Nei was shouting commands, the remaining teachers of the Academy filing up beside her, the senior students jumping in line, abilities cracking to life. Marquis was saying something to him, but he was entranced by the monster, and he couldn’t look away. It was like a siren call.
“You.”
He started walking slowly down the steps, the voices of the Academy fading away.
“I see you.”
His ability flowed into his heart, into his mind. The creature twisted to the left, forcing Tadeas to turn sharply. Herding him toward the forest.
Running now, sweat dripped down the back of Adair’s neck. Throwing his body weight, he hurled himself over the rock ledge as his ability exploded through him, rippling out from him. Right into the monster’s mind.
The creature stopped and twisted violently toward him. It bared its teeth almost in a sickening smile at the new challenge. Adair dove deeper, into the sinew on the creature’s bones, breaking and shattering the walls in its consciousness.
Charging toward him, the ground shaking from the force, he gritted his teeth and ripped against the resistance, so that he could attain control, but he slipped and was slammed back.
“You cannot win against me.”
With furrowed brows, he threw everything he had, barreling down, latching on, and tearing. The creature roared; Adair was almost to it. He could see its gleaming orange eyes, salvia dripping from its teeth.
Tadeas galloped past him, and Adair held his ground. It snapped.
He plunged, transporting, as he was suddenly in control of the monster’s body, looking at himself, pale and bloodied in front of him. From this perspective, the world was a bleak place, no color, no light, only the bloodthirsty yearning for destruction. He willed the monster to stop, his sides heaving, as he took in the charging lines of the Academy. Nei led the assault, the ground churning from her anger; Brokk shifting back into his wolf form; Memphis and Emory running down the hill. And Marquis held back, staring at the creature, knowing that Adair had beaten them all to it.
Students spilled out, fire and ice, lightning and gas cracking to life as abilities readied.
“You will not kill me; we are of the same...”
Adair made the killing blow with his ability, shutting down every major organ, every nerve, every vein, obliterating it until he was slammed into his own body once more.
The monster dropped dead at his feet.
Loosening a breath, the world tilted, and he slowly turned. Everyone had stopped, staring at him with wide eyes. The world tilted, and he collapsed, losing himself into nothingness, whispers chasing him away from the light. Purring and coaxing him into the darkness.
Chapter Twelve
Brokk
“Now who can tell me the practical uses for these plants? Mr. Foster?”
Brokk came to attention, Nei looking at him with soft eyes, the rest of the classroom seemingly half asleep. Two days had passed since they had come back to the Academy. Everything— and yet nothing—had changed.
Clearing his throat, he said, “If they are boiled, the steam becomes airborne poison.”
Wyatt chuckled from the back far corner. “Maybe we should gather up the lot and use it against Stratton’s dad.”
Laughter rippled, as Nei quieted the room, “That is quite enough. You know the rules, everyone. Let’s stay on task.” She nodded then, saying, “Yes, Brokk, you are correct.” She continued to drone on about how to counteract and heal themselves against this gas, but Brokk lost interest.
Shifting in his seat, he angled his body slightly and looked out of the corner of his eye to where Adair stared out the window, looking gaunt with dark circles imprinted underneath his eyes. He was a world away from them, from this classroom.
Brokk ripped his gaze back, staring blankly at the notes in front of him. He was still in shock when Roque ordered classes to resume until the funeral tomorrow. And that after, Stratton had a bloody reception scheduled. To award his bravery against the dabarne that he had killed.
He gripped the desk’s edge, trying not to break it in half. The school was on lockdown; no one could go anywhere without supervision, and absolutely no one could go outside. Emory assured him it was the best thing to do in a time of crisis, but Brokk wasn’t so sure. Going through empty actions while the Faes and Tadeas were locked away scrambling over how to deal with the situation at hand felt pointless.
The bell tolled lazily as everyone jumped to life around him, practically running out of the classroom. Quietly collecting his books, Brokk groaned as he stood, his joints popping and cracking viciously. A gentle tug across his mind made his eyes widen. Again, it was small at first, but then Memphis’s voice rattled against the walls of his consciousness. “I need you here. Quick.”
Trying to act normal, Brokk gave Nei a weak smile before following his classmates out, a lot of them in pairs, their discussions low and intense. A lot of friends had been lost. A lot of people Brokk had grown up with, in an instant, they had become a memory.
“Where are you?” Brokk made the thought concrete, knowing his friend would hear him.
Images flew through his mind instantly, and without hesitation, Brokk quickly complied, his feet carrying him to the small library he had visited countless times. He quickly slipped in the room, shutting the door behind him to find Memphis was bouncing on his heels, looking at him with wild eyes.
“Memph, are you okay?”
Shaking his head, his smooth voice filled his mind once more, “No. Quick. Just trust me.”
Brokk froze, unsure of what his friend wanted him to do. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Memphis swore low under his
