The Roses Academy- the Entire Collection

by Tara Brown

  A tear dripped down Giselle’s cheek.

  My heart raced.

  There was no way this was going to happen.

  Aimee stepped in and wiped the tear and smiled. “You can do this. I’ve got your back.”

  “You will help me?”

  Aimee nodded. “I will not let you die.”

  Giselle took a step forward. “Okay.”

  Sam glanced at Aimee in protest, but she shook her head subtly.

  Lorri growled, “Stay.”

  Even I knew who she was commanding.

  FedEx Dorian strolled over to me as the tension reached its max. He leaned in and whispered, “Try to ignore Sam. He could drive you mad with his scent.”

  “What is he?”

  “A little bit of this and a little of that. Does it matter?” Dorian nudged me.

  “I don't know. Are they seriously going to fight? This is insane.”

  “Of course they are.” He grinned harder.

  Our eyes met and I got lost in his again.

  Smelling Sam and seeing Dorian, it was too much.

  I couldn’t pull my eyes away. I wanted so badly to just touch him.

  He broke eye contact first, making a face like this was hard for him too.

  I tore my eyes away from him to watch Giselle walk out into the yard and cross the driveway.

  The vampires fell silent as the Eurotrash man rounded off against her. The others formed a huge circle. The people here never moved from the front porch, but every one of them seemed ready to leap into action at any second.

  “Why can’t we help her?” I asked softly.

  Lorri never moved her eyes from Giselle. “She will look weak. She should be able to take them all on as queen. It’s their way. Not to mention, they need to believe I don’t run her.”

  “But you do.” Aimee smiled.

  “They don't need to know that.”

  Apprehension and fear poured from us all as we waited for someone to make a move.

  The wolf glanced at me and held my gaze. I hated the way he reminded me of the wolf that tried to attack me, except the eyes.

  “It’s just Lucas,” Lorri snapped.

  “Are you all mind readers?” I asked fearfully, earning a bitter laugh from everyone.

  Dorian smiled at me but I didn't know why.

  Lorri laughed and took several steps forward, addressing the vampires, “The rules are the same as always. No one fights her except him. Anyone who interferes meets Dorian and Aimee. Now I know you’ve heard about Aimee and how she likes to eat. Let’s not provoke her.”

  The crowd eyed Aimee cautiously and gave Giselle and the tall man space.

  “This is bizarre and barbaric. They’re really going to fight to the death. It’s not the eighteen hundreds.”

  Sam shrugged. “Most of these guys have been around for hundreds of years. They haven’t changed much.”

  I forgot what I was talking about. His smell was intoxicating. I inched toward him. There was a commotion and they began to cheer, but I only saw him.

  In my peripheral the tall man sliced Giselle's face open savagely. Sam winced when she coughed up blood, so I did too.

  A hand came down again at her. Sam cringed, his hands balling up. I balled up mine too. My eyes darted to where his went, to where Giselle was dying.

  Sam swallowed hard, so I did too. He glanced over at me, cocking an eyebrow. His eyes changed, like a lightbulb came on. “I need your help.”

  “Whatever you want.” I didn't know what I was saying. I just wanted to smell him and touch him and maybe taste him.

  He stepped in close, making me shudder with his sweet scent. He lowered his face to mine and whispered, “See the girl dying?” He turned my face to Giselle who was on her knees, swaying as though she might die any second.

  I nodded.

  “I want you to help her. Every strike against her is a strike against me. They are trying to hurt me by killing her. I want you to defend me.”

  “They want to hurt you?” Something lit inside me, against my will. A fire I couldn't control.

  As the man, the Eurotrash vampire, lifted his hand to strike Giselle again, I blew as hard as I could. A great wind blew across the yard toward the fight.

  Sam whispered into the wind, “Giselle, fight back. Close your eyes and feel the heat. It’s there waiting.”

  Aimee gaped back at me in terror as tears rolled down her cheeks.

  Sam offered, “She’ll be okay. She just needs to unleash it.”

  Aimee turned and screamed, “Giselle, I’m with you. I’m holding your hand. Close your eyes and trust me to help you.”

  Lightning crashed down in the middle of the circle of vampires, sending everyone back. Fury filled me as bolts of electricity shot from my fingertips, hitting the vampires.

  “Stop, Ophelia. The vampires must do things their way. Giselle must earn the right to be queen.”

  I didn't listen to her words. I listened to my heart which said Sam was in danger. I needed to protect him. But then he was in my face, shaking his head. “It’s okay. Stop.” He turned to Lorri. “Her eyes are completely black.”

  “That’s because she’s filled with magic, you moron. Stop her!”

  I raised my hands to point at the disgusting vampire killing Giselle just as Giselle’s eyes met mine.

  “Pull the magic back in, Ophelia. Don't hurt anyone,” Sam whispered.

  Giselle saw me. She nodded as if we were having a conversation with our eyes, only I didn't know what we were saying.

  Giselle got up, wiping the blood from her face and rounding the vampire. She wasn’t acting weak anymore. She appeared to be listening to the advice coming from our crowd. She closed her eyes, seeming to listen to the wind.

  Giselle moved as if dancing with a partner. He slashed out with his hand, but she leaned back and rolled to the side. His hands swiped at her, but she dodged them and backhanded him, sending him across the cement. He hit her hard but she hit twice as hard.

  He was back and clawing at her, but she fought with precision as if trained to do it. Her eyes remained closed as her leg shot out and took him to the ground. She leapt across the concrete like a feral cat and pinned him with her strength.

  The vampires in the circle began to scream and howl as Giselle’s hand came down on the man. She stopped a hair’s width from his throat and turned her head sharply, staring up at Lorri.

  Lorri’s expression never changed. “Finish it, my queen.”

  Giselle blinked. “What?”

  “He is a usurper. Finish him. No one may defy your crown, Queen Giselle. Your word is final.”

  Giselle noticeably gulped, even with her fangs and terrifying face. She stared into the man’s eyes as she lifted her hand and brought it down.

  A single tear dripped from her face onto his as her strike tore his throat out. She brought the hand back a second time and tore the head right off him. His frightful face rolled across the street to the edge of the silent circle.

  Giselle sat back down on the cement and licked the blood from her fingers, panting. Aimee dropped to her knees and sobbed.

  “Queen Giselle has my support. She is law. She is life and death,” Lorri shouted across the yard.

  Giselle stood on shaky legs. Each vampire dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. Giselle was stunned. She backed away from them all, but they whispered and muttered, “my queen” from every direction.

  She ignored them and walked toward the house but was slammed onto her back. Sam put a hand out to her.

  “Lorri, I can’t get past it. Lorri?” She reminded me of a mime making the fake wall, like the ones on the seaside boardwalks back home.

  Lorri sighed. “Giselle, the queen of the vampires may not enter Lydia’s home. It’s a sanctuary.”

  Aimee was off the ground and running before Lorri could speak another word.

  She crossed the guards in time to catch Giselle who had dropped to her knees, stunned. “Never?” she asked softly
.

  The vampires began to growl at Aimee as she wrapped her arms around Giselle.

  Giselle put a hand out. “Aimee is my friend. No one hurts her. Like, ever, okay?” She was still in shock.

  Sam turned to Lorri. “Did you know this would happen?”

  Lorri clenched her jaw and then she was gone. Sam turned back to Dorian. “What the hell, Dorian?”

  He shook his head. “Giselle never would have done it if she’d known. She would have died.”

  “Where will I go?” Giselle sobbed without crying.

  Dorian cracked a grin. “The castle, of course. Dracula’s castle has always been where the royalty lived.”

  “Dracula has a castle?” I was completely lost and feeling strange from the weird lightning show.

  “What always? Marcus was the only Dracula,” Sam spit his words.

  Dorian shrugged. “It’s hers if she wants it. It’s spelled to keep the royal one safe.”

  Sam snorted. “Yeah, it worked for Marcus.”

  Dorian gave him a hardened stare. “He was in the yard, if you recall.”

  I exhaled deeply when Sam’s eyes met mine again. “Go inside and learn about your family. If Annabelle’s right, you meet your father in just over a month. July seventh is almost here.”

  I nodded. “Whatever you want.”

  He sighed and looked at Lucas who was lying in the grass with a bleak expression. “That’s going to get annoying fast.”

  His words hurt my feelings but there was no denying my desire to make him happy.

  I turned and wandered back into the house, scared and disturbed and yet unable to think for myself.

  Chapter 8

  Family reunions are the worst

  “Your mother is the original witch. She’s the oldest human, ever. She and Adam were created together, equally. God made them in his image, in the image of the angels.”

  “Where’s Sam? He smells nice.” I ignored her and imagined the way he would taste if he kissed me.

  Lydia put a hand over her eyes. “You must focus. Sam is not of importance. Please.”

  I couldn’t help it. The fog he’d placed around my brain had me stuck.

  Lydia took my face, staring deeply into my eyes and smiled. “Repeat after me: remove the siren’s call from me.”

  “Remove the siren’s call from you,” I repeated like a bird.

  “No, say me, not you.”

  “What?” She was confusing.

  “Just say remove the siren’s call!” she snapped.

  I flinched but said it. The fog lifted as the words left my lips.

  I remembered Jake suddenly and shot up from my seat. “Jake. Where is he? What the hell did that Sam guy do to me?” I blinked and shuddered. He was cute, but it was mind rape the way he manipulated me.

  “We took Jake home. He needed to go home. We had someone wipe his memory. He would’ve been in danger if we’d let him remain here. Mortals aren’t safe here. Not to mention, the love spell you put on him.”

  “Love spell?” I gasped. “What? I don’t know what you're talking about.”

  Lydia spoke softly, “Honey, did you wish for him to love you?”

  “Huh?” My stomach tightened and my heart ached.

  “Did you?” She smiled but her eyes were sad for me, I could see it.

  I lowered my gaze and nodded.

  “How often?”

  “I don't know.” I tried not to feel the embarrassment that was smothering me.

  “Oh dear.” Lydia chuckled. “As we expected, dear. When a witch wishes for the same thing over and over, it becomes a spell. He was under your spell. Everyone in your little town was under your spell. From the moment your magic woke up, you became a threat to their freewill.”

  “Oh God.” I had reached my limit, gagging a little bit at how Jake had acted. He’d practically forced himself on me, because of me. “Look, I can’t do this right now. I need some sleep. Can I go home now, please?” I was humiliated and exhausted. I wanted Abbey and my own bed.

  “You can stay here. We have a room for you.” Lydia smiled sweetly.

  I was like a rat in a cage. I wanted out and I wanted home. Most of all, I wanted my family. I rubbed my hands on my thighs as they burned and begged me to blast my way out of there.

  “Do you want me to show you to your room?”

  “No. I want to go home. I want to go now.”

  Annabelle was beside me suddenly. “Child, you have a hard time understanding everything we saying. But you need to understand, we only be trying to help.”

  “This place is crazy,” my voice cracked as tears started to flow from my face. “My sister is missing. The only reason I’ve been tolerating your bullshit is because I thought you’d lead me to my sister. But you haven’t. Now I need her back! I don't care about the vampires or the ghosts or the witches or the old ways. I just want to find my sister. I want to go home. I want to apologize to Jake for making him like me.” I lowered my face as shame crushed me. “I should have known he wouldn't ever like me on his own.”

  “You’re special and if he can’t see that without magic helping him, then he don't deserve you.”

  “I’m not special,” I murmured as tears flooded my eyes and dropped on my knees. My emotions had finally been freed and were drowning me.

  “We’re all special here. What more do you need? You done magic right out there with those nasty vampires. I know things seem pretty overwhelming, but if you think about it, this is just the proof you need to see who you are.”

  I couldn’t help but see it. Annabelle was right. The proof had always been there, but my brain refused to see the forest for the trees.

  “I need to go home. I need to find my sister.” I didn't want to see it or be part of this or anything else. I just wanted to be plain old me.

  The room grew hot.

  The blue lights began to glow around me. I pulled away from them, but they circled me and drew in tight. The warmth of their light blinded me as I sensed a calm forcing itself on me. The lights took the emotions all away.

  Everything went blue and I heard a thump like something hitting the floor nearby. Everything went dark.

  Don’t open your eyes. Just feel us, around you and within you. Our father has discovered you. You must trust Lydia and Annabelle to help you. Everything depends upon you. You and our brother.

  The words brushed against my skin as if they manipulated the breeze.

  After a moment, I opened one eye and glanced around the room. The darkness was the first thing I noticed. I was no longer with Lydia or Annabelle. I was alone in a dark room.

  The blue lights sat in one corner, opposite me. I didn’t fear them anymore. I didn't know why. Maybe because they were the least weird thing going on in my life.

  “What are you?” I whispered into the darkness.

  Your sisters.

  “No, Abbey’s my sister.”

  We are your sisters. We have the same mother and father. Each of us has waited for you.

  “Who is our mother exactly? Can you guys just answer questions without creating more questions?”

  Lillith, she is Lillith. She is the beauty and the grace of God. She was the first woman. She was born of God, the same as Adam. God made her free as he did Adam. She saw Adam as a brother.

  Their words became a picture in the blue lights. It showed beautiful Lillith, in the garden with Adam. They were opposites of each other, different in every way.

  The garden was beautiful, filled with life and serenity.

  As the six balls of light spoke, the floating picture changed. The angels told her to seek out the stag, the king of the elves. She wandered into the sacred garden, looking for the stag, but Adam had been watching her. God had promised him he would receive a mate. He assumed Lillith was his mate. He tried to convince her of his notions, but she dismissed him, perhaps cruelly. He forced himself upon her in the forest.

  The picture changed to a violent show of lust and other things I didn't
need to see. But I couldn't look away. My eyes were stuck, meeting hers as she screamed and fought.

  In the moment of anger, pain, and humiliation she called upon the magic she felt in the sacred garden and pulled it into her. She used it to curse Adam with endless suffering and pain. She did not know the scope of the suffering she would cast upon him and every generation of man or woman after him. Realizing what he had done to her, Adam left the sacred garden, never to return. He believed the land was cursed, that Lillith had destroyed it.

  “He rapes her and she ruined the garden?” This is officially the worst bedtime story ever.

  Let us explain. When the stag came, he refused Lillith, seeing she was already with child. She stayed in the garden alone and gave birth to the fae. She gave birth to the first of them in that garden. Part of her and Adam was in the triplets but so was the magic of the Earth. Her children could change themselves into anything they saw. One mated with a bear, one with an elf, and one with a wolf. She lived in the sacred garden with her children and their children for centuries until our father fell and stole her from the garden. A prophecy was written that when the angels fell, the children of Lillith would save the world. Only the children of Lillith could lift the curse she had placed upon them. The fallen believed that meant saving the world from God, but Lucifer and the good angels believed it would be from the curse Lillith placed upon Adam. Suffering would end as would strife and pain. The seven deadly sins would cease to exist as would war and hate. Revelation speaks of a world free from death. After the Armageddon, the world would become Heaven. Heaven on Earth. The fallen wouldn’t survive such a scenario.

  I sat numb. “This is nuts. How do I fit into this?” My heart ached for the weird movie I just saw and the woman in it. Their words rang with truth I didn't want to admit.

  The prophecy was specific. The children who would save the Earth would be twins, a boy and a girl. One would be sacrificed to give the other strength. There must be a male for the prophecy to fulfill itself. The prophecy speaks as though it is the male who will side with our father. Which is why we’ve all been sacrificed. Father can’t have us joining Mother in her quest to rid the world of the evil she created. He relishes it.