, but it was the only way to tap this thing of its strength. If I did this, maybe those souls inside it would—Holy shit!

  I felt them instantly.

  I felt all of the countless souls this thing had, by using my mother’s spirit and her supernatural powers, consumed from the innocent, supernaturals to make it stronger and stronger.

  As the thing howled in anger, the eerie sound of Ethan’s owl offered up a screech, letting me know it was ready to take it out first, then finish me off. I felt the urge to command the owl to join me in feeding off of this evil power it’d created by taking supernatural lives. I would be able to dominate everything under my control. Every single race and species of individuals out there was at my fingertips, and I wanted the owl by my side.

  My wolf bellowed a distinctive call to her alpha, and I then felt Dominic’s presence. He was nowhere near me, but mentally, his power was helping me navigate the evil I was continuing to absorb even after the beast had shriveled up and fell to dust in front of me.

  Now, the evil was being pulled out of the water that seemed to be a bottomless pit of sinister forces. I ignored the pitiful sounds of the suffering souls that I had absorbed and continued to draw out the evil that was coming from the tar that was once crystal clear, rapidly flowing water.

  That’s when I permitted my eyes to see through the tar, and I ordered the water to be clear. I had to find the breach. I had to seal this bottomless pit. I felt that this was a portal straight to hell, and it had to be closed.

  I dove into the water, ignoring the voices of the Guardians and Dominic, who’d returned to their natural forms, freed from their stone bodies after I ended that demonic creature.

  My clear vision turned back to black, and all that was left was my senses now. I had to follow my instincts to seal this thing, even with the water growing hotter and hotter. I felt like I was literally swimming in this pit, going straight to hell.

  My energy was draining at a rapid rate slowing me down until I felt Dom’s strong hand clasp around mine. The souls of the immortals that were absorbed into me were helping to drive me to keep going, while Dom’s hand gripped mine hard, pulling me toward the portal to hell, giving me the strength I needed to finish this.

  I glanced down, seeing a purple and blue light swirling around my hand that was intertwined in Dom’s. Thank God, my magic was still in effect. I stopped swimming down and turned to face where Dom had jumped into this pit after me. I felt our wolves send us both their power while I touched Dom’s face, shaking my head no to him, letting him know that he wasn’t going down to die in hell with me.

  Dom’s face, lit by the glow of my illuminating hand, showed me what he’d always said—we’d die together if we had to. He wasn’t leaving my side. We either fix this together or die giving it our best shot.

  My body felt like it was going to spontaneously combust as we got closer, then I felt an urgency to free the tormented souls—including my mother’s. Her spirit was part of me, and I felt it. It’s the only explanation I had for not giving myself entirely over to the evil that had consumed me. Her soul was blocking it and guiding me.

  An explosive wave of peace washed over me through the lava Dom and I swam through. It was my mom. Her spirit was pure now and could only be freed once this pit was sealed shut. I was at the scorching entrance, not understanding how we could hold our breath this long. Who knows, maybe we were dead and now doing this on a spiritual level. Dom’s energy was hard to detect through this scorching water, but it didn’t matter at this point. What did matter was shutting this pathway for evil and freeing the tormented souls.

  I waved a glowing green, yellow, blue, and purple-colored hand of magic over the vacant opening, forcing the portal to close and take everything evil it’d sent into our world back into it. Streams of dark spirits glided past me and into the abyss that was on the other side of this realm. Every diabolical spirit that had been sent out to possess anyone was being called to where it belonged. Hell. I mentally called for all of it, hoping that every last ounce of darkness returned back to where it came from.

  My energy was completely depleted by the time I heard what sounded like a door slam, and then Dominic and I were shot up and out of the water. I felt the owl shifter land next to me, and I could feel that I was still carrying the tormented souls inside me. The only way I knew to free the souls was to let the owl do his job and get rid of me. That pretty much meant I was toast. I had no way of doing it, and even my wolf was backed into a mental corner because my mind was so crowded with broken souls that I should have cracked in half.

  There was no coming back from this, psychologically. I felt their deaths, their agony, and their despair. Everything. It was endless, and if Ethan didn't kill me, I would beg him to.

  I felt an opening and the release of the stolen souls—their relief and longing fulfilled at long last. They were given their lives back, but my anguish was just beginning.

  I felt the burning pain of every death, even after the souls had been freed from their dark prison. Please, God, make it stop! I pleaded and begged with this feeling of despair, grief, and loneliness that consumed me.

  Now, I was left with the scars, the screams, the terror. All of it. I had no idea where I was or if anyone was talking to me. I was locked inside my supernatural torture chamber of a mind, writhing in pain and mentally begging Ethan’s owl to end this here and now.

  Chapter Forty-One

  I was, once again, stuck in some limbo world between life and death. The scene was barren and desolate and hopeless. The despair I felt was growing with the torment of souls I had scarred into my entire being by playing the savior.

  “Hey!” I screamed out, my voice echoing over the black sa
nd that covered the ground for as far as I could see.

  I glanced around, seeing that I was alone and wondering where I’d ended up in all of this. Was I in hell? Was I trapped in my mind while that demon thing tricked me and took over? I had no idea.

  “Jen,” I heard Dom’s voice come from out of thin air. “You have to fight,” he ordered.

  “Fight what?” I spun around numerous times, looking for where Dom’s voice was coming from, even though it sounded like he was standing right next to me.

  “You have the ultimate power now,” a snarl interrupted Dom’s answer. “You can control all the elements and this school of immortals—they’re now yours to feed on and stay alive for all eternity. The power, can you feel it surging in you?”

  WTH!? I thought all the evil was forced back to hell? My eyes centered in on a tall figure wearing all black. It walked with a cane—I’d seen that face before. It was the same face I’d encountered when I was forced to come to Immortal Academy…the mysterious man who waited while we boarded the bus to be taken to IA. The bastard had to be one strong asshole to fight being sent to hell off, and now I was face to face with it.

  “Shut the hell up,” I snapped at it and not letting its evil energy shake me.

  “That’s no way to talk to the new master who is working to keep you alive. Those souls you took on?” It smirked. “Some weren’t the best and most loving individuals. You carry their darkness too. It all worked out as planned.”

  “Screw any plans you might have for me. I’m going to beat this, and then you’ll be working with nothing.”

  “With what power?” Its chalky, long face smiled some evil grin. “You have no access to your powers anymore. I do.”

  “Who the hell are you, the devil?”

  It laughed. “That’s none of your concern, but I appreciate your compliment. Our master, however, probably doesn’t appreciate the compliment as much or the fact that your powers are still blocked off to us.”

  “Our master?” I questioned. “No. I’m not as weak as my mother was. You’re not getting into my head and controlling me.”

  “Really? Because I’m already in it—me and all of the various other dark souls who are still inside you, feeding my power to be here.”

  Hell no. I wasn’t going to feed this thing just like I wouldn’t feed that demon who was locked up in my mind. Talking to it was giving it power. For all I knew, this shit was made up, possibly by the dark souls I’d taken on along with the sinister energy I’d absorbed before jumping into that tar pit.

  “This has always been your destiny. This was why you were born with such powerful gifts…to control every living being. Of course, we had some obstacles in our way: the oracle, the owl, your mate…” It spat out the last word as if it wanted nothing more than to kill Dom.

  “Those people are the reason I’m going to kick your diabolical ass.”

  “If only he were like every other alpha male, desiring to mate with the one he felt so passionately about. Following sexual desires should have been easy enough for Dominic Rossi to fall into our trap, but the wolf grew a conscience and will suffer for not doing what we impressed into his head…what fate desired for you two wolves.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? You—this evil that’s surrounding me—all of this shit is the only reason Dom and I found each other?”

  It nodded and smiled.

  “Yes, of course.” It chuckled in some disgusting, phlegmy way. “How else do you think you came to know him? Mark Rossi sensed our ways were driving you both together as one since we began working your mind to lure him to you. It was all created from the moment you were conceived. We kept a close eye on your mother while you grew. The witches helped us find her even when she tried hiding from us after having visions of this exact moment.” It grew serious.

  “I’m not buying any of this shit,” I said. “None of it.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “I think it does,” I said. “You need Dominic to unlock my powers, and you’re not getting him. If what you’re saying is true, then that alpha and I did a damn good job in keeping the powers locked up.”

  “Dominic will join us soon enough. He’s fighting us right now, but we have our own ways of convincing.”

  Screw this. I had to mentally deal with this asshole, and I felt the full possession too. I was pulled out of my conscious mind and being controlled by this thing. The fact that I was still alive in my mind meant that Ethan’s owl was sparing my life.

  “Thanks to that alpha,” the creature said while it stood there, knowing every thought I had due to it sharing the inside of my overworked mind.

  I decided to go a route that I didn’t want to take, but it was the only way to kill this thing off and release these souls that were howling in the background of my mind. The minute I thought of their agony, it all came back to me. Damn it. This was torment on a new level.

  I needed to die. It was the only way to release this thing and end the sinister shit that had been plotting my destiny since the day I was conceived. So much for not playing the martyr, but seriously, everyone was in for some deep and very dark shit if I didn’t find a way to let my mind just expire. Dom was next on the hit list because he was the only way my magic would open up.

  Unbelievable. I should have known the darkness trailed me and excitedly invited me on the IA bus that day I boarded it and left Dark Water Academy.

  “Oh, we won’t let you kill yourself,” the thing laughed.

  Damn it. Stop thinking, Jenna!

  I watched this area grow dark, and then I saw the vivid blue eyes of my wolf behind the demon who was controlling all of this. Another shadow of a large wolf appeared, crouching in attack mode right alongside my wolf.

  An illumination manifested from my right, cutting through the creepy, desolate void I was in. My magic was returning in all directions now. I sucked in the air—not air—I was in my head. I was locked somewhere in a dark part of my mind that I needed to conquer, in order, to finally rid myself of all of this.

  I fell to my knees in excruciating pain of this full possession. Screw that. Screw all of this. I had Dom magically in my mind, his wolf was here. My wolf stood at its side, and my magic was calling me to take it. I pulled from every part of what and who I was to take my witch and fairy magic, and that’s when that thing smiled at me.

  The magic remained separate…different ribbons of blue, purple, and pink hues, swirling and illuminating through the darkness.

  “Go on,” it nodded. “Now that you’ve revived it, keep at it. You think you’re going to use it to take your own life? Your magic can’t kill you, dear. It can only possess you as I have.

  “No,” I said, hoping like hell this idea would work, “but it can kill you and get you the hell out of my mind.”

  I closed my eyes and imagined mine and Dom’s waiting wolves cloaked and filled with the core of the power of this magic that came to me. I heard chanting—Vannah’s chanting—and it got louder when more voices joined in.

  The demon’s eyes narrowed at me. “It won’t work.”

  Then, the image of my radiant blue and silver wolf lurched out and jumped into where I believed I was mentally standing and facing this thing. I instantly felt my primal instincts to rip this thing to shreds while Dom’s wolf—appearing in electric silver and bronze—rushed to join in and fight this thing. This thing was going to suffer as it felt every last particle of its evil being ripped and turned into nothing.

  The wolves had the power over its diabolical incantations, and because my magic was fueling the wolf that I was, fighting alongside Dominic and tearing this thing apart, it was calling more evil. It called upon the darkness that was inside me to expel my magic from mine and Dom’s wolves to give it a fighting chance.

  “Release them, Jenna,” I heard the voice of my mother. “My soul is here. We must be released, and you have to expel the dark ones, or this evil will never leave you.”

  “How?” I asked as this c
reature kept re-manifesting itself once Dom and my wolf would turn it into dust particles of death.

  “You and that wolf have to merge your powers. The Woodson witches are working to bring the wolves together. You and the alpha have to stop fighting and let them merge you while your powers are already in both wolves.”

  “This has gone on for too long. Time to use the witches that I allowed into your mind to give me my powers,” the thing said, Dom’s wolf being slapped and rolled out of my sight.

  The most beautiful woman in a flowing dress came floating into my sight. I saw a door creak open, and a white light peered through it.

  “You took me, but you won’t take my daughter,” the woman in white ordered.

  “And you will burn with the rest of the damned souls when she releases you,” it said, crawling and appearing to look like a mythological gargoyle creature.

  Good God, it was like a horror fest in my mind right now. My mother was at my side when I noticed Dom’s wolf was laid out and not breathing. My powers were gone from the black alpha, and I no longer had my wolf.

  “The wolves did the first part, but we will end it together.” I felt a slender hand take hold of mine.

  The chanting I once heard was gone, and suddenly, an insurmountable amount of different energy bolted right into my core.

  “We release the souls first,” she said in a soft, delicate voice. “Then, it will be weakened.”

  “How are you doing this? Why couldn’t you fight like this before?”

  “It’s your power that’s doing this.” She squeezed my hand while that thing swiped out at both of us, trying to sever our unification. “Now, imagine their peace, and give it to them. Quickly.”

  I did exactly what she said, and I felt more magic transfer into me. I watched in awe as the light at the door brightened, and I felt the release of each soul that was in agony.