The Fury's Light

by Hailey Staker

  He yelled out in pain, grabbing a piece of the glass door and throwing it toward EJ who tried dodging the wooden projectile. It slid along his shoulder, creating a large gash in his skin. Blood ran down his arm as he lifted his hands to eye level. The dust clouds around his hands formed into icicles, cold and sharp, pointing toward his guest.

  “If you kill me, you’ll never know what is coming,” he said.

  “What are you talking about?” EJ asked.

  “You think you know, but you are just naive,” his guest said. “If you just give us the girl, no one will get hurt.”

  “Your horde killed 100 innocent people. How can we trust you?” EJ said.

  “You can’t,” the man said. A rod formed in his hand, silver in color with a tip the color of tar. He spun it in his hands, the rod breaking into four pieces. He sent them toward EJ, two of them making contact. One piece punctured his right collarbone, the other his left thigh, the same as the splintered dining table to his enemy.

  EJ dropped to his knees, the icicles disappearing. “You won’t get away with this,” he said.

  The man sulked toward EJ, his hand on his thigh. He placed a finger under EJ’s chin, forcing the Fury to look him in the eyes. His eyes were pitch black, an image from hell. His face twisted into something EJ had never seen before, with a protruding forehead, high cheekbones, and a small chin. He had a pointed ear on the right side of his face and a burn scar where his left ear should have been.

  EJ tried to scream but found his voice gone and mouth dry.

  “I’ve never been this close to your kind,” the demon said, his mouth close to EJ’s face. His breath was foul, the smell of rotting garbage and burning flesh.

  The creature took hold of the rod in EJ’s chest, turning it in his hand as he pulled it out. Blood stained his shirt and pooled beneath him on the ground. He placed the rod at the base of his ribs, prepared to end his life.

  “How close have you been to death, Fury?” the creature asked, delaying taking EJ’s life.

  “If you are going to kill me, do it already,” EJ said, wincing in pain. He was losing blood faster than he could heal himself and slowly started losing consciousness.

  The creature pressed the rod to his skin with slight pressure, breaking the skin. A drop of blood slid down EJ’s stomach. He saw something move behind the creature, but before he could say anything, the creature dropped the rod, grabbing at the back of his neck.

  Elijah had a tight grip on his prey as he dug his fangs deeper into the creature’s neck. The blood was sour and ran black down Elijah’s chin, neck, and shirt. The creature grabbed him by the back of the neck, pushing him into the wall. He got back up, grabbing the other splintered leg of the dining table in his left hand. Before the creature could grab him again, he bit into the creature’s neck once more, driving the wooden stake through the creature’s heart. He felt the blood rush over his hand and the heart pulse fast, and then slow until it no longer beat.

  It slumped to the ground, deflating back to the figure of a man with a black beard and too much gel in his hair. Small, black particles started to cover his skin, melting him like he was wax. EJ and Elijah backed away from the creature as it disappeared, leaving nothing but black dust behind.

  Elijah came to EJ’s side, biting his wrist and putting it near his lips. EJ dismissed the gesture, attempting to stand. He had to lean on Elijah who put his left arm under EJ’s right shoulder and around his back to support his weight.

  “We have to get the girls,” EJ said slowly, slightly distant.

  “Where are they?” Elijah asked. When EJ didn’t answer, he asked once more, slapping EJ’s cheek.

  “Basement,” EJ said. The two men hobbled to where EJ pointed, Elijah barely fazed by the Fury’s inability to keep him upright.

  “Lana, Era,” Elijah said when they reached the door to the basement.

  He heard quick steps on wooden boards and saw a Snow-White blonde woman barge through the door. Her eyes went wide when she saw the appearance of her Fury. When EJ saw Era was safe, he collapsed, his heart rate dropping significantly.

  “We have to get him to the academy, Lana he needs your help,” Era said.

  “The Academy? But I have no idea how to get there,” Lana explained.

  Era placed her hand on Lana’s face, closing her eyes. She saw a large room with tables stacked high with books, a bottle of black ink and a quill on the table. There were windows that stretched from the ground to the ceiling, and long curtains keeping the light out. Lamps illuminated the room, casting dark shadows on the walls. When Era took her hand off Lana’s cheek, they both opened their eyes.

  “Now, I want you to close your eyes once more, and picture that room. Once you have the picture, nod your head and place your hands out in front of you,” Era said slowly. “Elijah, take my hand.”

  Lana nodded, putting her hands out in front of her.

  “Elijah, take her left hand,” Era said, and then placed Lana’s right hand in EJ’s left. She placed her left hand on EJ’s chest and looked at Lana. “Now I want you to keep your eyes closed and repeat after me. ‘Academy.’”

  “Academy,” Lana repeated. The four of them were surrounded by a flash of green and blue light.

  “Academy,” Era said, of which Lana repeated once more. The light got brighter, transporting them away from the house and to another place they had not meant to go.

  EJ and Era landed on the floor of a forest, surrounded by pine trees that reached to the sky and cast dark shadows over them, letting no light in from the moon. Elijah and Lana were nowhere to be found. Era stood, dusting pine needles off her clothes.

  “Elijah!” she yelled. She heard her name behind her in the distance. “Where are you?”

  Elijah sat up, shaking his head. He felt behind his neck, feeling a bump and warm liquid at the base of his neck. He turned around, seeing red liquid on a small rock and a dark headed girl with light gray eyes staring back at him. She sat cross-legged the forest floor, her hands crossed in her lap.

  “Are you okay?” Elijah asked. She nodded slowly, but he could see how afraid she was. He could hear her heart racing. Lana had just seen a man she knew nearly dead and managed to take them somewhere they hadn’t intended. She could feel herself becoming stronger, and knew one day she would be what they want her to be, but at what cost? When she becomes Candra, will they take advantage of her powers? Will they be overwhelmed by her power that they turn against her? Become like the Darkness and hunt her down?

  She was afraid of becoming a puppet, of someone pulling her strings and of bending to their will because of what she was becoming. Lana was afraid of losing herself.

  Elijah stood, helping Lana to her feet before hearing a voice call his name.

  “That must be Era,” Lana said softly.

  “Era?” Elijah yelled back. They walked in the direction of the voice, a question burning their throats. When they saw the Snow-White woman, they rushed to the clearing, kneeling to the ground in case they may be seen.

  “Do you know where we are?” Lana asked quietly.

  “The Academy is in the middle of a forest. There’s no telling in which direction we should travel at this hour of the night,” Era said, looking around. The roar of a bear rang through the clearing then, putting Elijah on edge.

  “Stay here, I’ll see if I can find a trail or find out where that sound came from,” he said.

  Before the girls could protest, he was gone, exploring the forest floor for signs of life. About a half mile from the girls, he stopped, looking over the edge of a cliff. The drop seemed to be about fifty feet deep, mostly rolling downhill to another clearing with the remnants of a campfire and a small tent made of twigs and leather hide. He made his way back to Lana and Era, taking EJ in his arms.

  “There’s a drop to the east with a campsite at the bottom. I figure if we can make it down there we can stay for the night and pick up on the search in the morning,” Elijah said.

  “You need to
find the Academy tonight or EJ won’t make it through the night,” Era said.

  “Maybe I can try to transport again? I may be able to get us to the Academy if I concentrate,” Lana said. She placed her hand on Era’s cheek, begging for a glimpse of the Academy.

  Era showed her the garden instead, a large statue of a man in a robe holding an ancient text book in one hand and a wooden walking stick with a gem-like sphere beneath his hand. Surrounding the statue was a bed of flowers, roses, small stepping stones and statues of children dotting the scene. A large cobblestone driveway circled the statue and flowerbed, leading in and out of the compound.

  Lana tried to concentrate on the scene, placing her right hand out toward Elijah. Once she knew he was within reach, she took a deep breath in, the word garden on the tip of her tongue, and let it out, repeating the process until she could smell the roses in the air. She felt cold stone beneath her, felt the wind on her face. When she opened her eyes, the air escaped her lungs, leaving her breathless.

  The image she had seen was no match for what she saw before her. She saw blue forget-me-nots next to lavender and pineapple sage bushes, white and yellow roses next to red and pink tulips. The statue before her stood twenty feet tall made of marble with a copper colored plaque beneath his feet reading Benedict Jonathan Rinehart, Headmaster, Alucia’s Academy of Magical Arts.

  The structure behind him raised four tiers high with four towers topped with spires on each corner of the building. It reminded her of the castle near her homeland at Tarkin’s Point with its emerald green flags atop the spires, thick stonewalls, and wooden castle doors leading into the structure. The only modern architecture was a large awning covering the driveway, supported by two large stone pillars. The awning curved with a stained glass window in the archway.

  She couldn’t help but stare at the beauty before her, surprised she managed to make it to the garden. Era was beside her, holding her hand when Elijah coughed, walking toward the Academy to find help for EJ.

  Clara greeted him on the other side of the massive doors, the smile on her face frowning slightly once she saw EJ. They hurried through the halls until they reached the door to the infirmary. When Elijah stepped through the threshold, lightning rained down from the sky, sending a spark of energy through him and forcing him to his knees.

  The old healer rushed to them, waving Clara in to grab Elijah and escort him to the other side of the door.

  “What was that about?” he asked.

  “This is why vampires stay outside of the infirmary,” Clara answered, throwing him onto the floor. “The old man should be able to help EJ, but in the meantime, we must get you and the other girls to the dining hall. Your feast awaits.”

  Chapter 22

  A long strand of rectangular tables adorned with bright bouquets of flowers picked from the garden housed a plethora of food ranging from stuffed turkey, pork, and chicken, bowls filled with sweet rolls and butter to the side, casserole dishes harboring green bean and broccoli casseroles with cranberry sauce on each end. The smell of a Thanksgiving feast filled the halls, although November was months away.

  Round tables full of students with candles as centerpieces were scattered through the ballroom, three great chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling providing light to the occasion. Champagne glasses were filled with bubbling liquid the color of a lavender bush with dark crystals to keep the liquid cold. On one long wall of the ballroom were tall windows covered by dark green curtains embroidered with a witch’s hat, cauldron, and the walking stick the Benedict statue was leaning against.

  Opposite the windowed wall stood a stone wall with two tapestries on either side of another round table, this one had a light green table cloth with three seats facing the rest of the hall. Each tapestry was embroidered with the same three symbols and between them on the wall hung a painting of Benedict with his two assistants by his side, Sala on his right and Clara on his left, dressed in fancy gowns and suits from the 1800s as if they were royalty at some point in time.

  Once Lana, Elijah, and Era entered the room, Benedict rose from his seat, or rather his throne, raising his glass to toast the evening’s meal.

  “Finally, we have been waiting for you,” the man said in their direction. "As many of you may have heard by now, we have some guests from a not so far away place here in our lovely sanctuary. I ask that you all welcome them into our home, for they are like us and have much to contribute to our cause. To our guests, I hope you have found your way around rather easily, I know this place can be confusing at times, but please don’t hesitate to ask another student for guidance if you ever find yourself in a hall you are not familiar with.

  “To my dear friend Dimitri, I’m glad we were able to speak earlier today, and if you need anything else from us, please let me know. My Academy is at your disposal, please use our resources as you must and lend a hand when the time comes,” Benedict finished.

  Dimitri rose, his glass in his hand as well. “I greatly appreciate your generosity, and I thank you kindly for allowing us to stay for a short time. To Benedict, and his tender soul, may we all benefit from it as we continue to make this place a safe haven for others like us.”

  In unison, each student raised their glass, “Here, here.”

  Benedict gave a sly grin toward Dimitri, sending a small shiver down his spine. We just need to convince Aiden to help, and then we will leave this place. He said to himself.

  The men sat down once the others joined Dimitri at his table. Lana sat across from Rae who smiled shyly at her. Beside her, Naida attempted to comfort Era after she explained what had happened to EJ.

  “EJ will heal on his own terms, Era,” Dimitri said. Elijah clenched his fist, trying to fight the urge to snap at him. “Yes, I understand I said that about Lana, but she did heal, on her own terms, as we Furies often do. You had to wait for her to recover when you found her, because she healed on her own terms. It is times like this where we must step aside and let nature run its course. Do you understand?”

  “He understands, but we already lost Lana once…” Micah began to say but let the words hang in the air like smoke drifting away in the wind.

  The only sounds in the hall were that of the other students speaking in their cliques while they ate in silence, avoiding eye contact with each other and the question burning in the back of Lana’s throat from the time she sat down. One by one, each table rose and exited the room until their table was the only one occupied.

  Clara came to their table, cautious of Elijah after she failed to warn him about the lightning.

  “Please feel free to stay as long as you would like, but it is time that I show the newcomers to their rooms, per Benedict’s request,” Clara said.

  “I believe it is time for us all to retire for the evening,” Dimitri said, standing and placing his napkin over his plate. “Thank you for your help, Clara.”

  The others stood and followed Clara and Dimitri out of the ballroom and up a grand staircase made of mahogany and a lush light brown carpet. Lana’s room was next to Rae’s across the hall from the Diviners’ and Christine’s rooms in Corridor B.

  “Here are your keys; I hope you find the rooms to your liking. I designed them myself,” she said, speaking highly of herself before turning away and prancing down the hallway like a well-dressed pony.

  “Rae,” Lana said before she entered her room. “I’m sorry about the party.”

  “Don’t be sorry, you didn’t even want to be there. Good night Lana,” Rae said, heading into her room and closing the door behind her.

  Lana disappeared behind her door, closing and locking it behind her. She flipped on the light switch, a lantern next to the window roaring to life, followed by two candles on the wall around the corner near the bed. There was no light on the ceiling, only candles and natural light from the windows. The curtains were drawn but Lana could make out the color of the velvet curtains to be a scarlet color.

  The bed was neatly made with five decorative pillows an
d a satin robe folded nicely at the edge. To the left of the bed a door led into the bathroom, a small room with a place for a shower and a bowl on top of a cabinet for a sink. A round mirror hung above the sink and three small candles lined the mirror as the source of light.

  Across from the bed stood a large armoire for her clothes and belongings with a vanity beside it next to the window. Various belongings scattered the surface of the vanity, a brush, some jewelry, perfume and a picture of a girl with brown hair in two braids with square glasses she recognized as Sala. In between the vanity and the armoire sat a small recliner.

  A knock on the door turned her around.

  “Here is your bag, we packed what we thought you’d like so you’d have something new to wear,” Naida said, handing her a backpack.

  “Thank you,” Lana said. “Why are we here?”

  “I can’t answer that, have a good night,” Naida said. She disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

  The water was warm on her skin as she washed off the events of the last few days. She didn’t know how long it’d been since the party, but she could tell it could only have been a few days with how sore her body felt. Lifting her arms to wash her hair was a task; even getting dressed took longer than usual.

  She pulled back the sheets, sliding between them before pulling them to her chin. She stared at the dark ceiling, wondering what the outcome of the party had truly been. She wondered if Aiden showed up, and if he had, whether he had been harmed.

  Aiden.

  She hadn’t thought of a man since she left Clover Bay in 1840, since she had been betrayed by Micah, by the ones she once called her friends. But something about Aiden made her want to think about a man, about him.

  Lana remembered what he had said at the bonfire, that he didn’t want a relationship with Christine because she was clingy and that Lana calmed him when she was around. She shook the thought away, feeling bubbles swim through her stomach like when Micah first confronted her of feeling for another, other than herself. Turning on her side, she closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come quickly.