AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Because she can’t.”
“Why can’t she?”
Ari lifts a claw, pointing one talon forward as a ripple dances through the air in front of us.
A force field. Why is there a force field surrounding the forest? “Is that the compound?”
“Yes.”
The longer I stand beside him, the more I see. The griffin closest to us isn’t the only one and I’m sure I can see a group of minotaurs in the distance behind a fallen log as well.
The sadness coming from Ari, combined with the sight of the trapped magical creatures before me, has my heart lurching so hard I’m sure it’s going to leap from my chest.
“We have to change this. Hearing about it and seeing it are two very different things,” I breathe, looking up at Ari with sorrow shining in his eyes. Something has to be done. It’s diabolical. Does it look comfortable enough from the outside looking in? Sure, but it is still taking away the simple rights of these living creatures. If we worked together with the other beings instead of caging them like animals, then we would have allies instead of more enemies.
“That’s my love. My Gia.”
I look back at the closest griffin and understanding consumes me. If this was me and my men, how would I feel? My gargoyle, my firestarter, my invisible laughter machine, or my onyx observer? My heart would be torn from my chest. I know it.
Standing tall, I place my hand on his side and run my fingers through his mane, the feeling a stark contrast to his feathers.
“What are you thinking, Raven?”
I take a deep breath, resting my head against him as I speak the words true to my heart.
“A change is coming and we’re going to be at the forefront of it.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
RAVEN
Two days have passed and I’m still in a trance. I can’t shake the feeling that rattled me so deeply at the compound; the fact that the view of the academy and its surrounding landscape is so beautiful, yet every day that passes, something else seems darker and more tainted than before.
The weekend passed in a blur and I’m still locked on the ache I felt in my chest when Ari looked at Gia. The pain of seeing your loved one in that situation and not being able to do anything about it is gut-wrenching.
I have to help them, I have to helpallof them. I just haven’t figured out how, and that’s exactly what has me completely locked away in my head. I’m sure the Bishops can sense it, but they can't ease my worries.
One thing after another has piled on top of me and now I’m struggling to withstand the strain. Maybe I wasn’t the raven from Eldon’s vision. Maybe that had nothing to do with me at all. Would that change how he felt about me? Would that change how theyallfelt about me?
Fuck.
I don’t know where this sudden urge to doubt myself so harshly is coming from, but it’s impossible to avoid it. Just as it’s impossible to focus in any of my classes so far today. Another lesson, another shitload of information going straight over my head.
I’m letting my thoughts and surroundings affect me too much, and as much as it’s a slippery slope, I’m not really fighting all that much to get out of it to begin with.
Chairs scrape across the floor around me as students rise from their seats, pulling me from my swirling thoughts. Thank goodness for my magic copying down whatever the professor was talking about. I can glance over it later. Maybe.
Stuffing everything into my backpack, I hitch it over my shoulder and turn to find Leila frowning at me.
“Is everything okay? I know you have a lot going on that I’m not aware of, but you seem really distant today.”
“More distant than usual?” I remark with half a smile, and she rolls her eyes at me.
“Standoffish? Maybe. Distant? No. You’re always focused and alert, but I don’t think you would have even noticed if a fireball exploded in the room,” she states, falling into step with me as I head for the door.
I can sense the Bishops around me, and knowing they’re there, I let myself focus on my conversation with Leila. “Did you know that when we entered the Gauntlet for the simulator exercise, it was only a simulator for us and not the griffins?” It’s not a trick question, and I’m not going to be mad if she did, but I want to understand if it’s common knowledge or not. The instant her eyebrows knit together is all the answer I need.
“How is that even possible?”
