Except I was starting to have some doubts. What could Cassie really do? In the grand scope of things, sirens didn’t sound as scary as a supernatural team comprised of vampires, necromancers, warlocks and demons. Even with Cass helping me, chances to escape were minimal, if not non-existent.
“All new invitees to the Academy have to complete a test. Do you know that creepy house in your town that all kids are afraid of and all neighbors claim is haunted?” Alec asked.
Instantly, a house popped into mind. Three blocks from where I lived was a run-down, derelict building with a creepy vibe. Whenever I had to walk past it, I always quickened my pace, as if lingering too long in front of the house could summon the ghosts from the past. All neighbors claimed the house was haunted even though, as far as I knew, no one had ever lived in the house, let alone died in it.
“Yes…” I replied reluctantly.
“Well…” Alec gently shoved me further to the back of the diner, away from the spot where Alfred’s body lay. “That is the Testing House. Every town has one. Nobody pays much attention to it, which is perfectly fine. From that house, you can access the Academy directly.”
“It acts like a passageway,” Christian explained while he stood next to Alec and me. “The first time you enter, the Testing House challenges you. To see if you’re worthy. If the house deems you worthy, and after your test, the house will allow you to travel the Academy just by unlocking the front door.”
“So, if you survive the Testing House once, you get free lifetime access,” Alec recapped what the demon had just explained. He sounded as thrilled as if he’d announced we were going to the fair or the circus rather than to the creepiest house in town.
“What do you mean ‘survive’?” I was sorry I’d asked when Alec cringed slightly.
“Well, let’s just say, I like your odds.” He winked at me, his fingers wrapping around my shoulder. Under other circumstances, I probably could’ve liked him, especially given how attractive he was. Now, I was too preoccupied with the thought of not surviving.
“Guys, is there like no option to just… not do this?” I tried desperately. “I mean, I’m perfectly happy being a regular old human. Can’t you just brainwash me or something, and then we forget this ever happened?”
Christian shook his head, a smirk on his face. “Afraid not, love. If the Academy sends you an invite, you’re in no position to say no.”
I was afraid they’d said that.
“I assure you chances of not surviving are very slim,” Damian said, as if that would somehow reassure me. “It’s been at least a decade since the last mauled-up corpse was found inside a Testing House.”
“Mauled-up?” I sounded as timid as a mouse.
“Damian.” Tristan poked him in the ribs. “Don’t mind him. I’m sure you’ll do fine.” The necromancer nodded at me.
“Still, if she’s one of his brethren,” Christian said, “then he should at least have the decency to show up. All of us are here, and who is the big no-show? Mr. stuck-up, pompuous ass, of course.”
“With our without him here, we have to get going.” Alec let go of me and glanced at his watch again. “Tristan?”
“Okay.” The necromancer stood next to Alfred’s corpse and started whispering gibberish in an ancient language I didn’t understand. Was it Latin? I had taken a few Latin classes in high school, but my attention span for dead languages had always been close to zero.
“This will scare you,” Christian said as he moved next to me. “Mark my words.”
Seconds after Tristan stopped muttering the words, Alfred opened his eyes. I let out a small yelp and grabbed onto Christian’s arm—a reflex since he was the one standing closest to me. My eyes became the size of flying saucers while Alfred’s corpse jerked up, almost like a puppet on a string. Then, the corpse titled its head to the left and smiled at me.
Bile rose up in my throat and I almost had to throw up.
I couldn’t help it; I dug my fingers into Christian’s arm.
The demon glanced down at my hand but didn’t say anything.
“Sorry,” Tristan said. “Everyone thinks this is scary the first time around. Imagine my face when I brought our pet rat back from the dead at age six. Imagine my sister’s face when it crawled into her bed, still smelling of three-day-old rot.” He scratched his head, and while he seemed apologetic, his abilities were completely and utterly terrifying.
The Alfred corpse jerked left and right, but eventually managed to turn around. “It always takes them a while to start moving correctly,” Tristan explained. “Besides, I didn’t put much mana into him since he only needs to last a few minutes anyway.”
“Mana is life force,” Alec said, who was standing on my right side while Christian was on my left. “When necromancers raise corpses, they put some mana into them to give them the ability to move.”
I nodded, and then glanced at my hand still locked around Christian’s arm. I sensed his muscles underneath his shirt. God, he looked amazing. If only he wasn’t the spawn of Satan.
“Sorry,” I apologized as I let go of him.
“Enough chitchatting.” Damian clapped his hands. “We don’t have all day.”
“All right, all right.” Alec snapped his fingers, and I practically jumped out of my skin. I hadn’t realized how silent it had been the entire time while everyone else in the diner was frozen to the spot. Now, with the half a dozen customers suddenly chatting to one another again, the noise startled me.
“Bye, Alfred.” Alec patted the corpse on its shoulder while
