Broken Knights: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 4)

by Michelle Hercules

  “Someone stop her!” I yell.

  “I can’t move!” Soren shouts in frustration. “Something is messing with my gift.”

  The trees and shrubbery at the edge of the jungle part for a giant were-worm. Its flower-shaped mouth opens, revealing long sharklike teeth. Rosie finally stops, looking up at the monster in front of her. She screams in horror right before the giant worm strikes. She vanishes before our eyes as the monster swallows her whole and disappears into the sand.

  “No!” I drop to my knees with my arm outstretched. My ragged scream comes from deep in my chest, raw and filled with agony. “Rosie, no.”

  Toby clutches his head, staring at the gaping hole the worm left behind.

  The sky turns pitch black as Chaos’s storm gathers above us. His evil laughter echoes in my ears, whipping my already bleeding soul raw.

  The ground begins to tremble, announcing something terrible is coming our way. A rough pair of hands lifts me up. Rufio’s. “Come on, Daisy. We have to get out of here.”

  “I can’t leave. We have to go after Rosie.”

  “She’s gone, my love. She’s gone.”

  I pull free from his grasp. “No! Don’t say that. I won’t give up on her.”

  A patch of sand explodes in front of us as the were-worm returns, roaring savagely. The sight should propel me to run in the opposite direction. But something inside of me snaps. Rage and pain erase my self-preservation instinct. Instead, I face the beast with shoulders squared and my bare fists as weapons.

  “Give me my sister back, motherfucker!”

  The monster shrieks in response, a sound so high-pitched it hurts my ears. The giant worm coils its body back, preparing to strike. I brace for the impact, not knowing how I’m going to avoid those sharp teeth. It stops midmotion when a net of electricity wraps around it. Bryce is at the opposite end of that string of energy. The white-blue light from his blast emphasizes the strain on his face. He’s giving everything he has to kill the beast. It coils and thrashes violently, screeching loudly.

  But as it dies, more worms erupt from the sand, quickly surrounding us. The wind is howling viciously. My hair flaps wildly around my face, blocking my visibility even more. Nevertheless, I sense when one of Chaos’s creatures approaches me from behind. I whirl around and then jump as high as I can out of its path. It hits the spot where I had been standing, and then it slithers away into the sand.

  A path opens up for me, allowing me to see Rufio attempting to protect Mrs. Malek and Renata on his own with the help of two lightning-glass daggers. They look puny and pointless against the beasts that are fast approaching them.

  No. I won’t let those monsters take him from me too.

  With a war cry, I break into a run. I’ve recovered from the lethargy from before. Maybe it’s the fury propelling me. Or desperation. Either way, I have no idea how I’m going to stop those monsters from devouring them or me. All I know is I have to try.

  MORPHEUS

  I regain consciousness bound to a giant tree trunk in a jungle I know all too well. It’s Chaos’s preferred territory, where he lets his beasts wander free to terrorize anyone who is unlucky enough to venture in. Seven years ago, that was us.

  I push against my restraints, surprised when the vines break easily. The drop is ten feet, which I can’t stop from happening. What the hell! I search inside my core for my newly awakened demigod powers. They’re there, alive and kicking, but also trapped behind an invisible force. This didn’t happen when I was here before.

  Duh, Morpheus. You’re in his prison. Of course he tampered with your ability to break free.

  I must be deep in his realm. It doesn’t matter. I’ll find a way out of here. Daisy and my friends need me.

  “Hello?” I call out. If there are monsters here, I’d rather face them now.

  My voice echoes in the emptiness of the forest. It’s quiet, eerily so, just as it was when we ventured here seven years ago to battle for our lives. Little did we know that surviving Chaos’s wicked games would bind us to him. Suddenly I realize I haven’t felt his mark on my back in a while. Does it mean that by ascending to demigod status, I broke free from his shackles?

  With careful steps, I begin my exploration. Sweat dots my skin, and I’m painfully aware of my heart beating in staccato rhythm. Little rays of sunlight are able to penetrate the thick canopy, but they do little to change the grim sensation that hangs in the air. I hear the crack of a twig snapping behind me, which spikes up my adrenaline levels. My heart is stuck in my throat as I whirl around, ready to fight whatever creature is coming.

  There’s a dark silhouette of a man hidden partially behind a thick shrub. His breathing is coming out in bursts, as if he’s been running for miles. I swallow the lump in my throat, knowing without a shred of doubt that this is one Chaos’s fiends. And here I am without access to my powers and no weapon on me. His eyes glow an unnatural fiery red, and his fingers are contorted into claws. With a roar, he breaks into a run straight at me. Without my ability to smoke out of the way, I brace for the impact. It’s not until he crosses a ray of light that I recognize him.

  “Stephan?”

  My words have no impact on him. He leaps to tackle me, and at the last second, I finally snap out of my surprise. I jump out of the way, pivoting so my back is no longer to him. Stephan staggers forward thanks to the momentum but recovers fast.

  “How did you get here, and what the fuck happened to you?”

  There’s no sign of recognition in his eyes. He’s gone berserk. And worse, he’s in possession of his powers, unlike me. He rips a massive tree out of the ground and hurls it at me with the strength of a giant. It happens too fast, and I can’t get out of its path. A large branch hits me in the stomach, sending me flying back. I hit my head on a boulder when I fall, getting stunned for a moment. Stephan flies in my direction, carrying in his hands a large piece of rock. He raises it above his head with the clear intent of smashing my face with it.

  Before he has the chance, a dark mass of smoke collides with him, removing him from my line of vision. I get back up, trying to ignore the throbbing in the back of my head. I touch the sore spot, and my fingers come away smeared in blood.

  Stephan is now pinned to a tree nearby by a man dressed in black from head to toe. He looks over his shoulder, clearing the shadows that were covering his face before.

  “Erebus,” I murmur.

  “Hello, son.”

  “How did you find me?” I mince toward him.

  “You’re my son. I’ll always find you. I sensed the moment Chaos whisked you here.”

  Stephan keeps trying to break from the hold Erebus has around his neck.

  “What happened to him?”

  “He’s been bewitched by Chaos. I don’t know how he got here, but I know why. Nathaniel and Andromeda are on the island, and he came after them.”

  “Andromeda is here? Is she in danger?”

  “Everyone on this godforsaken island is.”

  “Can you help him?”

  Erebus faces Stephan. “Possibly.”

  He touches his forehead, and immediately Stephan stops struggling. A moment passes before his eyes are no longer glowing nor his expression contorted in rage. When his gaze returns to blue, it’s confused.

  Erebus releases him and steps back.

  “Who are you?” he asks, covering his neck with his hand.

  “I’m Morpheus’s father.”

  My spine goes taut as I whip my attention to him. Several emotions swirl in my chest, but the strongest one is satisfaction. I don’t know him at all, but I’m happy that he claimed me.

  Fuck. Am I that starved for acceptance from a father figure?

  Stephan then acknowledges my presence. “What are you doing here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.”

  He threads his fingers through his hair while his gaze darkens. “I came after Andy. I have to find her before Nathaniel fucks things up.”

  I open my mouth to
demand a better explanation, but the ground begins to shake, and the forest turns much darker as the rays of sunshine disappear.

  “Chaos. Something is happening,” Erebus says.

  “Andy,” Stephan murmurs before taking flight. He disappears in the gloom of the jungle in the blink of an eye.

  “We have to help him,” I say.

  Erebus visibly tenses and then levels me with an intense stare. “We will, but not by going after him.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The destiny the Fates laid upon you and your friends is about to come to fruition. You must prepare.”

  “The creation of the God-killer, but for that we need Bryce and Dai—no. They’re here, aren’t they?” Fear grips my insides, twisting them savagely.

  “Yes, they came to rescue you. We need to act quickly and stop Chaos before he gains too much strength. He’s about to break free from the island.”

  “How the fuck do we stop him? How can Bryce and Daisy create a God-killer in such a short time?”

  “With your help.”

  My eyebrows shoot to the heavens. “My help?”

  A myriad of absurd scenarios flashes through my head, and none of them are something I want to take part in.

  “They must be linked by the infinity band, son. Just like you saw in your vision.” He pauses, cocking his head to the side as if he’s trying to listen to something in the distance. “Blood has been spilled already. We’re running out of time.”

  “Whose blood?”

  He steps into my personal space, grabbing me roughly by the shoulders. “Don’t you get it, son? The stars have aligned so you can finally defeat Chaos. Everything that’s happened to you and your friends was preordained.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Your friendship with the Kent brothers and Phoenix, your meeting Daisy and falling in love with her, it was all part of it. The five of you had to form an unbreakable bond for the impossible to come to pass.”

  “Are you saying we were all pieces on this damn gameboard of the gods?” I shout.

  Regret shines in his eyes before he glances away. “We’re all pieces. I’m sorry.”

  “Was that why we were lured to this place when we were kids? So Chaos could have fun with us?”

  “No, he wanted to destroy you. He too knew about what the Fates had done. He couldn’t, so he thought to control you instead.”

  I press a closed fist to my forehead, trying to hold back my anger. “I get Daisy’s, Bryce’s, and my role in the prophecy. But what about Rufio and Phoenix? How do they come into the equation?”

  “Daisy and Bryce are the Maker and the Unmaker, opposites. You’re the link. When their powers unite, they’ll forget who they are. They’ll turn into pure energy for a moment, dangerous and unstable. They’ll need a tether, a reminder of their humanity, a heart. That’s Phoenix.”

  “What about Rufio?”

  “Isn’t it obvious, son? Rufio, the Idol born with the power of destruction, now an empty shell. He’s the vessel. He’s the God-killer.”

  42

  Morpheus

  “How can Rufio become the God-killer?”

  “Don’t ask me, son. But whatever the Fates decide, it will pass, no matter how crazy it is.”

  My heart becomes tight all of a sudden. I press a closed fist against my chest, trying to massage the phantom pain away. Cold dread licks the back of my neck, and then I see the vision of the beach. It’s swarmed by were-worms, Chaos’s preferred beasts, and they’re attacking my family.

  “No!”

  “You’ve seen them too. They need your help, son.”

  “I can’t help them if I can’t reconnect with my powers,” I shout, frustrated.

  “You can break free from the shackles Chaos put on you like I did. Have faith, Morpheus. It’s your destiny.”

  I point a finger at his face, shaking with anger. “Don’t fucking talk about destiny to me. I don’t want to hear another word.”

  Erebus’s eyes flash bright orange while the shadows gather around his frame. “Sticking your head in the sand is not going to solve your problems.”

  “The boy is weak,” Chaos’s disembodied voice echoes in the forest. “That’s what you get from procreating with scum.”

  “My mother is not scum. You’re the disease in this world.”

  Chaos laughs. “Your insults mean nothing to me. You’ll never be able to save your loved ones. Just take a seat and enjoy while I obliterate them one by one.”

  The image of Rosie running straight to one of his monsters and then being devoured by it fills my mouth with bile. That’s the blood spilled that Erebus mentioned. Motherfucker. My heart aches for Daisy, knowing how hard she fought to protect her sister. Chaos needs to be stopped.

  The wrath swirling in the pit of my stomach erupts like a volcano, taking over my entire being. I hear a distinct snap inside my core. The block Chaos placed around my powers broke, and my gift is unleashed. My roar echoes in the jungle, raw and savage, before I become the dark.

  PHOENIX

  I’ve just torn a giant worm in two using telekinesis when I hear Daisy’s war cry. Rufio, Mrs. Malek, and Renata are surrounded by the monsters, and Rufio is their only line of defense. Fuck. He doesn’t lack gumption, only the means to fight them.

  From the corner of my eye, I catch Toby having trouble with a worm of his own. He’s found a broken tree trunk that he’s using as a club. But I can tell he’s running out of steam. I can get him out of danger and then run to assist Daisy and Rufio, but then Xavier joins Toby, and together they impale the beast.

  A blur zooms across the white sand, piercing through the worm that was flanking Renata and Mrs. Malek from the left. Soren erupts from the other side of the beast, covered in gore. Savage. My appreciation for the Silverstone grows.

  Daisy is still in trouble though. I run at breakneck speed toward her. She’s slowed the worms’ advance, but not by much. They seem to be partially immune to her gift. Damn it. Following Toby’s example, I acquire a piece of wood, but mine comes straight from the jungle. Drawing the tree to me takes more effort than normal. It seems everything is much harder here. Chaos is not fucking around. But neither am I.

  The tree becomes a spear in my hand. I leap over the closest worm and shove my improvised weapon into the back of its ugly head. It jerks with a roar, sending me off its back. It squirms violently as it dies, and I almost get hit by its tail. I roll off to avoid a deadly blow, then jump back to my feet, ready to face another monster. But just then, the tattoo between my shoulder blades begins to burn. The pain is excruciating, debilitating.

  In the distance, I hear Bryce holler as he drops to his knees. Heavy rain falls down on us and then come the fucking lightning bolts, striking the beach in rapid succession. Eventually, it’ll hit one of us. Fuck.

  No sooner do I think that than one falls right where Rufio was standing. It misses him when a shadow pushes him off.

  Morpheus!

  No, that’s not him. It’s Erebus. He reaches for Daisy and Rufio, gripping their arms roughly. He’s saying something, but I can’t hear the words. Regardless, I don’t fucking like what I’m seeing. I take a step toward them only to be blocked by lightning striking my path. I glower at the sky, doing my best to ignore the burning pain in my back. Chaos’s ugly face forms in the clouds, his green eyes glowing with malice. I flip him off, then run.

  Bryce joins me, but before we reach Daisy and Rufio, we’re swept off our feet by a giant tornado that appeared out of nowhere. The pressure is immense as the wind tries to tear our bodies into pieces. How the fuck are we getting out this one?

  DAISY

  “No!” I pull my arm free from Erebus’s grasp as I watch a dark tornado engulf Bryce and Phoenix. They disappear from my view immediately, while in the background, Chaos laughs.

  “Let go of me, fucker!” Rufio struggles to break free.

  Erebus steps back, releasing him. “Go after them. Now!”
>
  Rufio’s eyes are frantic when our gazes collide. If that’s dangerous to me, it’s suicidal to him. But I know he won’t stay behind. My eyes are burning already, knowing the outcome of our act, but nothing will deter him. I offer him my hand. He squeezes it tightly, and together we run toward the tornado.

  The howling of the wind is deafening, and the debris swirling around the vortex is deadly. I force us to a halt right before we get sucked into it and hug Rufio, using my body as a shield.

  “I love you,” I say next to his ear, not knowing if he can hear me at all through the noise.

  He curls his fingers around the fabric of my jacket and replies, “Till the end of time.”

  The tornado catches up with us, lifting us off the ground in an instant. The force of the wind is tremendous, and it tries to rip us apart. But I hold tightly to Rufio, refusing to let go. Suddenly, the pressure eases off, and the noise of the howling wind fades. We’re in the middle of the tornado, inside the eye of the storm.

  I sense their presence before I get a visual. Bryce and Phoenix are flying near us, slowly coming closer. They’re unharmed and I could weep for joy, but we’re so not out of the woods yet.

  Still holding on to each other, Rufio and I stretch out our arms, reaching for Bryce and Phoenix. I curl my fingers around Phoenix’s hand and yank him toward me as Rufio does the same with Bryce. We form a circle, suspended in air as if we’re a group of skydivers. How long until Chaos realizes we’re in a safe location inside his wicked twister?

  “What now?” Bryce asks.

  “Now we kill him,” Morpheus says, approaching us from above.

  “Morpheus!” I exclaim. “You’re okay.”

  My heart fills with joy despite our dire situation.

  “Fuck a duck. Are you doing this?” Phoenix asks.

  “No. My father is keeping Chaos distracted while we do what we have to.”

  “And that is?” Rufio asks.

  “Daisy and Bryce must be linked by the infinity band, and then they make you a God-killer.”