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“Fat chance of that,” Abel mutters, his brows furrowing as he continues to watch the mass fight over who is getting out first. “How are we even going to get out of here? The academy is no longer safe.”
As if hearing his concerns, another parent by the doors turns and hollers, “The gateways are open. We’re free to leave, but no students can pass through.”
The room drowns in silence for a split second before all Hell breaks loose and parents start wading their way through the crowd faster, plotting their own escape and leaving their children here to suffer.
I shouldn’t be surprised. I shouldn’t. But for some reason, I always expect better of people. Is that my version of hope? Clinging to the fact that people will be better, do better, try harder? Fuck if I know, but I don’t like the taste of disappointment on my tongue either way.
“What’s going on?” Zane asks as his father appears, offering Burton a helping hand and pulling him to his feet.
“He’ll want us to spread the news but keep the students captive,” Rhys explains, making my gut clench. After what I just revealed, that’s never going to end well for me. I know it.
Burton scratches his head and turns to face me. Despite wanting nothing more to do with the man right now, I still can’t help myself. “Are you okay?”
“I’ve been better,” he admits. “I’m sure I’ll get there, but you have a lot of explaining to do.”
I feel Zane, Brax, and Eldon tense at his words, which ratchets up my own nerves. But before I can respond, Rhys beats me to it. “No, she doesn’t.”
He wraps his arm around Burton’s shoulders and steers him toward the far corner of the room without a backward glance. My shoulders sag with relief.
“Seriously, let’s leave. Now,” Brax grunts, his hands flexing at my waist, and I nod.
“Surely there must be a way I can take you home with me,” Eldon’s mother states, appearing in front of us. “I can’t leave, not if you can’t,” she insists, and my heart clenches. “Are you okay?” she asks, stepping around my parents to look at me.
How ironic that it’s not my own parents asking me that, but someone else’s. Despite the appreciation for her question, I don’t have the ability to form an answer for her. There are so many concerns sitting on the tip of my tongue, but she doesn’t need to hear them. So, instead, I settle on glossing over everything. “I’m okay.”
“Mother, you need to leave. The sooner, the better. We’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out together,” Eldon insists, releasing my hand to envelop his mother in his arms for a brief moment. I watch her almost go limp in his arms, worry getting the better of her, but the grip she has around him shows her strength through it all, clinging to him like her life depends on it. All while my parents stand and watch.
“Creed,” Zane calls out, garnering his attention. He turns on the spot with his onyx eyes glossy and confused. “You need to say goodbye to your mother, help her get home, and then we can regroup back at the house.”
He nods once, Zane’s words kicking him into action as he strides toward the table where his mother is still sitting. I don’t hear what he says to her, but she rises to her feet a moment later with a sniffle.
“We should do the same, Evangeline,” Abel states, and my mother’s gaze cuts to mine.
“But, Raven.”
“It’s fine, you need to go. Hurry,” I insist. If she tries to stick around, I won’t be able to focus. It’s almost like I’d be taking care of her and not the other way around, and I don’t need the responsibility of someone else right now.
Abel places a hand on the small of her back and encourages her toward the door. He doesn’t glance back at me or seek out Sebastian. He’s just as focused on himself as he’s ever been.
“Let’s move,” Eldon orders, squeezing his mother’s arm one last time before he takes my hand again, and the five of us start moving, bypassing the students and families hovering in the hall who are wailing for help like they don’t have magical abilities themselves. Not that anyone actually threw them around to defend our academy—or realm, for that matter—but I guess they must have known we didn’t stand a chance. Not with the battalion waiting at the doors too.
We’re so fucked.
“This is all your fault!” Genie appears in front of me, pointing her finger in my face as her own scrunches with ugly tear tracks down her cheeks. Her confidence wanes as her bottom lip wobbles, but I don’t get a chance to push back at her outburst before she’s turned into ice before my very eyes.
I blink at her a few times, making sure I’m actually seeing what I think I’m seeing, but it’s not until a flash of blonde appears beside the ice sculpture that I realize it’s Leila.
“I’m sorry, I just… fuck her.”
“Yeah, fuck her,” Zane repeats, pumping his fist in the air triumphantly, easing the tension around us. Just a little.
“Thanks,” I murmur, sidestepping the icicles that hang from Genie’s still-outstretched finger.
“It’s no bother.” She glances around as if searching for someone, maybe her father, but after a moment, her gaze falls back to mine. “I think you guys better get out of here. Whoknows what tomorrow will look like after you just exposed yourself to him.”
I nod numbly, my mind unwilling to consider anything past this very moment. I’m sure it will come alive later when I try to go to sleep, then it won’t just be the shadows dancing in my vision. It’ll be all of my thoughts and the worst possible outcomes that come with them.
The five of us move in sync once again, almost reaching the door before a breathless Burton appears in front of us. What is it with everyone wanting to get in my way?
