by K. G. Reuss
“Fall back!” I shouted. “Damien, you’re going to have to shift. Burn them.”
“My pleasure,” he growled, his body trembling. Eric and I both reached for him as the rest of our crew held the monsters at bay. Damien syphoned some energy from us as his body transformed into that of a massive dragon with shiny black scales.
“Run!” I hollered, shoving Eric in front of me. The heat from Damien’s flame had the potential to toast us all.
Damien hauled in a deep breath, his scaled chest moving inward with the effort. I managed to cover my head as I landed behind a downed log beside the rest of Conexus.
The world ignited in brilliant shades of orange and yellow as Damien lay waste to the monsters.
“He’s such a beast,” Chloe breathed out, shaking her head. “I hope he kills every last one of them.”
“I just can’t believe he has that much fire in him,” Sloane murmured, rubbing her eyes.
“He’s done.” Eric peeked over the log. “Everything is ash.”
I got to my feet, everyone following, and made my way to Damien who was on his knees, breathing hard, his clothes in tatters.
“Come on.” I heaved him to his feet and got under his arm to help carry him all while pushing my healing energy into him.
“I think there are some stragglers on the edge of the forest,” he grunted, his eyelids barely open.
“Chloe and Adam are getting them,” I answered. Eric got beneath Damien’s other arm and we moved him to the log to sit. He hung his head, his body still trembling.
“Damien? Are you OK?” Sloane knelt in front of him, worry on her delicate features. She reached out and cradled his face.
“Mm, I am now,” he murmured, a small smile on his lips. She returned it with one of relief as Eric and I looked at one another knowingly. Damien and Sloane had it bad for one another but both were too stubborn to be the first one to admit it.
“I’m going to go make sure everything is taken care of.” I got to my feet, Eric following.
“I’ll come with.”
“I’ll stay with Damien.” Sloane pulled off her cloak and draped it around him. I nodded, and Eric and I made our way to Chloe and Adam.
“You think those two will ever get together?” Eric jerked his thumb back at Sloane and Damien.
“I hope so. Sooner rather than later.”
We both grew quiet for a moment.
“Have you talked to Ever?” Eric’s words were soft. I hadn’t told anyone my plans for her Conexus bid or the Vow of Eternity I had planned. It had been weeks since I’d spoken to her. Blackburn had been assigned her trainer. I hated it to my very core. She’d hate me more once the truth came out, but at this point in the game, I didn’t care. I only wanted her safety. She wouldn’t get it out there on her own. As much as I wanted that for her, it wasn’t within the realm of possibility now, especially with my own father gunning for her. He made it very clear what would happen to her if she stepped out of line.
“No. I’m planning on it tomorrow. I’d like to know how her training is going with Blackburn.”
“Me too,” Eric sighed. “I hate that guy. I can’t help but think he’s up to no good.”
“Agreed.”
“You haven’t talked much about it. How are you really holding up?”
I shrugged. “As long as she’s safe, right?”
Eric nodded and cleared his throat. “I have a confession.”
We stopped along the edge of the forest just in time for Chloe and Adam to join us. Eric snapped his mouth closed, and I gave him a quizzical look.
“Later,” he sounded off in my head.
I gave him a curt nod and looked to Chloe and Adam.
“All done. Didn’t see a portal. I’m assuming Damien ended it with his fire,” Adam said, giving Chloe a squeeze and peck on the cheek that made her grin.
“Good. We should get back. Damien needs to rest.” Eric glanced back at Damien who leaned heavily against Sloane.
“We also need to debrief the Order on tonight’s haunt. I’d much rather do that now than later,” I added. My father was away, dealing with some issue in Romania. He would be back in the morning. The last thing I felt like doing was dealing with any more of his shit. After imprisoning me over Ever and her nearly dying to a rotwraith attack because of it, our words had been few and far between. I wanted to keep it that way.
“Let’s head back.” I looked to Sloan who was still holding Damien. “You got him?”
“Yeah.” She tightened her hold around his waist and faded to shadow, taking Damien with her. A moment later, they disappeared into wisps of black. The rest of us followed along, coming to land in the backyard of the Conexus house on the Dementon campus.
“That was intense,” Adam yawned as we traipsed into the house.
“Agreed.” Chloe pecked him on the lips. “I need to wash this blood off me. It’s starting to smell.” She didn’t wait for a response, opting to bound away to her room upstairs, Adam’s eyes glued to her retreating back.
“She probably could use some help.” He grinned at me. “I wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if I left my lady in distress.”
Eric let out laugh and shook his head. Even Damien managed a weak thumbs up.
“You need help cleaning up, Sloan?” Damien mumbled as he closed his eyes. Sloan had arrived just before us and had him propped up on the couch, Brandon pushing healing into him. I joined them and added to the magic. A moment later, Damien opened his tired eyes and looked to Sloan for a response.
“I think you’re the one who could use help,” she said, shaking her head at him in disbelief.
“You boys heard her. She’s going to help me out.” Damien held his hand out to her. I knew it was a challenge. Sloane hesitated for a moment before narrowing her eyes at him and taking his hand in hers and pulling him to his feet.
“I wasn’t offering,” she grumbled as he shuffled to his feet and leaned against her.
“Nor are you telling me to piss off,” he murmured back to her. Her cheeks flushed, her eyes meeting mine. I offered her a smile that she returned with a shaky one of her own before pulling him from the room.
“Sloane said you guys closed the portal,” Brandon said, flopping onto the couch.
I nodded. “Appears so. I need to give my report to the Order before my father returns.”
“Best hurry,” Eric broke in. “You know he’s gunning for you.”
I grimaced and left the room without another word, eager to get the night over with so I could shower and rest.
Pressing my hand to the portal in the basement, I let out a sigh.
Here goes nothing.
“Raiden! What a pleasant surprise!” Sangrey greeted me, rising from his seat at his desk. I stepped into his office.
“I’d have fire messaged, but I figured I could get here quicker.”
“Of course. Have a seat.” He gestured for me to take a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of his desk as he sat back in his seat.
“I assume you’ve completed your mission to the Sault?”
“Yes. The mission is complete. The portal was destroyed. There were no survivors.”
“You did not think to keep one for questioning?” He raised an eyebrow at me.
“To be perfectly honest, Uncle, I tire of taking in prisoners that I have to deal with later. None have yielded any information. It’s a complete waste of F.I.R.E.’s time. Either I kill them on the field or I kill them in a dungeon beneath the Citadel. Tonight, I thought to just finish the job and be done with it.”
Sangrey nodded. “I see. Well, as always, General, you do have a valid point.”
I let out the breath I held, waiting to see if he’d be angry at the lack of prisoners to question on the whereabouts of Aviram, the vampire overlord and leader of the Cipher, a group hellbent on taking down the Order and our way of life.
“Then I suppose write your report and make sure it’s submitted by sunrise to the council. We’ve
been coming up empty-handed as of late. Constant dead ends.” He rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Your father will be unhappy—”
“Is he ever happy?” I scoffed. Sangrey sighed again.
“Another valid point.” He leaned forward and studied me. “Are you still inducting the whisperer into your ranks?”
I nodded. “Yes. The declarations of intent will be delivered Friday.”
“And the Vow of Eternity?”
I cleared my throat. “Still a go.”
“Excellent. Have you told anyone your plans?”
“No,” my voice grew hoarse. “I think it best to keep it quiet. I spent so much time convincing myself that keeping her out of Conexus was the right thing that I’m worried I’m being too quick in my choices—”
Sangrey held up a hand. “The Mancer falling into the hands of the enemy is our greatest threat at this point. If the rest of the council is informed of her existence right beneath our noses, she will be brought into Conexus or killed. It would be a simple matter of voting. Being the king, your father holds the highest authority over any of us, despite our arguments and number of votes on either side. You know where he stands, Raiden.” He paused and leveled his gaze on me. “If you bring her in quickly, she can’t be touched unless she violates one of our laws. She will be safe and under your protection.”
I hung my head. “You’re right. I guess I’m just worried. The last thing I’d ever want to happen to her is her to be hurt.”
“I understand.” Sangrey rose to his feet and moved to the bar in the corner of his room and poured two tarishes, a whiskey, into glasses and brought me one. He sat back in his seat and watched me take a long dreg from my drink. The alcohol burned going down my throat. Despite the fire, it quelled some of my worries for a moment.
“Have you spoken to Miss Torres since the engagement incident?”
I shook my head and downed the rest of the my drink before answering. “Not past begging her forgiveness.” I let out a bitter chuckle. “She hates me.”
“Let her.” He waved me off. “She’ll be grateful in the end. You’ll see.”
“You’re right.” I got to my feet. “If loving someone means making them hate you, then I suppose I’m on the right track.”
“She’s meant for you. It will fall into place.” Sangrey rose to his feet and came to my side and clapped me on the shoulder. “We have a war to win and Cipher to eliminate. Do what needs to be done. Remember, kings take what they want, Raiden. At any cost.”
I ground my teeth, my throat tight. “I’m taking her, Uncle. The cost is her happiness. Is it worth it?” I locked eyes on his.
“Is the alternative?”
I knew he spoke of her falling into the wrong hands and becoming the enemy. I knew she faced certain death if it happened. Drawing in a deep breath, I turned on my heel and made for the door.
“Raiden?” Sangrey called after me.
I paused at the open door and looked at him over my shoulder. “Speak of her induction to no one. Her letter goes out this week.”
And with those words, I swept back to the portal, ready to ruin everything.
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Sneak Peek
In Ruins (A Black Falls High Novel
“Get on your knees and lick my shoes, freak,” Juliet Croft hissed at me, her dark eyes filled with malice.
“Juliet, I’m sorry—“
She let out a cackle, drawing more attention to us in the school cafeteria. Juliet was the school’s mean queen. She had it all and still thrived to make my life a living hell. Being cheer captain and Miss Popularity wasn’t enough apparently because there I was standing in the middle of the cafeteria with her demanding I lick her shoes like I was some kind of animal.
“Bitch, did you not hear what I said?” Juliet’s ugly glare hardened, her red lips twisted into a deep sneer that made me shake where I stood. Her girl group of scavenging pigs all looked at me with smug expressions on their faces.
Lick her shoes or lick the ground. I knew they’d put me to the floor. Either way, I’d be licking something other than my wounds by the time this encounter was over. They’d made it their live’s mission to screw with me.
My only ally was my best friend Jamie. She’d been held after Mr. Bates’s chemistry class though because of a low test score. We traveled everywhere together, knowing full well what being alone in our high school meant, at least for me. This, however, was a fight I’d have to battle on my own.
The snickers and quiet laughter from everyone watching the scene unfold had my stomach twisted in painful knots. My palms were sweating. My breathing was harsh.
I had to get out of this nightmare.
“I didn’t mean to bump into you,” I started, swallowing the lump in my throat. “It was an accident.”
“Accidents aren’t free, honey.” Juliet took a step closer to me, flipping her nest of blonde hair over her slender shoulder. I held my ground despite my quaking body. “They’re mistakes, and you have to pay for your mistakes. That’s how this works. Now get on your knees and lick the food off my shoes like a good little bitch.”
“Get on the floor like she told you or get put there,” Melissa Thompson, one of her goons, threatened me as she mimicked the same hair flip Juliet had done. Her dark curls fell back across her shoulder.
Juliet’s lips curled up into a wicked grin. She had backup. She knew it. I knew it. Fighting the inevitible was impossible. I was a nobody at Black Falls High.
I went to my knees, my face burning with humiliation. The silence in the cafeteria was deafening. My pulse thundered in my ears. Everyone was waiting for my next move.
I let out a whimper of pain as Juliet fisted my ponytail, pulling it so hard I thought she was going to pull it straight out of my head. Loose red curls escaped from my hair tie, cascading over my shoulders. She tugged my head back so I was staring up at her.
“Say you’re sorry for getting food on my shoes.”
“I’m sorry for getting food on your shoes,” I croaked, a tear slipping down my cheek as she pulled my hair harder.
“Now clean up the mess you made.” She released my hair, shoving me aside. I tumbled over, making sure to quickly right myself. On my hands and knees before her, I silently cursed my existence as a nobody.
Letting go of my dignity because I knew a beating would come if I didn’t, I leaned forward, ready to lick the dressing from her salad off her perfectly pink pump.
“Enough,” a deep voice boomed out, freezing me in my spot. I knew that voice.
Fox Evans.
Football quarterback. One of the most popular guys in school. Hot as fire. And my former best friend. I’d grown up with Fox. We’d been so close as kids that I thought nothing could tear us apart. Hell, he even promised me on my eleventh birthday nothing would.
He was a liar, and I hated him with every ounce of my being.
We’d grown apart after Fox’s mom was killed in a car accident when we’d hit middle school. We went from promising forever to one another to him withdrawing from me. He became popular and left me behind. Now all I was happened to be a nerd on her knees, ready to the lick the shoes of her tormentor.
“Hey, baby,” Juliet cooed. Fox’s expensive trainers came into my line of sight as I stared at the floor. In my moment of despair, I’d forgotten Fox was dating Juliet. It was a great way to twist the knife.
“What the hell are you doing?” Fox’s voice was a low growl.
“Having this bitch clean up the mess she made.”
“Have some class, Juliet. This is bullshit and over-the-top, even for you.”
“Baby—“
“Get up.” Fox’s words were directed at me, completely ignoring Juliet. I wasted no time in getting to my feet, hanging my head in shame. Again, the cafeteria was silent. Had any of the teachers been there, I may have been safe for a moment, but no. It was just us students left to our own devices. Evil devices.
“What the hell is the matter with you?”
I thought he was talking to Juliet, so I didn’t answer as I silently prayed for an escape.
“Freakshow, he’s talking to you.” Juliet reached out and gave me a shove. I stumbled back, catching myself before I tumbled onto the lap of the person sitting behind me.
“I-I said I was sorry,” I started, my voice cracking. I hadn’t intended on looking at Fox, but I locked my gaze on his, my heart banging painfully in my chest. He was so handsome it hurt. Muscular. Full lips, dark hair, blue eyes that were so bright they looked like they were peering through my soul. I’d always loved his eyes. I hadn’t looked into them in a long time. Not since we were twelve and he gave me my first kiss in our tree fort in the woods on his parents’ property. Not since he’d stared me down in my driveway and told me we couldn’t be friends anymore.
Both times had left scars on my heart. This time would just be another one I’d learn to move on from.
“You should be,” he snapped, his eyes flashing in anger. I flinched away from him like he’d struck me. “Get the fuck out of here, Rosalie.”
I stared at him dumbfounded. I wasn’t sure if I was surprised from him remembering my name or the fact he was letting me go. Whatever it was, I knew even though our friendship had ended years ago, he was the answer to my prayers in that moment. I wasn’t about to look fate in the eyes and spit.
I ran out of the cafeteria, my tail between my legs, mortified beyond anything I’d ever been before, the deep boom of Fox’s voice as he told everyone to get back to lunch echoing around me.
Get it here:
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Books by K.G. Reuss
Dead Silence (The Everlasting Chronicles, Book 1)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076FH7Z94
Shadow Song (The Everlasting Chronicles, Book 2)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FZRVXTW
Grave Secrets (The Everlasting Chronicles, Book 3)