by CY Jones
Yanking hard on all eight strings, I pull his arms above his head. He yelps, surprised, his red eyes rolling in his socket trying to find the cause but comes up empty. Giving him a command, I make him walk toward me and remove the webbing binding me by my wrist and ankles. As soon as I can sit up, I rear my arm back and punch him so hard, it knocks him out. His little spider friends converge on me, and I call my staff forth and use it to burn each and everyone of them. Good fucking riddance.
I could leave their Master with a bad headache and a bruised ego, but I’m not feeling very merciful after he made me relive my worst nightmare, so I take my dagger out and slit his throat, watching fascinated as his blood runs down the sides of his neck and pools on the filthy ground. He may have been here in the basement terrorizing me, but despite his lack of being a team member, his Champion must have been away fighting Oberon. Now with his Master dead, he should be no more.
Stumbling through the basement, I manage to make it back upstairs with only a few close calls of face planting and use a side door to exit the school. As soon as the sunlight hits my eyes, I blink them shut ready to run for the shadows like a vampire. Even the rays on my skin feel like that girl’s fire setting me ablaze. Earth boy’s poison is some serious shit. The smart thing to do would be to go back and check to make sure he’s really dead. Like in the movies, the ones you assume are dead love to pop up at the wrong time and cause even more chaos. Plus, if he just so happens to be alive, I could demand the antidote, but I’m already outside of the academy and the thought of finding his body in that maze of a school does not sound too appealing. “Angelica, are you okay?” Archer hums in my head. His voice may have been soft, but it bounces around in my head like a pounding drum.
“I’m fine,” I lie. A wasted endeavor since he can feel what I’m feeling. He knows I’m not fine.
By the time I make it out to the field, I feel like shit, afraid I’ll fall over anytime, but I soldier on. I must have a death wish because there’s no way in hell I can fight like this, but I can’t leave Oberon with the aftermath I caused. This is my fight, my bright idea. I need to see it through. If it’s too much of a lost cause, we’ll retreat together.
The sight before me is enough to convince me that this is not the time and place to keel over. It’s pure mayhem out here. Bright explosions of light fly over my head and explode around me like firecrackers. Mixed in with Archer’s golden arrows and another set in red, it’s deadly yet all so beautiful. There’s always beauty in chaos, if you can see past the havoc. With a deep rumble, the ground opens up making a deep gaping whole and vines just like the ones that attacked me in the school shootout, grabbing people and squeezing tight before launching them in the hole to never be seen again. I look around for the earth boy, but I don’t see him anywhere out here. There’s a lot of mages running about, fighting for their lives. Way too many to be just Masters. Apparently, I got the whole school riled up, and they're all out here to fight for who knows what.
A Champion with the face of a lion charges at me, and I roll out the way, running toward the center of the field where I spot Oberon fighting. When he raises his hand, another hole in the earth opens up and Puck pushes a whole group of mages in before Oberon clenches his fist and the hole closes back up like it was never there. I cringe at the thought of being buried alive. That's a death I would definitely wish on my so-called father.
The lion man, or whatever the fuck it is, charges me again, but before he can maul me with its sharp teeth, a barrage of Archer’s arrows strikes him in the back and he falls over. Thanking Archer for the assist, I continue on my path, but my trek is slow. Too slow in this deadly war pit. My legs feel like they were carved from cement and are so fucking heavy. Spider boy must have left out a symptom because I swear I’m delirious when Puck poofs like he did in the basement, but instead of a bunch of spiders, there's five more Pucks lined up in a straight line, before charging the enemy with a dagger and a mischievous smile.
I only make it one more step before I see a flash of red and pain like I never felt before explodes in my ankle. I scream, dropping my staff, tilting over like a teapot. I no longer have control over my balance and can’t stop my descent to the ground. Everything moves in slow motion and through the pain, tiny spots dot my eyes before the blackness completely takes over. Before I completely surrender to the void, I swear another bout of delirium hits me because I have to be crazy, thinking I can hear Zion call my name with so much love and fear in his voice before a pair of strong arms cradle me to their warm body and his campfire scent lulls me to sleep.
Chapter 10
Angelica
All I can see is darkness. Wait! Did I die? The last thing I remember is a red arrow and then a burst of pain unlike anything I ever felt before. If I did die, then that’s a shame. All that careful planning and for what? For my life to end so spectacular after that pathetic show I put on. Damn, I was so cocky. I bet that asshole Zion is laughing it up. At least now, I’m out of his hair. For what I did, death is the least I deserve.
Inky blackness is all around me. Tendrils of a substance I can’t even begin to explain. Its meaning is unknown to the likes of me. Is this void Hell? Familiar voices speak to me… call me… cry for me, but I can’t respond. This darkness is unlike anything I’ve seen or felt before. It’s all-consuming, obliterating, and right now, it has me in its grasp like a tightly closed fist. I can’t even feel my body anymore. It’s like I’m floating on a lightless cloud straight into a thunderstorm. If dying wasn’t bad enough, I also failed my brother. Poor Quinn. I wonder if he’ll ever forgive me. Now I’ll never know since I failed to free his soul. Maybe with me gone, Morganstein will show mercy and release his soul then Quinn can find me in the afterlife and we’ll settle matters there.
The darkness dances around me to a tune only the dead can hear. Teardrops dripping on my skin turn into a raging flood. Voices roar in my eardrums like a never-ending wave of rushing water. It weighs me down. Pulls me under. Drowns me.
Like my body has finally caught up with my mind, my skin itches and an icy pinprick of pain plagues me, but when I look down, there’s nothing there but a plume of dark inky smoke. Slowly, it clears away, but I wish it didn’t when I see what the smoke was hiding. Hundreds, if not thousands, of baby spiders crawling all over my flesh. Maybe I’m not dead and this is a nightmare come true. Spiderboy’s minions have found me and are now abstracting their revenge on the one responsible for their Master’s death. I shriek in a soundless scream, scratch and claw at them, digging my nails deep into my flesh, but it’s all a useless effort. As many as I scratch away, more always come to take their place. Falling to the ground, I wither, shaking in fear. Spiders, spiders everywhere, crawling all over me. Why me? Why this? I would scream, but I learned long ago, there’s no use crying out from your nightmares. No one has the power to save you from yourself.
Slowly, I blink my eyes open and take a deep breath before exhaling it out in an effort to clear my mind of such a horrific dream. A dream so real, I thought I was dead. I wish it was like other dreams where as soon as you wake, you’ve completely forgotten it, but unfortunately, every detail is still fresh on my mind. The vulnerability I felt in the darkness, the helplessness of it, and the horrific feeling of being covered in spiders while they devour me whole. I’m no dreamweaver. I can’t dissect dreams, interpret them, and pluck out their meaning, so I’m confused as to what lesson I was supposed to learn. What exactly is the universe trying to tell me? Regardless of why I had the dream, it’s a nightmare I hope to never have again.
A thin line of sunlight shines over my body, but it’s from a different direction than it should come from if I were in my own bed in my cabin. I wonder which one of those overbearing males has been taking care of me and has me in their bed. The room smells like cinnamon and campfire, but I must be mistaken because there’s no way in hell he, out of all people, would go out of their way or even care about me enough to nurse me back to health. Maybe he came by and wha
t I’m smelling now is his lingering scent left behind. Besides, Zion would never allow a female into his room... well, he didn’t before, I muse, my thoughts firmly on Violet doing the walk of shame from his room before I left for Crimson Blood Academy.
Well, only one way to find out who it is. Slowly, I turn my body to the heavy weight beside me and gasp in shock at the mage lying beside me like it’s normal. That soft stream of sunlight shines bright against his auburn hair, making the strands a magnificent red-gold. His tan skin is so smooth, decent enough that he could make a fortune selling his own skincare line. He’s one of the lucky ones born with the features of a God. With a proud Roman nose and square chin, softened by his long rose gold lashes and full lips. I could stare at him all day and still wouldn’t grow bored, finding new things to stay in awe over. Then there’s those eyes of his. Orbs of bright gold like honey warmed by a molten fire. And right now, at this very moment, those golden orbs are centered squarely on me, taking me in just as intensely as I him.
We’re both lying on our sides with our bodies turned toward each other, sharing the same pillow with just an inch separating us, but it might as well be a mile when I have no clue what the boy beside me is thinking. Why is Zion such a conundrum? Who told him he’s allowed to keep me puzzled? What right does he have? The W questions keep adding up, but the answers are nowhere to be found.
Why am I here? In his room… his bed? I’m so confused right now, and my head is pounding. I thought he hated me. He should hate me. Our last conversation. What I said to him, and how pissed he was at me afterwards. Then to add insult to injury, I went out and spearheaded that disastrous mission to take down Crimson Blood and failed spectacularly. It’s because I’m such a coward I have yet to ask Archer any details or even check in. I know he’s still alive, I can feel him waiting on me to call out to him, giving me the much needed space I do not deserve.
“Are you awake this time, or is this another false alarm?” Zion asks calmly, yet my body still jumps from the sound of his voice. It doesn’t seem like he’s furious at me, but trying to read Zion is as easy as interpreting hieroglyphics.
“Have there been many?” I question before sitting up. Sweat blooms across my skin from the effort, and I wince from the aches and pains riddled throughout my body. I feel like shit. Man, I really put myself through the ringer this time.
“A couple, but since you’re sitting up, I’ll say that’s an improvement.”
“Why am I here?… In your room, I mean... Naked with just a t-shirt on?” I ask, peeking down at my body, confirming. The shirt is big on me, reaching mid thigh, and it smells just like him.
“I don’t owe you an explanation, but just this once, I’ll allow it and give you one. You’re here because you went off and did something incredibly stupid and because of your idiocy, you have brought the ire of the Council down on the academy and all involved.” I want to snap back. His tone says just what he thinks of me right now, but I don’t because he has every right to be furious with me. His tone has me obeying the rational side of my brain. The side I should have listened to before I psyched myself up for that reckless mission.
“You broke the rules, giving the Council every right to come and question you at any time, anywhere they want without permission, which makes the privacy of your cabin nonexistent. With that in mind, the other heirs and I decided to hide you since we didn’t do anything wrong, and they don’t have the authority to break down the doors to our private quarters. You’re with me because out of us five, I have the most sway with the Council, and the one they’ll think twice about bothering.”
“Isn’t someone just a tad bit cocky?” I snark, folding my arms across my chest. And yes, I may be pouting. Zion isn’t a knight. If anything, he’s the monster after me.
“Angel,” he sighs, completely exasperated, wiping his palm down his face. “You have no idea of the trouble you have caused. There’s a reason why we saved Crimson Blood for last. They’re not a school to be trifled with lightly. Each one of us studied up on our opponents, learning their strengths and weaknesses. Spent months gathering whatever information we could and kept constant surveillance on them and the academy so there were no surprises when we finally made our move. With a combined effort, we kept notes of their habits and whatever intel we could gather on their magic and fighting styles. All that work… all that time, and you foolishly wasted all our efforts when you went off on your half-quacked plan that nearly got you and that troublesome king and his sidekick killed. And if all that isn’t bad enough, you broke the rules while doing it. You really are a fool,” he sighs.
Yep, he’s mad. That calmness before was nothing but a well timed illusion. The calm before the fiery storm. In fact, I don’t think mad is a substantial enough word. Maybe irate, or infuriated is better. I can practically feel the heat vibrating off him in waves, ready to burn me alive. So instead of getting defensive, I say something I thought I’d never tell him.
“I know. You’re right, okay. What I did was dumb. You don’t have to lecture me. I know what I did was wrong,” I say, looking anywhere but his face as my own burns red with embarrassment.
“Yes the fuck I do. You really don’t get it, do you? You have no idea of the trouble you caused. Hell, you still don’t. As your guardian, your crimes are your grandfather’s while you’re here attending academy. Because of you, your grandfather can be called in by the Council at any time to answer for your crimes. Because of you, his standing as a headmaster is tarnished now, and at any time, he can be replaced. The fact that you’re his granddaughter only makes everything much worse. And if all that isn’t eye awakening enough for you, he could possibly lose guardianship of you, which will leave you to Morganstein’s mercy.”
“Wait! What? How?” I ask gobsmacked. How did I not know any of this? One stupid decision, and I have toppled over all my cards, making a mess of everything. I should have listened to Archer and Oberon and not went after Crimson Blood without the other heirs, but I was cocky and stupid and now look where that has left me.
“I told you already. Because you broke the rules,” he shouts, throwing his hands up in the air, getting even more riled up. “You’re not a harlequin anymore. In the Mage War, that bullshit mentality you grew up on where you do and say whatever the fuck you want will leave you with dire consequences.”
“Hold up. I’m lost here. Exactly what rule did I break? I went to Crimson Blood to eliminate all threats to us so we can win the war. How can there be rules against killing? That’s basically what we’re born to do.”
“Fucking hell,” he laughs, but this is no cheerful laugh. No, it’s one full of cruel intent. The literal end to his sanity is edging along the lines of my own wavelength that I’m used to. “You left here half-cocked and all fired up, and not only did you not know what kind of mages you’d be facing, but the rules of engagement.” He laughs again, just as unpleasant.
“Well, princess, let me be the one to explain it to you. As soon as you brought the war to Crimson Blood and kicked their doors in, you broke the rules. Granted, there aren't many. You were right when you said we’re born to kill, but the few rules we do have are important and should never ever be forgotten or broken. One being that when participating in the great Mage War, secrecy is key. You absolutely cannot engage your opponent directly in a school filled with students and teachers. The field the fight ended at was fine, but inside the building, with over a thousand students and their teachers, was out of the question. You’re lucky everyone involved was fooled and thought that was your brother and his Champion, or you’d really be screwed. Involving outsiders is also against the rules.”
Oh shit. Come to think of it, fire girl and spiderboy did seem pretty pissy at me for attacking them at their school. At the time, I thought it was because I got the drop on them first, but I guess I was wrong. It seems like I’ve been wrong about a lot lately. Shit. Instead of making the problem better, I’ve only made things a thousand times worse and not just for me either. I hat
e that I got my grandfather caught up in my own stupidity.
“Did I at least accomplish killing a couple of those bastards?” I ask softly. All the fight in me is gone far, far away and my shoulders sag utterly defeated. Right now, my white flag is waving frantically on its post as I surrender myself to his mercy.
“Three mages and four Champions were eliminated,” he answers.
“Well, that’s something, right?” I ask, trying to look at the brighter side of things.
“If you call waiting on Crimson Blood to retaliate with the numbers they still have progress, then yeah, sure, you can look at it that way. But unlike you, the other heirs and I are realists. We know better. Fluff thoughts like that will get you killed. We’ve all been on guard all the while you’ve been passed out. The fact that they have yet to attack just means they’re over there plotting something nasty. I rather have taken them down in one well planned-out attack in an area of my choosing like we planned to do before you fucked up everything, but now, we have to sit back and wait for them to make their move. Since you showed your hand and broke the rules while doing it, it’s safe to say they will also.”
“Is Oberon okay? You mentioned he was injured.” I may not be sure about how I feel about him, but he did put his life in danger to help me out. Internally, I’m telling myself I only want to know just to make sure Quinn’s body is still intact.