The hallway comes to an end, and Logan uses his shoulder to barrel out into the alleyway.
“Aspen!” Cortney wraps me in her arms the moment I’m out of the bar. My chest squeezes with immense relief. The grip on my wrist tightens and Logan forces me towards him before I can return the embrace.
“There’s no time for this.” He looks at both me and Cortney. “Get in a car and leave.”
“Over here!” Peter shouts from the driver’s seat of a Range Rover. Stacey, the second-year student I saw at the bar, sits in the passenger’s side with a dazed expression. Blood trickles down the right side of her face.
Logan heads to the vehicle, bringing me with him. He finally drops my hand so he can open the back door, and then I’m shoved inside. I land ungracefully on Joanna’s lap. She, too, has blood on her face, but she doesn’t seem as out of it as her friend. She helps me sit up. And then Cortney is piled in the car beside me.
Logan slams the door and hits it twice, then shouts, “Go!”
Peter hits the gas and we accelerate out of the alley. I turn around just before the car turns on the main road and see Logan ushering more people into a different vehicle. I wonder how many have gotten out, and how many more there are to save.
Peter drives on Columbus Avenue then takes a side street to head west. We need to get to Grand Central Parkway to get back to Long Island. I’d be completely lost, but Peter navigates the streets with ease. I wonder if he lived in the city before coming to the academy. I never asked.
I don’t let myself relax until we are on the Parkway and picking up speed. I slump back into the seat. Cortney’s hand finds mine, and she holds tight.
“Are you alright?” It’s a dumb question. Of course, she’s not all right. We were just ambushed by demons.
“I’m freaked out,” she replies, “but I’m not hurt. You?”
“Same.”
Beside me, Joanne murmurs, “We should’ve known the demons were there. We should’ve sensed them or something.”
“Obviously, our protection sigils didn’t work,” Stacey states in an emotionless, drained voice. She stares at the passing city with her head resting against the window. “Clearly, our demon radar ones didn’t work either.” It takes me a second to realize they must’ve put sigils on themselves before leaving the academy. Their wounds reveal the sigils were ineffective.
“But the mentors should’ve been able to sense the demons,” Joanna protests.
“They probably didn’t arm themselves with sigils,” Peter comments. His hands grip the wheel tight and his jaw muscle ticks. He passes a semi-truck and moves over into the right lane. “No one expected the bar to be attacked.”
But they should have.
I think of the missing Guardians. Andrew, and I suspect Logan, know about the abductions. Surely, they would take precaution and protect themselves. If so, how did the demons get the jump on them?
The rest of the drive is silent as each of us processes the evening’s unfathomable events.
It takes us forty-five minutes to reach Long Island. Peter turns onto Rockaway Avenue, just a few blocks from St. Michael’s. The streets are quiet. We are close to the residential part of Hewlett, and there are no pedestrians roaming the street. Up ahead, the stop light turns yellow. Peter slows down and pulls to a stop just as it turns red.
Streetlights illuminate the road. I see a cat tucked under a closed store’s awning. Though everything looks normal, something is not right. I can feel it in my gut.
“Peter.” I swallow back my fear before it chokes me. “Drive.”
“What?” He looks over his shoulder, confused.
My heart is racing. Something bad is about to happen. I know it.
“Drive. Now!” My shout is startling, but I’m unable to reign in my panic. Cortney leans over and looks into my eyes.
“Aspen, what’s wrong?”
I’m gasping for air. Holy crap. Is this what a panic attack feels like?
I don’t know how I know my next words are true. I only know that the feeling pressing down on me is all-consuming, and I’m unable to doubt the feeling churning within me, telling me I am right.
“Demons,” I gasp. “They’re here.”
Peter jolts back and Stacey screams as a loud thud hits the roof of the car. Peter punches the gas and we are all flung back as the car takes off. A loud shout and a tumbling noise comes from above before it disappears. I spin around and see a shadowed figure pick himself up off the asphalt. Mangled limbs and a horrendous, scale-covered face confirm he’s a demon.
My gut twists with renewed turmoil. I moan and bend over in agony.
“Aspen!” Cortney’s hands grip my shoulder. She tries to pull me up, but I shake my head violently, begging her not to force me to move.
“What’s happening to her?” Peter shouts.
“I don’t know!”
“Look out!” Stacey’s warning comes too late. The vehicle slams into something, or maybe something slams into the vehicle. Either way, the impact causes Peter to lose control, and we are sent in a tailspin.
I fly onto Cortney’s lap, and my head hits the side door. She wraps her arms around me and holds tight. Vaguely, I realize I’m the only one who hasn’t buckled my seatbelt.
We continue to spin. Joanna and Stacey are screaming. Peter grunts as he tries to get control of the car. I continue to suffer the agonizing pain in my stomach. My organs feel like they are being ripped out. There is no other way to describe it. Not even menstrual cramps can compare to this pain.
We finally come to a stop. Not one second passes before the door by my head is ripped off. Cortney screams, but there’s nothing she can do. A demon grabs me by the hair and drags me out of the vehicle. I’m the easiest prey.
I stumble as my scalp screams and my gut wrenches. I force my eyes open and see the mangled-limbed demon from earlier. Or perhaps it’s just the same type of demon. I really should do more research outside my Intro to Demonology class. I’m kicked in the stomach, and that’s all it takes for me to collapse into a useless, defenseless heap on the ground.
I hear Cortney cry my name. I’m too robbed of breath to call out to her. I’m kicked again. This time, it comes from another demon, and the strike hits my lower back.
“Thissss one issss weaaak,” the demon at my back growls low. “Not goooood enough.”
“Master sayssss to take them aaaall.”
I’m lifted off the ground. Finding some tendril of strength, I flail about, trying to dislodge the demons hold. I’m punched in the gut. It’s like he knows that’s where my greatest pain lies.
My eyes burn. I look towards the Range Rover and see more demons are trying to snatch my friends. Cortney holds a dagger and swipes with dangerous effectiveness. The demon reaching for her howls and rears back, clutching his severed fingers.
We’re so close to the academy. Someone has to hear this fighting, or maybe another car from the bar will come along. I count four demons. If we get reinforcements, we can try to fight them off.
The thought invigorates me. I reach up and dig my nails into the demon’s arms. I push myself upright and drive my knee into his crotch. I don’t know if demons have genitals like humans, but it’s worth a shot.
The demon grunts and hunches over. I grin. Logan can’t disapprove of the dirty trick in this situation.
Clawed fingers wrap around my throat from behind. I reach up and try to dislodge them, but the demon is too strong. The claws draw blood, but the more pressing issue is the fact he is crushing my wind pipe. I jab my elbow the demon toward the chest, but the move is evaded.
I try to call for help but all that comes out is a gurgled sound.
Without warning, I’m released, but then promptly struck in the back of the head by a brain-rattling force. I collapse immediately.
Lying on my side, I see the demon walk away to go help pull my friends out of the car. Cortney’s still in her seat, slicing at any demon who reaches for her, but Stacey and Peter are a
lready pinned on the ground. Demons leer over them and press their sharp claws into their flesh, making them scream. I was wrong. There are more than four. My vision is too blurry and their movements are too quick for me to correctly count them.
Suddenly, a loud crack feels the air, and the ground beneath me shudders. At once, all of the demons cease their actions and fall to their knees. The edge of my vision grows black. I fear I’m about to pass out.
“Cease this aggression,” a fuzzy, accented voice speaks with booming authority.
I hear something shift against the road. Then, a demon says, “But Masssster, we neeeeed them.”
A bolt of purple light flashes overhead and I hear the startled scream of my friends, accompanied by the anguished death cry of a demon. I long to sit up to face my end, but my mind and my body are not aligned at the moment. I can do nothing.
“I said, cease this aggression.” There is no doubting the promise of violence in the original voice. He will not be questioned a second time.
Again, I hear movement. Then, nothing. My friends are not screaming, and there is no sound of fighting. The demons have left. They listened to the stranger.
Blackness closes in on my vision. I want to scream with frustration, but I can barely do more than breath. I can’t fight it anymore. I’m going to faint.
Footsteps vibrate against the ground. A tall form leans over me. I think I see a flash of purple just before darkness takes over.
Eighteen
“Where is she?” Vivian’s frantic question rouses me from sleep, sending a swift throb through my temples. I try to open my eyes, but the room is too bright. It only makes my head hurt more.
“Resting in my office, just as I said over the phone,” I recognize Headmistress Meyer’s voice. She’s unaffected by my foster mother’s alarm. “The physician has just examined her and administered a healing sigil on her arm. She should wake from the concussion in a moment.”
“A concussion?” Vivian cries. “What happened?”
“There was a demon attack in the city. Our Guardians have gotten the matter under control.”
“What was Aspen doing off of school grounds?” A masculine voice joins in, and I’m shocked to realize Charles Van der Klay has accompanied his wife to come see me.
“Where is Lex?” Fear for her son momentarily distracts Vivian. “Is he alright?”
A door squeaks as it opens. “I’m right here, Mom.”
“Oh, thank God!” I imagine Vivian smothering Lex in an embrace.
“If Aspen was hurt, why isn’t she in the healing wing.” Censure drips from Charles’s words.
“Because we need to speak with her when she wakes up. Once we figure out what happened, then we can move her if you wish.”
“Why weren’t you with her?” Charles asks, turning his ire on someone else. “As her mentor, it’s your duty to protect her from situations like this.”
The voices die down. Then, Logan says with the cool indifference of someone who hadn’t just had their body kicked around by demons, “My duty is to protect all students, in addition to my mentee and the humans at that bar. I found Aspen and got her into a vehicle with her friends. I could not have known they would be attacked on the way back to the academy.”
“You should have!” Charles barks. “You should have taken every precaution to keep her safe.” I am taken aback by my foster father’s concern. I never would have expected such emotion from him, nor for him to tear into the Head Minister’s son on my behalf.
“Charles, calm down.” Vivian turns her soothing voice on her husband. “Getting angry won’t help. Let’s just go see Aspen.”
“I’m afraid that must wait until I get the chance to speak with her.”
“Nonsense,” Charles dismisses Headmistress Meyer’s words. “You may speak with her, but we will be in the room. We will not wait.”
I brace for the impending argument when the headmistress rejects his command, but she never does. The next sound I hear is the door opening, then Vivian’s gasp.
“Aspen.” Footsteps rush toward me. My face is cradled in soft, delicate hands. “Oh my, Aspen. Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” I croak, then lick my lips. “I’m awake, but the light hurts my eyes.”
“That should pass in a few minutes,” the headmistress tells me.
Vivian’s hands trail down to my arms. She touches a sensitive spot and I hiss. She quickly pulls back, but I don’t sense her move away. She settles herself on the ground by my head. “You may ask Aspen whatever you need to know.”
“Very well.” More footsteps reach my ear. I detect four separate pairs of feet, but I could be wrong. I won’t know who’s in here until I open my eyes, and nothing has ever sounded so unappealing.
“Aspen, can you tell us what happened?”
I take a breath. “We were at a concert in the city. During the band’s break, demons attacked.”
“Did you notice anything strange or unusual about the demons?”
You mean, besides the fact they were freaking demons?
“The higher demons wore cloaks, and they were in the bar before the mundane demons came in through the window. It’s like they had some signal to initiate the attack. Only, I didn’t see any demon intentionally go after humans.”
“What do you mean?” I hear an edge of tension in Headmistress Meyer’s tone.
“The demons threw humans around, but only if they got in their way. It didn’t look like they were there to mess with them.”
“Then, what do you think they were there for?” She knows there is something I’m not saying.
I take another breath. Admitting what I saw doesn’t mean I have to admit I’d been eavesdropping the other day. This information is important. I have to tell them.
“I only saw the demons engage when they found a Guardian or student,” I admit. “It’s like they were coming for us.”
No one speaks. I imagine they are exchanging horrified glances.
“Guardian Hendricks,” a different voice surprises me. I’m pretty certain it’s Master Donohue. “Did you see the same thing?”
“In truth, I was too preoccupied fighting demons off students to notice who else they did, or didn’t, attack.”
I stiffen. Is he accusing me of standing by and doing nothing? He found me facing down a demon, but his dagger saved me from having to fight. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have fought if I had to. I consider telling them about my interaction with the purple-eyed demon, but I find the words stuck in my throat. It’s stupid, I know, but I don’t want to admit I’d been so easily entranced by a demon. At least, not while Logan is in the room. I’ll wait until he leaves and then I’ll tell the others.
“Hm.”
“What are you thinking, Master Donohue,” Vivian asks, still close to my head.
“I’m not sure yet.” He clears his throat. “Aspen, is there anything else you can tell us?”
“Like what?” I ask with a hint of defensiveness.
“Like, what happened when you were driving back. Do you remember being attacked?”
The memory of spinning out makes my stomach roll. “Yes,” I choke out.
“Remember any details?”
“The door was ripped open. I was pulled out by my hair.” Vivian’s hands find mine and she squeezes, but she doesn’t say a word. “I was kicked. One of the demons called me weak, but the other said it didn’t matter. Their master wanted all of us.”
“What master?” Logan interrupts. “And what do you mean he wanted all of you?”
If my eyes were open, I’d roll them. “Like I said, I think the demons went to the bar to abduct us. The demons who attacked me said as much.”
“Father help us,” Vivian whispers.
The rest of the room is quiet. Determined to know what’s going on, I grit my teeth, ignoring the pain of opening my eyes. I have to blink several times before the world comes into focus. We’re in Headmistress Meyer’s office. She stands behind her desk. Vivian s
its next to me, and Charles stands by the armrest where my head lies. Lex is next to him, flanked by Master Donohue, Andrew, and then Logan. I immediately look away from the mentor, but a pile of curly hair catches my eye.
“Cortney!”
My roommate offers me a shaky smile, stepping out from behind Logan. The streaks down her face reveal she’s been crying, but she holds the tears back now. Though, I see them gathering in her eyes as she looks at me. I must look terrible.
I assess her for injuries. Other than some scratches that have been cleaned and covered, she looks unharmed.
Still, I need to hear it from her. “You aren’t hurt?”
“No,” she confirms thickly. She swallows. “They didn’t get me out of the car.”
“What about Peter and the girls?”
“They’re in the healing wing,” Headmistress Meyer is the one to answer. Concern grips my chest. I try to sit up, and wince when the move pulls at my back muscles.
The headmistress holds up a staying hand, “They are getting bandaged, and then they will be sent back to their dorms to rest. They suffered no grave injury.”
Relieved, I collapse onto the couch. I stare up at the ceiling, wondering what else I need to tell the headmistress before I will be sent to my own room. I’m exhausted, and my whole body hurts. I long for the reprieve of sleep, but I doubt I’ll get it anytime soon. Not with Vivian here to fuss over me.
“Aspen,” the headmistress takes us back to the topic on hand. “Tell me, is there another reason you suspect the demons wanted to abduct the Guardians.”
I frown. “Other than them saying so?”
“Yes.”
I bite my lip. This situation is serious. I can’t hide the truth. So, I admit, “I overheard Guardian Legrand speaking with you about the missing Guardians.” I brace myself for reprimand. It doesn’t come.
“Anything else?” She presses, leaning forward to rest her hands on the desk.
I’m at a loss. “No. Not that I can think of.”
“I see.” Her eyes are sharp, and she watches me like a hawk ready to dive down onto an unsuspecting mouse in a cornfield. “What can you tell us about a purple-eyed demon.”
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