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“Thank you for coming, Rhys. I can’t wait to catch each other up to speed,” Peta says with a tired smile before my father comes to a stop in front of Raven.
“I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this,” she breathes.
“Don’t apologize. Especially when you brought my boy back to me,” he replies, bundling her in his arms for a beat longer than the others. “Are you going to return to the academy?” he asks, glancing over each of us.
“I think we have to,” Raven states, wriggling her fingers at her sides. “He’s only going to hunt me down otherwise. It’s the how we need to figure out, along with explaining where these guys have been,” she adds, tension rising in the room.
“If you need me, you know how to reach me. Stay in contact,” he insists, heading toward the door, but he doesn’t step over the threshold before he spins, pointing a finger at Brax and Eldon. “Oh, and you two better be prepared for Eldon’s mother’s wrath. I’ve kept her up to date, so she knows you’re safe, but she said that’s only until she gets her hands on you.” He winks before sauntering out the door as the pair of them groan in sync.
“Ah, shit.”
The familiar setting of the Gauntlet arena comes into view as I dust off my pants. It feels odd as fuck to be back here, of all places, but not as weird as slipping through the gateway that leads here. The compound was derelict, with no magical creatures in sight, but it feels more eerily quiet here.
The dim sky outside reminds me of how tainted Silvercrest Academy is becoming. Strange colors loom above, reminding us of the darkness that threatens to destroy us. The gloomy vibe only worsens in here, shadows casting over the stone steps as tiny dust particles float in the air.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here. It’s giving me the creeps,” Eldon grumbles like we haven’t just been surviving in the fucking Realm of Shadows.
I smirk, rolling my eyes, but the smart comment on the tip of my tongue is cut short when Raven slips through the gateway, quickly followed by Brax. Everywhere she goes, she takes my attention with her. There was no denying it before. Now, it’s even worse.
Being here again, not just at the academy but at the Gauntlet specifically, resonates deep inside of me. It’s like we’re here for the first time again, facing the sirens. My heart clenched when she was in there, leaving me helpless and rendered useless. It was in that moment, though, in what feels like forever ago, that I saw her transition before my eyes, revealing the survivor beneath the harsh exterior she put out as a defense to hide behind.
That was then. Her survival instincts have only increased since, as much as I wish they hadn’t. But along with that has come more confidence, more power, and a truer understanding of what she’s capable of and what she’s destined to achieve.
Being at her side through all of this is the greatest honor.
“Are you okay?” she asks, waving her hand in front of my face, and I shake my head, quickly realizing that I zoned out.
“I’ll be better with you under my arm,” I reply with a wink. Even though she rolls her eyes at me, she relents and slips beneath my arm with a contented sigh.
Eldon is already waiting at the steps, ready to get the fuck out of here, and once I start toward him with Raven at my side, Creed and Brax follow.
It doesn’t seem to get any brighter as we step outside, taking the path back to our house. We’re more alert, that’s for sure, but as we bypass the academy building and head down the quieter walkways to the houses, we don’t come across anyone.
Odd.
Although, it’s been a minute since I’ve been here. This could be the new normal now, I don’t know, but the frown pinching between Raven’s eyebrows tells me she seems surprised too.
“How are we going to explain how you got out and the five of us returned?” Creed asks when we don’t come across anyone, and Raven shrugs.
“I’m just going to go with the shadows.”
Brax’s pace quickens and he appears a moment later on her other side. “Then he’ll think you can control them.”
Apparently, that’s not something we want.
“I can’t think of another reason, can you?” Raven replies, lips twisting in thought, and the grumpy asshole shakes his head.
“There’s potential that the three of us could hide out at the house,” I offer, glancing down at my dove to see her frown even deeper.
“We are not hiding,” Eldon states, glancing back over his shoulder. “Raven needs all of us around her at all times. If that means we have to come up with some bullshit reasoning, then so be it.” There’s not a single ounce of doubt or question in his tone. He means every word, and hearing them solidifies my agreement.
At least I put an alternative offer out there.
“Besides, we’re not unseen,” Creed mutters from behind, but I don’t turn back. My gaze whips up and I see three people in the distance, one of whom is Sebastian.
My spine stiffens, my anger bubbling to the surface.
He may have helped Raven free us, but the promise she had to offer in response pisses me off.
