by M Guida
Anton, Professor Soto, Professor Griffith, and Professor Elfiel rushed past me and surrounded Heath.
“Professor Griffith,” Anton said. “Please escort the students out of the cafeteria.”
“Yes, Headmaster.” He clapped his hands. “Come students. Follow me.”
The ice slowly melted off his face, and he grinned at me. “You’ll be dead soon.”
Something cold coiled in my heart. Goosebumps climbed up and down my arms, and my legs froze. I was too stunned to move.
Someone grabbed my hand and yanked hard. I screamed.
“It’s okay. It’s me.” I looked up at Lucien.
He led me away.
Bo clasped my arm. “What did you do?”
Xavier shifted back into human form and glared. “What do you think, idiot? She just saved our lives.”
This was too freaking weird. Both Xavier and I were stark naked, but every organ, every bone, every muscle quivered.
“Let me by.” Poppy squeezed in between Dante and Rhys. “Raven, here.”
She gave me her long black jacket that took off some of the chill, but not the fear shaking me to the core.
Not waiting for Bo’s answer, Lucien led me out of the cafeteria. I was shaking so badly my teeth chattered.
Lucien drew me into his arms and hugged me. “I can’t believe you did that. You could have been killed.”
“I wasn’t even sure I could do it, but I couldn’t… couldn’t let any of you die.” My voice cracked, and I curled my fists into his shirt.
I didn’t care about what Bo or Demi or anyone thought. I just needed to feel Lucien’s arms around me and listen to his beating heart.
The first time Professor Tuamma had only threatened, but Bo’s cousin had meant serious business. It was getting to the point that I didn’t know who to trust.
Chapter 13
Swirling and bursting green, red, purple, and red sparks flew out of the cafeteria and exploded. It was as if July Fourth had come early to Legacy.
Ahhhhhhhh!
A loud screamed stilled my heart and breath. Lucien tightened his grip around my shoulder.
Bo rushed toward the front doors. “What are they doing to him?”
Rhys and Xavier clutched his arms and dragged him away.
“The fool,” Lucien muttered under his breath.
Dante ran over to us, panting. He clasped Bo’s shoulder. “We found… your cousin.”
Bo quieted and stopped struggling. “Is he… is he dead?”
Dante shook his head. “No.” He tilted his head. “He’s unconscious and in the infirmary.”
I almost wanted to ask if that was really Dante, but Lucien and I hadn’t told them the secret code yet.
Dumb, really dumb.
The doors opened, and Anton, Professor Soto, and Professor Elfiel escorted what was supposed to be Bo’s cousin.
Half of his face had melted off and the other side was black with a red eye. It looked a devil. All he needed was horns, hooves, and a long pointy tail.
“You’ll pay for this, Anton,” the thing growled.
The creature tried to move its arms, but a long rainbow-colored rope wrapped around him.
Anton and Professor Elfield held onto its arms. Students spread into a wide V as they led him out and headed toward Anton’s quarters.
Shit, they were taking him to the dungeon.
Anton looked over his shoulder. “Needless to say, classes are cancelled for the rest of the day. All students will return to their dorm rooms. No exceptions.”
The last thing I wanted to do was untangle from Lucien, but I had no choice. The Barons from each tower arrived and made sure all of us returned to our rooms. We were on lockdown until further notice.
I took off Poppy’s leather coat and changed into jeans and a Legacy sweatshirt.
Mina plopped down on her bed, her face pale. “Shit, that was a doppelgänger, wasn’t it?”
I crossed my legs and leaned against my wall. “Yeah.” I rubbed my sweating forehead. “It was. I thought they just looked like us. I didn’t know they were demonic underneath.”
“You mean a dark demon?”
I shook my head. “No, I mean a demon from hell.” I frowned. “Where do the dark and golden demons come from?”
“You’re talking about the religious ones, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I am.”
“The gray and dark demons aren’t fallen angels. They’re supernatural beings like us. Satan doesn’t rule them, if that’s what you mean.”
I wrapped my arms around my shins. “But that thing…”
“Whoever it was wanted to kill you.”
I laid my head on my knees. “Yeah, so I have noticed.”
Mina sat next to me and rubbed my back. “You were super brave. I mean, you froze that thing like you did Professor Tuamma.”
Her excitement didn’t ease the dread clenching my insides.
Someone knocked on the door.
Mina got up. “I’ll get it.”
Anton swooped into the room. “Ms. Dankin, I need to talk with Raven alone. It will only be a few minutes.”
I groaned inside. I put my legs down and sat straighter.
Mina shrugged. “I’ll go visit someone outside.”
Baron Germaine stood in the doorway.
“No, you’ll stay with Baron Germaine.”
She rolled her eyes. “Great.”
Baron motioned with his arm. “This way, Mina.”
“Don’t be too long,” she murmured.
Being babysat by the Baron equated torture. His condescending tone was enough to drive anyone batty.
They closed the door.
Anton sat on Mina’s bed. “I’m sure you assumed that was a doppelgänger.”
“Well, yeah. Wasn’t it?”
“No, it was a shapeshifter. One of Ryker’s assassins.”
“Great, he was trying to kill me.”
He scratched his beard. “I’m not so sure.”
I did a doubletake. “What?”
“Who was around you when he came at you?”
“I don’t know. Everyone.”
He put his hands on his knees. “Think. Raven. It’s really important.”
“Um, Bo and I had just gotten our lunches. He saw his cousin and waved him over. I think Demi, Lucien, and Vivian were already seated.”
“Anybody else?”
I went over everything in my mind. “Mina was coming up behind us.”
“Are you sure the assassin wasn’t going to attack her?”
“It was the way he looked at me. I’m sure it was me he wanted to kill. I could feel his hatred. The evil. It felt the same as it did in the locker room.”
“I see.”
His doubt sparked a flash of anger in me. “And then he charged. He looked like he was going to attack me, and that’s when Lucien, Bo, and Xavier jumped in front of me. If I hadn’t reacted, they could have died.”
“I’m not questioning what you did, Raven. In fact, I’m impressed you were able to draw on your powers in that crisis situation. I’m beginning to think that’s your strength.”
“What does that mean?”
“Unlike the trials, you’re able to draw on your powers efficiently when the people you care about or the people you love are in danger.”
I frowned. “I never thought about it before. Something just takes over, and I move.”
“I suspect that’s what you need to draw on in the trials. Unfortunately, no one you care about is in danger at the trials, and it’s harder to accomplish your designated task.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. That was a mind blower.
Anton stood. “But what I’m concerned about who the target was. For all we know, he could have been calling one of the guys a bitch.”
“I guess so. Is he refusing to talk?”
Anton put his hands behind his back. “No. When we got him into the dungeon, a spell must have been cast over him, and he vanished
.”
“You mean he died?”
“I don’t know. Possibly. Or, he was pulled into another dimension or possibly back to the Dark Demon kingdom. Whatever magic was used, it hurt him.”
I stared at him. “This has something to do with Mina’s dad, doesn’t it?”
“Maybe. We don’t know. There are new rumors circulating about him.”
“Such as?”
“Like I said, they are rumors, and rumors can be very dangerous. What we need is the truth.”
I put my hand on my chest. “You mean me?”
“Raven, there’s a reason I gave you the angel lore. You learning this will be key in solving this mystery.”
“Why?”
“Because it goes back to the prophesy that I discussed with you and Lucien. Nothing has changed with your studies with him. It’s even more important no one knows about your studies.”
I hated lying to my friends, especially Bo. He’d always been there when I needed him most.
“Raven, do I have your word on this?”
I threw up my hands. “Okay. But what about the intruders?”
“For now, we need to find a way to determine who is who at the academy.”
“Your wards are weakening.”
“Or more likely, Ryker found a loophole. We must discover how. I have a feeling this comes back to you in stopping him.”
“You’re talking in riddles.” Like always.
His penetrating stare made me squirm, but I didn’t lower my gaze.
“Your parents are key to what is happening.”
“My parents? Why would this have anything to do with my parents?”
“Before the creature faded, he mentioned your parents by name, but he wasn’t able to elaborate.”
“What did he say?”
“The only thing he said was that Ryker had information on them.”
Frustration tightened my skin. My parents’ legacy kept raising its head, but I was no closer to learning about them than when I first found out I was a dragon. “But you don’t know what?”
He sighed heavily and shook his head. “No, I don’t.”
“What if more of those things can get inside?”
“There’s a truth spell I can use, but it will take time. I want you to be very careful. Tomorrow, during the defense and battle techniques, you need to train the Defenders on how to detect the evil. We need more than just you on detection.”
My eyes widened, and shock plunged into my heart. “You want me to be a teacher? I don’t know what I’m doing. We’re just learning about this in Magick Intuition.”
He got up and clasped my hand tightly. “Raven, you were utilizing this skill even before you took that class. Most likely this is due to your silver dragon powers. You know more than what you think. You have to try.”
He just plopped my reality down into a garbage disposal, grinding into bits. How could what he said be true?
Chapter 14
I leaned my head against the wall. Was he kidding? I was supposed to teach the Defenders. I wasn’t as knowledgeable as the Royals. Why would Vivian, Demi, or Eden listen to me?
After Anton left, Mina returned. “Okay, tell me what gives. You look worse than you did before he came.”
“You’re not going to believe what Anton wants me to do.”
“What now?”
I blurted, “Teach the Defense and Battle Techniques.”
“But you’re in the Royals class.”
I rolled my eyes. “Duh.”
“What are you going to do?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll wing it.”
We ate in our rooms that night while the professors and Anton searched the grounds. Instead of my yummy fajitas, we got peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, an apple, and some chips. I was hungry, so I ate every bite.
There was nothing to do but study. I started reading the angel lore book that Anton had given me. The first chapter was long and about the archangels and concentrated on Michael the Warrior, Raphael the Healer, Gabriel the Messenger, Jophiel the Beautiful, Ariel the Naturalist, Azrael the Reaper, and Chamuel the Peacemaker. Lucifer was mentioned as well. Sometimes I forgot Lucifer had been an archangel, or at least a fallen one. Some them of like Jophiel, Ariel, Azrael, and Chamuel I’d never heard of.
My eyes got tired, and the words blurred. I yawned and stretched my arms out wide.
“I can’t read any more.”
Mina put down her book, too. “I can’t either. Magick Intuition is hard to understand sometimes.”
I dropped my arms. “Learning theory is always hard.” I cracked my neck. “I’m so tense.”
Mina smiled. “You’ve had a rough day.”
“I think I’m going to call it a night.”
“Yeah, you’ve got another big day tomorrow, especially trying to teach Lucien.”
I changed into my nightshirt and crawled into bed. Mina climbed into bed.
Every muscle bunched up and twisted inside me like an over-tightened guitar string. No way was I going to sleep, but then I thought of what Lucien had said about meditation.
I flicked back the blanket and sat on the floor, crossing my legs. I took a deep breath and rested my palms on my knees.
“Raven, what are you doing?”
I opened one eye. “Meditating. I can’t relax.” I shut my eyes and inhaled and exhaled deeply, thinking of nothing else.
“When did you start doing this?”
I almost said Lucien taught me, but I stopped myself. “I read someplace that meditating helps you center your energy, and you become more in control of your powers.”
The commotion in my spinning mind of the lore, doppelgängers, Lucien, and Bo edge away into beautiful colors of purple, blue, and pink.
The tension in my muscles slowly unraveled, and soft tingles glided over my skin.
“Raven,” Mina whispered. “You have a glowing silver aura around you. You look like an angel.”
I blinked. “I do?” I thought about what Lucien said. “You can see auras?”
“Not usually, but it was kinda of hard to miss yours.” Mina stretched out on her bed and rested her cheek on her fist. “Yeah, that was so weird. How did you do that?”
I frowned. “I don’t know, but I feel calm.”
“Really? That’s good.” Mina lowered her arm and laid her head on the crook of the elbow.
“Well, good night.” I slipped under the covers. Mina said something but her voice sounded far away, and I dozed off.
The next day, I woke with a smile. Mina was still asleep and curled up in a ball. Her green streaked black hair flared over her pillow, hiding her face.
I carefully got out of bed and sat on the floor again. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, my lungs expanded, and my heartbeat slowed. Tingling sensations fluttered over me, and I felt light as a feather.
“You’re glowing again,” Mina said in a sleepy voice. “What time is it?”
“Six-thirty.”
“And why are you up this early? You always run late.”
“I had the best sleep I’ve had in weeks. No bad dreams.” I got up and headed to the window.
The sun peeked over the mountains and slowly chased away the shadows on the grounds. I had an urge to go outside and go for a long run, but with being locked down, I couldn’t.
Someone jogged through the courtyard, long dark hair pulled back, tight T-shirt showing off magnificent muscles, and sweat pants hugging chiseled legs. I smiled. Only Lucien would dare defy the rules, even in a lockdown.
I don’t why I didn’t notice it before, but he had a beautiful gold aura fluttering around him.
He stopped and his wings sprouted from his back. His gold feathers glistened, and I wondered if they were velvet soft. He leapt into the air and soared into the sky like a mighty eagle. I would never tire of watching him fly.
I thought about changing into my gym clothes and joining him, but if he wanted me to fly, I’d have to strip. Warmth heated
over my cheeks of having Lucien see me naked. He saw me yesterday in the cafeteria, but it wasn’t one-on-one and Poppy had given me her long leather coat. Having Bo see me naked was bad enough, but Lucien would send me into an ocean of embarrassment. He was so perfect, and thinking of him being naked made my heart race. What was wrong with me? He was a golden demon, not a dragon.
I should be thinking of Bo, not him.
“Can you teach me?”
I turned. Mina sat on the floor with her legs crossed.
“What? To meditate?”
She nodded. Lines tightened around her eyes and lips. “I’ve been so tense lately that I feel like I’m going to explode. I don’t even think I’ll be able to study today. I’m afraid I’ll run into an imposter.”
I thought of Bo’s cousin and what Anton had said. What if the creature had intended to hurt Mina? I flipped my hair over my shoulder and sat next to her. I nudged her. “I know what you mean.”
She cast her gaze over me. “You look so peaceful right now.”
“You can do this, too. Take deep breaths from your diaphragm and slowly inhale and exhale.”
Mina inhaled and exhaled, but she did it so fast I was afraid she’d hyperventilate.
“Mina, slow down.”
She opened her eyes wide as saucers. “Raven, I need to tell you something.” Her voice shook slightly.
The hair on the back of my neck quivered. “What’s wrong?”
“I had a really bad dream last night. I haven’t had such a scary one since my dad left.”
I put my hand on her cold one. “Tell me.”
“I was lost in the dark forest. There was no moon. I could see the top of Legacy’s turrets in the distance, but I had lost the trial that led back to school. A mysterious fog suddenly appeared in the forest, and it was so thick I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. It covered everything, including the turrets. I heard voices. I think they were you and the Royals, but I couldn’t tell where you were at.”
Beads of sweat broke out over Mina’s forehead, and she bit her lip.
I squeezed her hand. “Mina, it’s okay.”
She wiped a tear off her face. “It was so real, Raven.”
