Hillcrest Academy

by Cassie Pierce

  “Got you covered,” Jaxon says beside me. He holds up a duffle bag, and dangles it in front of me. I stare at it, confused.

  “You can shower at my place. It is better than the dorm showers. We have an hour until class starts, and we have a lot more to talk about.” His eyes dance with humor as he dangles the bag like a prize in front of me.

  I step forward, trying and failing to take the bag from him. C.J.’s eyes are as big as saucers as she watches our heated exchange. Great! This time Jax actually means talk...talk....., but now C.J. thinks we are talking about making out!

  Not that making out with Jaxon would be bad, but we really do need to talk. I am thinking that the whole end-of-the-world-is-coming-thing, might be more important than seeing Jaxon Lux naked.

  Well.....maybe.

  “Fine,” I huff, and before I can even process what he is doing the damn golden light wraps around us and we blink from the room.

  ∞

  This time when we land, I am thankfully wide awake and wrapped tightly in Jaxon’s muscular arms. Nothing hurts! Thank the Creator! My eyes focus instantly on our surroundings, and I vaguely recognize the room that I woke up in after my first un-conscious episode in the principal’s office.

  The large couch that I first mistook as a bed looks as inviting as ever. The wall where the picture fell when the brothers were arguing now stands naked. I guess that is why I should not be surprised when I look over to the table and find both Ryker and Braxton staring back at me.

  “You guys really have a thing for Oreo’s,” I laugh as Ryker smiles at me and pops another into his mouth. Braxton has poured his into a bowl of milk and is eating them like cereal. Which is.....kind of genius.

  I have a healthy respect for people who find new and delicious ways to enjoy chocolate.

  “Why is she here?” Braxton mutters, not even looking up from his cereal.

  And.....now I remember why I dislike the blond Lux brother so much. It is because he hates me. Why I have no idea, but he does.

  “She is here,” Jaxon growls, “because I invited her. Be nice brother and remember your place.”

  I frown at the hostility in Jaxon’s words. I have never heard him talk to anyone like that before. With authority. That doesn’t make sense though. Braxton is the oldest. If any of the brothers have more authority than the rest, shouldn’t it be him? Isn’t that how they did it in the old days? Which seems to be how the angelic world works.

  Braxton’s eyes flash with anger, but he surprises me by staying silent. It is Ryker who breaks the tension. Something that I am noticing he does a lot.

  “Cookie?” he asks, throwing it at me. I reach out but miss, and watch as the yummy cookie falls to the floor. Ryker stares at it for a few seconds before rolling his eyes and whispering under his breath.

  Then the cookie just disappears!

  Holy hell! Did Ryker just clean using his mind? Now that is some angel voodoo that I could get behind.

  “Another angel power?” I laugh, walking to the table and taking a seat. This time I pull a cookie out of the box and place it into my mouth.

  Yum......

  “I have many,” he winks as Jaxon pulls out the chair across from me. He eyes his brother strangely for a few seconds before speaking.

  “We need to talk about this,” he says, pulling out the crumbled piece of paper that holds the mysterious prophecy on it and spreading it out on the table for everyone to see. My eyes scan the page, but yep....still in a foreign language.

  “Brother,” Ryker says, pointing his half-eaten cookie at the page. Crumbs fly everywhere, and I can’t help but laugh. I like Ryker. He is just original. Brash and rough around the edges, but real. “You know I can’t read that shit,” he says with a shrug.

  “Me either,” I say, glad that I am not the only one.

  “You would be able to if you paid attention in class,” Braxton grumbles, taking the page and pulling it closer to him. His face pales as he skims the page, and I can’t take it any longer.

  “Is someone going to tell me what is on that page? You know....since it is about me and all?” My carefully caged anger leaks free, and to my surprise it is Braxton that nods his head. He doesn’t ask permission or say anything else. He just starts reading. Reading the prophecy that foretells my doom.

  “Her path is cloaked in darkness, for in shadows her soul doth dwell.

  His duty to protect her from the forces of both heaven and hell.

  One of the three hidden within.

  With death’s embrace it shall begin.

  Her blood the key to both the gates.

  The brothers the protectors of the fates.

  The Prince’s sacrifice will save her.

  Cleansing the blood that birth gave her.

  Stop the Fallen and grace will be repleted.

  The demons will rise if the Divine are defeated.

  Her path a cycle that must not repeat.

  Or humanity’s end it will meet.”

  Braxton’s eyes rise from the page, focusing on me with a deep scrutiny that says he blames me for this entire mess. The others are silent. I guess no one really knows what to think, or what any of this means. All I know for certain, is that it is going to suck!

  It should fit in nicely with the last few months of my life. Death already stole my best friend. Death basically stole me. I would be dead if Jaxon hadn’t merged our souls. Something that Michael would have been all too happy with, but Jax changed everything by saving me. He forced Jahar’s soul to merge with mine, making it impossible for her to ever be free of me. He re-wrote destiny’s design, and in doing so, activated a prophecy that foretells the end of the world as we know it. If I am decoding this correctly my blood is needed no matter which side wins.

  So....I am basically screwed!

  “I am not letting anything happen to you princess,” Jaxon growls, no doubt reading my unspoken worry. Something that he is annoyingly good at.

  “That will be a first,” Ryker laughs beside him. He puts so much venom behind his voice that I know whatever bad blood exist there is about to boil over. That Ryker has hate in his heart for Jaxon. Hate that Jaxon allows him. I know that their story is theirs. That I should just mind my own business, but that is not something that I have ever been good at.

  I like to know things. It is almost an obsession for me. Knowing the story behind the person. What makes them tick. What makes them laugh. What makes them hate. So, I can’t not know this, even though it isn’t mine to know.

  “Ok. Spill! What happened between you two? Don’t say nothing!” I snap, just as Jaxon goes to open his mouth. He closes it, clenching his jaw and looking away from me. I see anger flash across his handsome face, and I feel bad....almost.

  Just not bad enough to stop.

  Besides.....they need to work this out. We have a world to save. We do not have time for family drama.

  “Tell her brother,” Ryker laughs, his voice full of sarcasm as he props his head on his hand. “Tell our sweet Maci exactly what kind of man you are.”

  “Ryker.....” Jaxon warns, his voice growing angry as he takes a step closer to where his brother sits. Either Ryker has a death wish, or he just doesn’t give a shit. I am thinking it is the latter. He keeps pushing.

  “Tell her about Sydney!” Ryker booms, raising his voice for the first time since I have known him.

  “Great! Now you’ve done it,” Braxton sighs beside me, looking at me like this is my fault. Which.....it kind of is. Time to do damage control.

  “Guys,” I try, using the softest voice that I can. “No reason to fight. I don’t need to know. Really.”

  “Oh.....but you do,” Ryker demands, grabbing my hand and pulling me roughly to his side. The movement catches me off guard, and I let out a startled little gasp. Not because of pain, just because I wasn’t expecting him to grab me like that. Ryker is usually so calm.

  Who ever this Sydney is.....really has him in a messed up head space.

  “Hand
s off of her,” Jaxon growls, advancing toward his brother, and putting a hand on my lower back. I roll my eyes.

  Boys! Any minute now they are going to start playing tug of war with me. Geez! I snatch my hand back and take a huge step away from the both of them. I fix them with angry eyes, shaking slightly as I point an angry finger in their direction.

  “What in the world is going on? Why are you being such a douche Ry? Did Jaxon steal your girlfriend or something?” I fume, trying to reign in my anger. I don’t like being manhandled.

  “NO MACI! HE KILLED HER!” he yells.

  What?

  Killed?

  That can’t be right? Jaxon wouldn’t kill anyone.

  “Christ Ry.....I didn’t kill Sydney! You know that. Don’t you?” His voice softens at the end, like he needs to know the answer to that question as much as I do. I hold my breath, unable to draw oxygen until Ryker speaks. Ry’s eyes shine with tears as he looks at his brother, like just looking at him hurts. He grabs his head, running his hands roughly through his dark locks.

  “You’re the reason that she’s dead. Same difference,” he says, before pushing his chair out and walking away. I don’t move as the chair clatters to the hardwood floor. It echoes into the otherwise silent room.

  “HELL!” Jaxon screams, before charging after his brother. “Ry....wait up....”

  A slew of curses sounds from beside me as Braxton pushes himself to his feet. I tense when he looks at me. The hatred he openly shows making me cringe.

  “I hope you feel great about yourself right now Maci. He wasn’t ready to talk about that......neither of them were. Not everything is worth the price of knowing.”

  Then Braxton walks away, leaving me alone with an empty box of Oreo’s and an even emptier heart.

  What did I do?

  ∞

  I spot the duffle bag that Jaxon was thoughtful enough to pack for me before we left, and decide that I might as well make use of my alone time. I don’t think that I am going to get away with skipping classes today. Not after the head mistress found me half naked with her precious stepson. I venture from the kitchen and into the hallway, clutching my bag to my chest like it is a shield. I find a set of stairs that curve upward, and I run my fingers over the smooth wooden banister as I follow them to the top.

  The space opens up to a little balcony that shows the entire bottom floor of the house. I smile as I spot a reading nook tucked into the corner, surrounded by piles and piles of old books. My fingers itch to pick one up, but I resist the urge. I need to get ready for school. I want to do that before Jaxon comes back. If he comes back....

  I take a left at the top of the landing, and am met with a hallway that houses three doors. Each is shut, and even though my curiosity has already caused all kinds of crap today I decide to explore.

  The first door is locked when I try the handle. I frown, but move to the second one. Even I respect the boys enough to not commit breaking and entering.

  See... I have boundaries.

  I turn the knob of the second door, fully expecting it to be locked. Imagine my surprise when it opens with a soft click. I hesitate for about two seconds before stepping inside the dimly lit room.

  The first thing that I notice is the huge king-sized bed that takes up the entire left wall, followed immediately by the massive bookshelf that mirrors it. Almost like I am in a trance— a book trance, my feet carry me inside. My fingers fly over the spines of the books, noting titles in every genre.

  So.....which of the brothers likes to read? Because let’s be honest. A man who is both hot and a bit nerdy is the epitome of sexiness.

  “You shouldn’t be in here,” he snaps from the open doorway, startling me. I spin toward his voice, my fingers slipping from my duffle bag as I register just whose room I have stepped into.

  I swallow roughly as he steps into the room, the sunlight streaming through the open windows bathing him in the soft light of the morning.

  “Braxton?” I gulp, stepping back, and slamming into the bookcase that I was admiring moments before.

  “You really do have a problem with boundaries. Don’t you Princess,” he sneers, advancing toward me, and caging me in with his muscular arms.

  I don’t like how close he is, or the way that he says Jaxon’s nickname for me. Like it’s dirty. Like I am dirty. He scares the ever living shit out of me, but I be damned if he is going to know that.

  I will not show fear. Not to him. It gets him off.

  “I would say that you are the one having the boundary issues right about now. Personal space? Ever heard of it?” I retort, making my voice steady, even though I want to cry.

  “Are you afraid of me?” he asks, dipping his head so that he can see my eyes. The movement brings him closer to me, and I don’t like it. At-All! He smiles when I squirm, like my discomfort brings him joy.

  “No,” I lie, refusing to back away. His eyes search mine, heating to liquid nitrogen before slowly returning to their normal shade of blue. He takes a step back, shaking his head and mumbling under his breath.

  Something touches my hands, and I look down to see that Braxton is holding my bag out for me. I take it with trembling fingers, confused by his hot and cold behavior.

  “Jaxon’s room is the last one on the left,” he says, turning away from me and walking into his closet. I take that as my cue to leave. I am tempted to run, but something tells me that Braxton would like that.

  ~ Chapter 13 ~

  I help myself to Jaxon’s shower, and can’t resist the impulse to use his shampoo. I smile as I bring my now semi-dry hair up to my face, inhaling the faint hint of mint that I always associate with him. My golden waves are a bit unruly from my lack of product, but they will have to do today. Besides, I have way bigger issues than my hair.

  I feel like total crap for causing the fight between Ryker and Jaxon. I should have left it alone, but no..... I had to pull a Maci, and stick my nose in everyone’s business. Now, they both probably hate me. Then there is still the little issue of the world ending, and almost sucking out Bianca’s soul. But hey.....

  It could be worse right?

  I have just put on my school issued attire when the door to the room swings open. Jaxon’s tall frame fills the doorway, an immovable wall of muscle over smooth flesh. His eyes find me instantly, and I stiffen when he remains silent.

  He is mad at me. I can see it in the tightness in his posture and by the slight tick in his jaw. His eyes, normally so soft, are hard as they take me in. I swallow as I take one step in his direction before rethinking that choice and stopping. He watches my every move. His eyes flash with humor, like he is silently enjoying my discomfort.

  It is that one tiny spark that lights the fire behind my courage, giving me the fuel to say what I want to say.

  “I should say I’m sorry, but I won’t. Damnit Jax, I don’t know what happened between you and Ryker. I don’t know who Sydney is, but I do know one thing. I know what it’s like to never get the chance to work out your issues. So....am I sorry that I pushed? Yes. Am I sorry that you are hurting? Hell yes,” I whisper, closing the space between us.

  “I am not sorry for making you feel it though......for making you talk to him.”

  I don’t know when I start to cry, but tears fall freely down my cheeks as I try to get him to understand why he needs to make peace with his brother. See what no one ever understands until it is too late, is that time is so unforgiving. So sneaky.

  We tell ourselves that we will forgive one day. That we will talk to them later, but what happens when you don’t get a later. When one day turns into an impossibility, and all the answers that you put off until tomorrow are lost to yesterday.

  I didn’t have time with Ash. Time was stolen from us. So, if there is one thing that I will never take for granted again, it is time. I will always say what I feel, and love with everything in me, so that if today is all that I get, it will be enough.

  I will be enough.

  I don’t know who
moves first. Maybe we move at the same time, but our lips meet in the sweetest of tortured kisses. Jaxon kisses me like I am the sun, and he can soak up my warmth and pull it inside of himself. His lips both torture and heal me, and I am helpless as he pulls me in.

  Perhaps I was helpless from the moment that I met him. Our fates so interwoven, that loving him was never an option. It is just a fact. A simple truth in my life. One that I will not fight, though it goes against logic and reason. The world would have you believe that you have to know someone for a while to love them, but Jaxon proves that wrong.

  I have loved him since the moment we first met. I just didn’t know it yet.

  His kiss changes to something softer and sweeter as he gently wraps me in his arms. I should be embarrassed, since I have zero doubt, he just heard my whole love confession through our bond. I’m not though.

  I love Jaxon Lux, and I don’t give a damn who knows it!

  “I love you too princess,” he whispers, his voice rough and somewhat broken up by emotion as he plants the softest of kisses against my forehead.

  We stay like that for a few minutes before I let out a soft groan. “We have to go to school today. Don’t we?” Yes. I am full on whining, but I don’t want to go. I want to stay here. Wrapped in his arms. Forever.

  School? Yeah...Not so much.

  “Afraid so,” he laughs, stepping around me and disappearing into the huge walk in closet that I am envious of. He reemerges a few seconds later, dressed in his school colors, and looking sinfully delicious.

  “Angel power?” I joke, wondering how in the hell he just got fully dressed in less than a minute. I swear.....sometimes I would kill to be a boy.

  “No,” he laughs, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the door. I raise an eyebrow at him, and he shakes his head.

  “I thought that we could walk today. You know....since you hate using the shimmer.”

  “I’m sorry..... the what now?” I ask, looking at him like he is speaking Greek.

  His smile widens as he points to the air around us. “The angel power that makes us suddenly disappear and reappear somewhere differently. Its technical name is the shimmer, since it is basically an angel’s ability to travel the rays of light that circle the universe. The entire world is full of UV light, but no light can harm an angel. We use it to enhance our power, or in this case travel. In angelic slang, we call it the shimmer,” he explains as I just stand there with my mouth hanging open.