I frowned, wondering how much of her decision to stay down here was the fact that the shifter lived next door. We might tolerate each other for Raven, but I still wasn’t thrilled about sharing her. Not even with my brother.
The common room was empty and Raven seemed to relax a little at the sight. Whatever it was she wanted to tell us, she really didn’t want to get out. A little thrill went through me. Maybe her and the shifter weren’t as close as I thought. She was with us right now and not him to say whatever was weighing on her so heavily.
We paused outside her room while she unlocked the door and then we all filed inside. She was silent as she closed and locked the door behind her.
“What’s going on, Raven?” Zach asked.
She shook her head and turned to face us. “Something really weird happened in the locker room this morning.”
“Oh?” I asked, not sure if I liked where this was going.
“The lights were out and someone grabbed me,” she said.
My brow furrowed. That was not what I expected her to say. “Who?”
“I don’t know. Male voice, I think. Asked me to bring him a specific book at the library tonight but not tell anyone,” she said.
“Which book?” Zach asked.
“I think it’s this book that Professor Halifax gave me. It had some stuff about untamed magic in it. I read through it a bit but honestly I forgot about it until today.” She walked over to her desk and opened a drawer. When she turned back to us, she was holding a leather-bound book.
“That’s it?” I asked. “Why would someone want it? Any ideas?”
She shook her head. “He said if I didn’t give it to him or if I told anyone, he’d hurt my friends.”
“So that’s why you needed to keep it secret,” I said, reaching for the book. “Can I look at it?”
She passed it to me and I opened it. As I flipped through the pages, I skimmed the words for anything that looked like it might be of value. Of course there were so many kinds of magical objects that it might not be about the content. For all we knew the book was cursed or something.
“Let me see,” Zach said.
I passed it to him, not seeing anything at first glance.
He flipped through it. “I’m not even sensing any magic in this book. I can’t see why anyone would want it. Are you sure it’s the right book?”
Raven shrugged. “I think so. I don’t have any other books aside from my textbooks and I doubt that was what he was after.”
Zach closed the book. “We need to keep this safe. Obviously, this person can’t get into your room for some reason so we should keep it here. But we can’t give it to them.”
“I agree. Just because we can’t figure out what’s special about it doesn’t mean we’re not missing something,” I said.
Raven took the book from Zach and put it back in the desk drawer.
“Want me to do a locking spell on the desk?” I asked.
“Sure,” Raven said. “Don’t let me have access to it. That way whoever this is can’t even make me open it.”
I walked over to the desk and set my palm against the drawer. I learned locking spells as a kid to mess with my brother. Once I’d locked him in the bathroom for six hours before the nanny found him and broke the spell. He didn’t speak to me for days after that and kept trying to get back at me. When he finally managed to use an illusion charm to make me think there was a giant snake in the living room, I’d been so terrified that I turned and promptly fell down a flight of stairs, breaking my arm. We put the pranks to rest after that. Despite it all, we were best friends and we had each other’s backs.
“Okay.” I turned to Raven. “Nobody but me can get that open.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Now what do I do about tonight? He wants me to meet in the library at midnight. I have to go.”
“You can’t be serious,” Zach said. “Just stay in. What’s he really going to do?”
“We can’t let him keep roaming the school,” she said.
“You’re right,” I agreed. “We’ve got to stop him.”
“How?” she asked. “I can go with a fake book but we don’t even know what he looks like.”
“I don’t like the idea of you going as bait,” Zach said.
“We don’t have a choice,” Raven said.
“Raven brings a different book and goes to the library alone,” I said, then turned to Zach. “You and me will already be there, studying at different tables. Raven can take a seat at a table in the middle of the room and we can watch her from both sides.”
“I still don’t like it,” Zach said.
“Me neither, but it’s the best we’ve got,” Raven said.
“We can take him down as soon as he approaches her,” I said. “Plus, there’s always a hundred people in the library. We’ll have help once we make some noise. It won’t just be us.”
“That’s true,” Zach said. “Alright. What time does this peeping tom want you to meet him?”
“Midnight,” she said.
“Could he be any more cliche?” Zach asked.
Raven grinned. “I suppose you would have preferred a nice unusual time?”
I laughed and the other two joined in. It was a good break to the tension.
“Okay, I’ll find a book this afternoon,” Zach said. “And we’ll be at the library by ten waiting in case we see anything weird. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll show up before you get there.”
“We can get Luka and Ben to join us too,” I said.
“Don’t tell the others,” Raven said.
My brow furrowed. As much as I loved that Raven was using us as her heroes, I could see this going better with some help.
“I don’t want anyone else involved. Just in case,” she said. “I almost didn’t even tell you two. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. But I know I can’t do everything by myself.”
I could feel her fear and it broke my heart. She looked cool on the outside, but this man scared her. I grabbed her arm and pulled her close to me and then wrapped my arms around her. “We’re going to get this guy. Don’t worry.”
5
Raven
I stayed guarded the rest of the day, focusing on my studies and trying to keep my head down. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as it always does when you’re waiting on something.
Faking a headache, I grabbed a paper plate of food at dinner, excusing myself from my usual meal with my friends.
“Need me to come with you?” Makayla asked.
“No,” I said. “I think I’ll just eat and call it an early night.”
Makayla pressed her lips together, giving me a look that made me think she saw right through my lie.
“It’s been a busy few days,” I said.
She smiled, seeming to relax a little. “It has. And I have to tell you, I’m a terrible person because I’m glad you’re sticking around for a while.”
I squeezed her hand. “Same. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay,” she said. “You sure you don’t need me? I can sing to you or pet your head.”
“Pet my head?” I asked, eyebrow arched.
She shrugged. “It’s soothing. Maybe it’s a wolf thing.”
I laughed. “Goodnight, Makayla.”
“Night,” she said.
I turned and walked out of the cafeteria, grateful that Ben and Luka weren’t there yet. They were usually later showing up for dinner so I was hoping to get in and out without being spotted. Makayla would relay my message and she could deliver my lie so much better than I could to either of them.
I didn’t fully understand the bond between all of us but I knew there were certain feelings and thoughts they could sense. If there was any chance they could tell how stressed I was, there was no way they’d let me go back to my room alone.
Thankfully, I made it back to my room without being stopped. My heart was already racing as I closed the door behind me. The meeting in the library tonight was eating a
way at me, making my stomach twist in knots. I was afraid but I also wanted it to hurry up and get here already.
I set my paper plate on my desk and set my backpack on the ground. Then I pulled out the decoy book Matt had passed to me in the hallway earlier today and set it next to my plate. The book seemed to taunt me. I picked it up and moved it next to the door. It could wait there till it was time to go.
I walked back to my desk and settled into the chair. Since I’d skipped lunch I was starving and our cafeteria made amazing food. Tonight’s dinner was the option that looked the easiest to eat in my room. Some kind of sandwich with a cup of fruit and a healthy pile of french fries. I picked up the sandwich and took a bite. It was filled with mozzarella and tomatoes. I’d made a good choice.
After a few bites I felt restless, so I stopped eating and reached for the drawer where the book was stored. As soon as I touched it, a jolt of electricity shot through my fingers.
I pulled my hand back. Fuck. Shaking my hand, I glared at the drawer. I’d forgotten all about Matt’s locking spell but I guess it was good to know it was working.
Absentmindedly I grabbed a few fries while I wondered about the book. What could be inside of it that was so important? Or was it something else?
Professor Halifax had given me that book and never asked for it back. She didn’t seem to care that I had it. Did she know that it had some kind of value or did she not care?
It was maddening to know that I had something in my possession that was more than it seemed without being able to crack it. And the only person who could answer my question was in a prison cell somewhere for trying to kill me then use me for my magic.
I frowned at the memories of Professor Halifax. She’d seemed like she was the real deal. She’d helped me with my magic. But it was all for personal gain. If she made me more powerful, she could get me to do her bidding.
I reached for another French fry, but they were all gone so I went back to my sandwich. What I wouldn’t give for a few minutes of trashy television to distract me right now.
Finished with dinner, I stood and walked over to my bed. I plopped down and reached for a book that Makayla had given me. It had a half-naked man on the cover. I hadn’t started it yet but it looked promising as a distraction.
I started reading and then the light faded around me and I was in a dark dungeon. I looked down at my hands. The book was gone. Shit. I had to be asleep. Gray stone walls and iron bars locked me in on all four sides. Water dripped in the background and the air felt cold.
Wake up. Wake up. I had somewhere to be. I couldn’t be asleep right now.
“I was wondering if you were ever going to go to bed,” Luka’s voice came from all around me.
I turned in a slow circle, trying to find him. “Luka? Where are you?”
He appeared in front of me in a pair of red satin pajamas. “Hey, kitten.”
I smiled. “Nice pajamas.”
He stretched his arms out and lifted his chin. “I thought you might like them. Sexy, right?”
I laughed. “So sexy.” Then I remembered I needed to wake up. “Luka, I wish I could stay and play with you, but I have to wake up.”
He dropped his arms and his brow furrowed. “Why? McKenzie said you weren’t feeling well. Sleeping is exactly what you should be doing.”
“I have a test,” I said. “I needed to do a little more studying. Can you wake me up?”
“Want me to come to your room? I can help you study,” he said.
“No!” I shouted.
His face darkened. “I get it. You’re not alone.”
I shook my head. “That’s not it at all. I really just need to study.”
“It’s the twins, right? And here I thought we had so much fun together. I mean, if you’re going to have a party, you could invite me too.” He grinned.
“I would definitely invite you, but it’s not a party,” I said.
“Alright,” he said. “But I can’t wake you up from within the dream. That’s actually really dangerous. I can wake myself up and go knock on your door.”
Shit. If I didn’t wake up, I could miss the meeting. “Okay, fine. But I have to tell you something first and you have to not freak out because I already have a plan.”
“Um, what?” he asked. “You just said fifty words in a second.”
“Something weird happened and I didn’t tell you all because I am trying to protect you,” I said.
He moved closer to me. “What happened?”
“Promise me you won’t do anything crazy,” I said.
“Promise. Now spill.”
I told him the whole story about the locker room and my conversation with the twins. Then I explained the plan.
“So they’re waiting in the library and you’re going in as bait?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said. “But we have it under control.”
His jaw tensed and I swear his eyes flashed red. “Raven, you can’t do things like this. How many times have we told you that you aren’t in this alone?”
“I asked for help,” I said, suddenly feeling small. I’d done the right thing. “I’m trying to protect you.”
He shook his head. “Wait there. I’m coming to wake you up. When you go to the library, all of us will be there with you.”
“Wait, all?” I asked.
But Luka was already gone. I sat down on the floor of my dream dungeon and pulled my knees to my chest. Somehow I had a feeling I was about to get a wake up call from not just my incubus but also a very pissed off shifter.
Even though I knew the wake up was coming, I wasn’t prepared for it. As soon as I felt someone touching my arm, I woke with a start. Through blurry vision I saw Ben glaring down at me.
You do not want to be on the receiving end of Ben’s glare.
“Hey,” I managed as I rubbed my eyes.
“Thought you’d go save the world without us?” Ben asked, his expression still stern.
I sat up and looked over at Luka giving him a glare of my own. “Tattle-tale.”
“Good thing he did,” Ben said. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with. What if this stranger means to harm you? What if this isn’t about the book? What if they want your magic like Professor Halifax did?”
“Right?” Luka agreed. “Did you even consider that it might be someone else who broke into our school? They have a shitty track record for security here.”
I ran my hand through my hair, sure I had major bed head. “Look, he told me he’d hurt my friends if I said anything.”
“So?” Ben asked. “We can take care of ourselves.”
I looked at him. He was wearing a skintight white undershirt that his pecks and shoulders were practically ready to burst through. His strong jaw was tense and his eyes looked dangerous.
He looked like he could take on a monster alone.
“You’re right,” I said. “You can.”
I looked over at my incubus, Luka. He wasn’t in the red satin pajamas anymore but in a black shirt and jeans. You could still see the curve of his lean, muscular shoulders. And I knew exactly how strong he was. “So can you.”
Then I turned back to Ben. “But I still don’t want to put either of you - any of you - at risk.”
“We know,” Luka said. “But we’re in this together, okay?”
I sighed. “Fine. What time is it?”
“Eleven-thirty,” Luka said.
“Alright, well, I didn’t miss it.” I climbed off the bed and walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind me without explanation.
I appreciated them coming to my aid, but I really didn’t want to see any of my mates hurt. But Luka made a good point, the same worry I’d had about lack of security at this school. I had no way of knowing if the bad guy was someone from inside our school or a new threat.
Though all of my instincts told me it wasn’t a student. It just didn’t make sense for it to be someone who went to school here. Especially because if I were trying to get something out of ano
ther student’s room, I’d probably try to sneak into their room first.
I wasn’t the only one who had found a way to pass a spare key to a friend and we did have magic here. If someone wanted to break into my room, there was probably a way to do it.
Unless that person was staying hidden and not interacting with anyone.
I splashed water on my face and ran a brush through my tangled hair. After a quick change of clothes, I finished getting ready. I paused in front of the door, my hand hovering above the doorknob.
I didn’t want to do this. I wanted to finish school without threats hanging over my head all the time. But it didn’t look like I was going to get what I wanted.
With a sigh, I opened the door. Both Luka and Ben were sitting on my bed and my body heated on instinct as a shiver went straight to my core. Why couldn’t we just stay here and climb in my bed together? That would be a much more fun way to spend the evening.
Ben stood. “Don’t look at us like that.”
Luka grinned as he stood. “Later, kitten.”
I felt my cheeks heat. Was I that obvious? “You two better go first and find a place to sit. I’ll give you a couple of minutes, then I’ll go in with the book.”
Ben growled.
I set my hands on my hips. “Don’t growl at me. You know this is the best option.”
Luka hit Ben lightly. “Come on. Let’s go.”
Ben still didn’t look happy, but he moved toward my door.
“I’m going to be fine. I have all of you looking out for me,” I said.
As soon as they were through the door, my confidence waned. I glanced at the book. How was I going to pull this off?
6
Ben
I hated walking away from Raven knowing that I was agreeing to let her be bait. I knew she could take care of herself, but I also knew there was a lot in the world of magic that she still didn’t know about. Part of me wanted to let her stay sheltered from the other bad parts. I mean, getting forced to open a portal to the fae realm was bad enough, but there was more out there.
Academy of the Elites: Unbound Magic Page 3