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Chapter Twenty-Five
Aria
Ididn’tthinkI’dbe here again so soon, but here I am. The stone arches look as imposing as ever as my hand hovers over the door handle.
“Do you want me to come in with you?” Carter asks hesitantly from the passenger side.
I smile softly at him but shake my head. “No, you already have a brain injury, I’m not letting you put yourself in any more danger.”
“It’s Glenda.” He shakes his head then winces at the pain the sharp movement causes him, but feebly tries to cover it up.
“Exactly,” I sigh, lifting my brow. “You just got released from the healers.”
Carter had a head injury after the blast and we took him straight to the healers. They healed the cut, but it’s harder with internal injuries. Thankfully it wasn’t serious enough for him to go to a specialist. Harper got some bruising from the stampede of students and monsters, but other than that she’ll be okay. I owe her for saving my brother.
It’s been two days since the attack. The shields were repaired by Landon, the other professors, and the hunters, but we still don’t know who or what broke through them. I spent the rest of that day taking care of those who were injured. A few of the students are in critical condition, and were placed into a magical coma by the healers, but no deaths other than Stacy so far. But yesterday I was stuck in bed, my body recovering from the toll the magic took on it the day before.
No matter how much I want to just storm into Thaedan and get Greyson back, I know I need backup and a plan. Two of my mates are there in the same realm as Greyson, but they have no idea who he is to me, and I have no way to contact them yet. I tried desperately for the last two nights to reach the dream realm, to tell Damon what happened after they slipped through the rift, but every morning I woke up rested and frustrated. If I can get to him, then he and Kai can get the students to a place where we can reach them, but it’s been a series of nightmares plaguing me each night instead.
“Are you going to tell her about—”
“No.” I don’t want him to finish the sentence, especially not in front of the castle. There’s no way I’m going to tell her anything about me and Greyson. That would just be another reason for her to leave him in the monster realm. And Denver—well I’m keeping that card in my back pocket for now.
Between caring for me in my weakened state, he went to see his grandmother and told her everything. With her in favor of the union and her understanding of the goddess-blessed bond, the only person who stands in our way is Glenda. Agatha Prince is no angel though, and neither Denver nor I are under any illusions as to why she’s so willing to accept the match. Word has already spread through the covens about my power, and having that attached to their name is reason enough. Not to mention, with me leading my own coven, it would leave Denver to run the Prince coven on his own.
I haven’t seen Landon much after he left to help Carter. He’s been busy directing the students and staff with Headmistress Graves still missing, and as the teacher with the most recent experience in the hunters, he’s been communicating with them too.
“I should go,” I say reluctantly, but I pull my shoulders back, willing to face Glenda’s wrath for Greyson.
“Good luck,” Carter murmurs.
I take a deep breath and push open the car door, letting thoughts of Greyson push me forward.
Memories assault me as I stride to the front door, but I block them out, letting the words of my familiar push me on.He is not lost.I will get him back, and facing Glenda is nothing compared to what I’m willing to do to get to him.
The creak of the door sends a shiver up my spine, but I don’t let that stop me as I stride for the stairs and take them two at a time. I don’t even pause by the stained glass like I normally do.
The ancient floor creaks with each step I take, but I don’t try to hide them. Let her know that I’m coming. I know she’s trying to send me a message since she hasn’t even tried to contact me since the attack, but this is more important than her mind games.
I knock sharply at her office door and burst through it, not bothering to wait for her reply.
“Is that how I raised you?” she grunts as she looks up from the papers splayed across her desk, her eyes flickering with rage.
I grit my teeth in effort to hold back the scathing words on the tip of my tongue. “What are the elders doing about the attack?”
“Oh, we have much bigger issues to discuss,” she seethes and slams the pen that was poised between her fingers down onto the desk.
Someone finding out about my power level is something she would’ve killed to keep secret and now the whole school knows, basically tying her hands. She can’t just kill a whole school of students and professors, no matter how much she wants to.
“Bigger issues than dozens of monsters attacking the academy?” I ask incredulously, propping my hands on my hips. “How are any issues bigger than that?”
“We’re handling it,” she grinds out through gritted teeth. Her hands clench into fists as she stands from her chair. “Now have a seat.”
“I think I’ll stand,” I say with a saccharine smile that doesn’t reach my eyes.
“There’s a difference between keeping me on my toes and insubordination, Aria,” she warns, her eyes flicking between me and the chair.
My nostrils flare in defiance as I exhale a long breath before I relent. She has to think there’s something in it for her, and keeping that control over me is the best thing I can think of. I reluctantly stride to the chair and perch on the uncomfortable wooden seat, my brows lifting in question.
