by Evie Wilde
I looked at Kyler. “He healed several students,” I said, calmly. “And has been trying to help the others. Why would he do that? Why would he help if he caused the problem in the first place?”
“Morning everyone,” Aurelius said as he entered the classroom. He wore a wizard’s robe and looked as if he were going to some sort of ceremony.
I moved back to the table with Dash and Kyler. The three of us surprised to see Aurelius teaching our class. We’d been told Aurelius would be taking a break from teaching.
“Oh man,” Dash said jokingly. “What did we do to deserve this?”
“That’s enough, young man,” Aurelius said, his tone serious. “This is not a daycare.”
Dash stood while Aurelius turned to the board. I grabbed Dash’s hand and pulled him back down. “Don’t,” I whispered. “Something’s not right.”
“What the hell’s going on?” Dash whispered back. “There’s always something jacked up in this place.”
“Let’s begin,” Aurelius said and faced the class. On the board behind him was a list: humans, shapeshifters, witches, warlocks and mages. Beneath mages and circled was the word other. “So how do different hexes affect different species?”
Oliver raised his hand. “It falls entirely on the DNA makeup of the individual. So, the same hex on me will interact differently than it would on Kyler because of his shapeshifter DNA.” Oliver glanced at me and I gave him a subtle wink. He smiled and winked back. It finally appeared Oliver was over his shyness and turning red whenever we spoke to each other. I think he wanted to fit in similar to the other guys.
“Correct,” Aurelius said. “Shall we try a demonstration?” He moved in front of his desk. “Volunteers?”
Kyler slumped in his seat. Oliver raised his hand. I raise my hand but Aurelius conspicuously ignored me.
“Oliver and Kyler, please join me,” Aurelius said, but as soon as the two stood another teacher quickly entered the room. She looked at us and then at Aurelius, her face full of fear.
The teacher passed us and approached Aurelius, looking away from us as she whispered in his ear.
“Now what?” Dash said.
“It’s bad,” I said. “Look at Aurelius’ face.”
“Edius,” Kyler said. “He’s back.”
Ruby leaned forward. “No, I don’t think so. Something else is going on.”
The teacher finished with Aurelius and hurried out of the room. Aurelius took a deep breath and rubbed his long, white beard, obviously distraught. The last year and a half was weighing on him. He sat on the edge of the desk, shaking his head. The room fell silent and several of us shared a glance.
“Cassandra, Ruby, Kyler, Dash and Oliver join me at the front of the class,” Aurelius said. “The rest of you evacuate the building and make your way to the arena.” Everyone remained seated, obviously in shock. “Move!”
We waited for the room to clear before joining Aurelius. “It’s Edius, isn’t it?” I said.
“We don’t know, but three of our most powerful faculty were killed with a forbidden hex,” Aurelius said. He pointed at us. “I need the five of you to find the Headmaster. He’s missing.”
“Why is it no one can stop whoever’s doing this?” I asked. “We should contact the other academies. Find out what they’re doing.”
“We’ve tried,” Aurelius said. “Go find the headmaster before someone places a hex on him.”
“Let’s go,” I said to the others, and we left the classroom building.
CHAPTER TEN
Cassandra
Outside the classroom building everyone started to go in opposite directions. But the last thing we needed was to split up and search individually. At least with me and the four guys our strength was in numbers. That was proven with the defeat of Challis. The key was to convince Dash not to run off and try to save the world alone. I would never say it to him, but there was no way he could defeat Edius alone. Not that anyone knew where Edius was hanging out.
We had to work smarter not harder. I was sure Edius had a chink in his armor; it was just a matter of finding it. We’d been certain he would attack after we killed Challis, but she turned out to be just another useless minion to him. Which meant whoever had poisoned the fall festival was probably a useless minion as well.
“Wait,” I said “We can’t run off half-cocked. We need a plan.” I grabbed my wand and waved it across the ground, the others impressed when a 3D map of the campus appeared. I held my hand over the map and stood, the map rising with me. I studied the campus and noticed Oliver looking at me. He was in his element, and despite the catastrophe around us, he enjoyed the hunt for answers. I gave him a gentle wink. He winked back, all shyness gone.
“Where the hell did you learn to do that?” Oliver asked. He marveled at both me and the map.
“A book I read,” I said, and Oliver’s eyes brightened. I moved my hand around the map, the map moving with me, the buildings life-like. “The students are gathering at the arena.” I moved my hand over the arena, and we could see students scrambling to seats. Faculty and administrators worked diligently to try to bring order to the chaos. “We know Headmaster Eliphas isn’t there, so we can mark that off our places to search. But there are eight buildings we need to check, including the infirmary.” I pointed at the infirmary and then looked at Sonny, curious as to why he was here, and Ruby. “We need to make sure those inside are safe. While you’re there, check around and see if Headmaster Eliphas is there. I doubt he is, but we need to mark that building off our list.”
“We got this,” Ruby said. Before turning away she caught my stare. “Be careful. I don’t trust this place or the vibe I'm picking up. Watch your ass.” She and Sonny took off in the direction of the infirmary, and I turned back to the map.
“We need to stay together and search for Headmaster Eliphas,” I said. I pointed at the map in the order we would search the buildings. “If he’s still on campus, then the four of us will find him.” I looked at Dash. “We stay together. No being a hero.” Dash nodded.
“If we find him?” Kyler asked.
“Then we become his bodyguards until we can get him somewhere safe,” I said. “Look at this place. It’s us or no one.”
“We need to find Edius,” Dash said, “and this all goes away. We put a stop to the madness.”
“No,” Oliver said. “We can’t. Not yet. Aurelius said we’re not ready for that kind of fight, and I believe him. At least on campus we know our way around. We go outside these walls looking for Edius and he immediately has the advantage. We stay here and do what Aurelius asked.”
“I agree with Oliver,” I said. “The one thing Edius wants the most is to lure us away from the things we know. And if he can separate us in the process that’s even better. We stay together as a team.”
We entered the admin building and were immediately met by dead silence. The hallways were empty as was Headmaster Eliphas’ office, his secretary nowhere to be seen. Paperwork covered his desk and several sheets of paper laid on the floor, as if he’d left in a hurry. Aurelius made sure every building was evacuated, and Headmaster Eliphas’ office had been no exception.
Oliver, Kyler, and Dash headed down the hallway, and I returned to Headmaster Eliphas’ office. I was finding it hard to believe none of the administrators had a clue what was going on. Both Headmaster Eliphas and Aurelius had been around for way too long not to understand what was happening in the world of magic. I looked at the pictures on the walls and found Edius in several, standing next to either Headmaster Eliphas, Aurelius, or some other administrator or faculty member. He had ties to the Enchanted Academy. That would explain the faculty and admins ineptitude to deal with him. But Edius’ ties to the academy were only a small piece of the puzzle. What else was there? Destroying guilds and teaching academies was more than just about power. He was sending a message to someone. If it were all about revenge then I needed to find out why.
We scoured the building, including the basement wh
ere we found magic antiques we never knew existed. When things calmed down, we decided we would return to the basement to figure out what each item was. Finding the building empty, we headed outside where the four of us stopped in our tracks. Crossing the courtyard, uneasily, was Braeden.
“Damn,” Dash said. “He’s up.”
“No,” I said. “That’s not Braeden.” There was always an energy with the guys. And the closer they were to me the stronger the energy. I felt Braeden’s energy, but as this person got closer the energy remained the same, meaning I was picking up the Braeden still lying in the infirmary.
Kyler moved forward and stood next to me. “Of course it is,” he said. “Why would you say that?”
“Why do you think?” I said, my voice tinged with anger. “I’ve known the guy most of my life. That’s not him.”
“Hey, Braeden,” Oliver said. Oliver, with Kyler and Dash, approached Braeden, patting him on the back and telling him how great it was to see him up and moving around. But something wasn’t right. Maybe the look in his eyes or maybe his mannerisms. I wasn’t sure, but what I was sure of was it was not Braeden. Nothing about Braeden’s energy changed.
“Cassandra,” Braeden said. “I’ve missed you.” He stood there, waiting for me to make the next move. He knew that I knew.
Playing along, I put my arms around him. “It’s good to see you, Brae.” I stepped back and smiled. “You and I need to go blow up some statues,” I said. I wasn’t wasting time on the imposter. If he remembered me destroying the statues when we were kids then I would admit I was wrong.
“Huh?” he replied. He glanced at the guys.
“That’s what I thought,” I said and moved away. “That’s not Braeden.” I pulled my wand from the sheath in my pants.
“Cassandra,” Kyler said and held out his hand for me to stop. “Put the wand away.” He put his other hand on Braeden’s chest when Braeden started toward me. Then Dash stepped in, and he and Braeden shared a glare. Oliver knew. I could see it in his expression.
“What do you want?” he asked Braeden and moved in front of me.
“It’s okay,” I whispered to Oliver. “Let him speak.”
“It’s not. None of this is okay.” He took a step closer to Braeden. “She’s right. You aren’t Braeden.”
“Cassandra!”
I turned to Ruby’s voice. She and Sonny were running across the courtyard toward us. Braeden, the pretend Braeden, started to run, but Dash and Kyler quickly grabbed him and pressed his hands behind his back.
“No!” I screamed at Sonny who was casting a spell toward the pretend Braeden. Dozens of poisonous darts appeared above Sonny’s head, and as he thrust his hands forward, the darts rushed toward Braeden.
Kyler and Dash immediately formed a shield of protection, and the darts fell harmlessly to the ground.
“The fuck did you do that for?” Sonny asked as he and Ruby approached, both out of breath.
The pretend Braeden started laughing, and right before our eyes he began changing until he resembled the nurse who’d confronted me in the infirmary. Kyler and Dash released the man’s arms and stepped back.
“Should have let me kill him,” Sonny said. He raised his hand, and I ordered him to lower it.
“What do you want?” I asked and prepared to strike him down. “We should kill you where you stand.”
“You, of course,” he said. “What everyone wants.” He took a step toward me, and the guys backed him away. He looked at them and chuckled. “It’s far too simple to get under your skin, Cassandra. You should really toughen up.”
“What do you want?” I asked again.
“If you come with me, I'll save Braeden. I’ll simply overlook the fact I’m supposed to turn you over to Edius.” He laughed again, and a tooth dropped to the ground.
“Doesn’t look like shapeshifting is your forte,” I said. “I suggest you tell us how to save Braeden, or you’ll never even get the chance to tell Edius you screwed up.”
“No,” Ruby said. “You don’t have to go with this asshole. We can figure it out. Braeden is stable.”
“For now,” the man said. “But the time is coming, coming for each of you.” He pointed at me. “But especially you.”
“What do we do with him?” Oliver asked. “I’m not letting him go.”
“He killed all those people at the festival,” Dash said. “We end his life now, before he has a chance to harm anyone else.” Dash pulled his wand from his pocket.
“We can’t be like him,” I said. “We aren’t like that.”
“This is bullshit,” Dash said. “There are mean, hateful, fucking people in the world, and they need to die. Like this piece of shit.” He pushed the man. and the man scowled at him. The look on the man’s face was a darkness I'd never seen before. We were in over our heads.
“We take him to the headmaster’s office,” Oliver said. “Maybe he’s back now and will know what to do. They’ll want to interrogate him anyway.”
“We should do him right here,” Dash said. “No more opportunities to fuck with us.”
I noticed the crystal around the man’s neck and remembered seeing the same crystal around Challis’ neck. There seemed to be a never-ending line of Edius’ henchmen. “We take him to Headmaster Eliphas,” I said. “Let them make the decision.”
The man faced Kyler. “You have the ability,” he said to Kyler. “I know you do. I know who you are, and I know who your mother was. Shapeshifting and witch doctor blood run heavily through your veins.”
“I’m not like you,” Kyler said and balled his fists at the apparent insult.
“You can join me and your kind,” the man said. “Witches and warlocks are not your kind. Join me.”
We were too slow to stop Kyler who needed one swing to put the man on his ass. Kyler stood over him and demanded he stand. The man wiped blood from his mouth.
“You’ll pay for that,” the man said.
Dash and Oliver dragged the man to his feet.
“I will never be like you and the others,” Kyler said. He looked at me as if he were waiting for the okay to kill the man. I shook my head.
“What’s your answer, Cass,” he asked me. “You have one last chance. Come with me, and all this stops.” The smile on his face turned creepy.
“Let’s go.” I headed to the admin building, Kyler and Dash dragging the man along.
Everything was always pointing back at me. It all started when I came to campus last year. But I had absolutely no idea why Edius was after me. What did I have that he wanted?
We entered the admin building and headed into Headmaster Eliphas' suite where we barged past his secretary and went straight into his office. Kyler and Dash shoved the man to the floor. Headmaster Eliphas and Aurelius stared at the man and then looked at us. I was sure they recognized the man and not just from the infirmary, like they weren’t surprised he was part of the trouble.
“He’s a shapeshifter,” I said. “He tried to pose as Braeden.”
Headmaster Eliphas moved around the desk and helped the man up. “Edius sent you?”
The man nodded. “It doesn’t matter who sent me,” he said. He pointed at me. “Give me the girl, and all this trouble goes away.”
Aurelius raised his hand to cast a spell at the man, but the man rolled away, his own spell already in the making.
I stumbled back against Dash, and he did his best to protect me, but then I felt the forbidden magic take hold.
The lightness. The floating. And then the feeling of being pulled into a vacuum. It happened fast, and no matter how hard I fought against the pull, my efforts were useless.
I stood in the middle of nothingness. And although I stood on nothingness, I neither fell nor moved. Then, in the distance, three golden lights appeared, each racing toward me. The lights exploded and suddenly Dash, Kyler, and Oliver were standing next to me.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Cassandra
“Where the hell are we?” Dash asked
. He shook his head as he studied the devastation around us.
“Throw in some flames and I would say we’re in hell,” Oliver said. He studied the plants around us. “Never seen anything like this.”
I walked to the gate leading to the decrepit old city and felt a tinge of insufferable gloom, as if we’d been brought to the most depressing place in the world.
“You feel it?” Dash asked. “The heaviness.”
“Like all the world’s problems reside here,” Oliver said. He pulled his computer from his back pocket.
“It’s like a Poe story,” Kyler said.
“Means bad shit is waiting for us on the other side.” Dash stood in front of the gate, watching me continue forward. “Your feet,” Dash said, and I stopped walking.
I lifted my foot, and several muddy strands of muck extended between my shoe and the ground. I began walking again, and the muck did everything it could to make my travels harder.
A larger shadow darted across the ground and when we looked up, we found a large bird diving toward us. Kyler called out a spell, and a cloud of muck jumped from the ground and plastered the bird in the face, sending it sprawling to the ground. Kyler glanced at me and then at the bird. He shrugged, but his face suggested the bird was no surprise.
“Guys,” Oliver said and pointed toward the trees and then the ground. Dozens of roots broke through the ground and snaked toward us.
Dash cast a dozen fireballs at the roots, but they continued coming, rising into the sky, the dagger-like ends scoping us. One of the monstrosities slammed near my feet and rose into the air again.
“Run,” I yelled, and we headed into the city. The roots stopped, crisscrossing, blocking our way out, though I suspected we’d never see that entrance again anyway.
“The walls around the city,” Oliver said. “They’re moving.”
“Something else,” Dash said, and we watched the invisible dome rise and then close above the center of the city, trapping us. I grabbed for my wand, but it was no longer there. None of us had our weapons of choice.