She imagined the art room, Aiden sitting on a stool on the stage with his torso exposed to all the fantasizing girls, hating that she had to imagine a scene with him in it for her to go there. When she looked around the room at the easels and desks torn to pieces and paint splattered along the walls and floors she stood quickly, hoping nothing bad had fallen upon Professor Baldwin.
The Fury took cautious steps around the room, making sure to leave it the way she’d found it. The door hung off its hinges, a black dust leading to the outer square. Instead of following the path, she continued to search the art room for signs of Ms. Baldwin, failing. She went to the cabinets, locating Aiden’s cubby. She looked inside, finding a place where something had recently been taken out. The amount of dust hanging around the thin clean space suggested the sketchbook had collected the small particles gradually over time and was rarely removed from its hiding place.
She heard something drop behind her, too startled to turn around.
Lana, don’t move, she heard in her head. It was Professor Thomas.
Kyle? You’re supposed to be dead…
She had the urge to disobey him, wondering if it was him she’d heard in the room or someone else. Lana slowly turned around, seeing Professor Baldwin standing in the center of her art room. Professor Thomas was nowhere to be found, only her art teacher with eyes as dark as night.
She tilted her head to the right, pulling her lips back in a tight smirk, revealing black rotting teeth. Before Lana could imagine being in another place, Professor Baldwin sprung onto her, opening her mouth wide Lana heard her jaw crack, seeing a black smoke start to funnel out of the Psychic’s mouth.
A hand clamped over the opening, the smell of burning flesh tickling her nose. Professor Thomas wrapped his free arm around Professor Baldwin, pulling her off Lana. She ran for the door, feeling claws dig into her back. Letting out a scream she whirled around, swinging her left arm at the creature behind her. She threw her entire body onto Professor Baldwin, wrapping her fingers around her throat.
Professor Thomas began mumbling another language, banishing the demon within the teacher. When it refused to release Professor Baldwin, Lana placed her hand on her teacher’s chest, concentrating on the demon within. She curled her fingers into her palm, forming a fist and pulled her hand away, grabbing hold of a sheer spirit. Professor Thomas grabbed it from Lana, driving a silver-plated stake through it. It disintegrated into black dust.
Professor Baldwin looked at the two of them, dazed at the evening’s events. They pulled her to her feet, sitting her down in the only chair that hadn’t been harmed during the intrusion.
“Thank god you weren’t here when they came,” she said.
“Who came for you?” Professor Thomas asked.
“Not for me, for her,” Professor Baldwin answered. “Lana, you have to get out of Clover Bay. You have to go back to the others; they are your only hope.”
“I’m not leaving you here after what has happened. Come with me, Josephine,” Lana begged.
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that, my dear,” she said, running a cool hand through Lana’s hair. “Professor Thomas will accompany you, won’t you Kyle?”
“If we are to leave, we must go now before they come back. They’ll know something isn’t right here and we can’t risk you being out in the open,” Professor Thomas said. As much as she didn’t want to go anywhere with him, they both had a point. After her encounter with Donovan and the Darkness attacking the closest thing she ever had to a mother, she had no choice but to go back to the Academy.
“Aiden asked about some man named Don. Was he talking about Donovan?” Josephine asked.
“When did he run into Donovan?” Lana asked.
“Before he left to find the others,” Josephine said. “Who is he?”
“He’s my brother,” she said softly. Professor Thomas grabbed hold of her arm, his fingertips placed against her temple. He showed her a studio apartment with the bare necessities. It had a recliner, television, small bed and a kitchenette.
She imagined them within it, taking them to the tiny white room. He quickly made himself busy grabbing some clothes, a few daggers, some stakes, and a crossbow. He placed them all in a bag, brushing past Lana.
“Why are you here? You’re supposed to be dead.” Lana asked.
“Do you need anything from your house?” Mr. Thomas said.
“Demons know where I live, I can’t go back there, not with Donovan running around the Bay,” she answered.
He took her hand, grabbing his bag. She imagined the study, the large bay windows and double doors Aiden had pushed open in frustration at finding her in the Academy. She pictured herself perched on the divan in the corner, looking over illustrations and begging Dimitri to tell her the story of the Crusade. The two disappeared in a cloud of smoke, landing hard on the floor of the study.
The doors had been closed and the lights blown out. The curtains had been drawn, letting no light, if any existed, in from outside. Professor Thomas cursed beneath his breath, standing and brushing himself off. He extended a hand to Lana who refused, pushing herself off the ground.
“How are you still alive? I burned your bones,” she asked.
“That trick? It only kills the demon hunter, not the warlock,” Professor Thomas said. “Thank you, by the way. I haven’t felt this alive in years.”
“Do you even know why I did it?”
“Because of the demon, I know.”
Lana wanted to ask more questions, but was more worried about Professor Baldwin.
“Is she going to be ok?”
“That I can’t discuss with you, but I can tell you that she has served her purpose, and anything that happens after this is out of our control,” Professor Thomas said, examining the study.
The double doors opened once more, Dimitri, Benedict, and Aiden entering together discussing how they were going to go about finding Lana. They stopped quickly, eyeing the Amethyst Fury and her guest.
“Before you say anything, now is not the time to lecture her,” Professor Thomas said, putting himself between the other Furies and the Academy headmaster.
Aiden launched himself at Professor Thomas, flames engulfing his fists. They collided with the warlock’s face, bruising and burning his skin.
“What are you doing here?” Aiden asked, lifting his fist from another blow.
“Something has happened in the Bay,” he said, pausing when he felt Lana intruding into his thoughts.
Don’t tell him.
“Professor Baldwin was attacked and possessed by a demon. When I found her, she was wrestling with Lana,” Professor Thomas said.
Aiden was by her side, examining her for physical damage. She turned toward him, keeping her back from view. He didn’t need to know about the scratches.
“What else happened?” Dimitri spoke when Aiden stepped away from Lana.
“Lana was able to pull the demon out of Josephine and I killed it, but more will come to the city until Clover Bay is encased in an eternal darkness,” he said, avoiding the subject of Donovan.
“Lana what are you keeping from us?” Benedict asked, walking around the table and placing a cold hand on the tears in her shirt. She jerked away from him, scooting closer to Professor Thomas.
He put an arm around her in protection, gaining a glare from Aiden and a halting hand from Dimitri.
“I told you tonight isn’t the best night to hound her,” Professor Thomas said.
Dimitri bowed his head in agreement. “Come, Benedict, Aiden, we must discuss how we are to fortify the Academy in the event that the Darkness figures out where we’re hiding.”
“I’ll send Clara in to escort you to a room Professor Thomas. As for you Lana, you have some explaining to do in the morning,” Benedict said, a sly grin forming at the corners of his mouth.
Aiden left the room first, followed by Dimitri. The three men left Lana alone with a man she’d rather not spend another moment with, although he did prote
ct her from their wrath. In the morning, she’d have to explain why she left the Academy after having been warned multiple times of the consequences, as well as how she got the scratches on her back and what else happened in the Bay she was hiding.
She was not prepared to explain meeting Donovan, or having to face Aiden to learn his craft, but knew if she didn’t, there would be no surviving what the Darkness had in store for them. Clara escorted her to her room in silence, followed by Professor Thomas who said good night to Lana before following the beautiful blonde.
That night her sleep was full of nightmares, threatening to send her over the edge and consume her with thoughts of death.
Chapter 25
Lana pulled herself out of bed, running hot water over her. The steam filled the small bathroom, making the air difficult to breathe. A knock on the door cut her shower short, Lana dressing quickly to answer.
Dimitri stood on the other side of the thick door, hands stuck in the pockets of his blue jeans.
“How did you sleep?” he asked.
“I’m not in the mood for a lecture, why are you here?” Lana said.
“We need to continue your training,” Dimitri said. “Aiden is waiting in the study for us.”
“Why didn’t you tell me he was the other Fury?” Lana asked.
“He wasn’t around when we found you, and he would not appreciate me telling his story, or any of us telling it for that matter,” Dimitri said.
“I guess we shouldn’t keep him waiting then,” Lana said. She grabbed a jacket and followed Dimitri to the study.
“I must warn you, however, he is not very happy about this situation and will probably be very timid toward you now,” Dimitri said. “I want you to forget everything you think you know about him, Lana. I know you two haven’t spent much time together, but whatever you think you feel toward him will interfere with your training, and he must do the same. You will see a completely different side of him, as you did last night with Professor Thomas, but you cannot let your emotions get in the way of your training if you are to control his element. If you do, it could be very dangerous, not only for you but for him as well. Do you understand?”
He turned to her before opening the study doors. When Lana nodded, the doors opened, Aiden leaning against the wall looking out the window.
“Aiden, do you need any of us to stick around during your session?” Dimitri asked.
“I think I can handle this on my own, thanks,” Aiden answered. His arms were crossed and his eyes void of emotion. “Unless you don’t trust me.”
“I never said I didn’t trust you, I just know how you can get and I don’t want there to be an accident, especially under Benedict’s roof,” Dimitri said. “Lana, if you need anything, just call.”
He left Lana with the temperamental Fury, closing the doors behind him. The silence between them began suffocating her, leaving questions running wild through her head.
“I’m glad you brought a jacket, we won’t be training in this room,” Aiden said, pushing away from the window.
“We need to talk,” Lana said, taking a seat at the large desk in the center of the room.
“No, actually, we don’t,” Aiden said, walking past her. “Until you have learned what I’m going to teach you, there will be no talking.”
“So that’s it then, you’re just going to ignore everything that’s happened?” Lana asked. Aiden whirled around, turning icy eyes on her.
“I’ve already been lectured by Dimitri, I don’t need to be harassed by you too,” Aiden said. The tension in his eyes subsided when he saw the surprise in hers. “I let my emotions get the better of me, and romanticized about a normal life and we can’t let those thoughts distract us from our mission. I suggest you focus on your powers, and I will do the same.”
She followed him out to a clearing in the middle of the forest. The area had target dummies placed in the form of a circle, some holding large wooden swords, others just leaned awkwardly. He sat down on the ground, crossing his legs in front of him. Placing his hands palm down on his knees, he looked up at her.
“First, you must clear your mind of any thoughts that could interfere with today’s lesson,” Aiden said. Lana followed suit, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knees like she was his reflection. “Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose and out. Don’t focus on your powers, just any thoughts that are distracting, or could potentially affect your emotions.”
Lana did as he said, closing her eyes. When she inhaled, thoughts of Elijah and Micah in the room she’d woken up in after falling ill surfaced. She exhaled, pushing them out of her mind along with the breath from her lungs. She repeated the action, the gypsy camp coming into focus. Every time she inhaled, a new image of her previous reverie sharpened in her mind, and then rushed away as if her mind was a dam, and the floodgates had been raised, releasing every memory she’d experienced over the last twenty-four hours.
She felt water drops pelt her skin and heard them on the leaves and dirt beneath her body, as if the tears she wished would flow from her eyes were released by the clouds above.
“Clear your mind of all distracting thoughts, Lana,” Aiden sighed.
Without speaking Lana returned to her breathing, focusing on the only memory she failed to remove from her mind. She saw Donovan’s chest, felt his breath on her forehead. He smelled of flowers as if he’d rolled in the garden behind her home to cover up the scent of rot. His threat rang through her head.
I’d think twice before speaking to me in that tone, it may do more harm than good. Lana opened her eyes, Aiden staring back at her.
“What’s keeping you from doing what I say?” Aiden asked. “This isn’t a game, Lana.”
“I can’t do this right now, I’m sorry,” Lana said, pushing herself to a standing position and walking away from the Fury.
“This isn’t easy for me either, but I’m still here. I’m still trying to do what was asked of me,” Aiden said, grabbing her wrist.
She turned around, pushing him away. He took hold of her wrists, keeping her close to him. “I can’t be what they want me to be, and clearly I can’t be what you want me to be either.”
“You don’t know how difficult it is for me to be here, for me to teach you how to use my power, when I can barely control it to begin with,” Aiden said. “I haven’t had to use my powers for centuries. I buried them away and refused to be what I am because of what I’ve had to do to survive. The last thing I ever wanted was to be the one to teach the next Light, and now that that person is you, all my will and control is going into keeping my anger at bay.”
“Right now, I have more pressing issues to deal with than learning your craft, Aiden. The woman who practically raised me after I left the Bay is in trouble, and I left her there alone after she’d already been attacked once,” Lana tried to give Aiden a reason to let her go, ensuring her troubling encounter with Donovan never came up in conversation. “Let me go back to the Bay. If I don’t, the demons that attacked her will come back, if they haven’t already, and this time she might not be so lucky.”
“Someone else will have to take care of her because you’re not leaving this place, not until it’s time,” Aiden said, releasing her wrists. Her hand pricked his skin, the stinging sensation lasting long enough to distract him while she ran away. It took self-control to hold him back from chasing her down. As much as he wanted to defy Dimitri, he knew there would come a time when he could feel again. He knew one day he’d make her his, he just had to destroy the Dark before she destroyed herself.
Behind closed doors she fumbled through a duffle bag in search of her phone. Once she found it, she dialed Josephine’s number, hoping she’d pick up. The familiar sound of her voice on the other line made her heart slow.
“I’m glad you’re alright,” Lana said after Josephine swore up and down she made it home safely and could protect herself in case there would be any intruders.
“How did you know how to get that demon
out of me?” Josephine asked.
“It happened to me once,” Lana said, remembering the time she’d seen Aiden and another woman dancing under a cherry blossom tree right before the woman turned on him. “I remembered someone placing their hand on my chest like they were willing something to come out. There was the image of a woman in tattered clothing but she was transparent and blue. Anyway, I thought I would try it, because whatever Kyle was doing wasn’t working.”
“Well I’m glad you are safe as well,” Josephine said. “Lana, there is something you need to know.”
“What is it?” Lana’s curiosity peaked.
“That demon, he had something interesting to say to me,” Josephine said. “I didn’t get the chance to tell you before, but it was talking about that Don character. I don’t want you to worry, but I have a feeling he is somehow involved with what is coming. I know it’s not something you want to hear, but I really want you to be careful, especially if he shows up again. There has to be a reason he waited so long to make contact with you, and you need to be on guard.”
“Thank you, Josephine,” Lana said, closing her eyes. “I have to get back to training. I’ll call you when I can.”
Lana hung up the phone, heading back down the stairs and out into the clearing where Aiden continued to sit on the ground breathing. She returned to her place in front of him, breathing deeply in and out, replacing the thoughts of Donovan and Josephine with rushing water which exited her mind when she exhaled.
Light danced behind her eyelids, forcing Lana to open her eyes. Aiden was tossing a ball of fire from one hand to the other. The flames dwindled until nothing but pieces of straw remained.
He placed them on the ground in front of them, grabbing a thin branch and a piece of bark from a nearby tree. “Your first lesson is on how to build a fire.”
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