The Shadows of Blackbriar Academy

by Olivia Ash

  “I thought you said he was dangerous.” I push my plate away. This conversation is upsetting me, causing my stomach to churn. I’m not hungry anymore.

  “He was… perhaps still is, which is why I am cautioning you. But he is still my brother, and I could also be wrong. People can change.”

  I doubt that.

  She takes my plate and empties it into the trash before setting both of them into the sink. When she turns around, she looks at me pensively.

  I wonder what she’s going to ask. I want to ask what she’s thinking about, but this woman is unpredictable at times. I never know if I’m going to say something that will make her clam up again.

  “Do me a favor, will you?” she asks.

  “Sure.” I put on a fake smile. “Anything.”

  “If you do remember anything, anything at all, come to me first. I will make sure you remain safe and protected. No one will ever get close enough to hurt you ever again.”

  Well, would you look at that? She actually seems genuine. The moment actually makes me pause.

  “I will.” I add a nod for good measure.

  Honestly? Everything she said to me has been a lot to process, and I want to mull it over with my men. They’ll support me in figuring out our next step. No one is here for the moment, but they won’t be gone forever. Though I could really use someone to talk to immediately, I can be patient. I have my memory of last night with Jesse to keep me company and help me pass the time.

  Aunt Patricia glances at her watch. “I have to go.”

  She removes herself from the counter and walks around it toward me. She lifts her arms as she approaches, and it takes me a moment to process what she’s doing. When she wraps her arms around me, I’m shocked. She pulls away and pats me on the cheek with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. She looks almost sad. Regretful.

  I open my mouth to ask her about that, but she floats through the door into the hall. A short burst of light flashes into the room and I know she’s gone through a portal.

  That question will have to wait until next time.

  After putting the remaining food in the refrigerator, washing the dishes and cups we used, and wiping off the counter, I dust off my hands and head for my room. I need to think. Then I need to plan.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Sitting around my room day in and day out. Running over everything my aunt said in my head. She mentioned some alarming things about my father, and it’s wound me up tight. I don’t think I’ve ever been this upset over anything, ever.

  Once I am dressed in some warm training clothes, I head for the training circles. This pent up energy needs to be released. Besides, training has helped ease my nerves and clear my mind before. It’s also an excellent way to burn off excess energy.

  I return to the first circle Soren and I used when we first began training together. Call it sentimental.

  I’m surprised to see targets standing at the far end of my circle. I practice shooting controlled bursts of energy at them before I look at my wrist and briefly entertain the idea of using magic without my conduit. I don’t, of course. That would be ridiculously reckless of me.

  The entire island may be mostly empty of all staff and students who are lucky enough to have families to go home to for the holiday, but that doesn’t mean someone couldn’t stumble upon me by chance.

  It’s a risk I just can’t take.

  I have enough problems to deal with. Adding another just isn’t worth it.

  Getting back to work, I practice my dodge rolls and aiming my counter attacks. All the while, I can’t get out of my head the possibility that what Aunt Patricia said is true.

  But my father can’t be a criminal. I remember how he enjoyed magic and teaching its basic principles to me. A far cry from casting unsanctioned spells and tinkering with dangerous powers. There’s more to the story, and I refuse to accept the accusations against him at face value. I know my father was searching for the meteorite. But for who and why?

  I move to a practice dummy that’s set up at the end of the targets. Practicing my body shots on it, I work up a sweat. My mind spins, while trying to piece together the puzzle.

  The Order was mentioned in Professor Lawrence’s secret room. And with them being after my father, I can’t help but wonder if the Order are behind the rumors too. Maybe my father was working for them.

  More “why” questions come to me. These questions need answering.

  Why would my father work for people like that?

  Why does the Order want my meteorite so badly and for what purpose?

  I jab, uppercut, punch, and knee the dummy repeatedly until I’m out of breath. Taking a break, focusing on slowing my breathing, I think about the possible answers.

  In the end, I don’t know. It’s all speculation, but I feel as though things are going to get far more complicated before they get better.

  I’m growing stronger with each day, honing my power, and learning to use it according to my needs.

  As my breathing returns to normal, I create a circuit of physical attacks along with magical ones, bouncing between the two and not stopping until I’m out of breath.

  However, the more I train, the more questions I come up with. And with few answers presenting themselves, this session is becoming wrought with confusion and frustration. I desperately need answers. Without my father, I have no idea where to start looking for them.

  A throat loudly clears, and I’m tossed from my thoughts to deal with whoever dared to intrude on my training.

  I turn to face Anderson and immediately stiffen, as I give him a deadly stare. I raise my fists and hold them chest high in a fighting stance. If this doesn’t scream that he’d better not approach, then I don’t know what does.

  Ugh! Of all the people staying at Blackbriar during break, he has to be one of them?

  I work to control my disgust and anger as I recall Jesse’s story about his poor mother. If I’m not careful, I may end up a broken shell like her. After a few moments, I decide to address Anderson. “Don’t you have family you should be visiting?”

  He shrugs. “I was hoping to have one last go at changing your mind before I left.”

  “You have got to be kidding me.” I angle myself toward a dummy at my left and deliver a hard, right jab into it. I position myself so I can keep him easily in sight. Turning my back on him would be a mistake and one I can’t afford to make. Not with how hungry he is for my power. I face him again, and my eyes never waiver from his.

  Since the so-called detox that Gideon had him on, the color has returned to his skin and he looks a lot healthier. He edges just a little closer to me, with cautious steps and while keeping eye contact, as if I’m some frightened little animal he needs to pacify.

  Well, he’s going to find out that I’m more dangerous than he could ever imagine.

  “I’m busy training. Leave me alone.”

  “I can see that.” He raises his hands, palms open, to show that he’s weaponless. “I could join you. It would be a better session with a partner. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  “Back the hell off. Now! I want nothing to do with you. The sooner you get that through that thick skull of yours,” I jab my fingers at mine. “The better off the both of us will be.”

  He shakes his head and takes another step forward.

  Oh, hell no.

  All right. You mess with the bull, best be prepared to get the horns. And this girl is done being fucked with.

  My hands instantly fill with magic and I shoot balls of fire at his feet, forcing him to take several steps back.

  He stares at the ground and slowly lifts his glaring eyes to mine.

  Aww, did I upset the poor guy?

  Too bad.

  He doesn’t retaliate. Instead, he seems to mull something over in his head for a moment. When he throws up his hands and walks off, I know he made the right choice.

  I win. Asshole.

  Damn straight I do. I gave him more than enough w
arnings. And today, of all days, I am in no mood to deal with him.

  Just before I turn around and start to dig into my training again, a familiar figure jogs toward me.

  I smile and run to him.

  Soren, you beautiful bastard, you.

  I throw my arms around him and he chuckles as he catches me and lifts my feet from the ground in a huge hug. As soon as my feet touch the ground, I pull away. But only a little.

  “When did you get back?”

  “About five minutes before the show, actually.” He levels his gorgeous amber eyes on mine. “Care to explain what that was about?”

  “I handled it. That’s all there is to say. See? I’m no porcelain doll.”

  “Wren…” There’s a level of warning in his voice, but there’s also a hint of worry.

  “Seriously, I’m fine. So, don’t you dare think about babysitting me.”

  I’m rewarded with a flirty chuckle. “Never.”

  “Thought so.” I flash a coy smile at him.

  “Wanna go get warm?” A flicker of light passes through his eyes.

  “Let me shower first, then you’re on.”

  As I lay cuddled on the bed with Soren, our naked bodies glistening from our lovemaking, I let him know about what Aunt Patricia said. Once I’m done, he kisses me on the top of my head.

  “What was that for?” I lift my head to look at him.

  “To reassure you that everything is going to be okay. From what I’ve gathered, none of what she has said adds up. There are no hints of unsanctioned magic. If there were, I would’ve found out about it before now.”

  I nod against his chest that rises and falls with each breath. His heart beats at a steady pace, as I fight the sleep that pulls at the back of my mind. “So, do you think she was lying to me?”

  He shrugs. “Perhaps, or at the very least, she’s misinformed. When Gideon gets back, I’ll pass along the information to him. We’ll see what he wants to do with it, if he thinks it’s worth doing anything with at all. Just rest and know we’re getting close to finding your father. I know your father will tell you the truth.”

  “But what if he is dangerous?” I lift up and settle my eyes on his. I’m ensnared in the way he looks at me, and it’s hard not to want to smile right now.

  “If Gideon believed that was the case, we wouldn’t have put as much effort into finding him. And my magusari sources never mentioned your father performing unsanctioned magic. I suggest sticking to what he told you and avoid telling your aunt anything about your father until we know for sure one way or the other.”

  I lay my head back down and exhale a deep breath of air from my lungs. “You’re right. Thank you.”

  He chuckles. “Whoa. Who are you and what have you done with my woman?”

  “Your woman?” I’m smiling big now. The sound of him laying a claim to me is thrilling.

  “Duh. Don’t like the sharing bit. But as long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

  “Really?”

  He shrugs again. “Gideon and I are already best friends. Milo and Jesse are growing on me. Albeit very, very slowly.”

  I chuckle. “They are pretty irresistible.”

  “I wouldn’t push it that far.” His hand rubs my back.

  I close my eyes and relish in the feel for a moment. “What would I do without you?”

  “Hmm…” He pauses for a long moment. “Good question.”

  I tighten my arm around him. “I don’t want to know the answer.”

  “I like that. Good. Let’s never try to find out.” His voice is soft and tender. With his hand rubbing my back, I’m lulled closer to sleep.

  “I promise.” I whisper half asleep.

  I slip into a blissful sleep wrapped in the warm arms of a man that I’m quickly falling deeply in love with.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Three months have passed, and as promised, we have returned to the same room each week until Milo could decipher a pattern to my father’s sporadic movements. Though there were some tense moments when we couldn’t land a good connection with his essence, we still came back to see if we could narrow down my father’s whereabouts.

  With Lady Alene quietly looking over the spell from her little corner of the room, the five of us stand around the orb one last time to try to locate my father. This time, the pink little blip appears, and I let out a breath of relief.

  We finally found him.

  Milo nods in my periphery, pulling my attention to him. “He’s revisiting the same patterns. I’ve nailed. It. We can project where he’s going next… Colorado Springs.”

  “When?”

  “I’m guestimating tomorrow between morning and afternoon.”

  “What location in Colorado Springs?” Jesse asks. “That’s a whole lot of city to cover in such a short window.”

  “Garden of the Gods National Park.” Milo’s gaze settles on the map.

  Gideon sighs in relief. “Good news.”

  Soren gives a snort of rebuttal. “Until you consider the presence of humans.”

  Go figure there would be another hiccup to overcome. I roll my eyes and slouch my shoulders. Why does everything have to come with so many challenges?

  Gideon squeezes my hand. I meet his gaze and he smiles reassuringly at me.

  Soren continues, claiming my attention again. “It’s going to take a lot to get in there unseen, grab her father, and get out of there. If the Order decides to show, that creates another issue. If the shadow wolves have been following him, just add that to the list of problems.”

  Gideon huffs. “Mortals may have an inkling as to the mage world, but it’s far from being completely known. And we’d like to keep it that way. A magic battle in the middle of a tourist attraction will draw some massively unwanted attention, to say the least.”

  “Exactly,” Soren says.

  “But this is the best way to get in there and get my father before it’s too late.”

  “Yes.” Gideon breaks from the circle around the map. We follow suit, taking a step back, and I watch as the map fades. “Which means we need a solid plan.”

  “Once at the location, Soren and I can scout ahead and see if we can pinpoint where exactly my father is located, and any chokeholds or spots where we could possibly be ambushed. As soon as we have a solid understanding of the layout of the area, we come back, and we all go in together.”

  Gideon beams at me. I’ve absorbed a lot of tactical knowledge over the last few months in our training sessions as a group. Seeing it being put to use now must be a proud moment.

  He should be proud. He’s a great teacher.

  “We can’t portal straight to the location,” Soren points out, “with as many people that could be there. It would draw too much attention.”

  “From our friends in the Order and our extra-special shadow wolf buddies,” Jesse adds.

  “So,” Milo says from his spot on the floor, “that just means we get as close as we can without drawing attention and go in from there. He’s going to be deep within the park, where foot traffic is lighter, so the likelihood of people being around is very small. I’ve drawn up a map of the location. We can go over it just before we leave.”

  “Excellent idea, Milo.” Gideon nods toward him.

  “And if we have friends…” I use Jesse’s term. It fits. “We can make sure to give them a warm welcome.”

  “A fiery welcome, that is.” Jesse sighs. “I do love a good bon fire.”

  We all share in a chuckle.

  Gideon’s stern eyes roves over us all. “In any case, I’ll cast an illusion over the area so that if and when a fight breaks out, we can do what we need to without passersby stumbling upon us.”

  “We should also come up with a Plan B.” Milo walks forward. “I’ll come up with it at the time that it’s needed in case any of us becomes compromised by the enemy. The less you all know, the better. Just in case.” He gives a nod toward me and there’s a flash of worry that crosses his eyes.

 
“You mean in case they capture and torture one of you to get to me and discover everything we know.” I bite the corner of my bottom lip. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Order was getting that desperate to go after someone close to me if they couldn’t get to me directly. Knowing my men, they would do everything possible to keep me out of harm’s way.

  Lady Alene steps forward, always remaining an observer each time we have come to the room. Until now. “I can also place a special protection for each of you as well. We can never be too careful.”

  “That’s really gracious of you, Lady,” I say.

  She smiles softly. “You all hold a special place in my heart. I do not want to see harm come to any of you.”

  She’s so sweet and kind. I’m ever thankful for her being in my life as well. She’s like a mother looking over us. That means more to me than words can express.

  As the men finalize the plan, I sink into my thoughts. I’m nervous, anxious, excited, and a touch apprehensive. If things go bust this time, I don’t know what I’ll do. I won’t give up, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be happy with leaving my father out there to fend for himself against whatever’s after him.

  I’m snapped from my thoughts as I barely register my name being called. As I look up, I notice all eyes focused on me. “What?”

  “Tomorrow before sunrise, we’ll meet in my office and leave from there.”

  I give them a small apprehensive smile, while I slightly nod my head. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Gideon returns my nod, but there’s a concerned crease in his forehead. He doesn’t address it though. “Let’s get as much rest as we can. The time to leave will come faster than we realize.”

  As we file out of the room, I resolve myself to allowing nothing to separate me from my father again. Not this time. Pity the soul who tries, because I will take out anyone who stands in my way.