by Abbie Lyons
A few teardrops fell down my face. The gesture of writing me a letter after unceremoniously dumping me was a small one, sure, but it meant so much that he did it. To Morgan’s credit, she let me cry without prying or asking any questions, which I was positive took an extreme amount of self-restraint on her part.
I didn’t have a clue about what the gift would be, but I wasn’t surprised at all when I unwrapped my present to find a small axe blade—just a tiny one that could fit right in my pocket, but a blade nonetheless. It was damn sharp, that was for sure.
“What is it?” Morgan asked, finally unable to contain herself.
“Oh, you know the usual thing,” I said. “The customary mini axe blade that boys always give you after they dump you. So fucking cliche.”
And then I just started sobbing like a maniac. Full-on ugly crying cranked up to full volume. Honestly, I probably looked more upsetting than any freaky-ass transmorph I could ever hope to pull off.
“There, there.” Morgan hopped over to my bed and wrapped her arms around me. “Don’t waste your tears on losing some silly boy like Collum.”
“That’s not why I’m crying,” I said through the sobs.
“Then why are you crying?”
I tried. The words throbbed against my tongue. “I—”
Morgan’s face searched mine. I tried again.
“It’s—”
Pain. I had to stop. Finally, I changed tactics.
“I have no idea, but I’m just so, so sad, Morgan.”
A lot of things were hitting me at once, and the axe was such a thoughtful little touch that it overflowed the dams and got my tear ducts working overtime. One thing was for sure: I’m glad that Collum and I had the relationship, fake or not. It was the high point of a semester that would’ve been much more stressful otherwise. And even though I was pretty damn sure Collum wasn’t the boy I was supposed to have kissed the other night, I was still going to miss how safe he’d made me feel.
I put the axe blade in my blazer pocket. Maybe not the same thing, but close enough.
“I’ve got an idea,” Morgan said. “Let’s go find our boy Teddy, shall we? He could use some cheering up, and you could use some cheering up, and perhaps everybody will cheer up quicker together.”
It was the perfect idea. Suddenly, all I wanted in the world was to share a big group hug with Morgan and Teddy. Nothing could’ve been better.
We didn’t have to go far to find him—he was fast asleep in one of the common room recliners, with his Latin textbook open on his lap.
“Thank Gods,” Morgan said. “I was afraid we might have to sneak into the boys dormitory to find him. Let’s wake him!”
She gave him a not so gentle shake and he shot awake.
“What’s wrong?” he said between yawns. “Is everything okay?”
This time, I didn’t even try to articulate the truth. It was going to be too painful—literally.
“Everything is far from okay, but that’s why we’re here for you. We need one of those classic Teddy hugs. The good stuff. Give us all you’ve got!”
She pulled him to his feet and he put his arms around the both of us.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so distant this semester,” I whispered. “I promise it won’t happen again. We’ve all gotta keep an eye on each other.”
“I’m sorry, too.” Teddy squeezed even closer. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you two. I know you’ll always have my back. And I will totally always have yours.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Thankfully, being silenced didn’t matter for much longer. Sure enough, only a couple hours later, a disembodied voice sounded throughout the dormitories.
“Attention all Hades Academy students and faculty,” it announced, “there will be a mandatory assembly this evening at 6 p.m. in the chapel. Please do your best to be prompt and on time. Thank you.”
I couldn’t tell whose voice it was—it was deep and authoritative, and most students probably had no idea whose it was. But listening closely, I could tell for sure that it was Wilder pretending to be somebody else. It made me wonder if he even had any other allies on staff willing to make the announcement for him? Did he have supporters who helped him work toward his takeover, or was this a solo job?
“Gods, I wonder what that could be about,” Morgan wondered aloud. “And on our day off from classes of all days! Rude!”
“I’d bet it’s something about the probation ending!” Teddy declared.
The hope in his voice just killed me. He had no idea that things were going to be getting way worse before they’d get better. And me with no way to warn them.
So we marched off, as kyrioi guided us toward the same chapel where Dean Harlowe had given her address at the beginning of the semester. Apparently there was enough going on this semester that repairs to the actual auditorium were low priority.
So are the kyrioi in on whatever’s happening here too, I wondered. All this time were they here to protect us or for some other purpose? Or did Wilder manipulate them, too?
And still, even as I asked myself all these questions, I kept feeling like there was nothing I could do about any of it. An evil demon who probably wanted to destroy me was now in charge of the once place that ever actually felt like a home to me, and despite all my street smarts, figuring out a way to make the most of this situation wasn’t exactly something I had any preparation for.
As we filed in, I saw many of the professors already seated, looking just as confused as any of the students. They were speaking to each other in low voices so as not to be overheard, but my intuition told me that they were totally clueless about what was going on.
Damn, they're in for a hell of a shock.
I scanned the room for Raines and spotted him sitting on his own a few rows up, sans the Infernal Other Two. Collum was with his—blech—girlfriend and Aleksandr must've been off somewhere else in the room being his solemn self. I immediately felt guilty that I hadn't searched for Raines right away and let my defeatist attitude take the best of me. He was going to be a little pissed when he found out I already knew about Wilder, and rightfully so.
The chatter turned to whispers and then silence as a demon I recognized Senator Flauros approached the altar. Given the reaction, I assumed he was probably somebody of importance that most of the crowd knew. I was getting good at this complicated hierarchy shit, but throw a famous demon in the room, and I still couldn't tell them from anybody else. But half the people in this room probably couldn’t even pick Oprah out of a lineup, so who would they be to judge?
"Good evening," he said. "I am here on behalf of the Regents, bearing both happy news and sad news. Allow me to begin with the sad news. As of earlier today, Genevieve Harlowe has been removed as headmistress of Hades Academy."
The announcement received all the gasps, oohs, and aahhs that you'd expect. A true drop the mic moment on the senator's part; you had to hand it to him.
The senator waited for the crowd to quiet back down before continuing. "The Regents received evidence that Genevieve Harlowe was involved in an active sabotage of the school, laying the groundwork to invite Chaos into its halls. And while she still must be judged by a jury of her peers, the evidence on hand at the moment was enough that action had to be taken. I'm sorry that I'm the one to have to tell you this, as Genevieve and I were, of course, close friends. But, as I said, along with this sad news comes happy news. In every death, there is a new beginning."
The motherfucker was sounding an awful lot like a tarot card.
"I am pleased to announce that, effective immediately, Professor Wilder Frost will assume the role of headmaster and take on the title of Dean."
This time the oohhs and aahhs were even louder. There were even a few "what the fuck"s and "holy shit"s. Morgan squeezed my hand and muttered a dramatic “Oh my Gods.”
The faculty members looked even more shocked than the students, and honestly, I didn't blame them. How did this young dude in his first year of being a prof
essor suddenly stroll right on into the position without any opposition? Did he even have tenure?
"Please, please, settle down," Senator Flauros said gently, though I could tell he seemed annoyed at the oversized reaction. "I, along with the Regents, have the utmost confidence that Dean Frost will perform his duties ably and with extreme ability. Hades Academy, I assure you, will be safe under his watch. So without further ado, here he is to address you for the first time as the head of Hades Academy.”
Nobody knew how to react. Applause? Cheers? Stunned silence? Collectively, they went for a mixture of all three.
I looked over at Raines, who I wasn't at all surprised to see was already looking at me. We gave each other a nod—”we have to get out of here and hatch a plan,” he seemed to be saying to me. I could feel that in my soul.
In all the commotion of Wilder making his way to the altar, sneaking off unnoticed was easy. All eyes were on him.
"Where are you going?" Morgan asked.
"The library," I whispered without hesitation. "Don't worry, I'll be safe."
It didn't take being soul-bound to know that the library was the most likely place Raines would want to meet.
"Good luck," Teddy said. He was shaking with nerves.
For the first time, I realized that maybe Wilder even had something to do with what happened to Teddy last semester. And if that was the case, then boy oh boy, I was gonna make that asshole pay...someday.
I crouched and ran out of the cathedral as quickly as possible.
"Hello students and faculty of Hades Academy," Wilder was saying at the altar. "I know this sudden transition might come as a surprise to many of you, but I'm here to reassure you that—"
I couldn't even bear to listen to any more of his bullshit, so I plugged my ears as I made my way to the exit and out the door.
Raines was still behind me somewhere, but there was no good reason to wait up. Something about actually seeing Wilder up there being introduced lit a fire in me. I trusted Raines knowledge of the school—if anybody could avoid getting caught on their way around here, it was him.
I made it most of the way to the library with very little fanfare. I didn't know Hades Academy as well as Raines, but years of running from the cops had taught me well. And, really, what were the kyrioi but a bunch of glorified demon cops? Getting to my destination required hiding behind the occasional statue of a fire-breathing monster while I waited for a patroller to pass, but I managed to make it this close to the library a cinch.
The library itself was all clear. Kyrioi mostly stayed out of the study spaces, so none of them were likely to nab us there. I made a beeline for the first study room available and took a seat as the world's strangest ferris wheel lifted me into the air.
Get here fast, Raines.
After a few minutes had passed, I started to get worried. He shouldn't have been so far behind. I tried to focus and see if I could feel any emotions coming from him, but I was so stressed and nervous myself that it was hard to tell if any of that was coming from him.
And then I felt a strange burst of anger and adrenaline, followed by an immediate sense of calm. Something was happening with Raines.
A minute later the study room was moving back toward the ground. Raines stepped in sweaty and panting.
"Well," he started, "I made it. I had to knock one of those kyrioi the hell out, but I got here."
"Damn," I said. "Your evil half-brother is liable to expel you from here for something like that. Be careful."
He laughed. "Well, this is unbelievable, isn't it? He's in his mid-20s and somehow he's the new dean? It's almost too bold a move...it'll reek of foul play to anybody with half a brain."
"He's moving through the ranks pretty quickly. At this rate he'll be on some sort of demon 30 under 30 list in no time."
"A what?"
Why did I waste human references on him that he was never going to understand? Guess I just couldn't help myself.
“Nevermind,” I said. “What are we supposed to do about, you know...all this?”
He pulled the lever to send the room back up and then began to pace back and forth as if that would help him figure out an answer appropriate enough for my admittedly gigantic question.
“I can’t believe I trusted him as much as I did,” Raines said.
“You what?” He had me flabbergasted. “As far as I can tell, you never trusted him at all. You were the first one to warn me about him.”
“Oh, I’ve always hated him. I’ve never seen him as a good guy. But a move like this? This must have been something he’s been planning a while. He has to be the one who laid the groundwork to invite Chaos into the school. All to get Dean Harlowe fired and himself appointed in her place.” He gave me a long look. “And you. I don’t know exactly where you fit into his plans, but you’re certainly part of them.”
I shivered. “I’m sure those plans involve killing or otherwise incapacitating me. You know, that kind of thing.”
“Yeah,” he muttered. “Probably.”
“We’re pretty screwed, aren’t we?”
All he could do was nod.
The study room suddenly lurched forward, making another journey back to the ground. Neither of us had pulled the lever—somebody was down there waiting for us, and although neither Raines nor I said anything, I could feel that we both know exactly who it was going to be.
We reached the floor, and the door creaked ominously as in walked—surprise, surprise—Wilder.
“I’m sorry, he said, flashing that grin that at one point I’d found so handsome and charming. “Was my speech too boring for you?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Wilder stepped over and pulled the lever, sending us moving once again. And who would I rather be stuck in a floating study room with than my murderous former professor? Easy answer: absolutely anybody.
“And just like that, the wheel of fortune spins,” Wilder mused. “You have to appreciate the symbolism, don't you? As one carriage rises to the top, another falls to the bottom. It's the cycle of all things, really. And what's the goal of life other than making sure we stay at the top for as long as possible, right?"
"Nice speech," I snapped. "Bet you spent hours practicing that one in front of the mirror, huh. The wheel of fortune? That's the best you've got?"
"Oh, Nova." He stepped forward and took a seat at the table along with Raines and me. "I really do appreciate your wit. And I'm not just saying that. Only the truly intelligent have a wit like yours. It's a sign of good brainpower. Mental quickness and such. We're alike that way, you and I."
"Again, you can cut it with the villain cliches."
I was all out of fucks to give. This wasn't a situation I was going to talk my way out of, so I might as well have as much fun as I could in the meantime.
"Do you really consider me such a villain?" he asked. "Because from my perspective, I haven't done a single thing wrong. Everything I'm doing is for the good of demonkind, often at great personal expense. The very future of our species depends on my work. The future of humankind depends on it too for that matter!"
My intuition was firing danger signals all throughout my body like I'd never felt before. In that moment, I had no doubt that Wilder was planning to kill me—or maybe worse. He was likely my inverse, and by doing me off, he'd now not only be the dean of Hades Academy, but an extra powerful dean at that. But why had he waited so long to get the job done? Why now, when all eyes were on him?
I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. Hell, getting him to talk was really the only trick I had in my bag at the moment. If he stopped talking, that meant it was time for, well, killing. Keeping him talking long enough might buy me and Raines some time. Time for what? Unclear. But that's all we had. And I knew Wilder loved nothing more than the sound of his own voice.
"Enlighten me," Raines demanded. Evidently he had a similar idea. Or got the idea from me through the soul binding. Either way. "How is any of what you're doing good?"
"It comes
down to what I've been saying all along," Wilder said. "We've gotten too soft. Too timid to cause real terror. We teach young demons that we should feel ashamed of what we do. And that's nonsense, as far as I'm concerned. If we keep moving in this direction, balance is going to be lost before we know it. And then? Chaos will overtake everything. That's in nobody's interest. It's going to take a great demon to turn things around and reignite the spark within demonkind. I believe I'm the great demon who’s up to the task. I'll make our species great again, and help keep the threat of Chaos at bay for millenia to come. Simple, really, don't you think?"
“So let me guess,” I started, “all the shit that’s been going down has been your doing, right? That earthquake at the Elysium ball? Possessing Teddy with Chaos to steal the relics?”
“All me,” Wilder said with a braggy note in his voice. “It all played out so well, didn’t it? I had my eye on Teddy from the moment he strolled into this school—so naive and pure of heart. He was the perfect conduit to bring a small seed of Chaos into the school. Not enough Chaos to do any tremendous damage, mind you, but enough to put the Regents on edge. And precious relics going missing—that really freaked them out, too. From there, it was only a matter of convincing them that Harlowe was a traitor and that I, as her replacement, would remain vigilant in keeping Hades Academy safe. Which I will.”
And now it was time for me to drop the biggest question of them all. “Got it. So what does killing me have to do with all this? I’m not quite getting that part yet.”
Wilder sighed heavily. “The sad thing, Nova, is that you were always more valuable to me alive than dead. Killing you was always supposed to be my very last resort, but unfortunately you’ve exhausted my other options.”
I rolled my eyes. No harm being sassy. “So talk.”
“We really hit it off last semester, didn’t we? The flirting, the slow dancing at the ball, the sexual tension during your exetasis sessions. You were smitten with me, Nova. Now don’t get me wrong, you’re beautiful, but thinking back on all that, don’t you realize how ridiculous it would be for me to get into an actual romantic relationship with you? I was your professor! All of that was meaningless. Early on, upon your arrival here, my intuition told me we were eerily similar.”