I pull Jacinta behind me and do my best to keep her protected from him. I run towards him at full speed, pulling my trusty training dagger from its spot on my muddied uniform and launch myself at the fairy man. “Where’s your wand?” I ask as my body collides with his.
“I don’t want to hear one word about this when this trial is over,” he says, darting back to avoid my dagger slicing towards him.
“I can’t promise that,” I tell him.
We fight hard and fast and I know he can tell I’m exhausted, but I see the pride in his eyes that I’ve gotten this far. “Come on, baby. You’re the only one who has made it this far and you still have time. Finish this,” he encourages.
Wow, I’m the only one who has gotten this far? That news is enough to spur me on and I fight back with more enthusiasm. “There you go,” he grins. “Don’t you dare give up.”
I push myself harder and harder. I feel the sweat dripping down my back, but I refuse to give in. Rylan’s fairy ass is mine.
I kick harder and give it every last ounce of my strength, hoping I’ve got enough energy left in me to get up that rope. Rylan kicks me back and raises his arm to deliver another blow when I finally see my opening. He’s too far away for me to reach with my small arms so I rear back and fling my dagger forward. It sails quickly through the air and hits Rylan right in the chest, taking his fairy ass out.
He grins at me and instantly steps back, allowing me and Jacinta to pass, though he doesn’t disappear like the rest of the attackers did, he stays by to watch the show up close and personal.
I step up to the rope, trying to figure out how in the hell I’m going to do this. Then sigh as I see only one possible way. I crouch down and tell Jacinta to climb on like a piggy back ride. “Lock your legs around me and don’t move a muscle. We’ve only got one shot at this and it will hurt if you fall.”
“Ok,” she says quietly, letting me concentrate and sucking in a breath, probably hoping it makes her somewhat lighter. With her firmly on my back and not moving, I put my hands on the rope and look up. Christ. This is going to be hard, but no better time like the present.
I start my climb and the first few meters are ok, but then my arms start giving in. I use my legs to help push me up, but it’s so damn hard. I keep going and a tear begins to fall down my cheek from the pain. “Come on,” Jacinta whispers in my ear. “Only a little bit left to go.”
I pause for a second to allow myself a deep breath and re-focus. This is mine. I pull myself higher and higher up the rope, sure that my palms are probably bleeding by now. Only two meters to go. I make it another half meter before my hand starts slipping and we slowly begin sliding back down the rope.
“Come on, Bianca,” I hear Rylan’s instructor voice demand from below me. “Get your ass up that rope and ring that damn bell.”
I squeeze my hands on the rope and stop our fall. I can do this. Rylan believes in me, Jacinta believes in me, hell, even I do. My feet push up as my hands continue climbing, I’m nearly there, just a bit more to go.
I hear the crowd beginning to chant my name and I refuse to let them down. Only two more hand holds and I’ll be there. My arms are dead and my muscles are straining. I know my body is not going to forgive me easily for this. I get one hand up and sigh in relief. Just one more.
I push myself to the top and finally make it. “You better ring that damn bell before I fall,” I tell Jacinta, who instantly unlatches her arm from around me and rings the bell which sounds like absolute music to my ears.
Holy shit. I did it. The crowd is going absolutely nuts and confetti is shot out of cannons. Wow.
Now, the new challenge. How the hell am I getting us both down without hurting us? I look down and see Rylan standing below us. “Can you catch her?” I ask. He gives me a nod and I turn around as best I can to face Jacinta. “You’ve got to jump before my arms fall off,” I beg.
She looks down in fear, but does as she’s told. My body sags in relief with her finally off me. Rylan easily plucks her out of the sky and places her on her feet then looks back up at me.
My turn. I close my eyes and let myself free fall to the ground. At this stage, I don’t even care if he’s there to catch me only that it’s over. I land in his strong arms and he helps me to the ground, where my knees promptly give out and I collapse to the floor.
Rylan looks down at me in shock and picks me up, carrying me back across the field, most likely to the first aid station, but I don’t know as I pass out in his arms.
Chapter 13
I wake a few hours later to a flurry of noise in my room. Wait. My room? How did I get here?
I sit up in bed with a killer headache and rub a hand against my eyes.
“Here, darling,” Mom says, sitting down on the edge of my bed and handing me a drink with some pain killers.
“Thanks,” I grumble as taking them from her, the weight of the glass of water in my arm almost too much for my sore muscles to bear. “What’s going on?”
“I wanted to be here when you woke up. You did amazing, Bianca. You beat every record the Academy has ever made and in sixteen minutes,” she says with pride as she reaches out and squeezes my shoulder, making me cringe at her touch. “Oh, sorry baby. You must be so sore.”
I give her a small nod. “My whole body is aching,” I tell her with heavy eyes, desperately wanting to go back to sleep.
Millie pops down on the bed beside me. “What are you wearing to the party?”
“Huh?” I ask, making an extremely unattractive face.
“The graduation party,” she says as if I should already know. “You’ll find out your ranking, get a certificate, and dance all night. Any of this ringing a bell?”
“Uh… not really. I know it should though,” I tell her. “But there’s no way I’m going. I doubt I could even stand up for long after lugging Jacinta fat ass up that rope,” I say.
“Watch your language,” Mom scolds as Jacinta calls out that I’m going to pay for that comment.
“I need to pee,” I announce so everyone will get off my bed and out of my way. Mom helps me to my feet and I groan as the ground feels like knives against my skin. Mom and Millie both attempt to walk me into the bathroom, but I stop them there. “Seriously?” I ask. “I think I can handle it from here,” I say before closing the door and going about my business.
I stand in front of the mirror taking in my body and noticing the red rope burns covering my arms. I pull up my tank, a tank I don’t remember getting dressed into and take a good study of my body. There are bruises covering my whole torso. Just great.
I slowly drag myself out of the bathroom and make my way back to bed. “What happened after I passed out?” I ask anyone who will listen.
“Oh my god,” Jacinta grins as she falls into my bed right beside me, making me flinch in pain. “It was the sweetest thing. Rylan put you on the first aid table and Dr. Mandoza started checking you out straight away, but then everyone started rushing to get to you, like people you don’t even know, and Rylan was getting really frustrated,” she says then pauses to take a deep breath. “Daniel and Trey and a few other guys from your class were all making this barrier type thing and trying to keep everyone away. Even Brett Norrington was there, and eventually Rylan got so annoyed with them all he yelled at everyone and they all freaked out, then he carried you away like your knight in shining armour, except he was a fairy knight in pretty wings,” she grins.
“Wow,” I laugh. “I would have paid to see Rylan lose his cool like that. I can just imagine how terrifying he was.”
“Oh, Honey, it was,” Mom says. “He wasn’t even saying it to me, but I was still a little scared of the man. I think it was more impressive how he carried you the whole way up here from the back field.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” I scoff. “After everything I’ve just been through, you're impressed by that?”
“Mmhmm,” she murmurs with a dreamy smile. “I could use a man like that.”
; “Mom”, I groan. “Would you stop. It’s weird.”
“Sorry, can’t help it,” she laughs as Millie comes and squishes herself between me and Jacinta.
Millie looks up at me with sad eyes. “So, you’re really not going to the party?” she asks. “The families are allowed to go and Mom and I were going to watch you graduate.”
“Really?” I ask. “You guys were going to go?”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Mom says, leaning forward and squeezing my knee.
“Fine, but you guys will have to help me get ready. And don’t expect me to be the life of the party. I’m probably just going to sit in the corner sulking about how sore I am,” I tell them.
“That’s ok with us,” Jacinta grins, hopping up from the couch and getting stuck into my wardrobe. “Millie, you grab the brush. Oh, actually, maybe you should shower first. You kind of stink.”
“Fine,” I groan, getting up and waddling back into the bathroom while Mom convinces Millie that they should go and get themselves ready.
An hour later, Jacinta manages to work wonders on me, even though I hated not being able to do it all myself. The hot shower managed to take some of the pain out of my arms and a good stretch helped a million times more while I waited for Jacinta to finish my hair. Don’t get me wrong, I still ache everywhere, but at least I can stand without falling down.
She thrusts a pair of heels my way and I cringe knowing my feet are going to kill in them, but they’re going to finish off my outfit perfectly. I grab them with a sigh and slip my feet into them, hoping she doesn’t want me to dance tonight.
We’re about to leave when a knock sounds at our window. Jacinta floats across the room and rips open the curtain to find Trey and Daniel.
“Well, hello handsome,” Jacinta smiles, leaning out the window and giving Trey a kiss. “What are you doing here? We were just about to leave.”
“Well, Millie texted and said you guys might need a lift,” Daniel smirks as they each turn their backs on us. “Hop on ladies, your chariots await.”
“Oh, thank god,” I sigh, climbing out the window and onto Daniel’s back for a piggy back ride. I know I’m eighteen, but no girl is ever too young for a piggy back ride, and I honestly don’t care how childish I look. I need this shit.
The boys take us right to the door of the grand hall with me and Jacinta giggling the whole way. We slide down to our feet and I step into the room, looking around the hall in awe. I have never seen a place decked out so nice before, it looks fit for a Queens.
The place is packed, there are council members, the whole senior year is here and then there are even more of our families, people linger and dance around the room, the punch is getting spiked and music is blasting.
I walk around the room until I come across a table with my name on the place card, pleased to find all my friends are sitting among me which means either the teachers finally pulled their fingers out and did a proper seating chart or the boys broke in here earlier and switched it all around…. I go with the second option.
I flop down into my chair and watch as my friends take off into the room, wondering how the boys still have energy left to party. I spot Rylan across the room who gives me a proud smile and raises his glass to me. I can’t wipe the grin off my face, in just a few hours the graduation party will be over and Rylan and I will be free to be together.
I can’t freaking wait.
He makes his way across the room and casually sits down at the table, making sure not to touch me. “How are you feeling?” he asks.
“Honestly? I bet burning in hell doesn’t feel nearly as bad I do right now,” I tell him, putting my elbow up on the table and propping myself up against it.
He cringes at my obvious discomfort and I know he wants nothing more than to take away my pain. “You did amazing,” he murmurs as his eyes land on mine, absolutely filled with emotion.
“Thanks,” I smile. “I can’t believe I actually finished it. You know, if you weren’t there at the end, I might not have made it.”
“You would have,” he says. “You’re not the type to get so close to something only to give up.”
“Yeah, I guess you’d know that better than anyone,” I grin.
“Too right, I do,” he smiles. “You really enjoyed kicking Tessa’s ass,” he comments.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You broke her nose.”
“Shit,” I gasp, sitting up straight in my chair. “I didn’t mean to actually hurt her.” Crap. The whole crowd saw that, not to mention, Mom videoed it on Jacinta’s phone. Great. Just great.
“Don’t worry. It’s not the first and it won’t be the last. We all know the risks involved before we volunteer.”
“So, you guys all volunteered?”
“Yes and no. The academy instructors had no choice, but the rest of the guys did.”
“Oh, some of those guys kind of sucked,” I murmur quietly to him.
“No,” he laughs. “They were some of our best fighters and you took them out like they were yesterday’s trash. You’re just that good.”
“Yeah, thanks to your incredible training,” I grin.
“Hey,” Ben gasps in mock outrage, suddenly standing between our chairs. “I hope I deserve a little of the credit?”
“You sure do,” I say as he takes the seat on my other side. I gasp when I notice a big bruise coming out on his face. “What happened to you?”
“What? This?” he asks pointing to the bruise. I give him a quick nod and he grins across the room, indicating with a nod of his head towards a certain friend of mine. “I’ve got Daniel to thank for this.”
“And you?” I ask, turning towards Rylan. “Anyone manage to injure the great Rylan Neill?”
“Pft, no,” he scoffs. “I’m too quick for you kids.”
“Oh geez,” I groan with a roll of my eyes. “You weren’t too quick for my dagger,” I boast.
His smart ass response is cut off when Ben suddenly stands beside me. “This must be your sister,” he says as Mille and Mom appear at the top of the table.
“Oh yeah,” I say, not bothering to stand up for introductions. “This is Millie,” I start.
“Yes, I know Millie,” he says with a flirty smirk. “I meant the beautiful woman on Millie’s arm.”
“Sweet baby, Jesus,” I groan as Rylan smirks in enjoyment. “Ben, this is my mother, Gabrielle,” I say, feeling oddly grossed out. Ben walks around the table and offers her his hand. She places her hand in his and he slowly raises it to his lips and places a gentle kiss on her hand as if they’re in a Jane Austin novel. “Ugh, Is this really happening?”
Mom winks down at me, earning herself a wicked grin from Rylan. “Would you care for a dance?” Ben asks her.
“It would be my pleasure,” she replies before he leads her away onto the dance floor.
I look up at Millie who stands there gaping after them, much in the same way I’m doing. “I think Mom’s just found herself a new boyfriend,” Millie says in confusion. “How? I mean, but… Ewwww.”
“What’s Ewww?” Robbie, Millie’s boyfriend asks, coming up and slipping his arms around her waist, making Rylan’s eyebrow arch in a warning. He takes one step away from her and drops his arm.
“Mom’s flirting with Ben,” she tells him.
“Oh,” he laughs before turning on me. “You did really great today,” he says nervously, before grabbing Millie’s hand and leading her away.
Spotting Jacinta coming over with two glasses in her hand, Rylan gets up and steps right behind my chair then leans down to my ear. “You look stunning,” he says and presses a discreet kiss to my cheek before taking off.
“Oh, God,” Jacinta says, placing the glasses down on the table. “Whatever he just said to you looked so hot,” she grins, pretending to fan herself. I give her a stern look as she sits down beside me. “You sure you don’t want to come and dance?”
“Nah,” I smile. “I’m actually having a g
ood time here.”
“You’re a liar, but ok,” she grins.
“I don’t know how the boys are doing it?” I say looking over to them still dancing around like fools.
“Oh, trust me,” she grins. “They had a few drinks before they came, but I can tell they’re crashing fast.”
I watch them a little more closely and realize Jacinta is right, under their fake smiles, they look exhausted. “I feel bad for them now. Go make them come and sit down,” I order her.
With a roll of her eyes, she gets up and does what she is told. A few moments later they crash into their chairs with Nora following behind, falling into the spot next to Daniel.
We chat among ourselves until the show finally gets started. The music is turned down, the colorful flashing lights are turned off and everyone begins moving around the room, searching out their tables. A spot light is cast towards the podium and a few moments later Ms. Peterson shows her annoying face and introduces Brett Norrington to the room.
He comes up on stage looking as much as a leader as he should. He dominates the stage drawing in his crowd and this is before he has even said a word. “Welcome, Friends, family and most of all, our graduates.” The audience begins an applause before he has even said anything worth clapping for.
He gives a spiel how great it is to be there and how rewarding the graduates with their diplomas in the best part of his job, he then goes on to welcome us all as full Members of The Guard, gaining himself another round of applause. I like Brett as much as the next person, in fact, I probably like him a whole lot more but seriously, it’s been a long ass day. I just want the results.
Another ten minutes later, he finally gets to the good stuff. He calls the students from the vampire studies class forward and presents them all with their diplomas and at the end, announces their final rankings. With another applause, those students leave the stage. Yay for them. Next.
Alchemy is up next followed by werewolf studies, and finally FEDS. Jacinta walks up to the stage with Nora and I grin when I see them supportively holding each other’s hand. It’s nice to see that after such an awful beginning, they’ve started to become really great friends.
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