Captured: Academy of the Seraph

by Brandi Elledge

  Gabriel squeezed my hand. “I plan on getting my daughter’s memories back, and Haniel can give you as much as you need to know without altering your path, but as far as the binding that Finn put on you, that is between the two of you. Now, do you have any other questions that you think Haniel might be able to answer?”

  Thinking, I gnawed my bottom lip. “How about the six that I’m supposed to choose? Can you help me know who, when, and how I’m to transfer some of the power of the Flaming Sword to them?”

  Jeremiel said, “You have the power of eight archangels inside of you and—”

  “Eight, for sure?” I interrupted. “I mean, we knew from my dreams that I had seven, and then we thought there was a chance that Haniel had given me some of her power, but I wasn’t certain.”

  Jeremiel nodded. “Yes, unfortunately, since you came into your powers, you really haven’t had the opportunity to learn, to let your powers manifest organically. Everything has been such a whirlwind, but once the binding is removed from your mind, you will be flooded with power.”

  That sounded intense.

  Haniel grabbed my other hand and rubbed in gently. “You will be fine.”

  “Once the binding is removed,” Jeremiel said, “and you’re in control of your powers again, remember to truly embrace them.”

  Chamuel nodded. “My gift will help you. When you go to make a difficult decision, let your gut lead you. If you truly rely on it, then you will either feel confident in your decision or almost violently ill.” He gave me a charming wink. “Literally, follow your gut.”

  Haniel’s eyes glazed over for a bit before she smiled at me. “You have a visitor waiting for you to wake up.”

  “Finn?” I asked.

  “Afraid not.”

  Gabriel’s face contorted with sadness. “Oh, but she can’t go. I’ve waited so long for this … for when we are finally back together.” She looked around at her brothers and sister. “She can’t just go right now.”

  “Sister,” Haniel started, “we can’t keep her here. She has her own journey to live. She is part of the prophecy.”

  Uriel nodded. “Think of why we need her.”

  “Everyone needs her.” Gabriel’s words had a bite to them.

  “This is true,” Chamuel stated. “A lot of people depend on her. We can’t let our own selfishness get in the way.”

  Gabriel threw her dainty hands up in frustration. “I wasn’t saying forever. I just thought we would have a little more time together on our reunion day.”

  My heart hurt for her. I might not remember her, but that was a one-way street. The way she looked at me was like I was still her little girl.

  I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a long hug, this time without the awkward patting. When I released her, she wiped her tears, and my uncles gave me nods and thumbs-up.

  Knowing what she needed to hear, I said, “Mom, I promise that these visits aren’t over. I’ll be able to find you again.”

  Just by me labeling her as a parent made her mouth drop open before she gave me a radiant smile. Then she enveloped my face in her hands and kissed both my cheeks. “I will hold you to that.”

  I stood up and smiled at the archangels.

  Chamuel gave me a sheepish look. “And if you could wait for your gut to tell you it’s time to shed the binding around your mind, I would—we would all—be forever grateful.”

  “Can I at least ask why?”

  He nodded. “We don’t want the headmistress of the academy to know what she has allowed behind her doors until it’s too late.”

  “Let the one who bound you take it off.” Haniel gave me a nod of encouragement. “It will hurt less than you breaking through the barrier that he put around your mind.” She gave me a wink. “You better hurry. Your visitor grows impatient.”

  With a push, I fell through the whiteness then back through the mud at a much faster rate than it had taken me initially.

  My heart felt warm as I shook off the dredges of sleep.

  “Oh Lawd, child. You look like the first time I met you—a hella mess.”

  The visit with the archangels still fresh in my mind, I opened my eyes and looked around in confusion. I saw Remy standing there, looking like a ray of freaking sunshine. She was in my cell.

  No, this had to be another dream.

  “Remy?” I squeaked out.

  “In the flesh, baby. And I do mean, in the flesh.” She sat down on the nasty floor, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she did so. Her black hair with the tips dyed red swayed as she took in my surroundings. Remy was one of my two best friends and having her here had me smiling from ear to ear.

  “Well,” she said, “this is uber depressing.”

  I threw my arms around her. “I know it’s only been a couple of days, but man, I missed you.”

  She patted my back. “Yeah, I’ve missed you, too.”

  “So, how did you know I was here?”

  “I followed you in ghost form. I’d like to add that I’m really getting a handle on becoming corporal when I need to be. I’m not rating myself, but if I were that narcissistic, I’d be an eleven out of ten.”

  I felt the beginnings of the first genuine smile since all of this had happened.

  “As soon as I saw your exact location, I reported back to Finn.” She winced. “The poor dude is going crazy. He didn’t feel your bond, and I thought he was going to destroy the whole world.”

  My heart clenched. “Yeah, Trev’s brother, Ezra, did something to me.” I tapped my temple. “I’m not sure what the exact terminology is, but it has bound my powers, and I can no longer feel Finn.”

  She narrowed her blue eyes with rage. “I could kill Trev and this stupid brother of his.”

  “I might not have my powers currently, but when I did have them, I never felt like Trev wanted to cause me harm.”

  “Yeah, well, I guess you’re not perfect after all, because that was a huge mistake on your part.”

  “Or maybe he doesn’t really wish me harm.” I grabbed her arm. “I’m assuming that Finn is on his way?”

  “Duh. Like the big, bad wolf, he’s going to be singing for these little piggies to let him in. He plans on bringing this academy down, brick by brick. I just have to get you out of here first. Talk to Mama. You haven’t seen a key, by any chance, have you?”

  I shook my head. “Sorry. They didn’t conveniently tell me where the key to my escape would be between darting me with that damn tranquilizer gun and me getting accustomed to my new quarters.”

  “Smartass,” Remy said. “Everyone is a smartass.” She disappeared in front of my eyes. Then I heard her from the other side of the bars. “I should leave your perky butt behind. It would serve you right for being snarky with the queen.”

  “If your high-ass could hurry along; we don’t have much time, and I personally would like to be out of this building before Finn starts tearing it apart.”

  “Oh, the demands,” she quipped.

  “Also, I need to tell you that I just dream walked to the seven archangels who had fallen under the blade of the Flaming Sword. They believe that I’m on the correct path that I need to be.”

  I heard her grab something. “Seriously? They were right here? What freaking amateurs.”

  I rolled my eyes. She clearly wasn’t listening, but I would bet anything she would be mad at me later for not sharing.

  She came back toward me in the flesh, dangling the keys. “Don’t give me that look. I heard you. So, if I’m here with your freedom, then this is a part of your destiny. We don’t really have time for tea leaves and journal entries, so we need to go if we’re going.”

  I smiled at my friend. She was a nut. A nut who was rescuing me.

  As she put the key in the lock, I bounced from foot to foot with nervous energy. I didn’t release my breath until the door to my freedom swung open. Then I threw my arms around Remy.

  “Girl, all of these hugs have got me feeling some sort of way. I have told you that I’m
straight, right? I mean, you’re cute and all, but you just don’t do it for me.”

  I pulled back from her, and she caught sight of my bandaged hand, stained with blood. “What the hell happened?”

  “Trev and his maniac brother took two of my fingers; that’s what happened.”

  “You’re kidding me?”

  I waved the bandaged hand in her face. “Would I lie about something crazy like that? Miraculously, it doesn’t hurt. At all, actually. Also, they said they were delivering my appendages to Finn so that he wouldn’t storm the academy and kill everyone.”

  Remy was so mad that her jaw was clenched. “You think the commander is mad now? Wait until I deliver you to him, and he sees what they have done to you.”

  I nodded. Getting back to Finn sounded great to me. The archangels said I would see him soon. I guessed I was just afraid to hope that it would be today.

  “Okay, what is the plan now?”

  She pursed her lips. “I just have to get you outside. Once we are outdoors, the commander said he would take care of the rest. Obviously, we can’t leave the way I came, because you’re not a hot ghost. Plus, there’s a small problem. We didn’t know that someone had bound your powers. I mean, this brother of jerk-face would have to know how powerful you are, and it’s not like you would go around broadcasting that.”

  I didn’t say anything as she tapped a finger to her lips. The archangels made it clear that they didn’t want me to shed the binding around my mind, but if I told Remy that, she would have a conniption fit.

  “Okay, this is what we are going to do. There are three levels of cells. These people are sadistic, by the way. You are the only one on this level, but the other two levels above us are jam-packed, which makes me wonder why—”

  I snapped my fingers in front of her face. “Concentrate. Escape.”

  “Okay, okay. So, we go up two levels, and then we look for a side door. It’s almost dark, so we find a side exit and make a run for it. I’ll be in ghost form, so anyone who comes at you, I’ll slow them down.”

  “And what am I supposed to do? Just leave you?”

  “Dude, I’m literally a ghost—can’t die.”

  “Good point.”

  “You ready?”

  I nodded. “I was ready the moment you came into my cell. Let’s go.”

  I watched as my friend disappeared again. Without my powers, I couldn’t see her when she was in ghost form. Damn Trev and his stupid brother.

  An Arctic wind blasted me, causing me to shiver.

  “Easy, dude. You just ran straight through me,” she chided.

  “Hello! No powers. Therefore, you are invisible to me. We should be grateful that I can still hear you.”

  “I hate Trev and his brother.”

  “Me, too. He is at the top of my hate list.”

  “Cute. You have a list. Stick to the right side of the stairwell. I’ll be on the left. And no more talking.”

  I followed behind her quietly, thinking about what the archangels had said. Haniel had commented that, if I let Trev’s brother take the binding off, it would hurt less. She was psychic. Was she giving me a suggestion or advice? If I escaped with Remy, would I even see Trev or his brother again?

  We went up a flight of steps, but before we could continue, we heard someone coming. I went through the open door that would take us to the holding cells right above, where I was hoping Remy followed. When I felt a brush of cold air, I relaxed a little. I was in trouble, but having her there made the weight sitting on my shoulders a little easier to bear.

  I pointed to what looked like another door at the end of the corridor, but then a whimper froze me in my tracks, and I looked to the right.

  Two girls, under the age of ten but looked identical, were huddled together on the cold floor. I knew I looked dirty, but these girls were downright filthy. Their hair might have been blonde, but it was too hard to tell, as the matted mess hung around their shoulders. There were purple marks under their big, brown eyes.

  “I can’t leave them.”

  Remy hissed, “We will come back for them. It’s risky enough with just you. How are we going to escape with two children? No, no, and no.”

  “Damn it, Remy! Give me the keys.”

  She materialized before me and handed me the pair of keys, all while shaking her head. “This is crazy. I can clearly see your freedom slipping away.”

  I opened the door, yet the girls remained huddled on the ground, staring at Remy.

  I gave them a small smile. “My friend has some pretty cool tricks. If you want to stay here, then I won’t force you, but if you want to be free, you need to get up right now, be quiet, and follow me.”

  The twins both nodded as they stood, still clinging to one another. The only difference between them was one girl’s eyes were a lighter shade of brown. She was the one who reached for my hand. I gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze before we started walking again.

  Others started calling out from the darkened cells. Pleas washed over me as I stood there, gripping a little girl’s hand. How many more of these people were children? From one of the cells, farther down, I heard a baby crying. Rage boiled in the pit of my stomach.

  An old man, who was stooped so far over it looked like he was reaching for his toes, leaned up against the bars. “Lassie, you can’t take them with you. They are marked. They won’t make it past the lavender fields.”

  Before I could ask what the heck that meant, I heard a noise that immediately quieted all the pleas.

  Remy said, “Well, shit,” just as the sound of boots came toward us. There was no way we would make it to the door in time.

  Trev came around the corner with a tray full of food. His eyes landed on me, then Remy, then the little girls.

  The one child jerked out of my grip. Then both girls ran to him, throwing their arms around his lower body.

  He balanced the tray with one hand as he gave each girl a half-hug and whispered, “I’m sorry. The headmistress wouldn’t let me come see you both until I brought back the girl you were just standing with.” He rubbed their backs while they cried. “The headmistress just cleared both of your releases today. Everything is going to be okay.”

  One of the girls wiped the snot from her nose then pointed at me. “Is she an angel?”

  He smiled back. “I think so, yes.”

  The other child said, “Are we really free?”

  He nodded, clearly not able to reply. There was so much emotion swirling in his eyes. Then he took a step to the right, almost dragging one child with him as he set the tray on a small table that was between cells.

  “Girls, eat this food. Then I’ll take you to get baths, and we’ll spend some time together, catching up.”

  The girl who had held my hand trembled. “Brother, I was so scared.”

  “I know, Ana.” His hand shook as he wiped away a tear from her small face.

  Remy took a step back. “Well, this has been a high-grade, Hallmark-quality bull”—she looked at the little girls—“crap, but I feel like I’ve seen this episode, and I don’t care for the rerun, so we’re going to bounce.”

  Would Trev just let me walk out of here?

  He gave me a nod before he watched the girls tear into the food. “Easy, girls. Go slow.” He then walked toward me, and I tensed.

  “You have no reason to trust me—none. I want to say one thing, though, then you can make your decision. If you still want to leave, then I’ll help create a distraction.”

  “Oh please,” Remy drawled. “Where’s the mute button?”

  Ignoring her, he continued, “Do you see my sisters? They have never done anything to anyone, and yet the headmistress went to our home and took them from my mother. Do you know why?”

  Remy rolled her eyes. “Dude, we ain’t got time for your drama.” She grabbed my arm and started to pull me toward the door.

  Trev sighed. “That door leads to a utility closet. You’ll have to go back the way you came.”

&
nbsp; Remy saluted him as she started tugging me back toward the door that we had initially slipped in from.

  As we passed him, he said, “The headmistress took them because she needed incentive for me to go to the Academy of Seraph. She knew there was a good chance that the commander would kill me on sight. She also wanted to remind me of what she held in these cells. That way, I would work harder on finding Finn’s weakness.”

  “Me.”

  He nodded. “You.”

  Remy stomped her foot. “Oh em gee, people. Now is not the time.” She pointed a finger at Trev. “You suck. You want her to know why you suck. Okay, we heard you. Can we go now?”

  He furrowed his eyebrows. “Do I know you?”

  “Ugh. No, but I know you, and I have to tell you … I am super unimpressed.”

  Trev turned his attention back to me. “There are people here who don’t want to be here, but they are forced to, because someone they love is being held in these cells. Just like they were forced to be called darken, but they should have an opportunity to shed that name. They should have an opportunity to be called blessed. They should have an opportunity to choose and be free.” He hit a switch on the wall, and light bulbs flickered on, showing the inside of the darkened cells. People of all different ages, including a mother with a newborn baby, were in the cells. They blinked as they tried to adjust to the onslaught of light.

  “Why are you showing me this?”

  “The commander is powerful, but he will not be able to free these people. When he barges in here, halfcocked and crazed, what will he accomplish? He will be walking in on a situation that he knows nothing about. These people”—he nodded toward the people who had started to cling to the bars that separated us—“will be caught in the crossfire, and I can promise you it won’t stop there. The hell that the headmistress will release upon earth can destroy mankind. The only person who can free these people is you.”

  “How?”

  “Tell me you’re not buying this bullcrap?” Remy asked. “Dude, he literally took your fingers.”

  She pointed again at Trev. “Our boy Finn is going to kill you. Dead is what you are.”

  “How?” I asked again, a little more forcible.