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“Hi, Father, how are you? I’m good, despite the circumstances. What circumstances, son? Oh, you know, it’s just the academy that I’m trapped in is now being ruled by the leader of the Basilica Realm, who is basically the enemy. To top it alloff, he seems to have brought a blood relative back from the dead, but shock, they’re the enemy too.” My chest tightens, my anger getting the better of me.
My father gives me a pointed look, making it clear that my snark doesn’t impress him, but I don’t give a fuck. He acts like he can express his thoughts and I will take them as law, and it’s laughable.
“You’re putting yourself in danger,” he states, opting to ignore my outburst, and I shake my head in disbelief.
“No,you’reputting me in danger. You and the rest of the Basilica Realm you brought with you. I have no interest in your bullshit. If you would like to fuck off back to where you came from with your fearless leader and his lackeys, then please, be my guest. I’m sure you will see how much danger I would no longer be in.”
His tongue runs over his teeth as he assesses me, coiling my muscles even tighter. “What are your magical abilities, Creed?”
My head rears back, my eyebrows rising in surprise at his question. Is he fucking joking right now? “You should have been around a few months ago when I turned eighteen. Then you would have been able to see for yourself. Otherwise, you can look at the academy records; I’m sure the details are written down there.”
“Don’t waste my time, Creed.” His hands flex at his sides, his irritation clear, but his annoyance isn’t greater than mine at the sound of my name repeatedly on his tongue.
“I won’t.” I turn, taking a step toward Raven and the others, who are watching inquisitively from the doors, but I don’t make it two whole feet before a hand clamps down on my shoulder, stilling me in place.
“Why the fuck do you even care?” I snarl, unable to contain my fury at his gall.
“I don’t,” he snaps back, his fingers flexing on my shoulder, and I feel completely overwhelmed with the mixed signals floating around me. It can’t be right, though; he’s nothing more than the enemy now.
“Then my magic shouldn’t matter to you any more than everyone else’s,” I state, glancing back over my shoulder at him with a cocked brow, and his eyes narrow at me. “If we’re done here, I’m leaving.”
A beat passes, followed by another, as our matching onyx eyes battle with one another until his hand drops from my shoulder. His chin dips ever so slightly and I take that as my cue to leave. I don’t bother to look back, not wanting to give him any satisfaction that he’s gotten under my skin.
When I reach Raven, she wordlessly takes my hand as Brax leads the way inside. The five of us move as one, and thankfully, no one tries to pepper me with questions about whatever that bullshit was back there.
I haven’t heard anything from my mother since she left. I’ve never had to reach out to her through the academy before, or her to me. We tend to keep to ourselves really, but it surprises me that she hasn’t attempted to since my father is here.
It’s no shock as we arrive at our first class of the day to find Erikel’s men standing at the door. They’re not letting anyone inside, which stirs my gut with uncertainty.
“I wonder what fun they have planned for us today,” Zane murmurs, nodding at the assholes, and I hum in agreement.
“Hey, can we get in there?” Genie asks, pointing over their shoulder, and they just smirk at her in amusement.
“We won’t be needing the classroom today. Once everyone is here, we can head out.”
“And your name is?” Genie plants her hand on her hip, raking her eyes over him from head to toe as she waits expectantly for a response.
“Roma, now get the fuck over there and wait for us to call the next orders,” Erikel’s man grunts in response.
“Genie might be a hardcore bitch, but at least she got the name of one of these fuckers,” Raven murmurs under her breath, and I nod in agreement.
A few minutes pass as more and more students gather, and I spot Leila at the other end of the corridor, her father murmuring something into her ear before he nods and disappears again. She looks our way a few moments later but doesn’t approach us, which would mean crossing paths with Roma and his men. Instead, she offers Raven a subtle wave, which my girl returns.
“Something tells me today is going to be… interesting,” she states, a heavy sigh quickly following, and I have no words with which to respond because she’s right. Today already feels like a fucked up day, and it hasn’t even begun.
“Okay, we’re heading to the Gauntlet. Let’s go.” Roma and the two men flanking him turn toward us, parting the students as they head our way. I don’t move like the other students, and one of Roma’s muscle men shoulders past me, but I don’t falter.
It doesn’t stop Raven from getting angry, though. “That motherfucker,” she snaps, moving to step around me, but I squeeze her hand, keeping her at my side.
“Don’t give them what they want, Raven. This is all about power plays, remember? You show them that they’re successfully getting under your skin, and they’ll only do it more. They already know we’re a soft spot for you. Let’s not give them anything more to go on.” I lift my other hand to cup her cheek and her gaze settles on mine.
She searches my eyes, for what I don’t know, but she must find whatever she’s looking for because a moment later, she nods, and I drop my hand from her face.
Brax signals that he’ll go first, but he doesn’t take a single step until the rest of the students are gone and only Leilaremains. I don’t release Raven’s hand and Zane keeps close to our girl’s other side, silently confirming that she can fall into step with us, but neither of us is moving from Raven’s side.
“Do you have any idea what this is about?” Raven asks, looking at Leila, who nods softly, twiddling her fingers nervously.
“Yeah. My father overheard them discussing that they wanted to get a visual of our magic. I don’t know in what capacity, but the fact that we’re going to the Gauntlet doesn’t bode well,” Leila admits, and the adrenaline that started pumping through my veins when my father called my name reignites.
