"Can't live by running or hiding, right?" he whispered. "Gotta face the enemy head-on, or you lose before it even begins."
My air fell out of me. Not from his words about facing an enemy, but from his willingness to face it with me.
His support strengthened my resolve, and I turned to the others, knowing they needed more information.
"There's an evil in the woods," I started. "Stalking me. Or us. I'm not sure what it is, but its intentions are clear. It means to stop me." I looked to the woods. "It's out there, watching."
Noah and Piper nodded, but not before I caught Noah's eye narrowing on Clayton. It was as if he was annoyed that I'd let Clayton in on the situation as well.
Hattie's brow lifted in curiosity, while Asher shimmied closer.
"What is it?" Asher asked. "Is it a werewolf, or a monster? We can protect you, Shaye."
I smiled, knowing that he meant it.
They would all protect me.
I just had to be sure I could protect them as well.
Chapter 8
Knowing that an enemy lingered at the edge of the forest added to our focus. Each of us kept a watchful eye on our respective sections of the trees.
Piper circled her hand in the air, generating a funnel effect. I envied her ease of using her air element as Hattie and Asher gawked in amazement. She pulled her hand away from the mini-tornado formation and blew on it. It dissipated while sending a wave of warm air across our faces.
Asher allowed the warm breeze to wash over him as he stared at Piper in awe. If I wasn't mistaken, there was a twinkle of smitten in his sparkling eyes.
"Let's see what you can do with your fire, Shaye," Piper said. "It's been forever since I've seen you use it."
I'd been avoiding the inevitable hoping that I wouldn't have to embarrass myself in front of Clayton. Piper didn't realize that I'd burned myself the last time I generated heat in my palms, so she waited innocently with wide blinking eyes.
Clayton's attention fixed on me, and I realized he'd never seen me use my gifts before. I'd always remained private about them, knowing the other students would be judgy and critical. I felt a subtle blush heat my face in response to his gaze.
Noah pressed his lips together and glanced conspicuously at my hidden hand.
As I pulled my eyes away, trying to ignore his questioning, he shot his hand out to silence everyone.
"Wait." Noah lifted his face in the air and took a huge inhale. "I smell something strange."
I immediately sniffed at the air, and the others did as well.
"I don't smell anything," Asher said.
I studied Noah as he continued to examine the scent around him. I knew all too well that his skill centered around sensing the paranormal through scent and taste. And as much as he tried to hide his ability, I knew he was good at it. My spine straightened as his eyes widened.
"I smell the stench of death," he said. "Like burning, rotting flesh."
Piper bared her teeth in fear and looked all around with nervous twitches.
Asher smelled the air as hard as he could.
"I still don't smell anything," he said with obvious disappointment.
I looked at Noah again, and he held my eyes, confirming that what he'd picked up on was real.
I nodded in belief of his warning.
"It's Noah's gift," I said to Asher, keeping a calm tone. "Remember, he senses things that others can't pick up on."
And just as the words left my mouth, my eyes shot to the edge of the woods.
The black cloak billowed through the shadows as the figure moved with swift purpose.
"She's back," I whispered with a gasp.
All eyes followed mine into the trees and searched for whatever stole my attention. I scanned the area with precision, and this time saw nothing.
"Maybe we've had enough practice for one day," Clayton said. "We should probably take that as our cue to leave."
He wasn't wrong. But it irked me that the dark figure had that kind of control over us. We still needed more time to train, and this location was perfect.
Then, at that exact moment, the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood up. I glanced back at the woods, and this time, jumped back in terror.
The cloaked figure had moved out of the trees and barreled toward us in a blur of speed and determination.
"What the hell is that?" Noah shouted.
We backed up by instinct as fear tore through us.
"Run!" I screamed.
Pushing on Asher to get him moving, I reached for Hattie as she stood frozen, staring.
"Clayton, help!" I blasted. "She won't move."
Clayton's focus remained fixed on our assailant as she flew with unworldly speed, closing the space between us in a streak of black.
He shot a quick glance back at us.
"Pull her away!" he yelled. "Get them away from here!"
Then he turned back to the attacking banshee just as her terrifying face came into clarity. Details of her disfigured body became visible, striking fear deep within my bones.
She was living death, twisted and gruesome. Stringy white hairs stuck to her skeletal face while her blazing eyes bulged with piercing rage. Her focus homed in on me specifically, turning my knees to jelly.
As she got closer, a spine-chilling wail came out of her, like a writhing death scream. In terror, I yanked on Hattie, still frozen in her spot, while Asher pulled to get me moving. Noah and Piper surrounded us, attempting to protect us from the impact of the charging demon.
Then Clayton stepped directly in her path to block her.
"Clayton, move!" I screamed. "She'll obliterate you!"
The immense power of a banshee was well known, and we didn't stand a chance against her. All we could do was get away, and that left me with only one choice.
I had to offer myself to her in order to protect my friends.
Without a second thought, I jumped toward Clayton and swung to push him out of the way.
Just as my arms made contact with him, I felt his muscles harden as a low growl rumbled from his throat. I pushed against him with all my strength as the black cloak of the banshee blurred my vision.
And then in a burst of explosive energy, Clayton's shoulders broadened, and his stance widened to a massive size. He became unrecognizable in his form like he'd grown into something unreal. Something deadly. A deep growl escaped through his heaving breaths as heat radiated off his enormous muscles.
Without slowing her attack, the banshee swooped toward me with a death-gaze that shot through my soul. Just as her bony, clawed fingers reached for me, Clayton lurched forward, blocking her attack. With a massive blow, he knocked her off course, shattering every bone in her body.
With a mind-shattering wail, she screeched against his assault. Her torn cloak flew through the air, landing in a quivering heap on the ground. Empty.
I searched the area for any sign of her, but she was gone in a cloud of streaking black smoke.
Turning back to Noah and Piper, I watched as they huddled around Hattie and Asher, staring at Clayton in disbelief.
Clayton remained turned away and dropped a knee to the ground. He knelt with his chin resting in his propped hand, taking in huge breaths of air. His broad back expanded further with each breath, and I stared in disbelief at his massive form.
He blew out a long whoosh of air and then shot a quick glance at me. His red eyes shocked me at first, and I pulled back. He quickly turned away again.
Moving closer to him, I took a final scan of the area to be sure the banshee was gone, and then, as I returned my gaze to him, a shudder of nervous energy ran through me. Steam lifted from his shoulders as a blur of mist surrounded him. As the white cloud dissipated, he was left returning to his normal-sized self, gasping for air.
I shot around him and knelt to his level, staring into his worried face.
"Are you okay?" I gasped.
He kept his eyes lowered as he caught his breath.
"I didn't want you to see that," he whispered.
My words caught in my throat.
His secret had taken me by surprise, but at the same time, I'd never seen anything more amazing in my life.
"That was incredible," I murmured. "You saved us."
He rubbed his brow with one hand while avoiding my gaze. His shame oozed from every part of him as he continued to gather his wits.
"It's been dormant for so long," he muttered. "I thought I'd suppressed it fully."
A strange feeling tickled at my stomach and moved through me like warm honey. Every part of me wanted to reach for him—to hold him, to comfort him. I'd never seen anything more stunning in my life.
And now, all I wanted was him.
Walking at the back of the group with Clayton, I noticed some rips in the seams of his clothing. The athletic fabric stretched for the most part, but some areas couldn't withstand the size he'd reached so quickly.
His shoulders slumped now as we headed back to the manor, and I knew all he wanted to do was hide.
"So, are we going to talk about this?" Noah called back to us. "I mean, what the actual fuck, dude?"
Noah's comments shot Asher's attention to Clayton. Asher's unblinking gaze was star-struck, like a top celebrity sighting, and he waited for a reply from his now-hero, Clayton.
"Would you give him a minute, Noah," I blasted.
He pouted with an exaggerated bottom lip, then his eyebrows pulled together again.
"Well, what do I know? He could go all-hulk on us too, you know," Noah spat. "Like, do you have any control over that shit, man?"
My hands pressed over my face. If he didn't shut up, I was going to have shut him up myself. The last thing Clayton needed was an interrogation right now. He was humiliated enough, and not to mention, devastated by the unwanted recurrence of his... condition.
"Ignore him," I whispered to Clayton. "He's just a little shocked."
"Can't blame him," he muttered, keeping his gaze down.
Then Piper came up alongside me and wove her arm into mine. "Are you okay? That witch was actually terrifying. I'd never seen such a horrifying creature so up close."
I swallowed hard, because, truth was, neither had I. The banshee had actually attempted to strike me. It had gone beyond elusive haunting to actual confrontational assault. I was probably more screwed than I'd allowed myself to believe.
As we neared the edge of the estate lawn, I worried that news would spread about our little encounter with the banshee.
"Guys, can we make a pact to not talk about this outside of our group?" I said. "At least until we have a better handle on what's going on."
"Seriously?" Asher whined. "I want to tell everyone what I saw. They'll never believe it!"
"Exactly. That's why it's best we stay quiet about it right now, Asher. Please. It could cause too many problems for us. Promise?" I held my gaze on him.
He pressed his lips together and huffed. "Fine."
"We at least need to report the banshee part," Piper chimed in. "Chancellor Kelly needs to know we're under attack."
I bit my thumbnail.
Chancellor Kelly had already alluded to something sinister among us. Maybe this was what she'd felt.
"I can talk to her," I said, knowing it was my responsibility.
The banshee was after me. That was clear. And so it was up to me to expose my curse to the Higher Order. I just hoped it wouldn't get me disqualified from the festival trials, or worse, kicked out of the academy.
We moved across the lawn toward the house in silence. No one was sure what else to say. As we reached the front porch of the manor, Hattie blinked, as if breaking out of her catatonic state, and stepped toward Clayton.
She placed her hand on his arm and looked up into his eyes.
"I'm sorry that happened to you, Clayton," she said. "But thank you for saving us. And don't worry. It's going to be okay. You'll continue to learn more about your gift in time."
Everyone stared at her with dropped jaws.
Her voice carried wisdom beyond her years and a profound understanding of Clayton's emotional state. As her words moved through him, his eyes recovered some of their brightness, and he gave her a small grin.
She had touched me once before like that, creating a similar response. She had been able to soothe the pain in my hand when I'd first met her. I knew she was doing the same for Clayton now, only she was helping to heal his emotional wounds.
His shoulders squared as he stood taller.
"Thank you, Hattie," he smiled.
At that same moment, a group of young students rushed out of the house with wands in their hands. They pointed the wooden scepters in every direction, casting pretend spells as they ran.
Most of us saw the decorated wands as toys for the younger students, and they generated more excitement than anything else. Ribbons and crystals wrapped around each one, making them unique and desirable. But in truth, the use of the wands was really just a way to help teach the students how to focus their energy and manifest their gifts. They believed the wands generated the power, when in reality, it was them. They just hadn't realized it yet.
"Can we go, too," Asher begged, reaching for Hattie.
I nodded with a grin, and the two of them ran inside to get their own wands.
Piper watched as they jumped into the house in search of Hannah Luna, the magical-instrument-keeper.
"I loved wand training," she reminisced. "That was the best time ever."
Noah nodded. "Yup. Same. Although I could never get mine to really work. And so now, the only thing that gets me that excited is a mega-sandwich." He laughed and put a bead on the kitchen. "I'll see you guys later."
I knew he really just needed some time to think. Noah had actually been pretty freaked out at the labyrinth, and I'd only just had time to realize that now. I'd have to visit him later to help him process everything.
"Wait up," Piper chimed. "I'm starved too." She lept after him.
Or maybe Piper could help him. A familiar jab of jealousy struck again, but in truth, Piper was the best one for him right now. Her calming approach and supportive nature were perfect.
My stomach grumbled, and I looked at Clayton.
"Want something to eat?" I asked, knowing full well his appetite was likely still miles away.
"Nah. I'm good. I think I'm just gonna rest."
I nodded and followed him into the house.
As we entered the foyer, the sound of Josie's voice straightened our spines. It traveled out to us from the kitchen as she greeted Noah and Piper with fake enthusiasm.
"Crap," I said.
Clayton took my arm and darted toward the grand staircase. "This way," he said, moving up the steps. "Last thing we need right now is an encounter with queen witch."
I followed without hesitation, happy to avoid Josie at any cost. But then my stomach knotted as I wondered if it was Clayton's attempt at hiding the fact that he was with me again. I couldn't help but think he was still playing both sides.
Taking two steps at a time, we reached the third floor in record speed. Panting, Clayton laughed as we moved down the hall, far from her irksome voice.
"That was close," he chuckled.
"Yeah, wouldn't want her to know you were spending time with the lower class." I cringed as the words left my mouth. But I couldn't help it. My insecurity had the best of me.
Why couldn't I just stay quiet?
He stopped short at his door.
"Are you serious?" he spat with an annoyed glare.
I shrugged, not knowing what to say.
"Shaye, I don't care what she thinks. She's never had my back," he said. "I was a fool to think I could hide forever. And she was definitely the worst shield I could ever have chosen. But honestly, it seemed to work at the time, so I just allowed it."
I nodded.
"Until I couldn't hide my true feelings anymore." He looked me straight in the eye, causing my breath to stop. "Shaye, the only way I can contr
ol my situation is if I suppress my feelings completely. Walking around like a cold corpse is the only way I can keep it down."
"Makes sense," I murmured.
This was probably the part where he tells me he can't be around me anymore—that my impulsivity makes him too vulnerable somehow.
His emotional suppression was the perfect explanation for why he walked around with such a superiority complex all the time like he was always in full control. But the truth was, he was scared shitless of losing control. And now I knew why.
"The problem is...." He dropped his gaze. "I don't want to hide my feelings anymore."
Time stood still as I stared into Clayton's handsome face.
His gaze held a vulnerability I hadn't seen before.
Deep within my soul, I hoped he had feelings for me. I hoped he didn't have to hide them anymore. But that was dumb. It was unrealistic to think that he had the same butterflies I had any time I looked at him, that his breath caught in his chest like mine whenever he smiled. Did his mind spiral in a blur like mine any time I caught his outdoorsy scent?
"I'm sorry I've avoided you for so long," he whispered. "You must have been so confused like something was wrong with you. But it was me who had the problem. From the moment I first saw you, I knew you'd be a threat to me."
His words took me aback.
"Just like Josie saw me as a threat," I muttered. "No wonder you guys banded against me."
He closed his eyes and shook his head.
"No, Shaye. Not like that." He exhaled. "The way you made me feel, like when the wind blew your hair back, or when you chased the younger students with a wand, or when you got angry at something. Each time I saw you, I'd have to build my wall stronger." He lifted his gaze to mine. "I just don't want to have to do that anymore. I don't have the strength to avoid you any longer."
At first, I was sure I'd misheard him. My mind must have jumbled his words into exactly what I wanted to hear. But the honest look in his eyes matched what he'd said perfectly, pulling me into him.
His words moved through me like warm sunshine, lighting up every part of me.
Every nerve tingled, wanting him to touch me.
Mystic Coven: Fire Festival (Supernatural Academy Graduates Book 1) Page 9