She was startled for the moment as she opened her mouth to reply. 'Nightshade...It's poisonous!"
Levi shook his head in disbelief. "It couldn't be! We have been using that stuff for the entire time we've been at the Academy."
Kit bit her lip and gestured to her charred cheek. "This enough proof for you?"
He waved it away. "Let's focus on getting you out, I have the keys." He took the keys out and jiggled them in the lock.
"Hurry!" Kit was becoming impatient as she watched him click the lock open.
The door creaked open and as soon as it did, she ran into Levi's arms, feeling them encase her, trapping her in his embrace. He looked at Kit, focusing his intense blue eyes on her. Those eyes were none she had ever seen before, but they sparked with this glowing light she had never seen before.
"I missed you and it was really..." She couldn't finish the sentence, just let it hang there. Levi was looking at her with such a sad and strong expression.
"I shouldn't have left you there! It was unspeakable, knowing you were here and I was out there being so..." He growled and started going on and on about how hard it was without her. It brought a very big smile to Kit's face.
A scream broke the through the moment and Kit jerked away, startled completely by the loud noise.
"What was that!?" She had no time to think though because she was out the door in a heartbeat. As per usual, Levi was right behind her. She heard his sword coming out of its sheath.
"That sounded like Stacy!" Kit breathed. "What was the plan?"
Levi jumped into the plan. It began making perfect sense. Why had they come even? It was obvious that it was something everyone had to do, but to what length would the madness go for? When will the amounts of deaths ever be enough?
They both turned around the corner, hearing sniggers from the witches as they chased after them. Kit sprinted towards the start of the cave where they found Stacy sprawled on the floor. A big cut ran from one cheek to the other and it was splattering blood. The rich scarlet colour was too much for Kit right now. But she didn't care.
"Stacy!" She leaned down and shook the motionless girl. Stacy's eyes remained closed although there was the slight rise and fall of her chest that indicated she was still breathing. Levi popped down beside her and he laced his hand against her neck, feeling for a pulse.
"She's alive. But where is the teacher in charge?" Levi looked around, probably not sure who the teacher was meant to be.
"Quick! Get help!" Kit said hysterically.
"They have already all left..." Kit spun around and faced Sally's stone figure.
"Sally... What happened?" Kit looked at the girl’s tattered armour and then focused her eyes to the deep red blood on her arm. "What happened?" Kit asked again, more sternly this time.
Sally opened her mouth, he fingers shook uncontrollably. "Claudius struck Stacy across the face with his claws...don't you see Kit, we were too late. All the teachers went after him, but I've no idea whether they will come back..." Sally started crying, big tears fluttered down her cheeks.
Kit sighed. "When wills this finish?"
Levi returned her answer, "Probably never."
"Alright, let's get Stacy to the Academy quickly!"
* * * * * *
The moment they arrived at the Academy Levi ran through the doors, Stacy sprawled over his shoulder.
"Be quick!" Kit said again for what felt like the hundredth time she had said it that night,
She looked out the window of the infirmary, waiting for Levi to finish taking Stacy. The moon was over the clouds and Kit gasped when she saw the moon. It was big and black; it had only the very slightest ring around it.
"We are too late." Kit whispered into the lonely room. Sally was beside her, but her expression was dazed and seemed very far off.
Kit was done having the night pressed up against the dark; she wanted nothing more than to sit by a fireplace, somewhere far away, with her favourite book in her lap. She felt that rush on longing suddenly sweep across her and she tipped her head backwards in pain.
"Kit..." Levi whispered. "We have to find Claudius, you and I alone. Leave Sally here, she will look after Stacy."
Kit was silent as her thought began gliding together once more. "Okay." She felt weak, tired, angry and annoyed. Stupid Claudius always running away. Tonight, he was at his fullest. "Why don't we go tomorrow night, catch him when he's not at his strongest." Kit shrugged.
Levi stared at her, probably noticing her flushed face, her stumbling appearance, her charred cheeks and her puffy eyes. "I'm sorry, come on, you should go to sleep." He led Kit out the room, leaving Sally out there on her own to look after Stacy.
Down the hall, nothing echoed along the walls. Everything was completely dead, the air, the people and the feel of life. As the dorms came into view, Kit turned back to Levi.
"Levi I..." She trailed off and closed her mouth.
"Be quite!" Levi hushed her and rode towards her; his tall form was only millimetres away from hers. He was a good head taller than her and is impeccably gorgeous face was fixed on hers with that same longing she felt before.
Without another word, he cupped her face with his cold hands, she closed her eyes and the next thing she knew, and his lips were on hers in a way that sent her feelings swaying. Her mind was back to normal, her body radiated off his as the horrible feeling she felt before washed away, renewed by this one true thing.
Levi pulled away and when he opened his eyes, all he was Kit and Kit saw him. "I love you Kit Stone." He whispered against her.
Kit froze for a moment, gathering his words. "I know." Was all she said? "I better go." She breathed, feeling like she had upset Levi.
I know! She shook her head, knowing one thing she was half certain of. Kitara Stone did not believe in love.
As she receded back to her dorm, she couldn't shake that look that she last saw on Levi. It was triumph, sadness and this other look like she had broken him.
The girls were fast asleep in their beds, where they should be.
Focus on sleep! Just sleep! Think later!
When else could she think though, right now her only thought should be Levi's unbelievably good skills at kissing. But instead it was her last words...I know.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Although it wasn’t a very easy to fall asleep after what she had said to Levi, but the tiredness of everything had finally allowed her at least five hours sleep.
She opened her eyes, watching as the sun filtered through the bottom of the curtain. The clock beside her said that it was 9:30! That was probably the latest she had ever been up before.
“Debra?” She mumbled and suddenly remembered her friend. Kit raced out of bed and found that she was already in the infirmary, rushing towards the main counter. A woman stood behind it, but Kit forgot her name, she was far too worries about Debra to pay attention to anything else.
“Can I help you?” The woman asked. She was about thirty, probably no older, but she wasn’t one of them, in fact she was purely human with big honey coloured eyes and semi greying hair.
“Yes. I’m looking for Debra,” She said pointedly, aiming my eyes at the woman.
“Uh, I’m very sorry but she’s not able to take visitors right now.” The woman scrolled down on her computer, losing interest in Kit. “Tell me your name and I might be able to put you down on a waiting list. You should be able to see Debra…next week.” The woman waited for her name.
That’s when Kit lost it. In one instant second, her hand was around the woman’s throat and she pushed to make her eyes look as menacing as possible. “Look lady, I don’t care about some stupid waiting list, but right now I need to see this girl because I can imagine just how easy it would be to harm you.” She knew it was beyond cruel, but she needed to see Debra, or else Kit would break the Academy in half.
The woman’s eyes remained unmoving, yet sharp fear calculated through them. She shrunk back slightly and watched to see whether Kit would harm
her.
Kit’s eyes locked with hers right then, and she brought every focus she could manage. The woman’s eyes did the unthinkable; they dilated and started staring at Kit in this zombielike way. Kit froze. It was just as Claudius had done to those girls, so how could Kit be doing the same thing now?
Despite her fear though, she told the woman in a very slow and compelled voice, “You are to let me find my friend, and I shall return out and you are to not tell anyone. Understood?” Kit’s eyes remained level with the woman’s.
She nodded at Kit though, her mindless frame seeping back into its original state as the compulsion finished off.
“Thanks for letting me go.” Kit said as she picked the keys off the counter and stormed off through two thin white doors where she knew Debra would be. “Debra?” Kit whispered into the slightly dim room.
A faint shuffle of feet clearly indicated someone was there. The room, Kit noted, wasn’t filled with very much. In fact, there was loose decay all over the place. Some type of watery substance lay on the ground where a water glass left shards encased among the marble ground.
“Kit?” Someone’s voice moaned. It sounded very much like Debra’s and Kit couldn’t hide the excitement and anxiety that welled up in her chest.
“Debbie?” Kit stepped forth, “Are you there? Come towards me Debbie.” Kit spoke in a very slow, hushed tone so she wouldn’t scare the other girl off.
Sure enough, out of the sudden darkness emerged Debra’s very slim figure. “Kit!” The girl hurled herself at Kit; clearly, she hadn’t seen any signs off another person who wanted to treat her nicely. “You came, that woman wouldn’t allow me out…she said I was turning mad. Am I?” Debra was looking at Kit with wide blue eyes. They were the same blue eyes that Kit had known her entire time within the Academy.
“She’s mad, no matter though, I taught her a lesson.” Seeing Debra’s alarmed look, Kit added, “No like that. I just made sure she let me in.”
This brought a grin to Debra’s face, “I am so glad to see you Kit. Were the other all right?” Debra looked sincerely concerned for Kit.
“Stacy was brutally harmed, we managed to get her back and she was suffering internal bleeding.”
Debra gasped, “I just hope you and Levi, and the others are fine. What did they do with Claudius…?” Debra trailed off, a look in her eyes masked fear, rage and this pressurized guilt that Kit remained puzzled over.
“The teachers chased him away, but he just ran like the coward he is and I’ve no idea what to do.” Kit leaned against the far wall and Debra joined her.
Her friend lay an arm over her shoulders, “How about we go back, ease right into reality again…with the other novices and all of that.” Debra gave her a wry smile.
A moment of silence and Kit breathed a sigh of relief, “I would love that. I’m already so sick of having to deal with Claudius and Levi- “Her eyes widened, and she stopped talking. Bad Kit! Don’t say anymore!
“What about Levi?” Debra noticed Kit’s amending blush that swept over her pale cheeks.
“Oh nothing,” Kit shook away the thought. “He just said something to me…you know, these special two words and I- “
Debra was looking at her funny. She wore a fine smirk and then she nudged Kit, “Oh my god! He said he loved you?” Debra jumped up, clapping her ands like a lunatic.
Kit only slapped her hand over her face. ‘Yeah…” Her face fell into a look of uncomfortableness.
“Well…” Debra leaned against the wall next to her, waiting to hear what Kit said in return.
After a moments silence, Kit looked back a Debra, “I only said ‘I know’ “She shook her head, wanting nothing more than to slam it against the hard plaster wall.
“Oh…Well if you don’t love him then that’s that.” Debra shrugged, adding to the surfacing guilt of Kit.
“I don’t think I’m capable of loving someone.”
Debra’s eyes shot up. “I can’t believe you just said that! You went into that cave for Levi and me. You risked your life, you were willing to die in the hopes we’d be saved. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.” Debra gave her a long-steadied look.
Kit said nothing; she wasn’t sure what to think. Yes, she had done it for Debra and to save Levi and the others. She wanted nothing more than to send them out of the hellish lands she stood in when she was in the cave. The memory of the thick depth of Claudius’s wild eye sent shivers through her. “I love you, but that’s different than the way Levi was talking about.” Kit said after what felt like minutes of silence.
“Awe, Kitty, you are so sweet!” Debra laughed over the cacophony of Kit’s roaming mind. “Now come and stop thinking so much!” Debra practically dragged Kit away, because she was much too caught up in her own fantasy that she wasn’t sure what to do.
* * * * * *
Levi stood with his arm pressed against the door; his eyes were averted towards the infirmary. He had seen Kit go inside and return with Debra. After last night, seeing that look on Kit’s face, he didn’t even want to imply that his feelings for her didn’t run in the same way for Kit.
Instead of greeting Debra, as he probably should, he walked into the infirmary, so he could see how Sally and Stacy were.
Sure enough, Stacy lay in bed, her eyes closed. The only way Levi could tell she wasn’t dead was because of the rise and fall of her chest. Her face was so pale that she looked ghostly; her posture was stifled, like she was covered in layers of ice shards, holding her back from awaking.
Sally sat next to her, clutching Stacy’s hand tightly. She was staring at Stacy’s arm, where a massive chunk had been ripped out after it started bubbling from Claudius’s touch.
Levi had looked up what would happen if a hybrid harmed another being. The results weren’t good. Apparently the simply bite or scratch were immensely harmful, and that’s why he didn’t want to tell Sally, because they were friends and it was the thing to do.
“Sally, is everything all right?” He asked. Sally’s face shot up. Obviously, she was somewhere else, Levi could tell because a mask of horror had folded over her face.
“Oh, ah yes.” She looked towards Levi and back and Stacy. “I’m so worries about her Levi; it really wasn’t good what happened to her!” Sally’s breaths grew short.
Levi walked into the door and placed and arm over Sally’s. “I can assure you she’ll be just fine.” She watched the way his eyes glowed in the light, casting a gloom that was iridescent and enchanting.
She nodded, “Yes, yes I know.” Sally looked very tired, almost like nightmares were plastid behind her eyes.
“Sally, how about I take over, you should go get something to eat or get some rest.” He took his hand off her arm, “I’ll make sure to get you if she wakes.”
Sally smiled, “You’re probably right, but I had nightmares and it was horrifying!” She stood up. She was smaller than Levi, by about a foot, but she was quite a pretty girl, with her pale blond hair and flawless skin. She began walking out the door and smile, “Thanks Levi.”
He smiled back, “Anytime.”
As he watched Sally leave, he turned back towards Stacy. She kept moaning something, but as much as he concentrated, he couldn’t quite here be she was saying.
He waited there for quite some time, still in the same seat that Sally was in, that’s when it happened. Sally jerked awake and screamed, it was a terribly horrid scream and it pinched the nerves in Levi’s over hearing.
He leapt up, “Nurse!” He shouted over Stacy’s loud screams. The nurse came over quickly, a very blank and scared look on her face.
“Oh no!” She said, her hands coming up to her face.
Stacy sat bolt upright and was staring at something, but no matter how hard Levi looked, she still stared at the door. “What?” He demanded, stepping away from a screaming Stacy.
“She’s…turning.” The nurse straightened herself, “You must stay away, and they warned me about this. If you come to close, then sh
e may bite you and you will turn as well.”
Oh god! Levi’s mind screamed to get away, “Into a hybrid?” He breathed.
The nurse nodded, “I’ll call the teachers over, the only just arrived and I understand that they would be very tired, only this matter involves a very serious case.” The nurse started towards the door.
“Wait!” Said Levi, “What is the alternate issue? What else could help her?” The nurse turned towards him, a very scared look on her face.
“Right now, the pain she is going through would only be resolved by death.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
From the moment she heard the scream, Kit new everything wasn’t as good as she had thought. She grabbed Debra by the arm and dragged her to the nearest wall.
A few students who were passing by stopped at well, wide and frantic looks crossing their faces. Kit made a face at them to shut up – she wasn’t too sure what to do now – wasn’t even sure whether the scream was inhumane as usual.
“Kit?” It was Debra’s solemn voice, pulling her from her reverie. “What was that Kit?” Her eyes widened, becoming suddenly very scared. Kit decided to make a very quick decision.
“Debbie, you stay here and please don’t leave. If anything comes at you… run.” Said Kit, standing up from her position crouched on the floor – she ran as hard and fast as she possibly could, her feet creating sounds like thunder down the floors.
She turned back, just to look at Debra, she was doing exactly what Kit had asked and stood behind a pillar, biting her lip indulgingly.
The scream soon turned into a cry and Kit knew who it was from… Stacy. That cannot be good. The girl was already in a horrible state, now it sounded as if she was being attacked by something. Hopefully it was the case.
She rounded the corner sharply and nearly skidded along the ground, stopping herself just in time. The infirmary doors were so close now, she could almost touch them. Was it possible for her to catch a break? Every time she tried to just chill, everything started being thrown at her.
She burst through the door, knocking into an angry Levi. “Oh my god!” Kit whispered loudly, wanting nothing more than to wrap her hands around him tightly.
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