The Roses Academy- the Entire Collection

by Tara Brown

  “Ophelia? Ophelia? Was that Ophelia? Would one of you talk? One of you bitches better start talking.”

  They stared at me accusingly. “What have you done to her?”

  Tears poured from my face. I tried to talk but the words weren’t there. I didn’t have any. I was struggling to breathe against the tears.

  The voices whispered in the wind above us, “She had to, Brother. She had to do it. Ophelia pulled the darkness from Oliver.”

  The one I assumed was Tristan lifted his face and screamed. He howled almost. The other man gripped him and pulled at him, but he struggled hard to get to his sister's corpse. “No. Trist, she’s gone, my love,” he said soothingly. Tristan was a ball of emotions and fury. His eyes met mine, breaking my heart again. “I never met her. You bitch, I never met my own sister.”

  I sobbed silently.

  Dorian winked into the room. He grabbed me and pulled me to him. “I need you. Now.” He winked us to the cold snowy courtyard.

  No one was there. Nothing was there. No blood but the small amount that had been forced from Ari's throat.

  “Where is she?” I asked.

  “He took her. He took her. Sam has gone to track him. I need you to go with me to Marcus’. I need him on our side. I need Jon dead and the dead girl's magic transferred to Tristan.” His voice was frenzied.

  I nodded. I would do anything. I knew that. I'd just proven it. I had killed my friend.

  “It won't work.”

  Oliver leaned against the doorway to the stairs that led to the cell I was just in. He was dead-looking and broken like me. He stood. “We’re doomed. He will win like he always does.” Regret blanketed his face as he spoke to me, “I'm so sorry.” His words were nothing. They were nothing but air and emptiness.

  “I don't want to hear it,” I whispered back, standing in the freezing cold with blood all over my chest and only a bra on.

  He swallowed. “Is she—down there still?”

  I lost control again and sobbed. I had betrayed her and lost the war for us. I had killed the one in the prophecy.

  Dorian wrapped his coat around me and held me to him in a way that was familiar. Like we'd done this before. “Why won't it work?” he asked.

  “The witch has to be a girl. Lillith cannot die by the hand of a man. It must be a woman who wields the power of the seven sisters. That’s why Jonathan has never made Tristan take the power for himself. Daniel discovered it only about a year ago, going through the old prophecies and scriptures. We have a lot of reasons to believe it must be a female.” Oliver's voice was lifeless. His eyes were full of tears.

  “We are defeated,” I mouthed.

  Oliver nodded but Dorian winked us away. We stood outside Hanna's father's house.

  “We have to kill him,” Dorian's words were barely audible.

  I knew he was right. I walked up the gravel walkway to the front door. My legs were shaky as I lifted my hand, wincing at the black blood on my knuckles. I knocked and waited.

  Roland answered the door after a moment. His jaw clenched. “Madam Dealer. We were not expecting you. The potions are making Dr. Jekyll better every day.”

  “It's time for her,” I spoke softly.

  His face tightened more. “I dare say it’s not. We agreed.”

  “No, the deal’s off. We need her,” Dorian insisted.

  Roland eyed me disgustedly and then Dorian. “You would trade her for the shifter? Trade a human life?”

  Dorian shouted at him, “Yes! Yes, I would. I would trade whatever I had to, to end this. Call for her, now.”

  Roland was sickened but opened the door wide for us.

  “I'm sorry,” I said in a small voice.

  “It’s not your choice. Like me, you are but one of the masses the Roses use for their schemes.”

  “Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Roland. The good doctor is on borrowed time. You and I both know it. Before the potions worked, he and Aimee here had a deal. A deal he is going to honor tonight.” Dorian pointed at the floor.

  Roland puffed out his chest. “She is not a danger to herself. She is not a danger to anyone. This is ridiculous.”

  I felt bad for him.

  Dorian forced his way into the house and sat on the beautiful sofa and shrugged. “She will be now.”

  Roland pointed down a massive hallway. “This way, my dear.” His voice was defeated. I'd met them all before. I had made the deal when Marcus was certain he could contain the doctor. If he couldn't, the doctor was going to come with me, no fighting. I walked to the room at the end of the hallway where the door was closed. Roland tapped lightly. “Miss Aimee to see you, sir.”

  The office door opened after a moment. I flinched when I saw the robust health in his face. He appeared confused.

  “Miss James. We meet again. Prematurely, I believe.”

  “Hello, Doctor.”

  He opened the door farther to let me in. I walked past him.

  Roland asked, “Some tea, Miss James?”

  “No thank you, Roland.”

  “I'll have some, Roland.”

  “Very good, sir.”

  The doctor closed the door and turned to me. “Tell me what's going on.”

  I sat in the huge chair across from him. Tears slipped from my eyes as the story left my lips. I got it all out before Roland was back with the tea. Dr. Jekyll gave me a long stare and then shook his head. “You don't need to kill me. This is necromancer work. You need a necromancer.”

  I frowned. “What?” My brain translated the word but it seemed crazy.

  He folded his hands. “Yes. Necromancer. I knew of one in the South. Bad business, that is.” He was an old gentleman who reminded me of my father, only English. “Raise her from the dead so she can take her sisters’ magic and she would be cleansed. The magic of seven good witches over one bad witch. You see what I mean?”

  “I guess.” I cleared my throat. “Hanna is the only way to get the sisters’ magic.”

  He frowned. “I think I can help. Tell Oliver to take you to Momma Holt. They all know her.”

  Chapter 17

  Hello again

  Hanna

  My phone rang again. I sighed and pulled it out. The asshole behind me groaned. I glared back at him. The three calls were from my dad's house. I pressed my lips together and leaned into Rebecca. “I gotta go. Dad’s calling over and over.”

  “Okay.” She shoved popcorn into her mouth. “Text me later.”

  “Yup. See ya.” I climbed out of the seat and ran from the theater. I tried not to see too much of him, but he was insistent that I sleep over every now and then. He had been sick, and as much as we weren’t close, it scared me when he was. I ran out to the car and drove over as fast as I could. I parked and ran up to the door. Roland had it open already. “My dear. What brings you here?” he asked, all jolly and sweet.

  “Hi, Roland.” I hugged him and noticed how quickly he pulled away from me. He was always so cold. “Lighten up, Roland. It was a hug. You won't die from it.” I'd been coming over for the forced sleepovers for a few months and he was still so odd with me. Cold and British.

  “He’s in his office, my dear.” He closed the door and I ran down the hall.

  I knocked on the door.

  “Come in.”

  “Hey, Dad.” I opened it and stepped in.

  He smiled and pointed a hand at a filthy girl with blonde hair and black crusty stains all over her. “This is Aimee.”

  Before I had even taken a step toward them, a man's voice spoke my name, “Hanna.”

  A sexy guy with dark hair, dark eyes, and a smile that killed stood down the hall. I grinned. “Hi.” Who was this guy?

  He sauntered toward me, undressing me with his eyes. “I'm Dorian.”

  “Hanna.” I said it, realizing he knew that.

  My father called out, “Hanna, come in here for God's sake.”

  I turned back to my dad and the dirty blonde. “Sorry.” I stepped in. The Dorian guy came in the roo
m. He stood close, too close. “It's strong. Very strong,” he said.

  “What is?”

  The guy's face lightened into a cheeky grin. “You are.”

  “What do you want?” I asked my dad and stared at Dorian, unable to turn away.

  “I need you to do something for me,” Dad spoke with a tone.

  I turned back to him sharply, cocking an eyebrow. “What?”

  The blonde stood up. “Go and live with a friend of ours, to keep you safe.”

  “Dad? What’s she talking about?” I felt weird about them, like I knew them.

  Dad stood up and crossed his arms. “These are friends of mine, Hanna. They will keep you safe while I'm away sorting out a business deal. I've made some shady deals in the past that are catching up with me.”

  “I don't need to be babysat. I'm almost twenty.” I wasn't surprised about the shady deals though. He never worked and always had money. Like a gentleman in an Austen movie.

  He tapped the desk. “The decision’s made. You will go with them. Now.”

  “I don’t want to. You can't tell me what to do.”

  He slapped the desk hard. “YOU WILL GO AND YOU WILL WAIT FOR ME TO TELL YOU WHEN IT’S SAFE TO COME HOME!”

  The blonde flinched with me at his shouting.

  “I hate you,” I burst out.

  He crossed his arms. “Better to hate me alive, than to love me and be dead.”

  “Who the hell are they?”

  The blonde reached for me and instantly we stood in front of a huge mansion.

  I bent and threw up my meal from the movie.

  “Sorry,” she said quietly.

  “Hanna, my love. My dearest precious.”

  I wiped my mouth and swayed from the insane dizzy spell as a man I'd never seen before walked from the mansion. Standing, I could see it was more of a castle.

  His arms were out like we were friends.

  The blonde stepped in front of me. “I want it done now.”

  “Now? You will rob me of my reception?” He sighed. “You really are a pain in the ass, Aimee.”

  She remained rigid and firm in her stance, opposite of how she was at my house.

  The guy slumped and turned back toward the house. “Bring her in.”

  My stomach twisted again and I bent forward, losing more of my meal on the ground in front of me.

  “And get Suzette to clean that up,” the dark-haired man shouted.

  “Sorry.” I wiped my face. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just want to go home. Please, just take me home. I don't even know how we got here.”

  They all acted like they felt sorry for me as the blonde led me inside the house.

  “Just let me go home,” I cried and threw up again, this time all over a rug.

  “Oh, for the love of God, this isn’t The Exorcist. Stop the vomiting!”

  I started crying. I couldn’t stop. The rug looked expensive. The dark-haired man was annoyed and muttered something about irreplaceable.

  Aimee held me to her. “You okay?”

  “No. I want to go home. Please. Just get away from me.” I shook my head and peered around. “Where are we? How did we even get here? I want to go home.”

  The dark-haired man, who I suspected owned the castle, stepped toward me and smiled. “All of this was normal for you, once upon a time. You loved traveling by wink. You knew all about everything.” His eyes held me hostage. I was lost in the sea of words. “And so it will be this time as well. You are comfortable and calm and happy. You liked being here with me. You like me.” His soothing voice floated me across the room as my eyes closed.

  I heard talking but barely registered it.

  “Bring him here. And Henry,” one English guy said.

  “Aren't you demanding? Maybe I want to be sure the merchandise isn’t faulty. God knows what Ari's done this time,” the other English guy spoke.

  “You will never speak of my daughter like that again.”

  “Guys, stop.”

  I opened my eyes and noticed Aimee was between the two dark-haired men. She was pushing them both.

  They were obviously angry.

  I was relaxed, even though I knew it was the wrong feeling.

  “Marcus, bring him out. I'll text Aleks,” Aimee said.

  The men sort of shoved each other one last time and then the one I couldn’t stop staring at was gone. My mind told me it was normal, but I couldn’t fight the inkling that I should be panicking.

  “Aimee.” I swallowed hard. “Why has my father sent me here?” I asked softly.

  Aimee looked at Dorian as if ignoring me and tilted her head. “Fix that. Now.”

  He sneered. “I don't take orders from you.”

  “Please.”

  He smiled the most charming smile I had I've ever seen. “Is there a chance you'll be grateful for this?”

  Aimee crossed her arms. “Yes. I'll be so very grateful.”

  He nodded once and then turned, sauntering over and kneeling next to me.

  He brushed a hand against my forehead and whispered something. He turned back around. “I can’t. She hates him. If I do it, she won't stay. I can’t do it.”

  “She’s terrified.”

  He stood and walked back to her. “Not my problem. I need my daughter back.”

  “Fine, I hope you can live with this.” Aimee seemed upset. She played with her phone.

  “You’d be surprised what I can live with,” he grumbled.

  “Are you monsters?” I felt like I was caught in the spider's web and watching it, waiting for it to devour me. In the meantime, I was frozen from the poison.

  Aimee replied, “We are. We are monsters. Your father’s a monster. Your best bet for safety is here in this castle. There’s a man named Henry here. He will protect you at all costs.”

  “That's nice.” I closed my eyes and let the relaxing feeling take me.

  Chapter 18

  Siren in the house

  Aimee

  I hated her again. I could smell the siren on Hanna and it made me feel awful. I wasn't allowed to tell Sam that she was here with Marcus, but I wanted to. I wanted to give him his chance. The air swirled with warmth and then Aleks stood beside me with a confused expression. “Hanna?”

  I nodded. “Hanna.”

  “Is her father de—?”

  “No,” I cut him off. “His idea actually.”

  Aleks looked disgusted. “To bring her here?”

  “With what's going on, she’s safest here.”

  “I guess.” His face showed his anxiousness. “Where is he?”

  Aleks had waited years for this moment. Dorian grinned at him. “He’s coming, Brother. You get your rest today. Your vengeance and rest.”

  Aleks seemed perplexed about something. He stood so close to me the backs of our hands brushed against each other. He did that a lot lately.

  “Marcus never told me you were coming over, Aimes.” Shane strolled out from the back hallway.

  “I wasn't.” I cleared my throat. “It wasn’t a scheduled visit. I'm here for Roses Academy business.”

  “I see.” He glared at Aleks and then turned his face to mine, smiling again. I hardly knew him, he was so different. So perfect and calculated. He was like Marcus. I cringed, imagining the things he had done since the fateful day we first kissed. “I've missed you,” he said.

  Dorian snorted.

  “Well, you knew where I was.” I was curt, not wanting to have the conversation with Aleks, Dorian, and Hanna in the room.

  He took a step toward me and put his hand out. “Come, take a walk with me. I need to talk to you.”

  I hesitated and then put my hand in his. I had to make sure he understood nothing was ever going to happen between us.

  As we walked he smiled and nudged me. “What's on your mind?”

  “You asked me to come with you.”

  “I know.” He shrugged. “I don't like how that lug Aleks stares at you.”

  “He doesn't.” I shoo
k my head and gazed down. “He doesn't stare at me.” The lie felt weird crossing my lips. He had stared at me ever since Ophelia did something to him.

  “He does and you know it.” He grabbed both my hands and spun me around to face him, planting his lips on mine. The kiss was forced and rough. I tried to push him away, but he held me to him. I pulled slightly with my hands, zapping him almost. He snapped out of it and stepped back with a hurt expression. “What was that for?”

  “You didn’t have my permission.”

  “I thought it was implied with us.” His eyes darkened. “Will I ever?”

  “No.” I didn’t hurt the way I used to around him. The guilt and anger at myself were there, but subtly. I hadn’t meant to do it, to almost kill him. I too was a victim of the circumstances as much as he was. “You won't,” I said with a great deal of tension in my voice.

  “Why?” He growled. “Is it that asshole?” He pointed at the castle.

  “No. It’s you.” I stepped back.

  “Tell me what I could do to fix things?” he softened.

  “Shane, I liked the schoolboy you were when I was young. I liked you for years. Years. But in the last couple, we’ve become people that don’t match anymore. You kill things for food and so do I, but I maintain a strict diet. You feed off humans as though they're cattle. I’m against the things you do. We could never make a relationship out of that.”

  His brow knit. “I still love you.”

  “No. You don’t. You don’t even know me anymore. I'm not the same girl. You and I were always doomed. It doesn’t matter how many times Ari messes with the time, you and I don’t work. We never have, and it’s time we grew up and moved on.”

  “I don't want to move on.”

  “Really?” I almost laughed. “You have already. I can smell her on you.”

  “Who?” His jaw dropped but he rebounded fast and smiled sweetly. “I have to eat, Aimes.”

  “Not like Marcus, you don’t. You chose that.” I turned to leave but he grabbed my arm and dragged me back. Memories of Oliver attacking me flooded my brain. I shoved Shane hard and pointed at him. “If you touch me again, I will end you. Childhood friends or no.”