Shadow Walker (Neteru Academy Books)

by L. A. Banks

  Sarah just nodded as the entire class stared up at the darkening pyramid, which looked as though it was vacuuming up an angry storm. Dense plumes of sooty gray-black energy filled the gleaming crystal like dirty dish water that churned from some inner conflict all its own. Then it dawned on her. Mr. Everett’s class cleansings were sucking the students’ residual dark-consciousness energy up into the pyramid! She bit her lip. Mr. Everett opened his eyes and clapped hard, and suddenly the structure was gone.

  “Yo!” Miguel shouted. “That’s crazy!”

  Pandemonium broke out but quickly settled as Mr. Everett repeated the process. The second time, the pyramid only seemed to be able to vacuum up stray plumes of light gray.

  “Good enough for day one,” he said calmly. “I have to do this every class,” he added with a weary sigh. “Maybe, before this semester is over, we’ll have an opalescent day. One must remain ever hopeful.” He looked at the class and tilted his head. “This is why we cannot do the history of the dark side until you all learn to carry your own inner light more capably. That realm—the dark side—doesn’t do theoretical. To use a very outdated term, it likes to keep it real, as they used say, and sometimes the dark powers break through the veil between, and a simulation is no longer a simulation—very unfortunate circumstances for unprepared students. Therefore, for this semester, we will look at history from the perspective of the light.”

  He walked over to his desk and hoisted his chubby little body up to sit on it, leaning forward eagerly and talking with his hands again. Sarah found herself worried for his safety as he edged closer and closer to toppling over, yet he never did.

  “We live inside an energy-plasma, multidimensional grid with choices of selves replicated out to at least the twenty-fifth plane.”

  Blank stares greeted Mr. Everett’s bold statement, and he simply smiled.

  “Twenty-five reduces to the number seven. In other words, two plus five equals seven. And seven is the supreme number, the number of the Creator and creation. And in creation, everything replicates in sevens and threes…but I’ll leave that for Professor Watson, who will be teaching you cosmic math. What is important for you to take away from this class is that there are twenty-five potential yous out there in the cosmic grid. You’ve become the one you are now as a result of the choices you’ve selected from that grid. There’s a brave you and a not so brave you, a more physical you and the converse of that… there’s a nerdy you,“ he said, looking at Alejandro with a wide grin, “and a heroic you,” he added, giving Donnie a jaunty wink.

  “So. Who will you be?” Mr. Everett looked around. “What energy will you magnetize from the grid to maximize your potential? We can all be better than we’ve heretofore dreamed… our potential is unlimited, as long as we’re light beings and not functioning from the negative.”

  He opened his arms wide, and a blue-white, sparking grid overlaid the classroom, to the awed admiration of the students. Sarah could actually hear the hum of electromagnetic charge thrumming through each axis line and square.

  “The universe is a vibrant, pulsing, living organism, as are the earth and every planet and creature, down to the very last cell and atom. This is the source from which our Tacticals draw their wonderfully elegant charges. This is the source of white Light that our stoneworkers and white-lighters gather their juice from, as you kids say. It is this grid is that our seers enter to mentally race along an energy line to see past, present or future, and it’s the site from which our telepaths can draw down thoughts, using it almost like a chat room or a three-way cell phone call.”

  Hyacinth reached out, mouth open with fascination, and let her fingers delicately trace a visible line. “I’ve never seen it, could just intuit it,” she said quietly.

  Even Melissa Gray, for all her haughty snobbery, was clearly impressed.

  Lisa Chapman touched a line and then squealed with delight. “There are murmurs on the lines!”

  “Yes,” Mr. Everett said, beginning to rock where he sat. “For my Audios, this is where those murmurs are captured… those whispers that are too faint for the average person to hear.”

  “But what about us Ollies, Mr. Everett?” Akiba, one of the new girls who had been placed in the Olfactory division, called out.

  “I am so glad you asked that, child,” the instructor said, clapping his hands and popping off his desk. “Smell, taste, sensation—Blends, you have a combination, so you listen up, too. It’s all in the grid. All of it.” He looked around the room, mischief twinkling in his eyes. “Shall we journey, so I can show you?”

  “Yeah!”

  “Cool!”

  Consensus rang out.

  “Then let’s go to a historic battle. Hmmm… how about the Battle of Morales? You will experience being there as a point on the grid, but in truth you will be walking in-between. You will feel the rush of sensation, smell the gunfire discharge…you might even upchuck or wet your pants. But I want you to feel the past, live a piece of it, so that you’ll understand why your lessons here are not just abstract data points to amuse your teachers’ draconian proclivities, or to fulfill our desire to torture you… but rather a way to prepare you for what you’re going to face once you leave these hallowed halls.”

  Almost every student leaned forward—the chance at a field trip too seductive to resist. Not a single student could feign cool boredom as their desks melted away and they found themselves on the battlefield.

  Sarah flattened herself to the ground as huge mortars rocked the earth. Charging demon cavalry scaled a wall, and behind them there was a castle under siege. Holy water catapults sent napalm-like fire to scorch the demon-covered earth, and she heard Donnie scream as Al yanked Tami out of the line of a hurling stake that had been released from a crossbow.

  “Get down, get down!” Val yelled, yanking Hyacinth and Allie out of the way of Uzi-fire.

  A black nightmare stallion bearing a demon warrior swinging a huge spiked mace was heading her way. Sarah had to get out of the way of the massive cloven hooves that thundered toward her. A bolt of white light exploded the rider and sent the horse down hard on its shoulder, skidding rapidly in her direction. Wil yanked her out of the way just in the nick of time. Bullets passed through Akiba, and she fainted. Trying to escape, Melissa ran blindly, and the ground opened up beneath her to reveal camouflaged pikes in a pit trap. Instinctively, Sarah reached out and grabbed her hand.

  “Don’t let me fall! Don’t let me fall!” Melissa screamed, clawing at the muddy earth as it gave way all around her.

  Her body began to slide as she kicked the air above a gaping hole filled with sure death. Gargoyle-like Harpies came out of the mud, trying to drag her onto the pikes as Sarah, joined by Wil and Val, held onto Melissa’s slippery hands for dear life. Al spread his wings, trying to airlift Tami and another girl behind the castle wall, where it seemed the Guardians were holed up. But a black bolt from the tip of the dark general’s sword was headed his way, and he turned just in time to face a huge fanged warrior shouting his name.

  “I am Cain, son of Dante. How dare you defile the earth with your presence?”

  Al dropped and rolled, pulling his two classmates toward cover. But behind him, Sarah saw their father’s face, dirty, bloodied, the black charge meant for him and not his son.

  The divide broke, students huddled in the center of the classroom as several Harley Davidsons suddenly cleared the barrier wall around a fortress-like hacienda, bearing Guardians on kamikaze missions against the demons making an all-out rush against them. It was as if a new reality had poured into their classroom like water bursting through a weakened dam, replacing what had just seconds ago been a normal school room.

  Still holding Melissa’s slippery hands with the help of Wil and Val, Sarah glanced up with a grimace, a prayer not to drop her classmate in her heart, only to see her mother go airborne amid mortar fire. Wil began trying to attach a Tactical charge anchor around Melissa’s waist. Then suddenly the ground quaked, and Melissa sl
ipped out of both Val’s grip and hers. Sarah’s scream matched Melissa’s, and she covered her head, not wanting to hear the crunch and gush of her classmate’s death. Val’s elongated “Noooooo!” made Sarah cover her ears, but then another thunderous explosion deafened her to any sound.

  Things moved in slow motion as she spat out mud and opened her eyes long enough to see herself caught in the center of a clash between forces wielding huge blades, machetes, semi-automatics…there were even Guardians pulling pins on grenades and lobbing them as they launched themselves into battle. Shadows suddenly fanned out from all around her, covering the students and slashing at the demons. The vortex opened, and she saw scratches being etched into the ground, which for a second flashed in her vision as the classroom floor before once again becoming dirt, made by fingers frantically trying to gain purchase and keep from being dragged in.

  Students covered their heads and braced for impact. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Sweat covered her body. She heard her classmates sobbing. Most seemed to be paralyzed, hyperventilating or barely breathing. Mr. Everett’s clap brought them back. The vortex instantly closed at the sound.

  The stench of gunfire, mud and death receded. Students sprawled on the floor in a heap, Melissa and Akiba amongst them.

  “This is unity,” Mr. Everett said simply, appearing very pleased with himself as students wiped tears from their faces.

  Several students leaned over and hurled.

  “Very good. Get it all out. But I bet you will never forget the battle of Morales, will you?” When they all just looked at him, he laughed. “Oh, this was nothing, just wait until the final exam.”

  Chapter 14

  “My brain is leaking out my ear,” Tami said as they stopped by their lockers.

  They had just come from chemistry, which, they’d heard from some of the other students, was normally taught by the cheerful Ms. Guilliume—but unfortunately she was taking a sick day on account of one of her experiments having gone awry. That meant they had to endure Mr. Peterson as a substitute, and he ran his class like it was a military platoon.

  “How do they expect us to keep up with this crazy schedule?” Tami asked.

  “You’re a Guardian, Rider. Guardians endure,” Sarah said, mimicking Mr. Peterson.

  Tami saluted sharply, while Sarah, Allie and Hyacinth laughed.

  Sarah turned away and was putting her books in her locker when she heard Allie scream.

  They all whirled around to see Allie standing there covered in green slime.

  “What the—”

  Laughter echoed through the halls as Sarah, Tami and Hyacinth stared in disbelief at their slime-covered friend. It quickly became apparent to Sarah what had happened.

  “Booby trapped locker,” Sarah said through lowered fangs.

  “Melissa,” Tami said, just as furious.

  Allie was gasping in despair and sparking all over the place.

  Sarah slammed her locker shut. “Let’s get her back to the dorms.”

  Allie was drawing more and more attention, which only caused her to become more and more distressed. But a mid-hall collision knocked the wind out of Sarah as the girls quickly rounded a corner on their way to their room. A pair of unfortunately familiar hazel eyes glared at her.

  “Watch it, compound brat.” Melissa Gray flipped a silky strand of jet-black hair over her shoulder. “This is the second time you’ve been in my way. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to my locker.”

  “I see your girl already found hers,” Amy Feingold said, and the witches all laughed.

  Tami lunged at Amy suddenly, but Hyacinth grabbed Tami just in time.

  “Lemme go!” Tami said, trying to twist out of Hyacinth’s hold. “I need a reason to get sent home anyway.”

  “Oh, please, do let her go,” Melissa said coolly. “I’d love to see her get expelled on day one. Maybe she’ll learn how to stay away from other people’s men then.”

  “What are you talking about?” Tami said, panting.

  That’s right, Tami doesn’t know, Sarah thought. I should have found a way to tell her. But everything had been happening so fast, and there were eavesdroppers everywhere. She’d planned to tell Tami about everything once the four of them were alone.

  “Don’t play stupid,” Melissa told Tami, wrinkling her aristocratic nose as if she found Tami distasteful. “You know that Stefan belongs to me.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Tami said smirking. “Did you remember to tell him that?”

  Melissa laughed. “Oh, my God, you have no idea, do you?” she said. “Do you honestly think you can handle someone like Stefan Oaphse?” She looked Tami up and down. “ He will eat you alive.”

  “You really did this because you have a beef over some guy?” Sarah asked. “And why Allie, if your problem is with Tami? Or me?”

  “Oh, I didn’t do anything,” Melissa said, studying her nails. “I think you’re just not popular, brat. You or your stupid crew. It’s too bad, really.” She turned to leave, then tossed a warning over her shoulder. “You know how it is in the world—the weak get picked off first. It’s not my fault that Hyacinth and Allie are your weakest links.”

  Sarah was seething now, so furious that she couldn’t even think of a quick comeback. She should have let Melissa drop into the pit in Mr. Everett’s class just to see her piss her pants!

  Amy smirked. “Might want to keep an eye on your two klutzy friends there. Never know when something bad might happen to them when they’re all by themselves.”

  Sarah wasn’t sure how it happened, but as Amy turned to walk away, the pool of shadow where she had been standing suddenly pulsed and she went down as though struck. Her face hit the floor, and she screamed in pain as blood smeared the gleaming marble.

  “Oh, my God! Did you see that?” Melissa shouted, going to Amy’s side.

  “Yo, she just fell,” a student in the crowd that had gathered to watch the argument called out.

  Amy was sobbing and holding her mouth.

  “Ladies, ladies,” Mr. Foggerty, the biology prof, said, coming out of his classroom and waving a long, floppy hand. “What seems to be the trouble? Don’t you all have classes this afternoon? And, heavens, have you been to the pool already?” he said, motioning to Allie. “Why are you all wet and dripping?” He blinked bulbous eyes behind thick glasses, waiting on a response. Squinting at them all more closely, he drew back with a gasp. “That young lady is bleeding… and green slime? Where did that come from? I demand an answer!”

  His Upper Sphere students craned their necks to see what was going on as their instructor blinked several times in obvious annoyance when no one answered his questions, bringing his large caterpillar eyebrows together and adjusting his thick bifocals up the bridge of his humongous nose.

  “Then if you are all intent on silence, I suggest some of you get that young woman to the infirmary and the rest of you help your friend to the showers. This is a disgrace! Disperse immediately, before I alert Headmistress Stone. This hallway is not for congregating or settling petty disputes—you are disturbing my students. Hurry off.”

  He shooed them away as though they were a cloud of gnats and then stepped back into his classroom with a loud “Harrumph!” before he slammed the door.

  It was clear that he hadn’t heard the content of their argument and had only witnessed the result—elevated female voices, a cut and green slime. But a bunch of other students had heard it, when they’d stopped to hear the commotion in the hall.

  Sarah led her group one way—toward the showers; Melissa led hers in the opposite direction toward the infirmary.

  A question kept niggling in Sarah’s head. Had Amy Feingold fallen because she’d moved too quickly on a polished floor… or had something else really happened? Had she really seen what she thought she had? Amy had been standing in shadow, and strange things happened with shadows when Sarah was around. That creepy feeling was back, too, as though something was staring at her. A chill raced down her sp
ine.

  The moment they hit their dorm room, Allie dashed to her closet. She was so upset she was sparking and had to keep touching wooden objects to dampen the charge.

  “Somebody ground her, would ya?” Tami muttered when a stray spark zapped her.

  Hyacinth foolishly grabbed Allie’s hand, then jumped back, silky hair frizzed at the ends. “Ow, watch it!”

  “Sorry,” Allie said, holding onto a bookshelf and counting to ten, watching dust motes scatter. “But I have to hurry or I’m going to miss the next class—you guys don’t have to wait.”

  “It’s just gym, and I’m not going to leave you. I’ll wait—Hyacinth and Tami can go, so they don’t get in trouble, too. But I’m probably gonna get kicked out, anyway,” Sarah said, beginning to pace.

  “Get kicked out for what?” Tami put her hands on her hips. “Nobody pushed her. Nobody did jack! She tripped. Maybe she slid on some of that slime bomb they put in Allie’s locker. Served her right, and if they tell, we tell—so it’s a fair guess that nobody is gonna rat. None of us are leaving Allie, and none of us are getting in trouble. We’ll tell the gym teacher that some anonymous person boobytrapped Allie’s locker and slimed her, and we went to help her. We’ve got evidence,” Tami added, waving her arms toward Allie’s dripping clothes. “And plenty of kids saw what happened. A half-truth is always the most convincing lie, and I’m sure that Allie isn’t the first freshman to get pranked by an Upper Sphere, so stop stressing. Melissa’s flunky slipped on the slime, so what? We’re not responsible.”

  But Sarah knew in her heart that wasn’t what had happened to Amy. She hugged herself and leaned against a desk, trying to calm down. It totally freaked her out that a shadow had come to life and literally attacked a girl, and she was the only one who had seen it.