Deadly Declaration (Shadow Veil Academy Book 2)

by Heather Renee

  “Malina’s back,” he ground out, and that was all it took for me to understand his ire.

  Chapter 23

  JayLeigh and I were up on our feet within a second. “Like, she’s back on Earth or back at Shadow Veil?” I asked, because there was a huge difference of urgency depending on the answer.

  “Earth.”

  JayLeigh headed toward the exit. “I’ll go see if Marek has e-mailed. Meet you in the headmaster’s office when I’m done?”

  Enzo shook his head. “Everyone is gathering in the council room where Raegan shifted. They just finished putting the wall back up, so we can use it again.”

  JayLeigh nodded in confirmation before taking off, and I cringed a little at the reminder of the council room. I had helped as much as I could on rebuilding until the construction crew kicked me out. Apparently, I was supposed to look before I threw things out the gaping hole I’d left, so I didn’t hit anyone on the ground below.

  “Is Jules back?” I asked. It had been weeks since she left for New Orleans, and I missed her like crazy. She was due back any day, and it would be nice to know she was close now that Malina was on Earth.

  “Not that I’ve heard, but you can call her on the way. We need to get moving. Until Marek can confirm what happened in Drakken, we have to assume once she knows you escaped that she’ll come for you.”

  “Go on ahead. I need to get out of these clothes and take a quick shower or nobody will want me present at the meeting.” My body suit was covered in sweat, and I didn’t imagine I was a pretty sight to see.

  “I’m not leaving you now that she’s back.” There was true fear in his voice, so I didn’t argue. Instead, I took his hand, and we hurried to my dorm.

  Within fifteen minutes, I was changed into my favorite black leather pants with my school shirt and tie. It wasn’t an official meeting, but Enzo was in his uniform, so I figured I should be, too.

  I had called Jules on our way to my room, but she didn’t answer, so I sent her a text instead. On the way to the council room, I sent another one since she hadn’t responded to the first.

  “Do you think Jules is okay on her own in New Orleans?” I asked Enzo as we traversed the hallways.

  “New Orleans is probably the safest place for her, to be honest. The magic there is almost as strong as Shadow Veil’s shield, and there are dozens of elders there from shifter packs and witch covens. Even vampires prefer the city.”

  Huh, that made me even more interested to visit my aunt’s hometown. But first, Malina had to be dealt with. We had no idea what she was able to accomplish in Drakken. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good for us.

  “I just don’t like not hearing from her. Would be nice to have a confirmation she was okay. I wouldn’t put it past Malina to figure out a way to use anyone I love as leverage against me.”

  Enzo squeezed tighter on my hand. “It’s going to be fine. Malina won’t lay a hand on anyone you love again.”

  His words didn’t make me feel any better, but I did my best to put those thoughts aside. I needed to be completely present for the meeting. This was when we’d decide on how and when to act against Malina. A few people preferred to remain on the defense and let Malina bring the fight to us, but I wanted to move on the offense.

  We had no idea how powerful she could get with every move she made. She was a Doyen, a being we really didn’t know much about. We needed to act before it was too late. Plus, I still had faith there was a chance I could end her without Marek. His blood ran through my veins, and I was counting on it for our success.

  As we entered the meeting room, the council was already present, including Alexander. When my eyes scanned the rest of the room, I let out a squeal and ran toward the unexpected guest.

  “I was just stressing about you. Why didn’t you tell me you were here?” I asked Jules as I hugged her tightly.

  “This was more fun. You hardly had time to chat while I was gone, and you were training. Surprising you sounded like a better idea. Alexander brought me back with him after his visit to New Orleans.”

  “Do you know if it went okay? Did he find any solid candidates to replace Desmond? We could use any and all help, especially now.”

  “Looks like the meeting is starting,” she said without answering my questions. “Let’s take a seat.”

  I shared a glance with Enzo, because Jules was acting strange. Something had happened in New Orleans, and I wondered if she’d maybe hooked up with the powerful vampire. I’d have to pry her for information later.

  Once we were seated, I counted twelve people present, including myself and Enzo. The others were Alistair, Fiona, Bennett, Alexander, Jules, Gemma who’d just snuck in with JayLeigh and Talon, Professor Phox, and Professor Melnier, who I recognized as the guy I had mistaken for Enzo in the headmaster’s office my first few days back.

  When everyone was settled and greetings had been made, Alistair stood to speak at the head of the new table that had been brought in. It was the only piece of furniture in the room since the wall had just been repaired.

  “Thank you all for gathering so quickly. I’d like to hear from JayLeigh before we begin deciding on how to proceed, unless anyone else has something pertinent they’d like to share.”

  My gaze went to Alexander. He’d been the only one away from the academy recently, but he remained silent, so JayLeigh began.

  “I had a message from Marek. He was never able to track down Malina while she was on Drakken, but he could sense her power as she moved through the lands. It decreased by the day, and she was definitely receiving help from Onyx.

  “Talon was able to present the evidence for Sylas’s betrayal and Onyx’s involvement in it all. There will be a vote held to remove Onyx from a position of power and decide his fate. It might have even been done by now, but there were no other updates since then.”

  “Did you ask Marek if he was willing to help now? His world is compromised. He should be just as worried as the rest of us,” Fiona said.

  “I did ask, but he hasn’t responded yet. Drakken is fragile right now. Even if he now wanted to help, leaving our world with no leadership could cause just as many problems for the dragons,” JayLeigh replied.

  “I beg to differ,” Alexander cut in. “Coming back from the chaos of broken leadership is a hell of a lot easier than watching supernaturals die, because that’s what will happen to those who go against Malina if we can’t stop her.”

  JayLeigh grimaced. “I understand, but I cannot control my king. Though, I have every faith he will do what he believes is best for our people.”

  “Sometimes, a king needs to be challenged,” Alexander added.

  “Then, I welcome you to challenge the dragon king,” JayLeigh retorted, effectively ending that part of the conversation.

  “Very well, JayLeigh. Thank you for your updates, and please inform us as soon as you hear back from Marek.” He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts. “We need to decide if we’re going to wait for Malina or attack first. We have to keep in mind, if we bring the fight to Shadow Veil, yes, we might have a small advantage, but we risk an entire school full of irreplaceable history being destroyed.”

  Fiona stood. “What do we have going for us if we make the first move? We are short a council member and many more powerful supernaturals if we want any hope of restraining her again. Having Marek at our side to destroy her once and for all was our best shot.”

  Alistair’s eyes moved to me. “We may not have Marek, but we have his heir, and it will have to be enough. We do not know the extent of Raegan’s powers, but she has come a long way this year and I have faith she will be able to help restrain Malina, should the opportunity present itself.”

  “What about an army?” Professor Melnier asked as Fiona sat back down. “We know Malina has been collecting a horde of supernaturals to stand with her. The twelve of us can’t take them all on our own. The casualties would be too high.”

  Alexander glanced at Jules, and she nodded, seeming to give
him permission for whatever it was he wanted to say. “While I was in New Orleans, I spoke with several leaders within the area. They would like to join us should we move in on Malina.”

  “How many of them?” Headmaster Stone asked.

  “Almost all of them.”

  Several of the council members gaped at Alexander. I didn’t understand the severity of the statement, because I knew very little about New Orleans, but I was obviously missing something big.

  “Why would they do that? They’ve always kept to themselves,” Professor Phox said.

  “Because we have made an offer for Jules to join the council and she is one of them. Should she accept, they will do everything they can to stand behind her.”

  My head snapped toward my aunt. “You’re going to accept, right?”

  She raised a hand, pausing any further discussion. “That’s not what we’re here to discuss. Just know that no matter what I choose, you will still have their support.”

  “Then we attack first, as soon as we know Malina’s location,” JayLeigh said.

  “Let’s vote on the matter. Remember, there is no wrong choice. Follow your instincts, and whatever the decision is, we will all support it.” Alistair snapped his fingers, and a clay bowl appeared with green smoke rising from it.

  “What’s that?” I whispered to Enzo.

  “It’s how votes are cast. Next, a pen and paper will appear in front of you. You’ll drop it into the smoke, and the votes will be counted. Nobody will know who chose what, just what the majority was.”

  Huh. That was interesting and I liked it. Nobody should have to feel guilty for their choices. We all had a right to our own opinions without judgement.

  When the paper appeared, I had no hesitation with my answer. I quickly jotted it down and folded my paper in half while we waited for the bowl to make its way over to us.

  My hands cupped the rough exterior when it was my turn, and I was surprised to find it cool to the touch. The green smoke had a slight smell that reminded me of pine needles, but I didn’t want to take too long with it, so I tossed my paper in and passed the unique object to Jules, who was on my right.

  Once all votes had been cast, Alistair covered the top of the bowl with both hands until no more green smoke could be seen. “When I lift my hands, the decision will be made and there is no going back. Blue will mean we stay and wait while red means we seek Malina out and bring the fight to her.”

  Every eye in the room was on the bowl as Alistair removed his hands. Tension filled the room as red smoke filtered through the top.

  “It’s decided. If you truly have a problem with the decision, please come see me and we will work something out. For now, we will let graduation pass, and once all of the students have left by week’s end, we will head out to meet with the others from New Orleans before advancing on Malina.”

  “What if she’s not where we think like before, when she had Raegan? Without Phox’s information, it would have taken days to find her,” Fiona said.

  “Then we search for as long as it takes.” With Alistair’s final words, people began to disperse from the table.

  A plan was set, and we just had to wait for a few key things to happen. My pulse was beating hard as the thought of Malina’s terror finally coming to an end. Even if we couldn’t kill her, hopefully we could at least contain her until we could convince Marek to do the job for us.

  I’d hound him every day for as long as I needed if that was what it took.

  Gemma and Jules met us outside the council room while JayLeigh and Talon disappeared to wherever it was they had their secret meetings.

  “How about a girl’s night before everything gets crazy?” Gemma suggested.

  Glancing up at Enzo, I worried about his sanity if I said yes, but he nodded first. “Only if you stay in my dorm. It’s safer than any of yours.”

  “Um, a room with views and a better TV? I don’t think that will be a problem, as long as you’re not there. No offense or anything, but you’re not a girl,” Gemma replied.

  “And happily so. Raegan can let you in, and I’ll stay away until midnight.” When Gemma and Jules glared at him, he added, “Okay, one. Final offer.”

  Jules patted him on the chest. “You’ve come a long way.” Then, she glanced at me. “Good job, Raegan.”

  Enzo opened his mouth to say something, but I covered it. “Just pretend it was a compliment and move on. It can only get worse if you don’t.” His tongue darted, licking my entire palm. “You’re disgusting,” I grumbled.

  “And you’re lucky I love you. Now, hurry up and go before I change my mind.”

  None of us needed to be told twice. Squished between Gemma and Jules, we made our way toward the platform. Enzo had stayed behind, likely to discuss further strategy with the headmaster, because his mind was constantly on anything that had to do with keeping me safe.

  Once we were settled in Enzo’s room and Gemma quit gushing over how huge it was, we ordered food and put a movie on. While we waited for our treats, the movie was just background noise as I grilled both my best friend and aunt.

  “You two have a lot of explaining to do,” I began and turned toward Gemma. “You first. What’s happening with you and Talon? He’s like sex on a stick, and you’ve been completely tight-lipped about your relationship with him.”

  Jules laughed at my reference, but I paid no attention to her. Gemma had been avoiding the topic for weeks, and this was the first time I really had her alone without Enzo lurking around the corner.

  “There isn’t much to tell. He’s only here for a short time, so I’m trying not to get attached.” She shrugged, but I knew the words were forced and hurting her.

  “You do remember why Enzo was able to go with me to Drakken, right?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  “Well, keep that in mind. If Talon is really the one and you two happen to bond, then there’s no reason why you wouldn’t be able to join him in Drakken.”

  “Didn’t you and Enzo bond right away, though? You always had the weird glowing sex experiences. We don’t have anything like that.” For someone usually so blunt, I was surprised when her face blushed, but I could tell it’d been on her mind for a while.

  “I would assume not everyone is the same. Give it time and maybe talk to JayLeigh. She’d know more than me. Hell, she’s the one who knew Enzo had the dragon bits in him.”

  A flicker of hope appeared on her face as she smiled. “Thanks, Raegan.”

  “I’m always available to you. Even if it doesn’t seem like it with everything else going on.”

  When I was satisfied Gemma was feeling better about Talon, I moved the conversation to Jules. “So, are you going to accept? Why would you have any hesitation about taking the council position? It’s a pretty big offer.”

  She huffed. “Exactly. My whole life would change. I have plans for a future, and if I accept, then I’ll be tied down to Shadow Veil for decades. I want a mate and a life outside of this school, but my options for that will be severely limited if I choose to say yes.”

  Oh, damn. I hadn’t thought of that. None of the council members had significant others, but I never questioned it.

  “You’re right,” I said. “Take your time deciding and do what’s best for you. You’ve already given up the last two years of your life. It’s not fair to ask more from you. Was visiting home everything you hoped it would be?”

  Her face lit up in a way I’d never seen before. “There is nothing like New Orleans. Regardless of what happens, we will make it there this summer. I have so many people I want you to meet.”

  She continued to tell me about the packs and covens, along with the shops owned by supernaturals. I could picture it all so clearly, and it was further motivation to make sure Malina didn’t come out on top.

  We all had a lot more life to live, and she wasn’t going to take that away from any of us.

  Not if I had anything to do with it.

  Chapter 24

  Wi
thin five days, all students were gone, including a very stubborn Peyton and Finley. They were appeased when Gemma and I had at least explained more to them than the other students, but still pissed they couldn’t stay.

  Once things were settled, all we were waiting on before we headed out to find Malina was a pack from New Orleans to arrive. The council felt more comfortable heading out in groups, so our search would go by faster.

  The tracking spell that was previously used was put into action again and narrowed down Malina’s location to somewhere near Portland, Maine, which made me laugh since I was from Portland, Oregon. I had always wanted to visit there; unfortunately, there would be no time for sightseeing on this trip.

  “So, how much longer until shifters get here?” JayLeigh asked while a group of us were eating lunch outside.

  “They’re due to arrive tonight, so we’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning,” Enzo answered.

  “About damn time. I was going stir crazy without anything to do. It’s no fun sparring with Raegan anymore.”

  I smirked. We were on equal playing fields now, except when it came to flying. Her dragon had a hell of a lot more experience, which was more my fault than Chelle’s, but we were catching on quick enough. We’d be an expert dragon team in no time.

  That’s right, Chelle chimed in.

  She was always there, right beneath the surface, a steady presence to keep me motivated and moving forward. Even though it had been just over a month since we connected, I felt like I had known her all my life.

  Gemma leaned up from where she had been laying on Talon’s lap. “I’m up for some more training if you’re bored. Talon has been working with me, but I know he’s holding back.” The way his face lit up as she smiled at him told me he felt just as strongly for her as she did for him.

  My head shook hard. “No way. You don’t want to voluntarily ask for that kind of punishment.”