The Roses Academy- the Entire Collection

by Tara Brown

  “You burned all the good shit, Sam. There’s nowhere to go.”

  “No, I didn't. There are still lots of beautiful places. We can go there, together. Go and get Ari and be a family again.”

  I nod, terrified of him and yet somehow hopeful that Sam might come back. His dark eyes are cold and his voice is strained, but he has to be in there somewhere. “Okay.” I think it’s the most convincing lie I've ever told. The way he smiles right before I wink is true; it’s Sam.

  As I land on the grass at Shane’s I realize I’m glad I don’t have to be the one to kill him. He’s still in there.

  Clutching the baggie of my boyfriend’s clothes, I walk up the grass, noticing my hands are shaking.

  “AIMEE!”

  I spin, horrified. Sam is standing near me at the edge of the forest.

  “I’ll see you again soon.” He whispers.

  He’s on land protected by the old shaman’s magic.

  Smoke rises from his shoe, but he takes another step, not seeming in pain at all. Smoke surrounds him, but the point that he can come inside the bubble is proven before he winks away.

  “Was that Sam?”

  I whip around, shocked to see Lorri standing on the grass. It takes a full inhale before I respond, “Yeah.” I cringe, grasping what’s happened. “If you’re here—”

  “I’m sorry. Dorian made a deal.” Her eyes are filled with something, pity maybe. “All of us for him.”

  “What?” I clutch the shirt tighter. “All of you?”

  She turns back to the house as Lydia strolls out onto the deck with Annabelle behind her. I gasp and break into a run, sprinting, not winking. I run up the stairs, maybe needing the minute it takes me to get to them.

  “My girl,” Lydia whispers, pulling me into her arms. I inhale her, becoming a mess in her arms. She’s softer than I remember, but she smells exactly the same. “My sweet girl.” She kisses the top of my head, shaking as she holds me so tight. Another person wraps around me, smelling like jasmine and warmth. “Our sweet girl,” Annabelle’s soft Southern drawl whispers in my ear. She’s real. Her skin is warmer than mine, comforting me how she always intended to.

  I grip them both, trembling.

  “Aimee, you okay?” Another voice joins us. I lift my gaze, sobbing harder at the striking blue eyes of a guy I didn't know I needed as much as I do.

  “No,” I sob, wiping my face and hating that I’m crying again. I slip from Lydia and Annabelle to clutch Aleks. He still smells like cookies and happiness.

  His body surrounding mine is a comfort I need.

  “Hey, Aimes.” I peek past Aleks to find O and Oliver. We hug, all of us. It’s like a family reunion, only under the worst circumstances. I gained them all and lost the one thing I needed to make this eternity bearable.

  “Pretty sure we can all hug this shit out later. I need answers now. Was that Sam?” Lorri spins me around. Her ferocity didn't fade in Heaven.

  “Yeah.”

  “Was he just walking on the blessed land?”

  “He was.”

  Her eyes dip to the shirt in the bag. “Jesus, Aimes. Time to woman up.” She snatches the shirt and tosses it on the table behind me. “Now where the hell are we as far as a plan goes?”

  My eyes drift back to Hanna standing next to Aleks, her arm linked in his. “Well, I think the plan just changed.”

  Lorri’s eyes follow mine and her wicked grin joins the party. “Ah yes. Good idea.”

  Hanna winces. “I guess that makes me the bait.”

  “No.” Aleks shakes his head.

  “Stop. Old relationships and alliances and grudges are done. I don’t give a good goddamned what any of you wants.” Lorri sighs. “We don't expect to stay here, you big moron. Every one of us will die in this, we know that. Earth isn’t our final destination. We’re all going home at the end of this, if I have any say in the matter. We focus on the big stuff, finishing this goddamned war with every single asset we have in play!”

  It’s my turn to sigh and wrap myself around Lorri. “I missed you.”

  “Yeah, well you can put one of my shirts in a baggie later. I’ll save you a good sweaty one. Weirdo.” She sounds mean, but she half hugs me before shoving me off and stalking inside, her boots clicking away on the floor.

  “You okay?” Shane raises his eyebrows.

  “No. And yes. She’s right. We need to focus on this. If Sam is strong enough to come on the sacred land, we need to act fast. He’s getting stronger.”

  “Cursed, Aimes. Remember, we called it cursed land.” He winks and Aleks and I laugh. Too hard.

  The whole thing is a mess but at least we’re mostly all together again.

  Chapter 8

  Bait

  Hanna gives me a hard look. I don't think we’ll ever be friends but I force a smile. “You ready?”

  She shakes her head. “No. This sucks.”

  “Yup. But we both know he’s going to come for you.”

  “Part of me wants to kill him, just to free him from Lillith’s vile clutches. She made him believe he loved me. She used love to ruin him. She broke him on purpose.” Her voice wavers at the end. “If anyone deserved this fate, it was never Sam. He was so good.”

  “I think that was the point.” I nod. “He was so good that breaking him ruined something pure. Like killing a unicorn.” I try to say it in my best Hagrid impression, but she doesn’t get it. Or my impression was miserable.

  “I want her dead, final and gone. Not even a lingering of her left on this planet.”

  “We need Lorelei to be the one, Hanna. I’m sorry it won’t be you.” I mean it.

  “Me too,” she offers quietly.

  “Hey, y’all ready?” Lorelei enters the room as if hearing her name. “We gotta leave. I’ve started making the new blessed land. It should draw him in. The kids are all ready to go.”

  Our plan isn’t amazing. It isn’t even close. But it should work, that's the sad part. Lorelei is making a new place for us to live, only it’s fake. The burst of magic being used has a tiny trickle of bad magic in it, something Sam should pick up on. When he gets there, he won’t be able to come in, but he’ll see Hanna and the kids. He’ll focus his energy there while we slaughter his army. We can kill them a lot faster if he isn’t there with them.

  The trap should be set after that. Should. Hopefully. Dear God, please let this work. Those are key words in our plan.

  “The fae who agreed to fight will meet us in France. Henry is opening a portal for them to walk right out into the battlefield.” Lorelei bites her lip for a second before finally sighing. “The army’s moved to Paris. The fight won’t be simple if Sam’s around. The area is congested, and with all the underground areas there and a few humans still alive, it might be messy.”

  “I’m great with messy.” I roll my eyes. “It’s all we ever get.” I glance at Hanna once more. “Good luck.”

  She nods, not needing to speak to me any more than this.

  In the kitchen, Lydia hands me a cookie. “Here, have a cookie.”

  It tastes like a thousand memories. Most of them have Sam in them.

  Annabelle sighs. “That poor boy has lived a half life.”

  “Yup. Hopefully Heaven is better for him.”

  “If—”

  “Yes, let’s hope that,” Lydia cuts Annabelle off with a sharp glare.

  I don't need to be a mind reader to know they think that because Sam’s dad was a demon summoned to get Lillith pregnant, he won’t be allowed into Heaven. I’m sure that’s what Sam’s thinking too.

  “See you guys on the flipside.” I wave, not wanting to continue this discussion. Lydia, Annabelle, and Anna are staying with the kids, Hanna, and Lorelei. The magic might be enough, if we’re lucky, to keep them all safe.

  The rest of us meet on the back lawn overlooking the gray ocean.

  Lorri’s eyes flash to mine. “Everyone ready?”

  “I think so.”

  Me, Oliver, Lorri, Ophelia,
Gwen, Shulster, Marcus, Ben, Shane, Giselle, Aleks, Anthony, Brandon, Blake, and the remaining Roses left over from the other divisions all stand on the grass in a group. We are nowhere near enough. We could use Lucas, but he refuses to leave Ari. Unsure what the hell she’s carrying, Lorri felt that was a fair request. They’ll be the only ones who stay here at this house while all the witchy people go to the new haven, trying to lure Sam there and hold him.

  “We’re going to the Eiffel Tower. It’s knocked over and broken but I checked; when I visualize it, I flash to a spot that's got great coverage. The army is just to the north. Everyone ready?”

  We all nod. We don't look ready but this is it. We have to be.

  “Okay. Stay with your teams. No one goes solo.” Lorri’s eyes land on mine.

  Blake nudges me. He’s still a nudger. Even more so since he doesn't recall any of the pain of my sister and their baby leaving.

  “Let’s go,” Lorri says.

  We link hands and wink. My heart begins to race the moment we land.

  She wasn't kidding.

  The Tower is knocked over, bent and destroyed. It’s a tragedy. The beautiful city is on fire, like everything else. The smoke is heavy and thick, lying low along the riverbanks and city. The sun has just set, and I suspect the nightlife here is about to start.

  Blake and I stay close together. He and I are teamed up. His eyes meet mine as we head to the north as we planned, winking twenty feet at a time. Nothing stirs. I pause next to a smashed-out coffee shop, listening.

  “How sure are we they came here?” I ask softly.

  Blake shakes his head. “I never scouted with her.”

  “Let’s go up and look.” It’s risky but at this point, slithering through the city, half a block at a time, is pointless. There’s too much at stake and now we’re all separated. I jump as my wings rip from my back, flapping and lifting me. I wink to the highest point I can see, a cloud in the sky. Hovering there, I gasp. The city is a shell, there’s nothing here. But to the north, far to the north where the Seine loops, I see fresh fires and the movement of a massive horde. I wink back to Blake. “To the north all right. They’re up the Seine, leaving the city. Way up there.”

  I wink us both back up to the cloud, holding us up with my wings, before winking us to the first person I see. We land, both swinging as men grab at us.

  My wings lower defensively, hitting with me. They fight like my arms, knocking a vampire back as he tries to bite me. He’s new, he has no clue what I am. He fights ravenously, resembling a starved newborn.

  Blake’s got three on him. I rip the head off the one in my hands and grab two of the guys on Blake, smashing them into one another. Blake pulls the head off one guy as I tear heads off and toss bodies.

  Throngs of them attack, coming out of buildings and alleyways, snarling and ripping at each other to get to us.

  “Oh shit!” Blake shouts as a swarm attacks him and he uses his wings to fight.

  I lose him in the crowd as I’m jumped and pulled down. Someone tugs at my wing, chomping down on it. I scream but I let the bites overwhelm me. My blood works as deadly as my kiss. Hands dig in as a dozen sets of teeth pierce my skin, ready to drain me.

  The first set of teeth withdraws from my leg as a gurgled scream tears from a woman’s lips. The horde overpowers me, tearing into me. I heal as quickly as they bite but they don't. They die from drinking my dark blood.

  I jump, pushing them off as more come. I reach back to pull a sword from my back. The wind hits, warm and fresh, as several Roses land next to me. Lorri scowls at my torn clothes. “Why are you always half naked?”

  “Bad luck,” I offer.

  “I haven’t gotten to use these in a long time.” Lorri pulls her swords, grinning. “Time for some heads to roll.”

  “Dude,” Shane groans at her cheesy pun.

  We move in winks and slashes, beheading everyone who comes within reach.

  Movement to the right causes me to spin but the wolf grinning back at me makes me lower my sword.

  The black wolf lowers, ready to pounce as I turn, fighting against the unending wave of violence.

  We don't bother using our ability to suck souls. Vampires die easily with their heads removed.

  The fight lasts forever, or what seems like forever.

  Lorri tosses a burning piece of wood onto the pile of bodies we’ve made.

  They light too easily, combustible as dry tinder.

  We round another corner and come upon the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. I assume it’s Anthony. He’s pale and massive with long hands and fingers with huge talons at the end. Horns and spikes protrude from his back. As he creeps along the corner, his legs resembling an animal’s hooves, he’s overcome by them. They jump, attacking. Watching him fight is beyond scary. There isn’t a monster in the world like Anthony.

  He fights them with his talons, slicing off heads and ripping off limbs.

  He screams as one bites down on him and black blood oozes from his leg. The vampire dies, frothing and writhing on the ground.

  Anthony howls like an animal which brings the fae to him. Wolves and bears and mountain lions fill the streets, fighting with Anthony.

  I take a step back, completely disturbed.

  “Yup.” Lorri nods, agreeing with the horrified look on my face, and leads us through a small alley, avoiding Anthony and his fae army. They fight with him, like animals in a pack.

  We find our own huge pocket of them to fight.

  We kill and burn until the sun comes up.

  I don't know if we’ve made much of a dent, but the moment the sun rises, the streets are silent, except for the sound of crackling wood.

  We wink back to Shane’s to find everyone else there. In the kitchen, an exhausted-looking Lorelei sighs, shaking her head. “He didn't come. He came here instead which makes no sense. I finished the bubble; the haven is complete. The kids and Hanna being there was wasted. How’d you do?”

  “We killed tens of thousands of them, but I see why Lillith joined ranks with Jonathan. His creatures reproduce the fastest and fight the most efficiently, even though they hadn’t been trained. Sam had never told them not to bite us. They didn't know what Roses were.” Marcus slumps onto the couch.

  “Yeah, exactly. Very strange that the army wouldn't know anything. Just made to create chaos.” Lorri sits across from Marcus, earning a grimace from Blake.

  “Why don't we all clean up before we start sitting down on my mom’s sofas.” Blake points at the bloody pants she’s wearing.

  Lorri lifts her hand up, flashing her middle finger, and then winks away.

  Marcus ignores all of it and carries on, “If Sam didn't fight with his army, didn't train his army, and didn't try to get into the new bubble Lorelei made, what is his plan? Why come here?”

  Lydia folds her arms over her chest. “I’m worried. He let us kill them, never fought with them. Never taught them to fight. They’re a distraction. But what else does he want?”

  “I don’t know. Can we figure it out later? I need some sleep.” I’m almost asleep standing.

  “Yeah.” Ben yawns and nods. “Me too.” He grabs my hand and drags me down the hall to the bathroom. He closes the door and scowls. His sleepiness was an act apparently. He looks fine now, worried but awake. “What if he’s thinking Ari’s baby is something he wants? She has magic, right?”

  “What?”

  “Think about it—he came here and tested his ability to take the shaman’s blessing on. He has a diversion army that doesn't do shit. He was in the room with you and didn't kill you. Asked you to join him and to bring Ari. What if that baby is something?”

  I step back, leaning against the wall. “Shit. I never even thought of that. He wanted to know where Dorian was too.”

  “He knows Dorian would do anything for Ari.”

  “What could the baby be? I assumed it would be like Terra Grace, a Nephilim.”

  “I don't know. I know fae have our own prophecies
. We should get Lorelei to go and talk to Henry and make sure this isn’t something. Some baby prophecy.”

  “Isn’t there a savior who comes and ends the revelations?” I haven’t paid as much attention to the Bible as I should have.

  “I’m a wolf, Aimes. How the hell should I know what’s in the Bible?”

  “We should tell Lorri.” I reach for the door but Ben puts a hand up and stops me.

  “We need to be careful. We can’t go stressing Luke and Ari out. He’ll flip and she’s like Sleeping Beauty up there. She acts like she might be under a spell. When was the last time you saw her eat or drink anything?”

  My lips part to speak, but I don't know the answer to the question. In fact, I think someone asked me this question recently and I can’t remember who.

  “Exactly. I don't know if she is eating or if someone has her frozen.”

  “Oh shit. Is that why she’s sleeping so much?”

  “I don't know, Aimes, but the only person capable of that is—”

  “Lorelei or Anna.”

  “And Ari was sleeping a lot before Anna came.” Ben’s eyes dart to the door.

  “Is it possible?—no. Not Lorelei. It has to be something else. She wouldn't. And now that Lorri’s back, no.”

  “We can’t be sure. Don't say anything to anyone except maybe Lydia. See if she and Annabelle can figure it out quietly, without stressing Luke or ruining our chances of catching who’s doing this.”

  “Okay.”

  Ben slumps and wraps himself around me, taking deep inhales as though to relax. “This whole situation’s so screwed up. Like how did we not notice until now that she hasn't been eating?”

  “I think we did. I think we forgot we did,” I whisper into his shoulder.

  “Wanna take a shower first or me first?” He’s worried; he didn't even ask if I wanted to shower with him,

  “You go first. I’m gonna go check on Ari.”

  “Take Lydia.” He pulls back, opening the door for me.

  “Okay.” I saunter to the kitchen, earning a scowl from Giselle who clearly saw Ben and me go into the bathroom together. I shake my head at whatever it is she’s thinking. I focus on my thoughts so Lorelei doesn't see them. I concentrate on algebra and do a math problem in my head, darting my eyes to Lydia. “Wanna go check on Ari with me?”