Ignite (Solar Academy Book 1)

by Raven Steele

  “Ten years is up. He was coming with others from the ISA to take Aurora away for execution.”

  His chest tightened as he took in her words. His hand stroked the back of my hair. “Everything makes so much more sense. But what are you guys doing out on the road?”

  “Hear that car running? In a second, Linda’s going to come barreling down on us with Aurora in tow. We can’t let them past. Mr. Stenberg is gathering others and will meet us here as soon as he can, which I hope will be any second because Ms. Fury here,” she motioned her head towards me, “looks like she isn’t prepared to fight anyone, least of all her mother.”

  At her words, the pain in my stomach returned, and I flinched.

  Hudson gently pushed me away and stared into my eyes. “You don’t need to be afraid. I’m here, and I know together we are powerful. You feel it too, right?”

  I stuttered and looked beyond him at the sound of a garage door opening.

  “Look at me, Rose,” he ordered. “Feel the power between us.”

  A surge of ice shot through my bones, my muscles, my veins and mind. My flames exploded in excitement. But Hudson wasn’t done. He kissed me hard, his hand knotting into the back of my hair. Beyond the ice something else flowed through me. His love. It burned through me, igniting me with ancient power that whispered of united strength, unbreakable bonds, even soul mates.

  “Super hot,” Ireland said, “but hardly the time to be making out… unless you think we’re going to die, and if that’s the case, you better come give me some of that love, too.”

  He let me go. “Do you feel it?”

  I nodded numbly, no longer afraid for what was to come.

  “I think we all felt that,” Ireland mumbled. She pointed across the lawn. “Here come Bonnie and Bennie!”

  I didn’t get a chance to look over before a black SUV barreled around the corner straight for us.

  Chapter 31

  The driver’s window rolled down as the vehicle roared towards us. Linda’s arm appeared, her hand in a stopping motion. Hudson’s body froze next to me.

  “She zapped him!” I cried but was glad we weren’t affected by her magic. Then we’d all be in trouble.

  Ireland nudged me. “Push him out of the way so he’s not hurt.”

  “I can break it.” I took hold of his immobile hand and mentally pushed my scorching flames into it. Linda’s air magic attempted to suffocate my fire, but with Hudson also pushing back, we easily broke through. He was only frozen for a few seconds before he could move and breath again. Linda withdrew her hand back into the car.

  “Someone stop it,” Ireland said.

  I shook my head, my voice panicked. “I don’t want to hurt my mother.”

  “I can do it.” Hudson stretched out his hand. I expected to see a stream of shooting ice, but instead, the SUV’s engine began to groan and crack. I almost grinned. Freezing the engine was just as effective as burning it, and safer for my mother.

  A hundred feet before it hit us, the SUV came to a screeching stop. Several loud pops echoed from under the car’s hood, finally ending with one loud snap.

  “That engine’s toast,” Ireland said.

  Bonnie jogged up to us. Bennie had stopped halfway across the lawn to talk to the woman in white. The ghost’s tattered dress whipped around her body along with her stringy hair stained a deep crimson. She had some serious unrest going on.

  “Is everything Ireland said true?” Bonnie asked me “Is Linda in that car with Aurora?”

  “Yeah. Did you see Mr. Stenberg in the school?”

  She didn’t get a chance to answer. Both the passenger and driver doors of the SUV exploded outward, flying through the air over a dozen feet.

  “Oh shit,” Ireland said. “They’re pissed. Get ready.”

  Linda jumped from the car. Her hair, which had fallen from its French twist, swirled into the air unnaturally. I focused on the necklace around her throat. Somehow I had to destroy it.

  “You terrible children,” she screamed. “You don’t know what you’ve done!”

  She glanced at Aurora on the other side of the car and nodded.

  “No, Mom!” I shouted as a spray of fire headed our direction.

  Hudson met it with a wall of ice, but her flames melted the ice as quickly as he could make it. He yelled and pressed harder.

  A blur of white flashed in my peripheral vision like lightning. The ghostly woman in the wedding dress darted towards Linda and my mother with a high-pitched wail that hurt my ears. Linda and Aurora covered their ears, as did the rest of us. Ice and fire crackled and fizzled along the ground.

  The woman continued to scream until Linda shouted something in Latin at her. Her ghostly figure dissipated, along with her screaming.

  Over the fading sound, Ireland said, “Your mom could explode us with a thought, right?”

  I nodded and choked on the lump in my throat. She could. I knew it because I could probably do the same, like I had with the shed earlier in the night.

  “How do we fight that?” Bonnie asked.

  “With help.” My gaze flashed to the front doors of the school. Mr. Stenberg and at least a dozen other teachers came pouring out, sprinting in our direction. Coach Tom ran side by side with Mr. Stenberg in a baseball cap, his face redder than usual. Anne Pearson ran behind them, no longer in a rigid skirt and top, but wearing a black uniform that reminded me of a futuristic soldier. It made her look twenty years younger. Ms. Adams ran next to Ms. Pearson, her curly red hair bouncing up and down. She held her orbed cane, which shot sparks outward as if it could barely the power within.

  There were more teachers I recognized, but my eyes focused on Arrow and Maisy who exploded from the front doors. Grant wasn’t with them. He must still be unconscious.

  With the disappearance of the woman in white, Linda ordered Aurora to attack the teachers while she turned her attention towards us. Mr. Stenberg began to chant something in a foreign language. A few others rushed to set up a protective circle around them, while Ms. Adams and Coach Tom battled Aurora using a combination of wind, earth, and water to combat her flames.

  Linda tried again to use her ability to immobilize matter around us, but it only worked against Bonnie and Hudson. With Hudson holding my hand, I quickly ignited several fires around her. This distraction released my friends from her mental grip. She screamed in frustration and began to mumble. The vehicle next to her lifted into the air.

  “She’s telekinetic, too?” Ireland yelled, then cursed.

  The SUV flew through the air towards us. I shoved Bonnie out of the way just as Hudson jerked me to him. Ireland ran forward, avoiding the flying car with supernatural speed and bearing down on Linda in seconds. She cocked back a fist, nearly close enough to use it, when Linda shoved her hand forward. With it came a blast of wind that slammed into Ireland like a speeding car. She didn’t even glance at the rest of us before turning her attention to the teachers to help Aurora.

  Ireland flew through the air so high and far I didn’t think she’d survive the landing. Bonnie shouted a word, and two soldier ghosts appeared and tracked Ireland’s path. They each grabbed one of her hands and pulled, slowing her momentum so much that she landed on her feet.

  Ireland sucked in a breath. “Thanks.”

  They saluted her and floated away.

  Arrow and Maisy reached us just then. Hudson stepped between us. Maisy had blood on her shirt and a large goose egg on her head. Arrow looked completely unharmed despite being punched hard earlier by Linda. She must be able to heal quickly as well. Many supernaturals could.

  “How do you like this mess you created?” Arrow snapped at me. She lifted her hands into the air and moved them into a circular motion. Clouds appeared high above us and crackled with electricity.

  “Linda’s necklace is controlling my mother. We have to destroy it!”

  “We don’t care about your stupid mother,” Maisy growled. “Both of them are going to die. Whether by our hands or the Enforcers.�
� She shot me and Ireland a dirty look. “And as soon as this is over, you two are finished.”

  I stomped into her personal space even as a loud burst of thunder rumbled the ground beneath us. Hudson placed a warning hand on my shoulder. I could feel his coolness calm my raging flames. “My mother is innocent, and if you even try to—”

  “Shut up!” Arrow shouted. “Bigger things to worry about right now.”

  “Unfortunately, I agree with psycho-girl,” Ireland said. “Tuck your ovaries and balls in tight, kids, because it’s about to get crazy!”

  The air around us filled with electric energy, lifting the hairs on our arms. An eerie stillness settled over everyone, including Linda and my mother, and we all looked up at the sky. Inky black clouds blocked the stars, the unnatural darkness the perfect backdrop for brilliant lightning that streaked across the sky in great bursts. Booming thunder assaulted my eardrums. The lightning illuminated Solar Academy as brightly as the sun, but in the next beat of my heart we were plunged into darkness.

  “Hold on!” Arrow shouted.

  I grabbed Hudson’s hand, my fingers finding his instinctively. Lightning bolts slammed to the ground. Everything lifted into the air, including us, then crashed back down.

  I landed on top of Hudson. He squeezed me tightly and said, “Now’s your chance. Go! Get the necklace.”

  He practically shoved me onto my feet. Only a dozen or so yards away, Linda had fallen from the blast and struggled to stand.

  I didn’t waste a second and sprinted down the road towards her. Ireland was right behind me. I flashed a look my mother’s direction. She was the only one who hadn’t fallen to the ground, but her white dress had been burned in several places. The bottom of it was completely singed and ashes of it floated into the air. If I had to guess, she’d been hit by lightning. Part of me wanted to veer her direction to make sure she was okay, but there was only one way to really save my mother.

  Destroy the necklace.

  A few teachers had managed to come to their feet and worked quickly to fix the protective circle. Mr. Stenberg froze when he spotted Aurora, the lines in his face pinched in horror. I wished I could see my mother’s face to see what terrified him.

  “Don’t slow down!” Ireland said and passed me.

  I couldn’t keep up with her, but I did pick up my pace. I had half a mind of igniting Linda’s necklace on fire by mentally thinking about it, but I was afraid I’d catch the rest of her on fire, too. I’d never focused my fire on something so small before. I’d never killed anyone before either. I didn’t want to start now.

  Linda finally regained her feet and saw us bearing down on her. Her eyes widened with fear and clarity. “Aurora!”

  Before I could react, flames surrounded me in a tight circle, stopping my momentum. They burned so hot I thought my skin would melt. Only my own inner flames kept me from combusting.

  Through the fire, I spotted Ireland swinging a fist at Linda. Linda dodged the blow and struck back.

  The ring of flames began to hiss and smoke as millions of ice crystals descended upon them. When they were low enough, I jumped over them and raced towards Linda again, casting Hudson a grateful glance over my shoulder. He was almost to me with Bonnie behind him. Over a dozen undead men and women floated after her, moaning and wailing. Bennie had gone to Arrow who was lying on the ground, her hair smoking. My mother must’ve hit her. I didn’t see Maisy.

  I stumbled, realizing that my mother was probably hurting a lot of people. I didn’t dare look to confirm my suspicions. All it would take was a single order from Linda, and she could have my mother explode everyone. By the crazy look in Linda’s eyes as she fought Ireland, she was close. I had to stop her and fast.

  “Duck!” I yelled at Ireland.

  She dropped to the ground. I drew up fire from the earth between them, a great burning wall. Linda turned directions, but I mentally made the fire block her path again. I didn’t feel I was strong enough to have it circle her like my mother had done to me. That would take a lot of focus, but if I could corner her—

  “Switch!” Linda yelled to my mother.

  I flicked my gaze to Mr. Stenberg, on his knees in the circle chanting over a book. A wave of water rushed towards my mother, but her fire engulfed it as if it were nothing.

  My mother took a step towards Linda, but she couldn’t complete it. The earth rumbled and ripped open in front of her. I gasped when she fell inside the gaping hole. Even Linda stared, her mouth agape, through my flames that still blocked her.

  “Where did she go?” Ireland asked. She’d scooted several feet away from my wall of fire.

  Hudson came to my side, breathing heavily. Everyone stared at that deep hole, watching and waiting with abated breath.

  My mother’s head appeared, and she rose from the great pit riding a wave of fire. Her flames rushed towards us, consuming everything in its path.

  Hudson jumped in front of me and shot a spray of ice towards her. “Keep going, Rose. You have to stop Linda!”

  I refocused my efforts and drew strength from Hudson. Linda had begun to slam her air into my wall of fire, one powerful hit after another. I clenched my jaw and mentally pushed back while Ireland snuck around the side to try and surprise her. Behind me, I could hear Bonnie ordering her ghost soldiers to attack my mother.

  Hudson’s hands began to tremble. He wouldn’t be able to hold my mother off for long. Her fire was melting his ice at a rapid pace.

  With both Linda and Aurora distracted, Mr. Stenberg and the others continued their assault at Aurora’s back, but she only swung one hand their direction and shot fire at them, all without letting up on her heat at Hudson. Sweat poured down the sides of his pale face. If he continued for much longer, he’d die.

  No way was I going to let that happen.

  Chapter 32

  “Ireland!” I cried, hoping she’d see my dilemma.

  “On it!”

  I let my flames drop and turned to Hudson. I only had to touch him for his ice to harden and crack with new life. My mother’s eyes narrowed, and she snarled, distorting her normally pretty face. She pushed harder against us.

  I glanced back at Ireland in time to see her dodging the blackened grill of the SUV. Linda followed up the attack with the front bumper. It barely missed Ireland’s head.

  “Charge!” Bonnie yelled. Her solider ghosts surged forward. One had an ax still embedded into its translucent gut. Another’s head was split in half, a bloodshot eye on each side. They were the scariest of all that I’d scene, but by Linda’s stone expression, she wasn’t frightened.

  Linda mumbled and whipped her hands through the air, creating her own kind of storm. Dirt and debris lifted from the ground and swirled around her. Bits of metal, lots of ash.

  “Revertetur in terram!” she yelled and jerked her hands forward.

  The storm crashed through the ghosts, expelling them instantly, then slammed into Ireland and Bonnie, giving them dozens of cuts and gashes. They screamed and dropped to the ground.

  I sucked in a breath, and my fingers dug into Hudson’s shoulder.

  Linda’s head snapped Aurora’s direction. “Harder!”

  A wave of heat exploded outward from my mother. Hudson and I shuddered and gripped each other tighter at the impact. A rush of emotions pulsed through us, our fears, our love, our strength all melting into each other in one powerful moment. We both gasped when ice no longer flowed from his hands, but a radiant blue fire.

  “We’re going to have to do this together, Rose,” he cried. “Give it everything you’ve got.”

  His right hand linked through mine and a surge of power raced through me so strong I grew dizzy. I wasn’t sure if it came from him or me.

  “I’ve got Linda,” I said. “You hold back Aurora.”

  He squeezed my hand.

  Using our combined powers, I shot a steady stream of fire towards Linda, specifically focusing on her necklace. It also glowed an electric blue just like Hudson’s. Linda d
ove out of the way and rolled to her feet. She moved her hands through the air and began mumbling again. Dirt and ash lifted.

  I can burn through it, I reminded myself. But when bigger rocks, stone planters, and the charred remains of the SUV joined the smaller debris, air caught in my chest.

  Sensing my fear, Hudson yelled back at me, “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Keep going!”

  I sent another beam of fire towards the necklace, but Linda mentally shoved a large stone in front of its path, blocking her. Within a few seconds, my flames exploded through it, but that gave Linda enough time to gather an epic debris field.

  Her hands whipped forward to send it at me, but before she could, her eyes widened and her whole body began to shake as if she were having a seizure. I glanced to my right, my brows furrowed. Mr. Stenberg was there, his hands curled into claws and focused entirely on Linda.

  “The necklace!” Mr. Stenberg growled at me.

  I inhaled a great breath and focused my gaze on the athame pendant dangling at her throat. I had to destroy it even if it killed her. Bile came up my throat at the thought, but this wasn’t the time to think about any moral dilemmas.

  I imagined a spark of flames appearing in the hollow of Linda’s throat, a difficult task considering how badly she was shaking. It also didn’t help that I was still lending my power to Hudson, whose breathing had become shallow.

  I squeezed his hand to show my support. He squeezed back. We were doing this together.

  A single spark ignited at the base of Linda’s neck. A zing of power came rebounding back. Not in a negative way, but almost as if the athame were calling me to it.

  Linda screamed and attempted to get at the necklace, but she was shaking so badly she couldn’t latch onto it.

  Increasing the heat, I stared only at the small sword pendant and willed my fire into the athame, exactly what I felt it wanted. Maybe it had been just as much a prisoner as my mother.