Deadly Declaration (Shadow Veil Academy Book 2)

by Heather Renee

  I stood back, waiting for Desmond to come out, and made sure to keep my scales in check. I hadn’t forgotten his previous comment about wanting to take one.

  Desmond followed Sylas out of the room, half-asleep and not seeming all that excited that he’d been rescued from his cage.

  “What the hell is she doing free?” Desmond snapped.

  “What, are you afraid of getting punched in the face again?” I taunted, then pretended to lunge for him and enjoyed the flinch I caused in him.

  Sylas grunted. “She knows what’s at stake if she acts out. Don’t you, Mutt?”

  Ugh. I really hated that name. It was what Lyssa had called me when I first arrived at Shadow Veil, as well. This dude was really pushing my buttons and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep myself in check.

  “That’s not good enough.” Desmond took a few steps my way, stretching his arms and neck.

  My body tensed, thinking he was preparing to hit me, but instead, his hands wrapped around my face as he stared into my eyes and muttered, “Dormito.”

  Before I knew it, my knees gave out and the world around me faded away. The last thing I remembered before I lost full consciousness was the smirk on Desmond’s face, and I couldn’t wait to pound it out of existence.

  Chapter 18

  When my consciousness returned, I took my time waking up. Even though he’d used a sleep spell on me, my memory was sharp, and I remembered everything that had happened, unlike the last time Desmond had knocked me out and kidnapped me.

  Well, I guess he hadn’t kidnapped me this time. I would have gone willingly just to get closer to Malina, but I wouldn’t have made it easy on them as soon as we were outside the academy, so he had made the right call, unfortunately. Bastard was a fun-ruiner.

  Since I had no idea where we were or how we had gotten there, my only hope was that Phox had been able to follow us and she’d call for backup. Having no clue how long I’d been out, I wasn’t sure how much time I had to question Mommy Dearest before the cavalry arrived. So, as my breathing calmed, I focused on my surroundings.

  Nothing stood out to me, which made me believe I was alone. That was, until I opened my eyes and Desmond’s snarling face was inches from mine.

  “Sucks being chained to a chair and defenseless, doesn’t it?” he taunted right before pulling his arm back and socking me in the jaw. “That was payback, you little bitch.”

  My mouth opened and closed, trying to relieve some of the pain as stars blinked in my eyes. He’d hit me hard, but I knew he’d also held back. It was the small things I had to be thankful for.

  “Enough, Desmond. You can go now. I need a minute alone with my daughter.” Malina strode into the room wearing another silky, floor-length dress like the last time I had seen her, but this one was emerald, almost the same exact color as my eyes.

  As Desmond sulked out of the room, Malina took a seat in front of me and sighed. “I’m sorry about him. Let me make you more comfortable.” She waved her hand in a zigzagging motion in front of me, and the chains fell away.

  My arms stretched out, then my fingers rubbed my jaw, which was going to be sore for a while. The metal chair beneath me was even replaced by a cushioned one. She was either trying to butter me up or the chair was filled with poisonous spiders and one wrong move on my part would have me writhing in pain.

  Either possibility seemed likely, considering the way she stared at me. A whole bunch of crazy was mixed in with the sparkle of her eyes.

  “You left me, Raegan. That wasn’t very nice of you. I offered you the world and gave you a few months to be free, then you disappeared. Where did you go?”

  “If you have a dragon working for you, then you already know where I went,” I replied smoothly. “I hadn’t had much of a choice in the matter, though. It wasn’t my intention to leave for so long.”

  Her brow raised. “So, you wanted to come to me, but Marek wouldn’t let you?”

  “Not exactly, but I’m here now, so that’s all that matters, right?” I grinned, wondering if she could really be gullible enough to believe me.

  “Yes, Daughter. Right here where you belong.” Her eyes bored into mine, but I kept my face neutral, hopefully not giving away any inclination of my desire to wipe her from the face of the Earth.

  “So, what do we do now? What do you need from me?” I asked when she didn’t continue the conversation.

  “Straight to the point. You don’t want to ask me any questions about your history?”

  Shaking my head, I leaned back in the chair, pretending to relax. “The past can’t change the future, so what’s the point? Even if I knew more about who my father might be or how I ended up in Oregon with my adoptive parents, it doesn’t change what’s happening now, right?”

  She smirked. “No, I guess it doesn’t. You’re different than I thought you’d be. Why are you so agreeable to helping me now?”

  “Because everyone else around me seems keen on holding me back. They’re afraid of what lies beneath my surface, and I’m ready to set it free. Which brings me back to my original question. What do you need me for? It would also be nice to know what’s in it for me if I comply?”

  What I really wanted to know was whether Marek had been right when he told me of Malina’s plan to create another Elora. There was a chance he was wrong, and any additional information I could glean from her would be helpful.

  If Malina refused to bring me in on her plans, then anyone I cared about was still at risk, but if I could be involved from the inside, we stood a better chance at taking her down without Marek’s help.

  I still had hope that if Headmaster Stone stripped my other abilities, I could somehow tap into the Doyen blood that flowed through me. Then, if I was right, it would be the best way to take her down.

  “Hmm, I’m not sure you’re ready for the whole story. How can I know if you’re trustworthy? You’ve only just arrived, and I don’t know a thing about you. Do you believe I am a fool?”

  “Of course not.” I just hope you are, I added mentally.

  “Then, before I answer any of your questions, how about you answer some of mine?”

  I shrugged, finding that fair.

  “Where is Marek?” she asked.

  “In another realm called Drakken. You have to open a portal and need dragon DNA to get through. I wouldn’t recommend going yourself unless you want to be shredded to bits.” There was no hesitation in my answer. Sylas would have already given her that information, so I wasn’t harming anyone.

  Her eyes glowered. “How sweet of you to be concerned with my wellbeing.”

  Maybe I wasn’t fooling her at all. She didn’t seem happy with my answer.

  She stood up, walking around behind me. I didn’t bother to follow her, but I did take in the room I was in. There were no windows on the walls I could see, but there was light filtering through from somewhere, so I assumed one to be behind me.

  The walls were painted a pale blue with white trim, and a king-size bed was to my left. Off to the right were two doors. One I assumed led to a closet and the other to an attached bathroom. There were no pictures on the walls, not even any decorations.

  Finding nothing interesting to stare at, I picked at the fray on my jeans and noticed a decent-sized bruise forming where my pants had been ripped. Apparently, Desmond or Sylas hadn’t taken any care with my body while bringing me to Malina. Both of them really needed to die along with her.

  “Why aren’t you fighting back?” she asked from behind me.

  I stood, wanting to face her when I answered. If she wasn’t believing me, I needed to be more convincing.

  “Because I don’t see the point. You’re clearly stronger than me. You have bigger plans, and I’m curious about them. Why wouldn’t I be? You seem like a smart lady, and it would be stupid of me to dismiss you completely, regardless of what others have said. I now realize the world is a lot bigger than I ever knew, and with so many secrets around me, I need to know all of my options.”r />
  Her eyes still narrowed at me, seeming to weigh my words for truth. There was a lot of it within them, so she would have a hard time ferreting out any lies. I just had to wait and see if she believed my version of the truth.

  “I need you to prove your worth. You have to show me that you’re on my side. Will you do that?” she asked, taking a step closer to me. The only space between us was the chair she created.

  “I can try, but I make no promises without more information. While I’m curious about what you have to offer, it doesn’t mean there aren’t still people out there that I care about. If your plans will bring them harm, then we will have a problem.”

  She grinned proudly. “I expected nothing less from you.”

  Apparently, I had passed some sort of test, because she relaxed and took a seat again. “I’ve changed my mind. You’re going to stay here while I go on a little errand. I do need something from you, though, and if you fight me on it, it will only make things worse for you. Understand?”

  My head nodded as I moved back to my own chair. “What would that be?” Hopefully she would answer this time, because I was pretty sure that had been the third time I’d asked since I woke up.

  “I need your magic. I created you to share our power. You are part of me. We’re connected like no mother and daughter before us. I may not be in your head anymore, but I sense you, no matter where you are. Well, at least on Earth. I knew the moment you left for Drakken and my plan was put into motion.”

  “And what would that plan be?” I asked, because needing my magic didn’t really give me much information.

  She raised a finger and shook it at me. “We’re not there with our trust, dear daughter, but hopefully, one day, we will be. Let’s see how this next part goes, and maybe I’ll reward you with more information when I’m back.”

  My chest tightened as I realized getting anything other than what I already knew from her wasn’t going to be nearly as easy as I hoped. She was being amicable now, but I wasn’t sure how much longer that would last.

  “So, what do I need to do to earn your trust?” I asked.

  She moved slowly and stalked toward me, a gleam in her eye that told me I wasn’t going to like what came next. “Stay very still.”

  Her fingers snapped, and suddenly the room I had thought was so boring, yet comfortable, disappeared from sight. In its place was a lab of sorts, except it was dingy and dark instead of bright and sanitary. Nothing about it was welcoming, and it had my blood running hot as I imagined what came next for me.

  “Were you trying to trick me into a false sense of safety?” I snapped. “Not the best way to start our relationship, Mother.”

  She grabbed me by the hair and yanked me toward a chair with straps. “We have no relationship until you’ve earned it. Don’t think for one second I bought anything you said before. You are, after all, my child. We only look out for ourselves.”

  I bit back the wince as she pulled me by the hold she had on my scalp, then shoved me into the chair. Desmond appeared and fastened me in before leaning forward.

  “I’ve waited much too long for this moment, and I can’t wait to hear you scream.”

  My head wasn’t strapped in, and it wasn’t him I had to win over, so there was no hesitation in my next move. My head slammed into his nose, and the resounding crunch followed by the flow of blood pouring from his face brought a smile to mine.

  “Argh.” He raised his hand to strike me, but Malina stopped him.

  “I gave you one chance to get your hit in. No more unless I say otherwise,” she spat.

  “Do you really think treating her with any sort of kindness will help? You’ll never be able to trust her,” he retorted, which had been the wrong thing to do.

  Her hand grasped his throat and squeezed with a force that gave me pause at its strength.

  “You are nothing more than a rat. Don’t question me again or I will replace you as quickly as I did the one before you. Do I make myself clear?”

  Desmond’s face was turning purple, and there was no sign of air getting through for him to be able to talk. Instead, he nodded before crumbling into a heap on the floor as Malina let him go, tossing him aside like trash.

  She turned toward me. “Hit him one more time and I might just let him have his fun with you. I don’t have time to replace him, but I will if he disobeys me again. Don’t make me have to dispose of you both.”

  I didn’t bother responding. There was no getting the upper hand here. I had made a mistake in thinking it was a good idea to get closer to Malina. I’d only put myself in danger and possibly those I loved most, because they would come for me. And when they did… I wasn’t sure how that would work out for either side.

  “Now, be a good girl and shift for me,” Malina demanded.

  When I didn’t immediately do as she asked, her hand struck me across the face. Apparently, it was okay for her to still hit me, just not Desmond. Super.

  “There aren’t many options here, Raegan. You either do as I ask without repercussions or be forced to comply while experiencing agony unlike anything before. Either way, you will do as I request.”

  I still had hope of getting away, but my chances lessened if I was injured, so I did as she demanded, hoping to not only avoid her wrath, but to figure out what she was up to.

  When my body was covered in scales, she ripped the sleeve off my sweatshirt and brought my arm closer to her face. “You have so much of Marek within you,” she spat as if it was a bad thing.

  “What’s wrong with that? Isn’t that what you wanted?” I asked.

  “No, what I wanted was a powerful dragon to help me with my quest. All I got in return for my hard work was a mutt who doesn’t listen very well.”

  My chest rumbled as I leaned forward as much as I could in the chair. She raised a brow at me, halting my next move. I was sick and tired of people calling me a mutt.

  “Don’t push me, Raegan,” she said before ripping out one of my scales that I really hoped would grow back.

  There was no stopping the scream that ripped from deep inside of me. I’d broken bones, been burned by fire, and nearly had my legs torn off, but nothing had ever hurt as much as losing a scale.

  “Oh, I should have warned you that was going to sting a little. That’s what you get for growling at me.” She smirked before turning away.

  Blood pooled on the top of my hand where my scale no longer was before dripping onto the ground. My heart pounded as I tried to rein in the fury that flowed through me. My dragon swirled just beneath the surface as well and, for the first time ever, I could feel her pain.

  There was still no voice or true connection, but there was sorrow, and my heart ached for her. I didn’t know this other part of me, but hopefully I would one day soon, and we would get our revenge on the bitch before us.

  “Desmond, get the formula,” Malina snapped while admiring my scale underneath a bright light on the table across from me. “It’s been too long since I’ve held one of these. Previously, I wasted it on creating you. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

  I had no reply for her, because she was right. Her selfishness was wasted, and it would be her downfall. She had created something that never should have been, and it was going to destroy her.

  I was going to destroy her.

  Chapter 19

  Sylas strode into the room, head held high and eyes only for Malina. When he stepped close to her, she raised her hand, caressing it down his cheek. “Is everything ready, darling?”

  “Of course. Just say the word and I’ll open the portal,” he cooed.

  Oh, no. Everything was beginning to make sense. Malina knew Drakken existed, and I’d just given her exactly what she needed to make it through the protective shields that kept non-dragons out. I wasn’t sure how she intended to use the scale to trick the system, but I knew she would, and then she’d bring war to Drakken just like Ophelia prophesied.

  Only, Marek hadn’t left. So either the crazy old lady
had gotten something wrong or Marek had misunderstood, but Drakken was about to have at least one unexpected visitor.

  “When do I get to see this infamous realm?” Desmond asked with a slight whine.

  Malina glared at him. “When I say so. This is just a test run. Marek won’t even know I’m there. Possibly. Just depends on how things go.”

  My eyes rolled as I shook my head. Malina turned toward me, smirking. “Have something to say, child?”

  “Nope. You do whatever it is you need to, and I’ll just sit here with the psychopath.” My head jerked toward Desmond.

  She patted my head. “Don’t worry about him. He knows if he harms another hair on your head that he’ll be nothing more than a lab rat.”

  Before I could reply, she went back to Sylas. “Are you sure you can’t come with me?”

  “Yes, I can’t risk Marek seeing me, but Onyx will help you if necessary. I’ve made him aware of your arrival, and he’s our biggest ally. That is, until he’s no longer useful.” The evil permeating off Sylas was thick in the air, and my skin shivered as his words sunk in.

  Both Marek and Onyx were going to be betrayed. At least Marek knew people were turning against him, even if he didn’t know who. Onyx, on the other hand, likely had no idea. I almost felt bad for him, but then memories of the way he treated me surfaced and I figured he deserved whatever was coming to him.

  Malina took my scale and dropped it into a vial filled with a pale pink liquid. Everyone was silent as she did this, making me believe there was supposed to be some big show when she was done. As she swirled the vial around, the scale began to disintegrate and turn the liquid a maroon color.

  She turned back to me and grinned. “This is why nobody can stop me and why they all fear me. Remember this moment. Learn from it.” Lifting her head back, she poured the contents of the vial down her throat and then we all waited.

  I was beginning to think she was all talk and no sparkle, but things changed within a few blinks of the eye. More accurately, Malina changed.