by M Guida
“I’m actually surprised she did.”
Mina tilted her chin. “I’m a Defender. Defenders don’t abandon their friends.”
I laid on my head on her shoulder. “You’re right. We’ll avenge what Ryker and his son did to the Golden Demons.”
Lucien walked up, holding my café latte. His eyes darkened, and he nodded in the direction Bo had gone. “What did he want?”
“Relax,” I said. “He just wanted to say hello and to wish me a belated Merry Christmas.”
“With a kiss?”
I took the latte. “Will you stop?”
He didn’t say anything, but I doubted it was over between those two. No way was I going to tell him about the Phantom of the Opera music box. No doubt it would cause World War III.
“It’s good to see you, Lucien,” Mina said.
Lucien tore his gaze away from Bo, and luckily, he focused on Mina. “Good to see you, too. Do you want something from the café?”
“She’ll take a latte, too.”
Mina gave me a quizzical look but didn’t interrupt.
“Sure. I’ll be back in a minute,” he said.
Mina leaned close. “Raven, what was that about?”
I took a sip of my yummy drink. “Keeping Lucien busy so he doesn’t take his frustration out on Bo.”
“Ah. Good plan.”
By the time train got here, I had successfully avoided being in the middle of a war between Bo and Lucien. Bo had kept his distance on the platform and on the train, which helped.
I was on red alert for any words between them, but for the first time, nothing happened. It was a smooth ride to Legacy. I wasn’t sure whether that was a good sign or not.
The professors were waiting for us when we pulled into the train station and we all filed onto the buses that were waiting to take us the rest of the way. Like always, the Defenders rode with Anton.
Mina was devastated when Anton wouldn’t allow her to ride with us. He said she was much too weak to be a Defender. She got on the dragon bus with tears streaming down her face. I almost tried to change Anton’s mind, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure she was ready to get back on the team.
As our bus pulled away, Anton stood. “I know we’re all aware what happened with the Golden Demons.”
Lucien gripped my hand, and I squeezed his, trying to send him reassurance. He didn’t look at me.
“We need to redouble our efforts when we get back to the Academy. We will be practicing the Puriforgio Virteus spell in Defense and Battle Techniques class. Also, I’ll be stepping down from teaching the class. You will have a new teacher.”
I blurted. “What?” I leaned my head back on my seat. “Oh, God. Please don’t let it be Heath Read. I can’t take another year with him.”
“Don’t worry,” Lucien said. “He’ll have to get through me to get to you.”
I smiled. He sounded more like his old arrogant self.
“Who’s teaching us?” Rhys demanded.
But like always, Anton sat and didn’t answer a single question fired at him.
No one spoke the rest of the way back to Legacy. My stomach was in double knots and all I could think about was how miserable I was last year with Heath. How could Anton abandon us when the Golden Demons had been attacked and Ryker was planning God-knows-what?
I was super excited for Mina to be back, but I couldn’t shake the nagging notion in the back of my mind that something was up. Anton was tight lipped about it, but I could see it in his eyes.
He was worried. Not just “the sky is falling” worried. But “we’re all going to die” worried.
I could barely contain myself for the rest of the day and the following next day. I was consumed with who our next instructor was going to be. Finally it was time for Defense and Battle Techniques class and the big reveal was finally here.
In the locker room, I changed faster than I ever had.
Poppy was stripping down as fast as I was. “Who do you think is replacing Anton? I can’t get it out of my head.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. But we’re about to find out. I’m going to have a shit fit if its Heath Read. He’s not half the man Anton is.”
It was a cold day, so Anton had provided us with thermal-insulated threads. The word Legacy in yellow print went down the right side of the black leggings and across the hoodie.
Poppy and I ran outside into the arena. Adrenaline pumped through me and I was about to knock Heath’s dick in the dirt, but power rolled over me as if spiders were crawling all over me. We glanced at each other. Her face was tight, and I knew she was experiencing the same crazy sensation.
The guys all stood absolutely quiet, which was unusual. Usually, they were giving each other shit about who was going to get their head bashed into today during practice.
Anton was talking to a man who had his back to us. It definitely wasn’t Heath. This man was twice as tall as Heath and had long dark curly hair that flared over his broad shoulders. He had on a sweatshirt and pants that barely contained his muscles.
The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. There was something familiar about him. Something tugged at my memory. It couldn’t be. I was imagining it.
Lucien came over to me and whispered, “Raven, are you okay? You look you’ve seen a ghost.”
I glanced nervously at him. “I might be just have.” I gave him a small smile. “Don’t worry. My mind’s playing tricks on me.”
“Do you know who that is?”
I shook my head. “No. Do you?”
“I’ll never forget him. He saved my people.”
My stomach dropped to my toes. I lowered my voice. “No way. That’s the Golden Phoenix? He’s our teacher?”
“Apparently so.” He tilted his head. “And that’s his daughter, Ebony.”
I followed his gaze and for the first time noticed a girl sitting on a bench who didn’t look the least bit happy. She looked to be about a freshman in high school. But what killed me is she had horns. I couldn’t tell if they were real or not. I’d never seen anyone with horns.
Her hair was the exact opposite of the Golden Phoenix’s. It was stark white. But it was the smirk on the face that really set me on edge. It reminded me of Vivian’s, and I wondered if she was one of the mean girls.
She caught my gaze, and I thought I detected pure hatred in her eyes. Why would she hate me? I didn’t even know the girl. Whatever.
“Who is that guy?” Katona came up alongside me.
“Can you believe it? It’s the Golden Phoenix,” I said.
Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. “No shit.”
Anton stepped around the Golden Phoenix. “Class, have you figured out by now who your instructor is?”
I held my breath, waiting for the Golden Phoenix to turn around…and when he did, my world spun out of control.
“Good afternoon. I’m the Golden Phoenix and you’re not ready for the battle that is coming.” His gaze focused on me.
I pressed my hand against my sweaty forehead. My brain couldn’t process what I was seeing. My throat collapsed. I couldn’t breathe. Or was it that I forgot to breathe? My lungs wouldn’t cooperate, and neither would my legs. I wobbled back and forth.
“No, it… can’t be.”
I shook my head to see if I was seeing things, but I wasn’t.
I remembered those dark brown eyes… my eyes… the beard… the mustache. I remembered riding on those powerful shoulders… Laughing as he’d run around the house, neighing like a horse. I shook my head. It had to be a mistake.
“Raven?” Lucien grabbed one arm and Bo the other one.
“It’s… it’s…” I couldn’t say it. No… I wouldn’t say it. I bit my lip. Mom’s pain. My pain.
Someone said something, but my ears didn’t process it.
The Golden Phoenix slowly walked over to us. Anger, frustration, sadness beat down on me. I didn’t know which one I felt the strongest. All these years… all this time…
&nbs
p; Lucien jerked me in front of him, willing me to look at him and to tear my gaze away from the tall, powerful man heading toward us.
“Raven, what’s the matter with you? Get a hold of yourself. Do you know who that is?”
“Yes. She does.” It was the same voice I remembered as a little girl. The same one that would read me bedtime stories before bed.
I wrapped my arms around Lucien’s neck hard and buried my face in his hair. If I didn’t, I’d kill him. I’d swear I’d kill the Golden Phoenix for every tear my mom had shed, for every tear I had shed.
“I am her father.” There was no emotion in his tone.
It was true. Vincent Erickson, my dad, was the Golden Phoenix. The man who had abandoned me when I was four years old.
“Shit,” Bo swore under his breath.
“Oh, my God,” Poppy murmured. “This is surreal.”
The understatement of the year.
I squeezed my eyes shut and tightened my grip, burying my curses into Lucien’s sweatshirt. He was the only thing keeping me from doing something really, really stupid.
Lucien slipped his arm around my waist. “Give us a moment.” He escorted me away, half carrying me to the opposite side of the practice field.
I never let go.
“Raven? Are you okay?”
The eruption of emotions burst through me like an exploding volcano. I pushed on his hard chest. “No, I’m not okay. I’m far from being okay. I’m one step away from unleashing my powers and hurting him.”
“Raven, he’s the Golden Phoenix. Do you know how powerful he is?”
I gritted my teeth. “Don’t care.” I kicked a rock hard, sending flying into the stands. “Do you understand the pain I went through? How I blamed myself? He left because of me. I heard my parents arguing…” The words died in my mouth. Tears of frustration fell from my eyes and I clenched my fists. “And what hurts more… Anton knew. I thought… I thought I could trust him.”
Lucien drew me into his arms. “I know. I’m sorry.” He whispered into my ears. “Pull yourself together. The Phoenix is coming over here.”
I struggled to break his grip. “Let me go. I don’t want to talk with him.”
He clasped my cheeks in his hands and looked deep into my eyes. “Listen to what he has to say first… then you can leave.” He dropped his arms. “But remember the Defenders need you. We can’t do this without you.”
I opened my mouth to argue and let loose another tantrum, but I put my hands on my hips and took a quaking breath.
“I won’t abandon you.” I looked at my friends, who were watching us intently. They’d been there when I needed them the most. “You’re my family. I’ll always be there when you need me.”
My dad approached and blocked my view of the Defenders. His shadow fell over me, sending a cold chill through me, but I refused to cower. I narrowed my eyes and met his intense gaze evenly.
“Raven, I have some explaining to do.” Sadness gripped his voice.
My heart pounded fiercely, and blood thundered between my temples. I crossed my arms and raised my chin. No way was I going to make this easy for him.
“I didn’t leave because of you. I left to protect you and your mom and your sister.”
I wished now Lucien had stayed, but I didn’t say a word. I learned a long time ago that if I kept silent people, especially Julie, would spill their guts. She always fell into the trap.
Dad glanced away. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
I rolled my eyes and let out a soft snort.
“Your mom and I both decided I should leave.”
This time I couldn’t keep quiet. “What?”
“Ryker was obsessed with finding us. He never got over your mom and I mating. I had to protect you and your sister.”
“You keep saying that. I never had a sister.”
He gestured with his hand. “Do you mind if we sit?”
“No, I’m fine right here.” I was being stubborn. Honestly, I wanted to sit, but anything he’d suggest I would do the exact opposite. I didn’t care.
“Your mom and I decided it would be best if neither of you knew about the other. That way if Ryker killed one, the other might survive.”
It hit me like a brick and I let out an angry hiss. “Anton. He cast some kind of forgetfulness spell, didn’t he?”
“We thought it would be best, yes.”
I wanted to scream at him, call him a liar, but bits of memory suddenly wormed their way into my mind. I remembered my mom mentioning the name Ebony, but I never gave it much thought––since I didn’t have a sister.
I stared at the horned girl on the bench who was watching us like a hawk. “So, where has this supposed sister of mine been this whole time? And why does she have horns?”
“The horns have something to do with her dragon. Apparently, when she gets mad or angry, her horns show––literally.”
“Why don’t I have that then?”
He shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.”
“So, Ebony or whatever her name has been living with you this whole time?” I was surprised at the twinge of jealousy pulsing through me.
“No, she lived with my parents.” He lowered his head. “When my team and I were defending against the Dark Demons, I was wounded.”
I blinked. “You can be hurt.”
He chuckled. “I’m powerful, Raven, but I’m not immortal.” His laughter died away and tears glistened in his eyes. “While I was down, Ryker was able to trace where my parents lived. Faas killed them. They were just pulling into the driveway when he attacked.”
I gasped and cover my mouth. “No.”
“Luckily, Ebony was at a friend’s house across the street at the time. Faas never knew she was there, or she’d be where your mom is right now. My team just managed to get Ebony out before Faas discovered her location.”
“She saw her grandparents die?”
“Yours, too,” he corrected me. “Yes, she did, through the window. I wished to God she hadn’t.”
I glanced over at Ebony and couldn’t image what she must be going through. At least Mom survived the fire. Another blow. I had grandparents that I would never know, thanks to Ryker.
“I’m so sorry. If they’re dragons, why did the fire kill them?”
“Apparently Ryker has developed fire hot enough to kill a dragon.”
I folded my arms. “That’s not good.”
“No, it’s not. Unfortunately, we’re losing the war, Raven.”
“We are?”
He nodded. “That’s why I’m here. I was hoping you’d all be ready when I got here so we could plan a sneak attack, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. We need to be ready, because the war is coming to us.”
I thought back to Mom’s warning and a hot flush washed over me. “Oh, my God. It was you.”
He frowned. “Me? What?”
“A couple of months ago, I pressed the tip of my crossbow into the magic orb and I was able to talk with Mom for several minutes. She said “he” was coming, and we needed to be ready. I always thought it was Ryker or his son, Gunnar.” I frowned. “But it was you.”
“Possibly. But we need to be prepared. Ryker’s gaining more and more power and scaring the other kingdoms.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had hoped to take her to the dragon kingdom, but the King refused.”
“Figures,” I mumbled.
My dad looked at me curiously, but continued. “In fact, all the kingdoms refused to help her except for––”
“The Golden Demons.”
“Yes. King Gregori is granting her sanctuary.”
“Do you think that’s why the Dark Demons attacked?”
“Maybe. Ryker would have gone after the King anyway. If he overthrows the Golden Demons, he’ll easily be able to overthrow the others.”
“The Defenders won’t let that happen.”
“I hope not. Shall we join the others?”
I nod
ded.
He let out a shaky breath and looked around. “I forgot how beautiful this place was. I can see why Anton chose to be Headmaster here. It’s a great place to help you forget the ugliness of war.” His eyes turned back to me and softened. “Once this damn war was over, I had hoped to introduce you to your sister, and your grandparents. You would have liked them. Your mom sent them your school pictures every year, and they had an album of you.” He gave me a sheepish smile. “Secret from Ebony, of course.”
He put his hands on my shoulders. “I just want you to know I never left you unguarded. When your mom was kidnapped, I had been wounded––”
“And that’s how he found us?”
“Yes. When I’m wounded, my protection spells weaken. I can’t keep the ones I love safe. I need help. Ebony’s too young to tap into her abilities. But you, my daughter… you’re different.”
There was that dreaded word again.
“If we can tap deeper into your abilities, we might just turn the direction of the war. Are you game?”
“We’ll be able to rescue my mom.”
“She’s my mate. That was always the plan.”
“Then, I’m in.”
He gripped my shoulder. “Good. You know, you’re what Ryker fears the most. You’re the key to bringing down his plans.”
“Wait, Mom said there was a key on Mt. Elbert. She said we have to go there to find it and we’ll be able to defeat Ryker.”
Dad clasped my cheeks. “Oh, lovely daughter. You still don’t understand.” He pressed harder, forcing my lips to pucker. “You’re the key. The one that has the power to break down Ryker’s kingdom.”
I searched his eyes, not wanting to believe what he was saying. How could I be the key? I was just Raven, a girl who never knew her past, accepted her present, or grasped her future.
Chapter 27
For the next two hours, my dad ran us through routines. I thought Anton had been tough. Compared to Dad, he was a marshmallow. Dad made us go into army training: push-ups for 60 seconds, sit-ups for 60 seconds, pull-ups for 60 second, and run two miles as fast as we can. I thought I was going to pass out.
“Let me see you use your weapons.” He walked past as we all panted.
I thought I was in pretty good shape––wrong.