Oberon Academy- The Complete Series

by Wendi Wilson

  “Forget I asked,” I said before he could answer.

  He smiled. “I’ve done some things, but not that. If we do ever go that far, it’ll be the first time for both of us,” he said.

  “Oh.”

  That brilliant response was all my brain could come up with. I couldn’t believe we were even having that conversation. But I had to admit, to myself at least, that hearing him say he’d never had sex made me feel better. Not so naïve and inexperienced. Like if it ever happened between us, it would be special for us both.

  We spent the next hour cuddling, Easton healing my heart as he peppered my skin with kisses. We talked about my visit with his grandfather, discussing theories on what the Zephyrs next move may be and all our possible defensive maneuvers against them.

  “Our best defense may very well be you, December Thorne,” he said, pecking a kiss on my nose.

  I barked out a laugh at his joke, but he didn’t even crack a smile. “What? You’re joking, right?”

  “No,” he said simply.

  “That’s ridiculous, Easton,” I said, pulling out of his embrace and sitting up. “I can barely pop my wings in and out and create a little wind. Hardly the stuff of winning wars.”

  “You don’t remember, do you?”

  “Remember what?”

  A prickly feeling crept up my arms and slithered down my spine, causing me to shiver. Easton sat up, spinning to face me with his legs crossed in front of him. He leaned slightly forward, his eyes spearing into mine.

  “The night we lost Rowan,” he said, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down his throat, “I found you. You were screaming, completely out of your head, and I couldn’t reach you. I carried you to the medical ward.”

  Flashes of memory streaked through my mind. Someone calling my name. Begging me to come back to them. Strong arms picking me up. I gave Easton a small nod, letting him know I remembered.

  “After I tucked you into a bed, you freaked out. You started thrashing around and these terrible sounds were coming from you. I put my hands on your shoulders and tried to soothe you, but it only made you fight harder.”

  I could tell this was going somewhere, yet Easton was somehow hesitant to take me there. “What did I do?” I asked.

  “Everything,” he said, reaching out and lacing the fingers of both his hands through mine. “Wind whipped through the room, tearing me away from you. The building began to sway as the ground shook beneath us, and then the walls caught on fire. Before any real damage could be done, a cloud formed. Right there inside the room, December. A cloud formed and rain poured from it, putting out the fire. Then you passed out, and everything stopped.”

  My head shook in denial, but his eyes held mine, refusing to let me look away. His words were ludicrous, yet the ring of truth in them was undeniable. Fragmented memories flashed before my eyes. I felt the wind. I smelled the smoke. The sprinkle of water against my face. My eyes widened as I sucked in a sharp breath.

  “That was me?”

  Easton stared at me for a moment without speaking. I could see it in his eyes, his desire for me to believe him, to accept what he was saying as truth.

  “It was you, December,” he said, finally. “You have control of air, water, fire and earth.”

  “Is that…normal?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know the answer.

  He shook his head, his expression equal parts wonder and pride.

  “No. It’s not.”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but the wailing of an alarm cut off whatever I was about to say. Easton leapt from the bed before pulling me up after him, and we rushed out into the hall. Boys were everywhere, and we squeezed through the throng to get into the main hall, where the rest of the student body were gathering.

  I spotted Shaela and pulled Easton in her direction. Relief flashed across her features before they pinched back up with worry. I started to ask her if she knew what was happening, but the amplified voice of Finn Oberon cut me off before I could get a word out.

  “Faculty, students, and employees of Oberon Academy, heed my words. The Zephyrs are set to attack and we must evacuate, immediately. Please head for the exits and make your way to your homes. Use your Glamour so that you won’t be seen, and give aid to those who may need a place to stay in the interim. Go now. I will be in contact when it is safe to return.”

  As Finn’s words ended, every Sylph in the room, turned toward the exit and started filing out. No questions, no arguments, no bid for time to collect their things. It was so strange, how quiet and obedient they were. I watched them go, digging my heels in when Easton tried to pull me forward.

  “We have to go,” he said when he realized I was struggling against his pull.

  “No,” I said, yanking on his arm to pull him closer.

  Shaela was already moving toward the door. I shouted her name, and she turned to look at me, but kept walking.

  “Come back,” I called out. “We can’t leave.”

  As the words left my mouth, Easton’s grip on my hand loosened. I looked over at him, arching a brow at his incredulous expression. I felt a presence on my right and glanced over to see Shaela, her expression matching Easton’s. I vaguely noticed a few other kids gathering around us, but my eyes trained on Easton as unease built inside me.

  “What?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “My grandfather gave a command,” he said, his jaw slack.

  “Yeah,” I responded, the word sounding more like a question.

  “December,” Shaela cut in, pulling my attention to her, “no one can resist Finn’s commands. He is king, and every Sylph must obey him.”

  “I know. He told me that,” I said, not getting what they were trying to say.

  “And yet,” she said, “you’re not leaving.”

  “And neither are we,” Easton added before I could respond.

  I looked around at the Sylphids crowded around us, their faces mirroring the confusion of Easton and Shaela’s. I met Easton’s eyes, my head shaking of its own volition.

  “I don’t understand,” I said.

  “Somehow,” he said, “you’re immune to the king’s command.”

  “And,” Shaela added, “somehow you broke its hold over us, too. All of us.”

  I glanced around again, counting off about fifteen kids grouped around us. It seemed everyone within earshot had stopped and was waiting for me to say something. Feeling the pressure, I decided to just speak from the heart.

  “I don’t know you all or your stories,” I called out, loud enough for everyone to hear, “but this school saved me. I can’t let the Zephyrs come in and take it over. Not without a fight.”

  Several voices called out, encouragement, questions, and denials all jumbled together into an unintelligible racket. I held up a hand, and the sounds died off. I had no idea where the bravery came from, but I knew I wasn’t about to lose everything without at least trying to save it.

  “You can all make your own choice. Follow Finn’s command and head for safety, or stay and defend our school.”

  Easton’s grip tightened on mine, and I knew I had his support. Shaela’s palm slid against my other hand, her fingers closing around it and squeezing. I looked at her and nodded once, my eyes burning with emotion.

  “What is going on here?” a booming voice called out, and we all turned.

  Finn Oberon stood there, arms crossed over his chest and a stern look on his face. I stepped forward, attempting to extract my hands from Easton and Shaela, but they held tight, stepping forward with me.

  “We want to stay and fight,” Easton said.

  “This is our home, and we want to protect it,” Shaela added.

  Several shouts and grunts of agreement sounded behind us, and I turned to see the group of Fae crowded around. Not leaving. I turned back to Finn, steeling my spine.

  “We won’t let Sebille take this place, Finn. It belongs to us. All of us. We have a right to defend it.”

  Finn didn’t sa
y a word, his eyes moving from one student to the next. When his eyes finally landed on me, he didn’t smile or commend our passion and bravery. He also didn’t deny our demands to stay and fight.

  He simply gave us a nod and turned around, heading back toward his office. We followed behind him with no words spoken.

  The war was about to begin.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  31

  “Sebille was spotted a few miles south of here after slinking out of the city under the cover of darkness. Our scouts estimate she has around fifty Zephyr soldiers with her.”

  “Wait,” I said, looking around Finn’s office at our small group, “Sebille is coming? The queen, herself?”

  Finn’s gray eyes shone with resignation as he said, “Queen Sebille would not leave something this important to underlings. She leads the charge.”

  “How long do we have?” Easton asked.

  “I’d say an hour, at most,” Finn replied, his eyes scanning the others in the room. “I know this is what you’ve been training for, but in my own selfish need to protect you, I sent most of you out of here to hide away until the danger passes. Perhaps that was not the wisest choice.”

  “We can take down fifty Zephyrs in our sleep,” a boy with a long blonde ponytail called out, pumping a fist in the air.

  Shouts of agreement rang out, the energy of the students charging the air around us with electricity. I watched Easton move to Finn’s side and whisper something in his ear. Finn nodded at him, then turned to me with the same gesture.

  Easton wrapped his hand around mine and pulled me toward the door. I looked back at Shaela who, after a split-second’s hesitation, followed behind us. Wherever Easton was taking me, she wasn’t going to let a little thing like not being invited stop her.

  “Where are we going?” she asked when she caught up to us.

  Easton didn’t miss a beat. Like he fully expected her to follow.

  “To the gym,” he answered. “December has the gifts of air, fire, water, and earth, but she doesn’t know how to control them. We have less than an hour to help her gain some semblance of control.”

  As we strode through the doors of the gymnasium, Easton’s wings popped out, a blue so light, they almost appeared silver. I realized that was the first time I’d seen them. They were beautiful.

  I looked back at Shaela, whose green wings were also visible, slowly flapping behind her. With a calm, determined thought, I popped my own wings out, feeling a sense of relief and comfort as they fluttered behind me.

  “Wow,” Shaela said as Easton flicked on the lights.

  I turned to look at her, but she twirled a finger in the air, asking me to turn back around. My face heated a little, but I did as she asked. She’d never seen my wings and wanted to take a good look at them.

  “They’re so beautiful, December. To hear you talk, you’d think they were drab and lifeless, like the Zephyrs wings. But they’re not. It’s like all the colors are there, swirling amongst each other and reflecting out through the silver parts.”

  “Told you,” Easton said, smirking.

  “Okay,” I said, my face setting fire, “enough about my weird wings. We’re going to run out of time.”

  “You’re right,” Easton agreed. “We need to get started.”

  For the next three-quarters of an hour, Easton and Shaela coached me on the use of my powers. Shaela had an affinity with earth, Easton with air. They taught me to work with the elements, not against them. To request what I wanted, not to try to manipulate them to my will.

  And because I’d already kind of figured that out the night Rowan died, it didn’t take long for me to succeed in wielding all four of them. At my request, a fire blazed to life in the middle of the floor. I tilted my head to the side and concentrated. The air released its moisture, droplets raining down on the fire and extinguishing it. I held up a hand, and wind whipped through the room, blowing away the ash.

  “Very good,” Easton said. “You have clearly discovered how to access the elements. Now you need to learn to use them in battle.”

  “You mean like shooting fireballs from my hands, or something?” I asked.

  Easton opened his mouth to respond, but a loud bang echoed around us as the building shook on its foundation. Shaela stumbled and Easton’s hand shot out to steady her. We looked at each other for a few beats of silence, realizing our time was up.

  “Let’s do this,” Shaela whispered.

  I gripped her hand and said, “Please, be careful.”

  She nodded and turned toward the door, giving me a brief moment with Easton. Without delay, he pressed his lips against mine, his tongue dipping inside my mouth. Just as quickly as it began, the kiss ended and Easton was pulling me along behind Shaela.

  No warnings to tread carefully. No last words of comfort or affection. No goodbyes.

  We were headed into battle and failure was not an option.

  As we passed through the gym doors, the sounds of combat echoed around us. My hair flew up and across my face as wind gusted down the corridor. Gathering the long, dark strands into my fist, I tied it in a knot at the base of my skull.

  Shaela pulled an elastic band from her wrist and motioned for me to turn around. She undid my hasty knot and pulled my hair up into a high ponytail, where it would be out of my face and away from my wings.

  I shot her a look of thanks as she pulled another elastic from her wrist and tied up her own blonde locks. How many rubber bands did she carry around? I shook my head, clearing it of the random thoughts.

  I needed to focus.

  A boy with strawberry blonde hair and pink wings darted down the hall toward us, his breath huffing in and out as his chest heaved. He skidded to a halt next to us, bracing his hands on his knees.

  “What’s happening, Charles?” Easton asked.

  “The Zephyrs attacked, blowing the front door off its hinges and blasting away part of the wall. They’re putting up a good fight, but I think we have the edge, despite their numbers. It’s obvious they don’t have the training we do.”

  “That’s good, right?” I asked, unable to mask the hope in my voice.

  “Yes,” Charles said, “but Queen Sebille…she has your grandfather.”

  “Where?” Easton demanded, a sheen of rage reflecting in his eyes.

  “His office,” Charles said, pointing back the way he’d come.

  Easton took off without another word, and Shaela and I darted behind him. I used my wings to speed up, my feet barely brushing the floor as I ran. The feeling was exhilarating, but I didn’t let it go to my head. I couldn’t lose focus.

  We rounded a corner and Easton skidded to a halt. I rammed right into his back, but he must have been braced for it because he didn’t budge an inch. Placing my hands on his shoulders, I raised up on my toes so I could peek over his shoulder.

  Two dark-haired, black-winged Fae stood outside Finn’s office, their arms crossed over their chests. We were going to have to fight our way inside if we were going to save the king. There were three of us and only two of them, so I liked our odds.

  I felt a tug on the back of my shirt and heard Shaela’s voice whisper my name. I glanced over my shoulder and spied a Zephyr girl coming up the hallway behind us. Her black eyes reflected the lights around us, giving them an eerie glow.

  “I got this,” Shaela said, turning to face off against the girl.

  I braced my feet apart as the hallway started to rumble and shake. A crack split the floor between Shaela and the Zephyr soldier, brown earth spilling up through the crevice to form a barrier between her and us.

  Shaela looked over her shoulder, giving me a smile before turning back. She leapt over the barrier and before I could blink, it built itself up into a solid wall. I screamed her name and ran up to the wall. I dug my fingernails into it, but whatever scratches I made in its surface refilled themselves before I could get any deeper.

  Hands gripped my biceps and pulled me away, twisting me around. Easton’s silver
y-blue eyes bore into mine as he spoke, but I couldn’t hear his words over the blood rushing through my ears. I blinked a few times, willing my heart to slow its frantic rhythm.

  “She’ll be fine,” Easton said, his words finally reaching me. “We have our own Zephyrs to deal with.”

  He jerked his head to the right and my eyes followed the motion. The two guards were facing us, having heard the commotion. They remained by the door, probably under the strictest of orders, but there would be no surprise attack. They were ready for us.

  Easton started toward them, discreetly motioning for me to stay behind him. Part of me wanted to obey the directive. To stay out of the way and let the big, strong boy who had been trained all his life for this battle take care of business.

  The other part of me said screw that.

  Easton said it himself…no other Fae could wield all four elements. At least, none that he’d ever heard of. Despite the fact that I was only half-Fae, I had power. Power that I was no longer afraid to use.

  I silently asked fire to come to me. Within a second, I could feel its heat warming my insides, begging to be released. I narrowed my eyes on the two guards, their black eyes trained on Easton—the most obvious threat.

  Easton stopped, his back stiffening with a hiss. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, giving it an almost imperceptible shake. He felt the heat. He was asking me not to use it.

  He might as well have been asking me not to breathe. There was no tamping the power down. It had grown inside me, swelling to the point where I had to release it. With a silent apology, I braced my feet apart.

  “Duck.”

  Without pause, Easton dropped to his knees. I threw out my hands, releasing the fire inside me and channeling it down my arms to my fingertips. From there it burst free, a stream that arced over Easton’s head and headed straight for the two Zephyrs outside Finn’s door.

  When the flames petered out, I flapped my wings, bringing the wind to my back. I floated up, hovering several feet off the floor as air whipped around me. The Zephyr guards’ hair and clothes blew back and, despite my impressive fire-cannon display before, looked fearful for the first time.