by Olivia Ash
A golem stands behind each of them, except for Gideon who has five. His body is bristling with white bolts of light and power. He is seconds from murdering everything in here, judging by the look in his eyes. I have never seen him so furious.
Soren’s body is covered in the same flames that coated his skin in my room before, but it seems to do little to burn away at the rope keeping his arms behind his back or the gag that is tied tightly around his mouth.
I frown and clutch my hands into fists.
Deacon laughs. “I’ll give you one chance to make things right.” He holds up one finger, with the other hand behind his back. “You will either give me what I want, or I’ll kill each of your friends,” he says friends like it’s a bitter taste in his mouth, “one by one, ending with your father.”
I narrow my eyes on him and my body erupts in heat. But I don’t look to see if I have flames covering my skin. I keep my focus on the one man that just threatened every single person I care about. “You’ll never get away with it.”
“Oh?” he says, and he snaps his fingers one more time. The golems behind the men each take the shapes of Soren, Milo, Jesse, and Gideon. “You see? No one would be the wiser. I’ll simply have these golems take their place.”
I shake my head. “Their eyes are lifeless, people will know.”
“Not when two initiates fail their test and are,” he holds up his fingers for an air quote as he says, “sent home.”
“They’ve already passed their trials, you idiot.”
“Ah, but not the fifth one. The secret, random one. The one that allowed me to set all of this up,” he gestures to the room around him.
“And of Soren and Gideon?” I ask. “How do you propose to pass off your golems in their place?”
“Oh,” he waves his hand in front of him as he chuckles. “You mean the most promising cadet in the Academy Special Forces? He simply dies on assignment. And the headmaster is called off to far away missions regularly. One little oops, and a plane crashes or a spell goes wrong, or… well, you get the picture.”
I… I have nothing. Nothing to stall this any longer. Nothing to get him to reveal his true intentions with me.
“Time is ticking, Wren,” his voice echoes throughout the room. “I’m not a very patient man.”
I shake my head.
“Oh, come now. What will it be?”
I stare at my men, forcing myself to think of something—anything—that will get them out of this mess.
Deacon snaps his fingers and the golems attack the men, kicking them, and pulling them up into a position that is geared to snap their necks.
“Stop!” I raise my hands. There’s no way I can save them like this.
Deacon smiles. “That’s a good girl. Now, tell me what I want to know.”
I shift my eyes between my men and Professor Lawrence. If I attack the professor first, I can protect myself. But I risk losing my men. If I attack the golem men, Professor Lawrence will have an open opportunity to attack me. And if that happens, I’m probably going to get hit and hurt. Bad.
But, I’ll do anything to keep those men safe. Damned the consequences to me.
I call upon my magic and it courses through me ready and willing. Fire ignites along my arms and I stare the professor in the eyes as my power grows through my hands. In a matter of seconds, my hands are covered in orbs of light and I release them in beams, hitting the golems holding my men hostage.
They disintegrate into puddles, releasing my men from their near deaths.
The professor, as expected, attacks me. I’m hit in the center of my chest with a blast of fiery light, sending me flying backward. I drop to the ground, hitting my head. Dots line my vision as pain throbs through my entire body. I can barely breathe, but I know my men are no longer at risk of having their necks broken.
Another blast of magic blows over me and Soren’s battle cry reaches my ears, pulling me back from a darkness I didn’t know was so close to claiming me. I sit up, my torso feeling as if I took a hit to the gut by a wrecking ball, and set my gaze on Professor Lawrence.
“Now, you die.” As I stand, magic courses through me. I ignore the sting radiating through my chest and the back of my head as I send another blast of light to the man.
He blocks it as I call upon all the training Soren has drilled into me, taking my horse stance and forming a shield of light. It absorbs the next blast, and I’m quick to toss in another of my own. While the professor recovers from the force of that hit, I sweep my gaze over the fighting men, fiercely stemming the flow of more golems coming through. They take out golem after golem, but there are hundreds.
Professor Lawrence makes use of my distraction by attacking. But I regain my focus at the last second and take the hit like a champ. But this fight is going to take more than just magic against magic. I have to close the gap between us and fight with everything I have left, despite my agonizing injury.
Biting against the pain, I charge.
The professor smiles, preparing for a fight he obviously thinks he has already won. But he doesn’t know me. I don’t give up or give in. I’ll fight until my last breath. Where he underestimates me, I will use it to my advantage.
I slice at him with my shield, cutting his arm. He growls and takes a few staggering steps backward, but I don’t relent. I’m on him kicking, punching, blasting him with magic. Heat coils over my skin and I’m on fire.
He stares at me with wide eyes filled with horror, but I still don’t let up. I’m out for blood, and this man not only threatened every single man that I care for, but he damn near killed me.
He looks to his side and shoots a blast of magic at my men. Luckily, they duck in time, but just barely. The ball of fiery light lands in the back of one of his own golems. Standing in front of the melting creature is Milo.
I turn my attention to the professor. “You must really like the idea of dying. Let me help you with that.” I kick him square in the chest, he falls to the ground and stares up at me, his eyes alight with the realization that I’m winning.
He throws dirt in my eyes. But I close them in time. A few particles get in, digging into the flesh of my eyeballs, but it’s nothing I wasn’t used to when the trolls would cheat their way to the horn each year or when they decided I needed a little reminder of just where my place was among them. I had learned quickly to adapt while living with them. And though Professor Lawrence may have pulled a dirty move, I don’t stop.
“Even if you kill me, you won’t be safe. You won’t know a moment’s peace.” He stands to his feet.
“Is that supposed to scare me?” I say and throw a ball at magic at him. He rolls to his back and flipping over to land on his feet.
He tosses another ball of magic at me as he says, “Dangerous people know who you are. What you are. You will be hunted. It will never end.”
I land a punch to his jaw and graze him across the chest with my shield. “Still not scared.”
He pushes back with a forceful, constant blast of magic. Its radiance nearly blinds me, and the heat hurts like hell as I strain against it. As soon as I’m pushed back five feet, it stops. “The easiest thing you can do is to give in to me now. I’ll make everything painless for you.”
I pant to catch my breath and focus through the pain as I stare him down. “Yeah, well… the easy way isn’t always the right way. And I will never bow down to another person again.”
Deep down, I touch the depths of my magic. Feeling levels of strength and tenacity and ability I never knew I had. The fire glowing along my skin burns brighter, hotter, surrounding my body in a thicker layer. With everything inside me, I let go of the magic as I aim it at the professor.
The force of the hit is like a bomb going off, I’m knocked back by the explosion, and a dark rim lines my vision as my skin suddenly cools.
But I don’t give in. Not yet.
I dig into the deepest recesses of my power knowing I can’t leave my men to defend themselves against the golems on th
eir own. I have to end this fight once and for all.
My palms light up once more. But I can’t let my magic hit them.
My vision starts to fade. Pain throbs through every inch of my body and it hurts to even blink. I press my hands to the ground as crackling, electric energy snaps around my arms and pours into the ground. The dirt vibrates and breaks open, splintering in an arc away from me, avoiding my men, and latching onto the golems.
The light shoots into them, shattering the creatures as they become frozen.
My men stop fighting against them and watch as the light within the golems pours through every crevice in their forms until nothing of their bodies remain, and another loud boom ricochets through the space of the cave.
Panting, I fall back to the ground. My vision blacks out, and I feel like I’m sinking into the ground.
Echoes of voices I can’t make out surround me, but I don’t know where they are coming from. My body hurts and all I seem to want to do is rest. Just sleep it off.
Warmth radiates through me, and my magic switches between pulsing, rushing, buzzing, cooling, and warm. I feel a sense of strength I get only when Gideon is around, and I feel emotions on a level only Milo gives me. Coolness rushes through me like it does when Jesse is near, and the heat… the fire of passion burns through my nerves, encircling me in the way that only Soren gives.
“Wren!”
My name echoes around me.
At long last, I give in to the peaceful rest I earned.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I awaken with a start, covered in a hospital gown and all four men busy tending to my wounds. “How did I get here? More importantly, where are my clothes?” I ask.
All at once they turn and set their gazes on me, each one showing their relief that I’m okay. They surround the bed I’m on, and though I get only bits and pieces of the view, I can tell we are in the infirmary.
“How are you feeling?” Gideon asks.
I pause. Actually, I feel amazing. I pull down the front of the hospital gown to check the wound on my chest and I’m shocked to see minimal signs of having been shot in the first place. “H-how is this even possible?”
“It must be a sign of your power,” Milo says.
“A nice side-effect, if you ask me,” Jesse adds.
I look to Soren who has yet to say anything to me. He sits on my right, propping a leg up on the bed, facing me with his hands folded over his thigh. He gives me a short nod. A thin strip of white covers the corner of his left eyebrow. Bruising surrounds the cut that’s been pulled closed by the butterfly bandage. I nod back and take in the rest of the guys who managed to scrape by with a few minor cuts and bruises.
“Wren,” Gideon pulls my attention back to him, who seems to have endured the least injuries out of the four men. “Can you walk me through everything that happened?”
I nod. “All I know is, as soon as I stepped into my room, the door shut and wouldn’t open again. I heard a fight on the other side of the door, and Soren grunted in pain. There was a bright flash of light and I was sent to choose between two mirrors. One of night, and one of day. I chose the day, stepped through, and ended up in that room.” I stop to think about if I missed anything. Nodding to myself I add, “I believe you know the rest.”
Gideon nods. “Some students undergo a secret fifth trial where they are faced with a difficult decision. It’s supposed to serve as final proof of their loyalty and sense of self. It also shows the academy what alignment they have a natural predisposition toward. The goal is to help foster a young mage’s strengths and pushes them to always be more inclined toward the light.”
“Rather archaic, if you ask me,” I mutter.
“In your case, also unnecessary,” Gideon adds with a chuckle. He grabs his ribs and winces. Maybe he endured more injuries than I thought he had.
“How are all of you doing?” I ask.
“Aww, I knew you cared about me.” Jesse winks, a devilish smile stretching his lips.
I shake my head and smile.
“We are all fine, now that you are awake.” Milo’s voice is full of relief. His eyes are softer, with a little deep purple in the corners at his nose. Poor guy. He looks exhausted.
“Did I pass the trial?” I ask.
Gideon says, “Yes. You did, of course. It's not a fail/pass trial, so you shouldn't look at it as such, but it did confirm his original suspicions.”
I nod. That’s good to know. I try to recall everything that happened as the fight rushes through my mind. It all ends in blackness. I can’t remember how it ended.
“Is he …” I don’t want to say the name or the dreaded word. But I have to. “Is Professor Lawrence dead?”
“Well, if he’s not, he’s very clever at hiding,” Jesse adds.
“That was completely reckless what you did,” Soren finally says to me. “Do you have any idea the devastation you would have caused if you had—” He stands from the bed, shaking his head, not finishing his thought.
I feel a little guilty, but that feeling is quickly squashed as I realize the choice I was faced with. “Would you have made a different decision if it were you in my place?” My voice is even, but there is a hint of gentleness that I know he catches onto because he looks at me, and I see the softness in his eyes.
I raise my eyebrows to let him know that I’m still waiting for an answer. “Well?”
“That’s not the point.” He looks away from me.
“It is very much the point,” I say. “And I would do it a hundred times over if I need to, so get used to it.”
“There won’t be a next time, so get used to that,” he says.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I ask as I switch my gaze over the men.
Gideon pats me on the leg reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Wren. You made it through the trial. Ultimately, your heart is pure. You have an inclination toward the light, and we can move forward training you and researching your powers.”
“That’s good to know,” I say. “What about my father?”
“I have to call on some of my contacts, but you will be involved every step of the way. I’m proud of you.” Gideon smiles.
“Uh, we all are…” Jesse says. “I mean, what’s not to be proud of?”
“I would love to take notes on your experience, once you’re better. Perhaps I can connect a few dots and fill in some blanks while the headmaster researches and digs deeper into your powers?” Milo pushes his glasses up on his nose.
I smile. “Sure.”
“No. She will be too busy,” Soren says to Milo. To me, he adds, “You will train harder from now on. I saw what you can do, and you have to learn to control your power.”
I roll my eyes and let out a heavy sigh.
At least, we’re already getting back to normal.
“Have you done anything like that before?” Milo asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t believe so.”
“Were you completely in control of it?” Gideon asks, his blue-green eyes take in mine.
I become lost in his eyes, lost in the events that run through my head on constant repeat. Everything was too surreal. Too much for me to process.
Was I in control of the power?
Though I would like to think so, I know that if I were to try and repeat the same thing again, I would fail, and likely hurt someone. It was a response. A last-ditch effort to end the fight and save the men that surround me, the men my magic reacts to.
Eventually, I shake my head.
“That settles it then,” Soren says. “Training. Learn to control your power so you don’t exhaust yourself next time.”
I nod. Because, I know there will be a next time. Plus, I still can’t get my mind off of the fight. Something nags at the back of my mind, beckoning me to pluck it from the endless array of images. Something important and dire.
Something life-changing.
I remember what the professor had said.
Dangerous people know who you are. What
you are. You will be hunted. It will never end.
I gasp.
Oh no.
Not only did Deacon know about me, he shared that little nugget of information with others. Likely the people he works for. Maybe even the Order?
“What is it?” Gideon asks.
“What Deacon said.” I tell him. “Someone will know I killed him.”
He nods. “Only we know about what happened.”
I shake my head. “He told someone about me. He had to. He said dangerous people know who and what I am.”
I switch my gaze between the four men surrounding the bed I lay on, men I’m connected to, who saved my life.
Gideon nods and rubs my leg reassuringly. “If he somehow managed to discover anything about you and shared that knowledge with these people, no one can gain admittance to the island without expressed permission by invitation. You are safe. Let us handle things on that end.”
“And if people ask about him?” I ask.
He shrugs. “It could be as simple as saying he left the island and was killed in some accident.”
“Huh,” I say. “That’s exactly what he said about you.”
“I know. It’s a bit of poetic justice,” Gideon says. “We’ll give it some time before we announce the death to the academy.”
I nod.
“How’s your pain?” Milo asks.
I shrug. My muscles ache with some movement but nowhere near as much as they did before. “I’m a little sore. That’s it.”
They gawk.
“She’s Super Woman,” Jesse says with a smirk.
I laugh and wince with the pain.
Milo says, “We have just the thing to help with the pain.” He walks to a counter nearby and picks up a mug, pours some hot liquid from a plugged-in kettle, and stirs it with a spoon. Bringing the cup to me, he holds it out and says, “Drink this. It will help.”
“It should help you sleep as well,” Gideon says. “Which I think we all need to do. For now, she is safe, but if you would feel better, Soren, you can stay with her.”