Of Water and Moonlight (Thunderbird Academy Book 1)

by Valia Lind

  "We should—" he begins, before he stops abruptly. I glance over at him and find his face in profile, staring at something I can't even imagine seeing.

  "A—" I begin, but he places a finger to my lips, stopping the word in its tracks. Then, before I can figure out what's going on, he leans in, his mouth at my ear, sending a whole new batch of goosebumps up my arm.

  "It's here."

  My own body goes on high alert right before something slams into the structure. I yelp involuntarily, sliding back against Aiden as his arms come around me once more. He stands, lifting me in the process since I'm still pressed against him. He sets me on my feet but doesn't let go. Something slams against the opposite wall, but this time, I don't yell. I'm getting those sea legs back, as dad likes to say. I wanted to be brave, well it's about time I start acting like it.

  "Can it get in?"

  "I don't know, Maddie," he replies, right against my ear. "None of this is exactly playing by the rules."

  I nod against him, placing my hand over where his is resting on my stomach. He tilts his hand, trapping mine under his when the building around us shudders. Twisting around, I try to pinpoint where the attack is coming from, but it seems to be coming from everywhere. When the hit comes again, the walls around us shudder, and I realize we are no longer safe.

  "Aiden."

  "I know."

  "I don't know any protection spells," I mumble, feeling completely useless.

  "It's okay. We need to move."

  He reaches for my hand, giving it a firm squeeze as he glances down at me. I can't make out his look completely, but I can feel the determination rushing through his body and my own rises up to match his. Maybe this is the moment when we put all our bickering in the past and become something other than frenemies, but there's no time to get into it. I give him a firm nod before I let my battle magic unfurl within me. It seems to light me up from inside, the electricity zinging my fingertips. It might not be much, but this is one thing I can do.

  "Ready," I say, and I swear he grins, right before he turns and sprints for the door. There's a slight pause, a moment of silence, and then he yanks it open. We race outside into the darkness, my dress tangling around my legs. I almost faceplant on the ground before he catches me, pulling me up. I reach for the dress, yanking the hem up, but that second of hesitation on our part cost us. Something slams right into Aiden, ripping him away from me.

  "Aiden!" I scream, fear gripping me and making my blood run ice cold. My magic rises up as I search for moisture all around me. When I find it, I raise my hands, and with them the water, before I blast it in all directions. The moment it makes impact with something, I race toward the sound. There's a grunt as I get closer, and I realize Aiden is fighting something. I can't blast the attacker with any kind of battle magic without putting Aiden at risk, so I do the only thing I can. I throw my body completely at them. My shoulder slams into something solid, and I kick out the way Aiden taught me. The impact sends both their bodies in different directions, and I land hard, wind knocked out of me. The sense of danger doesn't go away but becomes heavier by the second. I sit up, trying to orient myself, but there's nothing but a sheet of black all around me. Aiden grunts again, and I twist around, zeroing on the sound before I blast my battle magic in the opposite direction, away from him. There's another yelp and then Aiden's arms are under my armpits, pulling me up.

  Battle magic is tricky for someone with water magic. In theory, the stronger I get, the more likely I will be to summon whole rivers of water to protect myself with, along with the standard attacks. Right now, I do nothing more than push the attacker a few feet back. But it gives us enough time. Aiden is once again pulling me behind him, and I do my best to keep up. My body is exhausted from the running and the fear, but I can't give up now. The huge building towers over us in the next minute, the stairs just yards away. Aiden doesn't slow down.

  When we finally race through the front doors, they open with surprising ease before we fall inside and shut them behind us. Just as the sound of the slamming fades, the lights flicker on.

  I'm on my hands and knees, breathing heavily, when Aiden's hand lands on my face, raising it to his.

  "Are you okay?" he asks as his eyes roam over every inch of me. He looks like he's been through a battle. His clothes are torn up, exposing one of his shoulders, and his skin is marred by dirt. He's still the handsomest guy I've ever seen, and at first, I can't find the words. There's an intensity in his gaze that makes my eyes swim with unshed tears, and I don't even know what I'm trying not to cry about. But he sees the change in me, and so he does a very peculiar thing. He pulls me right into his arms, holding me close against his chest.

  I don't hesitate to wrap my arms around his middle, burying myself in him. What we just went through, the almost certain death we almost came face to face with, I wouldn't have made it without Aiden. Without a second thought to how embarrassing I'm acting, I cling to him and he seems to hold onto me just as hard.

  The noise of the academy coming to live around us is what finally pulls us apart. He seems to realize our position, letting go and getting to his feet in one swift motion. He reaches down to help me up, and when I place my hand in his, my whole body seems to sparkle. I drop it quickly, taking a step back as I try to smooth my dress out.

  When I finally look up, his eyes are on me as he drinks me in. I have no idea what I look like, but I know my hair is a mess, and my dress is ripped in a few places. I wonder what he sees when he looks at me. There's heat in his gaze that warms me from the inside out. I'm almost afraid to breathe, if only to hold onto this moment for a little while longer.

  A few shouts come from somewhere in the building before an announcement blares across the empty foyer.

  "The academy is once again secure. Please return to your rooms and wait for further instructions."

  It repeats another two times, but Aiden hasn't taken his eyes off me. It's like we're in our own little bubble, and a huge part of me just wants to get right back into his arms again. Maybe I move toward him, or maybe he sees my thoughts written all over my face, but suddenly a shudder comes over him, and he's back to the cocky shifter I've come to know.

  "We should really go over your self-defense moves," he says out of nowhere. "You've got some work to do."

  For a moment, I'm speechless. But then that familiar anger at being treated like I'm on a different level than him returns, and I'm ready for battle.

  "Is now really the time to get into this?" I ask, my hands on my hips. I'm not sure what I'm expecting, but I feel incredibly exposed standing in the middle of an empty room with only this flimsy green dress as the armor between us. I thought maybe we reached some new understanding, but it's like he's back to the detached instructor versus the caring... whatever he was outside of these walls.

  "Sure, why not? Or are you so eager to get back to your date?" The way he says date is almost like he's spitting the word out. I'm having a difficult time following his train of thought.

  "Do you have a problem with my date?" I ask, not backing down. That's something I'm never going to do when it comes to Aiden. I may be terrified of whatever monsters are hunting us, but I will not allow myself to be afraid of Aiden. If he wants to fight, then I will give as good as I get. I think I proved tonight that I'm not as fragile as I thought I was.

  "No, if you like those kinds of guys."

  "And what kind is that?"

  "Soft."

  "What you mean to say is nice and kind and who treat me with respect," I snap, not even bothering to hide my annoyance. Who is he to say what kind of guys I like? And who does he think he is to make Noel seem less than he is?

  "I see you've got a real attachment to that one." He smirks, and I fight the urge to use some of those combat lessons on him.

  "He's my friend, Aiden. Something you wouldn't know anything about."

  I spin on my heels, ready to be done with this conversation. I need to make sure my friends are safe, and that I don't
end up in trouble either. I've already wasted too much time.

  "Whatever you say, Duchess."

  "What is your problem?" I spin to face him, not realizing he followed me. I almost collide with his body but catch myself at the last moment. The memory of him pressed against me just a few moments ago is imprinted on me forever, and I try to keep my body from responding to his proximity. "Why do you treat me like I'm some plague of your existence? I'm not some doll to play around with. I deserve respect, not this strange hatred you seem to be carrying for me."

  "Is that what you think I'm doing?" He seems genuinely taken back by my outburst. "I could never..."

  I wait for him to continue, and it's as if he's struggling with something within himself. I see the battle in his eyes, and I almost reach out. But he doesn't speak, and it seems to bring him almost physical pain.

  "Can't we be friends?" I whisper, my heart in my throat. His eyes flash with heat, before they're cold once more.

  "We can never be friends," he says, his voice low and those five words hit me straight in my gut. I think I would double over if I was alone, but instead, I hold onto whatever is left of my pride.

  "Well, now that we've settled that," I say, and this time when I turn to leave, he doesn't stop me.

  17

  When I reach my hallway, everyone is out of their rooms, completely ignoring the instructions. I hear my name being called before Jade pushes through the crowd, throwing her arms around me. She holds me tighter than ever, and I hug her back just as hard. My emotions are all over the place and while I didn't cry when I left Aiden, I still want to.

  "Where did you go? We were so worried. I was terrified actually. What happened?" She pulls back, giving me a quick study as she gasps. "Seriously, what happened?"

  Over her shoulder, I see the rest of our friend group move toward, and I give them a reassuring smile.

  "I got stuck outside. Had to fight some invisible monster."

  "By yourself?" Christy exclaims.

  "Aiden was there." I shake my head, and I feel Jade's hand tighten on my arm. Before anyone can say anything else, the booming announcement sounds once again, this time ordering us to our rooms for the night.

  "The initial lockdown is initiated for the night. Return to your rooms now."

  It makes sense they're taking extra precautions now, but it doesn't make me feel any better. Everyone starts dispersing as Noel takes a step toward me.

  "I'm so sorry. I never should've left you."

  "You didn't," I remind him, giving his arm a quick squeeze. "I left to get the water and glass out of the room. That's on me."

  He looks so contrite; I have the sudden urge to hug him. But something stops me. Maybe it's the memory of another boy holding me close just a little while ago.

  "I'm okay, I promise."

  He nods, and then he and Caleb leave for their side of the academy. Jade and I give the girls a quick goodbye wave, and then hand in hand, we hurry to our own room. The moment the door shuts behind us, Jade is pulling me toward the bathroom.

  "Here, you can clean up while you tell me everything."

  I glance at myself in the mirror, almost not recognizing the image staring back at me. My hair is matted and dirty, the bobby pins all but fallen out, just a few still holding on to dear life in my locks. My skin is marred by sweat and dirt, and my dress is completely ruined by the stains. One sleeve is barely there, ripped in half and falling halfway down my arm.

  "Wow, I do look a little rough around the edges." I smile, but instead of playing along, Jade grabs my arm, squeezing it tightly.

  "I was so scared, Maddie. We had no idea where you went and then they had to basically barricade us in some of the classrooms. There was this awful screeching noise that wouldn't let up for like ten minutes straight and some kind of thing kept banging into the building, making it shake. What is happening to this school?"

  Tears are falling freely down Jade's face, and it's my turn to reach out to her, folding her into my arms. She may be one of the strongest people I've met, but tonight really got to her. And I can't fault her for that. Tonight really got to me too.

  "It'll be okay, Jade. Somehow, someway it'll be okay. We have to believe that."

  She clings to me for a little while longer, and I realize this is what my sisters would do. They'd hold me and tell me everything will be alright. Just then and there, I miss them so terribly it hurts. I miss my whole family, and I wish they were here to help me figure this out.

  "Okay." Jade pulls back, wiping at her eyes. "Please tell me what happened."

  And just like that, she's back to her curious self, and so I do what she asks. But first, I take a shower.

  When I'm finally finished with my recap, we're sitting on our beds, in our pajamas, facing each other. My hair is still damp, so I braid it down my back.

  "That must've been scary," Jade finally comments as I finish my braid and we both get under the covers. I reach for the light, turning it off, and the room is plunged into darkness.

  "It was," I say, because it’s easier to admit my weaknesses when she can't see me. "I thought I'd be better at conflict. But I guess all those rumors about me being a hero are exaggerated."

  "Don't say that, Maddie," Jade replies, and even though I can't see her, I know she must be giving me one of her stern looks. "You came out on top tonight. You fought when it counted."

  "Aiden helped," I admit grudgingly. "He more than helped."

  "I think you give yourself less credit than you deserve."

  "I just don't understand him, Jade," I huff, my thoughts once more on the strange way we left things, on how he did a complete one-eighty once we were inside these walls.

  "He's a boy, I can't say I can help you on that one."

  "He just gets under my skin so much," I say, my hands over my face. "I can't seem to find my footing when I'm around him."

  Jade doesn't reply right away, and I wonder what she's thinking. When she finally does speak up, she takes me by surprise.

  "Do you think maybe you have feelings for Aiden?" Jade asks, tentatively.

  "Pfft. Yes. Feelings of annoyance and frustration and..."

  "Maddie, I'm serious." I hear her sheets ruffle, and glance over in time to see her flicker on her bedside lamp. She's laying on her side, her eyes intently on mine. "You and him, you're more attuned to each other than anyone I've ever met. I know you have this rivalry going."

  "Yes, he likes to push my buttons." I turn on my side, resigned to this conversation.

  "He likes to push you. To be better. To be stronger. You'd have to be blind not to see it."

  "Jade, you'd have to be a lot of things to think he cares about me at all." But even I'm not sure about that anymore. I remember the way he looked at me in my dress, the way his touch seared me right through. How he protected me without a second of hesitation. How he held me after we were safe. And how quickly all of that went away.

  "He said we can never be friends, Jade. I think that sums up our relationship nicely."

  I try not to show how much that still stings me, but it's difficult to push away the hurt. I thought we reached a new level in our partnership. I can't even call it a relationship, because that suggests a level of intimacy between two people. Yes, tonight we were on that level. But he shattered my every notion about us when he told me we could never be friends.

  "Maybe he has his reasons," Jade draws my attention back to her. "We can't know what he's thinking. Or feeling. But I can tell you one thing, he's feeling something. And it's not hatred."

  She lays back down then, turning the lamp back off, and I let her words settle over me as I stare up at the ceiling. I try not to let the hope blossom, but a big part of me wants to believe that Aiden and I are more than two people who were assigned to each other.

  Jade might be right in her assessment of me. But I'm not quite ready to admit it to myself.

  The next two days are spent in our rooms. We are only allowed out for meals before we're sent ba
ck to the rooms. It's a long and boring weekend, but at least Jade and I catch up on our homework.

  When Monday morning comes, it's as if nothing happened. Everyone gets up, gets dressed, and goes to breakfast. There is an undertone of hushed whispers, but no one is saying anything outright. The whole school has been cleaned up as if the dance never happened. That includes all the broken glass. The dining room is in pristine condition as well, and for a second, I wonder if I made the whole thing up. Maybe it was just a crazy dream. But then I glance down at my left hand and find the few scratches I discovered yesterday, which brings up the memory of Aiden pressed against my body. I know I didn't make that up.

  "Good morning!" Christy calls out as chipper as ever. Today she has on a bright pink polo shirt and a kilted skirt, completing her preppy schoolgirl persona. I've wondered before why Thunderbird Academy doesn't require uniforms, but I'm not about to ask and stir the pot. I like the fact that I can wear my dark t-shirts and jeans year-round.

  "How are you doing?" Noel asks as I take a seat beside him. His eyes are intensely on mine, and I can see that he still feels guilty about Friday night.

  "I'm peachy keen." I reply, giving him a bright smile. Well, as bright as I can muster. My attention roams over the room, and I realize I'm looking for Aiden. Forcing myself to focus on my friends, I catch Jade's knowing smile, and I shake my head at her.

  "I know no one is talking about it, but can we talk about it," Christy mock whispers, leaning in. Vera nods her head beside her. Today the shifter has on a long, dark blue dress that has pockets in the front, with a scarf wrapped elegantly around her shoulders. She always looks so put together. I take a swig of my orange juice before I notice that they're all staring at me.

  "I don't know what you want me to say."

  "We heard you came face to face with one of them monsters," Christy comments, her voice sounding more southern than I've heard before. It's true that the accent comes out more fully when the person gets excited.