by M Guida
I went to get the angel lore book, but Lucien jerked away. “No.”
“I have to keep looking.”
“No, you don’t. When was the last time you ate?”
“I don’t know. I’m not hungry.”
But my stomach wouldn’t lie and grumbled.
Lucien stood and held out his hand. “Come on.”
“Lucien, I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Let the team help. We’re in this together.”
I wanted to argue, but he was right. The words in the book were turning blurry, and I could barely keep my eyes open. I turned in the restricted books back into Professor Hobbs and checked out a couple of other ones. On a whim, I asked her for a constellation book.
“You’re not going to stay up all night looking at constellations, are you?”
“No.” I was going out tonight whether he liked it or not.
Lucien insisted on carrying my backpack. I wanted to argue, but the books had started to weigh a ton. My back and neck hurt from leaning over them for hours.
When we came outside, the sun had already set, and the clouds had turned gray. The cafeteria was almost empty. The smell of simmering beef stew made my mouth water. I grabbed two big fluffy biscuits and poured the stew over them. I couldn’t resist a big piece of cherry pie a la mode.
“Yeah right, you weren’t hungry,” Lucien teased. His plate was full as well, but he had gotten a thick steak and French fries.
“Okay, okay, I lied.”
We went back to the Royal table. Bo was there.
Lucien put down his tray. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard what happened today.” He pulled out my chair. “Raven, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I scanned the cafeteria. “Where’s Heath?”
Bo sat back down. “He’s not my keeper.”
“Could have fooled me,” Lucien said as he cut his steak.
Bo glared but didn’t answer. “I ran into Xavier, and he told me about the prophesy and that you’re looking for history books.”
Lucien picked up a French fry. “And your dad would jump at the chance to help us?”
The tension between them went up a notch.
“Hey, I just want to eat my dinner. Not watch you guys getting into a testosterone fight.”
Lucien and Bo glanced at each other. Lucien shrugged and went back to cutting up his steak, and I concentrated on my stew.
Bo got up and scooted his chair back in. “Well, I just wanted to check on you guys and make sure you were all right.”
But he wasn’t looking at Lucien. He was looking at me.
“Thanks for checking,” I said.
“Anytime.”
Lucien dipped his French fry into some ketchup and stirred it around.
Bo quietly left.
“You’re still mad at him.”
Lucien shrugged and swallowed two more fries. “I don’t like people who hurt you.” His soft voice lit a smoldering fire in my belly.
“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
The intensity of his gaze burned me. “That doesn’t mean you don’t get hurt.”
I took a bite of my pie, trying to keep my mouth occupied, but all I wanted to do was taste him again instead of cherries. His protectiveness and loyalty made me want to kiss him one more time, but kissing wasn’t on the agenda.
Not yet, anyway.
Chapter 23
After dinner, Lucien walked me to my dorm and handed me my backpack. He lifted my chin. “Promise me you’ll get some rest and not go stargazing.”
“I promise.”
“Uh, huh.” He kissed me, and his taste was better than any cherry pie. “I’ll see you later.”
Lucien didn’t care if he openly kissed me, even though we weren’t supposed to be together. I felt like we were caught up in a modern Romeo and Juliet story, but hopefully we didn’t end up like them.
When I got to my room, Mina took one look at me and gasped. “Oh God, Raven, you look terrible.”
I tossed my bag at the edge of my bed. “Thanks a lot.”
“It’s all over the school about you and Lucien sealing the magical gateways. Really took a lot out of you, huh?”
“Among other things.”
She gave me a small smile. “Let me guess. Bo and Heath.”
I nodded and flopped on my bed. “I’m so tired.”
“Okay, well, I’m just going to read for a little bit. Don’t you want to put on your pajamas?”
I snuggled into my pillow. “I will.”
But the next minute, I was out. I woke with a start but didn’t know why. Moonlight streamed through the window, and Mina was fast asleep. A shadow swept past, and I froze.
I was about to scream when Lucien peeked into my window.
“Shit,” I whispered.
I hurried over and opened it. He flapped his gold wings and hovered.
“What are you doing?”
“Waiting for you.” He gestured toward the sky. “I thought you’d already be out here, looking at the stars.”
“Wait here.” I grabbed the constellation book out of my backpack and then climbed out onto the windowsill.
“This isn’t going to work.” He pulled me into his arms.
Cool air rushed over me, and his hair tickled my face. “Lucien!”
“Shhh!” He flew up to the top of the roof and sat me down.
I folded my arms. “I could have flown.”
He closed his wings and sat next to me. “We didn’t have time for you to shift into a dragon.” He smiled. “But maybe I should have let you.”
My cheeks burned, and I opened the book. “Shouldn’t we start looking at the constellations?”
He brushed my hair behind my ear and planted kisses on my neck. “You’re such a killjoy.”
I nearly lost all ability to breathe and had to force myself to pull away, trying to ignore a need and a demanding hunger brewing in my gut. “Will you stop?”
“Okay, what are we looking for?”
I closed the book. “I wish I knew, but I have a feeling the constellations your ancestor was talking about aren’t the ones in this book.”
“Maybe we should start with the North Star. That always seems to be what all the constellations are based on.”
“What are you two doing on this moonlit night?”
We both whirled around, and I slipped, but Lucien caught me.
Anton stood behind us, his eyes glowing red.
“Shit, Anton.” I put my hand on my thundering heart. “You scared the life out of us.”
“Once again, what are you two doing on the roof?”
Lucien grinned. “Will you believe stargazing?”
“No.”
I handed Anton the book. “Actually, it’s true. We found something and thought the missing word was ‘constellation.’”
“I see. How did you come by this knowledge?”
“We found a diary of one of my ancestors, and he mentioned the Three Become One. He talked about going to Mount Elbert and looking at the constellations.”
“I never thought about constellations,” Anton said. “I don’t know how I missed it. But this is a human constellation book. You need to find one on supernaturals.”
“Is there one in the library?” I couldn’t keep the excitement out of my voice.
“No, but there’s one in my private library.”
“Can we see it?” I asked.
“Let me look through it. For me, the night is young, and you both need to get some rest. Especially you, Raven.”
Lucien flew me back to my room, since anything else wouldn’t have been possible with Anton looming around.
I crawled into bed, knowing I wouldn’t be able to sleep. But I was wrong. The minute I hit the pillow, I slept until morning. I lay in my bed, wondering if Anton found anything. I could hardly wait to get to his place to find out.
Mina stretched her arms over her head. “Too tired to get into
your pajamas, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I want some coffee.”
“Are you going to change your clothes?”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course.”
Within minutes, I had showered, fixed my hair, and donned a new uniform.
Mina was a little bit slower, and I thought about leaving without her, but I thought that would be rude. Anton had said the magical orb wouldn’t show where Professor Tuamma was being held, but I had to see for myself.
“Show Professor Tuamma.”
Darkness and a gray mist swirled over a thick forest in the orb. Two figures moved through the fog, but I couldn’t make out who they were.
Mina gasped. Her cheeks had lost all their color, and her owl eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her skull.
I clasped her arm. “Mina, what’s wrong?”
She pointed a trembling finger. “Th… that’s it. That’s what I saw In… in… in… in my dream.”
“What?”
“Those two figures…. That’s that’s… my… my dad.”
I immediately put the orb down. “Shh… it’s okay.”
“The orb doesn’t lie.” She cried. “He’s possessed.”
I clapped her cheeks. “You don’t know that. When you were getting ready, I asked the orb to show me Professor Tuamma, and it showed the foggy scene. Why don’t you hold it? The orb might show you something different.”
She took a quivering breath. “What if it shows my dad?”
I rubbed her back and gently put the magical orb in her shaking hand. “Then you’ll know. You want the truth, don’t you?”
She wiped her tears off her face. “Show me my dad.”
The mist swirled. Yellow and black aspen leaves twirled around on a rocky path that ended at a twisted, bent dead tree. The image faded away.
I gasped. “Oh, my God. Mina, that’s what I’ve seen. I think that’s the prison or dungeon where my mom is being held. I think your dad is there.”
She handed me the orb. “You think so?”
“Yes. I’m sure of it.”
She frowned. “Then what was with my dream and what you saw?”
“I don’t know, but we should tell Anton after breakfast.”
“I can’t eat anything.”
I grabbed her shirt. “Come on, let’s go.”
We headed out of the dorm and ran into Anton, who stood underneath a blue spruce pine that was close to our dorm. He had on a black robe and had his hands stuck in his pocket. He almost seemed to be waiting for us.
“Morning, ladies. You both look out of breath.”
I blurted, “Anton, we have to tell you something.”
We both quickly told him what we saw in the magical orb.
“Do you think it’s true?” Mina asked. “Do you think my dad’s in the same prison as Raven’s mom?”
“The orb does not like Mina. As far as the two figures, neither one of you could make out who they were, correct?”
“That’s true,” I said. “But I had asked the orb about Professor Tuamma, and that’s what the orb showed me. Do you think one of the figures could have been her?”
Anton went silent. “Possibly, but right now, we’re not sure. With the magic orb, you can’t make assumptions.” He gripped Mina’s shoulder. “We don’t know what’s going on with your father, but in my heart of hearts, I believe he’s alive. I also do not believe he’s a traitor.”
Mina inhaled deeply. “Thank you.” Her shaky voice choked.
“Now, Ms. Mina, I must talk with Raven in private.”
Mina looked at me warily but did as Anton asked.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. I recognized it as the same one he’d received earlier about the trial. “I have bad news for you.”
“That letter’s from the council, isn’t it?”
“I’m afraid so. Your trial won’t be held on Friday. It will be held tomorrow.”
I grabbed the letter and read it. I recognized the writing as Bo’s father’s. “What?” My loud voice stopped about twenty students in their tracks, but I didn’t care.
Anton took the letter out of my shaking hands. “I’m afraid that as you get closer to solving the mystery of the Archangel Chamuel’s riddle, you’re making someone nervous.”
“That’s why you didn’t want me to tell anyone, isn’t it?”
“What’s done can’t be undone. We must play the cards that have been dealt with and hope one of us has an ace up our sleeve.”
He was looking past me, and I followed his gaze to see Lucien arguing with Bo. He must already know.
“You mean Bo’s father is in league with Ryker?”
He chuckled. “That’s a bit of a stretch. No, I believe it has to do with change. Change creates fear. You, your mom, and even your dad are strong winds of change, and the trees have a hard time bending to your will.”
Tears seeped into my eyes. “I’m not doing this on purpose.”
“I know, but I can’t override the council. Your trial will be at ten o’clock tomorrow morning.” His voice was soft and gentle, and I could almost feel his sorrow for me. But it did nothing to ease the pain cutting deep into my gut.
Someone was definitely out to get me.
I hugged my backpack tight against my chest, trying to keep my breaking heart from leaping out. “So, everyone gets tomorrow off?”
“No. Only the judges and myself will be there. Students will not be allowed this time. I’m sorry, Raven. Right now, it’s out of my hands.” He put his hands on my shoulders. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to have put out a fire.”
“Fight. Fight. Fight.”
I followed his gaze. Bo and Lucien had both thrown down their backpacks and were circling each other. A crowd surrounded them, hungry for blood. Right now, I didn’t care. I so wasn’t ready for tomorrow. The Defenders had just started looking into their history for clues, and no way would we uncover the riddle by tomorrow.
Mina ran over to me. “Raven, what’s wrong?”
“They moved up my trial. It’s tomorrow at ten.” Tears slid down my cheeks. “I’m not ready, Mina. No way can I pass.”
She gave me a hug. “Yeah, you will. You’ve got to pull yourself together. Remember your mom. She was a dragon warrior. So, are you.”
“I’ve been looking for these prophesies. I have neglected my physical abilities. I’m totally screwed.”
“Practice today. You can do it.”
I hope she was right, but I caught Heath’s gaze. He didn’t even seem to care about the brawl between Lucien and Bo. I could read failure in his eyes.
It was just what I needed. I stiffened my spine and sprinted back to my room, determined to put up the fight of my life.
Chapter 24
The next day, I got up early, threw on my workout clothes, and grabbed my crossbow. I hurried down to the cafeteria. Lucky for me, it was always open. I thought I’d be the only one in there at the crack of dawn, but I was wrong.
Lucien leaned against the door as if he’d been waiting for me. He grinned. “What took you so long?”
“What are you doing here?”
He opened the door. “Waiting for you.”
“Thanks. I wish you could come with me to my trial.” I was scared shitless I’d never see him again.
“You’re kidding, right?”
I put my crossbow on the Royal table before we headed toward the line. The smell of sausage and eggs greeted me.
“What do you mean?” I grabbed a tray, and my mouth watered at the biscuits, sausage gravy, and eggs. At least if I got expelled, I’d have a good breakfast.
“You actually think they can keep me out of that trial?”
“You could get in a trouble.”
He put his hand on my lower back. “So, they keep telling me.”
“I’m so nervous.”
We walked out, and I froze. Bo sat at the Royal table, sporting a black eye. I looked over at Lucien, who didn’t have a sc
ratch on him, and he shrugged.
Lucien sat his tray down. “Here for another beating?”
“No.” Bo glared. “I’m here to wish Raven luck. Do you remember what I taught you about asking your dragon?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Good.” He clasped my shoulder. “Your dragon can help you.”
“Bo…” An angry male voice made my skin prickle. Heath stood at the back of the cafeteria with his arms folded against his broad chest.
Bo dropped his arm. “I’m sorry. I’ll be with you.”
“Get away from that abomination.”
Bo left without defending me.
Lucien got up, and I immediately grabbed his arm. “Don’t.”
A lump swelled up in my throat, but I put on a smile for Lucien.
He sat back in his chair. “You’re not fooling me. He hurt you.”
I sucked down a big swallow of coffee, scalding my throat, but it hurt less than what Bo had done.
Lucien and I finished our breakfasts without saying a word.
“Thanks for meeting me here.” I got up to take my tray to the dishwasher.
He rolled his eyes. “You don’t get it. I’m coming with you.”
I put my tray away. “They won’t let you in.”
“We’ll see about that.” He clasped my hand. “Let’s go.”
Students were heading toward the cafeteria as we left. Some of them had pity in their eyes, while others wished me luck.
Rhys, Xavier, and Dante stood at the auditorium.
“What are you guys doing here?’
Rhys yawned. “Waiting for you. What else?”
I frowned. “You guys can’t go in. Anton said no students were allowed.”
“We’re not students,” Lucien said. “We’re Royals.”
Dante tilted his head. “Let’s go.”
They all escorted me to the girls’ locker room. I braced my shoulders and clutched my crossbow. I wished Mina and the other girls were here, but they weren’t Royals. I didn’t even know if the Royals could bypass Anton’s mandate, but then again, he was Lucien. His father, Gregori, was the most powerful king, and that usually meant Lucien got his way.
I headed to the exit onto the field, determined to practice. Every muscle hurt, and my brain was mush after staying up late trying to find out an answer about the Archangel Chamuel’s riddle.