I glanced to the opposite side of the room. Ashlyn and a couple of teachers were circling the long-haired Vyken. I looked back at the girl on the floor. She was screaming and crying, but her friend, who had stopped running, was now walking toward the Vyken, looking completely calm. As if by natural instinct, she clapped her hands together, creating Light, and pressed it onto the arm of the Vyken. He cried out as his flesh began to burn and lashed out at her, but she stepped back just in time.
This show of a single Aura’s strength, and a young one too—she looked maybe thirteen—ignited an ancient power long ago forgotten. One by one Auras stood up and clapped their hands together, creating glowing balls of Light.
“It’s working,” Dr. Han whispered behind me.
My eyes met Liam’s. He was leaning against a far wall, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, and shaking his head. I couldn’t be happier.
The room shined like it never had before, and the girls no longer looked afraid but empowered. They surrounded the two Vykens, who seemed to realize their predicament just then. Fear replaced their hunger, and they both tried to run away, but shots of Light prevented them from going anywhere.
“Let’s finish them!” Kiera yelled. The room exploded into cheers.
I didn’t stay to see what happened to the Vykens, although I did hear the familiar sound of bones turning to ash. Petros had gone into the hall, and I followed after him.
“Hey!” I called, stopping him before he was at the door leading outside. He turned around. “Thank you.”
“It was our pleasure. Auras used to be a powerful species, and we hope they can be again.”
“You’re still going to stick around, right?”
He paused, tilting his head as if he were listening to something far away. “As long as we are needed.” He ducked beneath the door and jogged into the night.
“That was amazing,” a voice said from behind me.
I turned around, coming face-to-face with Liam.
“You are amazing,” he said.
I grinned, wanting so badly to throw my arms around him, but something stopped me. The thought of Christian. If only he could’ve been here. He should’ve been here.
“What’s wrong?” Liam asked.
I rubbed my forehead. “Nothing. Have you seen May?” She should’ve been there too.
“I haven’t, but—”
“I believe she’s with her father,” Dr. Han said, coming into the hall to join us.
Air left my chest, and I found myself suddenly weak. Liam took hold of my elbow to steady me. “Did she tell you this?” I asked.
“Not exactly, but I know she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about him ever since she saw him the other night. A daughter’s love for her father, even one she hasn’t met yet, can be powerful. I hoped she’d forget about him, but I knew that hope was in vain when she asked me not to train her anymore.”
“She did what?”
“It’s okay, Llona. It was only a matter of time before she discovered her father, and I knew that when she did, her training would end.”
“So you knew about her dad?”
“I’ve known Robert for many years, but I didn’t know he was her father until recently.”
“So he’s Team Bad Guys?”
Dr. Han was silent for a minute. The sounds of cheering Auras pushed their way into the hall. I wished I felt like celebrating.
“He chose his side a long time ago, and it wasn’t ours.”
I leaned my head against Liam’s shoulder. “What is May doing with him?”
Liam looked down at me and said, “Everyone wants to know where they come from. Don’t worry. She’ll come around.”
“Let’s hope so,” Dr. Han said. He glanced back at the open dining room doors, listening to the cheers. “What you did just now, Llona . . . how did you know it would work?”
“I didn’t, but I hoped that since they were no longer being drugged that maybe I could awaken something inside them.”
“You know it could’ve gone horribly wrong, right?” He didn’t give me the chance to answer. “I should be furious. You took a huge risk.”
“But that was exactly what the girls needed.” Liam turned to me. “I think you’re going to have a full class tomorrow. Want to go back in and celebrate?”
I sighed, the air in my lungs forced out by what felt like heavy weights on my shoulders. “Actually I think I’m going to go to my room for a while, in case May comes back.”
“Want some company?” Liam asked.
I searched his eyes, the vibrant color of new spring leaves. As much as I would’ve loved to have him with me, Christian was back now, and I needed to focus on how to get him back at Lucent. “That’s okay. Thanks, though. See you in the morning?”
“I’ll be here.”
I said good night to Dr. Han and headed to the elevator doors, all the while listening to the sounds of liberated Auras. This should’ve been a joyous moment, but I was missing two of the most important people in my life.
Instead of going to my room, I went to May’s and slipped inside. Her room was messy, nothing like the May I knew. To pass the time, I straightened her room. When I was finished, I turned on the television, turned the sound down, and collapsed on top of her bed. It was almost midnight when I heard the doorknob turn. I sat up.
May quietly opened the door and snuck inside.
“Hello, May,” I said, startling her.
She whirled around, her eyes adjusting to the dim light in the room. “What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you. Are you okay?”
She stood still, her arms at her side, her expression tight. At first I thought she was going to yell at me, but then her expression softened, and her shoulders sagged.
“Oh, Llona,” she said, tears filling her eyes.
I rushed to her and threw my arms around her. She clung to me as if to hold herself up and cried into my shoulder, great, terrible sobs.
“It’s okay. Everything’s okay,” I said over and over. Never had I seen her in so much pain, and it was all I could do not to break down myself. But this wasn’t my time. I needed to be strong for her like she’d been for me so many times.
Eventually May’s sobs turned to the occasional sniff. She let go of me and stepped back. “Sorry. I’m fine now.” She took a Kleenex from off her dresser and blew her nose.
“What’s going on, May?”
She let out a great big sigh, but halfway through it turned into a tired laugh. She sat on her bed and buried her head into her hands.
“May?”
She looked up at me. The flickering light from the television cast moving shadows across her face.
“I’m just tired is all,” she finally said.
I pulled up a chair and sat across from her, blocking the television. “No way. You’re going to talk to me.”
“It’s nothing, really.”
“Tell me about your father. That’s where you were, right?”
She nodded. “We’ve been hanging out, just trying to get to know each other.”
“And?”
“And nothing. He seems like a good guy.” She giggled, but there was a crazy edge to her laugh that frightened me.
“May, I don’t like what’s happening to you, and I’m pretty sure Aaron doesn’t either. You need to stop or at least take a step back.”
May’s jaw snapped shut, and she glared at me. “You can’t stop me, and you can’t tell me what to do. I’m not your sidekick.” That word again. It was like someone had planted it in her head.
“No, you’re not,” I said, my voice gentle. “You’re my best friend.”
She turned away, but not before I saw tears return to her eyes. “Please leave.”
I thought fast, not wanting it to end like this. “What if we talk about something else?”
“Like what?”
“Something amazing happened at dinner.”
She looked back at me, waiting for me to expla
in. For the next hour I talked about the girls, even telling her about the Deific. She barely seemed interested.
“And one more thing,” I said, squirming in my seat. “It’s about Christian.”
At this, she looked up.
“I saw him this morning.”
Her eyes lowered again. “That’s what you were trying to tell me earlier, wasn’t it?”
I nodded. May’s image reflected back in the darkened window. Her shoulders were slumped forward, and her hair lowered on each side of her face. She looked so worn out.
“What did he say?” she asked.
I told her all about our strange conversation, his odd behavior, and how he said he’d find me tomorrow. I also confessed how worried I was about him trying to play both sides.
“This is Christian we’re talking about,” she said. “Mr. Boy Scout of America. Trust him.”
“I want to, believe me, I do, but this darkness”—I patted my chest—“is so hard to fight. I don’t know how he can do it on his own.”
She didn’t say anything, just sat still and expressionless. It was as if she was holding onto a terrible burden, and it hung heavy in the room.
“Why don’t you get some sleep?” I suggested. “It will be like old times.”
She lowered herself onto the bed, her shoes still on. Not more than ten minutes passed before she was asleep. Finally she seemed at peace.
I covered her up, turned off the television, and left the room more determined than ever not to let May fall victim to the famous Fury darkness.
THIRTEEN
I stayed awake in my room all night until my heightened hearing heard May open her door the next morning. I didn’t want her sneaking out alone. Whatever was going on had to do with her father, and if I could, I wanted to prevent her from seeing him again at least until she gained some perspective. Maybe given some space and time, she would see how his influence was affecting her.
I opened my bedroom door and hurried after her. The halls were empty because the breakfast chimes had sounded thirty minutes ago.
May turned around when she heard me approach. “You were listening for me, weren’t you?”
“What? Me? No way.”
She gave me a knowing look. “Uh-huh, sure.”
We spoke casually the whole way to the dining room. It was like last night never happened. I didn’t know whether to be more concerned or relieved.
May stopped abruptly at the dining room doors, and I had to quickly move to the side to keep from running into the back of her.
“Where is everyone?” she asked
I looked inside. Only a third of the girls were there. “I don’t know.”
From across the room, Ms. Hady, her face red and her normally perfect hair tousled, stood up from a table and stormed in our direction. I could practically see smoke trailing behind her.
Following after her, more like trying to keep up, was Dr. Han.
“Wow,” May said. “She looks pissed.”
“This ought to be fun,” I whispered and met her halfway.
She raised a finger at me. “This is your fault,” she said, stopping only when her painted red nail pressed into my sternum.
I gently moved her arm away. “What are you talking about?”
Dr. Han came up next to her. “Girls are waiting for you in your classroom. They want to learn to fight.”
May patted me on the back. “That’s awesome!”
“That is not awesome,” Ms. Hady said, sneering at May.
“What’s your problem?” I asked her.
“You are my problem. Ever since you came here, you’ve had your nose turned up like you’re too good for us. You want us all to change to your standards, and you won’t be satisfied until you’ve destroyed everything about Auras.”
“You’re wrong, Ms. Hady. I love this school, and I love these girls. Maybe at first I was resistant to Lucent’s teachings, but I get it now. I fully support everything being taught, except for the lack of self-defense courses. It’s in our makeup to want to protect ourselves and to want to rid the world of darkness and evil. We’ve been given gifts to do just that, so we need to use them.”
“You are so wrong.”
“Then how do you explain what happened last night? Surely you felt it. The power was strong, almost overwhelming.”
She pursed her lips, looking very much like no matter what had happened, she’d still disagree. She was the most stubborn person I’d ever met. “You’re a devil, Ms. Llona Reese, sent to destroy us all.”
May gasped, and Dr. Han said, “That’s enough, Susan!”
I stared at Ms. Hady, feeling more pity then anger. “What are you afraid of? What happened to you to make you so frightened of our power?”
She looked from me to Dr. Han, not saying a word, until she finally walked away.
I started to go after her, but Dr. Han stopped me. “Let her be. She just needs some time.”
“What can I do to convince her?”
“Don’t spend the energy. You’re going to be busy enough teaching all the new students. I had to add three more classes to accommodate everyone. You and Kiera are still the instructors, but I’ve asked Ashlyn to assist.”
“Good. I look forward to getting started.”
Dr. Han turned to May. “And how are you doing?”
“Fine,” she said, but I noticed she didn’t look him in the eyes.
“Will I see you this afternoon?”
“No.”
He was silent for a few seconds and then said good-bye. May didn’t give any explanation, just moved toward the nearest seat in the dining room. I joined her and looked around for Liam but didn’t see him. Then I remembered Christian. I was supposed to see him sometime today. I wished I knew when.
I was almost finished eating when Arik came and found us. “Hey, guys. Can you come with me for a minute? We have a visitor.”
May and I looked at each other. “Sure,” I said.
We followed him out. He glanced sideways at May. “How are you doing?”
“Fine,” she said, staring straight ahead.
“Aaron is worried about you.”
“I said I’m good.”
Arik didn’t say anything else as he guided us to Dr. Han’s office. Inside were Liam, Aaron, and, to my surprise, Charlie.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, shaking his hand.
Before he answered, he introduced himself to May. While the two chatted briefly, Liam nudged me in the shoulder. “How did last night go?” His eyes flickered to May.
I shrugged and sat down next to him.
Charlie closed the door. I noticed May moved to the opposite side of where Aaron was. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. He still looked miserable.
Charlie spoke first. “I wanted to personally come by to give you my thoughts on the location of the three witches. I haven’t been able to make heads or tails of them, but I have a feeling one of you can.” He sat on the couch across from us and looked at Liam and me. “After you left, I went to our archives and read as much as I could about the witches. I even found an old relic of theirs. A necklace. I’m not sure how the Deific came across it, but I’m glad they did. It held great power, and I focused on this to try to find them.”
“And did you?” Liam asked.
“I’m not sure.”
“Why not?”
“Because every time I sensed something, that power always led to Lucent Academy.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” May said.
I looked at Dr. Han. “Is that possible? Could the witches be disguised as someone here?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. The witches are not Auras, that I’m sure of.”
“Then who?” Aaron asked.
“When you sense their power,” Liam said, “what does it look or feel like? And is it a general feeling or can you pinpoint the exact location?”
Charlie thought about this. “The power feels similar to the same power I sense in
Auras, but I can’t necessarily say it’s the same location. It could be somewhere very close.”
“So our power is masking theirs,” I whispered.
“What did you say, Llona?” Dr. Han asked.
My brain spun fast, like a spider at the completion of a web.
As soon as the ends connected firmly, I laughed. “I know where they are, one of them at least. Jackson must’ve known Cyrus would try to use psychics to find them just like we did. By hiding them near us, they would be unable to pinpoint their exact location.”
Charlie leaned forward. “So where are they?”
I stood up. “Come with me. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
FOURTEEN
After finding a few extra Guardians to take my place at the Auran Sparring Class, Liam, May, Charlie, and I climbed into Charlie’s SUV. It smelled new and had all sorts of electronics on the dashboard, most of which I didn’t recognize. It reminded me of the high-tech room at the Deific, and I wondered what special things this car could do.
“It’s just down the road,” I said, after Charlie exited Lucent Academy. “Maybe a couple of miles.”
May turned around from the front passenger seat. “The rose house,” she said, remembering the story I’d told her.
I nodded.
“Rose house?” Liam asked.
“There’s a strange woman who lives there. I’ve met her many times on my nightly runs. I swear the woman doesn’t sleep.” I leaned up between the two front seats. “It will be a house on the right, set back from the road behind a row of trees.”
“It looks so normal,” Charlie said, when he pulled into the driveway of the light blue house.
“Looks are deceiving,” I said and opened my door. I inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of hundreds of roses.
Charlie went to a nearby bush and was about to touch one as if to smell it, when I stopped him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
He glanced over at me. “Why’s that?”
I walked by him toward the front door. “They’re poisoned with magic.”
When we reached the front door, I asked everyone to stand off to the side as to not overwhelm her. I knocked on the door, waited, then tried again. Several seconds passed. I was about to push the doorbell, when the door opened a mere crack. Rose’s bluish-white eye peeked out.
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