Labyrinth Academy 2: Wars: an Urban Fantasy academy romance

by JA Wren

  Well, yeah.

  What else could there possibly be to discuss.

  “You also still need to choose a new familiar.” Hale’s face hardened. “The WillowWisp needs to go. Immediately.”

  Six

  “No way!” Rayna said, her voice rising. “I’m not getting rid of Tink.”

  Hale sucked in a deep breath and sighed. It was more like a huff, really, but what woman in her position would huff like a spoiled toddler? “I understand you’ve become attached to the WillowWisp, but it’s not appropriate for it to follow you everywhere. It endangers the other students, and I can no longer tolerate it.”

  She sat forward again and fidgeted with the neat bun of her dark, midnight blue hair. “The WillowWisp aided you during—well, you know.”

  It was kind of weird the Headmistress couldn’t even bring herself to say it. “Apollo’s attack?”

  Hale nodded, her face flushing. “It’s why I’ve let it slide this long. However, a number of students have complained. One in particular has expressed concerns about their safety. Apparently there was an incident near the gazebo?”

  Rayna wanted to shrink inside her seat, but she’d defend Tink to the ends of the world. It was the least she could do for the Wisp who’d basically saved her butt when Apollo threw a literal, flaming ball of sunlight at her.

  “The guy was making lewd comments,” Rayna gritted out. “When he went to grab my arm or whatever the hell pervs think they’re doing when they reach out to someone who clearly doesn’t want to be touched, Tink lashed out. In my defense.”

  Frankly, it was a good thing Tink was the only one to retaliate. Asher had gone off to the café to get her a coffee, so he’d missed the action. If he hadn’t—

  Rayna shuddered.

  There was no telling how he’d react in that situation. What he would’ve done to the student in question. She didn’t want to think how much worse it could’ve been, because Hale definitely wouldn’t have let him stick around the academy if he’d harmed one of her precious students.

  Even if the guy was a class A asshole.

  Guys like that always got away with shit. The joys of being a privileged white male.

  The Headmistress sighed. A real, long sigh this time instead of the juvenile huff. “Mr. Andrews was in the infirmary for a week. Unconscious for three days after the WillowWisp assaulted him.”

  Rayna lifted her chin, determined to hold her ground. “Maybe that’ll teach him a lesson. Don’t be a harassing douche.”

  Hale snorted out a laugh, then smothered it down and coughed. But the truth had been revealed whether she wanted it to be or not. She agreed with Rayna. And Tink. Even if her job title meant she had to side with the dude-bro student.

  Hale cleared her throat. “Nevertheless, the WillowWisp injured a student. This would usually be grounds for instant banishment, but with your bond, I cannot remove the WillowWisp until you find a replacement.”

  “Why do I even need one?” Rayna asked. “If I can’t keep Tink, why do I need a familiar at all?”

  Hale’s shoulders sagged. “Familiars…are rare, as I’ve said, and they only bond with high ranking gods. You may have heard of sacred animals in relation to certain deities, well, they all started as familiars. Once bonded, the animal or creature becomes linked to the god. Forever. Their fates intertwined. This grants the god or goddess power. More and more over time.”

  She fidgeted as though suddenly uncomfortable. “For instance, with your bond to the WillowWisp, you would eventually have the ability to call on any of its kind and they would come to your aid.”

  Rayna’s eyes widened, never having thought her friendship with Tink would lead to something like that.

  Hale straightened her shoulders again. “I’m sure you can see how dangerous that would be with a creature like the WillowWisp, particularly while you are attending Labyrinth Academy.

  “Now, to answer your question, once a bond has been formed, it would cause irreparable damage to your soul—similar to cutting away a limb—if we simply tore you from the WillowWisp. As such, you will find an immediate replacement, one better suited to academy life to fill the void, and the WillowWisp shall be banished.”

  “No,” Rayna blurted. “I’m not finding a replacement so you can ship Tink off to who-knows-where.”

  “The WillowWisp will be allowed to remain in the safety of its realm. The banishment only extends to campus grounds.”

  “You mean she’ll be locked in the barn?”

  Hale shrugged. “Yes, so to speak.”

  “I could still visit?”

  “Sure.” The word was curt and strained, like Hale desperately tried to lie through her teeth despite the enchantment.

  A little prodding might be all that was needed. “Really? I could see her whenever I wanted?”

  Hale’s jaw tightened. “In theory. But most WillowWisps, once banished, choose to return to their true home. Their own realm in the Faelands.”

  The Faelands? That was new. “And I’m guessing that’s not really inside the barn, is it?”

  “No.” Hale sat forward, resting her clasped hands back on her desk. “However, if the WillowWisp remains here, I cannot ensure its safety. It is in everyone’s best interest if you select a new familiar.”

  Talk about a rock and a hard place. Either give up Tink or allow the little Wisp to stick around with a target on her tiny back. Neither of those options appealed to her. She gripped the crystal pendant dangling against her sternum, currently cold and inert without Tink hanging out inside it.

  Maybe she could convince the Wisp to stay out of sight, hide in the crystal, and promise not to come out unless they were alone.

  Even as she thought it, Rayna knew that wasn’t really an option. Tink wouldn’t want to spend her days crammed inside a pendant and she’d inevitably make an appearance if someone threatened Rayna again. Which was a distinct possibility.

  The best thing she could do for the Wisp was to let her go.

  Even if it did cause a massive hole to open up in her chest. She’d miss the fairy-like flame. But she had to do the right thing. For both of them.

  “Fine.” The word scraped out of her like heaving up shards of glass. But if it was best for Tink, Rayna had to do it. She rose to her feet, about to flee the damn office and go wallow in a gallon of chocolate ice cream, when Hale stopped her.

  “We’re not done, Miss Knox.” Hale rounded the side of her desk. “I understand you’ve had a difficult few months, and I admire your strength. However, I’ll remind you that everyone has their reasons.”

  Rayna crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, and those reasons all relate back to my mother.”

  Hale held up her index finger. “Which brings me to my next reason for summoning you to my office.”

  Dread coiled in Rayna’s stomach, twisting like the golden serpent still doing figure eights around the door lock. She didn’t want to discuss her mother. Didn’t want to give Nyx even one thought.

  Rayna shook her head. “The woman abandoned me for twenty years, left me with zero memories of myself, and then forced everyone I care about to lie to me.” She clenched her jaw, trying to tramp down the hurt pushing its way up. “What kind of mother does that?”

  “One who put your safety above all else.”

  Rayna stiffened at the strangely familiar voice that came from behind her. She didn’t want to turn. Didn’t want to face the woman she suspected was standing at her back. Cool air radiated around her, like standing in front of a walk-in freezer.

  “You may hate me for it, but I’d do it all over again if it meant keeping you safe.”

  “Safe?” Rayna spun on her heel to glare at the petite figure cloaked in darkness. The woman wore a pitch black robe with the hood draped over her head, concealing her features.

  Slender hands emerged from the robe, her skin even paler than Rayna’s as she pushed the hood back, letting it pool around her neck. She was stunning. Kind of creepy with her near-white eye
s lined in black and long, silvery hair with dark roots. But there was no denying she was probably the most beautiful woman Rayna had ever seen.

  “I thought the Primordial goddess of night would be taller,” Rayna blurted—thanks enchantment.

  Nyx smiled, her black lips curving up and glittering like a star-filled sky. “I see your spirit hasn’t been broken. That’s good. It will serve you well in the coming trials.”

  “Trials?” Rayna glanced back at Hale. Hadn’t she already gone through their trials?

  Hale waved her hand through the air. “Your mother is referring to a different kind of trial.”

  “The war is coming, Rayna.” Nyx’s voice had hardened, like frigid steel ready to shatter. She drifted closer, her cloak whispering against the carpet as she came to stand beside Rayna, that cold breeze intensifying. “I believe Hale has shared that much with you, but what you may not realize is your part in this.”

  Rayna edged back from her mother, feeling crowded by the woman and her cool, ozone-like scent. “Yeah, Apollo mentioned that when he attacked me two months ago.”

  Her night-sky lips pressed together, flattening the itty bitty stars. Black veins spread down from Nyx’s eyes, staining her pale cheeks like ink seeping through water. “That was not meant to happen. Asher was supposed to protect you—”

  “Is that why you literally tied him to me?”

  Nyx nodded. “Yes. I bound you together to ensure he would keep you safe until you remembered who you were. Until your powers returned, and you were capable of defending yourself.” She paused. “I did it for your protection, Rayna. I realize you cannot possibly understand why, cannot fathom my reasoning, but I assure you it was for your sake.”

  Yeah, so much for that.

  “I think you simply wanted a way to control the situation. To control me.”

  As she spoke, the idea took root, forming and solidifying in her mind. “All this talk of war. Maybe you just wanted to keep me for your own use. Maybe you want to win the whole thing and the only way to do that was to keep me under your thumb.”

  The black veins spread out further, streaking Nyx’s face. “I’m a Primordial goddess. What makes you think I’d need you even if that was my intention? Which it is not, by the way.”

  Rayna shrugged, Liv’s words of mass destruction and death ringing in her ears.

  Only death.

  The ringing grew louder, drowning everything else out. She fisted her hands, feeling the coolness gathering in her palms. Apparently, her emotions were key in getting her powers to work. The shadows in the corners of the room quivered, drawing Nyx’s attention.

  The Primordial goddess glanced around, slowly, then met Rayna’s eyes as the black veins receded. “I see you’re coming into your powers.”

  “All the better to help you win the war?”

  Nyx gave her a look of pure sympathy and reached out, her ice cold hand cupping Rayna’s cheek. Weirdly comforting, even under the conditions. She wanted to flinch back, break the contact, but she couldn’t. Something held her locked in place, staring up at her mother only an inch or so taller than her.

  “My dear girl, I have no interest in the war.” She smiled weakly. “Actually, that’s a lie.”

  Rayna forced herself to twist back, out of reach. “What’s the truth?” she asked, hoping the stupid enchantment worked on Primordial goddesses.

  Nyx sighed, then began pacing the short space between Hale’s desk and the locked door. “I don’t care to be involved in the wars. And I certainly don’t wish to win. The throne of Olympus is a petty thing to go to war for when we all reign over our unique part of this realm. But I have foreseen what will happen if this war breaks out.”

  Nyx stopped a few feet away and rubbed her hands together, her nails stark white. When she spread her palms, a dark cloud formed between them, taking shape in the form of a sphere—no, the earth, surrounded by the galaxy.

  “From Chaos we arose. Primordials first, followed by the Titans, and eventually the Olympians. Gods and goddesses, each with their own portion of this realm to maintain. Each of us uniquely endowed to ensure everything ran as it should.”

  The globe between Nyx’s hands darkened, the blues and greens of the earth going dull and lifeless. “But Olympians warred with Titans. Then with each other. The more the gods waged their battles, each fighting for more power and greater control of the realm, the more the earth suffered.”

  “Uh,” Rayna interrupted. “I think you mean global warming thanks to idiot humans.”

  Nyx tipped her head. “True. But it started with the godly wars and oozed into mankind, infecting them and the earth like a virus. For eons, the Primordials have refrained from the wars for the sake of the realm. Protected the fundamental elements of life itself.”

  Nyx spread her hands wider, the hazy galaxy expanding. “But things are changing. Primordials are growing restless. Tired. Some have elected heirs to take their place so they may retreat to the Elysian Fields. Others—”

  Nyx broke off to stare at Rayna, her creepy white eyes shimmering now. “Others intend to join the war, to take up arms against Titans and Olympians alike. Against each other.”

  “So?”

  Nyx narrowed her eyes. “This is what I have foreseen, should these wars come to pass.” Her fingers twitched around the cloudy galaxy. “If Gaia, Primodial of earth, were to join.” The globe quivered and shook, cracks bursting open until there was barely anything left. Only pits of lava bursting out from inside the earth’s core.

  “If Pontus, Primordial of the seas, were to join.” The blue waters of the ocean rushed this way and that, huge tsunami waves crashing over the earth, devouring the slim pieces of land that remained.

  “If Uranus, Primordial of the sky, were to join.” Meteors of flaming rock fell through the sky, exploding into the seas and broken earth. They left smoldering craters surrounded by boiling waters nothing could survive.

  “And if Chaos, the very void himself who birthed everything, were to join.” The galaxy between Nyx’s hands pulsed like a heartbeat, then in a single blink, everything imploded, shrinking back into itself until there was nothing.

  Moisture pooled in Rayna’s eyes. Everything on the earth would be wiped out. Nothing would exist except the empty pit that had been there before everything else. The earth, nature, and all the living creatures. All of humanity. All her friends gone from the world, lost in the abyss.

  She blinked fast and a stray tear rolled down her cheek. “Back to the void, huh?” Rayna said, her voice shaky with horror.

  Nyx nodded, then clasped her hands together again. Waiting.

  “Okay, that’s obviously awful and all.” Rayna cleared her throat, trying to get the images of a world turned into a black hole out of her head. “But what does any of this have to do with me, specifically?”

  Black smoke coiled around Nyx’s clenched hands, twisting in all directions. “Because of who you are, dear girl.”

  When Nyx didn’t offer any more details, Rayna nudged. “A Ker?”

  “Yes.” Nyx shrugged. “And no.”

  Did all Primordials talk in fucking circles and riddles?

  “That makes zero sense.” Her voice was far more biting than normal, but Nyx had just shown her the end of the world. How was she supposed to feel about that?

  “Rayna,” Hale said, her voice low and rough. “Respect, please.”

  Faint black veins crept down Nyx’s cheeks again and Rayna got the impression it was a physical manifestation of her anger. But she held up a hand at Hale, silencing the Headmistress even as the black smoke continued to twine around her hands. “You are a Ker, Rayna, the last of your kind, that’s true. But you’re also more—”

  “Your heir?”

  She thought Hale might finally explode as Rayna interrupted her mother again, but too damn bad. She was long overdue answers.

  “Yes,” Nyx said. “You see, unlike the rest of your sisters, you were not born solely from me. That makes you more than a
mere Ker. You are a goddess of night and darkness, anointed by Thanatos himself, which also makes you a goddess of death. That’s why I chose you as my heir, and when I depart for the Elysian Fields, you will take my place, reigning over night, darkness, and death. A Primordial like no other.”

  “Primordial?” Rayna gulped out.

  Nyx nodded. “It not only makes you powerful, my dear daughter. It makes you coveted by all who seek power for themselves.”

  Coveted.

  That was the exact word Apollo had used. But he’d also said she was a weapon. Nyx hadn’t mentioned anything about using Rayna as a weapon. That horror was a million times worse than watching the world literally implode.

  Asher had said it himself.

  Being used as a weapon for someone else’s games—someone else’s war—is torture. Having your will stripped, forced to do things you loathe, is the worst fate anyone could ever be handed.

  She shuddered at the thought.

  “Why?” she breathed out, the word barely above a whisper.

  Nyx gave her a sad smile, then brought her hands back together, the black smoke gathering between them until the earth and galaxy appeared again. “As a Primordial goddess reigning over three dominions, if you were to join the war, take a side and stand with any of the gods, this would be the result.”

  The earth between Nyx’s hands appeared perfect. Vibrant green and crystal waters of blue with puffy white clouds decorating the skies above.

  As she stared, wondering why that was so bad, black veins cracked the seas and rippled through the ground. Smoke billowed everywhere and red sparks fractured through the dark clouds as the blackness spread across the globe.

  It swallowed the green and blue, devouring everything in its path until the earth was nothing but a smoldering, barren pit of black tar.

  Just like her sheets, only on a much bigger fucking scale.

  Like the images from her nightmares.

  Only death, Liv had said.

  No one would survive that kind of global devastation. Not a single living creature or person. It would be even worse than the void.