The Shadows of Blackbriar Academy

by Olivia Ash

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Just as I pull back the covers on my bed and start to climb in, a knock on my door echoes through my room. I look over my shoulder, in the direction of the door, and wonder what could be going on now.

  The knocking starts up again, making my door rattle, and I briefly consider ignoring whoever it is in favor of sleep. It’s a fleeting thought that is over just as quickly as it begins. In the end, no one ever visits my door at any hour of night without it being important.

  With a sigh of resignation, I cast my bed an apologetic look and shuffle my feet to the door, opening it to Soren. I quirk an eyebrow. “We’re supposed to be getting sleep, not naked.”

  He casts me a reproachful glare and huffs. “Really?”

  I shrug casually. “What’s up?”

  “Gideon’s decided that we need to train one final time, cover any last-minute issues before we leave in the morning.”

  I groan. “I’m so tired.”

  “We’re all tired, Wren. Tomorrow is going to test us in many ways, and you, Jesse, and Milo are not used to losing sleep and facing battles. It will put Soren and me at ease if we did this.”

  I roll my eyes and open my door wider. “Since you put it that way, let me get my shoes.”

  He nods once. I turn for my shoes, slipping them on and making my way back to the door. Before walking through, I cast one last longing gaze at my bed. The door shuts the inviting warmth of my blankets away, and I walk with Soren to Gideon’s office.

  I fall hard to the floor. The air rushes from my lungs in a forceful grunt. This is the third time tonight that I’ve had my feet kicked out from underneath me, and it’s looking like it’s not going to be the last.

  This is our last shot at understanding how each of us move, respond to attacks, and defend each other. To top this whole shindig off, we’re all exhausted. The day I’ve been waiting for will be here in a few short hours. Rescuing my father will be dangerous, and our enemies have already shown themselves to be fierce. So, training in less than ideal conditions will actually benefit us. My focus returns to the session at hand.

  As we train, we face an onslaught of different foes. Highly armored dummies unsheathe their swords and shadow wolves snarl as they approach. I even catch a glimpse of magically simulated mages in the mix. Dozens of our attackers move so randomly that it’s hard for me to follow and gauge what my enemies will do next.

  Gideon’s hand appears in front of me. I follow the path of his hand to his arm and eventually to his beautiful blue-green eyes that I swear become more stunning each time I look into them.

  I take his hand an allow him to pull me up.

  “Are you okay?” His voice holds an edge of concern.

  I nod. “Why are they moving so randomly? I can’t predict anything that’s coming next.”

  “And you likely won’t. That’s the point of this exercise.”

  Gideon rotates on his heels and blasts oncoming foes as Soren, Milo, and Jesse close in to surround us and create a barrier.

  I gape at him. Honestly, that was incredibly impressive for a scenario that appears to be completely random. How did he know that an enemy was sneaking up on him?

  “Whoa.”

  “Ready?” He angles his chin lower and settles his ever-mesmerizing eyes on me.

  I smile. “Let’s do this.”

  We continue facing the seemingly never-ending army together. Jesse uses his illusion skills to trip up some of the mages, turning them on each other, reducing each other to ash. He smirks. I give him a nod of approval as I face a dummy. I dodge each of its clever blows and shove both of my fists into its chest. A bright light flashes with the blow. The dummy flies backward, knocking into four of its comrades, taking them down.

  Soren whistles. “Damn, that was a good move.”

  I look toward him, flashing a proud smile as he expertly kicks a shadow wolf mid-leap, tossing it to the side in a lump of shadowy mist like it was nothing but a pillow. He turns to his right, takes out a mage with a blast of fire, and turns around to carry out a deadly blow to the head of a dummy, decapitating it. The headless body falls to the ground in a smoking, lifeless form.

  Milo, the clever one, never loses sight of the three foes surrounding him—two shadow wolves and a mage. He works his hands through the air as they start to glow. Magic swirls around him and the earth vibrates, knocking the mage from his feet and forcing the shadow wolves to hunker low to the ground, whimpering.

  My word, I could watch these men fight simulations all day long. But to fight with them is beyond amazing. It’s a very invigorating experience.

  Toss in a bit of teasing and compliments here and there and, ladies and gents, we have fun.

  I feel like I’m in tune with them as my focus is reclaimed on the fight ahead of me. I don’t even think, blink, or flinch. I simply move. Every motion comes so naturally. I also have more control over my power as I notice the precision of my blasts and the steadiness of my hands. It doesn’t quite come as easily as it does without the conduit, but it will soon. With my men’s help, I will do this.

  We’re closer too. These trainings have helped us gain some natural and uncanny ability to move fluidly with each other for a similar cause. And all of us seem to complement each other in different ways.

  I face down two more shadow wolves, snarling at me with their razor-sharp teeth and lava-red eyes glaring at me. I smirk. “Come at me.” I wave them over with my hand.

  They charge. As they get close, one launches into the air while the other goes for my legs. The one still on the ground will reach me first. So, I duck low to the ground, spinning my leg out to trip up the first. The second one flies over me, landing on the ground with a small cloud of dust lifting from his paws. He spins as I deliver a deadly blast of fire to the first one. I shoot a bolt of lightning at him. It lands right between his eyes.

  As the two shadow wolves evaporate into nothing, I stand to take out a mage trying to sneak up behind me.

  I quirk an eyebrow as Milo beats me to it. I’m astonished at how well he fights. He holds his own, and then some. He’s not just a sexy nerd, he’s also a talented fighter.

  All of my men are capable, talented fighters, and it shows.

  Jesse’s strength is creating distracting illusions that cause our enemies to see what he wants them to. Soren’s a battle mage, through and through, with calculated tactics and the ability to kill without hesitation if needed. Gideon is the same, though he prefers to viciously disarm his opponents rather than kill them.

  And me? I’m out to take down whoever stands in my way. Though I dislike the idea of killing someone again, if there’s no other way around it, I will. Because I know that not only are my men’s lives at stake, but also my father’s. I refuse to let anyone I love die—especially him. We’re so close to finally being reunited after so long.

  Whatever it takes to protect and keep the ones I love and care for safe, I’ll do. To hell with the costs.

  My second wind is dwindling fast as I face off with more dummies, shadow wolves, and mages. I see the exhaustion in my men’s faces too. “We can’t keep up with this much longer. We’ll be useless in the morning.”

  “She’s right.” Gideon’s voice booms over the fray of the ensuing fight. “Let’s end this.”

  I close my eyes and breathe deep. Hoping that I avoid my men with this move, I dig deep into my core, reaching for the power of the meteorite fused within me. The feeling is exhilarating, like a hyper adrenaline rush mixed with a slow burn. I can smell the fallen leaves and fresh dirt, the burnt wood from the heap of defeated dummies, and I can feel the earth reverberate with the pounding footfalls of an approaching horde. Opening my eyes, I move forward, my skin glowing white with magic.

  The last of the simulated enemies charge, and once they all surround me, I release the building pressure of my magic begging to break free of my hold. I plant my feet firmly to keep from stumbling and hold my hands steady as I aim the white rush of magic to
ward the simulations. I see colorful lights dance in my vision as my men’s magic join in with mine.

  It’s beautiful, magical, and deadly.

  The burst is over as quick as it begins, consuming the last of the dummies, shadow wolves, and mages. Before a howl or scream can escape their mouths, they’re consumed by the combined power blasted at them by me and my men. All that’s left is glittering dust floating to the floor.

  The world spins as a black rim lines my vision and I fall to my knees. Footsteps pound the ground, rushing toward me. Soren lifts me into his arms and sets me on my feet. After a few moments of regaining my footing and shaking off the exhausting drain my radical move put me through, I weakly smile at my men. “I’m okay.”

  It comes out weak, and judging by the looks on their faces in response, they all disagree with just how “okay” I am.

  “We’ve pushed too hard tonight,” Soren says, keeping me steady.

  “Let’s get some rest. She should stay with you, and you can keep an eye on her.” Gideon’s voice comes from directly behind me and I realize he’s helping to hold me up.

  “I’m fine, really.” At least my voice sounds stronger this time. I’m sore, tired, and in need of another shower, but I’m feeling better as each minute passes.

  “I think we all need some sleep.” Milo stifles a yawn as he stretches his arms above his head.

  “I also need my beauty rest.” Jesse’s remark makes everyone look at him. “What? This level of perfection comes with a price.”

  I shake my head as a chuckle leaves my lips. Only Jesse.

  “All right, everyone off to bed.” Gideon walks to the wall with the door, places his hand on the jam. The room begins to shift, shrinking to its unassuming normal closet appearance. We all rush to keep up, making it through before we’re swallowed up by the change.

  At least, that’s what I think about each time we have to exit.

  Before long, I’m in Soren’s bed, slipping into a dreamless sleep. Tomorrow is the big day.

  And I’m banking on things going as planned.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  We step out of the portal somewhere near an entrance to a trail head. Behind us is a small circular parking lot. We take a moment to regain our bearings and check to make sure our sudden appearance wasn’t seen by anyone. Satisfied that no one had seen us just magically appear out of thin air, we head down the path in a single-file line away from view of the road and parking lot before stopping again.

  As we busy ourselves looking over every inch of our surroundings, I force myself to keep my teeth from chattering. This morning is still pretty frigid. I pull my jacket closer around me and step to the right of the trail to allow the runner coming at us to take the left and pass by.

  Soren’s gaze follows the tall man in sweats and a hoodie. He narrows his eyes on his back. I glance over my shoulder to see what the fuss is about, but the runner is already gone. I return my gaze to in front of me.

  “Why were you looking at that runner?”

  Soren looks at me from over his shoulder. “We have to be careful of anyone that we see. They could be informants.”

  “Oh.”

  Once we have our bearings, Milo takes the lead, using a watch he enchanted with an alchemical spell to turn it into a device locked on my father’s energy. I don’t know how he did it, but he did. And the teal glow of magic surrounding the watch keeps us on track, directing us to my father.

  Anxiety pulses through me, kicking up the pace of my heart as I realize that with each step I take, the closer I get to him. However, it quickly dawns on me that this area is full of places our enemies can hide.

  There are more ways for this to go south. More than we had accounted for. But as long as we stick to the plan and keep our eyes open, we can do this—scout ahead, pinpoint my father’s location, and if we run into the enemy, take them down. Today is the day I get my father back, and no one will stand in my way.

  Numerous blind spots come to my attention as the trail we take curves around large rock formations. Huge dropoffs on the left, covered in trees and bushes, are thick enough to hide in. Never mind the high vantage points on some of the larger formations that tower above us. Top it off with the narrow path we are on… we’re at a major disadvantage.

  “Anyone else get the feeling that we’re not alone?” My voice, though quiet, carries through our line.

  Jesse, walking casually behind me, places his hands on my shoulders. “Fret not, my dashing beauty. Part of the adventure here is the unknown.”

  I glare at him from over my shoulder. “I mean there are too many places for them to hide.” I gesture at our surroundings before silently pointing out the more obvious spots.

  He shrugs. “I still say that is half the fun.”

  “I agree with Wren,” Soren says. “We may have to go to Milo’s plan, if they try to ambush us.”

  Gideon shakes his head. “Not yet.”

  “Why?” Soren’s voice is on edge, and I don’t blame him.

  I know Gideon said he’d create a veil between us and humans so that any magical battle in the park could be fought without their knowledge, but if those bastard Order goons even try to ambush us when I’m so close to finding my dad, I just may unleash a blast that not even Gideon can contain.

  I hope Milo’s backup plan is a good one, though I don’t know what it is, and for good reason. It’ll be our wild card in case things go south. Milo has yet to give me a reason to doubt him, so whatever he has up his sleeve, I’m sure it will help our team.

  Gideon holds up a hand as the path widens a little at the base of a curve to the right. He points to Milo’s watch. The silence is unnerving, but I suspect it’s so we don’t give away our plans to the enemy should they be near, listening and watching as I suspect they are.

  The rocky wall that leans over the path slightly as it stretches toward the sky makes for a great spot to ambush us. I’m glad we stopped on this side of it.

  Gideon nods to me and Soren, and we walk forward. As I pass Milo, I glance at his watch. He nods in the direction ahead and I smile and squeeze the top of his arm. Soren falls in step with me as I approach and stand close to the red stone formation. I angle my head around the corner, raking my gaze over every inch of landscape laid out in front of me. I keep my breaths slow and even and my steps whisper soft. Soren lifts his chin and scans the area with his amber eyes, as if sensing something in the air.

  Just on the other side of the path, the land levels out, filled with a cropping of trees. That’s the direction that Milo’s watch indicated. If I was keeping someone hostage and intended to trap those coming for my prisoner, I would probably choose a similar setting.

  I’m not willing to place my money on this being an easy in-and-out thing. Neither is Soren, as he nods at me in a silent reminder to remain vigilant. I bite the corner of my lower lip as I watch the shadows within the trees. Everything is still. Almost too still.

  For the sake of appearance, it’s quiet, calm, and deserted.

  We rejoin the other men and let them know what we found. Gideon has a pensive expression, as though he is trying to figure out the best course of action. Milo keeps his eyes either on his watch or scoping out the scenery around us.

  “We’ve come too far to turn back now.” Jesse stretches out his arms and hamstrings as though he’s preparing for a boxing match.

  I smile. Smart man. I wouldn’t allow us to turn back either. He’s on board with this.

  Soren looks in the direction of the trees. He frowns and shakes his head. “I’ll be right back.”

  Something during our first time scouting ahead didn’t sit well with him, and I watch him head back toward the rocky wall. The sun has risen over the horizon, casting long shadows in various shapes. Whereas, where the light hits, little bits of frost melt and cover the ground. Warmth shines on me, and the chill from earlier is not as deep.

  Gideon approaches Milo. “Let me check.”

  Milo holds out his arm and
Gideon studies the watch a moment. With a nod, Milo drops his arm as Gideon looks toward Soren who is making his way back to us.

  Gideon faces Soren. “Well?”

  “It’s like she said. I also couldn’t see anything. But I feel something.”

  Gideon huffs a sigh and shakes his head. “The watch is pointing us that way, but it’s too easy.”

  “Shouldn’t we take that as a trap?” I ask.

  “Yes. We just don’t know how much of one to expect.” Soren shifts his gaze over everything around us and shakes his head. “Something isn’t right.”

  “I feel that too.” I keep my focus on the shadows and the thicker condensed trees where my father is supposed to be. “But we’ve come too far to turn back now. What else can we do?”

  “Reason and logic didn’t exactly work out for our benefit the last time.” Soren levels his gaze on me.

  “Is it possible to draw them out? At least by baiting them we can see what we’re dealing with.”

  Gideon approaches me. “What if they kill your father just as soon as they see you?”

  I nod as my mind goes full tilt into what we could do to prevent that. “Jesse can cast an illusion over me so I can dip in and grab my father and get out of there. Once he’s safe, we can all take a portal out of here. If something goes wrong, we have Milo’s backup plan still in place.”

  Soren steps forward. “Let’s do that but with a small change. Gideon and I will make the first move. That will be a signal to Wren that she and Michael can take a portal out of here. They won’t be discovered if everyone is engaged in a fight.”

  “No.” I shake my head. “I can’t allow you all to fight without me.”

  “Do you want your father safe or not?” Soren’s beautiful amber eyes settle on mine with intense determination.

  “Yes. But, can we figure out a way to do this without me leaving you all behind?” I cross my arms in front of my chest to ward off the chill still clinging to me and to also to send Soren a silent signal that I’m not backing down on this one so easily.