This is work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright© Avery Song , 2021

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Cover Design by Yocla Cover Design

Editing by

Rainlyt Editing

Format: Avery S.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

Blazing Academy Blurb

Author Note:

Prologue: Blazing Failure

1.  Wear A Mask To Hide The Shame

2.  Packing And Questioning Imagery

3.  Trapped Soul And Blazing Veil

4.  Push The Pain Away And Beauty Sleep

5.  Trouble In Bitchville And No Going Back

6.  Glimpse Of Power Versus Hide And Seek

7.  Recovery And Time Limit

8.  Recovery Breakfast And Layers Of You

9.  Birthday And Important Too

10.  Semester Three Of Burning Fury

11.  Pulling The Plug And Sleepwalking Wonder

12.  Consequences Of Loving Both

13.  Bully Me Not

14.  Never Alone From This Day Forward

15.  Threatening Midterms And Shrine Of Blazing Mercy

16.  Burning Blazing

COMING SOON - Blazing Academy Semester Four

SNEAK PEEK - WOLF AWAKENED

WOLF AWAKENED BLURB

Prologue: Forbidden Fruit

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Also By Avery Song

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you for purchasing Blazing Academy Semester Three.

Thank you for your utmost patience with this series. There has been a lot of moves of dates due to these troubling times, but I appreciate the kindness my readers have shown while I work on properly writing this series.

Special thanks to my amazing Mom for blessing me with the gift to write and supporting me in all aspects. I pray to continue making you proud as I strive towards success.

Finally, I thank God for giving me the strength to achieve my goals.

Without Him, I would be nothing.

AVERY SONG

BLAZING ACADEMY BLURB

“Join us, Alice, or the next victim will be…you.”

I, Alice H. Blaze, have always been up for a challenge. After all, my whole life has been a rollercoaster of obstacles designed to bring me down. The latest: watching my best friend’s business explode and subsequently landing on the enemy’s radar.

Now deadly threats are aimed my way.

To escape it all, I go to Blazing Summer Bootcamp with my trusty Blazing Knights and two assistants. The easygoing training center shouldn’t come with its own share of problems, but your Blazing Horseman can’t get a break to save her life.

When school starts, things only get worse. A jealous group of students transfers in and makes Gabriel’s life a living hell, Keru’s sleepwalking problems are on the rise, and Damon and Westley are feuding. The last thing I need is to be falsely accused of murdering my best friend’s sister, so of course that’s exactly what happens.

Semester Three is designed to make us stronger, but with all the barriers, I may not be able to tackle everything on my own. It’s time for me to look to the stars and hope a certain universal friend comes to my aid.

May the stars align and grant me the blazing force to bring all my enemies down.

AUTHOR NOTE:

Blazing Academy transitions from Young Adult to New Adult from this semester onward.

Please be advised that dark themes are explored in this book and recommended for 18+ audiences.

Thank you.

Avery S.

PROLOGUE: BLAZING FAILURE

~DAMON~

“Fuck!”

The curse left me as I attempted to tame the flames, beads of sweat rolling down my face as the added heat from my surroundings made it difficult for me to remain focused. Normally I could handle this level of flames, and yet I struggled tremendously as my attention wasn’t on the task at hand but on the redhead who’d raced into the burning building.

Alice H. Blaze.

The moment I’d caught sight of her at the party, I knew she’d be trouble. The rumors that drifted from the previous schools she’d attended reached our ears. I’d have to give Rick most of the credit for the gossip because he was the center of it all.

It was his duty to make her life a living hell, according to his very own words. At the time, they made little to no sense to me. He was acting like the typical bully. But then again, I couldn’t interfere with his bully antics when I knew nothing of the girl who clearly grinds his gears.

He had some sick obsession with her that was mixed with an egocentric tendency. It made me really wonder if he had a secret crush on her.

Alice had the looks to gain anyone’s attention. Her striking orange-red locks with their hints of gold made you think the silky strands were on fire. She carried confidence from the way she dressed to the hint of makeup she used that still gave a dramatic effect.

Even in our uniform, she strutted the halls and seemed like a wall that could never crumble. She carried a soft side to herself, one you could see blossoming from afar - especially when she was around Gabe, Kirby, and West.

It was different from when she hung around Clara or other friends and acquaintances, and since I’d been getting to know her slowly, I was beginning to wish to receive that same affection in her gaze that she gave her three boyfriends.

The whole thing was a bit of a mind fuck, and yet deep down, I admired the hell out of this woman. The sixteen-year-old who was able to save so many already and carried a selfless heart.

Even now, she ran into that building without a second guess. Even with trickles of fear resonating through her aura that blazed like these combative flames, she gulped it all down and strived to save Clara and her sister.

I knew those beads would protect her, their qualities having the ability to protect someone who carried enough magic inside them. Nothing bad would happen to them if their intentions were genuine in the moment of death.

It was something our family made for various temples, but I normally never wore one simply because I wasn’t in danger. Today I’d had it on my wrist because my sister wanted to take some photos and I’d completely forgotten to take it off.

Who knew it would benefit me now.

I pulled back just a bit, needing to not be whiplashed by heat from all angles. From the ringing sound of approaching sirens, it wouldn’t be long before the police, fire trucks, and investigators were here to tame this beast of a fire.

You didn’t need to be a genius to assume this fire wasn’t normal in any way. It carried intense magic, with destructive power that was similar to Dark Flame. That was one of my strongest fire traits, and yet I was struggling to tame the flames.

That only meant someone super strong ignited these with the purpose of destroying every single piece of this family business. I tried to ignore that sick worry in my stomach - the growing butterflies and flips that were concerned not just for Clara or her sister’s safety, but for Alice’s as well.

She’s strong and powerful, but can she survive if this place explodes?

The mere thought triggered the deed. My body was sent back with such force, I couldn’t even attempt to protect myself. I braced myself to crash through the cement wall that wrapped around the place, but the impact was cushioned as someone grunted.

“Damn. That hurts.”

The voice was familiar, and I lifted my head to see Keru with a pained expression on his face. “Gabriel better heal me up good or I’m going to have back pain for a week.”

“I heard that.”

I looked to my right as Gabriel landed next to us. My eyes took in his spread-out wings that shifted from pure white to astonishing gold and twinkled with magic. The way the gold glow shimmered gave immediate Holy Thunder vibes, and the warmth seemed to seep through my feverish flesh and make the pain lessen.

His golden eyes lowered to take me in, scanning my body for wounds. My mind was struggling to understand why he was giving me attention when Alice was the priority here.

“Alice is inside,” I announced, and fought to get up but flinched. My shoulder either had been dislocated or the impact with Keru screwed it up somehow.

“I’m aware,” Gabe announced and moved to crouch down and press a firm hand on my injured left shoulder. “Her dad is already inside inspecting the damage.”

“Why aren’t you panicking?” I questioned and tried to move away, but his hand only tightened on my shoulder, which made me hiss in defiance.

“Stop moving,” he barked over the sirens that were extremely close.

“Might as well do what he says, or you’ll be stuck forever,” Keru suggested.

I wanted to argue, but Gabe was already getting to work. His hand was engulfed by the golden glow that resonated in his irises.

Those golden spheres that are still locked on mine.

I never understood why his attention suddenly made me want to crawl in a hole and die. It was similar to what Alice seemed to do to me with her mere company. On the outside, I could project the emotionless expression that made the world stay far away from me, and yet up close like this, it was difficult to keep the mask that I’d worked for years to maintain.

Ever since I met this group, I’ve questioned my damn sanity.

Unlike Rick, Madeline, and Eliza, they made me wish to be a part of something. I wanted to have their acknowledgment and approval, and help them in the conquest we had to do as a team.

Before Semester Two, I cringed at the idea of being their assistant and aiding them. I assumed they would exclude me in everything like the others had. I didn’t want to deal with that treatment any longer. And yet, they did the complete opposite.

Did all of us get along? No, but I wasn’t craving a smooth sailing friendship with all of them. The arguments, disagreements, or bits of jealousy that sprouted over the single common denominator in this growing equation felt worth it. The tensions that revolved around being close to Alice somehow managed to get me closer to these individuals.

I’d never tell them to their faces, but their unique differences were like taking in a breath of fresh air on the top of a mountain, and what was more refreshing was the fact that they didn’t compete against one another.

Friendly competition was a lot different than selfish banter that sought to disable you in a race for power and popularity.

Once Gabe finished healing me, he extended his hand again to help me up. As much as I wanted to question his act of kindness, I knew we’d already wasted enough time. I placed my hand in his, and he assisted me up before we all turned our attention to the blaze before us.

Shit…

“I can go inside,” I suggested to the others. “These flames won’t hurt me, and I don’t think anyone in the fire department will be able to tame them.”

Kirby bit his lip while Gabe looked deep in thought. “Will you be okay?” Gabe asked.

“I seriously won’t get hurt,” I huffed to try and brush away his concern in a spiteful manner. “I can handle it. You guys just have to make sure this shit doesn’t spiral out of control. Where’s West?”

“We forced him to help evacuate,” Kirby announced. The way he said it only made me frown as I quickly concluded the reason for the obvious diversion.

He’s probably going to lose his shit if Alice is hurt.

There was something specifically between West and Alice that made their relationship different. It was difficult to put it together, but you could tell their relationship was on a far deeper level than her relationships with Kirby and Gabe.

A deeper, richer, and almost ancient relationship. Almost like star-crossed lovers.

“But he’ll be here soon,” Kirby added.

“Which means you better get going. Tension is a bit high with the situation,” Gabe emphasized. “We’ll contain this. Help Chambers. If Alice is hurt, he’s not going to be able to carry Clara and her sister.”

“Got it,” I replied. After one final look with the two of them, I raced towards the burning catastrophe, shielding my body as I dashed into the only entrance that survived the explosion.

The inside was like a burning furnace; the temperature on the outside was nothing like this human oven. Even with my protective flames that worked overtime to shield my flesh from the combative Dark Flames, I was still sweating in a matter of seconds.

I took a moment to stay where I stood to zone out of my state of panic and get serious. To think straight I needed tranquility within the mind, and I sought that peaceful oasis in the depths of my mind until it clicked.

When I opened my eyes, they were emotionless, just like how I felt - my body moving swiftly and effortlessly as I sought Alice’s energy.

I’d never shared with anyone how attractive her energy was: the various hues of color that danced around her, the tugging sensation she carried that was so easy to trace. It wasn’t a quality that just anyone could pick up on.

It was one of my “hushed gifts” that no one really knew of. I could easily track people with just an imprint of their energy within my memory bank. It made me a pretty good stalker and could have been the reason why I’d been sought out to join the bad guys.

Skidding to a stop, I avoided the falling ceiling before me. The crash made a loud noise and almost blocked my path entirely.

Pushing off the ground, I landed on the pile of debris and slowly slipped myself between the narrowed space that may have once been a door before getting closer and closer to where Alice’s energy was. It was so weak now, which didn’t make sense to me.

It should have grown stronger the closer I got to where she resided, but instead, it was doing the very opposite, which was an urgent concern that had to be dealt with this instant. My legs moved faster as I moved in a sprint, reaching a room that had to be the center of the blast because there was barely anything left.

I was surprised the roof didn’t burst open entirely, but the place must have had some level of fire resistance because it hadn’t completely collapsed yet. My eyes noticed a place where it seemed like pieces of a uniform were cloaked in ash - a few pieces still blazing with fire.

The sight made me gulp while my nose caught the hint of blood and burnt flesh.

Please don’t tell me someone died…

We didn’t know if Clara’s sister was with anyone else here. She could have been, which would only make the death toll higher. Death like this infuriated me the most, dying because of an act of senselessness versus a death that confirmed someone’s time was up.

When you died of old age or in one of those scenarios where mages knew their death year and their purpose in this universe, it had a different meaning than dying because of an act of utter selfishness.

From what my own brother experienced, we knew it wasn’t his time to die, but if it wasn’t for my sister and the sacrifice she gave to save him, he would have died for the simple reason of not sacrificing me.

Funny how I secretly despised this organization and yet was always thrown into situations that forced me to work with those who served them like worshippers praising a godly entity.

With a frantic shake of my head, I got myself out of my worries and refocused, heading to where I assumed the freezer was. Clara had mentioned she was doing something in the freezer, so it could have been the only protection she had, especially with the blast.

Protecting the flesh of my palm with magic, I cloaked the handle with added streams of energy, knowing the chances of the door being locked or malfunctioning were high due to these burning circumstances.

It took a few tugs of strength to finally get the heavy metal door open, and the moment I rushed inside, I caught onto the back of Mr. Chambers. I knew very little about him, aside from him having a job that was in close association with Blazing Academy and being Alice’s father.

Him being here only added to my list of curiosities when it came to exactly what profession he had, but that was irrelevant as I noticed unconscious Clara wrapped in a blanket on the floor.

She was clearly injured, blood dripping from the side of her face, and she looked extremely pale, but she was breathing, which was a good sign. I should have felt some sort of relief to know she’d survived and yet my eyes still darted around for those striking orange strands.

Where’s Alice?

Chambers turned around to acknowledge me, and my eyes immediately landed upon the naked beauty in his grasp. My heart should have immediately enjoyed the moment of relief, but instead, it sped up intensely as I noticed the glowing symbols upon her flesh that coursed with an energy that was beyond normal.

It was as though her body had been up in flames, which were now left to retreat back to the safety of their master’s body. My eyes moved down her apricot strands, which still carried a hint of illumination, to the red and gold strands appearing like twinkling tinsel.

Her tanned body projected waves of heat, while symbols of words I’d never seen before burned brightly upon her flesh. I may have never seen Alice naked, but there were times when she wore a short-sleeved uniform blouse and skirt which should have allowed me to see these symbols if they were merely tattoos or incantations that were magically drawn upon her flesh.

These symbols immediately gave off that same ancient vibe - the sensation I got when Alice was with Westley.

The remaining sparks of embers that flickered on her arms and legs dimmed, and even with the desolate hellhole that surrounded us, Alice’s body held a golden glow to her flesh that made her look like a sun goddess.

My eyes briefly landed upon her perky breasts, and for a moment I caught onto the brass, red necklace upon her neck that was beginning to fade away. It had to be that necklace Rick tried to steal from the carnival when he got himself arrested, but it amazed me how it resided upon Alice’s neck like she was the true carrier of the rare magic artifact.

Tugging my eyes away, I lifted my gaze to acknowledge Chambers. I’m sure he may have noticed the brief seconds I took to admire his daughter, but from the look in his darkened eyes, I doubted he cared currently.

His prolonged silence made me frown as I quickly scanned the room and soon realized we were still potentially missing someone.

“Was there anyone else aside from Alice and Clara?” I questioned with a firm voice. I didn’t want Chambers to treat me like a child or someone inexperienced in times of peril.

He looked to the door, which made my stomach drop as the bit of me that hoped the scent of flesh and blood didn’t belong to anyone began to unravel as the real truth was revealed.

“Clara’s family?”

“Sister.” Chambers finally spoke as his head slowly returned to face me. “Strapped bomb.”

My blood felt like it froze over as I tried to keep my emotions together. My friendship with Clara wasn’t close to her deep friendship with Alice, but I’d never wish the death of a sibling on anyone.

The grief, denial, inner turmoil, and hollow space in your heart that makes you wonder what you could have done to change the inevitable can be suffocating. Almost losing my brother to the very culprit of all of this made this hit me harder than I expected, my feelings riling up as my own internal temperature spiked in anger.

“Lock and Key.” I didn’t need him to say the obvious and that was why I pushed out the only organization that could have managed to get the proper materials to set up a bomb in a busy area like this.

Chambers nodded as he looked down at Alice. I could see the flickers of worry in those dark orbs, but there was more, a strand of fear with a speck of uncertainty. I could only assume he arrived just after the blast, but what made my brain tick in wonder was what he arrived to.

I approached him slowly until I stood before him.

“The flames are still dangerous outside. Do you want me to take Alice and come back for Clara?” I asked because I’d yet to determine what his role was. Would he remain here to investigate the crime scene while it was still fresh? Attempt to grasp some foreign magic strands that could give enough evidence to find one of the main culprits who worked under the same umbrella company? Did he only arrive to ensure his daughter was alive?

I need to know my role and how I can aid in this cruel situation.

All of this was intense, but I’d dealt with worse scenarios that sadly made me numb to all of this.

Chambers was quiet for what felt like thirty seconds. His eyes seemed far away, as though he were attempting to conjure up a plan that would be the most beneficial. He lowered his gaze once more to Alice, inspecting the way she breathed slowly.

I was beginning to worry about her. The retreating force that oozed of power was finally in its internal cage, which not only left Alice in a state of vulnerability but also stole the heat that had kept her temperature spiked.

It’s only a matter of time before she’ll be a shivering mess.

“Where’s Westley?” Chambers inquired.

Why his question felt like a part of my heart had been stabbed with a knife was something I’d have to face in my own private space, but it had to be enough to show on my face because he added, “I’m not questioning your ability to protect my daughter.”

“Then?” I pressed, but approaching footsteps grasped our attention. The two of us returned our gazes to the door to see Westley.

I fought the urge to close my fist as the two of us locked gazes. He only stared at me for five seconds before his attention went to Alice. He was masking every bit of emotion, but his eyes couldn’t fool me as they sizzled with anger.

He wasn’t upset with Alice - far from it - his anger stemmed from the fact that she’d been thrown into another life-threatening circumstance that was going to leave another internal wound. Alice was just so selfless that even things that were totally out of her control would sit upon her heart as though she committed the sinful deed.

“She unlocked her phoenix,” Westly stated as fact.

I looked back as Chambers slowly nodded. “If I give her to someone her body, or particularly, her flaming traits, doesn’t recognize, she could disintegrate you.”

That makes sense…though I hate it.

Westley’s eyes briefly looked in Clara’s direction, before scanning the freezer space. “Someone died.”

“Clara’s sister,” I voiced dryly.

All he did was nod as he approached Chambers and took his blazer off. It was placed upon Alice a second later, the graceful movement following with him taking Alice into his grasp.

I observed in envy as I tried to calm my pounding heart. It made no sense that I was being a selfish jerk when Alice and I were just acquaintances.

Or friends, as she likes to state.

Yet seeing another take her when I’d arrived here first made my blood boil. It was like a knight coming to save the princess from the onslaught of danger, only for her to be swept away by the king of riches and security.

Turning around to hide my expression, I was ready to get Clara, but Chambers spoke.

“The two of you get Alice to safety. The investigators are going to need Clara to confirm her safety and acknowledge her sister’s death. I don’t want Alice or any of you on the news outlets. By the time you get back outside, either Professor Daily or Headmaster CloverSpell will be waiting. Go with them and they’ll take you all to the medical center to be checked.”

I turned back around to see his serious expression. This wasn’t negotiable.

“What do we do if we’re asked about this?”

“Alice came over to check on Clara before the bomb went off. Simple as that. That’s all Blazing Academy students and administration will know. Everything else is classified. We’ll handle the details and inform Clara’s parents regarding all of this.”

All I could do was nod while Westley turned around to head out the door.

He paused at the entrance before looking over his shoulder.

“This can’t keep happening,” he quietly voiced. He probably assumed what we already knew.

“I agree,” Chambers quietly noted. “However, their eyes are on our Alice, and there’s nothing we’re going to be able to do about it until we bring their organization down. Until then, I need you all to be around Alice.”

His eyes slowly moved to me, which made me look at him in confusion as he added, “Starting today, you’re a part of that, Damon.”

I could sense the tension coming from Westley, but he remained silent while I had a stare-off with Chambers. Why would he possibly entrust me with some sort of duty when he barely knew me?

“We’ll discuss more in detail once everything is wrapped up here. Spend the night at the medical center and make sure your health is evaluated. We’ll discuss details and my role in this at a later date. Understood?”

Ask questions later…

“Understood,” I vowed and bobbed my head.

He gave a slight nod and we made our way right out. Westley didn’t need my help to walk through the burning parts of the building that were still ablaze. If you focused hard enough, it felt as though the flames were parting away from him.

He was a foreign plague of power that they didn’t want to be sucked into. It baffled me how a wizard with the peacock trait could carry that authoritative dominance without a single spell or magic artifact.

When we got out, we immediately noticed Gabe, Kirby, and Headmaster CloverSpell. They urged us to hurry as we quickened our pace and huddled together in time for CloverSpell to do a spell just as a group of fire mages and firefighters rushed into the entrance.

It was hard to believe they were only now entering the building that was on the verge of collapsing. If there were more survivors, they would have perished by now.

“Is Alice okay?” Kirby questioned.

“She’s alive but her temperature has to be low,” Gabe noted and was already reaching out to aid her; his hands hovered over her, submerged in a tender, glowing light of gold.

“Clara and Claire?” CloverSpell questioned us.

I was going to answer but Westley beat me to it. “Clara alive. Claire dead.”

The snippet response made the rest of us remain silent as CloverSpell cloaked her emotions as she nodded.

“Let’s get you all to the medical center. The details of this incident remain between us. If outsiders question it, it was a terrorist attack and Alice saved Clara. Understood?”

“Yes,” we replied. I knew they were covering this up for the better.

Lock and Key was one of those organizations that you couldn’t just ramble about to the public and hope to stay alive afterwards. It was a dark organization for a reason, similar to a mafia group that the city was aware of but never acknowledged in the public light.

“Let’s go,” CloverSpell declared as the protective bubble that cloaked our presence began to swiftly shift into a teleporter. I took a last look at the building, just as the loud cracking noise confirmed a part of its structure was collapsing upon itself.

The devastating sight engraved itself into my mind, and I knew one thing was for sure with Semester Three on the horizon.

This blazing failure is only the beginning.

1

WEAR A MASK TO HIDE THE SHAME

~GABRIEL~

“WE’RE BEYOND GRATEFUL TO YOU!”

“Please, we beg you. Accept our gifts of gratitude.”

I continued to lean against the wall of the private medical room, my arms crossed over my chest while my eyes were glued on the scene happening before me.

Alice was sitting upright in the rather cozy medical bed. The sheets were a shimmering white with golden hues that matched the fluffy excess number of pillows that supported her back.

Her long, orange locks seemed to have grown in the two weeks of being here, their length probably reaching well past her chest. They held a slight curl to them, and it was thanks to Keru that they maintained their silky appearance compared to the frizziness they sometimes carried when she accidentally slept in.

Today she was wearing a simple, white dress, one that held her breasts perfectly. It wasn’t a dress that had a plunging neckline - probably due to the circumstances of this special visit - and yet she still looked stunning in the simple piece.

The light blanket with a golden floral pattern rested upon her lap. Cyrus was quietly curled up in a ball as she continued to snooze the afternoon away. Both side tables that were next to the bed were filled with various floral arrangements. Those were the ones from yesterday; more had been sent to my place.

We’d come to the decision that we’d be staying at my place until the start of Bootcamp, and that was only if Alice was well enough to attend. I knew she would fight with every stubborn vein inside her to attend this rare opportunity, so we’d already discussed our schedules for the summer, but we also had a backup just in case things didn’t go the camp route.

All I truly cared about was her wellbeing, and as of now, I wasn’t sure where she stood emotionally.

Just staring at her now was hard to bear - the mask of happiness tugged at every nerve in my system that wished to cut this visitation short after an entire day of students and professors visiting Alice like she was some sort of celebrity.

The restaurant explosion had hit the headlines like wildfire, and though no news reports had been allowed to mention Alice’s name due to her being underage - thank Mother Flame - it didn’t stop the news of her heroic actions to save Clara from the bomb.

The news was all reporting that Claire, Clara’s older twin sister, had apparently committed suicide, or at least that was what they were all pushing so that the views would continue to skyrocket as they had in the last two weeks.

Attaching her name to the bomb seemed to be the only excuse they could fathom when the truth of what real organization was behind the strapped bomb vest was not known. Bits of debris from the vested explosive were discovered after the extensive search that was led by Chambers.

The damage was far too extensive to be able to point the obvious finger in the direction we needed to track down the enemy we knew was after Alice, but from what Alice shared regarding the brief moment she had with Claire, she’d been set up the same way Damon’s brother had.

I could tell the conversation and revelation of Claire’s predicament and doom laid heavy on Damon’s shoulders as he remained silent for the remainder of that meeting, but we all were rendered silent by the truth.

Claire didn’t deserve to die. Her feelings were typical in any sibling relationship, and she merely wanted acceptance, a place she could belong that would be focused on her and not her younger twin sister.

Now she was gone, and I was sure Alice was hurt by her own inability to do anything.

Inability to stop this final outcome.

It wasn’t like the final exam where she was able to save our fellow classmates. This was a situation that a majority of people far more skilled and trained wouldn’t have been able to tackle. Blazing Academy and the area around it didn’t have a bomb squad or experienced enough mages to diffuse what occurred that day. The event pushed the administration to set a squad that would collaborate with the police, fire departments, and crime magic agencies.

Claire’s death may have been in vain, but it was already igniting strands of change that would prevent anyone else from dying from such horrid circumstances.

At least one could hope it did.

Alice lifted her hands up, her fingers still in bandages to aid in the final healing process from the injuries she sustained from the blast. All of us were a little surprised by the burn wounds that began to show after Alice’s magic dropped to the lowest I’d ever felt it, but then again, she stopped the impact of a bomb that should have wiped out ten blocks’ worth of buildings, businesses, and homes.

Another reason why the gossip regarding her aid spread like wildfire across Blazing Academy.

“A-Are you sure? This is so much. You already gave me money and various gifts in the last two weeks. I can’t possibly continue to accept more,” Alice quietly reasoned, her nervous expression only confirming that she didn’t feel comfortable accepting any more of Ralmeras’ generous gifts.

I really couldn’t blame her for her urge to decline. Clara’s family had sent gifts, food, flowers, and anything else possible to express their gratitude since the moment Alice was admitted to this private medical center on the other side of Blazing’s massive property.

I secretly hoped they would be spoiling Clara as well with love and attention so she didn’t carry the burden of feeling as though her sister’s death was solely her fault.

“Nonsense! This is nothing,” Mr. Ralmera emphasized. “We could have lost Clara without your aid.”

Mrs. Ralmera nodded swiftly as she bowed. “It’s thanks to your selflessness that she’s alive and getting released today. We couldn’t be more grateful.”

“Ah.” Alice smiled and bobbed her head. “I understand.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, and it only made me want to end this here and now. “I don’t feel I deserve such luxuries when I couldn’t save Claire.” Her voice was barely existent, but I caught it, as did Mr. and Mrs. Ralmera.

“Claire sadly got into something that caught her in a trap she couldn’t escape from,” Mr. Ralmera quietly commented as he leaned back into a standing position before setting the gift upon the end of the bed. “We haven’t been given the full details of the situation or whether it was truly a suicide bomb attempt like the media is trying to portray, but it wasn’t your responsibility to save our older daughter.”

Mrs. Ralmera nodded as she also retracted from the bow and placed the set of golden boxes that looked like special baked treats one would see during special traditional holidays.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Claire did decide to end her life,” Mrs. Ralmera quietly muttered as she let out a heavy sigh. “Claire and Clara have been rather opposite since birth. Claire was always the quiet one, hard to decipher and even pamper. Clara, on the other hand, was so easy to love. She’s always full of energy, and whenever we gave her gifts, she accepted them with sheer happiness.”

She shook her head while Mr. Ralmera placed a comforting arm over his wife’s shoulders. “As parents, we’re rather strict, simply because our way of living was that way. We work a lot to support ourselves, especially since our business took off with the opening of Blazing Academy. It was an unexpected surge of popularity and it was rather difficult for us. With any starting business, things are tricky, and you begin to build profit later on. We always had enough to at least feed ourselves and our twins, but it required us to still do a lot of overtime.”

Mrs. Ralmera bobbed her head at her husband’s explanation. “We show our affection through gifts, so when we’d give Claire something, it almost seemed inadequate to her, while Clara would accept it, no matter if it was big or small. As they grew older, it just seemed right to begin to give more to Clara because she accepted our love while Claire always denied it and was never interested.”

I already disliked how they handled such a situation, assuming the worst of their quiet daughter instead of seeking an explanation for why she declined the gifts. I could see the flicker of disapproval in Alice’s eyes, but she hid it extremely well as she continued to have a slight smile upon her lips.

“By the time Claire and Clara were of age to get into Blazing Academy, they both received invites, but Claire requested to hold off,” Mrs. Ralmera revealed.

“Hold off?” Alice inquired.

Mr. Ralmera tsked, his parental display of disappointment obvious upon his face. “She didn’t feel the need to attend Blazing Academy yet. I’m unsure whether she didn’t want to attend the same year as her sister, or if she wished to figure out what she wanted to achieve by going to such a prestigious school for those with flaming traits, but we couldn’t allow her to simply stay home, so she volunteered to work at the restaurant.”

“We noticed that some strange, sketchy individuals would visit the restaurant from time to time and request for Claire to be their server. We noticed and disliked it, but when we confronted Claire, she stated these individuals were acquaintances and friends.”

“Could I ask what made them look sketchy?” Alice inquired.

“Always in black attire. No matter what time of day or the season. All year round. Black, black, black,” Mr. Ralmera complained with a bit of anger. “They were one of those groups that you simply know are bad news, but Claire didn’t want to listen to us. We never mentioned it to Clara because there was no need. She had to focus on her studies and not worry about odd men showing up at her family’s restaurant. I bet they’re behind this.”

“Can’t we track them down? Did any of the security footage from the past few weeks survive the blast?” Alice asked.

“That’s the thing,” Mrs. Ralmera began. “We recently got new security cameras. Recently meaning the beginning of this month. We were concerned that these black-cloaked individuals were drug dealers or in a gang of some kind and our security cameras were so outdated. We’d been pressed to get new ones anyway by the council of this district because they wanted to up the security of all restaurants near Blazing Academy since so many students visit these parts all year round.”

“We’d asked Claire to store the video footage files, but instead she accidentally deleted them.”

“Accidentally,” Alice repeated.

“I doubt it was an accident,” Mr. Ralmera huffed. “She had to have deleted it so her acquaintances wouldn’t get caught. Now look what has happened. She’s gone, dead, while those bastards get away with her demise.”

“Honey.” Mrs. Ralmera sighed and hugged him from the side.

“Why didn’t you ever ask Claire why she never accepted the gifts?” Alice inquired.

This brilliant woman with a heart of gold.

It was becoming very clear that the Ralmera family had a favorite: Clara. She was their pride and joy because she simply understood their love language while Claire didn’t, and Claire had suffered the ultimate consequence because she thought she wasn’t loved the same as her twin sister.

“We used to, but she’d simply dismiss the matter and walk away,” Mrs. Ralmera answered. “Why? Do you think such information could help with the case?”

“Not really,” Alice admitted. “Don’t you think that Claire simply didn’t want to accept your gifts because she worried you guys didn’t have enough, to begin with?”

The two of them stared at Alice while she shrugged and looked to the tables at the side of her bed that were flooded with the decorated floral pieces of affection.

“As a kid, when my guardians tried to buy me something, I’d simply say that I was fine and didn’t need anything. It wasn’t because I didn’t actually want anything; I knew we weren’t financially secure enough to have what I wished for,” she revealed. “It didn’t matter if it was a five-cent gumball or something pricier. I knew my guardians at the time were struggling, and in my mind, I couldn’t possibly burden them with my desire to be a part of the cool kids or seek my own happiness and fulfillment. It felt selfish to me. So many times, I’d decline with the specific number of holidays and chances that were brought up. I didn’t reject all the time, like Claire may have, but I can understand why she may not have wanted to accept your gifts of gratitude.” She returned her gaze to them as she finished up with, “Love languages are different for everyone and I think Claire’s way of trying to love you both was by being selfless with her wants so you guys would be able to implement the money spent on gifts elsewhere. At least, that’s the vibe I get. I’m still a kid though.”

“You’re old enough to be able to see what many ignore,” I chipped in, grasping their attention as I closed my eyes briefly. “This may not be my place to suggest when I’ve never met Claire, but my parents’ love language is also giving because they work nonstop. I didn’t begin to accept their gifts until I knew we were in a secure financial spot and that was a conversation I had with my parents at an early age. They wished to understand my way of thinking as a child, and I expressed my dislike of our family lacking in any area of value, especially money.”

“We never…” Mr. Ralmera trailed off, and Alice tried to give them an understanding look as she nodded.

“Neither of us are trying to implement any judgment on either of you. We’re merely trying to see things from all angles,” she emphasized as if to make sure she didn’t offend them. “Claire mentioned that she sought some sort of inclusion. A space of acceptance. That was why she easily fell into whatever we’d like to call this. A trap? An escape? It was her desire to belong with a group of individuals who seemed to give her the attention she craved. Regardless of their reasoning and hers, I apologize I wasn’t able to do more.”

“Please don’t apologize,” Mrs. Ralmera emphasized. “This is hard for all of us, but we’re grateful that thanks to you, many lives and businesses were saved.”

“We are also grateful for this conversation. We may not be able to get the truth about what Claire sought and these individuals’ intentions, but we can never thank you enough for at least doing your best, which saved our child. Material things can easily be replaced, but we’re once again thankful that Claire gave you our most important heirlooms and the money we’ve saved for years.”

They both bowed once more, and I decided to walk over to Alice’s bedside.

“You’re welcome,” Alice said with another smile. As much as she was trying to hide it, I could see the seeping exhaustion itching through her facade.

“I think we should end the visitations for today,” I suggested, hoping the Ralmeras would take the hint. “You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine,” Alice reasoned with a pout. “Aren’t there more people outside?”

“They can send their good wishes to you on another day,” I stressed.

“He’s right,” Mrs. Ralmera emphasized. “You need to get some rest as well.”

“It is getting late in the afternoon. Visitation hours will end soon anyway,” Mr. Ralmera added.

“That’s true,” Alice admitted, looking more than just relieved.

“We’re so sorry for taking so much of your time! If you need anything, meals or assistance, please let us know,” Mrs. Ralmera encouraged.

“Clara should be discharged today, so hopefully she passes by,” Mr. Ralmera mentioned as he slipped his hand into Mrs. Ralmera’s grasp. “We’ll be off. Thank you once again.”

“Thank you.” Alice bowed her head slightly in respect as they acknowledged me with a smile and headed to the door. I followed suit, hoping to shoo away anyone else lingering to try and see Alice.

My patience was wearing thin with these repetitive days and visitations, and I could tell Alice was reaching her limit.

Opening the door, I noticed the line that was further away from the door. A nurse thankfully was approaching, and I could tell from the regretful look on her face, she was going to be the bringer of “bad news”.

“Visitation hours are almost up. Is there anyone else you need to see?” she inquired. My eyes scanned what I could, and as much as I wanted to say no, a particular person caught my eye.

“Only her.” I nudged my head in the specific direction. The nurse’s gaze followed and then understanding filled her eyes.

“Alright! I’ll let her come through and insist the others leave their gifts at the nursing station. We can get them sent to the address you provided us earlier.”

“It would be greatly appreciated,” I replied and gave her a rare smile that had her cheeks burning red as she quickly nodded.

Scurrying away, I slid the door halfway open before turning to look over my shoulder.

“Alice? Can you handle one more visitor?”

“Sure,” she replied as she picked Cyrus up to hug her gently. The familiar had been sleeping for the majority of the day, which was reasonable with how exhausted Alice’s magic was.

She’d need to take magic-enforcing pills for the remainder of the summer, but apparently, they were cherry cheesecake flavored so they didn’t taste horrendous like they used to.

Go figure.

“Who is it?” she inquired as I moved from the door to gesture the last visitor in, our eyes locking briefly as hints of ease softened her once worried expression.

Her question was answered as Clara quietly walked into the room with a little gift in her grasp.

“Knock knock,” she whispered with a sad smile. “I came yesterday but the line was a bit hectic and my nurse didn’t want me standing up for too long.”

“Clara.” Alice’s voice was so soft, like she was breathless to see her friend as well. Clara had sustained a head injury from the first blast, which was the main reason she’d remained in the medical center on the other side of this floor.

Due to this, neither of them had seen each other since the incident.

Clara walked over to her bed while Alice lowered Cyrus to her right side, so she could free her arms to give Clara a hug.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she mumbled into Clara’s shoulder. I could feel the emotion in her words - the heavy sadness that continued to weigh our Blazing Queen down.

“Silly. It’s thanks to you that I’m alive. No way would I be able to survive a damn bomb. I’m not skilled in the blazing arts of survival!”

She leaned back to give Alice a loving smile while I closed the door and returned to my corner to lean against the wall once more.

“Aww. Is Gabe your security guard?” Clara teased, which made the scowl on my face deepen. Alice giggled nervously before she actually gave a genuine smile, one I’d missed for a while.

“He makes sure I don’t get so drained from all the visitors. I mean, I love the kind gestures, gifts, and company, but after a few hours, it gets tiring,” she confessed. “People have been here since eight in the morning.”

“Eight in the morning?!” Clara shrieked. “Ugh. We ain’t having any more of that. I can come tomorrow and shoo them away for you!”

“She should be discharged tonight,” I spoke up, grasping their attention. “I talked to the nurses earlier during lunch. They have to do a final test and give the whole discharge speech of what you can and can’t do. Then, we should be good to leave. They’re purposely waiting for the evening so there won’t be any chances for media to try and fabricate a story.”

“Thank goodness.” Clara sighed. “I’ve never seen word of mouth spread so fast. Gossip spreads faster than the damn local news that’s spammed everywhere.”

She shook her head before she reached for her gift. “I got you a little gift, Alice!”

“You really didn’t have to,” Alice admitted but accepted the gift with a happy expression. This was probably the happiest I’d seen her all week.

“I think you’ll need it!” Clara encouraged. “Open it!”

Alice giggled at her best friend’s impatience, and within a few rips of the gold-and-red wrapping paper, she opened the box to reveal various sets of bikinis, shorts, and crop tops.

“What’s this for?”

“Summer Bootcamp, silly!” Clara emphasized. “Did you forget?”

“I didn’t, but hasn’t it already started?”

“Ah.” Clara grinned in triumph. “It was supposed to start this week, but due to the incident and Blazing Academy students knowing about our involvement, there was a unanimous vote to delay it. I think it’ll start next week. They’re also changing the location and keeping it a secret. Each designated team and their assistants will receive a letter that will teleport them to the location.”

“I guess they want to ensure our safety, huh?” Alice muttered. “Thank you, Clara. Seriously. You didn’t have to go out of your way to get me this when you’re not better.”

“I’m a whole lot better!” she said with confidence as she placed her hands on her hips. “My injury seriously wasn’t that bad. I’m on seizure watch, though, but that’s with any head injury. My parents have been so pestering, ugh.”

“They just came by,” Alice admitted.

“They’ve been wanting to see you for a week and I specifically said no. I mean, you’re recovering! You don’t need to be bombarded.”

“They were nice though,” Alice admitted.

Clara sighed. “My parents are too dramatic and whenever anything bad happens to me they want to express their thankfulness like my savior is a god to worship. I mean, it’s kind and all, but they don’t realize how extra it is.”

“Shouldn’t they be upset with me though?” Alice faintly asked.

Clara groaned and reached out to lightly karate chop Alice’s head. “Upset?! You did everything you could! You better not be trying to put the blame on yourself for my sister’s death, Alice!”

“But…” She trailed off as Clara huffed and reached out to hug her again.

“Alice, this isn’t your fault. The culprit is Lock and Key. We can talk about it when we’re in a more secluded spot, but please, Alice, don’t blame Claire’s death on yourself. In this world, we can’t save everyone.”

“But doesn’t it hurt you? She was your twin.”

Clara pulled back and tried to hide her sorrow. “Claire had been pulling away from me for some time now,” she confessed. “We’re not like the twins that have that connection, you know? We used to be. Like, I could sense her discomfort, worries, and fears and she could sense mine, but it seemed to drift as we grew older. That was when she basically started distancing herself in general. I should have worked harder to try and figure what was going on with her. She went from being talkative and sharing her goals and dreams to keeping everything to herself. I think it had to do with my parents showing me more affection or making me the “favorite twin”. I tried time and again to remind Claire that she’s important too, but I guess it never got through.”

With a shake of her head, she fought to smile once more. “Please, Alice. Don’t feel guilty. You did all you could and I’m really grateful to still be alive and breathing. All of that…was scary. I can’t remember much of what happened before the blast, but I’m grateful to have been saved by you again. My parents already experienced the thought of losing me once. Guess it’s harder now that they’ve lost one of us. We’ll figure it out.”

“Are you going to go to the Bootcamp?” Alice inquired.

“Mhmm!”

I was surprised by Clara’s answer, and I could see the obvious concern on Alice’s face.

“Don’t worry,” Clara huffed and elbowed Alice gently in the arm. “I got the doctor’s approval. CloverSpell is going to be at the Bootcamp and providing therapy there. I agreed to go to her weekly during the summer.”

“What about…” Alice began but trailed off.

“The funeral?” Clara suggested. “It will sadly be after the summer. My parents requested special mages who are able to do a detailed investigation of the restaurant and have the ability to gather specific individual’s ashes. It’s something about holding something of theirs and summoning their remains to their grasp. Needs loads of magic but it also takes time for the police and mage investigators to do their thing. A lot of our family members are abroad, so they have to come down as well. It just makes sense to be after summer.”

“Ya,” Alice replied.

“I’ll be fine, Alice. Seriously. I need the distraction.” She reached out to pat Alice’s shoulder. “We can talk more about this another time. You look like you could use a nap.”

“Hah. I feel tired as hell,” Alice admitted.

“I bet,” Clara agreed. “Thanks, Alice, and remember. This doesn’t change the fact we’re best friends. Got it? After all the shit we’ve been through, we’re pretty much Ride or Dies!”

“True.” Alice softly giggled. “Get some rest as well, Clara.”

“I will. Trust me. I’m tired.” She looked over at me. “Make sure you take care of Alice, Gabe, or I’m kicking your butt.”

“Why do you and Damon keep calling me that?” I grunted.

“No one has time to say your whole damn name. Like seriously. Gab-ri-el. Far too many syllables.”

My left eye twitched as I bit my tongue to keep from losing my cool on this woman. She didn’t have the same tolerance Alice did with my annoyance level, and she seemed to catch the message because she smirked and gave Alice a final hug before racing to the door.

“I’ll see you when your evil owl isn’t around,” Clara hummed as she gave Alice a wave. “See ya, Alice.”

“Bye Clara,” she replied and waved back.

The door closed, and I swiftly walked over to lock it. “Hmph. Too many syllables my foot.”

I returned my grumpy gaze to Alice as she sighed and ran her hand through her hair. That made the bits of anger calm immediately as I walked over to the bed.

“Alice?”

“I wasn’t really prepared to see Clara and her parents today,” Alice admitted as she kept her head down.

I didn’t say anything as I simply sat on the side of the bed that was on her left, my arm reaching to wrap over her shoulders and tug her into my side. She didn’t even resist my affection, looking defeated as she stared at her hands in her lap.

Following her gaze, I noticed her open palms that shook just slightly as teardrops began to stain the white bandages.

Alice…

“I want to make them pay.” Her voice was barely audible, and yet her declaration was clear as the rays of the sunset that began to seep into the room. “Let them feel this hollow emptiness that I do. Feel one of their own being taken away. Let them carry the burden they’re placing upon me again and again. I want to make them pay so badly, Gabriel.”

She clenched her fists to the point that they were shaking violently. I moved without thinking as I managed to slip her into my arms and lift her up until she sat upon my lap. The action cut through the dark mindset that was thrumming through her, and those red spheres that were still glimmering with a foreign essence of magic lifted up to meet my tender ones.

For the first time in a while, I didn’t allow myself to think, but to give in to my body’s desire to deliver some piece of comfort to the woman I’d become obsessed with.

When our lips met, it was with gentle tenderness. Compared to the previous moments where we’d shared intimacy at the hands of our sexual desires, this was solely for the purpose of aiding in her healing process.

Her anger was valid. Her desire to seek revenge for the lost life and harm done to her best friend’s family and source of livelihood was reasonable, and we all didn’t need another sign to know that Lock and Key wouldn’t back down from their threat.

“Join us, Alice, or the next victim will be…you.”

If only they realized that there was no way that her Blazing Knights would allow it. I’d never let this woman slip from my grasp. They didn’t deserve her kindness, compassion, and the immense love she carried within herself.

She was a woman who had been bruised by hurtful words, actions, and a life she didn’t deserve as someone destined for better. This incident had proven once again how lucky Blazing Academy was to have a woman who was still a teen in their grasp, and we all knew she had a promising future.

If only the world would allow her to reach her podium of greatness.

I broke the kiss because I didn’t want to make it seem like I wanted something in return. Tonight, and the days before the summer camp, should be designated for Alice, and I wished for her to understand that.

She met my gaze as I gently used my free hand to move a few strands of her hair before wiping away the single tear that left her glassy eyes.

“They will pay,” I vowed.

My voice held nothing but conviction, and I felt it deep down in my body as it warmed up slightly from my own flaming element. I may carry the same patience as my owl trait, but we’d both come to the conclusion that if we continued to be “patient” it would cost the woman we loved her life.

The woman we love…

“For now, you need to rest,” I encouraged. “Once we fill out the final forms, we’ll go to my house. Westley’s staying with you tonight. Are you okay with that?”

She nodded in reply as she whispered, “Would be nice to be in a familiar environment instead of here.”

“I know.”

“What about Damon?” Her question intrigued me, but I guess with the recent circumstances, she would worry about him after they separated.

“He’s staying with us,” I revealed and noticed the twinkle of ease in her eyes. “Are you worried about him?”

“A little,” she admitted. “He…likes to keep himself away from everyone, and I guess…” She trailed off as she tried to figure out her words. “He’s lonely, Gabriel. I worry that…you know…”

“You’re worried that due to this incident with Claire, it may trigger something in Damon after what occurred with his older brother?”

“Yes.” She seemed grateful that I could decipher what she was trying to explain.

Deciding to be a bit more open with my emotions, I slowly nodded. “I agree. It’s why I invited him to stay. He was hesitant at first, especially with him and Westley not really getting along, but I told him if he didn’t stay you’d probably cry.”

“And he actually believed you.” She seemed astonished by the simple threat.

“Surprisingly, yes.” I actually smirked. “Apparently seeing you cry is a weakness of ours.”

“Good to know.” Her soft giggle made my heart calm a little as I tried not to let my body get excited with our closeness. Reaching out to place my hand under her chin, I lifted her gaze up so she met my eyes.

“Promise me something.”

“What?”

“Don’t wear that mask when you’re around us.”

“Mask?” Her face scrunched in confusion, but I knew better.

I can see through you, my Queen.

“When you’re with me, Keru, Westley…and even Damon. I don’t want you wearing that mask to hide your emotions. I don’t want you hiding the true feelings that you’ve been burying all week.”

She swallowed whatever lump was in her throat as she continued to stare into my eyes while I kept her head steady.

“We care about you, Alice. I may not know what Damon’s feelings are for you, nor does it matter to me. However, as your knights, it’s not only our duty to keep you safe from harm’s way, but to ensure you’re emotionally and mentally okay,” I stressed. “We failed at protecting you in this scenario, and though due to circumstances, we can’t be fully blamed because this attack wasn’t solely directed at you. However, I cannot continue to stand here and watch you wear a mask to hide this shame within you.”

I hit the nail on the head, my expression as firm as stone.

“You saved Clara’s life. You did the best you could do as a sixteen-year-old who finished her exam early and decided to race to aid your best friend after finding out about the load of death threats she was getting. You’re not an agent or someone who has been trained to tackle something as severe as this. You had no clue who Claire was or the issues she carried with Clara and her parents. You can’t be ashamed for making a heroic action like running into a burning building and stopping the blast of a bomb with your bare hands. I won’t tolerate that any longer.”

“Gabriel.” Her quiet voice trembled, and her glassy eyes were on the verge of shedding more tears. I couldn’t be harsh any longer. I groaned and claimed her lips once more. It was frustrating scolding her when she looked so broken.

I could tease and grind her gears when her flaming aura burned bright with life, but now it was nothing but steaming smoke that floated into the air after all the flames were extinguished.

The aftermath of a blazing battle that had left us feeling like failures.

“Alice.” My lips brushed along hers as I spoke, “We will grow stronger. That’s the purpose of Blazing Academy. And this summer camp will aid in our desire to strive forward. But do not add this to a list of failures. Don’t punish yourself and forget the good you’ve achieved.”

Pulling back enough to stare into her eyes once more, she finally nodded slightly as her mask of stone seemed to fall and reveal the magnitude of emotions she’d been hiding all week.

Immense sadness. Despair. Fear. Uncertainty.

With a slight nod, I wrapped my arms around her and listened to her quietly sob in my grasp. It was the first time in a long time I’d had to comfort another. The memories of Keru the night he almost fell to his death flashed within my head.

That was what I feared the most. That all of this pressure on Alice when she was still trying to figure out her purpose in this vast world would be what pushed her over the edge.

Never.

I’d never let it happen. I couldn’t allow such an ending for someone with as bright a future as she had. She was my duty. The center of my world as her Blazing Knight.

Without her…would I have any other purpose?

It was a question that only emphasized the obvious while I continued to share my compassion with the woman in my grasp.

I’m falling for this woman and there’s probably no way out.

A part of me already accepted that, but maybe this was what I needed to take things to the next level.

For now…only time will tell.

2

PACKING AND QUESTIONING IMAGERY

~ALICE~

“WESTLEY, I don’t need help with packing!”

“You’re on strict doctor’s orders to not exert yourself. Packing included!”

“That’s a lie!”

“You were there when the doctor said so!”

“I didn’t hear him!”

“That was because you were totally asleep!”

“I was not!”

“Was too!”

“Woof!”

We stopped mid-argument to look at Cyrus as she sat before the pile of my folded underwear.

“Cyrus,” I warned, but I knew from the twinkle in her eye it was far too late. She darted into the tower of panties before she began to roll in the chaotic mess of lace fabric before tossing a bunch in the air.

I groaned in defeat. The mere idea of folding such simple pieces of clothing over again already made me want to take a nap in defiance.

Blazing Summer Bootcamp was tomorrow and, after being my usual stubborn self, I was able to convince my dad and Blazing Knights that I’d be able to handle attending the rare opportunity of training.

I couldn’t possibly ignore this chance to grow stronger. There was so much I needed to learn about myself and the traits I carried for the next semester to come, and if summer camp would speed the process up, I’d force my tired self out of bed every day to achieve it.

I wished for the level of confidence of knowing I could defend myself when push came to shove. We may be gaining loads of knowledge in school, but without the objective of applying such knowledge and abilities onto the battlefield, it only remained as information filling your head and not something that could save you in a bad situation.

Gabriel, Keru, Westley, and even Damon had been super helpful these last couple of days. Damon was staying at Gabriel’s place as an extra safety precaution. Obviously, I knew the real reasoning, but it made sense for all of us to stay together until we figured out what Lock and Key’s next move would be.

They clearly want to make me their next victim if I don’t join their evil band of followers.

I’d be a fool to join an organization that only proved their satisfaction with your alliance for a short period of time before insisting someone else you love joined the cult of darkness.

They were evil - obviously - but it only confirmed how dangerous such an organization was. They preyed on students, convincing them they would be included in a space that would give in to their hidden desires. Instead, they would be forced to proceed with whatever the organization requested to remain as a member.

Or else death is their next portion.

It was scary to think about. The scenario of Claire being surrounded by dark beings in the shadows that handed her an envelope continued to tease my mind again and again. A scenario from one of the many nightmares I’d had over the past few nights.

She stood there with so much excitement bubbling in her eyes, her heart full of happiness to finally be accepted in a place that “saw” her - not her twin, her flaws, or her inability to share how she truly felt.

If only she knew the truth of their hidden intentions. She could have still been alive.

Like Clara had stated, the Celebration of Life for Claire was going to be after summer, a few days before Semester Three.

As much as I wished to attend to give my consolations, I also didn’t feel worthy enough to visit. I hadn’t known Claire, and it felt intrusive to attend something that would acknowledge her life and worth.

She deserved to be surrounded by those who loved her, cared about her existence, and could voice many of her amazing qualities for the rest of her family and loved ones to hear.

I don’t fit into that category.

There was no need for me and my boyfriends to attend simply because we were present at the site that took her life. It felt invasive and inappropriate.

Dad was working with some special investigators to try and get the upper hand on Lock and Key, but I personally didn’t think they would be able to track their steps. This wasn’t a sloppy job, like Rick trying to steal the necklace at the festival.

This was done by professional individuals who knew how to cover their tracks.

The real experts.

The days of recovery that followed consisted of sleeping, nightmares, eating when my stomach allowed it, and doing small fire exercises to kickstart my magic.

Since the incident, my flame had been rather low, according to everyone else. I personally felt like shit: body aches, chills, headaches, and a drop in my energy that would kick my anemic booty into unconsciousness.

I’d fainted at least three times this week, twice with Gabriel and once with Damon. My poor Angelic Asshole was going to make my life a living hell if my anemia didn’t stop making me pass out in the shower.

I really didn’t need Gabriel being a security guard in my bathroom whenever I had to do anything.

To be fair, Gabriel had been really nice to me. We still had our arguing moments with him waiting for some chance to add to the never-ending nickname he’d derived for me since the day we met, but when I needed a shoulder to quietly cry on, he’d been there.

I woke up from my brief fainting moment in the shower, left in a sobbing soaked mess in his arms, and he didn’t once use it against me. He held me and allowed me to let my emotions out before assisting me with finishing up.

It was embarrassing, but a good quality of Gabriel was that he didn’t make it seem that way. He remained calm while acting like his usual scowling self - minus the scowl in that specific situation because he didn’t want me thinking he was upset with me needing his aid.

The time I fainted with Damon present, I was trying to put a book away in Gabriel’s massive library when I felt dizzy. I actually had no clue Damon had been nearby, but thankfully he was, because falling from a ladder would have been a pain in the ass.

Or back.

That was exactly why I was here with Westley tonight as “my loyal guard” while Gabriel, Keru, and Damon went out to do some errands for our trip.

As exciting as it was, I dreaded the idea of being around some of our classmates. The news of the obvious had spread through Blazing Academy, and though it was nothing to be ashamed of, I really wasn’t excited about being bombarded.

Keru assured me that the staff warned all students to not bombard any famous individuals attending the camp - a common rule due to the potential of celebrities and other well-known individuals attending the Summer Bootcamp.

The Bootcamp also gave us a few extra credits, so it was something many took seriously, since it could lighten their workload in the later semesters to come.

I was ready to get back into the groove of something - anything - that would distract me from getting far too into my thoughts that were swarming with negativity.

My talk with Clara on my last day at the medical center should have delivered some sort of relief, especially after speaking with her parents, and yet I still couldn’t get rid of the intense, disheartening feeling that weighed upon my heart.

The continued nightmares, the reminder that I couldn’t save everyone that day, that one had to perish while another had to carry the burden of survival kept running through my head.

Clara was doing her best to put on a smile whenever she came to deliver plates of food her parents made on our behalf. It didn’t matter how many times we insisted that we were okay, they couldn’t help but ensure we were fed and taken care of while we waited for the day we’d be teleported to summer camp.

Deep down, I was even surprised that they wished for me to continue to hang with their daughter, that it was fine for me to be best friends with her. I was indeed grateful for that because Clara was my main female friend that I could actually trust.

If push came to shove, I could trust her with my problems if I couldn’t comfortably speak about a topic with my boyfriends. That was something I cherished, and the thought of me losing it over my lack of action would have added more pain to my troubled soul.

Why can’t this be easier?

The brush on my cheek brought me back to the present. Westley, who was previously standing in the corner of the room with some of my stuff, now sat on the side of the bed with his hand on my cheek.

Cyrus was even sitting on my lap. A pair of my frisky lace underwear was still on her head which she tilted to one side while her ears twitched in worry.

“Woof?”

I blinked, not realizing I was actually crying, and that only left me a little confused as I returned my gaze to Westley.

“Um…I don’t know why I’m crying,” I admitted and wished to scurry away to a corner and hide. Westley gave me a comforting smile, one that made those mesmerizing eyes of his soften while his soft lips continued to widen at my admission.

“It’s okay not to know,” he comforted. “Do you want to talk about anything?”

“Well…I was just thinking that I can’t wait for us to do the summer camp and all.” I closed my eyes for a moment as his hand brushed away another tear that left my sockets. “I need a distraction. Something to get my head off of things. I’m also a bit surprised Clara still wants to be my friend and all, or maybe that her parents are okay with me hanging with their daughter.”

“Why wouldn’t they be okay with you being around Clara, Alice?” Westley inquired with a soft yet firm voice. I knew he wanted to confront my negative thoughts and determine if they were accurate or made just to make me feel like shit with no merit.

Obviously, this subject was one of those that didn’t make sense and yet it continued to repeat in my mind.

Opening my eyes to peer into his, I shrugged and tried to think it through out loud.

“I don’t know. One of their daughters died because of me? I know it doesn’t make sense. I didn’t get Claire into the mess she was in and there was no way for me to save her, I guess. Ugh. I feel like a broken record again.”

“Expressing how you feel doesn’t make you a broken record, Alice,” Westley assured me. “Right now, the wound is fresh and needs time to heal. This is your time to let it out into the universe. Let out your frustrations and fears. Allow your feelings to rise up to Mother Flame so they don’t linger within you when you wish to move forward from this.”

He had a point, and it was even more comforting knowing he didn’t mind my repetitiveness on this matter. I knew what he was saying was true. If I cleared my mind now with all of this junk in my head, I’d be able to focus on working on myself and getting stronger.

Getting back to my confident self. Yes. I have to if I want to seek the vengeance Claire deserves.

With a bit of a smile, I told him all I was feeling currently: the suffocating feeling that seemed to undervalue my actions that did save Clara, and my worries about the future. It felt good to let it out, and I wasn’t even afraid of Westley judging me because I knew he wouldn’t.

I cared dearly about my boyfriends, but there was always something deeper with Westley that made me melt into his comforting arms and not dare leave a single detail behind. He felt like my rock that would always ensure I stood above the treacherous waters called life.

Our connection was growing, and maybe this incident only furthered his desire to be around me more. It had been hard for him to do “shifts” with the others to ensure I was watched like the doctor mandated.

I wasn’t on any suicide watches or anything, but with the fainting issue, I could only assume it was standard for the sake of me not passing out and cracking my head open.

“Are you still having nightmares?” Westley inquired.

“Ya.” I pouted my lips. “They’ll go away eventually. I’m used to having odd dreams. I’ve had them all my life, to be fair. When I got bullied I’d have nightmares. Not often, but I wasn’t surprised by them either.”

As I reached out to retrieve my undies from Cyrus’s head, she beamed and jumped up and down before jumping off the bed and going to cause more mischief as usual.

My eyes moved to the neon pink fabric, the same time as Westley’s, and we both stared at it. My cheeks began to swarm with heat as I mentally cursed myself.

Why did I go taking this damn thing off Cyrus now?!

“Getting bolder in the lingerie department I see?” Westley teased, to which I threw the fabric right in his face - and regretted it.

“S-Shut up! It wasn’t even my choice,” I whined in an attempt to cover my embarrassment. “Clara said now that I have boyfriends, I gotta have a set of frisky lingerie for when we have se-” I stopped before I could emphasize the “x” in the word. My entire face was completely red while Westley was on the verge of going on a laughing fit.

“Go away!” I huffed and kicked him off the bed. He went down laughing like a maniac and I groaned and began to throw my pillows at him.

“Stop laughing!” I snapped as I threw pillow after pillow, as if it were doing a thing.

“Frisky underwear for when we have sex, huh? Now I better be first in line because I’d love to have a show of these pieces!” Westley laughed.

I got up onto my feet, balancing myself on the bed as I grabbed the remaining pillows on the other side and began throwing them at Westley, who was practically rolling along the floor.

“Stop moving, dammit!” I huffed as I threw the last pillow. “I swear I’ll WWE your ass!”

That had him hollering like a madman as I brought up the classic wrestling show that was just a bunch of fake competitions for pure entertainment purposes.

“I’d like to see you try, but you’d only hurt yourself,” Westley declared as he stopped rolling so his back was pressed against the floor while he placed his hands behind the back of his head.

The movement made his t-shirt roll-up, giving me a lovely glimpse of his six-pack that I somehow felt was hidden ninety-nine percent of the time.

“Since when do you have a six-pack?” I inquired.

“Sweet Alice, I’ve always had a six-pack,” he voiced with a smirk that looked far too seductive for my poor heart to handle as it skipped like a happy school girl about to get laid by her favorite crush.

Alright, I’m clearly in need of some loving, but I have to fix my damn mental game first.

“Liar!” I huffed and tried to ignore just how hot my face felt.

“Why?” He ignored my comment to inquire about my observation. “Like what you see?”

“T-T-That…ugh!” I couldn’t even get my words out as I turned around so my back would be facing him while I crossed my arms.

“Forget it! You and your abs are ugly!”

He was lost in hysterics once again, leaving me to stand there like a pouting child on the verge of a tantrum. I decided to close my eyes and count down from five.

If he’s still laughing by the time I’m done, I’m body slamming him!

Opening my eyes once more, I readied for my mental countdown when my eyes locked onto the single image before me. The familiar individual floating in the middle of the air with red flames around them forced me to stay completely still.

My eyes grew wide as I focused on the slightly transparent image of Claire. She looked shocked that I’d noticed her and in seconds, she’d placed her hands together like she was saying a prayer.

She tried to speak, but words didn’t come out. My eyes took in the multiple red strings that seemed to be wrapped around her wrists. Some of them carried a talisman of some sort. She wore a simple, white dress that was also falling victim to the thin, red threads.

I was so shocked by her appearance, and yet my ears craved to hear what she was fighting to say. I concentrated as best I could while my temperature began to spike, as if my magic could somehow be the translator between the realms of life and death.

She looked like she was going to give up. Her gaze moved to my right, but I was too transfixed on her to pull my gaze away. I was worried that one hint of distraction would get rid of her presence entirely.

With a swift turn of her head, her pleading eyes locked onto my astonished ones as the struggled words shot out.

“Save…me. Sealed. Life…. Death. They…need me! Alice…please…save…me!”

The last set of words felt more like a command, one strong enough to send a wave of heat against me and ignite the sudden black dots that took over my vision.

Before I knew it, I was falling back. My entire body grew weak as if my anemia had suddenly kicked in, but someone swiftly caught me.

This set of arms was different. The soft scent of smoke and cologne hit my nostrils. I don’t know why, but I immediately envisioned Damon, which left me wondering if the others were back as well.

For a brief moment, I let the comforting warmth of the dark take me into its arms. The haunting image of Claire’s pleading eyes faded away, as did my consciousness.

Claire…what’s going on?

3

TRAPPED SOUL AND BLAZING VEIL

~KERU~

“ALICE IS GOING to enjoy these donu-” I paused in my statement as Damon went from lingering behind us at the top step of the stairs to breezing past like a dark bolt of energy and into Alice’s room.

Gabriel and I both came to a stop. The two of us exchanged looks before we rushed to Alice’s room in time to see Damon catch Alice just as Westley was sitting up from the floor to try and catch her.

One look at her aura told me something was off in the air. My eyes swiftly trailed over to the opposite side of the bed that faced Alice’s direction, and I noticed a source of power still lingering there.

“What the hell?” Westley snapped, but I drowned out the commotion with the rest of the world, my eyes solely locking onto the silhouette of energy while my eyes intensified with my own gift of warlock energy.

“Keru?” I could hear Gabriel attempting to get through to me, but I had to figure out if what I was sensing was good or evil. My fingers spread out wide as a rush of magic force trickled to my fingertips until my staff jiggled into existence.

I wrapped my hand around the staff and used my other hand to summon an array of rectangular papers. As words swiftly came out of me, I sensed the strong presence of my hellhound, who rushed to aid me in the spell that left my lips.

“Reveal what is hidden between the realms of life and death. I, carrier of flames from the land of death, command it! ISHA NO RA DEATHANDO REVALANSIONA!”

The spell was one of my longer ones, and I hated the idea of expelling such an amount of magic for a potential waste of time, but I never ignored my instincts – and today wouldn’t be any different.

The rectangular sheets of paper that floated before me bled magic as incantations of red bled through the white sheets. They burst into flames and launched forward upon the hidden being.

I could hear the gasps of the others as a silhouette formed, the flames outlining its body. The individual looked my way, and I knew this was the moment I could attempt to decipher who they were.

Tapping my staff twice, I sent wavelengths of frost to try and get a figure of the person while taming the flames that were attempting to get rid of whatever evil was within this spiritual presence, but I knew when the flames surrounded the individual their intentions weren’t negative.

If they were, they would have been vanquished back to the realm they came from.

“Wait!” The weak declaration cut through my concentration, and my eyes darted to Alice, who was barely awake as she pointed in the direction of the spirit.

“Claire! It’s…Claire!” She struggled to breathe, looking drained as ever, but her words concerned me further because that told me something was very wrong if she was witnessing the sight of the dead.

Shit.

An aftershock suddenly pushed throughout the room, sending Damon backwards, causing him to lose his balance while holding Alice. Gabriel was there in a nanosecond. He caught Damon, who continued to hold Alice for dear life. Meanwhile, Westley was already pointing his hands out protectively.

“Return to your land of the dead! Eva Ru Lashu!” The shortened spell hit immediately, a counter wave of black and teal rushing out of his glowing hands and hitting the silhouette until it was completely gone.

All that was left was the ashes from the burning talismans - their flakes of black raining down to the very spot of the silhouette.

I frowned as my hellhound trait within my mind began to back away. I could tell from its wise eyes that it agreed with what my thoughts were beginning to put together, but it felt like something impossible.

At least impossible unless a Blazing Necromancer was involved.

None of us spoke, but my ears caught onto the approaching footsteps from the hall. I had every intention of seeing who it was, but my gait was so wobbly that I leaned back without realizing it.

“Keru!” multiple voices stated all at once, but a pair of hands stopped my fall as they supported my weight with ease.

“I come to check on my daughter and here you guys are trying to capture spirits between the Blazing Veil.”

“Chambers!” Westley and Gabriel declared in shock. I was just as surprised at his sudden visit while I attempted to make my body “work” again. I hadn’t attempted a spell like that in ages, and this was the consequence for it.

“Evening,” he greeted as he helped me to stand up before aiding me with sitting down on Alice’s bed. Damon moved to lower Alice to sit next to me. Her tired eyes looking drained while her attention kept bouncing between me and her father.

“Keru? Are you okay?” Alice weakly asked before looking at Chambers. “And Dad? What are you doing here?”

“My heart breaks at the fact you’re worried about him over me,” Chambers sarcastically whined before he walked over to Alice’s side to ruffle her hair. “Why are you going against the doctor’s orders again?”

“Again?” she huffed. “I was…” she paused to yawn and groan, “Good until Claire’s spirit came back from the dead.”

“Can we do some sort of recap here?” Gabriel requested as he moved to stand next to Chambers before he knelt down and placed his left hand on Alice’s knee and his right hand on my knee.

We watched in curiosity as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His aura danced in a wonderful golden light that held bits of white as magic oozed off of him and into us.

My exhaustion seemed non-existent a minute later, and a quick glance at Alice proved to show the dramatic difference Gabriel’s boost had delivered to her as well. Her tanned skin was less pale and she could actually keep her eyes open in comparison to before, when she fought their heaviness.

“Wow. Gabriel, you didn’t have to do that,” Alice reasoned in shock as Gabriel retracted his hands and slowly rose up. He needed a moment to answer, which was reasonable. It was just like the last time he’d aided Alice, when she was on the verge of passing out back when we ended up creating the bond between us before the seal was broken.

I almost missed it as Westley moved to stand on Chamber’s left side. Damon placed a hand on Gabriel’s back to stop him from losing balance. It was such a swift action that resulted in him standing next to Gabriel, but I noticed him moving his offered hand and sliding it into his pocket. I was pretty positive everyone else missed it, but I caught onto it.

Interesting.

“We can’t have you going back to the hospital,” Gabriel reasoned. “I don’t want to be scolded by that scary doctor at that medical center.”

“It’s sad you’re afraid of that old hag,” Damon muttered. “We’ll never see her again.”

“Never say never,” Gabriel huffed. “The people you least expect to meet again are the ones that will show up when you least expect it.”

“So,” Chambers began and reeled us back to focus. “What’s going on that had Alice in Damon’s grasp, Keru on the verge of passing out, and the veil between life and death opened for a brief second?”

When none of us answered and stared at him with shocked expressions, he frowned and stroked his chin.

“You guys haven’t learned about the Blazing Veil yet?”

When we all shook our heads, he rolled his eyes. “What are they even teaching you at Blazing nowadays?”

“Not enough, it seems,” I muttered with a sigh. “Alice? What happened that almost knocked you out?”

“Ah.” Alice sat up a little taller as the attention fell upon her. “Westley and I were just bickering over his ugly six-pack that I secretly like,” she began and then groaned with a slap to her face while Westley immediately smirked in pride.

“Stop smiling like a lunatic,” Damon grumbled while Gabriel shook his head.

I couldn’t help but smirk, but I didn’t comment as Alice went along with her explanation.

“I closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened them, there was Claire just floating there. She was wearing a white dress, but she was wrapped in these red threads. They were thinner than ropes, and some of them carried pieces of paper with red characters on them. Kind of reminded me of Japanese history, when they would keep people captive with seals. She was asking me to save her. She told me that she’s sealed, and they need her. Or someone needs her.”

“Sealed,” I whispered as I slowly bobbed my head in understanding. “It felt that way. I noticed the same strings, and it’s exactly like how Japanese temples forbid individuals from entering certain places with red string because it can lead to the spirit world,” I explained.

“What move did you use?” Damon inquired. From the way he stared at me, it was a genuine question and he seemed intrigued.

“It’s a spell that can vanquish any evil spirit,” I confessed. “You may not know, but I’m a hellhound warlock. We’re trained to deal with situations where the dead may seep through the Veil between life and death. Hellhounds are connected to the depths of hell, and such alignment combined with the ability to summon the flames of hell if we’re strong enough makes us potential shamans or even Necromancers. I’m not into the whole ‘revive the dead’ movement. Thus, the reason why being a Warlock seemed like a better option.”

“You being a Necromancer would make more sense,” Damon muttered while his eyes returned to the spot where Claire’s spirit had been.

“Hold on. You know what Necromancers are?” Westley questioned Damon, who merely shrugged, his gaze still focused on the spot.

“Duh,” he huffed. “I am one.”

Everyone was completely silent. Even Chambers seemed speechless as our attention remained on Damon, who only questioned the silence after a solid ten seconds.

“What?”

“You’re a Necromancer?” Alice was the one to question in shock. “Wait. I thought your flaming trait was Wind Flare. Wouldn’t you need Dark Flame or something? Actually…wait a minute. You’ve used Dark Flame before. You used it to handle the flames at the restaurant.”

Damon didn’t seem the least concerned as his usual expressionless face was back as he stared at Alice. “Yes?” he prompted and then added, “I don’t see what the concern is.”

“How many flaming traits do you have, Damon?” I decided to ask the prime question.

“All of them.”

Now we simply stared at him like fools, since we were only now finding this information out after he’d been our assistant for an entire semester.

Scratch assistant. Even if none of us were close to him in Semester One, everyone in school assumed he was Wind Flare. How has he hidden the fact he carries all four flaming traits?

What worried me about this revelation wasn’t the hidden fact that he had all the flaming traits or that he was a Necromancer. It was the fact that he hid his energy so flawlessly that it benefitted his projected persona.

Is that good or bad?

“None of you knew this?” Damon looked appalled. “Don’t you guys do background checks?”

“Um…“Alice trailed off for a moment before asking, “Why would we background check you?”

“Because I’m your assistant and you guys didn’t know me?” Damon offered. “You’d be working with someone for the entire semester who could stab you in the back at any time. It only makes sense to do a background check. Rick did one on all of you guys, but he didn’t find much dirt.”

“He did?” Gabriel sounded peeved.

“Yup, but Rick sucks at that shit, so I did it.”

“Wait. So you have dirt on all of us?” Alice gasped.

“Sure.” Damon shrugged. “Depends on what you define as dirt.”

“Give an example,” I offered.

“Westley has a wall dedicated to Alice in his room.”

The pin-drop silence was followed with all of us moving to look at Westley as his expression remained blank. One second later, the temperature dropped in the room, the dramatic decrease enough to make goosebumps appear across my arms and legs.

“I guess you should count your bless-” I couldn’t even finish as Westley had Damon literally against the wall in a throat hold.

“Westley?!” Alice shrieked, and I had to force her to remain sitting while Gabriel sighed and pinched his nose.

“And here we go,” Gabriel complained.

“I should cut off your breathing supply for good,” Westley drawled menacingly.

Damon just looked down at him as if the tight grip around his neck wasn’t doing shit.

“Westley,” Chambers warned. “Cool it.”

“He can’t go saying shit like that without my fucking permission,” Westley snapped back.

He was actually pissed, which made me frown, as did Gabriel.

“Westley?” I voiced. “It’s not that big of a deal. I mean, we knew that.”

Damon seemed to smirk then, while his eyes suddenly darkened. “Best you let go, West. I only carry patience for my friends. And in this room, you’re on the bottom of that not so lengthy list.”

“You dare to threaten me when you went into my personal space?” Westley’s voice was venomous, and now Alice was up on her feet.

“Westley! Stop. I get why you’re mad, but you can solve this with words,” Alice tried to reason, but Westley’s aura was spiking with more power by the second.

Why do those two butt heads so badly?

“Westley,” Chambers’s voice was firmer now, and that only made me worry about what he was seeing compared to us.

“Last warning, West,” Damon offered.

“Call me West one more fucking time,” Westley dared, and the way Damon smiled made my stomach flip in worry.

Now it was my turn to rise up as Gabriel’s body grew tense at the same time as mine. The two of us noticed how Damon’s aura went from barely present to an overflowing burst of chaos.

No one had time to react until we all ducked as Westley went from holding onto Damon’s neck to being rushed right across the room until he was slammed against the wall.

We all looked over to see him struggling to get out of his position, but we were all frozen with shock as black spirits seeped through the wall and grabbed his limbs while they sang eerily in glee.

“Damon,” I hissed and looked back at him, but his eyes were pure black, like he was completely possessed.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I didn’t know what was going on, but suddenly Alice was before Damon, which made all of us freeze in pure worry.

Alice!

“Damon.” I expected her voice to be filled with fear, but instead it was calm as she stared at him. Her soft whisper was enough to divert his attention from Westley, and those hollow orbs of onyx locked on her.

She stood her ground, and even though his aura overpowered her intensely, she didn’t raise hers to overpower his.

“I know you had to do what needed to be done because Rick and the others ordered you, too, correct?” she offered.

Damon didn’t reply, but she slowly nodded. “You don’t like being touched?”

I sensed the shift in his structure as his body stiffened just slightly - enough to give me a hint of an answer.

Actions speak louder than words…Wait!

“Trigger?” I whispered it lowly, but I was sure everyone heard it with the heavy silence that still lingered around us after Alice’s question.

Alice looked over her shoulder at me, and I made sure she could understand me with my eyes. Westley triggered something.

She looked away then, her attention back on Damon, while I looked at Westley to make sure he was still okay, even with whatever demonic spirits Damon suddenly summoned.

“Damon,” Alice whispered. “Westley’s sorry. He didn’t know. Please don’t hurt him,” she pleaded with him. “If he does it again, you can duke it out, but you need to give him a chance.”

Damon didn’t say anything, but the sudden thump had us looking back to see Westley was free from the ghostly spirits that began to retreat back into the wall.

Now the question is whether those are his, or is Gabriel’s house haunted?

I turned my attention back to Damon, and we watched his eyes begin to seep back to normal. He blinked a few times before he frowned.

“What just happened?” he questioned.

“Shouldn’t we be asking you that?” Chambers offered, which left Damon looking more disturbed.

Alice looked over to her dad to give him a ‘really, Dad?’ look. Returning her gaze to Damon, she sighed and slowly reached out hesitantly. “Damon? Can I stroke your head for a moment?”

He seemed confused by the gesture but slowly shrugged. “Sure?”

She nodded and reached out over the remaining distance to gently stroke his head. The bewilderment on Damon’s face was probably the most emotion I’d ever witnessed the entire time we’ve known him, but it also confirmed that he didn’t realize what just happened.

“Damon, do you have triggers?”

He didn’t seem comfortable with the question, but he managed to answer. “Yes.”

The way he answered suggested that he wasn’t up for further questioning.

Alice nodded. “How are you feeling now?”

“Okay?” he answered, but looked at the door. “I need a moment. I’m gonna go get some water.”

He didn’t leave any room for debate as he stopped Alice’s hand from stroking his head. He gently held it for a few seconds longer, the action allowing me to notice the slight tremble in his hand.

Fuck. We seriously pressed a nerve.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Alice inquired.

“Nah. I won’t be long,” he replied and let go of her hand. He made his way right out the door, closing it behind him.

We remained in an intense silence before Chambers sighed. “Well. I guess we have to speak about the ‘not attacking your assistants’ rule.”

Alice sighed as she walked past us to Westley, who was still on the floor. Crouching down before him, I wondered what her expression was like as Westley lifted his gaze to meet hers.

“Westley.” I wasn’t sure if Alice was super pissed or annoyed. “Why did you react like that?”

“He invaded my space,” Westley muttered. “Who the hell is he to dare enter my space? Who cares if it’s for a background check? What gives him the right to basically break into my place?”

“What if he has some magic power to see what’s important to you or something?” Alice offered, which left Westley stumped on a comeback. It was the perfect opportunity for her to continue, “Or what if he got the dirt from someone else? You can’t just assume things and hurt people, Westley!”

“Why are you defending him?” Westley argued. “You don’t even know him!”

“You don’t need to know someone to know not to put them in a chokehold, Westley!” Alice snapped back. “What if I got upset with you and decided to choke you?! That’s abuse!”

“He fucking deserves it,” Westley muttered in disgust.

“Westley.” Chambers seemed peeved now, but the sound of a slap made us all freeze in place. Alice’s hand was still up in the air while Westley blinked a few times in shock.

“No one deserves to be abused, Westley! What the fuck?!” Alice screamed at him. I couldn’t even figure out what to say.

How the hell did we go from dealing with dead spirits to arguing over Damon?

“Alice.” Gabriel’s voice was calm. “Westley didn’t mean that.”

“Then he can use his own damn lips and say so!” she snapped. “Or he can go apologize to Damon like a grown-ass man!”

She rose up and looked down at Westley with seething eyes.

“You don’t have to get along with Damon, Westley, but I never want to see that again. Damon doesn’t communicate like we do! He’s been around people who push and shove him like he’s trash! Who knows what type of past he has and if what you did triggered him! Who knows what his childhood entails! You never attack someone when you don’t know the facts, or you might as well sign up to be a damn bully!”

She spun around and stormed off.

“Alice,” I called out to her, but she was already opening the door and slamming it behind her.

“Fuck,” Gabriel cursed. “How the fuck did all of that go down?”

“That is exactly why openings in the Blazing Veil are dangerous,” Chambers grumbled mostly to himself before he looked at Westley, who was looking to the floor to hide his gaze.

I moved to kneel down next to Westley before placing my hand gently on his back.

“Hey. We’ll sort this out,” I assured him, noticing the droplets of water that hit the floor.

He simply nodded as he quickly wiped away his tears.

“Did you know Damon has triggers?” Gabriel questioned Chambers.

“The majority of Necromancers do,” Chambers answered.

“Why?” I questioned.

Chambers looked uneasy with the question, but with conviction in his eyes, he decided to enlighten us with the truth.

“None of you know what the requirement is to be a Blazing Necromancer?”

The other two shook their heads while I scrunched my face as I attempted to recall what I remembered. “Don’t you have to have to at least have a strong Dark Flame trait?”

“Yes,” Chambers agreed. “But that’s the easiest requirement.”

“Then what’s the hardest?” Gabriel inquired.

Chambers looked at the three of us before he answered.

“To become a Blazing Necromancer, you have to die.”

What…?!

4

PUSH THE PAIN AWAY AND BEAUTY SLEEP

~DAMON~

THE SPLASH of cold water on my face didn’t seem to faze the panic that bubbled inside me.

Fighting to take control. Excited to summon the darkness that taunted me at every corner - at every avenue in my forsaken life.

This was what I’d always been afraid of. The reason why I kept to myself and never made friends. My existence should have remained as a lonesome child with no family.

No hope…

Then I was found after days of hunger. Cold nights of shivering. My brother was the one to shine the flashing light upon my face and reveal my homelessness in the pits of the dumpster.

I should have never accepted his helping hand. Never thought that the family that took me in as their own would be okay with a being like me.

Yet, they took me in. They fed, bathed, and clothed me. No matter the dark desolation of my past that clung to every inch of me, they were okay with working through the kinks and knots.

They were okay with accepting the rarity of who I was forced to become.

Attempting to steady my breathing in the guest bathroom, I looked to the mirror to see my eyes that were still hooded with darkness.

I stared into the reflection that seemed to show the old me. The filthy me with scratches and dirt smudged upon my face. I saw the hopelessness my dark purple spheres carried while my dry, cracked lips trembled from the sheer cold of the night.

Taking in the pools of water that began to trickle down my cheeks, I fought to breathe as I gripped the sink and sank my head low to attempt to calm myself down.

I’d gotten too comfortable. The desire to be among a group of individuals as uniquely different and yet similar to the power I carried made me yearn for their company.

For their trust.

The hurt and fear that shone within those teal eyes that seemed to despise me.

Why does everyone hate me?

I shook my head to try and rid the question that had plagued my life for years. The question forced me to bury every hint of emotion within me and become the emotionless shell the world would have no choice but to witness.

That’s exactly what I should have been working on now. Creating the mask that would hide the pain I’d endured for years at the hands of a past I’d never been able to share.

Until now?

The thought of sharing my past made my throat tighten up. I gasped and quickened the pace of my need for air. My lungs worked overtime in an attempt to get enough oxygen into my body to function and think clearly.

I moved until my back was against the white marble wall behind me, my legs giving way as I slid to the floor and hugged my knees to my chest to make myself as small as possible. The desire to disappear was strong now, as the taunting laughter of those I thought would be my peers began to trickle into my mind.

Dirty boy!

Eww. You’re a nobody.

Don’t go near the orphan.

He’s different from us. He’s gonna die anyway.

No family wants a sacrifice.

You’d be better off in the streets.

You’ll never have friends.

You’ll never have a girlfriend.

No one loves you.

That’s why you were abandoned.

Weirdo.

Go summon your ghosts and die!

Go kill yourself.

Loser.

Useless.

Waste of space.

My hands were on my ears as I pressed as hard as I could. If only the action could mute the continuous wave of degrading words that had haunted me for as long as I could remember.

I wished Xeno or Zhavia were here. They knew what to do to help me get through this. They understood that feelings like this would pass, but neither of them would come here.

No one can sense my sadness, despair, anger, fear.

I was a crying mess in seconds, the second wave of panic and worry kicking in as I fought hard to breathe. My palms felt clammy, while sweat dripped down the sides of my face. I needed an escape.

To be free already.

I hid my face into my knees, fighting hard to keep my sobs from leaking through the door and reaching their ears. As much as I secretly wished to be friends with them, I knew it would be impossible.

I’d learned to provoke people on purpose. To push the world away so no one would dare ruin the perfection of a persona I’d created for myself. I’d crafted this part of me for years, molded every expression and laced a personality that people didn’t bother getting to know.

I was the smart guy. The quiet gothic nerd with good looks but no group to chill with. I wasn’t like Zhavia, who knew everyone and mingled so easily with the world around her. Neither was I close to Xeno, who gave off a powerful vibe and yet drew in a loyal group with similar capabilities.

My path was one of loneliness, one that was written by the individuals that took me from whatever family I’d belonged to and threw me into the world of experimentation for the sake of reviving a dying blazing power that very few possessed in our time and age.

“YOU WILL BE A BLAZING NECROMANCER.”

I stared at the manic man with fearful eyes. My wrists and ankles were chained to the standing metal wall that would keep me restricted until the deed was done.

“I-I don’t want to be one! They’re bad! They’re evil. No one will love me!” I tried to plead with the sick man, my frightened voice trembling with fear as I tugged with all my might to try and escape the shackles that held me captive. “I want Mommy. I want Daddy!”

“You have no one.” The man grinned as he clapped his hands. “No one will save you. This is your fate. To be alone when your pain is the highest. To see the dead and learn their secrets. You will be perfect for our organization, child. You will lead us to that Blazing Witch and take her soul. No prophecy shall render all the centuries of darkness into shambles. We will thrive. We will conquer. And then the day will come when the world will be cloaked by the evil within all our hearts.”

His manic laughter echoed as a scythe formed in his hands and he raised the staff high in the air - the tip of the weapon directed at me.

“But first,” he whispered. “You must die.”

“DAMON?!” A voice broke through the memory, making me flinch and scurry as far away as I could while my hands remained up to protect me from the scythe from my memories.

The scythe that cut through my flesh. That aided in the flow of blood that left me numb and frozen. The beads of tears and sweat stung the wounds all over my flesh. The burning pain of my lungs that filled with blood while air escaped through the holes in my body.

I shook and wished for the world to just leave me alone. To simply be left to fade away like everyone else had wished for me.

“Dad!” The voice’s high-pitched scream was filled with worry, and I could hear racing footsteps, which only made me want to die faster. I had to be dying. This was always how it felt during those times that I’d buried so deep inside myself that I thought they would never reach the surface again.

Yet here they are again.

I didn’t think the simple act of anger could trigger this response, trigger the darkness I held captive within myself, and the memories that accompanied the past I wished to never relive.

“Damon. It’s okay. You’re okay.” The soft female voice held a tender power to it. It was a sound that somehow got through the muck of fear and suffocation that struggled to tug me down under.

I wondered if she felt ashamed of me. Did she think of me as another burden to be added to her pile of worries in comparison to the men that normally stood tall and mighty by her side?

If only they knew how much I envied them.

How I wished to be loved by someone with a heart of gold. A heart so selfless and willing to sacrifice her life for the sake of another. If only someone like her could have saved me from the harsh childhood I’d lived.

How I wished that someone who cherished the strings of life had found me in the pits of that hidden warehouse and heard my screams when the abuse became unbearable.

Maybe if I found someone earlier, I wouldn’t have to push these people away.

I wouldn’t make West feel so insecure. Or intrigue Keru with my lack of personality. Or begin to see Gabriel as something far more. Or wish to be in their shoes so I could have the excuse to be around Alice all the time and watch that vibrant smile form on her soft lips.

“Damon. Just breathe, okay?” I could distinguish Alice’s voice and the soft stroking of her hand upon my head. It reminded me of what Zhavia did whenever I panicked like this - the timely pats that would leave her fingers running through my hair, bringing some sort of familiarity through the gripping darkness.

My ears picked up on my own sobs; the muffled words that escaped my lips seemed almost foreign to me. It didn’t feel like I was speaking or trying to get words out that could even express my current struggle, but the words I formed were pleas to avoid the inevitable circumstance I’d always dealt with back then.

Facing death…again and again.

I felt another presence to my right then, and the slight warmth of a hand pressed upon my cheek. The warmth mimicked rays of sunlight shining through the blackness of the warehouse.

The streams of life that rushed into the torturous spot that left scars upon my flesh and wounds that were still as fresh upon my aching heart as the police force that raided the place and discovered me.

Only to throw me elsewhere. To discard me like another being of trash in this world that ran on money, power, and magic.

Opening my eyes just slightly, I noticed the two individuals who knelt by my side - Alice to my left and Gabriel to my right. My sobs were softer now while the suffocating sensation of panic that made my throat tighten and heart quicken in haste was finally beginning to decline in its traitorous determination to still my beating heart.

“Damon.” Alice’s voice was barely a whisper, but it was loud to me as I brought my attention to her first. She looked exhausted, and yet the threads of fear surely made the spikes of adrenaline continue to aid her in being present.

I didn’t want to burden her - I’d burdened enough people in my life - but having her here without a hint of judgment brought the same level of calm as being with my family. She smiled at my attention and slowly nodded her head as if she understood me.

“You’re okay. See? You’re safe with people who care about you. Your friends.”

Friends. They didn’t leave?

My eyes looked to see Gabriel, who was on his knees, not caring about his white attire against the marble tiled floor. His attention was solely on me, and I didn’t know what to feel but gratefulness.

I looked past them to see Keru, Westley, and Chambers. They looked just as concerned as the others. I was left wondering why they stuck around. If this was Rick, Eliza, or Madeline, they would laugh at my pain.

Gabriel grabbed my attention once more as he gently patted my shoulder.

“You’re alive. Breathing. Completely safe. No one is going to harm you or judge you,” he assured me. “This will stay between us, and when you’re ready to talk about it, we’ll discuss it.”

Alice nodded swiftly. “And no matter what, you’re still our friend, understand?”

Still…their friend.

All I could do was nod because I was left speechless at the conviction in their statements.

“Why don’t we get off the floor and move to the living room just to chill?” Gabriel offered.

It didn’t sound like a bad idea, but I worried we’d have to speak.

“Just to watch some shows, Damon,” Alice suggested. “Shows and eat? We can pack and stuff later in the night.”

That seemed more reasonable. Some food and maybe a nap.

I nodded again, and they smiled and exchanged a look before Gabriel rose up. Alice remained with me until I was ready to move, and once I was up and the others were further down the hall, Alice moved to hug me tightly.

“You’re valid, Damon,” she quietly stated between us.

Her words always got through to me, and as I hugged her back and inhaled her sweet aroma, I realized for the first time in a long time that these may be the individuals I’d been searching for my entire life.

A group of friends that accept me.

~ALICE~

MY GAZE REMAINED on the ceiling; my breaths uneven as I attempted to calm down from yet another nightmare. I’d barely closed my eyes before flames of black swarmed around me while Claire stood there in a white dress wrapped in red thread.

Her eyes of black hollowness begged to be seen - to be heard - as the flames burned her flesh until there was nothing remaining but bone.

I’d woken up then, the beads of sweat drifting down my drenched body, and here I was, attempting to catch my breath.

With a sigh, I forced myself to slowly sit up, the single white sheet sliding away from my naked flesh as I lifted my hands to wipe away the tears that still stained my flushed cheeks.

I was thankful I hadn’t screamed or made enough noise to trigger one of the others to come in and check on me, but then again, their company would have helped to calm the nerves that began to make their way through my body.

A reminder of my failures.

Shaking my head and placing my hands against my face, I began to take deep inhales, allowing the air out at a snail’s pace to aid in bringing myself back to the center of myself.

“I am safe,” I began and breathed. “I am loved.” Another inhale. “I am protected.”

A few more affirmations left my dry lips before I lowered my arms to my lap and looked over to the digital clock.

Three in the morning...

My eyes drifted further past the clock to catch the sight of the steaming, white cup of what smelled like matcha tea. That made me pout as I reached out to the single piece of folded paper that was tucked slightly under the white saucer with gold trimming.

I opened the note, scanning the handwritten lettering that looked like Gabriel’s.

You were having a nightmare again. Figured a cup of matcha would soothe your worries and get you back to bed for what lies ahead in the morning.

- Gabriel S.

The written words made me smirk as I looked further down the sheet to see the little cursive words at the bottom.

P.S.

Westley was the one to wake me up. His peacock sure is annoying. Be easy on him.

I SIGHED at the last part while my smirk fell flat at the mention of Westley.

Being angry at Westley felt wrong and almost inhuman the more I worried about it, but I was still upset with him and his inability to control his temper.

Maybe I was being biased, but I had a soft spot for Damon for some odd reason. The connection to him was different, not anything romantic, but I felt the threads of similarities that he fought so hard to hide from the world.

Like the mask I wore upon my face when the world mistreated me for all the wrong reasons.

From what we witnessed today, Damon’s pain was deeply rooted. It was a level of trauma that even silenced Dad. He clearly knew the details of what a Blazing Necromancer was, but after I screamed for his aid after finding Damon in the midst of a panic attack, all explanations were put on hold.

For good reason.

When I couldn’t find Damon in the kitchen or living room, I could only assume he went to the guest bathroom to just cool off. It wasn’t until my stomach began to flip in worry that I knocked on the door so I could check on him, only to hear his swift breathing and sobs that were barely audible due to the thickness of the door.

I knew what panic attacks were, and had experienced a few myself during those days when I didn’t want to return to school. Those scary times when all I could do was coach myself to breathe, let my tears flow down my cheeks, and wait for the feelings of overwhelming force to leave me so I could fix my makeup and head back into the cruel world of taunts and mockery.

When Damon calmed down and we had a moment alone, all I could do was hug him. I feared that if I didn’t get help, he would have stopped breathing altogether, and that scared me.

I’d yet to heal from the loss of Claire, who was pretty much a stranger until our first and last interaction.

If it were Damon who perished over this triggered reaction, I wouldn’t know how to react.

I knew Westley had a right to be mad. I understood that because he was adopted, he would especially value the items that he kept dear to his heart. But it didn’t give enough justification for him to skip talking and head straight to violence.

After getting some food in Damon, he dozed right off after five minutes of channel flipping. It was the first time I’d ever seen him fall asleep in our company. His shoulders loosened from their tense posture, while his face expressed both his exhaustion and a hint of peacefulness as he slept with his head on my shoulder and his hand on Gabriel’s knee.

I was coming to realize that Gabe and I were his comforts in threatening times, which felt like an honor because at least our company could help him recover faster.

Gabriel ended up taking him to the guest room to sleep, and even after he returned, none of us seemed to be in the mood to speak.

I’d excused myself before anyone could try to attempt a conversation, deciding I’d be better off finishing packing on my own before getting some much-needed sleep to help get rid of my own exhaustion.

I reached for the cup of tea and matching saucer and began to sip on the hot liquid, the sweet taste delivering warming comfort as it ran down my throat and into the pit of my stomach.

This would help calm the jitters that were fluttering in my stomach like nervous butterflies, since my mind was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sudden shift in our group dynamic.

The lingering problem of Claire’s spirit worried me as well, especially when her appearance made me feel like I’d done something wrong. Dad had mentioned something about a Blazing Veil, but that wasn’t something you could simply google.

I’d even checked the online Grand Library book catalog and couldn’t find anything mentioning the existence of this space that I could assume was between life and death. I was sure Dad had all the answers, but in a few hours we’d be off to summer camp, and I’d yet to determine if Dad would be around.

After shivering from the cold, I got out of bed to put on a black silk nightgown and use the restroom. Upon returning to my bed, I attempted to relax while I focused my attention on the cup of tea that was made with good intentions.

Westley told Gabriel I was having a nightmare.

Two-thirds from finishing my tea a soft knock on the door caught my attention. I was greeted by the sight of Keru - a very shirtless Keru - at the doorway.

His shoulder-length locks dripped droplets of water while the towel resting upon his broad shoulders confirmed he’d just finished taking a shower.

My eyes couldn’t help but take in his muscles, from his defined chest to the lines of his biceps and the accentuated six-pack that led down to those V-lines that disappeared into his dark blue boxers.

What captivated me the most were the various tattoos along his arms. They moved from his shoulders all the way down to his wrists. The various incantations, magic circles, and artistic lettering were completely new to me.

I’d seen Keru in tank tops plenty of times, but never had I seen such tattoos.

“Can I intrude?” he inquired with a playful grin that made me smile automatically. There was always something about Keru that lifted my mood no matter the craziness we were enduring.

This early morning was no different.

“You’re always welcome into my room, Keru,” I assured him.

He lightly chuckled as he entered the room and gently closed the door so he didn’t disturb anyone. He walked over to my bed before answering. “Don’t say that around Westley. He’d think I’m getting first dibs with you.”

“First dibs…” I repeated as if trying to figure out what that was promising.

Keru chuckled again as he moved to sit on the side of the bed while I moved to place my tea back on the nightstand.

“You know,” Keru began. “The line for who gets you first.”

“First…in…oh.” It finally clicked, which made me begin to blush while Keru seemed far too amused.

“You have tea, so you must have had a nightmare, huh?”

“Ya,” I admitted with a shy lift of my lips before I allowed myself to breathe again. I could use someone to talk to now that I was still semi-awake, and Keru was a good candidate seeing as he seemed to be the neutral individual in this new predicament.

“Claire was surrounded by flames,” I confessed as I briefly closed my eyes to see the remnants of the dream. “She wore a white dress and those same red threads were keeping her captive. The flames ended up burning away all her flesh until she was nothing but bone. I woke up then.”

Keru listened intently before patting the spot next to him. I shuffled so I could sit next to him with my feet dangling over the edge, but I knew the real reason for the position change was so Keru could pull me into a side hug.

“If I could, I’d take away every nightmare,” he whispered humbly.

“Keru,” I replied and closed my eyes as I rested against him. “I’m so confused. I don’t know what happened earlier.”

“Are you still mad at Westley?”

“Yes.” There was no hesitation in my response. “I get his viewpoint, Keru. I really do. But…fuck,” I couldn’t help cursing as I fought hard not to get emotional.

Keru began to rub down my arm as he continued to keep me pressed against him in the side hug. “You connect to Damon in a way you didn’t expect, huh?” he offered.

If only he knew how right on he was with that statement.

“I never really noticed before,” I admitted softly. “I acknowledged that Damon seemed so mysterious and closed off. It felt almost unnatural because, let’s be real, how do you function without really associating yourself with anyone? When he was with Rick, Eliza, and Madeline, he never really fit in. Looking at them, one glance confirmed that he was just so far left from them. When I saw him in the halls or focused in the classroom, it was as though he was in his own lone world where the rest of the world didn’t exist.”

I paused at the statement as I recalled exactly how I pictured myself in the classroom of every school I transferred to. The hope that sank into helplessness, and the forced mental move to shut down every aspect of hope to make amends in a new atmosphere by envisioning the space as nothing but an empty room with you sitting in the single desk.

That was the only way to desensitize myself from the pain school delivered when I was in public. I developed a persona that projected confidence, what some would compare to cockiness, while inside I was withering like a flower that lacked water and sunlight.

“I get that,” Keru reasoned. “Do you feel that you understand his way of countering school life?”

“Yes,” I firmly replied. “Recently, Damon said that he didn’t have friends. He didn’t even consider us as friends because he was our assistant and nothing more. Sure, I acknowledge his role in aiding us as Blazing Horseman, but I never placed his position before who Damon was. It’s the same as with Clara. She’s my best friend first before being our assistant. It hurt me to realize that Damon felt like someone to be used and ignored when the bell struck at the end of the school day. It acknowledged a hidden fact that he’s adapted to such a lifestyle because so many others have done the same to him. That realization hurt a little because I’ve experienced it. I’ve felt what he’s endured in the past, and I was hoping with the summer camp, we’d get to know each other better.”

“But,” Keru commented.

“But what if we just screwed that up entirely?” I questioned as I turned my head to look at him. “What Westley did triggered a whole reaction that rendered him helpless around us. Who knows what level of trust he has in us, and yet because of a misunderstanding, we not only triggered a past he never wished to relive but put him in a vulnerable position when he doesn’t fully trust us. What would you do if someone did that to you?”

“I’d want to hide in a bubble,” Keru admitted.

“See why I’m frustrated and worried?”

“I get it.” Keru bobbed his head to add emphasis to his agreement. “You’re worried that you’ll lose whatever progress we had made with him opening up and trusting us.”

“That’s my greatest fear and why I’m upset.”

We were silent for a moment as we both stared at the curtains that were spread just slightly to allow the moonlight to seep into the room.

“Westley will apologize,” Keru stressed first. “However, it’ll most likely be at camp and may not be in our company.”

I could understand that, especially with the sensitivity of the matter. I didn’t want to bring anything up until Damon was ready to speak about it, and I was sure the rest of the team agreed.

“As for Damon, I don’t think we went fully backward. Yes, Westley’s response and actions definitely put a wrench in our progress with Damon getting more relaxed around us, but I believe it also made him realize we’re not the average group of students and friends who abandon people when push comes to shove,” Keru reasoned. “We were there for him, and I think it meant a lot to him. At least, that’s the sensation I got.”

“What are we going to do about the Necromancer stuff or the Blazing Veil?” I whispered. “He clearly didn’t want us to know about that, and only answered because of what happened with the random appearance of Claire.”

“I spoke a bit with your dad,” Keru admitted. “He didn’t go into details about what Necromancers do, but he mentioned that in order for one to become a Blazing Necromancer, they have to die.”

What?

“What do you mean?” I voiced my concern with a worried gaze as I turned my attention back to Keru. His expression alone made me uneasy.

“Blazing Necromancers are individuals that can command various flaming traits that have the capability of creating gateways between the land of the living and dead,” Keru revealed. “The type of flame a Blazing Necromancer uses determines what they’re able to summon. One type of flame can summon ghosts or spirits. Other types of flame can cage evil spirits from possessing an individual or haunting a building. However, the first requirement and the hardest is that the individual has to die.”

“But…if they’re dead…” I couldn’t even grasp the idea.

“Chambers said this is stuff we’re not even supposed to learn at Blazing, but that we would learn in Elite school. Essentially, a mage that has an intense Dark Flame trait and a Holy Thunder trait would have to conduct an ongoing transition of reviving the individual and then killing them in a different way to begin the process of making that victim into a Blazing Necromancer. It’s the hardest role to claim because many don’t have enough stamina or drive to endure the torture involved. There used to be many of them back in the era when Blazing Witches were persecuted in an attempt to try and bring them back to life and control them like a puppeteer.”

“Did it work?”

“No. I don’t know much more than that since Chambers didn’t look comfortable talking about it at all. It could be that he’s spelled to share some but not everything regarding this apparent secret.”

“That would make sense,” I admitted. “Dad likes to share information that would aid us.”

“I agree.” Keru bobbed his head. “The throat hold had to be one of the many ways Damon potentially ‘died’ and was why he went into full panic mode. Chambers is going to keep watch tonight to make sure he sleeps and notify Professor Daily and Headmaster CloverSpell that he may attend Summer Bootcamp a bit later if it means he can get some extra rest.”

“That’s at least reassuring.” I sighed. “I don’t want him feeling drained and nervous with us being in a new environment entirely.”

“As for the Blazing Veil,” Keru carried on. “Chambers said that was what heightened our level of irritation. Westley didn’t react for no reason. Chambers stated that when the walls of the Blazing Veil are thinned, our emotions are heightened severely without us realizing it. Think of it as a wavelength of mischief that coils our emotions so we either have short fuses that cause impatience or suddenly breakdown as if someone has hurt us. Chambers believes that Westley’s reaction was completely out of character and that it only confirmed that the Blazing Veil was somehow thinned when you caught onto Claire’s spirit. The same energy was why you were mad far quicker and why Damon broke down entirely.”

“Why didn’t it affect you, Gabriel, or Dad?”

“It hits those with multiple flame traits the hardest, or to simply put it, the fewer flaming traits you have, the less power it has over you. Now that we know Damon has all four flaming traits, it makes perfect sense that the three of you were affected.”

Now that it had been explained, I suddenly felt bad. I hadn’t really questioned why I was far angrier than normal. It felt right to be angry with the situation, but I didn’t consider it as something going over my usual reaction.

This was the first time I’d ever snapped at Westley, let alone slapped him - I have to apologize for that - and it was the first time Westley ever reacted that way. He was the type to walk away from a situation that frustrated him if it meant him not endorsing violence, but he’d bypassed all those thoughts and gone straight to the action, which again, wasn’t like him.

“Now I feel bad,” I confessed.

“Don’t.” Keru shook his head. “Westley was there for that conversation and understands it wasn’t necessarily him, but he’s still taking ownership instead of trying to use it as an excuse.”

“I guess I have to forgive him,” I muttered but felt a bit stubborn at the idea. That made Keru laugh a hearty sound as he squeezed me tightly before standing up. Turning to face my side, he winked. “Let him struggle a bit. He’s going insane at the idea of you being angry at him.”

“Why do I have a feeling you’re loving this?”

“Deep, deep down, a tiny pinch of me is enjoying the torture this brings him, but as his friend, I do actually care about his sanity and happiness, and he’s just miserable right now. Peacocks are dangerous when they’re miserable. I don’t want to be in his path, thanks.” He shivered at the mere mention of it before he reached for the blanket.

“Ready for bed?”

“Yes,” I replied as I maneuvered my way back into bed and allowed Keru to lay the blanket upon me. “You don’t have to go, you know?”

“I know,” he whispered as he leaned down and gave me a soft kiss that was completely unexpected. “If I don’t leave, I’m going to be far too hard to sleep.”

That made my whole face red as he happily took my teacup and saucer and headed to the door. “No one wants a firm dick in the morning,” he practically sang. “We have enough issues without our blood cells deciding to rush down there when we wake up in the morning.”

“TMI,” I huffed in annoyance while he grinned from ear to ear.

“I’ll give you all the details on male anatomy on another fine night, Blazing Queen,” he assured me with a wink. “Maybe on a morning run together.”

“How exciting,” I said dryly. “Sweaty activities and Cock 101. Perfect.”

He had to use his free hand to muffle his snickers before he beamed at me as those hopeful eyes of burning orange met mine. “Cock 101. I’m gonna get Professor Daily to make that into a class.”

“Please don’t,” I groaned but was giggling. “Thanks, Keru. This talk was much needed.”

My eyes were already growing heavier by the second as I leaned further back into the sheets.

“Anything to ease your worries, Alice.” His tender voice only continued to make me sleepy. My eyes were closed before I knew it, and though Keru said something, I couldn’t really grasp it as my mind began to drift.

A soft touch to my lips made my attempt to fall into the dark abyss pause in curiosity as Keru’s voice echoed from afar.

“Goodnight, Alice. May your dreams be filled with times of happiness.”

Those words carried a heightened power to them, one that wrapped me in the comforting warmth of happiness as my lips quivered up lazily in a half-smile.

With a drifting consciousness, I fell into a deep slumber.

Not a single nightmare threatened my beauty sleep.

5

TROUBLE IN BITCHVILLE AND NO GOING BACK

“You’re telling me you saw those sexy tattoos and you didn’t jump him?!”

The look I gave Clara made her roll her eyes as we continued to stretch for the last activity of the afternoon.

“I was so sleepy,” I complained as I got up from my splits position to bend over and touch my toes. “I hadn’t slept all night and I swear Gabriel puts some voodoo magic in the matcha tea he makes that gets my booty back to sleep.”

“Did you sleep naked again?” she questioned with a taunting smirk.

“Ugh. I did, but I put a nightgown on before I drank my tea so I wouldn’t be cold.”

“Girl.” Clara looked defeated. “Mother Flame gave you every opportunity to be a delicious snack for Keru to pounce on and you rejected it.” She shook her head. “I’m disappointed.”

“Shut up!” I huffed while I tried not to laugh at her stupid banter. “I don’t think Keru and I are at that level yet.”

“Who cares about levels. He looks like a damn Greek god gone rouge!!! When did he even get those tattoos? He never had them before.”

“I was supposed to ask last night but forgot,” I confessed while slowly rolling up from my stretch.

My eyes noticed the group of guys looking our way, their eyes specifically on me while they gave a set of waves and winks.

“Who are those guys, anyway?”

“Group of rich kids,” Clara huffed as she rose up from her stretch and began to roll her shoulders back. “They were at our school office when I went to finalize the forms for camp. They literally bought their way into this place. Apparently, money overrides being rejected.”

“Must be nice,” I muttered as a group of girls headed our way.

Everyone was wearing this year’s official Blazing Summer Bootcamp uniform which for the girls consisted of dark blue shorts that had a red and gold plaid design and a white shirt.

We had the option of wearing the skirt version for when we did activities like tennis, but I knew with the intense training we’d already experienced this morning, wearing a skirt would leave scrapes all over my ass.

The camp itself was ginormous, with every possible sporting facility and outdoor activity anyone could think of, including foreign sports from various countries, with a few that I overheard Dad mentioning were from different universes.

We were only sectioned out in one main area - the spot closest to the male and female dormitories.

Another benefit of being a Blazing Horseman was that we got our own private corridors which split into male and female. Seeing as Clara was able to get her papers in time to attend, I was sharing the massive female part of the mansion with her while Gabriel, Keru, and Westley got to share the male portion.

Damon was still sleeping when we woke up to get ready, so Dad assured us he’d keep me posted on whether Damon would still attend or not. I still felt bad that he was missing out on this over a misunderstanding, but there was nothing we could change.

He had to get better before being thrust into this craziness of training.

Summer camp thus far had kicked all our booties. We’d been complaining about not having enough training during Blazing Academy, but here at summer camp, it was nothing BUT training.

The moment we arrived and put our luggage in our designated dorms, we were encouraged to change and go on a ten-mile walk as a “warm-up.”

After that, we had to partner up and demonstrate various skills with our most comfortable flaming trait. Most of us used Blazing Flame because it was the easiest and one all of us could tame.

We were then told to present a flame trait that was harder for us. I decided upon Dark Flame because it was a tricky one in comparison to Holy Thunder and Wind Flare. Clara had used Holy Thunder since it was the weakest between her two traits. I was too far from the guys to see what they had done, but the end of the activity resulted in us being magically forced to use only our weakest element during any activities from this day forward.

Great.

Our last activity involved grabbing a golden coin from the limited amount they had to grant us special access to the shrine temple up in the mountain portion of this place, but I wasn’t super thrilled about it.

Sure, getting access to a shrine was cool and all, but I wasn’t in the mood to go on a fight/chase with a group of girls that were giving us cat-eye glares all day.

That was another thing about this camp. We weren’t the only “school” district here. Some other foreign schools were attending, and like Clara said, and some of the rich kids that let their money talk got into this place.

With that understanding, I knew I wasn’t going to make any friends here, but I was perfectly fine with that. I never had the intention of mingling with anyone else aside from my current friends.

“Oh look, it’s the show-off,” one of the girls stated loudly as they continued to make their way past us.

“Isn’t that the girl who killed someone in that burning restaurant?”

“Oh, I heard those rumors! Can you believe her best friend can even be around her? I heard the victim was her sister.”

“Twin sister, yo.”

“Jeez, she must despise her sister to still hang out with her murderer.”

“They’re trying to make her seem like some hero, but I doubt she went in there just to save her friend. Please.”

“I heard Damon was there and she was trying to hook up with him.”

“What? Damon Lex! He’s hot as fuck!”

“Right. Plus, he’s from such a rich family. Xeno teaches in the Elite district or something and Zhavia is so damn popular. Some say she’s already been recruited by a few companies.”

“Damon’s hot because he’s so mysterious! I’d fall to my knees and suck him any day of the week.”

“Any day? I’d be doing it all the time.”

“Well, Miss Murderer is running into burning buildings to get into his bed. You guys gotta step it up with your desperation for cock.”

They all laughed in mockery, while Clara was glaring daggers in their direction.

“Don’t bother, Clara,” I quietly reasoned. “Not worth the hassle.”

“How dare they talk shit when they don’t know shit. They’re not even in our damn district,” she seethed. “I’d like to hear them repeat themselves to our DAMN FACES!” She raised her voice just to get their attention, and I internally cringed as Eliza and Madeline came into view in the middle of the group.

I couldn’t even understand why Madeline was even here. I thought she would have gotten expelled or something after the incident at the carnival.

“Why is Madeline here?” I muttered under my breath as the group began to approach.

“Rick took all the blame for the incident so any speculation against Madeline and even Eliza would be revoked,” Clara grumbled as she stood a little taller and flicked her red hair as her burning red eyes locked with the approaching group.

“Oh no. Bitchville has arrived. What have we possibly done to be honored by your entrance?!” Clara dramatically stated, which actually made me giggle.

All eyes were on me as I began to gather my hair to put it up in a ponytail.

“Bitchville. I love it. Can we name a town in the SIMS Blazing Edition game you brought along?”

“Sure. We’ll even make a sorority party to acknowledge their bitch statuses before our Sims crash the party and light it up.”

“Marvelous.” I actually laughed because that was exactly what we’d do while the guys would watch us like we were mad scientists creating some sort of love concoction.

“Watch it, Deceased and Murderer,” Eliza barked.

My smile dropped to a deep frown as the heat around us suddenly spiked enough to make the girls who weren’t as confident take a step back.

“Listen.” I decided to get to the point because I didn’t have the patience today. “Neither of us are in a good mood today. As you can see, compared to your preppy group of ‘I don’t wanna break a nail’, we’re actually here to get stronger. I don’t care about your shit talk, so keep broadcasting about me being a murderer, but don’t go trying to make fun of someone’s family member who passed away.”

“It was suicide,” Madeline huffed and rolled her eyes. “Can’t be sorry for someone who killed themselves.”

That made Clara’s hands turn into fists, but I smirked and took a step forward until I was in her personal space.

“Oh really? Is that the shit you keep spreading, along with the rest of the media that’s so desperate for attention and money that they have to spit out lies to survive? I guess the rumors about you becoming a bitter bitch with Damon’s rejection are valid.”

Her eyes widened at my comment as a few of the girls gasped at my statement.

“You don’t know shit!”

“And neither do you,” I snapped back. “So don’t test me,” I warned.

I spun around, only to crash into a hard chest just as a shriek came from behind me. “What the fuck?!

“And I oop?”

The familiar miniature voice caught my attention as I lifted my head slightly to see Cyrus sitting upon the shoulder of whomever I’d just crashed into.

Cyrus in her familiar human form.

“Cyrus?” I gasped in shock as she sat comfortably in a blue kimono with an orange and gold petal pattern. Her navy-blue hair with hints of silver was up in a ponytail and her fluffy tails were moving slowly from side to side as she looked at me with a happy expression.

“Me!” she declared and put her hands up.

“Wow. Cyrus is adorable in this form!” Clara squealed, completely ignoring our previous confrontation while we were focused on Cyrus.

“Cyrus, I’ve missed you. Where did you go?” I questioned.

She pointed up as she blinked. “Fun with DamDam!”

“DamDam?” we questioned just as she poofed away. That left me completely confused before I lifted my head up to see my face was actually inches from Damon’s.

He had a blank expression as he stared down at me.

“Holy flame! Damon!” I squealed as if it now just clicked that Damon was in front of me. I hugged him tightly, which garnered various gasps, but I couldn’t care less as I hugged him tightly. “I thought Dad said you’d call when you got here!”

“Oh,” he replied and to my surprise, returned the hug just slightly, which again triggered various gasps. “Your familiar decided to kidnap me.”

“Kidnap you?!” I huffed and leaned back to look at him.

“I shouldn’t be surprised seeing as that’s something Alice would do, but then again, how did her wolf familiar kidnap you?” Clara inquired as she reached out to pat his shoulder. “Good to see you here!”

“Thanks,” he muttered before answering. “I was packing when she jumped onto my luggage and teleported me here. I ended up in what I’m going to assume was Alice’s room.”

“My room?” I asked.

“How’d you know it was hers?” Clara inquired.

“Smells like her,” he casually replied. “Also, you’re not the type to wear neon pink and orange lace underwear.”

“That’s a true fact,” Clara replied as she bobbed her head.

“Damon!” My face was red while he shrugged.

“What?”

“W-We’re in public,” I hissed.

“Your point?”

“You’re going to make it seem like we’re dating!”

“So?” He still didn’t see the problem. “We’re dating, then. Who cares.”

“You two aren’t dating!” Madeline screamed, which caught our attention as we turned back to see the horrified expressions of the other girls.

I turned around fully as Madeline placed her hands on her hips in pure defiance.

“Damon wouldn’t date a slut like you!”

“Ya!” Eliza added. “As if you sharing your bed with your three musketeers ain’t enough! Leave some men for those who deserve it!”

“Who said you deserve Damon?” I argued back. I wasn’t going to fall for their taunts, but the mere fact they thought any of them deserved Damon even as a friend was enough to make them hear otherwise from yours truly. “You wouldn’t even acknowledge him as your friend when you guys were Horsemen!”

“T-That’s different!” Eliza replied. “He looked different then.”

“Oh, what? Now because he’s wearing a tank top and his hair is styled up, he’s hot and worthy of you bitches?” I argued back defensively.

“Why the fuck are you arguing with us?!” Madeline snapped. “He’s mine!”

“Oh hell to the no,” I replied and moved to poke her right in the chest while my fierce eyes were locked on her shocked ones. “Damon is certainly not yours. In fact, he ain’t anyone’s until he fucking says so!”

Here I was being angry and cursing for no real reason when the poor man himself was right behind me and had the mouth to defend himself. But these girls were grinding my gears and my patience was nowhere to be found.

“Did you just touch me?” Madeline gasped as if I’d punched her.

I rolled my eyes and grinned with menace. “Yes, I sure damn did, and if you push my buttons, I’ll make sure the next poke hurts! Since morning you chicks have been walking around like you own this damn place, belittling everyone you see for the sake of your own shattered self-esteem!”

I hadn’t realized I was screaming and attracting a crowd, but I was going to put these girls in their place here and now.

“As the head of the Blazing Horsemen, do you see me walking with my head up high like I’m some royal princess and belittling every person who ranked lower than me? No! The biggest cowards are always the loudest when it comes to shit talking. If you’re so powerful, let’s see if you can keep up here at camp. I can guarantee that half of you will perform poorly and those you love to put beneath you with your ruthless words will beat you in the majority of activities here!”

When she bit her lip to fight back, I gave a victorious grin.

“Well, if you’re done wasting my valuable time, why don’t we get back to focusing on what’s ahead of us.”

“Dammit, Damon! Stop standing there like a wimp and defend us!” Eliza snapped with a stomp of her feet. “See, if Rick were here he’d put you in your place.”

An arm hooked around me as I was pulled right back against a firm chest. The move silenced the crowd while I felt a soft weight on the top of my head.

“How is letting our Blazing Horsemen head speak being a wimp?” Damon’s voice questioned, and I actually shivered because it was a lot deeper than usual.

Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, did Damon get taller?

“Second of all, there’s no need for me to defend you. I was here for ten minutes prior to seeing this confrontation and already know about half the shit talk your group has been stating about everyone, including me.”

“We…we weren’t trash talking about you!” Madeline tried to argue, but her voice betrayed her, along with her shocked expression.

“Oh really? So when you were commenting that I’m too short for your taste and that I need a growth spurt any time now to even be worthy of your attention, I guess you were speaking about another Lex with the first name Damon, right?”

Her face practically paled as he carried on, “Or how I’m nothing but a loner who gets good grades just to feel like I’m part of society. Or how about how you compared me to Gabriel, Keru, and Westley, and how I probably kiss their feet in hopes they’ll share me with their girl toy, who I clearly heard you state was Alice. Alice who, according to you, throws herself at every man she sees.”

“Wait, what?” I huffed, but the arm held me a little tighter while Clara began to punch her fists together.

“Oh, now we have some real beef to settle!” Clara snapped.

“Don’t waste your time, Clara,” Damon offered and even sounded amused by his revelation. “I’ve been in a pretty annoyed mood today, so why don’t I give you a taste of how it feels?”

I couldn’t help but look around to acknowledge the large crowd of students around with their phones out.

This is going to turn ugly. I can feel it.

“You have nothing to say!” Madeline huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest - clearly changing her tune as if Damon didn’t have beef with her.

“Really?” Damon taunted. “Why don’t we talk about how you’ve been having a fling with Rick for six months?”

My jaw went slack, just like half of the students, while Madeline’s eyes widened like she’d seen a ghost.

“W-What?!” Eliza shrieked and looked at Madeline. “He’s lying!”

“O-Of course he is! Anything for clout.”

“Clout?” Damon huffed. “If I wanted clout, I could simply do this.”

My head was tilted my back, my eyes locking onto Damon’s mischievous ones as they twinkled with playfulness. One look and I knew what he was planning to do. There were a brief few seconds that passed as everyone else held their breaths at the potential move.

Within two additional seconds, Damon laid his mark on my lips - igniting a wave of gasps, squeals, and picture snaps that would surely be trending social media before I could even explain to the others how I got myself into this predicament of kissing Damon.

Westley’s going to kill me…oh wait. We’re arguing. Does this count as cheating? Gabriel’s probably going to be mad, and Keru would tease me. Hmm. Damon’s actually a good kisser.

He broke the kiss before I could deepen it, and for a second, I could see actual happiness blossom in those irises of his.

“See?” he began. “I was able to get everyone’s attention with just that, and before you go and try to insult Alice with the list of provocative rumors you and your group have solely been spreading around, I’m the one who asked Alice out. She didn’t throw herself into my bed.”

I hadn’t even had the privilege of hearing whatever rumor stemmed his defensive lie, but I was actually living for this bold Damon. This was the most vocal he’d been since our confrontation after our midterm exams.

“Now let’s get back to the fact you’ve been cheating with Rick for six months, and if you try to deny it a second time, I’ll happily share the photo of you recently kissing Rick when you secretly visited him at the detention hall where he’s still awaiting trial for the stunt he pulled last semester at the carnival.”

Everyone was silent as all eyes were on Madeline. Eliza looked at her in utter disbelief. “Say he’s lying!” she demanded as tears began to form in her wide eyes.

The silence that followed only accentuated the truth, and Damon muttered, “There. I rest my case. Don’t try and set me up with you in your imaginary world of fakeness when you’re already taken, cheater.”

“How could you?!” Eliza screamed and pushed Madeline down with one swift shove. It took two girls to hold Eliza back since she was on the verge of kicking Madeline’s ass as she continued to scream.

“When you had fucking nothing, I took your homeless ass in! When you didn’t have a penny to your name and Rick wouldn’t be caught being near you outside of class, whose house did you stay at? Who gave you food, shelter, and money, HUH?!” she screamed as tears ran down her face.

I actually felt sorry for her as we all watched in horror. Suddenly, I felt a familiar presence to my left. Turning my head just a bit, I caught onto Keru and Gabriel as they arrived on the scene, but their attention was on the chaos unfolding before us as Professor Daily and Headmaster CloverSpell arrived on our far right.

They didn’t even interfere as Eliza somehow managed to slip out of the girls’ hold and crashed into Madeline. The two went down and we watched in shock as Eliza began to punch Madeline in the face as she screamed in rage.

“I did everything to make you comfortable and happy and yet you had the NERVE to be fucking my man behind my back?! You told me to be careful of Alice because she’d try and claim him in her army of men when you were the one slipping under his sheets like a slithering snake!”

“This is so turning ugly,” Clara whispered as Eliza punched Madeline’s nose, which made a weird noise as blood sputtered all around.

It was then and there that four tall security guards in uniforms came to pull them apart. Madeline’s face was a complete mess of bruises and blood while Eliza was still fuming and fighting against the guards that seemed to struggle to keep her in their grasps.

“I swear to fucking Mother Flame I’m going to destroy you! You cheating BITCH!” Eliza screeched for the world to hear as she was literally carried away, still kicking her legs.

We watched as Madeline was escorted in another direction before all eyes were on Headmaster CloverSpell, as if she would somehow bring us back to normalcy.

She had anticipated our attention as she clapped her hands three times.

“Well. Seeing as I suddenly have all of your attention, why don’t we move forward with the last activity of the afternoon!”

Damon let go of me then and moved to stand to my right. I got my brief moment to admire his emotionless face once more while acknowledging that he was almost the same height as Westley now.

Wow. Damon legit had a growth spurt. Has he even noticed?

His eyes briefly moved to meet my curious eyes. He didn’t say anything, nor did his expression shift at all.

Just like before, his eyes spoke volumes as they bored into mine, and I began to wonder if what occurred yesterday was a blessing or a curse against my innocent heart.

Why do I have a feeling there’s no going back now?

6

GLIMPSE OF POWER VERSUS HIDE AND SEEK

“That makes four! One more,” I declared the moment I regrouped with Gabriel, Keru, Clara, and Damon. All of them were out of breath, just like I was, but we didn’t have much time before the bell rang to cue another chase to find these gold coins. “Westley still isn’t here?”

“We made sure to sign his name up,” Gabriel voiced. “He had to check in with the office because he forgot to sign one of the forms.”

“Bad timing for sure,” Keru groaned. “Ugh. My whole body hurts.”

“I…never…ran…so…much…in…my…existence,” Clara heaved before she fell to her knees. “Leave me to die!”

“I thought Alice was dramatic,” Damon muttered as he stared down at Clara.

“Hey!” I huffed and rose up to untie my hair, which was practically dripping with sweat. “I’m not dramatic!”

They all looked at me, even Clara, which made me lift my head up to groan loudly. “Being sarcastic and being dramatic are two different things.”

“And you are both,” Gabriel concluded with a slight smirk.

“I hate all of you,” I complained.

“Sure.” Keru chuckled. “This task is probably going to be the hardest.”

“What’s harder than doing ten miles to get a damn coin?” Clara breathed. “We ran that in half the time of the world fucking record!”

“Where’s the Blazing Guinness Book of Records when you need it?” Keru whined.

With a sigh, I tried to correct my posture but ended up leaning forward.

“Oh shit!” Clara shrieked, but Keru caught one arm while Damon caught the other. The two of them supported me as I shook my head.

“Dizzy central,” I muttered as I waited for the spinning to subside.

“Alice, when was the last time you ate?” Gabriel questioned.

“Uh…” I needed a moment to think, only to realize I hadn’t eaten anything other than the small breakfast we had before we got the invite to teleport here.

My response made him sigh, along with Keru and Clara.

“Alice,” the three of them said in unison.

“It’s not my fault,” I tried to whine but gave up in trying to defend myself when a commotion to our left caught our attention.

“Listen. You owe me from when I helped you back when I was a Horseman, so forfeiting your coin is only fair! Can’t you see I’m dealing with a broken nose? You should take pity on me. Now scram!”

All of us looked over to see Madeline was back. Her nose was in a weird brace that pinched it together. She looked furious as she held a golden coin that she’d clearly gotten from two girls. One of the girls tugged on the other’s arm.

“C’mon. Don’t bother fighting. We can get another one quickly.”

“But…” The girl with bright pink hair looked at the coin in Madeline’s grasp with defeated eyes.

“Don’t worry, Yula! If we can’t get one, you can have mine. Promise,” the other one stated with a smile. “It’s not like I’m into shrines anyway.”

“Alright.” The girl name Yula gave her friend a tiny smile. “Thanks, Abby.”

The two of them glared at Madeline before rushing off to hopefully prepare for the next bell to ring.

My lips were in a deep scowl as I looked at Madeline, who rolled her eyes.

“Stupid bitches. Why the hell did I come here? Dammit. I’m gonna get back at Damon. Grr.”

I don’t think she realized we were listening in on her mumbling as she began to toss the coin in the air. “Whatever. Got this dumb coin. Now I can check if that spirit is dead or perfect bait for Rick to use for the gate.”

Spirit? Dead? Bait?

The coin flipped into the air, and suddenly it was gone, leaving Madeline to wait for it to land in her grasp, but nothing fell back into the palm of her hand.

“What the-?” She lowered her eyes to her hand, just as the bell rang for the final round of gold coin hunting.

Our gazes all seemed to lower to the small girl that held the glittering gold coin in her tiny hands, the familiar kimono, tails, and twitching ears triggering my sluggish mind.

“C-Cyrus?!” I gasped, catching hers and Madeline’s attention as she turned her head slowly in our direction while Cyrus gave a little smile as she hugged the coin like it was a teddy bear.

“Mine.”

I gawked at her soft declaration as Madeline seemed to click out of her shock to look down at the familiar. “Yours?! That’s not your coin, you thief!”

Cyrus seemed to have a slow response time because she slowly looked up to Madeline’s fuming expression and widened her smile of victory.

“Mine. Bye.” Instead of poofing into dust, she spun around and began hopping through the air - jumping on little magic circles that switched between blue and silver.

None of us said a word until I watched Cyrus miss a magical step and fall right into the river.

Trigger overprotective mode.

“CYRUS!” I shrieked before I tugged right out of the guys’ hold and was running to the river. I didn’t realize Madeline was racing after me until I sensed a burst of heat from behind.

Moving to the right, I avoided a rushing flame of gold that had every intention of hurting me rather than saving me.

“Fuck! What the hell?” I cursed and looked over my shoulder to acknowledge Madeline. “Are you mad?!”

“Your damn pet stole what’s mine!”

“You’re the one who stole it from someone else!” I hissed as we continued to race along the stream that was getting rougher the further out we ran. “Cyrus! Come back here!”

“Mine!” Cyrus was riding the coin like it was a float, looking as if she were having more fun than fearing her life. I had no clue how to recall her back and she was far too intrigued with the coin to care about the potential risks of the rushing stream.

“Hey, Madeline? You need some help?” a deep voice called out from the other side of the stream. My eyes noticed the group of those rich guys who were in sports uniforms. They were clearly running to keep up with our pace, and from the smug look on their faces, I wasn’t on their side of this chase.

“Yes! Her pet stole my coin!”

“She stole it from someone else!” I argued. “Cyrus! Stop yourself from moving!”

Cyrus finally seemed to notice me, and with a swing of her glowing tails, her body came to a dramatic stop as she created some sort of cube around her that made her stay in place.

“Thank goodness,” I stated as I skidded to a stop, only to swiftly twist and avoid Madeline’s flaming punch. “Hey! The rules never said we could attack each other!”

“Well, all bets are fucking off when you steal my shit!”

“It’s not yours!”

“What I take is mine!”

“Sorry, but that coin ain’t Rick!” The insult left me before I could stop it, and I literally had to jump in the air and lift my legs up like I was doing an air split to avoid Madeline, who tossed herself at me.

“Let’s electrocute the fox!” one of the guys suggested.

“Looks like a plushie wolf to me.”

“Who cares! Zap it, Brad!

“Electra Flamando Zu!” The guy named Brad conducted the spell and I turned my head swiftly as the bolt of lightning shot down at the cube.

“Cyrus!” I screamed, and she looked up before the cube disappeared and she moved just in time to avoid the attack. Unfortunately, the shock spread through the water like wildfire until it hit Cyrus.

“EEP!” she shrieked at the attack and fell into the water, but her hand still kept hold of the gold coin while her body remained under.

“Cyrus!” I was screaming while running straight for the stream. My body soared through the air as I dove right into the water.

My eyes adjusted swiftly to the underwater view, locking onto my familiar, who was spinning around and around. I swam harder as I briefly went up to grab more air before my arms were working overtime to get to my familiar as quickly as possible.

I was there in seconds and quickly scooped Cyrus out of the water and turned my body so I was floating on my back.

Thank goodness!

“Is she fucking crazy? The stream leads to a waterfall.”

“Who cares! It’s not our problem. We just need that damn coin.”

“Just get her! I’ll…uh…I’ll give you some sort of reward, now hurry!”

“Only if you’ll pay up, Madeline. I hate getting messy.”

“Fine! Whatever.”

I didn’t like where this conversation was going, but I lowered my gaze to Cyrus, who rested on my chest.

“Cyrus?!”

She blinked her eyes a few times before a stream of water hit my face from her mouth.

“Shock. Mean!” she declared as her eyes watered. “Hurt. Hurt.”

The last time we spoke about Cyrus’s familiar form, Gabriel mentioned that due to the undoing of the seal, my magic had high and low moments, which were what determined if Cyrus could shift into her little girl form.

My magic had to be spiked by my adrenaline from this set of challenges, but her way of communicating was like a little child.

“It’s okay, Cyrus,” I whispered to her and held her protectively. “I’ll handle this. Can you teleport to Gabriel? The one with gold eyes.” I had purposely been descriptive because I wasn’t sure if she could recognize the difference when she was in her little girl form instead of her wolf form.

Some wolves couldn’t see color, just black and white, and realistically, I had no clue if Cyrus was a wolf in her little hybrid form, or mixed with something else.

“Gold. Sweets. Gold shiny glow,” she confirmed but looked at me with worry. “No leave.”

“Cyrus. I’ll be okay!” I stressed.

“Protect!” she argued, and I suddenly noticed another bolt of lightning coming down towards us.

OH NO!

“DARKANDA!”

A shield of black formed right above me and Cyrus - the black shield of flames spiraling out of existence a second later as it absorbed the attack.

The voice had sounded like Damon, but the spell had to be a powerful one for the incantation to be shortened to a single word.

“ALICE!” I heard the call of Keru as he was running towards us at full speed. Damon and Gabriel were standing far behind as they continued to send magic attacks across the stream to the other side. From the back and forth exchange, they were fighting some of the guys who were trying to help Madeline.

I tried to look for where she’d gone, but my priority was getting Cyrus to safety and getting out of this stream.

“Cyrus! There. Go to Keru! I’ll be fine, promise!”

Cyrus looked at me and then hugged the coin. “Safe safe!” She decided to listen to me as she pushed off my chest and began hopping through the air with the magic circles. She was at the final step when crackles of lightning shot down and Keru cursed and jumped to catch Cyrus.

I shot my hand out at the same time, my magic already knowing what I needed as the word left my lips. “WINDSHA!”

An intense gust of wind pushed Keru right back, his body falling onto the ground. He was getting smaller and smaller, and I realized how fast the stream was moving now.

“I need to get out of here,” I huffed and turned so I was back on my stomach and attempting to slow myself down from the intense current. A glance to the side only confirmed that the Brad guy was still on my tail, and he seemed thrilled to be chasing after me like I was some trophy to claim.

When our eyes locked, his smirk only widened to a teeth-gleaming smile as he began to mutter a spell that I couldn’t grasp. All of this had to be against the rules of the camp, but we were so far away from our designated spot that I wasn’t sure consequences would be laid if they got caught.

The feeling of helplessness began to bubble within me, but I suddenly hit something hard. “Ugh!” It felt like the breath was punched out of me as I crashed right into a thick rock. The impact was enough to leave me gasping as I tried to clench the part of my stomach that I hit.

“TELTRANDA RE VUKE!”

There was no time to avoid anything as I took a gasp of breath and submerged into the water as a strike hit the surface. When the pain hit me, my body went wild, leaving me screaming in the depths of the water.

Then the world seemed to stand still.

I was still moving, I had to be, and yet I felt like I was frozen within myself. My consciousness was trying to fade away, and my surroundings began to fade to a darkness that reminded me of sinking to the bottom of the ocean where light couldn’t reach.

The whole ordeal was frightening, but not as frightening as the sight of red strings that began to wrap around me. I could barely move, but I stared at the white dress that donned my flesh - the red strings that wrapped around my limbs growing tighter and tighter.

My panic shot up to new heights as I looked around only to see Claire floating above me. Her eyes were wide as she quickly shook her head. She was screaming and fighting the strings that continued to keep her captive until her hair began to glow a furious red and those very strings glowed with power.

“BREATHE, ALICE!” she commanded, and the gathered energy of red shot out from her chest and into mine.

The gasp that escaped me had my eyes snapping open and my body in fight mode as I pushed against the person hovering above me and was on them a second later. My magic didn’t need words to ignite as flames of rage formed in my grasp.

I was going to annihilate Brad here and now, but my fist stopped an inch from the person’s face as wide teal eyes locked onto my raging ones.

“Alice.” Westley breathed rapidly, his hands up in surrender.

I noticed the drops of blood that began to drip onto his cheek, and I could only assume it was from me, though I couldn’t really think straight as my glaring eyes remained locked on Westley’s.

“Alice,” he repeated my name again. “It’s me. You know who I am, right?”

My silence made his eyes fill with worry, but I couldn’t answer because I worried he wasn’t Westley. That this was all just an illusion to distract me so I would be hit by another bolt of lightning that would send me back to that trapped space with Claire.

“Princess,” he whispered tenderly. The word reminded me of the first time his eyes met mine after I’d fallen out of my window at the sight of a talking owl.

The night I met Gabriel, Keru, and Westley before my invite to Blazing Academy.

He slowly reached out with his right hand until it gently pressed against my left cheek. “I’d never hurt you, Princess,” he vowed as his eyes softened slightly. “You’re our Blazing Queen. I may anger you with my actions, but I’d never hurt you physically. Never.”

His words tugged at my heartstrings as a flickering sight of a man from the past with similar features flashed before my eyes

A man who meant the world to me. One who’d sacrifice the world just to make me smile. A man…who endured the same fate as I.

“Westley.” My voice shook like I was freezing, yet my insides felt just as hot as the multi-colored flame in my grasp and what felt like all four of the main flaming traits.

“There’s my girl,” he whispered.

I lowered my arm as the flames I’d conjured for my attack extinguished, leaving my entire body aching in pain while I shook from the spiked energy that continued to flow through my veins as I acknowledged I was alive.

Quickly scanning our surroundings, I noticed that we were in some sort of cave, but the sound of rushing water felt close even with my muffled hearing that dimmed its rushing intensity.

“Where’d he go?” I croaked as I tried to get up. I regretted it as I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Westley caught me in a blink of an eye, and he swiftly placed me in his lap as I fought the urge to throw up.

“Easy, Alice,” Westley encouraged. “I don’t know who you were fighting, but they aren’t here. It’s just you and me, but we need to get moving if someone was chasing after you.”

“How?” My question attempted to ask two questions: How did Westley find me, and how were we going to hide from Brad and the others who were trying to catch me.

Westley worked his way towards standing up without being hindered by carrying me. He remained still for a moment as if to assess how I’d react by the movement, but I rested my head against his chest. I felt so weak I could pass out if my heart wasn’t hammering against my chest like a wild drum.

Westley found a spot wedged in the wall that somehow managed to fit the two of us. The space wouldn’t allow much room at all for him to have me resting on his lap, so he worked on helping me to a standing position before I leaned my back against the wall for some sort of support.

My legs were shaking so bad, I feared my knees would buckle any second and I’d hurt myself somehow, but Westley had me in his tight hold as his arms wrapped around my waist and he pulled me against his warmth.

“I should be asking you how you got into the water and fell right over the river. If I wasn’t there, you would have drowned.”

“How…were you there?”

“There was a huge delay at the office. Some rich kids were trying to force the admin to let them be a part of their friend’s team because their appointment delayed them far too long to try and obtain a golden coin for the challenges,” he explained as he caught his breath. “When I finished signing the form I’d missed, I saw the tall woman we met at the carnival. The one who recommended we go to the hairpin shop.”

The woman with the caramel skin, black eyes, and long white hair. The one whose cape reminded me of the galaxy.

“She was with some woman with silver hair. I think she’s a professor or substitute. I’m not really sure. She had really striking turquoise eyes that kind of reminded me of mine. She told me that if I wanted to save what was important to me, I should head west from where I was until I reached a waterfall, or I’d be too late to win. There was not much sense to her words, but I had a bad feeling after she mentioned it so I worried it had to do with you.”

He moved so that I could lean against the rock surface, but still supported the majority of my weight with his arm around my waist as the distance between our bodies was still extremely close.

“Oh,” I replied and weakly pouted. “We’re still arguing.”

He blinked at my statement before he used his free hand to grip my chin before he very gently claimed my lips.

The kiss was unexpected, but it felt good. I felt a spike of relief and happiness to be able to feel the soft warmth of his affectionate lips.

To be held by him. To feel his tender lips. To allow me to accept that we’re not on bad terms anymore.

“I’m sorry for what I did.” He apologized first as my eyes opened slightly to see his expression as he took me in slowly. “Keru explained to me that I could have been influenced by some veil that made me act the way I did, and it wasn’t my intention, but I got so upset at the idea that someone went into my personal space. That a secret I kept to myself was just revealed as though it held no value by a person I haven’t allowed myself to trust yet.”

He paused and moved his hand to aid in taming the blood that was still streaming from whatever wound I’d endured from the drop.

“It’s not an excuse for how I reacted, and instead of apologizing immediately to you and Damon, things only escalated until we weren’t talking. I never had the intention of hurting or disappointing you, but I did, and I apologize.”

“I’m sorry,” I quietly breathed and closed my eyes for a moment. “I shouldn’t have…been so mad. No matter the reason, I shouldn’t have slapped you.” I needed a moment to breathe, and the pause emphasized my apology. “I didn’t know how else to properly communicate my frustration in that moment. I guess…I had no more patience because words have never been able to get through to those who hurt me when I was bullied all my life. No matter what I said to people, they would laugh and ignore the truth that their words and actions were hurting me.”

Opening my eyes slightly, I allowed my sadness to seep into my eyes as I stared into his teal spheres. “I’d speak, cry, and try to get through to them, and it never got through. Deep down, I feel like Damon has gone through the same. Maybe that’s why I have some sort of soft spot for him. Why I have this urge to help and defend him. I know it’s weird…and I bet you’re disgusted by me for being so defensive about another guy when you, Gabriel, and Keru are my boyfriends, but…”

I paused as if I struggled to get the words out, but Westley’s hand moved down to my cheek again and he leaned in enough to press his lips to my nose.

“I’m not disgusted,” he tackled my point. “I know what’s happening. I can see it in your eyes, and…well…I’m scared you’ll replace me or something.”

“Why would I ever replace you, Westley?” I questioned as I gathered my previous thoughts to share. “It’s not like I have feelings for Damon. I mean…it’s hard to explain. There’s a protectiveness because he reminds me of all I’ve gone through. Obviously, it’s far worse than what I dealt with. It’s darker and even scarier to think about, and it makes me realize that Damon puts a mask on to hide his vulnerability, similar to what I did until I met you guys. For the first time since knowing Damon, he just defended himself in front of everyone, and it made me want to help him further. To push him out of his shell just like how being around you guys and being loved by you three has somehow made me more confident in what I can achieve. I’m not sure if it means we’ll have something more, but I’d never replace you, Westley.”

“Before I was adopted…” he began as his hand moved to the spot that was bleeding near my temple. A soft glow began to trickle from his fingertips as soothing warmth oozed to the spot that I only now realized was the culprit of my pain and headache. “I wasn’t in the best environment. The workers there may have tried to act like they wished to help children with unique abilities, but they were only there for the money. They would tell us every night that we could be replaced. That a family may accept us temporarily and then bring us right back when we didn’t ‘fit’ their requirements. It was engraved into me until I was taken in by the Simmons. It took a long time of pleasing and trying to do everything perfect before my parents realized that I was maybe too much of a perfectionist. They wanted me to see a therapist and I went along with it because I didn’t want them to send me back to the orphanage, but I simply played along. It wasn’t until my second to last session that I met CloverSpell and Chambers.”

“You…knew CloverSpell from before?”

He slowly nodded. “She was filling in because the therapist had an emergency. She began with the same usual questions and I went along with it, but then she asked something that threw me off.”

The soft glow of gold washed upon our faces as the healing flame grew in power to aid in healing my injury. It made his eyes twinkle like the rays of a sunrise dancing against the surface of the ocean waters.

“Why do you strive for perfection when it doesn’t bring you happiness?” he whispered while his eyes seemed far away. “It was the most random question I’d ever been asked, and I just stared at her like a deer in headlights. No one…no professional ever asked about my happiness. It was the same questions day in and out for weeks, and I just assumed none of them cared. They were all the same. Individuals paid to ask the same survey questions on a sheet of paper and call it a day. To them, I was a number, just like at the orphanage when I was just a child waiting to be taken out of the system. Her asking such a simple question hit the hammer on the head of the nail, and that was the first session where I broke down and cried.”

“Westley.” For him to open up to me made it easier to understand his point of view.

“I’ve gotten a lot better at trying to accept that life isn’t going to go the route I planned it to, but dating you…loving you…makes me realize how important you are to me. It awakens a part of myself that isn’t only just my possessive nature, but it makes me fear that you’ll slip from my grasp when I least expect it, and that frightens me. There’s always that fear and the idea of you being swept away by someone better, stronger, more mature. I still have a lot of areas to work on, and I accept that…but Damon’s presence reminds me of where I lack. It frustrates me, and I know it’s not his fault for my insecurities, but now that I’ve gotten some time to think about it, I know what I need to do to get better.”

He moved his hand, which made me realize I felt far better than before.

“Thank you,” I whispered with a slight smile. “Not only for saving and healing me but for sharing that part of yourself that I’m sure is hard to express.”

I moved to hug him the best I could in this small space, and he held me just as tightly.

“I hate being upset with you.”

“Me, too,” he whispered back and held me a bit tighter. “Sleeping alone was hard.”

“You don’t sleep,” I muttered. “Apparently a certain peacock stalks the garden.”

“That ain’t me.”

“Sure.” I weakly laughed as I rested against him. “Are we in the waterfall?”

“Ya,” he replied, but his body grew rigid as he held me even tighter. “Someone’s here.”

I didn’t answer as my ears picked up on the approaching footsteps.

“Dammit. She ain’t in the water,” a harsh voice declared.

“So you lost her!” Madeline seethed.

“Don’t be angry with me for your failure,” the harsh voice huffed.

“Brandon!”

“Don’t call me that,” he snapped. “Brad. That’s it. We ain’t friends.”

“We used to date!”

“Used to until you decided to open your legs for Rick,” he hissed. “You owe me, and I’m not going to take sex as payment.”

“You didn’t complete your job!”

“I struck her with a bolt. Either she’s at the bottom of this ravine, or she saved herself. Either way, you’re fucking screwed.”

“How am I screwed?!” Madeline snapped.

“Are you out of your mind? I’m here for business. I have no association attached to this camp. You, on the other hand, are a part of the school, and one of the rules was to NOT attack each other unless instructed. I guess those drugs you’ve been getting from Rick are fucking up your intellectual capabilities.”

“How do you know about that?!” Madeline attempted to hiss while keeping her voice low, like she was afraid someone would hear over the loud sounds of the waterfall.

“I know a lot, Madeline, and let me be the first and only one to warn you. Lock and Key isn’t going to save your ass any longer. That was the message I was supposed to deliver to you before you decided to break the rules, again.”

“W-What?! What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said,” he declared. “I’m leaving. I don’t want to be caught here, especially with that Damon boy around.”

“Why are you guys so afraid of Damon? He’s a weak fool!”

“You’re so fucking blind, it’s amusing.” He laughed. “Damon is a Necromancer. A powerful fucking one that our organization could have had in their grasp if you guys hadn’t treated him like utter shit.”

“What the hell is a Necromancer, and why is it my duty?! The guy is a loner freak. He ain’t beneficial to anyone!”

“He’s the reason why Claire isn’t dead!” Brad snapped, which left Madeline speechless as he groaned. “I don’t know what voodoo shit he did, but her death did nothing to aid in the gate, which means she ain’t dead! He somehow preserved her soul or some shit. I don’t fucking know. Now boss and the others are pissed, and you loudmouths told him far too much when he’s not in the damn organization.”

“W-Wait, wait, wait,” Madeline pressed. “He’s not a part of Lock and Key?!”

I could only imagine the baffled expression on Brad’s face - the image of his blonde hair, green eyes, and white, pale face registering in my mind from when I caught a glance of him.

“Oh, you guys fucked up,” Brad said with a hushed voice. “They’ve been trying to recruit Damon for years. It’s going to be harder now that he’s getting closer to that group!”

“Why is it bad? He knows too much so he has no choice but to join,” Madeline tried to offer. “Besides, he and that possessive dude that’s fucking Alice don’t get along! It’s only a matter of time before they duke it out. We made sure to gather all those pictures of his place to trigger a confrontation and Damon knows he’s adopted and how possessive orphans are when it comes to their stuff. Surely, he’ll think of something to press his buttons, and boom. Enemies.”

“Or Damon continues to be the smartass he’s been, tells the Blazing Horsemen that we had every intention of getting that dude and Alice into the organization because they’re the reincarnations that were sacrificed in their past lives and are now a part of that prophecy that will go against us opening the gate to summon the hell god! Like, do you never listen when we have those meetings?”

“Why is Alice important?! I’ve asked that. Eliza fucking asked that. Rick fucking asked that, and yet you seemed to be the know-it-all!”

“Alice is a demigod! She’s the only daughter of Lucifer!”

My eyes widened, as did Westley’s. The two of us stared at one another while the statement echoed around them.

“W-What?”

“I don’t know enough to fucking explain it to you, Madeline, but Lock and Key will either kill Alice and use her soul as an offering to open the gate and unleash the wrath of Lucifer upon our universe, or they’re going to bring her on their side so she can coax Lucifer himself! I don’t know why they need to open the gate when they don’t have control over any of the hell gods, and especially not Lucifer himself, but Alice is the fucking key to that lock, Madeline. With her, our organization will be the strongest. And if she’s connected to other powerful demigods in other universes, it’s only a matter of time before they’re all brought together, and that’s when Lock and Key will strike to destroy them all.”

He was huffing to catch his breath before he tsked. “I’ve said far too much, but who cares. They’ll probably kill you for trying to kill Alice without their consent.”

“They’ve been wanting us to get rid of Alice since she joined Blazing Academy.”

“Get rid meaning get her kicked out.”

“What about the bomb incident?”

“The bomb incident was an outside gig. Alice’s interference was only because Clara unexpectedly showed up at the restaurant before the plans kicked in. She was never supposed to be involved, and maybe if she hadn’t been, we would be steps closer to what we need to achieve. But who cares. You’ll be dead soon.”

“They’re not going to kill me!”

“Oh really? You think I didn’t overhear your fight with Eliza?” Brad questioned and actually laughed. “You fucked up so bad, Madeline, I actually feel sorry for you. Eliza is the only reason why you’re still in this organization. She has connections beyond me. Even though she looks like a ditz, it’s all a persona. She’s a fucking genius, and you just betrayed her for cock. What a damn shame.”

I could hear Madeline swallow, and Brad chuckled. “If you don’t die today, know the clock is ticking for you. In the end, we’re all just pawns to get those gates open.”

“That makes you one, too,” she muttered, her voice thick with tears.

“You’re right,” he replied with a smug voice. “But what makes me different is that I know the power I carry on this side of the spectrum. You, sadly, don’t, and that’s what’s going to kill you, Madeline.”

We heard him spin around and begin to walk away, but Madeline spoke, “I’m not going to go down without a fight!”

“Good,” he replied from far away. “It would be a shame to see you thrown away like a used condom. Use that brain of yours for once, or accept your fate like an offered tonic.”

The cave grew silent before Madeline hissed and stomped her feet. The sound of a dialing phone caught our attention. “Hey. I fucked up bad. I need help. Eliza isn’t paying for it. I’ll have to figure it out, but if I get caught now, I’m screwed, and I can’t end like this. I’m going to get my revenge and that may mean screwing up their plans. Understood. I’m at the waterfall.”

The moment she hung up, a burst of light formed opposite from our hiding spot.

Westley shielded me as he moved slightly further into the wedge to hide us from the rays of spinning red light. Madeline walked up to what looked to be a portal and stopped at its edge.

“Just you wait, Brad. I’ll show all of you what you’re messing with.”

She walked into the portal of red flames, and it burst into specks of embers that rained down until they vanished from existence.

Westley and I remained still for a very long time before Dad’s voice called from afar. “ALICE?!” I could hear the panic in his voice, but I looked up to Westley to make sure he could confirm it was him. He listened intently as Dad called my name again, and this time Westley nodded and eased me against the opposite wall.

“Let me check.”

He slipped out of our spot, his hand glowing with dark magic as incantations began to bleed along the flesh of his fingers and the back of his hand.

“Chambers,” Westley quietly declared, which rewarded him with a sigh of relief from Dad.

“Tell me Alice is with you, or I’m going to burn that entire camp up. And if you need to confirm my identity, Alice is still sixteen, is my only daughter, had to take care of my drunk ass when she was but a child before her grandparents whisked her away, and Violet is rotting in hell while Henry’s in jail. Need more?”

Westley didn’t seem satisfied, but Chambers added, “I have a picture of you and Alice kissing that would go nicely on your wall.”

“I hate you,” Westley grumbled but lowered his hand as his magic retreated. “She’s here and alive.”

Dad sighed. “Thank goodness.”

I took that as an okay to come out, so I slowly peeked out of the spot to give a tiny wave. “Hey, Dad.”

His eyes grew glassy before he tried to blink the tears away as he shook his head.

“You’re always trying to get in trouble, aren’t you, Red Velvet?”

I actually laughed, even though the sound was weak, at the nickname Dad liked to use.

“I’m always minding my own business. Trouble follows me. Not the other way around.”

I slowly lowered to my knees and leaned against the rock that was stopping me from falling entirely.

“Alice.” Westley was back and reaching over to slide me out of the space before lifting me into his arms.

“My head hurts…or body. Or just everywhere.”

“We need to get her to the medical center. I don’t think she ate anything but breakfast today and she banged herself up pretty bad in the waterfall before the drop.”

“How did you get here on time?” Chambers asked.

We were moving but my eyes were already closed as I fought just to listen in long enough to grasp some information.

“A woman we met at the festival and a professor told me to come down here or I’d lose something important to me. I arrived a minute before Alice went over the edge. I could hear a commotion from above and caught onto Gabriel’s voice, but I knew if I delayed, Alice would drown. I was able to get her and hide here. She wasn’t breathing so I did CPR and she made it through. I healed a bit of her head injury, but she may have a concussion. A guy name Brad was here and I have a strong hunch Madeline is the culprit in all of this.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Chambers assured me.

“Chambers.”

The swaying movement came to a stop, and I could feel the spike of intensity in the space as the roaring beat of the waterfall continued to rage around us.

“What?”

“Alice,” he whispered. “Is she a demigod?”

Chambers didn’t say anything.

Westley muttered, “A demigod and the only daughter of Lucifer.”

I could hear the deep inhale from Chambers before he let it out.

“You can’t tell the others yet. None of you are supposed to know until graduation, but to answer your question, yes. Alice, and even you, are demigods.”

Westley was silent, but I could hear the thrumming beat of his heart rate.

“As for the Lucifer daughter thing…I’m unsure. There’s not enough information, and the only one who can confirm what demigod Alice would be associated with is the woman who birthed her.”

“So Liz,” Westley confirmed.

Chambers was quiet but muttered, “I’d have to ask, but it can only be in person. What I do know is that Alice’s demigod trait is opposite of the Goddess of Space and Time.”

“Space…and Time,” Westly muttered. “Why the opposite?”

“Opposites attract,” he simply stated as if it was something that should make perfect sense. “With light, there is darkness, but not all darkness is bad.”

Westley seemed to wobble then, and I couldn’t blame him because there was a sudden sheet of heaviness that fell upon my mind that made it hard to keep awake.

It felt like we were falling back but were caught. I thought I’d fall out of Westley’s hold, but it seemed like his instincts kicked in to hold me even tighter, though I was sure he was struggling for consciousness, as I was.

He groaned before his body loosened, and my mind began to drift further away as words echoed from afar.

“Identical twins of light and darkness. One that can harness the gates of time, while the other can tame the very flames of hell. Four knights will rise. Two of light and two of darkness, a balance needed to form equilibrium. Until fate brings darkness and light together for a battle of survival, they will fight the forces that are desperate to hide the blazing force of Karma.”

The words sounded like an ancient legend, but I couldn’t think much about it as I finally gave in to the darkness.

“Liz…be back soon…I can’t handle this alone.”

Summer camp started and only opened a can of secrets.

7

RECOVERY AND TIME LIMIT

~WESTLEY~

“DARLING.”

My eyes opened to meet those passionate eyes of red. They burned like rubies with hints of apricot and amber. The triple combination always reminded me of a blazing sunset upon the horizon.

The love of my life.

A woman who made my heart beat with intensity and my cock press against the tight fabric of my supporters. I bit my lip to fight the temptation of those luscious lips that were inviting me for a ride of lust, but it would all change.

The ring in my pocket felt like a hidden weight, and I craved to present it while on one knee and watch her expression blossom in elation at the idea of us finally being together for the world to see.

Her lips quirked up in mischief, a second before she inched onto the tips of her toes to delicately press her lips to mine. The mere touch was like fire against my flesh, and the softened kiss morphed into a desperate inferno as I took the lead in dominating her tender touch.

My arms hooked around her waist, pressing her against me and fighting the urge to lift her layered skirt and have my way with her in the shadows of this alleyway. She moaned into my mouth, her intention to taunt me further as she pressed her lower region against mine in defiance.

“You love to tempt me,” I whispered against her lips.

“Maybe it will get you to whisk me to your chambers faster,” she teased back.

“Soon,” I vowed, which made her whole face light up with hope.

“I know,” she said quietly.

My Blazing Hot Witch. My future forever.

MY EYES SNAPPED open as I sat right up. My chest felt constricted as I fought for air with quick breaths while my eyes scanned the room I’d chosen for the next three months of summer camp.

After a few extra breaths, I looked down to see the folded towel that must have been on my forehead. Judging by the darkened room, it had to be way into the night, and the clock on the wall told me it was three-thirty in the morning.

A sigh escaped me while I let myself fall back into the sheets that felt drenched from my sweat. I wasn’t wearing a shirt, but my boxers felt tight from the dream I’d had that left me in this state of need.

I hoped I’d fall asleep with ease, but the ticks of the clock from afar continued to tick and I remained hot and hard.

I need to shower.

The decision had me up and grabbing some black joggers from my unpacked bag. Heading into the washroom, I stripped and took a moment to look in the standing mirror to my left.

My green hair was growing far too long for my satisfaction; the urge to cut it became stronger the longer I stared into my reflection. It felt like it diminished my masculine traits, something up until this point that had never bothered me.

I wasn’t wearing my glasses, which helped me be rid of that “cute” nerd label some liked to use, and my growth spurt from last semester had put me on even ground with most guys in our league and age, but I needed to start working on my physique.

I didn’t need to be bulky and broad like some men who lifted weights every day of the week, but I wanted to enhance the muscles in my chest and arms and define my abs a little more.

Was I fit? Yes. Did I give off that impression at first glance? No. That was what I lacked, and somehow standing in a foreign washroom in the early hours of the morning helped me realize it.

Attempting to ignore the urge to find a pair of scissors, I headed for the shower and turned the water to lukewarm. I wasn’t as horny as before, but the dream was still fresh in my mind.

Ever since the carnival, I’d been having vivid dreams of what felt like memories. Past memories of a life where carriages were upgrading to the times of cars and magic users were public knowledge.

It was a bit of a mind-fuck whenever I woke up to face the present, because the woman who haunted me with those bedazzling red eyes, flaming vivid hair, and stunning smile reminded me of Alice.

Her skin was tanned like Alice’s, and the way Alice’s personality shone through with her playful commentary and proud demeanor was the same. She fit Alice almost too perfectly. The only difference was that she looked older and held a level of wisdom that may not have been natural for that time period.

I wanted to confront someone about it, someone like Chambers or CloverSpell, but I wasn’t ready.

Or I was a little frightened of discovering the truth.

Watching Alice’s body soar through the air - limp like a lifeless doll - had triggered something within that raged with urgency to get stronger.

When I started at Blazing Academy, I never doubted my skills. I carried all four flaming elements and that alone put me ahead of the game. But I’d come to realize that as Blazing Knights, we weren’t playing with those on the same field of power.

We were peasants in a brewing battle that wasn’t meant for our survival. This world of money and power, while the discard of life was used as a drop of fuel for a bigger plan…a bigger cause of burning solitude for those remaining victims that were outcast in the eyes of merciless leaders.

It was depressing to think about, but the older I got, the easier it was to see the world as what it was. We were so naïve and pure as children. Even when the world was at its harshest, we could still see the line of hope, envision a future that would bring us through that door of happiness adults promised us when we followed the path of growth, education, and a career that delivered a sense of purpose.

They never prepared you for the true darkness that hides in the shadows of dark alleyways, the hidden corners with individuals who wished to use you as a catalyst for their own hopes and dreams that were unachievable unless they stepped upon others.

I was thankful that I’d only witnessed some parts of this cruel world, but I never allowed myself to be blind. Being an orphan steals away a chunk of hope in one’s mind, body, and spirit. But without hope, was there really a future?

My path was to go forward, and somehow that landed me in a place of safety while allowing me to water the friendships I had with Gabriel and Keru. We were vastly different, but our desire to walk forward on a path that would lead us to our grand purpose was the same, and that was what led us to Alice.

Deep within, I knew that purpose was going to grow. It was going to rise higher upon a hidden scale of severity, and the challenges we’d face ahead would increase and carry their own set of weight and lessons.

That was what scared me.

The change and acknowledgment that I may be left behind on the scale of magical strength. I was terrified my very lack could harm the woman I adored.

Our Blazing Queen…

The thought of her back in the cave flashed before my eyes, the way the burning flames of four flaming traits danced upon her tanned skin that dripped water and blood from the injury near her temple.

That fierceness that haunted her eyes with the heightened desire to survive, the thrumming force that made her look mesmerizingly strong turned me on even at the brink of potential death.

I never could have imagined such a sight, nor would I have believed my body would respond the way it did, but the expression of defiance had reminded me of the dreams I’d had these past few weeks. That protective brashness from the Alice of my dreams that the Alice from my reality could convey in a mere display of spite made me shiver.

Closing my eyes, I allowed my hand to rest upon the tile wall before me while my other hand cranked up the warmth of the shower that had drenched me for what I could assume was a few minutes.

I needed to shower, which was why I was standing here naked, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Alice. How she looked with her drenched white shirt that clung to her body like a glove and showed every line of her curves while emphasizing her breasts.

The way her short shorts hugged her ass cheeks and outlined her pussy was a sight I only now got to think about - admire without the fear of death creeping into my lustful desire - and the vision only intensified with that passionate gaze of fury in her eyes.

She looked amazing when she was angry, like an untouchable object that you craved to glide your fingertips upon. Her happiness brought a softened joy that made my heart blossom with love and adoration.

If only she were here now.

Just a moment - her and me - an opportunity to slide my hands across her hot, tanned flesh. To remove her clothes and enjoy the view of her exposed breasts that would glimmer in the shimmering rays of moonlight that would cascade down to her glistening pussy that I’d yearn to be wet for me.

I imagined the way her slightly wavy strands of orange silk would descend upon her shoulders and litter the silk pillow beneath her head, and the sound of her breathy moans escaping the pout of those delectable red lips of hers.

I moaned at the imagine, my hand already wrapped around my hardened length. My teeth sank into my bottom lip as my hand glided up and down in a slow motion. The water made the movement so easy, while the warmth only heightened the whimsical sensation of my cock sliding in and out of Alice’s hot entrance.

My moans grew louder as my hips helped in my built-up need for release, all while my mind continued to swirl down the mesmerizing vision of Alice beneath me.

Her perky breasts would bounce with every movement, her lewd expression solely on me as her harmonious moans would encourage me to move faster and faster. The idea of her moaning my name - repeating Westley again and again - while the walls of her pussy tightened around my length made me hold my enlarged cock tightly to compensate as my rhythmic pace speeded further.

Alice’s name left my lips again and again, while my eyes rolled back as I lifted my head to feel the heated droplets of water from the shower’s stream. I was so close to cumming, the excitement boiling impatiently as my heavy breathing, moans, and growls echoed around me.

I was strokes away from that euphoric combustion my release would deliver. The picture of Alice’s naked body being gripped by my firm hands as I fucked her senseless pushed me right into oblivion as I moved in a blur while a tsunami of pleasure burst forth.

“Alice!” I groaned in pure surrender as my release shot out onto the tiled wall before me. I needed a moment in my blissful state to breathe, my body leaning to the right to rest against the glass frame that was covered in steam.

I reached out to turn the water down to frigid temperatures, but even the chilled droplets couldn’t tame the heat that oozed off my flesh while I continued to breathe deeply.

Masturbation was going to become an unhealthy habit if I didn’t tame this beast of lust. And the only way of doing that would be to enjoy the ultimate prize I was using to stimulate myself again and again.

Not yet.

I had to coax myself to be patient because I wasn’t ready to give Alice my all. She deserved the best of me. A version of myself that didn’t lack confidence or get easily envious when it came to potential competition.

There had to be a deeper meaning for why I was so riled up by Damon, but it was becoming crystal clear that fate wanted him around for a reason. Out of everyone in our group, I could actually trust him to be of aid and offer protection to Alice when push came to shove.

He already proved himself during the fire at the restaurant.

Regardless, no one else could catch me off guard, and that meant changing myself. Becoming what I knew would allow me to walk proudly with my friends and the woman of my dreams.

Our Blazing Queen we’d sworn to protect.

“It’s time to recover and change for the better,” I whispered to myself.

That would all start tonight.

~ALICE~

TURNING the knob of the shower to OFF, I remained still for a few moments as water droplets ran down my naked body.

Showering seemed like the best thing compared to lying in bed with my thoughts that were trying to consume me.

It was well into the morning hours, and I’d awoken from an intriguing dream. It felt like I was someone from the past, a woman of strength and confidence. I’d been in an alleyway of some sort, a spot hidden by the shadows, which made it the perfect place to be separated from the rest of the world.

There was a man with me. Tall, slender, loving. My heart would beat wildly against my chest at the mere sight of his intriguing smile, yet I gave off the perfect facade, a way to mask how this man meddled with my emotions on the inside.

How they spun, flipped, and swirled from his mere company.

A tiny part of me knew it was a dream, and yet it felt like a memory that I’d somehow forgotten; one of the few memories of happiness that brought me great comfort.

We were quietly speaking of the future, a life of just me and him. It felt almost forbidden in this dream for us to be together. As though we lived in different worlds and this was one of those few opportunities that allowed us to be in the same vicinity together.

Those lips that I’d yearned for would descended upon mine, sparking lust and intense desire that could override common sense. The dream-memory turned me on in so many ways, and that was how I landed in the shower.

It felt almost too real, and I could only wonder if the man represented Westley.

There was always a deep-rooted connection between us, even though I couldn’t recall why. It felt like whenever we discovered something important, it would slip from our minds thanks to an outside force.

Was it not the right time for us to find out about who we once were? Who we were meant to become? What destiny had in store for us?

It was frustrating and conflicting because it made me wonder where I stood in all this blazing mayhem. The semester wasn’t even here yet and it was as though we’d peeled off another layer of secrets not meant for us - leaving Mother Flame no choice but to plaster a bandage upon the opening so we wouldn’t witness the inner layer that led to more truths.

My soul yearned for the truth, but was my mind ready?

Was my heart ready to discover what is being hidden from us again and again?

The memories from yesterday were such a cluster of confusing thoughts. I remembered trying to get the coin back from Cyrus, getting into the river to save her, being chased by some group, the guys arriving to counter them, hitting something hard before being struck by something that knocked me out.

Pain…struggle to breathe…drowning…death?

Red strings and white cloth danced in the flashing realms of these filtered images that would rush through my consciousness when I tried to recall the events, and though they reminded me of Claire and that she was stuck somewhere, they were followed with me being above Westley’s grasp while I was a second away from blasting him with fire.

He’d saved me from death, and that instance was just like the dream. His expression took in my body, his teal eyes full of lust, relief, and gratification. The darkness of the cave made his eyes almost glow, while the hues of the flames I carried danced in those mesmerizing spheres that were just like the fantasy of us in the alleyway where the flickering flames from the lights beyond the alley trickled across his orbs.

All of this was becoming overwhelming for me. It was difficult for my sixteen-year-old brain to wrap around. I felt far older -wiser- despite my obvious innocence and inexperience because I hadn’t been given the opportunity to grow to the level of confidence my heart yearned for.

I wished to be like the woman from my dream. To know where I stood in this crazy world of magic, power, and betrayal. There was this hovering darkness that I felt would one day reveal all that had been hidden from me, and deep down, I was absolutely frightened to face it.

Would I confront that issue today? Tomorrow? A week from today? At the beginning of the semester? I had no idea, and it was the idea of sudden change with the bomb of uncertainty that left me frightened for the future.

I was afraid to be alone while tackling this newfound phenomenon that wished to submerge me in the truth that the world seemed to camouflage.

Getting out of the shower, I patted my body dry before putting on some lotion. I didn’t feel like using any magic; my body was still a little drained from the chaos we’d endured earlier with Madeline.

I didn’t want to think about any of that right now. It felt like disappointment and dissatisfaction were waiting for me if I went searching for what consequences they received for their actions.

I slipped on a white nightgown. As I tried to find where the hell I’d packed my underwear, I noticed the tiny movement in the corner of my eye.

“Cyrus?”

The tiny giggle that followed made me pout my lips before I rose up and walked to the door that was slightly open. With a slight pull of the door, I slipped through the open gap to peer down the hall. My eyes caught onto the hint of a tail and the little footsteps sounded further away.

What is my familiar trying to do?

It only felt right to follow her, seeing as I wanted to make sure she was okay after yesterday’s craziness. I hadn’t felt like she was injured, which I could only assume seeing as I wasn’t super trained in the areas of familiars, but her attempting to do something mischievous gave me great comfort because she was well enough to be playful.

Following along until I reached a door, I slipped into a room before following my senses to a closed door.

Where did she go?

“Hmm? Cyrus? Why are you here? Is Alice having a nightmare?”

The familiar yet slightly deeper voice caught my attention just as he stated, “Where are you poofing to?”

The door opened then, and my eyes locked onto a pair of teal ones.

The same ones from my dream.

My eyes remained still for what felt like a few seconds as they drifted upward and widened at the change. My jaw went slack as I took in the new look before reaching out unconsciously until the very short green-blue strands were in my possession.

The silky softness felt as amazing as always, but the loss in length shocked me to the core until I had to state the obvious.

“You…cut your hair.” My voice was soft and my eyes returned to acknowledging the admiration in those hooded eyes that held trickles of hunger that made my insides flip and between my legs grow hot.

He didn’t respond, but our bodies drifted closer until the palpable need grew between us. Our eyes never left one another’s grasp while our lips closed in and laid lightly upon each other’s.

The kiss was the start of something magical, a sensation we hadn’t experienced. It reminded me of the kiss we shared in the council washroom. The touch of his dominating lips overtook mine in impatience.

Only this time, the kiss was almost sacred. Slow but affectionate, deep yet at a tranquil pace. His arms moved to wrap around my waist, pulling me closer, while my arms moved to lock around his neck.

Our height difference felt more obvious, but that was fixed with ease as I was soon in his arms. He lifted me up and began to walk towards what I could only assume was the bed.

He lowered me onto the soft cushions of the mattress without breaking our connected lips. We continued to kiss with no end in sight. It felt odd to miss someone when we’d been together hours before.

It could have been due to our earlier avoidance, but it felt as though eons had passed since we’d been together. I missed the times of peace and wished to be lost in his grasp forever and not deal with whatever was brewing behind our backs.

We kissed until our lungs couldn’t bear it any longer, and even when we broke it to catch our breaths, the lust between us grew stronger. My hand cupped his cheek before I leaned up to kiss him lightly on the lips, followed by his other cheek, and then his neck.

His groan lit my body up from the inside, and I had to press my thighs together in hopes of taming the growing ache between them. Out of all the times I could have struggled to find underwear, today had to be that fateful day when I was now in Westley’s bed with his bare-chested body that was even more attractive than I last remembered.

I could see the inked lines of his tattoo that went all along his back, but my attention was taken by the muscles in his arms. Westley wasn’t super fit, but his muscular frame was obvious when he was semi-naked like this.

His eyes were focused on my breasts, which made me realize I wasn’t even wearing a bra and this white nightgown was as sheer as a wet cloth.

Might as well walk naked at this point. No bra. No underwear. Is there even an excuse for somehow walking into Westley’s room like this? Oh right, Cyrus! It was her fault.

“How did you get here, Alice?” Westley quietly inquired, looking amused as hell when my eyes returned to his. The way his ocean eyes danced with merriment made me pout while I quickly devised a plan.

Er…the truth!

“It’s Cyrus’s fault,” I muttered with my breathy voice. “I just finished showering and was looking for underwear when she went roaming down the hall. I didn’t know where she was going and just wanted to check that she was okay, so I followed along until I was here, and you opened the door looking like a Roman god from ancient history.”

My brain was playing catch up as the delight in Westley’s eyes flooded his entire expression when my explanation clicked. I was blushing so red I probably looked like a pomegranate instead of a tomato.

“So you’re not wearing underwear and I’m a Roman god. Nice.”

“Ugh! Don’t say it like that,” I whined and punched his chest, which made him grunt and fall over to my right side. “I was minding my own business, trying to get back to bed like the good lady I am when my mischievous familiar decided to seek you out! It’s not my fault I’m not wearing underwear, or a damn bra, or wearing this nightgown. I don’t even remember buying this! Ugh, it was probably Clara. Always trying to tell me nightgowns are better to sleep in than being naked, but c’mon. Silk still makes you hot in bed. Being naked is far more comfortable!” I sat up and huffed. “I’m leaving!”

My poor ass didn’t even make it off the bed before I was pulled right onto Westley’s lap. How he was able to get up in a sitting position on the side of his bed would forever baffle me, but my body froze at the feeling of his hardness right against my entrance.

His hot breath brushed my neck as he closed in to whisper, “If I wasn’t wearing boxers, every bit of restraint I have left would have burned to ashes and I’d be enjoying every moan that escaped your lips, Alice.”

My body shivered as goosebumps flooded down my arms. I wondered if he could feel how my pussy was reacting to this placement, or maybe his ears would catch onto my racing heartbeat.

Or could he smell my growing arousal?

“Alice,” he groaned against my flesh before his teeth gently tugged on my ear lobe. “Stop moving like that.”

“I-I-I’m not moving,” I tried to defend myself, completely missing the fact that I was trying to adjust myself on his lap. It was like that move you did when you were sitting in an uncomfortable spot, but all it did was make that hard spot grow and between my legs ache further, until it became a pulsing rhythm that wasn’t helping me think straight at all.

“Yes, you are,” he whispered back as he nestled his head between my neck and shoulder - those hot lips of his pressing against my feverish flesh before he laid a solid kiss on them.

I drew in a sharp breath followed with a nipped moan as his free hand moved to cup my left breast, making me shiver. My nipples were hard, my body tingling in all the “wrong” places, and my breath hitched as he continued to kiss my neck while beginning to massage my breast.

I couldn’t stop myself from moving on his lap; the slight back and forth moves only further teased Westley as he moaned into my neck.

“Alice.” It was a warning for me to stop, but I couldn’t.

My body felt like it was on fire, and this prickling sensation that brought pleasure in its wake was only adding to the haze of desire that cloaked us.

I turned my head just slightly, only for my lips to be sealed by his. The two of us kissed furiously while his hand that was playing with my breast released it to move down to grip my hips.

The two of us were moving in a back-and-forth rhythm, grinding my pussy against the bulge in his pants faster as our lips deepened the intense kiss. Everything felt like it was spinning while time moved at a snail’s pace. My mind was only able to focus on the building pleasure that grew more intense with every grinding movement.

My hips would have moved faster if it wasn’t for Westley’s hands taming them, his grip growing stronger while his fingernails dug into my flesh. I moaned into his mouth, which made him groan and kiss me violently, and he loosened his hold so we could both move faster in our grinding expedition as I braced for an orgasm.

I was getting closer and closer. Our moans were muffled as we kissed harder. That sizzling force of pleasure was rising quickly in its contained bottle, and it was only a few grinds away from freedom.

“Westley.” I moaned his name into his mouth, and he sealed my lips firmly with his lips as he gripped my hips hard while moving his even faster, which stimulated me perfectly.

After only a few seconds of that frantic grinding, we were coming together. The two of us slowly grew still and our cries of release got lost in the hollows of our mouth walls.

We finally freed our lips to breathe heavily. Westley fell back onto the bed, which took me with him. The way we breathed reminded me of us running laps on the track field. I realized that it would feel that same way with how hot my body felt if the high of pleasure wasn’t so vibrant.

Neither of us said a word as we took this opportunity to calm down. It would have been best for me to get up and head back to my room, but my body felt like jelly, unlike my mind, which thought the idea was absolutely repulsive.

I turned my head to try and check on Westley, only to be rewarded with his tender lips as he kissed me once more. It took me by surprise, but my thrilled body caved in to the affectionate touch as I slowly turned to the side. His hand moved to hook around me, which pressed my body to the side of his.

We kissed for a long time, and by the time we were done, my body was a lot calmer, which helped me think straighter.

“Your hair,” I breathed quietly against his lips that tugged upward slightly at my observation.

“Like it?”

“Yes,” I admitted, which was true. I never would have imagined Westley with super short hair, especially since I’d met him with shoulder-length strands. They had grown in the last year, but I assumed he wanted to grow long hair like Keru or Gabriel.

Now it was short like Damon’s, and though I wasn’t going to tell him, they were beginning to look alike.

“Is it too short?” he wondered innocently, which made me smirk as I reached out to feel it between my fingers again.

“Nah. It’s just right,” I whispered in praise. “You look so different, though.”

“More masculine?” he inquired quietly.

“Did you think your longer hair took that away from you?’ I pondered back as I tried to compare the two images in my mind.

I wouldn’t deny that his longer hair softened the harsh lines of his jaw and made it more obvious that he was the younger one between him, Gabriel, and Keru, but since his sudden growth spurt and height increase, he’d begun to attract more attention from the ladies.

“It hadn’t really bothered me until this morning, to be honest,” he confessed as he avoided my eyes to look upward. “I had a dream and, well, it made me wish to have a sense of maturity in my image. Maybe ‘cause my birthday is coming up, too. I don’t know.”

“When’s your birthday?”

“Hmm.” He actually had to ponder about it before he lowered his gaze to meet mine. “Today?”

“Today, today?!” I repeated.

“Mhm,” he replied. “I didn’t realize it.”

“We have to celebrate!” I declared and tried to get up, but he forced me back down.

“Or we can just snuggle,” he concluded. “I miss you.” The statement made me smile slightly before I snuggled right against him.

“I missed you more.”

“I’m sorry for upsetting you,” he apologized again, as if I didn’t remember it back in the waterfall cave.

“You already apologized,” I whispered. “I’m sorry, too.”

“I remember, silly,” he whispered and reached to plop my nose with his finger. “Everything else is kind of blurry.”

“Ya,” I confessed and let my worry flourish on my expression. “It worries me that whenever we seem to figure something out, it fades away.”

“You’ve noticed,” he whispered.

“Yes,” I replied. “What frustrates me the most is that we never get to find out who’s the true culprit behind us forgetting. Is it Dad? Or CloverSpell, or Mother Flame, or Lock and Key? Who doesn’t want us to remember these important facts we keep discovering?”

“I don’t think Chambers or CloverSpell would hide it from us unless what we discovered threatened our livelihood,” Westley suggested. “But then again, who knows?”

“Are you worried?”

“Yes,” he confessed. “But my worry is keeping you safe, and that’s where I lack.”

“You don’t lack, Westley,” I reasoned. “You’re powerful and saved me.”

“Not powerful enough for what we’re tackling, Alice,” he replied and turned so we were suddenly side by side. “I realized a very important thing at the waterfall.”

“What’s that?”

“That I love you,” he confessed with seriousness. I blinked while my cheeks grew warm at his admission, and he quietly continued. “Being with you reminds me of all the things I can accomplish. I feel inspired and strong when you’re in my life, and when you’re absent from it…I feel defeated and unworthy. Without those fierce eyes that burn like flames, or the feel of your warmth in my grasp, I feel like an empty shell walking through this world. I bet it sounds weird since we haven’t reached an entire year of being together, but that’s exactly how I feel, and I’m tired of hiding it like something to be ashamed of.”

He reached out to place his hand on my cheek; his thumb moved down to trail my bottom lip that parted just slightly at his tingling touch.

“I know that your heart isn’t solely mine. That you care dearly for Keru and Gabriel and even have a soft spot for Damon,” he whispered. “But I can’t live with knowing that I’m not strong enough to protect you. It pains me to acknowledge that I’m still weak in many areas that I once thought I’d perfected, and I guess that’s why I want to change.” He paused as he closed the distance to give me a kiss. “I want to take advantage of this summer camp to grow into a whole new person. For us to go back to Blazing and for our own peers and professors to acknowledge my growth. I’m tired of being belittled. Even if it’s not vocally stated to my face, I want people to see me as a man and not a gifted boy…and more importantly, I want to walk beside my friends and peers and not feel like I lack in comparison.”

“Westley,” I whispered.

He pulled me into a hug, and I closed my eyes as I held him tightly.

“When I achieve all of that, then I can give you my all. Then I can let go of that string of restraint that stops me from unraveling you,” he whispered. “You’re this magical essence of fire that I can’t ignore. I’ve never been so turned on by anyone in my life, and all I can think of is feeling every inch of you. I love you with my heart, my body begs to connect to yours, and I want us to experience what we did but at a heightened, new level. However, I have to do this first. I can’t give you half of me, Alice, because you deserve a whole. You deserve the damn world, but I doubt Mother Flame will let me do that, so giving you the best of me will suffice.”

I giggled and hugged him even tighter as a smile formed on my lips that were snuggled against his chest.

“I love you, Westley,” I mumbled, and turned my head to the side so I could finish my statement clearly. “I’ll wait as long as you need me to, so I can enjoy wholesome Westley. As long as you know that I love you just as you are now and will love you at every place in your journey. At the beginning, middle, and end, I love you, Westley, and no matter who I share my heart with, my love for you will never falter.”

My words held a foreign power to them, and I felt a sense of déjà vu, but I meant everything I said, and I was positive Westley felt the truth in them.

“Thank you, Alice.”

We continued to hug until the world began to drift away, and even with the stir of movement that seemed to leave me in a new position between a sheet and the warmth of another’s skin, I allowed myself to fall into the hands of peaceful slumber as my thrilling contentment brought a wave of peacefulness.

This time around…our love will have no time limit.

8

RECOVERY BREAKFAST AND LAYERS OF YOU

“Alice! How are you feeling?”

A yawn escaped me before I could reply. “Tired.”

“At least you’re alive!” Clara emphasized as she got up from her bed and raced over to hug me. “I’m so glad you’re okay. Are you in pain? Do you need a massage? Medicine? Chocolate?”

“I’m fine, Clara,” I reassured her with an added smile. “Sleeping helped a lot. My body’s a little sore, but the stop-by nurse said I should be okay with a few days’ rest.”

“Thank goodness.” Clara sighed. “Madeline’s on the run.”

“Huh?” I inquired, a little confused by her statement. “What do you mean ‘on the run’?”

“What?” Clara gave me a confused look back as she placed her hands on her hips. “Did you think that bitch was going to get away with what she did?”

“Well…ya?” I confessed. “There weren’t many eyewitnesses of the whole chase. Only our team really saw what was happening and it’s not like the camp has loads of cameras.”

“You’re right,” she began with a nod. “However, two girls recorded the entire confrontation. I have no clue how they were able to keep up, but they got everything from that group of rich kids interfering to you getting struck and heading straight to the waterfall. Some of the rich guys weren’t even supposed to be on the property, but the summer camp is closed for a week as they do an intense investigation.”

“They closed camp for a week?” I gasped.

“Yup.” Clara nodded. “That’s why I’m still here. I have an appointment with CloverSpell in a few and I volunteered to testify regarding Madeline’s bullying behavior toward you, so I should be gone for a few hours, but they’re taking it very seriously.”

“No way,” I whispered. “I’m just a little shocked because I didn’t think they would do anything about it.”

“Well, some things are still fishy,” Clara admitted as she crossed her arms over her chest. “They weren’t making a big deal about it until Eliza spoke to the head of the camp.”

“Eliza?” That made me frown in worry while Clara nodded, her expression growing serious.

“The two girls who had the video were apparently trying to get the police to view it and were denied multiple times. I think one of the girls was named Yula or something. They said the incident was over the gold coin competition and Madeline stole it from her before your confrontation with her. They were completely ignoring them until Eliza showed up and demanded to speak to the on-duty chief,” Clara explained. “I don’t know what connections Eliza has, but after a few words, the chief demanded a full-scale lockdown investigation. CloverSpell arrived with your dad minutes after. I think they were the ones to bring you and Westley here for a check-up. Keru and Gabriel were sent to help search the area to make sure none of those goons were trying to hide. Since they had hardcore evidence and Chambers insisted he’d be pressing charges on your behalf since you’re still a minor, they have no choice but to get an official warrant for Madeline’s arrest. Her face is all over the news. Once again, they can’t bring your name into it since you’re a minor.”

“My mind is blown,” I confessed with an open jaw. “That…wow.”

“Right.” Clara sighed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help much with the chase and all. Everything happened so quickly and by the time I figured out what was happening everything was a bit of a blur.”

“Don’t apologize,” I assured her and gave her a pat on the shoulder. “I’m glad everything is being figured out. And at least summer camp isn’t canceled. I feel like this is our opportunity to get some real training done. It’s been delayed but I guess it’s better than being completely halted.”

“Thankfully not. The camp is being run by someone’s head leader who’s a part of some high council. That and a substitute professor, who seems to give total ‘no bullshit’ vibes.” Clara actually shivered while stating it.

“They’re that scary?”

“A group of students tried to rally, saying that the camp should be canceled since it’s unsafe or some nonsense. They shut them down so fast and then kicked out all the students involved. The head woman stated that this isn’t a playground for the weak. I don’t think we’re going to see her personally since they try to keep them off the property so they’re not harassed by students who think the summer camp is too difficult or something along those lines. A few that saw them said one has pure white hair like snow and her attire kind of reminded them of a galaxy. The substitute apparently looked badass. She had high silver boots and a long cape with turquoise trimming. And silver hair. It was like the theme was all silver epicness. Plus, she wore these cool glasses. I wish someone could have taken a picture, but we’re technically not supposed to have our phones on us during activities.”

“Minus the full confrontation yesterday,” I reminded with a smirk.

“Aside from that.” Clara laughed. “I can’t wait till they catch Madeline. I can’t believe she was fucking Rick! It’s been trending all over social media. A nice change in comparison to the restaurant.” She muttered the last part, and I was suddenly reminded of the Claire situation.

“Have there been any updates about, you know?”

“Nothing really.” Clara shrugged. “I didn’t expect them to find anything right away. We’re dealing with an organization that’s keen on hiding their tracks. I thought I’ll be able to find some info at the shrine, but it looks like they’re going to be closed this summer.”

“They’re not opening?” I gasped. “Wasn’t the point of the gold coins challenge to allow a few students the privilege of attending the shrine?”

Clara nodded. “Yup. That was the original plan. But due to the investigations and stuff, they don’t think it’s the proper time. The shrine is influenced heavily by energy, and bad things happen when those entering the premises have bad intentions or vibes. They stated that instead of allowing us entrance this summer, there’ll be a private fall festival for those who obtained a golden coin.”

“That’s at least nice,” I admitted. “Doesn’t make it a complete waste.”

“Indeed,” Clara agreed.

“But why did you want to go?”

Clara took a moment to gather her words. “I think there’s a chance I’d be able to talk to Claire through the Red Fox Ether.”

“Red Fox…Ether?” I inquired.

“It’s a hidden legend that I just found out about. The elders that live a little bit out of the summer camp property spoke about it. I only know this because my parents and I had to come by here to finish last-minute papers and got the chance to pass by their village. I thought it was a myth or something until we were presented the challenge yesterday, but the Red Fox Ether is a place where a red fox can lead you to the space between life and death.”

The place between life and death! Like the Blazing Veil. That’s what Dad called it.

“Why a red fox?” I pondered.

“Red foxes represent the radiant energy in one’s root chakra. It’s basically the center of one’s spiritual balance. Mother explained that, in general, it deals with the balance of all areas when we’re alive, but in death, the red fox is able to discover the red strings that are tied to a soul and use the radiant energy of that soul to morph a path for their loved ones to walk upon. The path gives a small window for the soul of the dead to talk to the soul of the living. I’m not sure if there’s anything that can be done outside of communication, but I figured it would be a chance to find out the truth.”

Claire…

“Then we have to make sure we attend,” I emphasized. “Cyrus was able to save that last coin so there’s one for each of us. We can go and be your support if anything crazy happens.”

“You don’t have to,” she reasoned. “We may be super busy with school.”

“We’ll make the time, Clara.” I reached out for her hands, gently squeezing them as her eyes met mine. “You deserve closure, and I think if we can grasp this rare opportunity, it would be best to use it instead of always wondering what we could have done, don’t you think?”

“I…” She paused as she lowered her gaze to the floor. “I wish there was a way to bring her back. To give her a life. I know it’s impossible…but I guess I’d love to make sure I tried every option.”

“I get it,” I whispered. “And this is one of those opportunities. Let’s make sure we put it in our calendar and let the shrine know that we’ll be visiting. At least we have a plan, and maybe by then we’ll get some more information on the case to aid our expedition when the time comes.”

Clara lifted her head and smiled. “You’re right. I should at least try. You’re the best.” She moved to hug me tightly. “I’m so glad you didn’t get hurt that day. I’d never forgive myself.”

“Silly,” I muttered and hugged her tightly. “If only I could have done more.”

“You did more than enough, Alice,” Clara articulated before moving back to glare at me. “You better not try to blame yourself again or I’ll slap you with a fuzzy shoe!”

“Out of all the things, a fuzzy shoe?”

“It’s soft and gets the job done in bringing common sense back to one’s mind. That’s why certain cultures throw shoes at their kids.”

I gawked at the idea and Clara laughed and patted my shoulder. “I better not tell you how my parents punished me as a kid. You’d have nightmares.”

“Ya, let’s avoid that,” I concluded, and my stomach growled in rebellion.

The two of us stared at my stomach before Clara burst into laughter. “Guess someone needs food.”

“Sadly.” I nervously giggled. “Let’s change and I can walk you out.”

“Alright!”

We quickly changed into different attire, my choice of clothing being a simple pair of shorts and a crop top. It wasn’t super hot today, but I always ran on the warmer side.

We headed downstairs and I immediately began to drool at the flavorful aroma of food. “What is that divine smell?”

“Are you actually drooling?” Clara sounded disgusted. “You’re really hungry then.”

“I haven’t really eaten since yesterday morning,” I reminded, which made her eyes widen.

“Alice! You’re going to faint! How are you surviving?” she gasped and began to rush me down the remaining steps towards the kitchen.

“Um, I don’t know? Cuddles?”

“That’s right! Who did you sleep with last night?!” she asked as we entered the kitchen. “I came to check on you, but you weren’t there!”

“Uh, Westley?” I confessed, just as my eyes landed on Damon, who was putting the finishing touches on the plate of food.

“Did you guys have sex?!” Clara squealed before her attention followed mine and we both stopped to stare at the amount of food on the table. “Holy Flame of all Blazing!”

Damon paused in moving to the stove to lift his gaze our way. His eyes went from Clara to me, those purple eyes lingering on me for a long moment.

“D-Damon?!” I gasped and pointed to the table. “You did not make all of that!”

“Hmm?” He blinked. “Ya?”

“Hold up!” Clara let go of me to walk right over to Damon and take a long look at him. “Did you have a growth spurt or something?! I swear you weren’t this tall before! You’re the same height as Westley! Also, did you trim your hair?”

“Why are you so observant?” Damon asked in annoyance. “Eat your food and go away. Gabriel said you had an appointment. You’re going to be late.”

“I’m not going to be…” Clara trailed off as she looked at the clock. “AH! I’m actually going to be late! What was that teleportation spell? I swear we learned it last semester and I forgot!” She quickly raced to grab a plate before she started cursing and trying to figure out what the spell was.

We just stared at her before Damon’s eyes actually switched color and he put his hand out in Clara’s direction. “Blazando Telarashu!”

With a blast of hot wind, Clara’s shriek faded away with the rest of her frame as she disappeared through a portal - leaving Damon and me in the kitchen.

All I could do was stare at him as he lowered the frying pan into the sink and tugged at his apron.

“Did you stop functioning or do you just like staring at people when you’re hungry?”

“You seriously cooked all of this, Damon?”

My baffled expression made him take a moment to look at me, but I was taking in his appearance. He wore a tank top and shorts. Damon looked almost unrecognizable.

I’d noticed his height difference yesterday, but having the time to admire the difference was doing a number on my poor heart. He’d definitely trimmed his hair to be a bit shorter, and I could have sworn he dyed the end strands so they were a teal-green that transitioned to his black roots.

As for his physique, he had to be working out without anyone of us noticing because he looked way fitter. Maybe we were only now acknowledging Damon in comparison to before, when he seemed to be like a side character in a show.

The idea of it made me a little disappointed in myself for not noticing Damon, but I guessed it was a sign of progress and I could only hope he was noticing as well.

Catching the clues that we not only acknowledged his company but also the strength in our dynamic.

“Ya,” he replied, like it wasn’t a big deal. “Gabriel was supposed to cook something but he and Keru had to go buy some stuff for something. Figured you’d be hungry so I cooked something.”

“Have you eaten yet?” I inquired.

“Not yet,” he replied as I looked to see there were thankfully two plates left on the table.

“Can we eat breakfast together then?” I inquired with a bit of hopefulness in my voice.

“I guess.” He shrugged as he turned around to begin washing the dishes he used. “There’s coffee and tea. Whichever you want, unless you want milk from the fridge.”

“I could use some coffee,” I admitted while admiring his back muscles, noticing hints of what I thought was a tattoo on his back. It was hard to tell because the tank top covered most of it, but it held a familiarity to it.

“You have a tattoo, Damon?” I inquired.

He paused in washing the dishes for a moment to look over his shoulder at me while I approached. He seemed hesitant to answer so I followed with, “You don’t have to share. I was just intrigued.”

“Ya, I have a tattoo on my back,” he calmly replied and returned to washing the dishes. I took that as an ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ gesture, but he muttered, “It’s a birthmark, if you’re that curious.”

“Birthmark?” I inquired. “It’s…rather big for one.”

“It grows over time,” he replied as he finished the dishes and turned the tap off as I finished pouring a cup of coffee for myself before glancing at him.

“Coffee?”

“Sure,” he replied with no debate. I poured him a cup in the mug next to mine, and we worked on putting in the additional contents to make the roasted brew to our taste.

“That’s pretty cool,” I commented. “Westley has one on his back.”

“I’m aware,” he replied, though his voice held a slight coldness to it.

“Sorry,” I apologized right away, which seemed to intrigue him as he arched an eyebrow my way.

“For?”

“I compare you and Westley a lot,” I confessed.

I’d noticed I did the same in Westley’s company, and it was clear the two were working on getting along or at least attempting to after the fiasco that occurred before summer camp started.

“It’s not intentional. I guess…you two have a lot of similarities and I subconsciously bring them up to keep track, but I usually bring you up when it’s me and Westley, and vice versa with him when I’m with you. I’m sure it annoys you as it does him, but I’ve just come to realize it. I’ll try to stop.”

He didn’t say anything as we went back to finalizing our cups of coffee before heading to the breakfast table to eat. He’d made pancakes with maple syrup, blueberries, raspberries, bacon, sausage, eggs, and cinnamon toast on the side with the option of whipped cream for the pancakes and jam for the toast.

I began to cut into my pancakes when he commented, “You don’t need to stop.”

“Hmm?” I paused to look at him. He was sipping his coffee while looking at the window.

“Your habit of bringing up Westley around me. It’s not like it bothers me.”

“You get visibly upset when I compare you two or bring him up.”

“Yes,” he agreed.

“Then why would I further annoy you by bringing his name up or comparing you?”

“I don’t get upset at the fact you bring him up,” he answered.

“Then?” I pressed, feeling a little lost in my attempt to figure this out.

“My visible frustration with the mention of Westley steams from my wish to be in his shoes.”

What?

“Be…in his shoes?”

Damon lowered his mug and began to work on cutting into his stack of pancakes. “To be a powerful teenager, who’s talked highly about by professors and peers. To be surrounded by friends that actually want the best for you. And to be loved by someone who treats you with respect and doesn’t belittle you for your age,” he elaborated. “Everyone I’m around is always praising Westley. His looks, strength, magic abilities, and gifted talents. He’s the shining idol among his peers who want to be like him, and he’s surrounded by Keru and Gabriel, who others look up to. They’re the three Blazing Musketeers, as some call them, and they get to be with the Blazing Horsemen’s leader, who’s drop-dead gorgeous, kind-hearted, and fearless when thrown into battle.”

His eyes raised up to meet mine.

“Whenever Westley is brought up, it’s always in praise, and the majority of people say it as though they wish for me to be the same. He’s the prime example of excellence, and everyone wants me to strive to be as talented as him,” he reveled with an added shrug. “You’re the only one who actually says things as mere fact and not condescendingly.”

“People are condescending towards you?” I inquired. “Like…try to make you feel inadequate? I know you get ignored and bullied by Rick and that group…and well, we know a bit about what has happened to you, but…” I was worried about saying something wrong in this prime moment.

It was the first time Damon was really sharing anything, and I wanted to be here for it all. To ease his worries and do what I could to be supportive.

“When I was born, my parents threw me away,” he declared like it wasn’t a big deal. “Who knows if I was the child my mom didn’t want or just another statistic to be discarded into the world. I don’t know why I was saved, but I was left in the hands of a very bad individual who decided I’d be a Necromancer. For as long as I can remember, my purpose was to meet standards. If I didn’t, I’d have to face the consequences. It wasn’t until I was old enough that the experiments to make me into a Blazing Necromancer began.”

He paused while his eyes locked onto the raspberries on his plate, his fork beginning to poke at them while the red juices spilled onto the surface of the top pancake.

“It was…hard, obviously. Dying again and again. Coming back to life only to just die a different way. It’s not something that numbs with each instance. It’s merely a new way of facing the darkness while hoping you won’t come back to see the light.”

My heart clenched at his words, and he actually smirked.

“Funny thing is, that wasn’t what I’d deem the worst pain I’ve experienced,” he confessed. “What pained me was the aftermath of rejection I received when I was saved from that warehouse of torture.”

Lifting his gaze once more, his eyes bored into mine as he continued.

“When the world treats you like a bug, you have no choice but to work harder than everyone else so you can one day be that butterfly everyone adores. It took a long time and a lot of transfers to different homes and schools for the title ‘Necromancer’ to leave the lips of those around me, but it didn’t stop the verbal cruelty. Physical pain hurts in the present, and with time it fades away as your body heals, but the emotional pain is far more dangerous. It’s a level of agony that the world loves to ignore because you can’t physically see it with your eyes. When someone is dealing with something emotionally, all they have to do is wear a mask that allows the world to see something else. No one knows when you’re sad if you’re always wearing a smile, right?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I slowly nodded.

“Emotional pain attacks all areas of the body. It makes you physically weak and sometimes triggers phantom pain you thought had left your system after healing from those physical wounds. The pain of harsh words, degrading titles, and comments that accentuate your flaws drain your confidence until there’s nothing left. Then there’s the mental pain. The aspect of your sanity that’s threatened because all your beliefs and hopes in yourself begin to crumble down. It’s like the world around you is throwing stones at you and you can’t block them from your path. You take every hit, you endure the suffering it brings on your own, and no one cares until you end your suffering all on your own,” he explained as he closed his eyes for a moment. “It’s only when you’re gone that people see your value, because they have no choice in the matter.”

“No choice?”

He opened his eyes and answered, “What more can they say to a dead person? We hate you. You’re a monster. We wish you’d rot in a pit of snakes. Words can’t reach someone once they’re dead. Words can’t inflict that emotional chaos when you have no mind to grasp how such insults hurt you. When you’re a soul, you still have emotions, but they’re the lingering aspects of your living life. The sadness you harbored at the brink of death. The happiness or innocence you held within you before your life ended. The love you hold dear for those that made this transition between this world and the next. All of that returns to the soul, but it’s not something that can be used against you. That’s what renders bullies useless: when their victim dies. What more can they do to add to the suffering?”

His words made so much sense and reminded me of those times when I wondered if ending it all was better than surviving through the hells of bullying and transferring schools.

“Is that why suicide is so tempting when you’ve reached the point where enough is enough?” I asked so quietly, I wasn’t sure he heard me.

“Suicide is the hardest thing to do,” he replied. “There’s a part of the brain that makes it seem like something so easy. The perfect escape from this horrible life that can bring so many miseries and so much trauma, but no one ever thinks about the after. What happens when you pull that trigger? When you jump off that bridge? When the fire burns your flesh and there’s nothing but bone? What happens?”

“Do…you know?”

He met my gaze and we stared at each other in silence for what felt like a minute.

“I do,” he replied. “And it’s nothing like people picture it. There’s no eternal peace or immense suffering.”

“Then…what happens?”

“A cycle of nothingness,” he revealed. “Think of being a soul, a fluttering force that carries the last bit of emotions. The love for those you cared about. The relief of being able to leave the pain behind. The sadness the pain of your life delivered to you. The regret you carry for leaving those you cherish behind. You’re left with all of that to carry, in a void of absolute nothingness.”

“Can’t they leave?”

“No.” Damon shook his head as he responded. “You’re stuck. It’s a cycle of darkness. No end in sight. No light at the end of the tunnel. Just nothing.”

“But…don’t people say they’ll go to heaven or Mother Flame will wipe their sins away so they’re free from the burdens they carried that caused them to give up entirely?” I was referring to a book I’d read a long time ago, during those very dark times when I contemplated the very act.

“They love to cushion what they don’t know,” Damon asserted. “False hope is bliss after all.”

“Then…”

“What happens when they’re stuck in that cycle?”

I slowly nodded.

“They’re there forever.”

“What about how some believe in judgment and that Mother Flame will evaluate everyone?”

“Voided,” he simply replied. I just stared at him as he elaborated, “Your soul is in a void, a center of darkness where all those who ended their lives end up. It’s not a place where souls know that other souls are around. If you’re looking from the outside in, you see them all clustered in a dark room, but to them, they’re all alone. When you’re stuck in a void, Mother Flame can’t sense you. She has no ability to aid you, and thus, you’re left behind…forever.”

My heart sank at the news as he popped a piece of his pancake into his mouth. He finished chewing before he muttered, “That’s why Necromancers are there.”

“What?” I whispered.

“That’s one of our given purposes,” he disclosed. “We not only have the ability to witness the dead and communicate with them, we can also ease them into blazing light for Mother Flame to see.”

“No way,” I whispered in awe as a single tear rolled down my cheek. “You can save them?”

“To an extent,” he admitted. “Blazing Necromancers are more capable of doing so, but it’s energy-taxing and not everyone deserves saving. Some souls may have ended their lives after going on a massacre. Others never deserved to end their lives but did so because of the pressure life set on their shoulders. The problem is that it takes years for a Necromancer to tell the difference, and that’s what scary.”

“But regardless of their sins, wouldn’t they be judged anyway?”

“No,” he replied. “That’s the hardship that falls upon a Necromancer’s shoulders.”

“I’m not understanding.”

“If I revived you and discovered you’d gone on a rampage through a school and killed twenty children, your actions would fall upon my shoulders,” he explained. “Necromancers take the burden of those they ease into the realms of light. As a Blazing Necromancer, that’s one of our unique gifts, versus a Necromancer that can coax an individual to admit their sins and attempt to find the light. It’s complicated. To simplify it, a Blazing Necromancer uses their light to guide a soul to Mother Flame. The consequence of that lands on the Blazing Necromancer. If the individual was good, then the aid brings them blessings, but if they were evil, it brings their sins upon the Blazing Necromancer to face when their time to meet Mother Flame arrives.”

“That’s…so…”

“Unfair?” He smiled as he bobbed his head. “And that’s why it’s the hardest trait to carry. It’s not something anyone would want to be. Most scorching flame mages like us have an animal trait. A wolf, phoenix, bird, bear. The list goes on and on. But to take up a role that requires you to die? Who wants to do that? It was originally created to be done by those in a specific family line that carried intense Holy Thunder abilities. Strong enough that when they died, they were instantly healed. This made them almost immortal. I say almost because if they ran out of Holy Thunder energy then they would die.”

“Your strong point isn’t Holy Thunder though,” I acknowledged.

“Nope. I said Wind Flare was my strongest because it moves the attention from what I can do, but my strongest is Dark Flame.”

“Then…why did you give me those beads that were from your family?”

“They’re actually not from my family,” he divulged. “The bracelet was made by me to save the wearer from death.” My eyes widened at his words, but he continued, “With conditions.”

“Meaning?”

“If you’d been wearing the bracelet and died, you would have been brought back almost immediately and on the off chance you weren’t, I could have been able to bring you back to life.”

“Why?”

He reached for his mug and took a sip before answering. “Because we have a special connection, I guess.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant, but he carried on. “If someone else wore the bracelet, then it’s tricky.”

“I gave the bracelet to Claire,” I admitted, which had him pause in drinking more coffee.

“What?” he inquired.

“A minute before the explosion. I put it on her wrist before helping Clara,” I confessed. “Did I do something wrong?”

He didn’t answer as he lowered the mug to think about it. Closing his eyes, he took a few breaths before whatever blocked off his aura unlocked. My body stiffened while my eyes absorbed the massive dark purple force that moved around him in a flash. The aura was not only captivating, but powerful enough to freak me out.

It was gone in less than ten seconds, but my body still felt the chill of its presence while my arms were lathered with goosebumps.

He opened his eyes and for a brief moment, they were shocking teal that bled to black before returning to their dark purple hues.

“You didn’t do something wrong,” he began, but he looked concerned.

“What?” I pressed.

“If the wearer doesn’t immediately return, it means they’re stuck in the Blazing Veil.”

“Can we…get them out?” I inquired.

“That’s not what I’m concerned about,” Damon confessed. “The Blazing Veil is simply the ‘kinder’ way of referring to the void.”

“Wait…what?”

Damon took a deep breath and let it out. “The veil between life and death is the void. Adding ‘Blazing’ to it attempts to normalize a place that carries the in-between. When you read about it in books, it varies. Some call it purgatory. In wolf shifter stories, they call it the In-Between, the place where their savior Mother Moon judges them and decides to return them to life or ascend them back to her land of peace. There are so many representations of that sole space, but us Necromancers, regardless of type, know what that means.”

“Then…there’s no way to get her out?”

His silence worried me because his eyes seemed to further darken.

“Damon?”

“If she was innocent in her actions, she wouldn’t have been there, to begin with,” he finally answered. “Aside from our connection, I knew the bracelet would bring you back to life if death came knocking because your soul is pure. Your selflessness would wrap your soul with the red thread that binds the bracelet together and bring you back through the veil into existence. Recreating your body is child’s play for a Necromancer, but without a soul, it’s obviously impossible to bring you back to life.”

He paused to gather his thoughts. “Claire, on the other hand…she shouldn’t be there unless her hands were tainted in two ways. Either she wished to perish, which resulted in committing suicide and landing her in the void, or she knew the consequences of her actions, and thus it leads to the same result.”

“How would she know though? What if Lock and Key lured her because they wanted Clara to join?”

“If it were the case, the beads would have brought her back,” he assured me. “I made them, Alice. I know the properties I placed in them. I never would have never given it to you if I knew they wouldn’t bring you back to life. That means I had confidence that your intentions to aid Clara were genuine. If they weren’t and you died, you would be in the veil.”

“So…you’re trying to say…”

“I’m not sure.” He knew what I was leading to. “The shrine visit may have helped since I heard it can connect those to the ether, which is another fancy way of saying the veil, but…”

“You won’t take the risk to bring her back if the opportunity arises?”

“Exactly,” he replied. “Not out of spite or anything, but Claire is someone I don’t know. If it were Clara, maybe, but it’s too risky.”

“Why would Claire show herself to me then? I see her in my nightmares, we saw her physically before when Keru had to use those talismans, and even when I lost consciousness in the stream, I saw her. I wore the same white dress as her and the threads were wrapped around me.”

“The same?” Damon inquired, and I nodded.

“The same.”

He slowly nodded but didn’t seem relieved by the news. “We’ll figure it out before the shrine visit. There’s about a six-month window for me to bring someone back to life.”

“Six months. Wait. You actually can bring her back? I thought it was just immediate revival or ease them into death.”

“I can revive a person if I truly deem it necessary, but it’s extremely draining and it’s a last resort. It takes a good chunk of my Holy Thunder trait, and I’m apparently more of an ass without the balance.”

“So you’ll be less tolerable to everyone else. Got ya,” I said with a smirk.

“Why does it sound like you’re excluding yourself?”

“Because I am,” I replied. “I probably could handle grumpy Damon. I can handle grumpy Gabriel.”

“Stop shit talking about me.”

We looked to the doorway as Gabriel and Keru walked into the kitchen with bags of stuff.

“We’re back. Alice! How are you feeling?” Keru inquired and looked at the table. “Damn. Don’t tell me Damon cooked that?!”

“He did,” I replied with pride. “Also, I’m alright. A bit tired, but nothing crazy. I should eat.”

Damon pushed back to get up and take my plate. “Let’s warm it up. Cold pancakes taste nasty.”

“Thank you, Damon,” I replied with a relieved smile that had Keru looking between us.

“Oh. I see sparks.”

“You don’t see shit,” Gabriel huffed.

“You’re not supposed to swear in front of the children!” Keru exclaimed in irony.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m going to be seventeen soon, you know.”

“Sure, sure,” Keru brushed off. “Hey, Damon. How old are you?”

“Seventeen,” he replied as he placed the plate in the microwave and closed the door. The kitchen was silent as the buzzing sound of the microwave continued to hum through the hollow walls. Damon slowly looked back at our shocked expressions.

“What?”

“You’re seventeen?!” we gasped.

“Yes.”

“You…well damn. You’re old as fuck appearance-wise,” Keru complained.

“He tells us not to swear but uses fuck casually,” Gabriel grumbled. “You don’t look your age.”

“I get that a lot,” he replied and looked away to stop the microwave. Retrieving my plate, he returned to my side of the table. “Here you go, Alice.”

“Thank you, Damon,” I gave him an appreciative grin before I dived in. “So good!”

“Oh snap! Time is racing,” Keru acknowledged. “Gabriel! Start the oven.”

“What are you guys doing?” I inquired.

“It’s Westley’s birthday today,” Gabriel replied as he lowered the bag of groceries on the table to my far right. “Figured we’d bake a cake and stuff. He won’t be back until the evening. We got Chambers to give him a fake assignment so we could prepare.”

“That sounds fun! We should make cupcakes!” I exclaimed.

“Sure,” they replied. I noticed Damon picking his plate up and reaching for his coffee.

“Damon? Where are you going?”

“I’ve got some stuff to work on,” he replied. “You guys will need the space anyway to bake. Those two will probably ruin the kitchen and I don’t want to be a causality of exploding cakes.”

“Hey!” Keru and Gabriel snapped.

“Do you want some help?” I offered, but he shook his head.

“Nah, I’m good.”

“Hmm?” Gabriel walked back until he was facing Damon. “Did you get taller?”

“Sure.” Damon’s face began to turn red as he moved around Gabriel. “You’re in my way.”

“How did you grow overnight?” Gabriel pondered.

“He was that height yesterday, fool.” Keru laughed. “None of us noticed because we were dealing with blazing hot stuff like chasing bullies and our new criminal on the run.”

“Right,” Gabriel muttered. “Well, you better stay that height.”

Damon walked to the door. “We’ll see.”

“Thanks, Damon,” I called out, which made him stop and look over his shoulder to acknowledge me.

“Make sure you take the medicine your dad said you should take.”

“Oh! Right. For my anemia,” I replied. “Thanks for the reminder.”

He nodded and headed up the stairs as Keru and Gabriel came over to greet me.

“Glad Damon took care of you,” Keru said with a wide grin. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yup,” I replied as he gave me a hug. “Got to talk to Clara for a bit and Damon made breakfast for us.”

“Same pancakes with the fruits?” Gabriel inquired as he took his turn to hug me.

“Yup,” I replied.

“I thought Clara hates raspberries,” Keru mentioned. “Remember when you got us the candy apples from the carnival and we ordered some ice cream to try it and they added raspberries to the toppings and she went on a rant about why raspberries shouldn’t exist because they reminded her of blood?”

“Oh ya,” I gasped as I remembered the conversation. “Who knows. Maybe she finally overcame that fear of hers. I wouldn’t know if she ate it though since Damon sent her through a portal to get to therapy on time.”

“He has strong portal magic, too. Jeez. He’s becoming another Westley,” Gabriel noted.

“They’re seriously alike even though they hate each other’s guts,” Keru added. “I think if they set aside their differences, they would be good friends.”

“Probably,” Gabriel replied. “Let’s get baking. You always screw things up, so let’s get this over with so I don’t suffer.”

“Just because you’re the better cook when you feel like it doesn’t mean I’m the hindrance in this situation!”

“Sure, sure,” Gabriel dismissed him like a child. “You can help us with decorating, Alice.”

“Alright,” I replied and went back to eating, my mind swirling with the conversation I just had with Damon. It was the first intimate discussion we had, and it left me feeling like I’d peeled off a layer of Damon no one else ever had.

This may be the start of something that does more than mend open wounds.

9

BIRTHDAY AND IMPORTANT TOO

“Stop eating all the cake, dammit!” Keru snapped and tried to take the plate of cake from Gabriel, but he zapped the poor magician with a bolt that sent him flying into the couch.

“Mine.”

“You’re going to gain so much damn weight with that sweet tooth!” Keru ranted. “Don’t complain to me when your abs are gone! I won’t help you get them back! Mark it on the wall!”

“If you think screaming at me with empty threats is going to let you have this last piece of cake, you’re sorely mistaken,” Gabriel muttered while protecting the plate of chocolate layer rainbow cake like it was life and death.

“That sweet tooth is going to get you killed one day.”

“And if it does, I’ll die happy,” Gabriel concluded.

I snickered at the two of them while relaxing in Westley’s arms. “Having fun?”

“Watching those two bickering over cake is the best entertainment,” Westley concluded as he further chilled into the couch. His arm was resting over my shoulders while he held a beer in his hand.

Since it was Westley’s birthday, Keru and Gabriel got us some beers and other vodka drinks for the special occasion. I wasn’t allowed to get drunk like back at the club in Semester One, but at least I had a can to give me a light tipsy sensation.

It was well into the evening, and we were enjoying the wonderful cake Gabriel, Keru, and I ended up making. It took loads of time, especially since we wanted to do it from scratch rather than use some sort of magic to speed the process, but the end result turned out marvellously.

Gabriel may love sweets, but he was actually good at baking them as well. It was the most fun we’d had as a group in a while, and the party started when Westley returned home.

Clara was going to be home any minute now, and we’d reserved some cake for her as well. Damon was still working on some things and skipped on the cake. I wondered if he was the type to be fully immersed in what he was working on and only took breaks to eat and drink once he was finished with the task at hand.

I was sometimes like that when I was intensely working on a project, but I hoped he wouldn’t spend all night working when we were on summer vacation.

Finding out the details of what a Blazing Necromancer did was hard to grasp. It made me understand why Damon was so reserved. With the trauma he’d experienced to gain the gift of being a Blazing Necromancer, I was impressed he was willing to be social at all.

The heavy upbringing and the bullying he experienced from the rest of the world…. How does he still have a strand of humanity in him?

It really shone a light of strength upon his character for being able to keep moving forward on his path.

Until the fall season, we’d have to put Claire’s situation on hold. I was sure if I saw her in my dreams again or dealt with an experience that had me confronting her spirit, Keru could do something about it, like he had last time.

All I could hope for was that we’d be able to aid her in crossing over from the veil instead of being stuck forever with no way of achieving salvation.

“What are you thinking about?” Westley quietly inquired as he nestled even closer to me. I turned my face to meet his inquiring gaze before I smiled sweetly and leaned in to kiss him.

“Just wondering about Semester Three. Summer is going to whisk by when camp starts again, and I’m curious how it’s going to go.”

“Hopefully it’ll maintain the same level of difficulty as camp,” Westley suggested. “Not in terms of training every day, but in terms of teaching us in different areas that can help us grow.”

“I’d love to learn more about how to keep Cyrus in human form.”

“I think there’s an extra course for that. Not sure if it’s going to be in this coming semester or during Semester Four, but it’s approaching.”

“That would be nice,” I admitted. “I’d love to learn more in class, too. Not just knowledge, but skills and demonstrations.”

“Ya. I like more hands-on activities. Reading and learning are fine and all, but I learn far faster with demonstrations.” He suddenly kissed me, which had me smiling against his tender lips.

“Demonstrations,” I muttered before he deepened the kiss. “Right.”

“I feel like you weren’t paying attention,” Westley stated with a light chuckle.

“I was,” I replied. “Promise.”

“I’m back!” We moved back just slightly to see Clara as she closed the door.

“Welcome back,” I greeted before giving Westley a quick kiss. “I’m gonna ask her how she’s doing. She had therapy today,” I whispered to him. He nodded and gave me a tight squeeze before letting go.

I got up and approached Clara as she sighed. “Such a long session,” she admitted. “CloverSpell is still outside if you want to talk to her, Alice.”

“Is she?” I commented. “That would be nice. I’ve barely been able to speak to her because of everything that’s been going on.”

“Mhmm. I told her I’d let you know, just in case you wanted to talk to her.”

“How was your session?” I inquired.

“Long,” she admitted and didn’t hide her sadness as she shrugged. “Loads of questions. I haven’t done therapy like that in a long time.”

“Have you done it in the past?”

“Ya.” She seemed bummed about it as she ran her hands through her red locks. “It’s cool that CloverSpell’s questions are different. It’s not the usual, ‘how are you feeling today’ or ‘what makes you feel inferior to your sister’, et cetera.”

“What’s an example?”

“She asked me about my childhood and my interactions with my family and friends, and some other intimate stuff. Like confronting how I didn’t like to talk much at some periods of time, and the whole twin dynamic. I guess I conquered stuff that I never needed to deal with. It was a nice talk,” she confessed.

“Was the breakfast okay?”

“It was awesome.” She beamed at the change of subject. “Ate it all up. Damon’s so nice. You should add him to the harem.”

“H-Harem,” I stuttered and tried to not blush at the idea.

Clara laughed and lightly elbowed me. “That’s what your relationship with your three Blazing Musketeers are.”

“They’re like…my boyfriends and knights.”

“Same thing,” she brushed off. “Where’s Damon anyway?”

“He’s working on something,” I replied. “It’s Westley’s birthday so we’re celebrating. We saved you some cake.”

“Thanks! Did you give some to Damon?”

“He didn’t want any. I think he doesn’t like chocolate. That, or he just wants to get his work out of the way,” I suggested as I opened the door and stepped out to enjoy the fresh air while Clara followed with the intention of closing the door for me.

I could see CloverSpell awaiting me down the path to our private dorm house, her back facing my view as she admired the starry sky.

“Why would he want to work on his birthday?”

I paused in walking away to frown and slowly look back at Clara, who was blinking in confusion.

“What?” I questioned.

“Why would Damon work on his birthday?”

“T-Today is his birthday?” I hissed and moved closer so the others wouldn’t overhear. “He didn’t say anything!”

“That’s odd.” Clara frowned. “I swear it’s his birthday. Zhavia had passed by the day of the whole explosion and said that she wanted us to bake a special cake for him. Chocolate isn’t his favorite, but he loves red velvet. She was debating on cupcakes or a cake since he’s not super into sweets. She knew there would be a chance of there being a summer camp opportunity so she was leaning towards the cupcake option since that’s easier to transport.”

“This was the morning of the explosion?”

“Mhmm.” She bobbed her head while tapping her lip. “I swear it’s today. She said he’d be seventeen.”

No way…

“That’s really good to know,” I whispered. “Thanks, Clara. Please don’t tell the others.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” She winked. “I’m going to go wash up and have a go at that cake.”

“Alright. Thanks,” I replied and gave her a bit of a wave before heading down to see CloverSpell.

She must have sensed my approach since she looked over her shoulder to greet me.

“Evening, Alice,” she began. “I didn’t think we’d meet, seeing as you guys are celebrating quite a few birthdays today.”

I frowned at her statement, my obvious concern bleeding onto my face.

“What’s wrong?” she inquired.

“We didn’t know Westley and Damon share the same birthday,” I confessed nervously. “We just celebrated Westley’s. Damon’s been working on a project in his room, but now that I think about it, he probably wanted to avoid all the festivities because it completely excluded him.”

CloverSpell frowned as I tried not to get teary-eyed. “I feel horrible. We took hours to bake a cake for Westley and sang him a happy birthday song and everything while Damon had to listen to our echoed voices while working or probably spending time away to zone it all out. I’ve been trying to include him in anything we do so he feels like he’s a part of our group, but not once did it occur to me that I should ask when his birthday is.”

“Hmm.” CloverSpell nodded and reached out to pat my back. “Don’t lose hope. We can work on something quick.”

“How? If we go back and tell the others, they’ll know. I told Clara not to tell them. She’s the one who told me.”

“She knew?”

“Mhm.” I bobbed my head. “She said Zhavia came over the day of the explosion to make an order.”

“Wasn’t that exam day?” CloverSpell inquired.

“Yup. Clara finished early so she went there to help and stuff since you know things get hectic once exams are done with everyone coming to celebrate. I just wish she told me earlier. It’s not her fault or anything, so I shouldn’t say that, but we were talking before going downstairs and greeting Damon. She could have said happy birthday. Also, she may have held her tongue since Damon doesn’t look like the type to celebrate in front of people. Especially with what I know now.”

“He does appear like the reserved type, but to be celebrated by loved ones is something everyone needs once in a while,” she offered. “Why don’t we take our little catch-up session on the go?”

“You have a plan?” I offered.

“Well, we could go over to my cabin where Professor Daily would have all the materials and a magical oven that can cook things pretty quickly while preserving that baked freshness to it,” she offered.

“No way!” I practically squealed. “Would Professor Daily mind? Also, he bakes?”

“Surprisingly, he does. He participates in competitions to make various wedding cakes,” CloverSpell revealed. “He has some competitions coming up so he bought a load of materials. I feel as though it’s an attempt to try to make me fat, but alas. Can’t throw away good cake.”

“That means we can do red velvet cupcakes!”

“We could do that and special ice cream. It would be nice since the nights are so hot around this time. Shall we get going?”

“Yes, please!” I exclaimed. “Thank you, CloverSpell. You saved the day.”

“I’m glad I could be of assistance,” she replied with a loving smile. “Guess my session with Clara was beneficial to you.”

“Yes,” I replied as we began to walk. “I hope she can recover from Claire’s death eventually.

“Time will tell if that’s truly the case,” CloverSpell quietly replied.

“Hmm?” I inquired, missing her statement.

“I was saying she surely will. With time,” she elaborated.

“Time heals,” I stated in agreement.

“Indeed,” she confirmed.

It’s time to make up for our oversight.

~DAMON~

MY EYES BEGAN to close while I stared at the book of cursive writing that held immense wisdom. I had a bit left to read to still be on track with my studies, but it was becoming more tempting to go to sleep as my eyes remained closed.

The dark lit up within my surroundings, and for a brief moment, there was a woman in white. Her fierce red eyes, burning red hair, and the magnitude of red strings that held her in place caught my attention in comparison to the staggering souls of darkness that begged to be seen by me.

I stood there not in my normal clothes, but in the uniform ones I’d created myself. The cloth of black silk with hints of teal and gold designed the material with various runes and magic circles that protected me from the harm of this world.

This wasn’t the first time I’d slipped out of consciousness to be in the realms of the veil, but this felt different.

I dislike different.

I faced the woman before me, and her fearful eyes met my calm ones as she tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. I could give her the voice to speak, but at what cost from my end to hear what she had to say?

“You have to be patient.” My voice was far deeper here. I spoke with command because I couldn’t let a spirit attempt to overrule my position in this world. They had to give me the respect I’d earned with this title, or face the consequences of their ignorance.

She looked at me desperately, and I noticed how she resembled Clara. It secretly hurt to see someone that looked like her be stuck in this place of endless desolation. I wanted to know her story, just like Alice, Clara, and the rest of the group, but this wasn’t the time for it.

This isn’t the place.

“We’re going to come to the shrine to see you,” I voiced. “It’s going to be about two and a half months from now. Most likely after midterms. Time will feel the same in this world, but I can guarantee that you’ll have your moment to say goodbye to your sister.”

She looked defeated at my words, tears forming in her eyes. I bit my lip in return, hoping the phantom pain would trigger my awakening, but Claire stretched her arms forward so that her tied wrists would be in my line of view.

Staring at the thick red ropes, I noticed the scar on her wrist. It had to be one from when she was still alive. The letters were written in a rush and with a sharp object. I frowned at the observation because it read her sister’s name.

“Why would you write Clara on your wrist?” I inquired and looked to her eyes that lit up slightly. She looked behind me, her eyes losing hope once more, which only told my subconscious that time was up.

“Don’t panic,” I assured her, and those red orbs locked onto mine once more. “We’ll look into the case and try to figure out what happened before the explosion. Alice is going to help. Understand?”

More flickers of hope flooded her eyes as she nodded.

My eyes opened suddenly, my head lifting from the book I was reading. The immediate headache that assaulted my senses made me groan in defiance before I leaned further back into my chair to pinch my nose.

Ugh. Spent too long there.

With a slow movement, I got myself out of the chair and went to the washroom, keeping my head tilted to avoid the trickle of blood that was attempting to escape one if not both nostrils.

There was always a physical consequence when interacting with the dead, but it was far easier in a land of sacred soil like a shrine or church.

After quickly cleaning up, I looked at the clock on the wall to see it was eleven at night. From the stillness of the house, I could only assume everyone had gone to bed.

I was a little glad we got to transfer into a bigger dorm that had a separation between the girl side and the boy side. I’d never admit it, but my fear of coming to this camp was being set alone in a cabin.

Or being partnered with someone I disliked.

With one last look in the mirror, I headed downstairs in hopes of getting a small snack to end the long day. Traveling the space in the veil - even unintentionally - always left me feeling winded and hungry, but I wasn’t in the mood for heavy food.

That cake from earlier looked appetizing, but it felt selfish of me to have some when it wasn’t designated for my consumption.

Birthday celebrations at the orphanage were exactly that. You weren’t privileged to enjoy a slice of cake unless it was your birthday, or the birthday boy or girl gave permission for you to have some.

That always left me out of the loop, and even with the years of exclusion being long gone, the rooted habits of avoiding such situations still carried through.

I always wondered what it would be like to have a celebration party of sorts, but then again, I’d probably be an anxious mess and shut down my emotions in order to protect myself.

When you didn’t express emotion, most individuals couldn’t read your desires and exploit them. It was one of the many defensive qualities I had that made sure those with ill intentions never remained in close distance.

It was for the better.

Reaching the bottom step, I walked into the quiet kitchen, the lights dim. Everything was surprisingly clean, which I could only assume was either Keru or Gabriel. I could tell Gabe was probably the neat freak in comparison to Kirby, but then again, Kirby held a sense of maturity at times that left me a little baffled.

One side was playful and gave people the impression he was a softy, and the other side held a commanding force of order and integrity.

Getting a glimpse of them from their inner circle behavior intrigued me, especially when I got the opportunity to compare how they acted around others.

After checking the fridge, I ended up taking a glass of water because there wasn’t much else there that looked appetizing.

Hmph. I’m becoming like Gabriel with his sweet tooth addiction.

With the intention of heading back upstairs, I finished my glass of water and placed the glass on the kitchen island before catching onto the single flicker of a flame in the dark living room.

I pouted my lips, but the sweet floral scent that tickled my nostrils left a hint of who was the culprit of the burning flame.

“Alice?” I quietly inquired as I walked around the kitchen island to approach the living room. Something fuzzy moved around my ankle, and I looked down to see Cyrus’s wolf form as her small body nudged my ankle before she lifted her head to meet my gaze.

“Woof!” The sound was quiet in volume before she ran away. Her brief arrival and exit only confirmed my suspicions, but what I didn’t expect was to hear Alice’s soft voice.

“Happy Birthday to you,” she began, the first rhythmic words drawing my attention straight to her as the flame lit up further and illuminated her flawless, tanned face. “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Damon. Happy birthday to you.”

The song was short and yet I took in every single sung word. Alice smiled as she walked out of the hidden shadows of the living room with a plate that held five cupcakes. The middle one carried the candle stick. I noticed that all of them were the same flavor: red velvet.

That was one of my favorite flavors, and to have cupcakes instead of cake left me feeling thrilled because it was the perfect amount to get that sweet fix without overdoing it.

She walked up to where I stood, a smile plastered on those soft lips of hers while her eyes danced from the illumination of the flame

“Happy Birthday, Damon,” she greeted softly before giving me a sad look. “I’m sorry. None of us knew it was your birthday,”

“How did you even find out?” My voice was the softest I’d ever heard it with my own ears, and the astonishment in my tone was just as obvious as the shock in my widened eyes.

“A little birdy told me,” Alice replied. “No way was it fair for us to celebrate Westley’s and not yours. It wasn’t intentional at all, but I figured the least I could do was bake you some red velvet cupcakes. There were six, but Cyrus stole one.” She pouted at the last part of her statement before she smiled once more. “I figured you may want to celebrate in private so I told the others to go to bed early because I wanted to meditate.”

“You…waited down here?” I don’t know why it felt so shocking to me that she would, and yet I couldn’t believe someone I knew for such a short period of time had gone out of their way to bake something on my behalf and wasted their time waiting on the chance I’d come downstairs. “What if I didn’t come downstairs?”

“I would have either waited or snuck into your room to place these on your desk for the morning,” she replied with a nervous smirk. “I think breaking and entering one’s dorm room isn’t allowed, but I’d find a way around it.”

“Alice,” I whispered and tried to gulp down the lump in my throat. “I’ve never celebrated my birthday before.”

“Well, today will be your first,” she emphasized. “Every birthday deserves to be celebrated. Your life is important, too. If no one else has every pointed that out, then let me be the first to do so.”

She offered the plate to me as her eyes glimmered with excitement.

“Blow your candle out, Damon! Oh, and make a wish!”

“But…” I trailed off as I wanted to preserve this cherished moment.

“Oh! Do you want a picture with the candle still lit?” she inquired. I decided to nod, and she smiled brilliantly before offering me the plate again. I took it this time and she swiftly retrieved her phone.

“Ready?” she asked. I felt a bit nervous about the pointed phone camera. “Damon, you’re not looking at the camera or smiling.”

“I…don’t want to be in it alone.”

“Oh.” She blinked, and her previous smile only grew before she was standing next to my right side.

“What are you doing?”

“Selfie mode!” she declared and angled the camera upward so the frame captured both of us and the cakes. “Ready now? Make sure you smile!”

I watched her through the reflected image as she counted down. On the final second I smiled, a smile that was motivated by my heart that flooded with a moment of joy at the kindness Alice had just offered me.

“Ah, perfect!” she squealed. “Now make a wish, Damon.”

“What do we do after that?” I asked.

“We eat the cupcakes,” she said with a mischievous smile, like we were committing a crime.

“Just us?”

“Just us,” she assured me.

“Okay.” It didn’t seem as scary knowing it would just be me and her. I wasn’t ready to have a celebration with everyone, but being around Alice, who I trusted, made all of this worthwhile.

“Make a wish!” she reminded me in a whisper that made me smirk just slightly as I stared at the candle and closed my eyes. Inhaling deeply, I thought of my wish - a second before I blew the candle out.

Let Alice Blaze continue to be in my life…because she’s important, too.

10

SEMESTER THREE OF BURNING FURY

~ALICE~

“WHERE ARE WESTLEY AND DAMON?” I inquired while looking into the mirror of the “old” Blazing Horsemen room.

Today was the official start of Semester Three, but we were notified last night when we arrived back from Blazing Summer Bootcamp that we’d be getting a new set of uniforms and an ‘upgrade’ of our Blazing Horsemen headquarters.

I was pretty excited about the change in uniforms but was a little curious about the upgrade. In my opinion, I didn’t see the need for us to change rooms, but I recalled last semester that Clara had said something about us having a glimpse of what our position as top students would deliver.

My hands were currently fiddling in an attempt to fix my tie, my eyes still strained from the lack of sleep I’d gotten in the last week.

For once, I wasn’t struggling to sleep because of nightmares. But we were all pretty drained from the last week of intense training we’d received at summer camp.

Blazing Summer Bootcamp was no joke. We may have started on a rocky road of bullying and cheating, but after the week’s investigation to get things straight, everything got serious.

The first two weeks were all about endurance training. At five in the morning, we’d be forced up by the loudest alarm created in blazing kind. We had fifteen minutes to get into our physical training uniforms and lined up at the training spot that was purposely placed on the other side of the vast training property and took eight minutes to get there.

Eight minutes of running like your life depended on it.

Normally Keru would have been the one to wake us up prior to the alarm of heart attacks, but lately, we’d been dealing with his sleepwalking tendencies. He wasn’t sure why he was sleepwalking more, and our growing concern was always that he’d sleepwalk to the lake that was about five minutes from our dorm.

He’d be roaming the dark nights around two forty-five, which was always close to the normal time Keru would get up to do his morning runs and personal activities.

Since we’d become concerned, all of us had been rotating in trying to make sure he didn’t hurt himself. At first, Gabriel and I took it upon ourselves to monitor him, but when it got too strenuous with the added training workload as the weeks went on, we explained the situation to Westley and Damon, who were obviously willing to help.

This week we hadn’t dealt with any sleepwalking issues because we were all barely getting five hours of sleep.

The long days of endurance were nothing compared to the second half of the summer camp that was all training of our blazing traits. I felt bad for those who only had one because the amount of energy we’d exerted to train our elements was beyond normal.

We’d wished to get a solid few weeks of training and were rewarded with ass-kicking training that left my entire body sore. Today was no different, and even with the mental relief that summer camp was behind us, my body was afraid to rest in case another intense training session popped out of nowhere to leave us exhausted.

“What are the chances they slept in?” Gabriel muttered as he yawned.

I glanced over at my Angelic Asshole, who was pouring us extra-large cups of coffee. Even with the fancy coffee machine on the counter, he would make us fresh ground coffee, saying it was far stronger than the sweet, exquisite coffee pods.

I wouldn’t even argue because we needed all the caffeine we could safely consume to get through today without falling asleep. Poor Keru was napping on the couch with Cyrus sleeping on his face.

How he’s still breathing is beyond me, but it’s a worthy sight and got me taking a few pictures earlier.

Clara was taking a week off under special orders from CloverSpell. With the funeral approaching, I wasn’t sure if she was emotionally ready to get into the groove of school after the chaos of summer camp.

From what she told me yesterday when we were packing, a few of her family members were still waiting on visa approvals from the countries they were staying at, so they would be delaying until everyone was accounted for.

I wasn’t sure what Clara’s full background was, but they seemed to follow certain traditions, especially when death was involved. The mere idea made me feel sorry for her because I was sure she and her family wished to move forward, but they couldn’t until they gave Claire the proper farewell. It was obvious that their culture took the spirit world very seriously.

There was a part of me that wished I could do something to ease the pain, but I knew all I could do now was continue to support her when she needed a shoulder to lean on or a moment to talk.

Six weeks from now we’d have the opportunity to visit the shrine and attempt to summon Claire so we could get more information about what exactly happened the day of the explosion.

Her spirit was still unrested, and though my nightmares had lessened extensively due to the vigorous activities we’d dealt with through the summer, there were still moments when I’d see a flash of her image.

She was trying to speak to me, to grab my attention and get the words out that were voiceless. It was frustrating not to be able to communicate with her, and from my few talks with Damon about the matter, talking to the dead was far more dangerous than most people grasped.

He explained that it was easier to speak to them when you were on sacred lands - places where the space was clean of negativity and purified by sage and other forms of incense, or shrines that were dedicated to aiding the transition between life and death.

The entire subject was interesting, but Damon explained he’d specify more when we got closer to the shrine date. He’d need to preserve as much flaming energy as he could for the event and would take a week off with CloverSpell’s permission, if need be.

I expected us to have a week off after midterms, so if it aligned right, we’d be able to prep and recover from the shrine visit before heading back to our regular school schedule.

So far, there were no new leads regarding the restaurant incident. Not only did that add to the frustration regarding the matter, but Madeline was still on the run. The rich boys from the incident had been gathered, but the guy named Brad - or Brandon - was still at large.

He clearly wasn’t an attendee of the rich academy like the rest of the students who followed him like disciples, which now left them to be the blinded fools in jail thanks to their oblivious dedication.

It made the summer camp realize they would have to up their security, and CloverSpell was already in the works with Professor Daily to form a special task force for security purposes.

Thankfully, we wouldn’t need to be involved in those avenues, because I didn’t think we’d have time to add that to our plate. School was about to begin, but from the early glimpse of the syllabus, it wasn’t going to be an easy semester.

There were more classes compared to last semester, and it seemed many would have intervals between indoor learning and outdoor training, where we’d be performing our skills either in the gym or on the field.

I wasn’t necessarily worried about not keeping up, but I hoped things would be smoother with no sudden threats or attempts to hurt me or those I cared about.

Gabriel walked over to the large table to lower our cups of coffee while his gaze was still on me. Coffee became our usual choice of ‘wake me up, please’ in the morning, and mine was always drowned in loads of flavored creamer and brown sugar - the preference Gabriel already had memorized.

He didn’t say anything as I continued to fiddle with my tie, my hands either struggling to operate with my intentions, or I seriously was failing in general to tie something I’d never had problems with.

“Did you get any sleep last night?” Gabriel inquired as he approached me.

“Define sleep?” I suggested back and faced him with a slight smirk as he reached my side. I turned to give him my full attention, my arms falling to my sides in hopelessness. “Help please.”

The way his lips glided into the perfect smile while his eyes softened had my heart racing in a nanosecond.

“Ugh. Why do you seem so pleased?”

“Well,” he began as his hands reached out for the very piece of fabric that was causing nothing but trouble for me. “Annoying, Troublesome, Fainting, Ball-Kicking Tie-Struggler actually asked me for help.”

“Really? Tie Struggler?” I questioned with a pout that only heightened his merriment.

“Have a problem?” he tested as his hands paused in fixing my tie. Another pout graced my lips as I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I’ll get payback. Just you wait.”

“What?” He feigned deafness as he turned his head and inched closer as if he couldn’t hear me. “Can you repeat that? I’m having trouble hearing.”

I was close to flipping him off, and my eyes narrowed further, which made the biggest smug smile take over Gabriel’s expression.

Abort and go straight to plan B.

Reaching out for his tie, my hand swiftly wrapped around the soft silky fabric of red, gold, and blue to tug it with enough force to bring him right down into my personal space. My lips crushed his a second later.

His eyes widened at my bold move, leaving him astonished as I purposely slipped my tongue between his slightly parted lips and kissed him long and hard.

Pulling back, I flicked my long strands that had been purposely curled and huffed.

“I need help with my tie so hurry up before our coffee gets cold!” I snapped. “You’re the one who doesn’t like cold drin-” His lips didn’t allow me to finish because they were sealing mine with a possessive greed that had my body in complete sensual overload in five seconds.

There was no escaping him because his arms hooked around my waist and pulled me against him. My captivity was only the beginning as his tongue darted into my mouth when I attempted to gasp a pinch of air. My moan got lost in the depths of his mouth when his hand slid beneath my skirt to grab my ass cheeks.

The throbbing ache that formed between my legs made my body hum with desire, but I was too caught up in the heated kiss that was far hotter than the one we shared during that early morning in the bathtub.

All summer I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to really have a solid moment alone with Gabriel, or Keru, for that matter, and I was coming to realize all that did was make the hidden beast within Gabriel impatient.

My thought was cut off as he lifted me up with ease, and my legs moved around his waist as he carried me to the table and settled me onto the flat surface. It did nothing but plaster me further against him as I tightened my hold around his waist, which left the fabric of my underwear pressed against the obvious bulge in his uniform pants.

Scratch impatient. This beast is hungry.

My hands gripped his uniform shirt, ruining the perfect navy-blue dress shirt. I secretly hoped it would just come off.

We got lost in deep kisses and heavy breathing, the two of us falling into the swirling need to ease this intense lust for one another’s affection. I was sure if we weren’t in school, our clothes would be off, and our hands roaming across each other’s flesh.

The thought turned me on even more.

We broke the kiss to breathe, our heavy breaths the loudest sound in the room as our hooded eyes remained locked with one another’s. The way his golden orbs burned with hunger made me want to skip school entirely and give him what he wanted.

What we wanted…

It felt like something was behind me, and I couldn’t ignore the instinct to lift my head up as if that were going to aid me in finding the culprit of this looking sensation, but it did exactly that and more, as a different pair of lips leaned down to firmly press against mine.

I blinked while heat rushed to my cheeks and the rest of my face as my eyes locked onto a very sleepy Keru. He purposely kept me in his captive hold for a solid few seconds, as if to ensure we acknowledged his inclusion before he released my lips.

No words would escape my lips as I stared at him with wide eyes and a flushed face.

“You could have just asked to join in,” Gabriel muttered with a hint of annoyance.

Keru smirked before a yawn escaped him. “With that look on your face, I’d rather not.”

The door flew open then, and the three of us turned our gazes to Westley and Damon, who were completely out of breath. Damon used his leg to close the door shut, while Westley placed his hands on his knees to breathe.

“See. All your…fuck…I never ran so fast.”

“Don’t go…blaming me…when your ass…slept the fuck…in!” Damon breathed back and ended up putting his hands on his knees while catching his breath.

The three of us just stared at them while they both looked up to see my rather “sandwiched” position. My legs were still wrapped around Gabriel’s waist while Keru was leaning forward on the table with his chest practically pressed against my back.

Westley pouted as if he’d missed something while Damon actually smirked.

“Oops. We can come back,” Damon suggested.

“Don’t go encouraging them,” Westley hissed.

“You’re just annoyed you weren’t invited.”

“Fuck off! I don’t need an invite!”

“Oh, so you’re just late. Like everything you did today.”

“I’m gonna kick your-”

“What happened to your hair?” I inquired, which cut them off as they both stared my way. I unhooked myself from Gabriel while my eyes were still looking between them.

Their appearance had to be why Gabriel and Keru hadn’t said a word yet either. They were oddly similar in a light-versus-darkness type of way.

Since Damon’s growth spurt, he was the exact same 6′3″ height as Westley. Their body builds were still slim, but thanks to the vigorous training we’d dealt with during summer camp, they had gained some muscle in all the right areas.

They both had their blazers slouched along their arms, and they both sported the dark navy-blue dress shirt and black pants of our new uniform. Their similar attire shouldn’t have been a big deal, but it was their hair that left us wondering if one pranked the other for shits and giggles.

Westley’s hair still had its vibrant green vibes with hints of teal, but the transition to black ends that we’d gotten used to had spread further upward and now held a hint of plum purple to their unique dark shade. The combination made his short, silky strands go from brilliant ocean to desolate wasteland in one second.

Damon’s hair looked as though someone dyed his hair to replicate Westley’s but switched the ombre shades so his roots were that thick dark black with hints of plum purple and transitioned to that bright ocean teal green that was the exact same shade as Westley’s.

Whatever magic caused it to happen did a pretty good transition blend, but the hairstyle was seriously making the two of them appear like twins.

What a disaster waiting to happen if they were siblings as children. They already fight enough.

“You two look like twins,” Gabriel and Keru announced in unison.

That had us looking between them, while Gabriel rolled his eyes and Keru laughed. “We think alike, guys. Once in a blue moon,” he reasoned.

“When my brain fails to reach the proper speed of intellectual satisfaction,” Gabriel muttered.

“I feel as though you’re trying to call me stupid,” Keru complained, which had me giggling.

“He is,” I replied.

“Well, that ain’t nice at six in the morning,” Keru huffed and leaned in until his face was next to mine, and inches from Gabriel’s. “Next time I’ll be cruel and interrupt any chance you get with our Blazing Queen so your cock will shrivel into a dry pickle.”

That had me gawking while I looked at Gabriel as his eyes darkened in anger. Keru merely smiled before kissing my cheek. “You guys’ coffees are cold, by the way.”

“Oh, fudge!” I actually tried not to swear this time as I looked over to see our mugs of coffee that lacked their usual steamy appearance. “Cold coffee doesn’t taste good unless it’s iced coffee.”

My pout must have encouraged Keru to reach out for my mug and offer it to me.

“Wamrthanda.” The single word ignited a dancing warmth of flaming magic as a tiny speck of flame burst into existence and wrapped around the mug five times.

Steam began to lift upward from the light brown surface, and I was greeted with the soft aroma of the caramel toffee flavoring.

“Viola,” he hummed. “There you go.”

“Thank you, Keru.” I beamed at the gesture as I accepted the mug and took a small sip. With a sigh, my grin widened at the delicious taste that flooded my mouth. “That hits the spot.”

“Why didn’t you warm mine?” Gabriel fumed.

“Am I trying to slip into your bed? No.” Keru winked and with ease, pulled me into his arms and lifted me right off the table. “She’s mine now.”

I was laughing and holding my mug for dear life as Keru kept me in his grasp. Poor Gabriel looked like a seething lion ready to pounce on his prey, but his attention lowered to the offered mug in front of him - steam drifting upward from the lightly tinged brown liquid.

We all moved our attention to the culprit, Damon, who presented the mug while maintaining his usual expressionless persona. “There. It’s at the temperature you usually have it.”

Gabriel slowly accepted the mug before lifting it to his lips to taste. From the way his eyes glimmered with approval, I knew it was exactly the way he liked it.

“How’d you know that? Hmmm?” Keru pressed, which seemed to break the moment those two were sharing as they looked our way.

“Damon’s pretty observant,” I pointed out.

“So is Westley,” Keru suggested. “Don’t see him warming Gabriel’s cup.”

“West’s attention is more focused on Alice during breakfast than on attempting to decipher the temperature of one’s coffee,” Damon pointed out, which caused Westley to began to blush and glare over at him. “You only pay attention so you can go seduce Gabriel!”

Oop?

“Seduce what? Why the fuck would I do that?” Damon seethed.

“Then why would I be focused on Alice at breakfast?”

“Because you’re always focused on her,” Damon huffed with an eyeroll.

“I can’t argue with that one,” Keru whispered to me while I took the chance to sip more of my coffee.

“Shut up, Kirby!” Westley and Damon said in unison.

“Why is y’all’s hatred coming my way? Direct it at someone who can handle it, like Gabe!” Keru whined.

“Stop calling me Gabe,” Gabriel complained.

“I feel like we completely diverted from the first question,” I acknowledged, but Westley and Damon went right back to fighting.

“Damn copy cat! What voodoo did you do to my hair?!” Westley exclaimed.

“Voodoo? You’re the one who fucked mine up! Your jealousy is fucking showing!”

“Jealousy?! Why the hell would I waste my valuable time ruining your hair when it could be spent on important things?”

“Oh, I don’t know?” Damon began. “Could be because Alice took a nap on my shoulder while we were watching TV last night before bed and you were all upset like a possessive child?”

“She was supposed to watch TV with me!”

“Whose fault is that?” Damon questioned with a sly smirk. “Did I force you to fall asleep at the dinner table? No. Don’t go blaming your special ability to sleep anywhere on me!”

“You’re so lucky we’re at school!”

“Empty threats ain’t gonna get Alice in your bed, so fuck off.”

“Shouldn’t we interfere?” I inquired as I nervously looked between the two of them.

“Or we can see if they get into a fight and place bets?” Keru suggested.

Gabriel sighed. “Can you two argue later?”

“No!” they snapped back.

“CloverSpell! You didn’t tell me there were twins on the council.”

We all turned our heads to the door that was surprisingly open and revealed a smiling CloverSpell and a new woman we’d never seen before.

One look and you could immediately state she was blazing gorgeous. She had a slim body but with the perfect balance of curves at her hips. Her professor attire seemed to calm the athletic build of her body and the softened beauty of her face only added to her overall attractiveness.

Her bright apricot hair had hints of tinsel white in her strands. The sight was not due to age but because of hidden power that was clearly laced within her glowing white aura. Her eyes were a brilliant gold with hints of orange, and her lips were cloaked with an amazing ruby shade of red.

I knew from her clothing that she was a professor here, but I’d never seen her last year. Her smile was inviting though, one that made you want to smile back because her whole essence gave you happy vibes.

“Headmaster CloverSpell,” Westley and Damon said together before they straightened themselves and quickly shuffled to join us. Keru lowered me back down and I chugged the remainder of my coffee, as did Gabriel. The two of us shared the same thought that we were going to be having some sort of conversation, enough to make our coffees grow cold if we abandoned them.

Placing our mugs on the table, Gabriel moved to stand next to Keru’s left side, while I squeezed in between Keru and Westley. Damon remained on Westley’s right side, the five of us in line and at attention while CloverSpell closed the door behind her with a mere snap of her fingers.

Walls of magic formed along the walls of the council room, ensuring our words would remain within.

“Good morning, Headmaster CloverSpell,” I greeted first with a slight bow before glancing over to acknowledge this new professor. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” she greeted right back and looked down the line until her gaze stopped on Westley. ” Oh. You’re the boy Professor Solange helped.”

“Huh?” Westley blinked before he frowned. “Sorry for my rudeness, but I don’t recall meeting you prior to now.”

The woman laughed and nodded. “You didn’t see me because I was behind the desk acquiring some information,” she began. “I was with Professor Solange and Psychic Lily when you were in the office to sign your documents during summer camp.”

Professor Solange and Psychic Lily? Who are these people?

Westley simply nodded, prompting the woman to continue.

“I’m Professor Caulder. I’m a substitute professor for this semester at Blazing Academy. My main role, once it’s set up, will be as the head supervisor of the security unit for Blazing Academy. It’s a pleasure to meet the Blazing Horsemen of this semester.”

“So we are getting a security unit for the school,” Keru confirmed.

CloverSpell nodded as her smile faded into seriousness.

“Due to the snail’s pace of the investigation regarding what occurred at the Ralmeras’ restaurant with the additional interference during the Summer Bootcamp, we decided that it would be in our best interest to go outside our usual contacts and ask for Professor Caulder’s assistance,” she elaborated as she gestured to the 6′0″ woman. “Aside from Professor Caulder’s teaching experience, she’s skilled in investigational work and is apart of the S.S.S. organization abroad.”

“S.S.S.?” I repeated the abbreviation. “What does that stand for?”

“It’s a secret.” Professor Caulder winked. “But think of it as a criminal justice organization. We investigate crimes that are too difficult for the regular police department to solve,” she elaborated. “It shouldn’t be taking this long for this case regarding the explosive incident to be solved.”

“Does that mean you’re taking over?” Keru inquired.

“Not yet,” Professor Caulder confessed with a frustrated sigh. “In order for the case to be transferred over to a different organization, the police need up to six months of attempting to prove they’ve gone through every option within their power.”

“Which means we’re not getting answers until Semester Three is over,” Damon muttered. I shared his frustration because it meant we’d be relying on whatever information we retrieved from the shrine during the fall visit.

Who knows if we’ll get any information at all?

“What if the culprits get away?” Westley inquired. “Then what?”

“If this was a simple game of cat and mouse, then we would attempt to override the six-month rule, but we’re dealing with an organization. A rather large one at that. It’s obvious that they have multiple targets, and most of them center on this academy. It only makes sense to keep our eyes peeled and let them continue to assume we’re oblivious to what they’ve been plotting,” Professor Caulder explained.

“They’ve obviously made Alice a target,” Gabriel spoke up. “What are we going to do with them pursuing Alice?”

“We can’t do anything until they call the next shot,” Professor Caulder reasoned. “A brief review of what they’ve done thus far only confirms what we already know. This organization has plenty of connections they can use to their advantage. We can’t act prematurely, or the risk only grows.”

“What about Madeline, Rick, and Eliza?” Damon brought up. We all looked over to meet his focused gaze. “Rick may be in jail, but he’s been able to get communication through Madeline. Who knows what he’s plotting with anyone else. Madeline is on the run, but I know her well enough to confirm she’s not going to let this incident go unless someone goes down with her. As for Eliza, she’s obviously a part of their crew and has to know something. She can’t keep going to school with us when she’s a huge potential suspect.”

CloverSpell sighed as she bobbed her head.

“As of now, there’s no evidence solid enough for Eliza to be included.”

“Why?” Westley questioned. “It’s obvious she’s a part of the organization or an associate to it.”

“That may be true,” CloverSpell began. “But Eliza may be playing the smarter game here. If you’re unaware, Eliza’s family is wealthy and has their own set of connections. They either knew what Eliza’d gotten herself into prior to the explosion incident or are covering things up, because she’s been able to avoid any accusations placed against her.”

“So we can’t do a thing,” Keru concluded. “Can’t we do something to ensure she stays away from Alice?”

“For now, we can’t do much about common areas,” CloverSpell admitted. “But I ensured your schedules wouldn’t cross paths with Eliza or any of the transfer students from camp.”

“We’re getting transfers?” I inquired. “Aren’t we able to pause that process?”

“Six months,” Professor Caulder reminded. “It was one of the first things I requested to be done, especially with the appearance of the group of rich academy students who weren’t supposed to be on campus until the following week.”

“So, do you think more of that group is a part of the transfers?” Gabriel inquired with a scowl. “Because if so, I’ll warn you now, if they try to hurt Alice in any way, I’m not staying still.”

I couldn’t help but look at him while his eyes remained on CloverSpell and Professor Caulder.

“Why do I feel you know something we don’t?” Professor Caulder countered.

“I know a few of those kids. They’re from extremely wealthy families with high egos and no respect for the ‘little’ people,” Gabriel revealed. “They cause disruptions on purpose, knowing damn well they won’t be suspended or penalized for it. Summer camp was an exception because they were tricked into thinking they have the same immunity.”

Immunity…

Damon was analyzing Gabriel’s stiff structure as he commented, “You’re worried they have some sort of immunity at Blazing? They’re transfers. They’re like new students on the block.”

Westley actually agreed with a bob of his head. “They should be more cautious about what they do because they’re disposable. One wrong move and they’re either kicked out or have to return to whatever school they came from.”

Keru suddenly frowned as something seemed to click.

“Horsemen can’t fight back in the halls,” Keru announced which left Damon, Westley, and I stumped on where that had come from.

“We never approved of that rule,” I brought up. “I know some policies were updated but I didn’t read that anywhere.”

CloverSpell decided to deliver the news. “The rules for Horsemen upgrade when you’ve been in your position for a solid two semesters. It’s one of the reasons you’ve received different uniforms.”

“You mean we’re the only ones with the navy blue, red, and gold combination?” I clarified.

“Correct,” CloverSpell confirmed. “Since we haven’t had Blazing Horsemen last longer than a semester in a good while, the rule wasn’t implemented. Think of it like a trial of students. If they survive a year in their position, it makes them into role models, and thus, it would be frowned upon for your group to partake in violence.”

“What if it’s self-defense?” I questioned. “Just because we carry a position of respect and power within our student body doesn’t mean we turn a blind eye to wrongdoing, especially if it’s narrowed down to our group with evil intentions. That puts us at risk, which is unfair.”

Professor Caulder bobbed her head in agreement. “You’re correct, which is why we’re getting it fixed.”

“Please don’t tell me it’s going to take six months,” Keru huffed.

“No. A few weeks. If I pull a few strings, we could get it set in a month,” Professor Caulder confirmed.

“That isn’t bad,” I muttered. “Keru? How did you know about that rule?”

“Hmm? It’s in the very back of our packages,” he voiced.

“No, it’s not?” I said it like a question because I wasn’t totally sure I’d missed it.

“It wasn’t in mine,” Westley voiced.

“Or mine,” Damon added.

“I didn’t have it,” Gabriel replied.

We all exchanged looks before our eyes landed on CloverSpell and Professor Caulder. The two of them exchanged their own looks of concern.

“Looks like it’s going to be a busy morning,” Professor Caulder concluded and returned her gaze to us. “This semester, your schedules will either have me, Professor Daily, or Headmaster CloverSpell. I’m sure you’ve all reviewed your schedules.”

We bobbed our heads in agreement.

“Good. This semester’s focus is on conjuring the blazing fury in your flame. Fire is commonly regarded as uncontrollable, fierce, dangerous, lethal. This semester is to teach you that fire is a form of magic that can expand and open opportunities to greater avenues. Your four flaming traits are mere baselines to the potential of stronger, more bendable spells that can protect you and be used to bring down a bigger crowd of enemies.”

“Similar to what that guy used on Alice at camp? The thunder move?” Damon inquired. I’d completely forgotten the fact that Brad’s move had contained electric properties to it that were nowhere close to the healing essence Holy Thunder carried.

CloverSpell nodded. “That move that was used to strike Alice and her familiar into the stream was a manipulation of Holy Thunder. It combines the threatening force of fire and manipulates its execution to hold the properties of Holy Thunder. Therefore, one would assume it’s a healing strike at first glance but being manipulated with negative intentions results in what I would call Dark Thunder.

“Dark Thunder,” I whispered.

“You’ll discover all of this during this semester,” Professor Caulder assured us. “Due to my wide skill set and association with various magic professionals, I can assist you in broadening your scope of magic with your current elements. All of you have strong auras so this shouldn’t take longer than a few weeks.”

“Um.” I raised my hand just slightly to grab Professor Caulder’s attention. “Is there a class that can help me learn more about Cyrus and how to get her into her little girl form for combat?”

“Cyrus?” Professor Caulder questioned but looked down just as Cyrus emerged from her hiding place, which was underneath the table, to walk around Professor Caulder’s ankles.

“Woof!” She sat down obediently before the two of them and happily panted in excitement.

“A wolf familiar?” Professor Caulder stared at her for a moment. “Hmm. Or a mix. She’s of two breeds.”

“Really?” I was impressed she was able to grasp such knowledge at first glance.

“I’m pretty good with familiars. We won’t be able to focus too much on it this semester, but I’ll happily give you some lessons if need be. I believe Semester Four will have a familiar class, correct?”

“Yes,” CloverSpell replied. “Feel free to learn what you can, and we’ll go from there.”

“Thank you.” I gave them an appreciative smile. “So…what now?”

“We’re going to show you to the new council room, go through the rules for Horsemen now that you’ve survived a solid year in your positions, and discuss some security measures we aim to put in place in the next few days,” Professor Caulder offered. “Any questions before we get going?”

When none of us replied, she smiled happily. “Excellent! Let’s get moving. Alice takes the lead, twins in the middle, and good and evil in the back.”

“We’re not twins!” Westley and Damon argued.

“Good?” Gabriel began while Keru continued, “And evil? Professor Caulder, I hope you’re referring to me as the good guy, because Gabe ain’t close to a saint.”

“Would you shut it?” Gabriel whined.

“I just started. It’s true. I’m the good one!”

“More like the imposter,” Gabriel huffed.

“Dye your hair already!” Damon demanded.

“My hair can’t handle dye, stupid,” Westley huffed back.

“Well, neither can mine!” Damon huffed.

“Your hair is black! If it can’t handle dye, why the hell does your hair have tips like that?”

“I don’t know! I woke up like this, alright?” Damon complained.

The two of them kept on bickering as they gathered their blazers. I just shook my head before looking over to CloverSpell. She was eyeing Damon and Westley carefully, but her expression didn’t seem like she was pleased.

“What’s the matter, CloverSpell?” I inquired quietly as I reached her.

She moved her gaze away to acknowledge me before she shook her head. “I was just intrigued by the dynamics between those two, that’s all.”

“They don’t get along. My apologies for the unprofessionalism.”

She laughed. “It’s fine. You know when you’re around us, you can be comfortable and feel safe. It’s just intriguing to see them fight. This is the most I’ve ever seen Damon speak, let alone interact. It just proves he’s comfortable around your group.”

“Ya,” I replied and looked over at him.

“Keep doing what you’re doing, Alice,” CloverSpell encouraged. “It’s working.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant by ‘it’s working’ but if it was in regard to Damon breaking out of his shell, I was happy to be a part of that process.

It’s time to face this semester with blazing fury.

11

PULLING THE PLUG AND SLEEPWALKING WONDER

“Hey, Dad. Ya. I just finished class.”

Coming to stop before the board of activities, I allowed myself to glance through the various flyers while listening to Dad’s inquiries.

“No issues this week,” I assured him. “Workload has been a bit hectic to manage, but I’ll get used to it. Yes. I’ve been taking my iron meds and eating consistently through the day so that I don’t beat my fainting record.”

He chuckled on the other end, but I could tell he sounded tired.

“You okay, Dad?” I inquired. “You sound tired. Hmm. I guess work’s been super busy for you, huh? I could come by on the weekend to help you with stuff. You won’t be home? Boo. You just don’t want me to clean up your place.”

It had only been a week of school and it seemed like the world was busy with various events - good and bad - which left many of us in a scramble to keep focused while attempting to balance our lives out.

There were no new leads with either case involving Lock and Key, and school had been chaotic thus far with projects, assignments, and random class activities that left us drained.

Rumors were going on about academies being lit up in flames, but thankfully Blazing Academy was fireproof, so that wasn’t a potential issue for us. It was becoming a worrisome issue, however, because of how the news outlets were spreading the gossip like wildfire - no pun intended. And it felt pretty frustrating because, again, there were no leads.

Someone or a group of people are literally setting academies on fire and there are no leads whatsoever. If that ain’t fishy.

My focus, like every other semester, was to survive and do well.

Our upgraded roles as Blazing Horsemen landed us in the prettiest, most spacious headquarters that I’d ever witnessed in my life. The first and coolest function was that the very large space didn’t have a “designated” room. When we had the intention of returning to what I was going to call Blazing Headquarters, we simply thought it and viola - the next door we opened and walked through would lead us straight into the mini paradise.

The room was double the size of our last council room, but thankfully used the same system voice commands and light-up, heated floors. There was even a sleeping area with separate beds and glass panels that fogged up to an opaque surface to give privacy.

Any necessities we could possibly think of were available to us, which was making us debate whether we should bunk here for the semester or continue to stay at Gabe’s place.

Personally, I liked the separation between school and our sleeping quarters. It was safer as well because Gabriel’s place had cameras and proper security. The council room had its own security, but it was possible I yearned for the “home” feeling his place brought.

Our upgrades came with their own set of new rules and standards we had to uphold throughout the semester. Professor Caulder was getting that rule that denies our right to defend ourselves if in situations that are considered self-defense or bullying voided. The issue was expedited by CloverSpell herself, so we merely had to play the waiting game for it to be approved.

You’d think Headmaster CloverSpell would have the power to change something as simple as that, but apparently, there was the upper council for that. Due to past instances, it was voted upon that policies would have to go through a higher tier of approval so that favoritism wouldn’t be a factor.

I felt that it was a little stupid, to be frank. CloverSpell had been in this position for quite some time, and she never seemed like the type to display favoritism when it came to approving certain policies.

Funny how they now decide to ensure favoritism isn’t a factor when we’re entering this semester after being on the council for a longer period of time.

Our classes this far were really intriguing. We were going slow this week to learn the rules, regulations, and what was expected of us this semester, but I wasn’t going to ignore how excited many of us were.

Apparently, Professor Caulder had an impressive reputation, and whatever organization she worked for was HUGE - some were even saying they were hired by celebrity witches globally.

I’d personally tried to do my own research about S.S.S. but nothing came up. Nothing in the library catalog or archives, and there wasn’t even a pinch of it online. It was rather interesting that an organization that was extremely hyped through gossip couldn’t be found in any knowledgeable resources.

It gave me the impression that this organization had to be spread by word of mouth, and since they worked to aid with criminal justice and protecting witches and wizards globally, I was sure they didn’t want to assist just anyone on the block.

I wasn’t benefiting from being nosy, but I had to at least appease my curiosity. For now, however, it would be tucked away while I focused on school and getting stronger.

There was still so much lingering in my mind. My nightmares had been manageable this week, but certain memories of the summer camp incident kept randomly popping into my mind.

Random facts. Spoken words and conversations.

I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t recall exactly where these pieces of information and scenes were coming from. It was like my memory had been chopped into pieces from the moment I got zapped by that bolt.

I’d tried to confront Westley about it, but the few times I did, it seemed he was struggling with something similar.

We were all a bit stressed because this semester looked like it was going to be a heavy one. Heavy as in the workload would be tricky to balance with improving our own abilities and working on council stuff.

I personally was thankful Damon and Clara were aiding us this semester because the paperwork for council-related policy reviews and other things we wished to implement to aid the students as a whole was a lot more paper signing than actually implementing what had to be changed.

I wasn’t sure if Clara was at a hundred percent, frankly. Many students and members of the community had fundraised to be able to give them enough to start from scratch and invest in a new property that was close to Blazing, but her parents still needed time.

The stress of it all could have been the reason why she’d forgotten so many small things this semester that she’d flawlessly taken care of previously. It was as though she was starting from scratch, but Damon was willing to help and take a bigger load so she could adjust accordingly.

All we needed was time to get used to things, and I was sure we’d become confident and breeze through the semester.

Then we’d have to deal with the shrine opportunity.

None of us had forgotten about that or the fact Damon was a Blazing Necromancer. It was a fascinating role and it would be put to the test when we went to the shrine to attempt to learn more about Claire’s death.

I wished we could have communicated with her during the brief times she’d appeared, but maybe the time wasn’t right?

An arm hooked around me and I was pulled into a back hug.

“You want to do extra-curricular activities?” Gabriel quietly questioned as he looked to the board. “Hmm. There are not as many good ones this semester. That’s weird.”

“Good ones?” I inquired and followed his gaze to acknowledge the current invites for extra-curricular sports and clubs.

“Mhmm,” Gabriel replied. “There’s only a good one-third up. Last semester and when we first came to Blazing there were triple the opportunities. I heard we’re dealing with a professor shortage.”

“We are?” Why was I just learning about this?

“I just heard it from Professor Daily, who was complaining about it. Due to the number of transfers coming from the schools that were burned down or significantly damaged, the need for professors spiked.”

“But what happened to the teachers from those schools?” I inquired. “Can’t they become substitutes?”

“Many of them are refusing to substitute,” Gabriel admitted as he rested his chin on the top of my head while his arms got more comfortable in holding me in his warm arms.

His voice dropped lower as he continued, “They’re worried.”

“About?”

“They’re getting threats demanding that they not substitute.”

Now that wasn’t good at all. Who would be threatening teachers about substituting in the schools that carried a majority of their own students?

“Ain’t that fishy,” I muttered. “Any clue who’s threatening them?”

“Not sure. Professor Daily couldn’t go into detail because he got a call to break up a fight.”

“Ugh. People are already fighting? It’s only the first week.”

“Better than the first day,” Gabriel admitted, but he didn’t sound too pleased. “The semester just started but there’s this tension in the air.”

“I feel that,” I confessed. “Makes sense in a way. Current students are worried about the increased workload. And the transfers who will be jumping right into our physical classes and potentially our exams are scary. We don’t know what they’re capable of or what their school curriculum is like.”

Like how that Brad guy used that Dark Thunder move on me. We hadn’t learned that move let alone brushed the topic until it was brought up with Professor Caulder. So what if these students had done their physical spell work last semester and were now matching it with the knowledge aspect?

“They’re probably anxious because their schools burned down. They haven’t caught the culprits, and there’s not even a suspect. I feel like it’s going to take them some time to rebuild too, and overall, they’re not used to our curriculum either. It’s frustrating on both sides.”

“As long as they leave us alone, I don’t care,” Gabriel admitted.

“You really don’t like any of them?”

“I don’t like rich kids who treat people like dirt,” he muttered. “It triggers something in me that wants to immediately revolt, and with this stupid policy in place, we can’t do shit.”

“Think it’s done on purpose?”

“I don’t think,” Gabriel grumbled. “I know it was done on purpose. That’s what my gut tells me, and I’ll certainly go along with it.”

“We’ll have to take things a day at a time and see what happens,” I concluded.

He sighed but let go of me. I turned around to face him but moved to hug my arms around his waist to keep him close. He looked surprised by my move, but he relaxed further as his hands moved to rest on my hips.

“You okay?” He looked uneasy in general, and it worried me. “Wanna talk about it?”

“I’m worried about multiple things,” he admitted and brought me even closer against him while he very gently pressed his lips to my temple.

I tried not to blush at the soft touch of his lips or the idea that we were standing in front of one of the busier boards that held information so the halls were still rather busy with student traffic.

“But I just want to hug you,” he concluded.

“Would a kiss make you feel even better?” I inquired.

He turned me enough to lower his eyes to meet mine, and I could tell his golden spheres were intrigued by the idea as they then lowered to my lips and he inched closer.

“Maybe,” he whispered, but he was already kissing me. This connection held a rawness to it, but it was also very gentle. He could be taking it slow so neither of us got too lost in our immense desire for one another and forgot our place, but this step seemed huge for us.

I could remember all the times I’d watched through my teen years in wishful wonder as students left and right began to experiment with the idea of dating, kissing, hugging, and obviously sex.

It was hard to feel like the elephant in the room. With all the bullying and out casting I’d experienced, I figured I wouldn’t be close to forming a solid relationship with anyone at my school, and with how often I transferred, it felt impossible.

Now I’d found a school that accepted me, and I was prospering in my own way as I gained the knowledge and skills I’d never imagined were possible to obtain while discovering more about what path I was destined to take.

There were still those hints of doubts and fears lingering within myself, but with the support of my men, professors, friends, and family, it was a lot easier to tackle. This was another step down that road and I was enjoying the confidence and boost of possibilities it delivered in this realm of love and relationships.

“And I always thought you were gay when we were kids.”

Gabriel broke the kiss and we turned our heads to see a group of five students. I didn’t really care about the four boys standing there with smug expressions.

It was the middle boy that made my heart skip a beat. I couldn’t understand how in the fuck he was here.

How the hell is Brad here?! He’s supposed to be arrested!

“Which private investigator did you pay off to get your arrest warrant revoked?” Gabriel snarled menacingly.

“Ow,” Brad exaggerated as he placed his hand against his heart. “Who shoved bark up your ass, Gabriel? Where’d the shy boy from elementary school go?”

I held Gabriel a little tighter while my eyes narrowed at Brad’s obvious taunts.

“You shouldn’t go shooting false accusations, Gabriel,” Brad continued. “It’s not good, especially if I wanna slap a defamation lawsuit against you.”

“Don’t try and lecture me on what I can and can’t say,” Gabriel snapped.

“Jeez. So rude for a council member,” Brad argued while feigning hurt. “That’s not how you should treat transfer students. It’s not like we want to be here.”

I was getting tired of this mockery and I let go of Gabriel so I could confidently waltz over to the group that stiffened at my sudden movement. I got right in Brad’s personal space as I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Because you’re new transfers, we’ll excuse your disrespect for today only,” I began and let all the emotions in my facial expression fade while my voice was hard with intolerance. “We’re not just council members. At Blazing Academy, we’re the Blazing Horseman, top students in the school who have earned our spots.”

My eyes purposely scanned the group as Brad frowned at what I was sure he’d consider to be defiance.

“We’re the ones pulling the strings, but that doesn’t mean you can insult, bicker, and throw triggering statements for your own or fellow followers’ amusement,” I voiced specifically to Brad as his eyes met mine. He was trying to act like he didn’t give a shit about what I was saying, but I knew better.

I could see it in his eyes that glimmered slightly with what resembled tiny bolts of lightning in his irises. He was fighting to hold back the anger, but I really wasn’t in the mood to waste any more oxygen on this matter.

“At Blazing, you respect your peers, and bullying is not permitted. If you have nothing good to say, keep it to yourself. As for one’s sexuality, no form of that should be used to humiliate anyone. It’s immature and insensitive,” I declared. “School is over, so if you lot have somewhere to be, please promptly make your way to your after-school commitments or go home. I’m sure you’re aware that regular students not authorized by Headmaster CloverSpell or involved in extra-curricular activities are not privileged to stay within the school walls for safety reasons. Respect the rules, and we shouldn’t have any issues for the remainder of the semester.” I gave a smug smile of my own as I wrapped up my speech with a simple word. “Understood?”

The four guys attempting to support Brad ended up nodding and muttering their agreement, but Brad remained silent, which had me arching an eyebrow in judgment.

An arm hooked around my waist then, and I felt the firm presence of not one but two individuals - one on each side of me, though only the one to my right had their arm wrapped around my waist.

“Understood?” The unified deep voices were mixed with enough menace that it actually sent shivers through me.

There was no need to turn my head to know that Westley was on my right and Damon was on my left. The two of them practically towered over me as if they’d somehow gotten another growth spurt mid-classes.

It was the intimidating factor their auras carried that made them double trouble, and from Brad’s annoyed expression, I knew he wasn’t going to attempt to argue.

“Understood,” he muttered loud enough to be heard.

“Good,” Westley replied and moved me so our backs were now facing the group of rude delinquents. “Don’t start shit again unless you’re willing to bear the consequences.”

That was all he said as he began to lead me forward. I looked over to see Damon was still glaring daggers at Brad, but he, too, turned around and began to head our way. His movement didn’t stop him from making a blunt comment.

“Those who like to go above and beyond to try and diminish those who have different sexual preferences from the standard are always the ones who are trying so hard to hide their own desires.”

My eyes widened at the comment and I looked over to see Westley’s smirk as he actually looked impressed.

“W-What did you say?” Brad snapped.

“Hmm?” Damon paused in his stride just as we came to a stop and turned to acknowledge we were still in a good enough distance to strike them with a lovely slip that would inform CloverSpell that they were being a disturbance.

“Oh.” Damon looked over his shoulder as he stood next to Gabriel. “Just sharing a little knowledge.”

He shrugged but before Brad could say anything more, Gabriel moved to lay his hand over Damon’s shoulders and tug him forward.

“We don’t have time to waste on unnecessary shit. Let’s get going. We have Blazing Horseman tasks to finish.”

“Cool by me.” It was obvious Damon didn’t care. We all really didn’t care about this group other than Brad. The fact he was here and literally not being investigated, kicked out of whatever rich school he came from, and charged for his direct involvement during the summer camp only confirmed someone else was pulling strings to make sure we were left in the dust.

Like how Keru’s package had the policy change rules but the rest of ours didn’t.

We ended up walking in a line, with me between Westley and Damon and Gabriel on Damon’s left side. His hand was still chilling on Damon’s shoulders like it was no big deal, while Westley was being his possessive self with me snuggled against him.

We ended up back at our new Horsemen headquarters and didn’t speak until the door was closed and the security walls that automatically went up after we locked the door were functioning.

“Why the fuck is he here?” Damon was pissed. I hadn’t expected him to be the one to lose his cool as Westley and I moved to the large marble table where we placed our bags. I lifted myself to sit on the table’s surface while the three of them walked over to crowd around me to discuss this random turn of events.

“He should be in fucking jail,” Westley cursed in pure annoyance. “What did he say before we got there?”

“Trying to provoke Gabriel,” I began. “Calling him gay, trying to make it seem like they’re the shit, and talking to us like we didn’t work our butts off to get these titles. We’re council members to them.”

“He knows what Blazing Horsemen are,” Gabriel muttered. “He’s just jealous. He applied to Blazing and didn’t get in.”

“Seriously?” We gasped at the news while Gabriel slowly nodded.

“How do you know, Gabe?” Damon inquired. “You know Brad?”

Gabriel didn’t seem comfortable about the topic, but we paused when we noticed shuffling movements down the hall.

There came Keru, yawning and shuffling towards us.

“What’s this about knowing Brad? And why are you guys so late? I could have slept for eternity if I didn’t want a hug from our Blazing Queen.”

I purposely stretched my arms out to full capacity and grinned while the guys decided to cooperate and move out of the way so Keru had a straight path to the table to hug me.

“Hey, Kirby!” I greeted. “And holy hell. Why is your body so hot?”

“I know my handsome attractiveness turns you on all the time, Queen,” he teased and then coughed in a spluttering mess as he pulled away. “Ah! Man down!” he dramatically declared and fell to the floor while hugging his left rib.

We all knew who the culprit was as we looked to Gabriel to see him retracting his elbow.

“I’ve yet to determine if you’re more of a disturbance when you’re half-awake or sleepwalking all over the place,” Gabriel huffed.

“I was minding my own business loving our woman,” he whined. “Instead, you chose violence!”

“So dramatic.” Damon looked down at Keru in pure pity.

“You’ll get used to his dramatics,” Westley brushed him off. “He’s only serious when he’s fighting and being useful.”

“My feelings are hurt,” Keru whined and slowly got up. He turned around and purposely moved our stuff to sit right next to me on the table.

Now he was smiling happily with an arm around me.

“Back to the topic. Why the hell is Brad being brought up when he should be in jail for hurting our Alice?”

“You know him. He probably got one of his father’s lawyer friends to bail him out or something,” Gabriel complained.

“Dad’s lawyer friends?” I wasn’t really following because I didn’t know anything about Brad, and yet it seemed Gabriel did know a few things.

Keru decided to shed some light. “Brad used to go to school with us before we got serious with training to become Blazing Knights,” Keru revealed. “I didn’t know him much since I didn’t attend school until after I was saved by Gabriel, but long story short, he’s a rich douche.”

“Meaning his parents are rich and have a lot of connections especially in the legal department. He always gets away with stuff. Can seriously break the law and get away with it.”

“Well isn’t that nice,” I complained. “We should let CloverSpell know.”

The others nodded in agreement, but I noticed Gabriel’s eyes were on Damon for a long moment.

“What’s wrong, Gabriel?” My question drew the rest of the group’s attention to him as he further frowned.

“Try to avoid Brad.” He was specifically giving the warning to Damon.

“Why me?”

“He was looking at you funny. Brad has a habit of choosing his target to pick on,” Gabriel acknowledged.

“That would be stupid of him to pick a fight,” Damon pointed out.

“But we can’t fight back because of the policy,” I reminded.

“Doesn’t apply to me.” Damon shrugged. “I’m an assistant. I’m not a Horseman.”

“You’re right,” Keru agreed. “But you’re a representative of the Blazing Horsemen. Whoever made that policy go through probably made sure there was some loophole so that if we used that detail to our advantage, it would backfire.”

“He has a point,” Westley grumbled. “This is frustrating. Why are we in these positions if someone is deliberately trying to set us up for failure?”

“And school hasn’t officially eased into the normal schedule.” I sighed. “We need to get CloverSpell to give us some sort of immunity. Like a backup of sorts.”

“Hmm.” Keru closed his eyes and leaned over to rest his head against mine. “Immunity. What if we could get a legal document signed that gives us some sort of immunity against bullying or actions that incite violence in our community?”

“Against bullying or actions that incite violence?” Damon was the one to repeat Keru’s words. “Wow, Kirby. You’re actually onto something.”

“I’m insulted by your words,” Keru muttered but kept his eyes closed.

“How would this potentially give us immunity?” I asked.

“Keru’s trying to suggest that we override the common protection our school or educational district is supposed to give and get protection outside by getting a document that states we can’t be harmed within our community,” Gabriel explained. “It’s something normally magicians or those in magic covens use to give them added protection if an outsider enters their community and tries to bring harm to an individual member. They may have permission or power to confront the individual, but any violence that involves magic can’t be charged if this person carries that signed document.”

“So…” I thought about it. “Like a restraining order. But Brad won’t know that we got this paper immunity until he tries to target us and it leads to violence. The immunity will protect us if Brad wants to take things to a legal level to try and benefit him.”

“Bingo,” Westly replied. “And by getting CloverSpell and maybe even Professor Caulder and Professor Daily involved with the process, they’ll be witnesses of the previous altercation and how we reported it. Our report about today’s confrontation will be recorded as what prompted us to get this done. It’ll prove to the court legally that the immunity was requested for our own personal safety due to the policies that don’t currently protect us in our school environment. Since the immunity will be in our community, it’ll protect us within school walls and anywhere near Blazing.”

“Let’s get that ASAP,” I encouraged. “Where’s Clara?”

“Hmmm…I think she went home,” Keru mumbled, and he sounded half asleep.

“Went home?” Damon questioned. “We have loads of reports to sign. I asked her to stay after school to help.”

“That’s odd of Clara. She’s normally on point with these things,” I quietly voiced. Again, I didn’t want to be too harsh because she was still mourning the loss of Claire and losing her family restaurant, but if she had to leave unexpectedly, I wished she would have told someone.

“I’ll stay and help,” I suggested.

“You don’t have to.” Damon sighed. “I can handle it.”

“But-”

“Don’t worry,” Damon stressed, his eyes were focused on Keru. “What’s wrong with Kirby?”

His question drew my attention back to Keru, who was literally asleep resting against me. I reached out to place my hand on his forehead, and flinched at the intense heat.

“Holy crap. Keru’s burning up!” My shrill voice made the others rush forward to check on Keru. Gabriel was next to check Keru’s temperature, and he scowled.

“Tsk. Maybe he’s been pushing himself.”

“School just started though,” Damon acknowledged.

“It’s not necessarily school,” Gabriel pointed out. “Westley? Can you help me carry him over to the rooms down the hall? He’ll probably need an hour or two of rest. If we can get him settled, I can heal him a bit to balance out his magic.”

“Sure.”

“Is he going to be okay?” I questioned in worry.

“It’s normal for warlocks,” Gabriel revealed.

“But he’s a Hellhound Warlock,” I reasoned. “Shouldn’t heat be second nature to him?”

“Yes,” Westley began. “But his fever isn’t due to his hellhound flames. It’s because his magic is out of whack. Warlocks or very powerful magic users that expand their abilities from the standards of the flaming traits deal with this issue. They regenerate magic at a very quick pace, so there are times where there’s too much sitting within their bodies and it spikes their temperature.”

What? I didn’t know that.

I was fascinated by the news while Gabriel nodded and continued, “It’s one of the reasons why Keru works out a lot. He needs to expel the excess magic that he can’t release by using magic. Many schools have silent alarms that trigger when there’s a sudden spike in magic usage. It’s due to these security measures that makes it impossible for Keru to use magic past twelve or one without a logical reason. My place also carries those same silent alarms.”

“A lot of places around Blazing use those security systems nowadays, and the twenty-four-hour training facilities are a bit of a journey to get to and aren’t accessible by teleportation during night hours to prevent their own set of break-ins and trouble,” Damon revealed.

“Since most magic sits in the body during the night because of our stillness, it becomes easy to have far too much and nowhere to expel it,” Gabriel concluded.

“That’s why Keru works out around three in the morning,” I concluded. “To get all that extra energy out in the form of exercise.”

“Essentially,” Gabriel replied. “Don’t worry. I’ve dealt with this plenty of times. He’ll be okay after a bit of rest. Let’s go, Westley.”

“Got it,” Westley replied, and they made their way down the hall with Keru, who hadn’t even stirred from the carrying process.

That left me and Damon at the table. Looking over at him, I smiled.

“Looks like I’m helping you with some documents.”

He didn’t seem pleased by it, but he also didn’t appear like he was ready to argue over it.

“Don’t exhaust yourself then,” he concluded. “You need your strength.”

“I’m perfectly fine, you know.” I giggled. “Holding a pen and signing some docs isn’t such a laboring task.”

“If only Madeline or Eliza were here to listen to your comment. They never did shit.”

“Really? Never signed papers?”

“Nah. I did everything.”

“Seriously?!” I gasped. “What about Rick?”

“I had to leave any of those documents for him to sign whenever he came into the council room.” Damon shrugged at the memory like it was no big deal.

“Damon,” I whispered. “You were literally like a slave to them.”

“I guess.”

“You have to stop letting people walk over you,” I voiced.

He stared at me with an uncertain expression but lightly nodded. “I’ll try.”

“Good.” His response actually pleased me. Sliding off the table, I faced him and offered my hand. “To the office to sign some important shit!” I said dramatically to hype the mood.

“You’re too energetic for boring things like signing papers.”

He actually put his hand in mine, and together we walked to the end of the other hall towards the office.

Whoever is pulling the plugs in the background will find out we have extension cords at our disposal.

~KERU~

“ONLY DEATH CAN SAVE ME.”

The soft outcry made my eyes open in slow motion. The movement did nothing to give me a vision of what was reflected above me, but instead, I was lost in an oasis of darkness.

My body rose to this pulsating call - this sadness that sought to be acknowledged, to be heard, seen, and given the divine attention it deserved in this hollow world of bleakness.

My feet landed upon the cool surface beneath. I was standing, but my concentration was solely on following the flickering force of sadness. Within my world of dark, a flicker of a flame emerged into light, and it shrank until it was as small as a firefly.

It began to move, leaving a trail of orange glow behind for me to follow. My body was drained, achy, and hot, but this urge to follow was far more tempting than anything I’d endured prior to this dear moment.

This has to be destiny.

My steps were slow, a shuffling I couldn’t really control. I felt the urgency to get to where this glowing creature was taking me, and I had no choice but to follow my body’s command while my consciousness remained in this sense of lull.

It was hard to think of anything else in this state of mind. To do so felt like a harsh betrayal to whomever summoned me to their aid. No matter how tired I was, I strove to accomplish this for their sake.

Who knows if my actions can lead to their salvation?

How much time had passed since I heard their calling? It was impossible to keep track, especially in the darkness and foggy state of my mind.

I kept track of the shifts in temperature: the chill of my surroundings, the shift from the tiled floor to grass, then concrete, and now something that reminded me of a sort of metal beneath my feet.

The energy was stronger now, and it made me both sad and scared. I was sad because the emotions thrumming from this pulsating force were just as sad. I was afraid because I was unsure what I’d discover at the end of this path - scared I’ve come far too late to save anyone.

I was so close now.

My journey seemed to have been far longer than expected from wherever I once was. The air was damp and held a scent to it that reminded me of enjoying a beach or river.

I was higher up, too. The wind picked up in pace as it brushed my flesh that was cloaked in sweat. My breaths seemed quick, like I’d been walking for a long time at a fast speed, but I was here.

I was here to save whoever called for my aid.

“Kirby?”

The sound confused me because it was a deep male’s voice that sought to catch my attention. I knew that voice, but I couldn’t speak. I could barely move now, like I was nothing but a statue.

I was waiting for the pulsating force’s permission to move forward, but this foreign yet familiar voice cursed and let out a hiss that was almost frightening.

“Spirits of death. BE GONE!” The command was harsh, and I could feel some sort of intense heat that lashed outward and left the pulsating energy screaming in agony.

“OUR PREY! OUR PREY!” they screamed and hollered in agony, and I couldn’t understand why they were being punished for summoning me. It left me in a sense of bewilderment, but I felt that tugging force to take one more step.

I have…to help them?

Such a confusing turmoil I was in, and yet my feet itched to move one final step.

“Kirby, STOP!” the deep voice ordered, but something else tugged on me as a feminine voice called to me.

“KERU!”

I stilled because I had no choice, but that voice of power invited a different flow of heat and light. My body hummed in excitement at the rather shrill sound, and though I wondered if this woman was okay because of the panic residing in her energy, I was relieved that she was here.

I struggled to get out of this dark void, and I pushed harder and harder until it seemed to snap, and I blinked my eyes to see reality before me.

My head turned to look over my shoulder, my eyes still blinking to clear out the sleepy blurriness that was assaulting my vision. It took a moment for the heaviness in my mind to clear, just like my sleepy state, and I took in the woman holding my wrist - the orange-haired beauty in shorts and a bra, breathing heavily while the sides of her face were dripping with sweat.

I could see the lingering streams of magic in her magnificent hair that always reminded me of flames, but it was her eyes - orbs of glowing red with flickers of gold and orange that pulled me right into captivity.

They were filled with fear that I wished to shoo away. The nervous energy that reflected in those gorgeous orbs didn’t belong there. It needed to be vanquished so I could see the joy and love this woman always gave with her blazing energy.

“Kerberus.” The way she said my name with immense tenderness cleared away the remaining clouds in my mind, and I was left in utter confusion because I couldn’t grasp why the hell I was here.

“Alice.” I said her name softly, though my voice croaked because it was still thick with sleep.

Fuck. I’d been sleepwalking, hadn’t I.

Alice looked relieved, but her eyes inched below as if we were standing on something. I could only follow, and I frowned because I stood on what looked like a metal plank, the sort that were used in construction of infrastructures, but this one was sitting here with the end of it over a lake.

I couldn’t even recall this place, and that was a little too scary for me.

Was the voice trying to call me? Who are they? Wait…was Damon trying to help me? Ugh. My head.

I flinched at the sudden pain in my head, but the urgency to get off this thing was more important.

If I didn’t just lose my damn balance.

“AH! Keru!” Alice screamed while I literally lost my balance and somehow tugged her along in the fall.

Now I was fucking awake, and my arms quickly tugged Alice into my front side as they protectively wrapped around her a second later.

“CUSHIONANARIA!” My command was swift as my magic came to my aid, wrapping around our bodies like we were a joined mummy. We fell right into the water, but the crash was cushioned tremendously, like we hadn’t fallen from such an extraordinary height.

We moved apart in the water to swim back to the surface, but I paused as I looked around the deep oasis, the sight giving me a haunting feeling while I got a glimpse of flickering energy that I knew wasn’t anything close to one’s life force.

Even the dead had energy, and if their deaths were recent, their energy would linger in the water like a flame that danced underwater.

So many lingering flames, enough to spike more fear in me that left me in a state of paralysis. Was this what was going to happen to me if Damon’s voice hadn’t gotten rid of whatever was calling me and Alice hadn’t snapped me out of my state of unconsciousness?

My sight was blocked by Alice then, her worried eyes meeting my frightened ones. I was going to lose the battle to the water if I didn’t hurry to the surface, and Alice was here to remind me of that as she pressed her hands on my cheeks.

Her warmth flooded my cheeks as it rushed through the rest of my body, and that intense heat chased away the crippling fear that begged to keep me down here until my very end.

I gave her a nod so she’d know I was okay, and we rushed up to the surface. A gasp left me as I allowed my lungs to fill with the air they desperately yearned for and couldn’t help but feel immense alleviation because I was alive.

What a difference this feeling was in comparison to when I was on the verge of death on the building top and saved by Gabriel.

“KERU! ALICE!”

Speaking of the very man himself, my eyes sought the person who called our names, and there was Gabriel with his massive wings out. Damon was next to him, clearly out of breath, but relief flooded his eyes as his gaze darted between the two of us.

I looked at Alice and she gave me a tender smile of understanding. I think she understood that none of this was my intention, and to have that meant more than she probably realized.

We swam to the edge of the grassy hill, and with Gabriel and Damon’s aid, we were safely out of the waters and catching our breaths on the solid surface of the ground.

“What happened?” Gabriel questioned. The panic was obvious in his voice that could be perceived as a little harsh in nature, but I’d known my best friend long enough to understand he was pissed at himself for not getting here faster.

“Keru was sleepwalking,” Alice breathed before sitting back to look up at Gabriel and Damon.

“Why were you up, Alice?” Gabriel demanded.

“I had a nightmare.” She said it like it wasn’t that big of a deal. Gabriel frowned at her words before she continued. “I decided to go down to get some water but was worried about Keru and figured I’d check on him since it was close to three in the morning. I went to check his room and he wasn’t there, but his window was wide open, which was weird to me. Cyrus emerged and urged me to follow her, and that’s when I sensed Keru’s magic. I followed the trail until I saw him up there.”

She pointed to where we’d just been, and I was intrigued by how I’d gotten onto that metal plank that was surely the perfect place to end your life if that was one’s intention.

“I didn’t really think. I just raced to stop him before he reached the end of it. I know you’re not supposed to touch someone when they’re sleepwalking, but well…ya.” She turned her attention to me, and those eyes of hers softened. “Keru, are you okay?”

I stared at her because I wasn’t expecting such a question. Sure, I’d mentally prepared for the backlash my unintentional actions would trigger, but not if I was alright after that scare.

Was there time to even process what had just happened? I wasn’t sure if I could let go of my emotions right now, or if they would consume me before I could reel them all back in.

“I’m…okay,” I finally answered after a minute. “I’m sorry. I…don’t really know how I got here and why.” Trying to remember was only making my head hurt once again, but I pushed it away just so I could try to express anything that could help.

“I…was following something. An energy of some sort. Someone was calling to me. It was weird to describe because talking about what happens when I sleepwalk hurts my head,” I confessed. “But I was following something…and then I heard Damon for a moment.”

We looked to Damon as he rose up to give us an unamused frown.

“What you experienced was a spirit trying to summon you to join them where they’ve fallen,” Damon revealed. “I’m not sure why tonight was the night to call out to you, but maybe this individual was a witch or someone with loads of magic that sensed your energy and tugged on it. Their death has to have been recent to have that control.”

“Do you think it’s Claire?” Alice inquired.

“No,” Damon admitted and shook his head. “Her energy is far different, and you’d have to have had really strong magic levels while you were alive to be able to call to someone from the land of the dead.”

“Doesn’t that mean the death has to be recent?” Gabriel offered.

“Yes,” Damon replied. “Recent and one chosen by the individual.”

“You mean…they killed themselves?” Alice quietly muttered.

All Damon did was nod, but I noticed he could barely keep his eyes open. Gabriel noticed too, and not a second later Damon leaned over until Gabriel caught him.

“Shit. Damon?” Gabriel questioned.

Alice cursed and rushed to get up and move around to be on Damon’s other side as Gabriel laid him on his back.

“Is he okay?” I questioned as I worked on getting up myself. My legs were still a little shaky from what occurred, but my worry was for Damon. He’d somehow chased away whatever wished to seize me.

“Ugh…I’m fine,” Damon groaned. “Give me a minute or two…. This is normal.”

“Normal? Fainting isn’t normal, Damon,” Gabriel huffed. “With the exception of Annoying, Troublesome, Fainting, Ball Kicker, Tie Struggler Alice.”

“Really?” Alice rolled her eyes and pouted. “Hmph. Fainting should be normalized.”

“Sure, sure,” Gabriel brushed away and closed his eyes for a moment as he began to concentrate. His hands glowed with a light golden light that began to sweep over Damon’s body.

“Why are your insides so damn weird?” Gabriel muttered mostly to himself, but Damon grumbled, “Because it was fucked up to make me a Necromancer.”

Alice’s eyes looked my way, and we exchanged a worried look while Gabriel held his tongue. After a full minute, Damon looked less pale.

“That should help,” Gabriel stated as he lowered his hands, which dimmed in their magical glow. “Shit. Even the way your magic runs through your body is…different.” I think he wanted to say weird but changed his vocabulary to make it less offensive.

Damon sighed and slowly sat up. “The magic of a Blazing Necromancer can burn our organs, that’s why,” he quietly revealed. “The energy has to run through our veins like blood cells but my organs are protected by a different area of magic. However, tapping into the realms of the dead is taxing on the body and since I wasn’t expecting it, this is the result.”

He lifted his hand to rub his nose and I noticed the droplets of blood.

“Results in nose bleeds and fainting. I’m fine though.” He looked at Gabriel. “Thanks for the bit of a boost.”

Gabriel nodded, but I could tell he was worried.

“Sorry for the trouble,” I voiced an apology specifically to Damon. I didn’t think this would lead to making him sick, but I really had to apologize to all of them. This wasn’t how we should have been spending our morning before another week of school.

Damon shook his head. “If you were drawn here, there has to be a reason: whether it’s something of coming importance or is entwined in our lingering problems. We’ll figure it out, but you seriously need to get this sleepwalking thing checked. It’s dangerous.”

“Ya,” I admitted. I’d always combated it on my own because I didn’t need to hinder anyone with my problems, but this was a close call and if I hadn’t summoned my magic fast enough to cushion our fall, Alice could have gotten hurt.

“We can take turns watching Keru until we can schedule an appointment with a professional?” Alice offered. “I’m sure there’s not going to be an opening right away with school just starting and stuff.”

“That could work,” Gabriel agreed. “Normally Westley watches him.”

“Westley?” Alice seemed intrigued while I was a little confused.

“Westley shifts into his peacock at night while he’s sleeping. It’s normally the nights when Keru sleepwalks. I always sense it so I try to have my cups of tea around then.”

“Wait…seriously?” I asked feeling a little speechless. I didn’t know that was why I’d always see him on days I woke up out of the blue and quickly changed to go for a run to get my mind out of the clouded fog sleepwalking leaves behind.

I had no clue why Gabriel enjoyed drinking tea in the middle of the night. He used to do this even before we met Westley, and after it was a habit I noticed but assumed was normal.

Yet they were protecting me in their own ways.

Gabriel shrugged. “We’ve been doing it for years now, so today would have been no different, but Westley and I stayed up to study a bit. I left him to get some fresh air since he fell asleep on the couch when Damon rushed out of the house and noticed me. We rushed here with a teleportation spell.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I really appreciate your concern.”

Gabriel bobbed his head and rose up. “C’mon. Let’s make our way back. Doesn’t look too far from my house, but security comes around the entire neighborhood often so I don’t want to go explaining ourselves at three in the morning.”

We nodded as Gabriel pulled off his shirt.

“What are you doing?” I inquired. I shouldn’t really be asking seeing as I was only wearing my boxers. Gabriel moved to place the white t-shirt over Alice’s head. She blinked in confusion before figuring out what Gabriel’s intentions were as she slid her arms into the short sleeves.

“Thanks, Gabriel,” she whispered with a wide smile.

“Let’s get going,” he replied but walked over to ruffle my wet locks. “Don’t worry us like that, Dummy.” I knew he was saying it to lighten the mood.

“Ya, ya. I’ll tell my sleepwalking self to chill,” I replied and chuckled. “Seriously though. Thanks, everyone.” My gratitude was barely audible, but I was sure they heard it.

I slowly got up with Alice, while Gabriel looked down at Damon, who was still sitting, his attention on the lake. With a mutter, Gabriel reached down to help Damon up by putting one of his arms over his shoulders and hooking an arm around his waist.

“W-W-What are you going?!” Damon demanded as he was easily picked up.

“You’re wasting time. I’m sleepy and still haven’t had my tea.”

“Why is that my problem?

“You’re moving too slow.”

“I just need a minute!”

“You can enjoy your minute while we walk.”

“Ugh. You’re so annoying, Gabe.”

“Cool.”

We watched them as Gabriel took the majority of Damon’s weight to get going down the path I could only assume would lead back to Gabriel’s mansion. The idea I’d walked all this way was another intriguing revelation, but I was going to push it behind me.

I was alive, at least, and no one was hurt.

“Keru?”

Alice’s hand squeezed mine and I turned to acknowledge her as she looked up at me.

“Are you seriously okay?”

I gave her a tiny smile while I moved to hug her. She held me back as I gently nestled my head into her shoulder.

“Ya, Queen,” I whispered. “But I wouldn’t mind a moment.”

A moment to let these emotions come to light and to free them so I could move onward.

She didn’t mind as she hugged me even tighter, and I allowed my tears to fall as I took this moment to let my fear out. This experience brought up those old feelings. Those emotions thrummed through me when I felt like I wouldn’t be able to handle another day living in this world.

Funny how my life was the complete opposite now. I had friends who were looking out for me without me realizing it, and a woman I not only dedicated myself to protect as I grew into my own being but one that I could love and show various aspects of myself to.

I wouldn’t have experienced this if Gabriel hadn’t saved me that day, and I feared losing myself again to the same pain. By letting it go, I wouldn’t be giving it the opportunity to steal me away from this joy, and Alice understood that.

How similar we are.

When I finished, we made our way down the path hand in hand, and it wasn’t long until we caught up with Gabriel and Damon. The two of them were clearly taking their time to walk so we’d be able to catch up.

When was I privileged enough to have such amazing friends?

When we got back, I was surprised to see Westley waiting at the main door.

“Are you guys alright?” he asked when we reached him, though his eyes were specifically on me.

“We’re all fine,” Gabriel answered.

Westley looked over to Damon, who grunted, “I’m fine!”

He slid out of Gabriel’s hold, only to trip on the first step and crash right into Westley.

“Gah!” They both went falling down, and we were left to gawk in horror while Gabriel rolled his eyes and passed right by them.

“Guess Westley will get you inside.”

“No! Wait, Gabe! Dammit!” Damon whined.

“Unbelievable,” Westley huffed. “What did you do to yourself?”

“I’m just tired!” Damon argued.

“Tired, my foot,” Westley grumbled but ended up helping him up. “C’mon. I figured something was up so I made you guys tea.”

Peering over at Alice, I noticed her smile as she turned her attention to me.

“Tea and a nice bath would be nice,” she noted. “Let’s go dry up?”

“Ya,” I replied and squeezed her hand. “The tea will help us get back to sleep.”

“Want me to stay with you tonight?” she offered. “I mean, if you want?”

Her cheeks were beginning to tint a light red, and it made me grin as I slowly nodded.

“I’d love that, Alice,” I replied with a softened smiled. “I’ll even chase those nightmares away.” I thought it would even be a good idea for her to stay with one of us each night. Maybe it would ensure she didn’t have nightmares if she had that sense of comfort.

Before we could enter, I stopped Alice at the top step.

“Keru?” She turned to face me with curious eyes. All I could do was smile before leaning right in to kiss her. The move was a little unexpected for even me, but it felt right.

Her warm lips pressed back against mine, taking my movements with her own defiant ones until the kiss was deep and passionate. Pulling her into my grasp, we kissed until we were breathless and forced to take a break.

“What was that for?” Alice inquired, and I stared into her eyes that danced with passion.

“Being you,” I whispered. “Thanks for earlier. I needed that.”

“I know,” she replied with a knowing smile, and it hurt my aching heart to think that Alice had probably experienced so many of those moments and had no one to hold her.

No one to comfort her when it felt like life was spiraling down.

We hugged each other one more time, and I allowed myself to savor every second of it.

This sleepwalking wonder has to be dealt with, or else…I may end up in the hands of death.

12

CONSEQUENCES OF LOVING BOTH

~ALICE~

“ALICE, can you stay behind for a moment?”

I paused in my departure to look back to acknowledge Professor Caulder’s statement.

“Sure,” I replied and walked over to her desk as the last set of students made their way out of the classroom. It was nearing lunchtime, and Professor Caulder let us out early.

Gabriel and Keru were heading to the council room to get their stuff while Westley had left to use the washroom as I was packing up. Damon was meeting with Clara to discuss some more paperwork that had to be handled, which left me this rare opportunity to be alone.

Professor Caulder waited for the door to close before she snapped her fingers to trigger the orange walls that kept our words within these walls.

It didn’t necessarily make me nervous, but I could tell whatever we had to discuss wasn’t simply about my grades or current performance.

I still had to be sure.

“Does this have to do with my grades or performance, Professor Caulder?”

“Not at all.” She smiled as she sat down on her desk and encouraged me to pull up a chair so I could sit. “This actually has to do with Damon.”

“Damon?”

She slowly nodded, and her face grew serious as she let out a sigh.

“I’m unsure if he’s let you guys know yet, but an incident occurred earlier and is now under investigation.”

“An incident?” I wasn’t following because Damon was with us the entire time today. Literally until minutes ago. We’d come from the same house and all had the same classes till this point.

Professor Caulder nodded, and her grave expression was making my heart beat faster.

“A few, honestly. I’m doing my best to control the situation until CloverSpell returns from a meeting. Hopefully, during the lunch break.”

“What’s going on?” I asked nervously.

“Damon’s sister was hit by a car today.” She dropped the bomb that made my eyes widen in shock.

“What? Zhavia?! Is she okay?” I was already standing up in worry at the thought of Damon’s sister being hurt. “How did she get hit? There are no busy streets in Blazing unless she was obviously somewhere else. Is she okay? Does Damon know?”

“Damon was informed during the break.”

“Why didn’t he go?” I gasped. “Like, his sister got hit by a car?! Why is he still here trying to work?”

“He won’t be allowed to see her right now,” Professor Caulder admitted. “She’s undergoing surgery.”

“Surgery?!” This was insane to me. “Will she make it?”

“We’re not sure,” Professor Caulder admitted with a frustrated expression. I was sure she didn’t know Zhavia but hated the situation.

“But why was she hit?”

“We’re unsure of that as well,” she admitted. “But we believe it was intentional. Thankfully when it happened, a group of Blazing students were nearby and immediately called for an ambulance. Investigators are still looking into the reason and reviewing video cameras to attempt to catch the license plate on the vehicle, but that’s a whole other process,” she explained.

“You don’t think…” I trailed off because I didn’t want to dare say what I was thinking.

“We’re looking into the possibilities,” she whispered while nodding her head in understanding. “It could make sense with the other incidents.”

“Other? What else happened?”

“A number of students have been spreading rumors about a bunch of students they believe are gay,” she began. “They’ve been plastering photoshopped images around the school and slipping them in lockers.”

My eyes widened at the news as she opened her top drawer to retrieve what looked like a photo of some kind. She offered it to me, and I took it only to frown at the obviously manipulated photo where they put a head shot of Damon and Gabriel on some random image of two naked guys with the words ‘DISGUSTING’ in red ink that dripped down half the card.

“What the fuck!” I snapped, and the whole card lit in flames before I could attempt to stop it. I gritted my teeth and looked to Professor Caulder, who gave me a slight smile.

“I have more copies,” she reasoned. “I’ve been having my agents go through the school and get rid of these as well as go hard on the social media platforms to take down any type of sharing regarding this incident.”

“Including the school forums and blogs?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “You’re well aware that I do not tolerate bullying.”

“I don’t think Gabriel knows of this,” I admitted. “But does Damon? If he knows about his sister, could he be ignoring this too?”

“He’s aware,” she confirmed. “He was informed with the previous news.”

Why hasn’t he said anything? He acts as if everything is okay!

Professor Caulder sighed. “So far, I’ve taught your group among many students, but due to my connection in aiding with the investigation, it’s my job to do general background checks to ensure I have an understanding as to why a student or group would be a target for organizations with evil intentions,” she revealed. “Looking into Damon’s history, I can see why he reacts the way he does,” she revealed.

“Why? I mean, yes he’s adopted, and from the hectic past I know in connection with what he is, I can get why he likes to keep to himself, but why would he deal with this alone? He hasn’t told any of us yet, which worries me…”

“Because you wish for him to rely on you and the others?”

I couldn’t help but nod while my shoulders sank. “He shouldn’t have to carry the burden of life alone. Recently we’ve been trying to bring him into things more. To be a good friend to him so he knows we’re not going anywhere. And I thought we were doing a good job.”

But now this happens, and he hasn’t confided in us yet.

“I don’t think you understand things from Damon’s point of view, Alice,” Professor Caulder revealed. She urged me to sit back down with a hand gesture, and I decided to do exactly that as she took a deep breath to sigh.

“I know what Damon is,” she began. “A Blazing Necromancer. You have a general idea of what that is?”

“Yes,” I replied. “Individuals with flaming traits that carry the capability of opening gates between the living and the dead. In order to become one, you have to…die.”

Professor Caulder’s eyes darkened as she bobbed her head in agreement.

“Some say that Blazing Necromancers were given the ability because the process of dying again and again sends fractions of their soul down to hell in exchange for stronger flaming traits from the very pits of eternal fire,” she explained. “They say that the devil’s right hand man is a Blazing Necromancer who was murdered by one hundred men who wanted to make the ultimate Necromancer to use in wars and hunt down Blazing Witches.”

“S-Seriously?” I was shocked by the mere idea and it hurt my heart to think that anyone had to deal with such an agonizing end and endless suffering. Dying alone and being brought back to be killed another way could make one throw up in fear, but imagine enduring that cycle a hundred times so you’d become a puppet of destruction.

“Did it work?”

“Almost,” she quietly admitted as her eyes softened. “Until he decided to make a deal with the devil.”

“What?”

Professor Caulder smiled at my response. “After ninety-nine times of dying, this man knew he’d survive one last time. It was obvious because he was at the end of the tunnel, and his physical torture would be over. However, he knew his return would lead to the deaths of many individuals who didn’t deserve to die. Innocent men, women, children. All because of the powerful greed of those who’d become obsessed with the idea of being gods. He may not be in any more physical pain, but the emotional and spiritual aspect would drive him insane, and the deeds he committed would land him in hell anyways.”

She leaned further into her chair as she continued.

“With how many times he’d died, he knew how long it took for them to revive him, so he knew exactly what he wished to request of Lucifer himself. When he entered the realms of death, he sought the gates of hell and requested to make a deal with the devil. Lucifer to many is the ruler of hell, but to us blazing mages, he’s merely another god in this grand galaxy, and he’s one that actually connects to our kind more because of our fire trait,” she explained. “He requested that the devil allow him to die, but instead of being sent up for judgment, he wished to serve by the devil’s side and aid in protecting other individuals who were forced to become Blazing Necromancers.”

“Wow,” I whispered. “Did…Lucifer agree to it?”

“Yes,” she replied. “But he did more than just that. He allowed this man to revive for the hundredth time, and as the group of men gathered to celebrate, he killed them all by opening a gateway to hell itself where they all fell into eternal suffering. Lucifer held up his deal to let him remain by his side and aid in preventing further chances of such manipulative movements. The incident was written in history, but since that was many ages ago, it’s been archived similar to what happened with the hunt of Blazing Hot Witches.”

“Then…what happened? Did he just stay in hell for the rest of his life serving Lucifer?”

“No,” she revealed. “He did his duty for many years until the chances of becoming a Blazing Necromancer were so low that he didn’t see the need to continue. However, he didn’t wish to face judgment.”

“Why not?”

“This man never got the chance to live. His family was slain by the leader of this mob who first decided that this boy would become their Blazing Necromancer. His life was filled with constant torture until he was considered the proper age and strength to begin what ended up being a hundred-death cycle. He’d never experienced friendship or the idea of love. He felt like his existence was only wasteful, and that to be judged would only lead him back to hell for torture because he didn’t fulfill the purpose he was destined to do in the world.”

She looked to the ceiling and sighed. “He wished to have an actual purpose in the world, one that didn’t revolve around death and sadness, but he’d never been given the freedom to see the world through his current eyes. Due to this, he contemplated for a really long time, until Lucifer granted him the chance of a lifetime. He was allowed to briefly live on earth and there, he’d be allowed to decide what he wanted.”

Lowering her head, she returned to looking at me. “He was given three months to learn more about the current world, and during that time, he was intrigued by a certain Blazing Hot Witch who was making a revolutionary movement. He was fascinated by her because of how bright her hair was. It reminded him of the flames of the pits of hell. Not to mention her beauty that drew his attention. He didn’t feel a romantic spark with her, but he wished to have a chance to speak to her.”

A Blazing Hot Witch with bright hair.

“He finally got his chance, and to his further enlightenment, he was able to spend a few hours discovering a bit of her world. She gave him an experience of generosity that no one else had given him in the duration of his stay, and he promised that her kindness would be rewarded,” she revealed. “On his last day, he sought the woman to give her the reward she’d deserved, but instead, he discovered the ultimate truth.”

She paused to take a deep breath and let it out.

“The woman was burned to death.” My heart clenched firmly while I swallowed the lump in my throat. The story hit hard, as if it were my own, and I could only imagine what this individual felt.

“The man couldn’t fathom it at first. He knew how cruel the world was, but his purpose was to witness the good in the world after ridding it of so many evil men who wished for him to destroy those very lands. What hurt him further was hearing the cries of a man. The man was on his knees and cried as if his whole world had broken at that very moment. Those tears hit the ground as the world seemed to darken at the loss of this woman, and the man knew that the individual crying had to be one who loved this woman dearly. Returning down to hell, he sought the soul of the woman who was murdered by asking Lucifer himself to ensure she’d gone to heaven after a heartless death, but instead, they discovered a cruel reality.”

I listened intently as Professor Caulder closed her eyes.

“They discovered the woman’s soul was being held captive by a spell that was sealed into a specific necklace. One of the rubies held immense power. The men who weaved the plans for her execution expected to pick up the necklace after the crowd had left, but when they returned, the necklace was gone. They were on the search for it, and the only person the man knew who could possibly have taken the necklace was the crying lover who sobbed at the place of her death.”

The necklace hidden around my neck felt hot at this part of the story as if it knew exactly where this was going. Maybe it was my obvious acknowledgment of it that made it feel heavier around my neck, but I begged to suck up this story because I was positive this would be my only chance to put the pieces together.

“This man…let’s call him Spade, was very important to Lucifer after all he’d been through and he still held a hint of compassion for a stranger he’d met in the world above. Lucifer decided to give Spade more time to seek out this necklace and free the woman’s soul, but his search ended with these evil individuals finding the woman’s lover and killing him the day before laws were changed to eliminate the hunt of Blazing Witches and magic users around the world. Spade held immense pity and anger because the lover had lost his life and would ascend to judgment and realize his love wasn’t there to be reunited with him. It was a baffling love story that tore at his heart which he always assumed would be filled with hate, so he acquired the necklace before it could get into the wrong grasps and return to hell to receive Lucifer’s aid in releasing the woman’s soul.”

“Was he able to?” I inquired quietly.

“Yes, but there was a problem.”

Oh no.

“In order to release her, Spade had to open the gates of life and death to be in a realm that would allow him to pull her soul out of the object she’d been sealed into. The task cost immense energy, but the problem was the act could only be complete with the involvement of someone who loved the woman,” she revealed. “Due to this new discovery, they would need the lover’s soul to aid in achieving her freedom.”

“But the lover already ascended!” I voiced, my exclamation making me flinch at how loud my voice was. “Sorry.”

Professor Caulder smiled a little before she shook her head.

“Nothing to apologize for,” she noted and continued, “You’re right. He had risen up to judgment, but he could not be judged.”

“Why not?”

“His soul was so distraught with anger that he wouldn’t be allowed to enter the realms of paradise. However, he also didn’t deserve to be sent to hell. Therefore, he remained in the realms of purgatory, where the gods wished for his anger to fade over time so he’d be allowed entry into paradise. When Lucifer and Spade discovered this, they decided to make a deal with the gods to allow the lover to aid in the conquest of releasing the woman.”

“What was the deal?”

“The deal was that the lover would have to serve the gods in paradise while Spade would have to serve Lucifer for the exact same period of time as the lover. Essentially, one would serve the ruler of hell for a set number of years, while the other would serve the ruler of heaven for the same amount.”

“Then what about the girl?”

“That was the tricky part,” Professor Caulder revealed. “The girl’s soul would be unlocked with the energy given by Lucifer through Spade, and the love from the lover would retrieve her out of the necklace, but for her soul to survive the journey back into the realms of the underworld, she’d had to be bonded by those who retrieved her.”

“Meaning…she had to be bond with both?” I gasped. “But if they both have to service opposite worlds, where would that leave her?”

“She indeed had to be bonded with both, but in comparison to hell where Lucifer has control of the world of flames, the realms of paradise don’t have that same control, which meant her lover had no choice but to cut the bond between them so she could be able to remain with Spade.”

I gawked at the news as Professor Caulder gave a sad smile.

“It was a painful sacrifice in realms that should never request such, but it was the deeds of those in the land of the living that caused this turmoil. It broke the woman’s heart while Spade felt the lover’s act was beyond brave and selfless. Due to this, he requested one more thing from Lucifer.”

I waited intently for her to continue.

“He requested that the three of them be reincarnated in a time when they wouldn’t be persecuted for their gifts. He knew he was asking Lucifer a great deal because reincarnation would mean Lucifer would lose him. It also meant that the realms of paradise would lose the lover’s aid once their time of service was up. However, Lucifer was willing to do this because he cared dearly for Spade and wished for him to return to the world and get a chance to live the life he never got to live: to make friends, to enjoy love, and to make an impact. He agreed with the condition that his new life would potentially give him the role of being a Blazing Necromancer again.”

“A-Again?!” I gasped. “Why?”

“Compared to the lover who had no magical attachments and detachment to the woman, Spade was bonded to the woman in the realms of the dead. Therefore, if they were reincarnated, the woman would be connected to him and the chance of her being able to reunite with her lover would be impossible,” she elaborated. “Spade wished the woman to be rewarded for showing him the goodness in the world he’d thought was filled with hate and death, and he knew by allowing her to be a fated love to her lover in a new life, it would bring her happiness in her new life and lead to eternal happiness when they both passed on. He wanted to be as selfless as she and her lover had been, by doing a selfless act of his own. So for him to act upon that opportunity, he’d have to briefly enter the realm between life and death once more.”

She lowered her gaze to her hands as two balls of flames emerged in her grasp to demonstrate what she was going to explain.

“This was done after they had served their time in their promised roles. By then, Spade was knowledgeable, more powerful, and had secretly fallen for the woman who we’ll call Ruby. He’d spent centuries with her around, and though it took her a long time to get over the rejection she’d endured from her past lover, she’d grown closer to Spade while taking up the role of being Lucifer’s daughter.”

Lucifer’s daughter?

“Now that it was the time to reincarnate, Spade struggled immensely. He loved Ruby but knew that she deserved to live a life with her lover. It tore every heartstring to complete the deed between the realms, but he kept his word because it was the reward he vowed to deliver when the time was right. With his ability as a Blazing Necromancer, he sent their souls to the realms of reincarnation. He preserved the remaining magic from Ruby into the necklace, and allowed it to return to the realms of the living to one day be discovered by Ruby’s reincarnation when it was ready to be reunited with her,” she explained, and I watched the ball of flames spin around one another until they combined and floated into the air until they extinguished.

“When he returned to say goodbye to Lucifer, he was heartbroken and cried with all his might as if he were the very lover crying over the loss of his woman over her grave. He now understood the sorrow that came with losing those he loved because to him, Ruby was his friend, a woman he loved, and a future he didn’t realize he’d miss until he gave it to another to enjoy.”

I was blinking back tears as the story simply unfolded in my mind like a movie.

“Lucifer pitied him, and he, too, missed Ruby. She’d been the first to be taken in by the devil who’d only had Spade by his side for so long, and her departure made him wish to aid her so that if turmoil tried to follow her into the new life she’d been blessed with, she’d have abilities and traits that would protect her from the evil intentions the world may offer,” Professor Caulder explained. “Lucifer personally decided that if Spade had to return as a Necromancer and deal with the hardships that role delivers, he’d secretly connect him with Ruby’s soul so that she wouldn’t solely have one fated mate, but two.”

I gawked at the news while trying to put it all together.

“But…how would he do that if Spade already connected Ruby and her lover’s souls? Weren’t they already reincarnated?”

“Archives state that reincarnation in any realm requires a process where the souls must stay incubated for a certain period of time before released, so yes. They were sent to be reincarnated, but their souls hadn’t departed,” she answered. “Therefore, Lucifer used this opportunity to aid in Spade’s reincarnation and connected him so he’d be also bonded with Ruby. By doing this, it made it so that Ruby had two fated mates, but something intriguing happened.”

“What?”

“When they were sent to be reincarnated, Spade and the lover’s soul’s energies were polar opposite and should have gone down different paths. However, the connection to Ruby’s soul was far too strong, which tugged them down the path together.”

I frowned. “So…they became one person?”

The way she smiled didn’t make it seem like I’d gotten the right answer, but then something clicked into my brain and suddenly my eyes were as wide as saucers.

“Twins.”

Professor Caulder’s smile widened then as she slowly nodded her head.

“Twins.”

“Ruby…” I whispered, and it all connected as a rush of memories I’d never understood why I’d forgotten flooded my mind.

The carnival. The reading with Madame Lily. The confrontation with Westley saving me. The words of Brad to Madeline. Me…being a demigod, Lucifer’s only daughter.

Everything began to click and it literally baffled my mind as my lip trembled and tears ran down my cheeks.

“Holy fucking hell…Ruby…is me?” I sought Professor Caulder’s knowing eyes as they glimmered with understanding while she slowly nodded. “The lover…is Westley…and Spade is Damon. Oh, my Flaming Mother of all things burning. Wait…why did you bring this up then, and…and…I remember something. Um, during the incident at summer camp. When Westley saved me at the waterfall, we’d hidden in the cave behind the falls, and Brad and Madeline showed up. Brad said something about me being a demigod, Lucifer’s only daughter, and that they need me for some offering to open the gates to free Lucifer’s wrath.”

My words were all rushed, but they were clearly interpreted by Professor Caulder because her eyes widened at the revelation before it dawned on her.

“I brought this up because Damon is at risk of a mental breakdown,” she admitted, but she looked deep in thought as she bit her lip. “This is bad.”

“Why?” I wasn’t following how bad this situation could suddenly be.

“Damon’s distance isn’t necessarily on purpose. It’s likely a reincarnated trait, especially if he’s indeed the Spade from the legend. This tale is normally told in Elite school, but due to the week of background checks and research on your group and Lock and Key’s immense fascination with you, in particular, I began to connect the dots,” she elaborated. “However, I didn’t understand what their underlying motive was. Why were they seeking you, or more importantly, wishing you to join their side? Now that you’ve brought up this gate, it makes sense.”

“Why are they trying to summon Lucifer, and why would that involve me joining them? Why would they also want Damon to have a mental breakdown?” My brain was swirling with so much information, and I was honestly struggling to keep it all together. It was like a bomb was dropped within my mind and the memories I’d somehow forgotten added more weighted pressure to my consciousness.

“I’m unsure why they’re trying to summon Lucifer,” she confessed. “But your involvement would make sense. You’re the reincarnation of Ruby, favored by Lucifer. They would either use you as a bribe to entice Lucifer to enter our realms or they would kill you to anger Lucifer to wreak havoc in payback. As for Damon…they could potentially know he’s Spade and also loved by Lucifer. As for why they wish for Damon to have a breakdown…it could potentially cause Damon to summon Lucifer.”

“What?” Now I was freaked out. “How would he summon Lucifer?!”

“If we can confirm Damon is the reincarnation of Spade, then it shouldn’t be difficult. Damon is the reincarnation of the only surviving Blazing Necromancer that survived a hundred rounds of death. Those abilities weren’t lost with his death, just like your powers from your past life were not lost. Westley is the only one who would be entering this realm with the powers blessed by his creators, but seeing as his soul was entwined with Damon’s due to the bond with you, it could be possible he holds the same level of magical capabilities minus the ability to travel through the realms of life and death and summon the dead.”

Professor Caulder ran her hands through her hair as if to distract herself from this frustrating debate.

“Even if Damon’s potential breakdown doesn’t summon Lucifer, it could lead to a premature death…and that wouldn’t be good in many aspects,” she revealed and met my horrified gaze. “It could lead to your sanity being affected.”

“Why?”

“Remember, if you’re Ruby, which I’m getting a stronger hunch that you are, you’re bonded with both of them. Damon and Westley. Your connection with Westley is based on the immense love you two shared with your hearts, while your connection with Damon is based on the intense bond of fire and magic from the realms of death. Needless to say, Damon’s death would feel no different from the rejection Ruby experienced from her lover. Your heart would feel like half of it was destroyed, and that could trigger a very destructive reaction from you.”

“Which could make a whole lot of people get hurt,” I whispered.

“Or worse,” she muttered. “Summon Lucifer to take revenge.”

“Wait…are you trying to insinuate that Lock and Key could be trying to wreak havoc in Damon’s life to possibly trigger a breakdown and that’s why all of sudden his sister was hit by a car and he’s being targeted by the bullies with those fake, manipulated photos?”

“And he’s working himself to the bone with work,” she added.

“What? You mean the council paperwork and such? I’ve been trying to help him, but it’s been a little difficult. But Clara is supposed to be aiding him!”

“And my question is, has she?” she tossed back, and I was honestly left with uncertainty because I hadn’t followed up.

“I’ll answer for you,” Professor Caulder offered. “She hasn’t. I know this because she’s been skipping her classes and ditching Damon, which leaves him with double the workload while balancing the same amount of school work we’ve been assigning all of you these past couple of weeks. From his current marks, he’s clearly struggling juggling school, being the Horsemen’s only assistant, and now dealing with his sister getting purposely injured and being bullied in all aspects. It’s only a matter of time before something triggers him, Alice, and that’s exactly why I decided to confront you here and now. Obviously from this conversation, we’ve uncovered something bigger, and it only makes Lock and Key’s motives more obvious.”

“We need to tell the others,” I whispered. “I need to go get Damon.”

“Feel free to. If you wish to take the rest of the day off to discuss this further, we’ll schedule a meeting with CloverSpell after lunch and reveal the details.”

“Professor Caulder, how were you able to put all of this together?” I questioned. “It was a hypothesis and yet you figured out…well…who I was in the past, as well as who Westley and even Damon were, and yet I never even recalled them. I couldn’t even remember the details of all of this until our conversation triggered it.”

“I’ve aided another woman who was once a student where I used to work. Her past was rather different from yours, but she’s also a reincarnation and had to unravel a similar circumstance. Though I wasn’t there to unravel her past, it gave me the experience to learn how to spot others who are targeted by dark organizations who specifically target students who have no relation to them. After a full week of intense research, it made logical sense.”

Something dawned on me.

“Wait, wait, wait. T-T-That means Westley and Damon are ACTUALLY twins?!” I gasped.

“Was that not common knowledge?” Professor Caulder looked confused. “I was being serious when I said they looked like twins.”

“T-They don’t know,” I voiced. “Westley’s adopted! So is Damon…. They share the same birthday…. I can’t believe we didn’t put one and two together. How could they have been separated at birth though? They also didn’t look alike until recently with their growth spurts and the change in their hair and stuff.”

Professor Caulder was clearly following my rambling because her frown deepened further as she muttered, “Someone knew.” She stated it as if it were true. “Someone had to have known who Westley and Damon were and separated them on purpose…but was it to save them or to get rid of them?” she pondered. “In terms of their growth spurts and recent similarities, it could be due to their association with you.”

“Why?”

“You carry fated bonds with both of them. When did Westley’s growth spurt occur?”

“Hmm, last semester when we started dating,” I revealed.

She smiled and nodded swiftly. “He began to open his heart to you, which heightened the connective bond you three share and increased his magic, which triggered the growth spurt.”

“Doesn’t that mean…”

“Damon’s opening his heart to you. Whether that’s love or just friendship, the connection and the opportunity to be around you often is having the same effect of uplifting his magic and triggering the growth spurts. The closer they both get to you and the more heightened the connection you two share, the stronger they most likely will become, and it will unravel many more abilities they were blessed to come with.”

“I’m still confused about one thing,” I voiced. “Why was I called a demigod?”

“That’s something I can’t explain to you,” she confessed. “I’ve technically gone against the rules by telling you the tale, but CloverSpell will most likely be fine with it because of the relation it carries to our current circumstance, but any more and I’ll be in trouble,” she revealed.

“Then I’ll drop it,” I concluded and rose up. “Professor Caulder, thank you so much!” I bowed deeply and tried to calm how nervous I suddenly was. I felt like time was ticking and I needed to find Damon for us to talk.

We need to deal with this together or he’ll end up alone. He doesn’t deserve another life of solitude. He’s already experienced so many wrongs.

“Talk with Damon and reveal to him and Westley that they may potentially be siblings. If they wish to do DNA tests, simply inform me and we can get them done ASAP. I’ll catch CloverSpell up with this predicament and our findings and we’ll regroup.”

“Alright,” I whispered and took a few deep breaths. “Professor Caulder.” My voice was so tiny. “Are…we going to be okay? All of this is a little overwhelming, and I won’t deny the fact that I’m frightened.”

Professor Caulder rose up and walked over to place her hands on my shoulders.

“Alice. You’re a Blazing Horseman. A strong woman, with powers begging to be released. It’s okay to be afraid. Life is filled with scary situations, but those experiences are what makes us stronger,” she encouraged. “You have to remember: you’re not alone in this. You have the support, and we’ll do everything we can to aid you as we crack down on Lock and Key. I may be new to this academy, but I know Blazing Academy’s aim is to empower all those who carry the scorching traits of fire. You’re only in the first part of your second year, and from your past, you were never given the empowering opportunity to strengthen yourself further. Regardless, you’ve strived this far to not only grow stronger, but you’ve done this to find your blazing purpose and it’s simply unraveling itself at a far faster pace than you expected. It’s frightening, but you will get through this. You, Alice Blaze, will prosper and show them that a Blazing Horseman doesn’t give up when things get a little too hot.”

I lifted my teary eyes to see her smile as she moved her hands to act as if she were putting a crown on my head.

“Now, here’s your crown, Queen. You accidentally dropped it but now it’s time to wear it with pride and show those who wish to silence you that you’re not going to fall into the hands of those who wish nothing but evil for you. This world needs you for bigger things, and no one will strip that away from you. Understood, Blazing Queen?” She winked at the last part, and I smiled as I slowly nodded and blinked away my tears.

“Understood, Professor Caulder,” I replied. “Thank you so much.”

“Get going,” she encouraged.

I nodded and gathered my things to race out of the room and run to the council room. It took me half the time to reach there, and when I opened the door, I crashed right into Westley.

“OOF!” I was going to fall back from the impact, but he caught me before I could hit the ground. “Westley?”

“Alice.” Westley looked worried, which only made me more worried. He helped me up, and I opened my mouth to ask where Damon was, but I noticed the inside of the council room.

“What the fuck happened?” I gasped and slid out of Westley’s grasp to see the chaos in the heart of the council room. My eyes landed on Gabriel, Keru, and Clara. Gabriel looked as pissed as ever while Keru looked damn right disgusted.

Clara, on the other hand, was sobbing into her hands, and I noticed the papers that littered the floor were multiple copies of the manipulated photos.

“Where’s Damon?” I got right to the point as I looked between the three of them.

“He went to the cafeteria to get something to eat while he cools down.” Keru was the one to answer. “He’s a bit heated right now.”

“Heated? Fucking pissed off,” Gabriel snapped. “Now tell the truth, Clara!”

Clara?

I walked in further as Westley closed the door so that what was said next wouldn’t be heard by anyone else.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know the images were these! Brad requested I photocopy an image they needed for their club advertisement, and because the main office one was broken, I offered to print it for them. I never looked at the picture because I didn’t want to invade their privacy!”

“You’re lying,” Gabriel seethed, his eyes darkening to metallic gold. “You knew!”

“I didn’t!” she argued.

“Clara,” I whispered. “You’re the one who helped so that Damon would be humiliated?”

“I didn’t know, Alice!” she stated, but something in my gut told me she was lying.

“Why have you been ditching school?” I went straight to the point.

“W-What?”

“You’ve been ditching school the last couple of weeks, and you left all the work for Damon! He’s been carrying the workload of all the Blazing Horsemen while juggling school, and all the other shit he has to deal with! Now, I find out you aided Brad with this scheme to bully him and Gabriel?!” My voice was moving up octaves at this point, but I was so upset.

“I-It’s not true!”

“Out!” I snapped and pointed to the door. “The next time we discuss this, Headmaster CloverSpell and Professor Caulder will be present. Until then, you’re dismissed from your position!”

“You…but…” She looked devasted but she then bit her lip and marched out of the room - slamming the door behind her.

I couldn’t even care as I paced rapidly while my brain was going overtime, trying to figure shit out.

“Alice,” Westley tried to speak to me, but I decided to tell everything I’d discovered in the shortest ramble I could think of.

“We have to get to Damon and talk with Professor Caulder and Headmaster CloverSpell now!” I urged. “Damon’s sister was hit by a car earlier and he hasn’t told anyone, he’s been working himself to the bone with this workload without informing us that Clara wasn’t helping him, and now this bullying bullshit about being gay! It’s all some sort of plot to trigger him for some unknown reason that could potentially make him summon Lucifer from the pits of hell or trigger a mental breakdown that can kill Damon, which will apparently trigger me to summon Lucifer or basically make me into a destructive bomb that will hurt a whole lot of people!”

The three of them stared at me with wide eyes and I pointed to Westley.

“We’re reincarnated and I have a fated connection with you AND Damon, who’s apparently the servant of Lucifer. He dedicated his afterlife to aid Lucifer until his time was done and he selflessly reincarnated us so that we could be together in this lifetime but because Lucifer felt pity for him for his kindness, he pushed him to be reincarnated as well and created a bond between the three of us so that he and you would be my fated lovers in this reincarnated life, and that bond is the reason why you and Damon are twins!”

Westley just stood there completely speechless.

“WHAT?!” Gabriel and Keru snapped at the news. “They’re related?!”

I quickly bobbed my head. “It’s a hypothesis but everything makes sense! Professor Caulder just revealed this to me, but we can’t waste any more time. We have to find Damon and talk to him. Lock and Key are doing this all on purpose to make him lose his shit. We have to tell him their intentions.”

“Cafeteria,” Gabriel whispered. He was moving first before he grabbed my hand and tugged me along. “Keru! Tug Westley’s ass along!”

“Right,” Keru replied, and I was sure he’d drag Westley’s shocked self along, but I hoped we’d reach the cafeteria in time because the damage in the student council room alone told me that shit would go down if something else pulled Damon’s nerves.

Please, Damon. Hang in there a little longer.

13

BULLY ME NOT

~GABRIEL~

“DAMON.” I caught onto his arm before we entered the busy hallway.

“What?” Damon gave me his usual unamused look, but I wasn’t responding to what I saw with my eyes. I was following my instincts that something felt off with him.

“Are you okay?” I quietly asked, knowing Keru would be back from the bathroom at any moment.

“I’m fine,” Damon huffed. “Why? Your instincts telling you otherwise?”

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to genuinely answer him. Not because he didn’t deserve the truth, but because of the obvious attempt to push away my concerns.

“Your energy has been off since breakfast. Did something happen?”

“I’m just tired,” he concluded. “I watched Keru last night, remember. Didn’t get much sleep and I’m not used to not being asleep after three in the morning.”

“How about I watch Keru tonight so you can get some sleep?”

“Why are you being nice to me?” Damon muttered, almost as if he were irritated. He looked away as a few people snickered and pointed in our direction.

“Because we’re friends?”

“Hmph. Kirby and West are your friends. I’m not even worthy of being in that category.”

“Why not?”

Damon tugged his arm out of my grasp.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Damon shook his head. “I’m heading to the council room. I have some work to finish before lunch. I should have eaten your offered breakfast. Hmph.”

“Damon, you didn’t answer me.”

His whole demeanor was off today. He barely slept, said he wasn’t hungry at breakfast, looked annoyed this morning before classes, and then was called during breakfast to meet with Professor Caulder. Since then his energy had been noticeably different, and though the others may have not noticed yet, I did.

It was like he was begging to be acknowledged. For someone to see his pain.

“Why aren’t you ashamed?”

“Ashamed?” I wasn’t following as he turned around, tucked his hand into the inner pocket of his blazer, and retrieved a photo. He put it right in my face, and I had no choice but to stare at the image that made my worry turn into scalding anger.

Who the fuck did that?

“This is why I stay away.”

Damon dropped the photo but I caught it while our eyes were still locked on one another’s.

“It’s only a matter of time before people cause trouble. That’s what happens when you’re someone like me. My very essence annoys people, and they do everything in their power to screw up my life because it brings them far too much satisfaction,” he huffed. “Stop being nice to me, before everyone really thinks we’re dating or some stupid shit.”

He spun around and tsked. “As if I’d even belong in whatever relationship you guys have with Alice. A harem? Funny. They’ll start bullying Alice, too. So tired of this shit.”

He began to walk away, and I tried to follow but a hand gripped my shoulder.

“Keru,” I hissed in annoyance, but his gaze was on the picture while his eyes darkened enough that I wasn’t sure if they would go completely black.

“What the fuck is that?”

“The next bullying stunt,” I huffed. “C’mon. We need to follow Damon. His energy is off.”

“There’s a rumor going around,” Keru voiced with enough urgency it made me pause in my movement to listen to him as he continued. “A girl was hit by a car an hour ago. Deliberately hit and is now in surgery. The rumors are speculating it’s Damon’s sister.”

That made my heart beat harder against my chest as old memories resurfaced.

“Hey, Noah,” I greeted my best friend as I came to a stop in the hall. “Are we…huh? Noah? Why are you crying? What’s wrong?”

“They…they…” He could barely speak as sobs wracked through his body. “They…”

I took his hand and tugged him until we were in an empty classroom.

“Noah, what happened? Who’s they? Did Brad bully you again or something? You know he’s just doing that because he likes yo-”

“My brother is dead.”

I froze at his words as my eyes widened. He lowered his hands in defeat. His eyes, flooded with tears, continued to grow glassy as those black jewels bored into mine.

“H-How?” I couldn’t fathom what was going on. “Your brother…we just saw him this morning.”

“They killed him,” he whispered with a sad smile. “They…he was hit with a car.”

I couldn’t grasp any of this and Noah shook his head.

“I can’t do this anymore, Gabriel.”

“Noah. Wait…we can figure this out,” I reached for his hand but he slapped it away.

“Who’s going to figure things out for me?!” he screamed.

“I can ask my brother,” I reasoned. “My parents are busy, but my brother could-”

“It’s only a matter of time before they kill him, too, Gabriel!” Noah snapped. “I hate it here. I hate it so damn much! Why are we even friends?!”

“Because…we are! We’ve been friends since we were little!”

“Why?! All I am is trouble to you!”

“You’re not!”

“Trouble always follows me! How much longer do I have to keep going to this school that is disgusted by me! It’s not my fault I was born this way!”

“Noah, there’s nothing wrong with you!”

“Then why does everyone hate me?!” he screamed and put his arms out. “Why does catastrophe follow me everywhere?! Why can’t anyone take a damn moment and see me!? Why can’t they see my pain?!”

“I…” I struggled to say what needed to be said.

I see your pain. I care…no matter what or who you are.

Noah turned around and reached for the door.

“Noah! Wai-”

“I like you!” His unexpected words had me frozen yet again. “I told Brad, thinking he’d hook me up with you, and instead, this is the result. You always cared about me. You were kind to me, even though you didn’t like showing others your feelings. Even though you’re rich like everyone else here, you treat me like a person. When…my parents died and it was just me and brother, you let your parents take care of us. Every day you’d be there for us. Make tea for us. You were the light in my dark world…and…now he wants to take you away from me, too.”

His words left me speechless as tears rolled down my cheeks.

“So tell me, Gabriel,” he whispered. “If you’re gone…where in the world does that leave me?”

He didn’t let me answer as he opened the door to rush out, and it didn’t matter how fast my hand moved to try and stop him, he got away from my grasp.

“GABRIEL.”

Keru was in front of me now, as if blocking anyone’s view of me as I stared down at the picture while my teeth sank deeper into my bottom lip.

“I fucking hate this shit,” I whispered as a tear dropped from my eyes and onto the manipulated image. I scrunched the manipulated photo in my grasp, my clenched fist quaking with my boiling anger.

“Hey.” Keru placed a hand on my head and brought me close as if he didn’t care about anyone in the hall watching - assuming, making up shit to spread through a web of lies behind keyboards and computer screens.

“Breathe, Gabriel,” he coached. “Let’s get to Damon. He’s in the council room, right?”

I slightly nodded and Keru gently patted my head.

“We’ll shut this down. He’s going to be fine. It’s nothing like what happened to Noah.”

Noah. My childhood best friend…who was no longer here.

Only Keru knew the details of my past. The bullying, the constant ridicule, the world where you were acknowledged for two things: money and power.

I hadn’t felt this intense worry since that very day, but there was something in Damon’s aura that reminded me of my last moments with Noah. That screaming energy that begged to be helped, and one I couldn’t react fast enough to tame.

It was happening all over again, and though my connection to Damon wasn’t close to my friendship with Noah, it didn’t make his life any less significant. Even with the mere glimpse of what Blazing Necromancers have to go through to officially grasp that role, I could only imagine the pain Damon had held onto this entire time.

If his sister doesn’t make it…is he going to be pushed over the edge, like Noah was?

Noah’s death was what destroyed the part of me that held much hope for this world, that made me lose my emotions for a long period until I met Keru that fateful day. His friendship that soon led to Westley’s friendship worked on melting some of the ice away from my heart, and meeting Alice encouraged the melting oasis to further to where it was at now.

Yet why did I want it to freeze back up again? Why did I want to finally act upon my desire to make Brad pay?

I’d never forgiven him for that day, and knowing he was involved in Alice getting hurt at the summer camp had dug at my nerves. I’d been hiding my anger and the threatening desire to find him myself and take justice into my own hands, but the longer he held that leash of power in his grasp, the more individuals would be forced to be pulled along to his tune until they were hurt.

Or killed.

We didn’t even reach the council room when this side of the building felt like it vibrated.

“What the hell?” some of the students commented.

“Earthquake?”

“Who knows? Let’s get going.”

Some stopped to see if another tremor would shake through the building, but Keru tugged me even faster as he muttered a curse.

We reached the council room and made sure no one was around before entering the main door. We could have used any door to get to our secured council space, but did we want to risk walking into something we weren’t expecting?

Yet that’s exactly what happened.

Postcard size papers were raining down from the ceiling, and Damon stood facing Clara, who was shivering in shock.

“Damon,” Keru whispered in shock as we watched the same manipulated photo I’d scrunched in the hallway rain down all around us, but my attention was on Damon and his energy that fumed upward and spread along the surface of the ceiling.

His aura could be an entity of power itself if he wished for it, as his body shook and he clenched his fists. He was on the verge of snapping, and that anger was centered on Clara, who carried that obvious expression of guilt.

“Clara,” I whispered, but my voice held a firmness that would let her understand she was in big shit. “What did you do?”

“I-I-It’s a misunderstanding,” she tried to defend herself.

“I’m done with you,” Damon whispered and Keru moved to try and get in between them but I stopped him and spoke out instead.

“Damon.”

Damon froze and looked over his shoulder as if he’d just noticed our existence.

Keru and I grew rigid at the pure black hollows of his eyes that resembled a possessed demon. He was barely breathing as his body trembled with fury, but I didn’t back away.

I can’t turn my back on him.

“We’ll get it sorted,” I whispered to him. “Go get something to eat. We’ll deal with this.”

He continued to stare at me, and I didn’t move my gaze away as he took a steady breath and let it out slowly. His eyes began to fill with color again; purple began to glow through the onyx shadows while he sought my rejection.

Sought for me to push him away so he wouldn’t regret his actions.

“I promise, we’ll deal with this now. Just get something to eat, alright?” My eyes were pleading with his. Begging for him to understand my intentions and that no matter if we weren’t at a level of friendship where he could rely on us whenever, we’d be the sort of friends that were here when he needed us the most.

Please, Damon. Trust in us…

“I’ll be in the cafeteria,” he whispered and headed to the door - only to crash into Westley as he opened the door to walk in.

“Oomph!” The two of them corrected themselves before they could fall back, and they both stared at one another for what felt like twenty seconds.

“Damon? Are you-”

“I’ll be in the cafeteria,” Damon repeated and moved around Westley and headed out to the hall. Westley looked confused but at the same time appeared more than just worried.

“Westley?” Keru tried to draw his attention as he slowly closed the door.

“What the fuck just happened?” Westley questioned. “Why are there these stupid photos in the guys’ washroom and spreading all over the school? Why the hell does…Damon feel like a spiraling time bomb?”

“Feel like a spiraling time bomb?” Keru repeated, but I understood what he was trying to say.

Feeling as if the world were going to explode and there was no way out.

“Something’s wrong. We need to get this shit fixed, but fuck. Why are these in here?!” Westley pointed to the floor. “Who brought them in here when no one else can get in here?”

We all looked at Clara as she shook and fought her tears.

“It’s a misunderstanding,” she tried to whisper, but there was something about her words that just didn’t sit well with me. They felt fake, as if she were blatantly lying to our faces.

“I’m going to follow Damon,” Westley whispered and spun around to head to the door - only for it to be opened again and for him to crash right into Alice. The impact was hard enough for her to fall back, but he caught Alice just in time.

“Westley?”

“Alice.”

“What the fuck happened?” She gasped while taking in the room, and I noticed the way Clara put her head in her hands to sob as if she were the true victim of this situation. Nothing was making fucking sense, and though none of us were close to Clara like Alice was, her reaction to this was so foreign that it upset me down to the core.

It was the facade that everyone who knew nothing of the situation fell for, and the mere acknowledgment of that pissed me off down to the core. I couldn’t stand people who would act like they weren’t involved in the very crime and lead the world down a path that made it seem like they were innocent when truthfully, they were downright guilty.

“Where’s Damon?” Alice got to the point as her eyes continued to scan the chaos.

“He went to the cafeteria to get something to eat while he cools down.” Keru was the one to answer. “He’s a bit heated right now.”

“Heated? Fucking pissed off,” I snapped. I couldn’t hold off my anger any longer. I couldn’t stand here and let Damon be labeled as the villain in this situation. I couldn’t allow him to be the one ridiculed and ripped to shreds, painted as something wrong to the one person he was beginning to really trust: Alice.

“Now tell the truth, Clara!” I demanded.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know the images were these! Brad requested I photocopy an image they needed for their club advertisement, and because the main office copier was broken, I offered to print it for them. I never looked at the picture because I didn’t want to invade their privacy!”

Lies. Lies. Lies!

I was struggling to contain my flames that wished to lick the surface of my flesh and strike Clara right here and now.

“You’re lying,” I seethed. My magic was seeking for a way to be seen - to warn Clara that I wouldn’t be holding back any longer. “You knew!”

“I didn’t!” she argued.

“Clara,” Alice whispered, and I could see the shock in her expression at the mere thought of Clara being against us. “You’re the one who helped so that Damon would be humiliated?”

“I didn’t know, Alice!” she stated, but my gut instinct never changed.

“Why have you been ditching school?” Alice demanded, and the news was a surprise to all of us.

“W-What?”

“You’ve been ditching school the last couple of weeks, and you left all the work for Damon! He’s been carrying the workload of the Blazing Horsemen while juggling school, and all the other shit he has to deal with! Now, I find out you aided Brad with this scheme to bully him and Gabriel?!” Alice snapped, and I knew she was losing her patience from the way her voice went up a few octaves.

“I-It’s not true!”

Another fucking lie!

It looked like Alice had enough because she pointed to the door.

“Out! The next time we’ll discuss this, Headmaster CloverSpell and Professor Caulder will be present. Until then, you’re dismissed from your position!”

“You…but…” Clara appeared devasted but she then bit her lip and marched out of the room - slamming the door behind her.

“Alice,” Westley tried to speak , but she looked at the three of us and went off.

“We have to get to Damon and talk with Professor Caulder and Headmaster CloverSpell now!” I urged. “Damon’s sister was hit by a car earlier and he hasn’t told anyone, he’s been working himself to the bone with this workload without informing us that Clara wasn’t helping him, and now this bullying bullshit about being gay! It’s all some sort of plot to trigger him for some unknown reason that could potentially make him summon Lucifer from the pits of hell or trigger a mental breakdown that can kill Damon which will apparently trigger me to summon Lucifer or basically make me into a destructive bomb that will hurt a whole lot of people!”

My hammering heart suddenly stopped at the overflow of information that hit us with her words, but she wasn’t done as she pointed to Westley.

“We’re reincarnated and I have a fated connection with you AND Damon, who’s apparently the servant of Lucifer. He dedicated his afterlife to aid Lucifer until his time was done and he selflessly reincarnated us so that we could be together in this lifetime but because Lucifer felt pity for him for his kindness, he pushed him to be reincarnated as well and created a bond between the three of us so that he and you would be my fated lovers in this reincarnated life, and that bond is the reason why you and Damon are twins!”

Westley just stood there completely speechless while my brain fought to process the overload of information. It was the final part that made my eyes widen as Keru and I snapped, “WHAT?! They’re related?!”

Alice nodded quickly. “It’s a hypothesis but everything makes sense! Professor Caulder just revealed this to me, but we can’t waste any more time. We have to find Damon and talk to him. Lock and Key are doing this all on purpose to make him lose his shit. We have to tell him their intentions.”

Oh no…

“Cafeteria,” I whispered and was moving so fast, I hadn’t even acknowledged grabbing Alice’s hand and tugging her along with me. “Keru! Tug Westley’s ass along!”

“Right!” Keru called out, but we were already gone and racing towards the cafeteria at full speed. I couldn’t handle this anxiety anymore, so I tugged on every string of magic I could, and with a mental spark of magic, our bodies went through a portal and landed right at the entrance of the cafeteria.

My heart was blasting against my chest, but the circled crowd of onlooking students made me fear the worst as we pushed through the crowd and entered the inner circle.

A carton of milk in Brad’s grasp was tipped over, the white dairy liquid pouring on top of Damon’s head and splattering all over his body and uniform.

No one said a damn word while Brad and his group that had surrounded the single table Damon had been sitting at began to laugh in pure mockery while pictures of the same photo of our faces plastered on naked bodies on a bed were all over the floor and table Damon sat at.

He didn’t move, his eyes focused on the untouched food before him that was now soiled by milk, all while Brad and his friends’ laughter continued to bounce around the hollows of the cafeteria while no one interfered.

“There you go. Maybe some milk would help you grow some balls. Actually, better yet, grow some tits so you can be with your gay boyfriend and the president of Blazing Horsemen or whatever you guys call your cheap-ass student council,” he mocked and went into another round of hysterics.

“Too bad! The council can’t do shit for you now!”

“How does it feel to be the laughing stock of the whole damn school?”

“No wonder why your sister was hit by a car!”

“She probably walked right into the street after finding out her little bro is gay.”

“Disgusting.”

“C’mon, Damon. Why don’t you fight back, huh? Scared to get kicked out of school, too?”

“Doesn’t matter now. No one wants you here.”

“A disgrace to Blazing fucking Academy. Hah. Wait till this spreads on the forums. No one will want to see your face.”

“Go die somewhere, Sus,” Brad ordered and laughed yet again. “No one cares if you disappear!”

NO ONE CARES if you die, Gabriel!

The mocking laugher. The pointing fingers. The expressions of joy…all while I suffered.

“Gabriel!” The one single voice of reason cut through my dark thoughts, and there was Noah standing before me with that wide smile of his. “Jeez! What are you thinking about?”

“That…I should disappear or something.”

“What?” Noah frowned and ruffled my hair. “Idiot! Why are you going to leave me, huh?! You ain’t disappearing anywhere! Your mom would cry for like ever. Even in her meetings abroad! Your dad would be so damn sad and mad, like he failed, and your brother! How is he going to deal with the news when he’s faraway teaching and helping others! And again, what about me?!”

“But everyone else is telling me to disappear,” I quietly voiced.

“Then punch them to shut them up!” Noah huffed. “You’re not going anywhere! I’m your best friend. You’re stuck with me to the very end, and I care, Gabriel!”

THE MEMORY MADE my heart shatter as the sight of Noah’s end flashed through my mind with the very image of the day.

“HE KILLED HIMSELF?”

“No…you’re lying.”

“They were bullying him at school.”

“His twin brother was murdered recently by a horrific car accident. They didn’t find who did it.”

“They’re saying it’s a rich gang. The police won’t touch them.”

“Poor child. Did he not have one friend to help protect him?”

“This world is cruel. No one cares about anyone but themselves.”

I stared at the remains and the blood that was all over the ground that flickered with flashing lights to indicate how real of a crime scene this was, and all I could do was hold the single note in my grasp that was left just for me.

“Sorry, Gabriel. I can’t take it anymore…”

“ARE YOU FINISHED?”

Damon’s voice was emotionless as he asked the question that silenced their mocking laughter.

“What?” Brad asked as he let go of the milk carton to plop on Damon’s head and fall to the floor. Damon sighed and rose up from the bench he sat on, his eyes hidden by his drenched hair as he turned away and began to walk from the group.

“Who fucking said you could leave, you gay fucker?” Brad snapped and tugged him by the collar of his blazer. He spun Damon around with his approaching fist ready to smash into his face, but the pain only hit my cheek as I stuffed myself between them.

Everyone gasped while I managed to remain standing though my right cheek pulsed with pain. My magic calmed for what seemed like a few short seconds and spiked with intensity at the impact we’d just received.

I fought to keep my calm - to think properly for a moment as I needed to do something before I gave in to the desire to fuck shit up.

Turning around, I faced Damon as he met my gaze and took in the large red bruise settling into my pale flesh. His eyes were pure black and yet they began to swarm with purple as he took in what had just happened.

His eyes grew glassy as he continued to stare at me in complete silence, like everyone else, but I knew that look - that state of shock you experienced when after years of being pushed, stepped, and spit upon, that one person finally stood up to be on your side.

The shocking acknowledgment that you had someone on your team for once.

I noticed the carton of milk that looked to be open on the table and reaching for it, I was pleased with the fact it was half full. Lifting it up in the air for everyone to see, I poured it down and allowed the same dairy white liquid to pour all over me until my hair was drenched and uniformed stained.

I could only imagine what Alice’s expression was like, but my attention was solely on Damon’s as his eyes finally filled with tears that streamed down his face. Tossing the empty carton to the side I moved right in, hooked my arm around his neck, and pulled him right into a kiss. The action was so beyond my mental capacity that I simply didn’t give a fuck anymore.

I’d been one to carry a sort of gender fluidity like Noah had, but in our world, loving the same gender was mocked unless you held the power to fight back against all those who talked shit.

I’d pretended to not see Brad’s advancements. Pretended that he wasn’t jealous that Noah and I were close best friends. He’d pushed Noah to the edge until it cost him his life, and now he was doing the same to Damon.

He wasn’t bullying Damon just for whatever underlying motive Alice had figured out. He was bullying Damon to get to me. To crush him like he had Noah until he was out of his way and he could force me to acknowledge his feelings for me.

No matter how many years I’d avoided him. No matter my dedication to rid him entirely from my life, he found a way to come back and try to steal the woman who’d begun to further melt the ice around my heart and now repeated the past with a new target in his court.

He was a bully - an enemy who wished to be my lover but couldn’t allow the sheer possibility of me being shared by anyone else but him.

I couldn’t let him win this time, because if Damon lost his life, it wouldn’t only break me, it would shatter a part of Alice that would potentially ignite something unsalvageable.

Breaking the kiss, I looked into Damon’s shocked eyes and stated loud and clear, “Today is the only day I’ll ever stand by and watch someone dare belittle you for who you are. You’re allowed to love whoever you want. You can be whoever you want. And if anyone has a fucking problem with that, they can deal with me themselves!”

I sensed Keru and Westley’s arrival, and Professor Caulder pushed through the crowd and took in the scene. She couldn’t say a word as Brad laughed.

“What kind of heroism bullshit is this?!” he snapped. “You have a problem, Gabe?! Then c’mon over here and deal with m-”

I spun so fast and my leg was up and kicking Brad in the gut in one smooth movement that made everyone gasp as Brad’s body went flying back into a wall where it crashed with enough force to shake the structure of the cafeteria.

“Gabriel!” Alice gasped and I noticed the fear in her eyes as Westley held her back from trying to help. I knew she wasn’t trying to interfere with my actions.

She was warning me.

I turned in time to catch the strike of fire heading my way, and I extinguished it with the palm of my charged hand as I sent bolts of fire that mimicked the act of bolts of lightning that struck my attacker.

My body moved on its own accord as all levels of constraint were thrown out the fucking window. My fist connected with one guy’s face and surely broke his nose and a few teeth before I was up on the table and kicking the shit out of a student and sending him flying into another bench table.

Brad screamed in anger as he got up and went on a charging path towards Damon - like a bull racing toward a red flag. I pushed off the bench and crashed into him on time, the two of us crashing into the ground before my fists were punching the living hell out of Brad’s face.

My anger was uncontrollable as heat oozed off of me in electric shocks that forced everyone back. I didn’t care what the consequences would be, even if it meant my parents would discover I was thrown in jail or some shit. I didn’t care anymore because I was tired of losing those I cared about.

Tired of working with all these rules and regulations that didn’t seek to see within one’s mental health until their bodies were splattered on the concrete floor and the news headlines simply acknowledged another person who had fallen due to the hands of bullies.

“Don’t fucking call me Gabe,” I snarled as my punches kept going. “I fucking hate you! I’ve always hated you, and I swear to fucking Mother Flame if you’re the one behind Damon’s sister’s attack, I’ll make sure you’re in prison for fucking life!”

Arms finally tugged me off of Brad. Professor Daily was using his strength to hold me back. I hissed in burning anger and could only glare menacingly at Brad as he coughed and wheezed before pointing at me.

“This is against the policy!” Brad said with a bloody-teeth smile. “I’m gonna get your ass fucking arrested! No, execut-”

He was cut off by the direct kick to his head, and everyone was fucking speechless as Alice lowered her leg while Brad groaned and clenched his head with his hands.

“Fucking cunt bitch! Y-You can’t-”

“ENOUGH!” Alice screamed, and the mere command could have silenced the entire school district. No one moved - people fought hard not to breathe - as Alice stood there with her hair literally on fire. Her aura was the most mesmerizing thing I’d ever witnessed.

The papers fluttered around her, levitating from the sheer heated energy that floated around her while her body glowed with symbols I’d never seen before. I noticed the blackness in her eyes - the hollow shadows that mimicked Damon’s as she looked down at Brad like she was the true reaper of death.

His eyes were wide in shock when he noticed and he shuffled back, which I couldn’t even blame him for doing because the energetic force pulsing through Alice could kill.

Literally kill.

“I’ve had enough of this bullshit! Enough of the bullying! Enough of the mockery and mean commentary!” she snapped. “NONE OF YOU HAVING FUCKING HEARTS!”

Many individuals flinched as it became obvious that she wasn’t shaming just Brad; she was shaming everyone who stood there and watched all of this transpire. All the individuals who joined in on the gossip wars online through social media platforms and hid behind the screens of their phones and computers while using their hurtful words to belittle anyone who would listen.

“I’m sick of this. SICK OF IT!” Alice screamed and pointed at Brad. “How dare you come into MY SCHOOL and think you can walk all over us, the Blazing Fucking Horsemen! How dare you manipulate OUR assistant to help you make these fake pieces of manipulating bullshit to plaster on every wall just to humiliate someone because of who they care about?! You have the audacity to push someone to the point that they wish to kill themselves and you go home and sleep at night? You go home and laugh with your buddies like this is all a fucking game?!”

She moved forward and I swear the very ground burned with her steps as flickers of fire were left behind in the spots of her steps. Now, everyone was trembling and even Professor Daily let go of me as he nervously looked to Professor Caulder, who didn’t dare interfere.

I felt as if she wanted to see how far this would go. See if Alice would be able to control the pulsing rage that was beginning to claim a few victims in its onslaught of justice.

“You came into our lives out of nowhere! Attacked me when I was getting bullied by another. We’ve watched you enter our property and wrangle up students left and right to do your bidding, and you think we’re going to continue to stand here like cowards as you try to belittle someone I care about? Try to tell someone you don’t even know that they’re not worthy of fucking life?!”

I’d never seen Alice this angry, but the coursing aura around her began to create the shape of a phoenix, and it was the scariest shit I’d seen since the one moment when Chambers had lost his shit in a battle.

Her phoenix was beginning to emerge as flames of black and orange gushed out of her back, while the outlined magenta glow of dark energy surrounded its being. It reached the high peak of the ceiling and screeched loud and hard to ensure all the attention was on its grand entrance.

Alice stood before Brad, who literally peed his pants at her gaze as his whole body shook violently.

“Y-You can’t kill me!” he tried to argue. “You can’t do shit! I’ll call my lawyers! I’ll sue this entire school! You can’t go against the polic-”

“Fuck the policy,” Alice whispered, and the way she smiled made me realize she knew something we didn’t.

Alice…what do you have up your sleeve?

“The day you decided to taunt us in the hall during the first week of school was when I really was tired of you. In fact, I hated you when you struck me and my familiar and watched my body go over a damn waterfall in glee. I knew there was only a matter of time before you tried to cause shit, but what a grand finale you’ve delivered us.” She beamed as her hands clapped together like this was the time for applause.

No one else followed and it only made the devilish smile that formed on Alice’s face further widen as she snapped her fingers and summoned a document that looked like an official warrant or signed document of some kind.

Wait. Is that-

“My whole life I’ve been bullied,” she announced for all of us to hear. “Mocked. Ridiculed. Told to bite the bullet and kill myself. Every day I contemplated the idea. Thought that it would be better for the rest of the world to get the deed over with, but you know what always stopped me?” she offered. “How unfair that would be to my own soul, to get rid of myself to please all those who wished for me to disappear. The mean individuals who made it their mission to destroy me physically, emotionally, and mentally got the ultimate prize of life, but me, the victim, the innocent individual who simply wanted to be accepted in one learning environment, had to die. Doesn’t that sound so fucking stupid?”

She laughed and shook her head.

“I knew the moment I saw you with your group of friends that you’d cause trouble, so instead of waiting for these higher up individuals which you most likely bribed to change the policy, I decided to take advantage of having a dad in the field of stopping crime. Did you know that my dad has really good connections? Due to the power of a couple of judges, we were able to override the policy that states that Blazing Horsemen can’t defend themselves. Not only that, bullying of all kinds can be punished with all sorts of consequences, including death.”

Her words made everyone gawk in pure shock because it sounded impossible.

“T-That…” Brad couldn’t even speak and it only made Alice’s smile widen as she looked down at him like he was nothing but a parasite.

“Seeing as you were already on the radar, I requested that your family be officially investigated in regards to what they did for a living. It’s rather intriguing really, because you and your family haven’t even noticed that you’ve been on watch for quite some time and multiple investigators have been following your every move.”

Her words triggered five students to step forward, and they began to tug on their uniforms until they revealed the attire they hid beneath.

Uniforms? Wait…did Alice know about this the entire time?

Brad looked at the five individuals that wore various uniforms and now held guns pointed in his direction.

“Brandon Hill King, you’re officially under arrest.”

He looked baffled as his eyes returned to Alice as her energy pulled back tremendously while her eyes of black retreated to reveal her red eyes with their resemblance to molten flame.

She walked right up to him and crouched down so she was close to his head as she whispered, “The day you threatened to make me a target in that freezer was the day I vowed that all those who tried to fuck up my world would pay.”

The seething heaviness in her voice sent shivers down my spine, not because I was frightened, but due to the fact it was damn right sexy and turned me the fuck on.

“So here’s payback, Brad, and if you decide to try to get out of this situation, next time I’ll really have every right to send you to your early grave.”

She rose up and looked around the cafeteria to ensure she still had everyone’s attention.

“As of today, no more bullying of any kind. You bully someone, not only will you be expelled, but anyone caught in the area of the act that does nothing to interfere will be suspended. That’s an official rule instated by the Blazing Horsemen, and if you have a problem with it, feel free to transfer right out of here!” she exclaimed. “Instead of mocking and belittling those around you, see what is flawed in yourself before you push your negativity on another.”

Many held their heads in shame while others bobbed their heads in understanding.

“Back to class. Lunchtime is over!” she snapped. Everyone complied until the cafeteria was only left with us, staff members, and the undercover agents that were handcuffing Brad.

Alice walked over to Damon and looked him up and down before she frowned.

“You okay?”

He stared at her and slowly nodded. He didn’t say a word, but when Alice moved to give him a hug, he hugged her tightly back.

None of us had noticed CloverSpell until she moved from her spot.

“Alice. Gabriel. Can we have a word in my office please?” I knew this may happen and noticed the worry flickering in Westley, Keru, and Damon’s faces while Professor Caulder and Professor Daily exchanged looks of concern.

From CloverSpell’s expression, they weren’t going to state a single thing, and I wasn’t in the mood to rebel. Alice sighed and squeezed Damon one last time before pulling out of their hug.

“Go straight home. Westley and Keru will deal with the remaining council work and clean this up. Let’s talk tonight, alright?”

Damon nodded again, and it was obvious that he was fighting hard to keep himself composed enough to not breakdown and cry. I walked over to him as Alice quickly hugged Westley and Keru.

Damon tried to hang his head down in shame, but I lifted it up and looked into his eyes.

“From this day forward, no one bullies you. Ever. Remember that,” I whispered and leaned in enough to whisper in his ear. “And if Alice is fine with it, we can explore more.”

That was all I could say because I hadn’t even acknowledged my own terms in the heart of sexuality. I’d buried my desires for so long that it even felt weird to love. Alice may have changed that, but was I ready to expand into this side of romance? I hadn’t even gotten far with Alice and our growing relationship. Could I handle potentially juggling both?

Alice waited for me to finish before she offered her hand. I placed mine in hers and squeezed it tightly, knowing damn well that she was probably scared shitless but putting up a front.

We walked through the halls like we owned the place, ignoring the stares and whispers about what occurred that were flooding the halls and probably being spread through the whole school.

In an hour, everyone would know what happened, and frankly, it was the perfect method to deliver our warning. We were tired of this bullying nonsense, and if this was some underlying plan from Lock and Key to unlock some gate to hell and revive Lucifer, they’d have to find a different method because we were done with this nonsense.

We reached the main office before entering the hall that held individualized office space. I was a little confused because I knew the Headmaster’s office was in the opposite direction. We reached the end of the hall and CloverSpell opened the door and gestured for us to walk in. Alice went in first, only to stop at the sight of Chambers and two other individuals.

I didn’t even move as my eyes locked onto the couple that turned their heads to meet my shocked gaze.

Shit. Shit. Shit…. My parents?

“Dad?” Alice gasped. “If I’m getting expelled you at least gotta say you’re proud of me!”

Chambers actually smirked as he rolled his eyes. “You always jump to conclusions.”

“That’s what you do when your parent is in the Headmaster’s office waiting for you,” Alice whined, but let go of my hand so she could hug Chambers. “But seriously. Are we getting expelled? Because that would suck and I like attending here.”

“You’re not getting expelled,” CloverSpell answered with a smile as she returned to looking at me. “Gabriel?”

“What are you two doing here?” My voice was barely audible as I looked at my parents.

Mother rose up to give me one of her ‘move your butt over here’ looks as she answered, “We came on our own accord when we received a letter regarding your threatened safety.”

“Threatened safety?” I whispered and looked at CloverSpell in confusion. “Are you referring to Brad?”

“Yes and no,” she replied. “I won’t go into details until we can gather the rest of the Blazing Horsemen to discuss all of this, but we connected Brad to all the shenanigans that occurred today as well as to a spot near the lake where there have been signs of recent suicides.”

That made my eyes widen as I immediately recalled the place we’d found Keru sleepwalking to.

“Wait. The place where Keru almost slept-walked into?” Alice asked. She and Keru had confronted CloverSpell regarding the issue, knowing she’d have some sort of contact or way to get Keru additional help, but who would have expected there was something bigger beneath the sudden draw of that place?

“Yes. Keru’s history of sleepwalking has always been documented and after further investigation, it simply seemed far too off for him to reach somewhere in the general property of the Sunrose residence.” She turned her attention to me. “We requested your parent’s participation because your security is rather tight and an investigation had to be dealt with. They’ve wrapped things up but discovered twenty bodies of people who have been missing since the summer.”

“T-Twenty?!” Alice gasped in shock while I was speechless.

“This is a situation that hasn’t occurred in many many years.” My father was the one to speak and draw our attention. “But some say that if a number of deaths occur in one spot, a Blazing Necromancer will be summoned to aid in the souls’ departures. There aren’t any left in these parts but they could be trying to get one that travels for global affairs for an underlying purpose.”

My jaw dropped, as did Alice’s, and we looked to CloverSpell.

“It’s being handled,” she assured us. “I merely summoned you two to sign the incident report that I’ll need to submit to the board regarding the incident. You don’t need to be present for any remaining discussion I have with your parents,” she revealed.

“What about…well…there’s some stuff we have to talk about. Especially about Damon,” Alice voiced.

“I agree, but I doubt today would be the best. After that incident, you all look a bit winded. Afternoon classes have been canceled. Go home and we’ll meet tomorrow morning to discuss what occurred and any of your concerns. With Brad arrested and the rest of his friends in custody, we’ll get to the bottom of this and ensure the culprits who aided with the delivery of those photos both in-person and online will be punished severely.”

All we could do was nod while feeling a little relieved.

“Is it safe for us to ask why our son has a bruised cheek?” my mother acknowledged.

“Ah.” I literally forgot.

“He stopped a group of bullies from beating up one of our dear friends over the fact that he was gay,” Alice revealed. I didn’t have the intention of telling them, but I was sure Alice didn’t know about my dynamic with my parents.

I never relied on them when it came to personal problems. I was privileged to be financially free to do whatever I wished thanks to their hard work, so it seemed almost insulting to bring them into my affairs.

“Gabriel,” Mother whispered.

“Should have punched him first,” Father muttered. “Your face is expensive.”

I wasn’t expecting their replies to be like that - or at least Father’s - but Mother got up and walked over to quickly hug me.

“Gabriel, I’m sorry that someone did such a nasty thing in public. I know that stuff triggers you since Noah,” she whispered.

I bit my lip at the mention of his name, but I sighed and allowed myself to receive her affection. I hadn’t hugged my parents in a long while, and though I didn’t like expressing my emotions to them, I missed them a lot.

“They told him to disappear like they did to Noah,” I muttered into Mother’s shoulder. “I couldn’t stand there and let the past repeat.”

“We’re proud of you,” Mother voiced and patted my back comfortingly. “We’d never dare allow you to tolerate such a thing. I’m proud of you for standing up,” she voiced. I felt Father’s presence as he joined in the hug, and I couldn’t help but get emotional at their support.

If I hadn’t been so afraid to burden them back then, would I have had the courage to save Noah?

They let me go and we got down to business since we knew they were probably running short on time. My parents would most likely be hopping on some helicopter after they left Blazing for some business trip, so I knew once I finished signing these documents, I wouldn’t see them for a while.

When we finished signing the last line, CloverSpell dismissed us.

“Bye, Dad,” Alice said while giving Chambers one final hug.

“You sure you’re okay, Red Velvet?”

“Ya, Dad,” she assured him. “Still a weird nickname.”

“Never gets old.”

“Get some rest!” Alice stressed. “You have dark circles under your eyes. Mom’s gonna think you’re unattractive.”

“My heart hurts,” Chambers grumbled and looked over at me. “Keep protecting my girl for me, Gabriel. We’ll chat soon with the others.”

“Yes, Sir,” I replied as Alice moved to stand next to me. I slipped my hand into hers as if it were a common habit.

“Hmm?” Mother immediately picked up on it, and then she was smiling from ear to ear.

“Gabriel?! Are you dating this lovely woman?”

Alice began to blush and I felt the same warmth swarming across my cheeks as we both acknowledged something we’d completely ignored.

This is the first time Alice is meeting my parents.

“U-Uh…we’re leaving,” I quickly dismissed and tugged Alice along. I was sure my face was red as hell. I could hear Mother squealing in delight.

“Honey! Gabriel is dating a gorgeous girl! Did you see her?!”

“Sweetheart, you’re overreacting.”

“We need to visit more often now! Awww! Mr. Chambers! Let’s exchange business cards! It’s good for us to know one another.”

“Sure…”

We left before we could hear whatever else would transpire in the office, and before we knew it, we were hiding in an empty classroom so we could catch our breaths.

Alice locked the door and sighed as she fell right to her knees.

“Shit! Alice!” I was down on the ground with her as I immediately checked if she was okay.

“That…was…so fucking scary,” she whispered and pressed her hand against her face to hide the tears that were already streaming down her face.

Oh, Alice…

She literally looked like she was on the verge of breaking down as she tried to wipe away her tears.

“Fuck. Everything just happened so fast, and I didn’t even think my backup plan would even work, and Damon looked so fucking miserable, and did you see all those people who didn’t even interfere, Gabriel? If we weren’t there…if…” She couldn’t even finish as she began to sob uncontrollably.

Seeing her in shambles as everything that occurred finally registered triggered all the emotions I’d stacked up inside me as I pulled her into my arms. This was becoming a little too much for us to deal with.

I knew our duty and position meant we’d be thrown into crazy situations, but this was beyond the scope of being an academy student or council member. We were entering lands where if we weren’t careful, the consequences would cost our lives.

“Why are people so damn cruel?!” Alice muffled as she hugged me. She’d get soiled milk all over her at this rate, but I doubt she cared as she let her emotions out. I couldn’t imagine what I looked like, but did it really matter?

We somehow stopped a catastrophe.

“They see the light that shines brightly within us and are desperate to blow it right out,” I whispered as I held her. “That’s what they see in Damon. They wish to extinguish his flame that’s probably the biggest and most powerful. They fear him…and they want him off the grid.”

It was obvious now that Damon would need our protection just like Alice did, especially if this meant bigger things that were pushing Lock and Key to pull so many stunts to aid Brad’s hidden agenda.

I pulled back and grasped Alice’s wet cheeks.

“Listen,” I whispered. “You did absolutely amazing back there, and I’m so proud of you.”

I knew she was scared. Anyone would be. But at the end of the day, many people forgot to acknowledge that Alice was seventeen. We were honestly all still kids in this world of scorching flame, but if we didn’t figure out a way to overcome these threatening, unexpected situations, we’d be burned and left with wounds that would never heal.

“Of all the days I could meet your parents. I look like shit,” she added, which made me actually smile.

“Better than being drenched in milk with a bruise on your cheek,” I teased.

“They didn’t even notice the milk!” she whined.

“They probably think it’s a fashion trend,” I teased and stroked my thumbs along her cheeks to wipe away more of her tears.

I decided to distract her, so I leaned further in until my lips lightly laid upon hers. Even with those trembling lips, it felt amazing to kiss Alice. We hadn’t been super affectionate this summer or semester with everything going on, but I wished for her to understand that I cared dearly for her and though I struggled with sharing my affection like the average boyfriend or whatever we’d call this connection between us, she was one of the few I allowed to see this side of me.

“You handled the situation well, and hopefully this will end the bullying once and for all. If not, we’ll figure out stricter ways of getting what we want, but until then, let’s just take it a day at a time.” We honestly had no choice in the matter.

If we kept trying to solve all the wrong going on, we’d be left in an overwhelming, sinking hole with no way out. This could have been why no one lasted a semester as a Blazing Horseman. Who knew what occurred that forced their attention away from school and resulted in them stepping down or losing their spots.

It was starting to make sense.

You were given a glamorous council room that attended to your needs and privileges that made you feel like kings and queens, but you’d have to face the burdens and threatening forces that wished for your acceptance or for you to face the consequences of your denial.

I broke the kiss only for Alice to pull me forward and kiss me even harder. I groaned at her delicious taste as my lips fought hers. The two of us kissed for what felt like eons.

My phone began to ring, which was rare because I never received phone calls. I broke the kiss to answer the phone and place it on speaker as Keru’s image showed up on the caller display.

“Keru? Why are you-”

“Brad escaped!” Keru snapped and my eyes widened, as did Alice’s. The two of us shared a horrified stare before we gasped, “What?!”

“Some masked individuals got into a confrontation with the agents and it went haywire. Backup was called, but they don’t know where he went. He can’t be far because he’s still wearing one side of the cuffs and they’re lowering his flaming trait or whatever, but he has a gun!”

“Where are you and Westley?” I demanded and rose up, then helped Alice up.

“Council room. We just got notified by Professor Caulder, who’s just informed Headmaster CloverSpell. They’re locking Blazing down, but we have bigger problems!”

“What?” Alice prompted.

“We can’t find Damon,” Keru revealed and my heart briefly stopped.

Shit. Please…don’t let the bullying end in what we fought so hard to avoid.

14

NEVER ALONE FROM THIS DAY FORWARD

~DAMON~

“GO DIE OFF SOMEWHERE…NO one cares if you disappear!”

My eyes continued to track my steps, one after another as the sun continued to set in the sky. How long had I been walking for? I left school a while ago, and yet I was still walking.

Walking with my head down low, focused on the movement of my feet.

My mind was filled with so many things. Filled with repeated thoughts that kept taunting me again and again while today’s events were on a constant loop of dismay and internal misery.

My body was honestly becoming tired of this continuous motion of dragging my feet, but I was afraid to allow myself to stop. If I stopped, I’d hear the voices that sought my attention, feel their vibrating forces begging for my redemption and their freedom.

Today out of all the days was when shit felt like it was crumbling down, and the sheer thought began to make my eyes fill with tears. I fought to blink them away, fight against this dragging force that wished to kidnap me into this space of desolation.

I was struggling, and it felt like nothing could get me out of this mess.

There was something about today that was off. Everything from not sleeping to losing my appetite to the endless pile of reports, policy packages, and other paperwork that was only growing and awaiting my sole self to deal with, but I wasn’t ready for the news about Zhavia.

I wanted to be there - so fucking bad - but Xeno was against it. He knew how powerful I was, and hospitals left me in an anxious bubble that might worsen Zhavia’s condition.

Or help me lose my damn sanity.

The idea of Zhavia lying in the hospital bed, attached to tubes and IVs, made me finally come to a stop as I choked on my own sobs. I dragged my burning feet to the grass on the side of the road and crouched down as the overwhelming image made me struggle to keep it together.

“I can do this,” I breathed to myself. “I’ve always been able to do this. To survive…even when the world is burning all around me.”

I reached into the pocket of my drenched blazer, the smell of milk still stuck to me like the emotions haunting me from that confrontation. I thought, after so many years, that I’d be able to walk away like they were nothing but pests.

I’d assumed Brad would make me into some type of target. He was known for that and it was why so many either did his bidding without a second thought or avoided him as if he were the source of a pandemic.

Today had proved he garnered control quickly so that when he was lost in his bullying antics, no one would interfere. I expected it when I walked away and was prepared for the pain that would bruise my flesh, but never did I think Gabriel would interfere.

That he’d fight for me, and that Alice would somehow involve herself for her fellow peers to witness her bravery.

So many loved to talk to the talk. They would say how strong they were and boast online and to their friends all the things they were capable of, but when the reality settled in before their eyes, all of them would remain silent for their own sake. There was no such thing as helping others nowadays, and that was one of the things I hated about our generation.

I despised the idea that friendship meant literally nothing to the majority of individuals. As long as you could use someone to reach your personal goals, grades, ranks, and achievements, that’s all that mattered. It was one of the many things on the list that encouraged me to stay to myself.

Again and again, people cut through my level of trust and proved to me that I could only rely on myself, and I thought today’s incident would be no different.

But somehow Gabriel and Alice defied my assumptions by proving that, out of a flock of individuals, there are still a few with morals who wished to help others and not just themselves.

Tugging out the envelope that was stained by the milk marks, I pulled out the single card of black with the purple metallic cursive that began all of this.

Damon Lex.

You’re officially invited to Lock & Key. To delay or decline this initiation will lead to consequences you wouldn’t wish upon you or those you love. We hope to hear from you shortly.

I took a deep breath and let it out. The fury this simple piece of paper ignited was dangerous for my own damn heart. I hated this, being stuck in this situation that wanted nothing but my submission.

As much as I wanted to continue ignoring how happy I felt to belong to some sort of group that acknowledged my existence, the idea of losing it all made me want to break down and give up. I felt like a helpless bird, struggling to survive with no food, water, or energy to continue.

Struggling to breathe, I looked up to the sky to see the sunset, the beautiful mixture of colors that tugged at the part of me that appreciated this beauty. It was as if the Universe was trying to comfort me in the best way it could - by sharing a bit of the grand scheme of its wonderous reflection and giving me a speck of hope.

If only it could last forever. If only I could stare at the serene view of mellow orange and neon pink for as long as this sadness sat within my heart. But as my tears streamed down my flushed cheeks and my body ached with so much pain, I knew that time would invite the darkness.

Once the warmth of the sun is gone, I’ll be left a victim to the haunting sounds of the dead.

The sight around me was far too familiar, and as I looked along the glimmering surface of the water, I realized this was the place Keru had ventured to before.

My acknowledgment urged me to get up and move, and I fought every agonizing muscle to rise up on my unsteady legs that shook out of exhaustion. I hadn’t felt this drained in a long time, and if Zhavia wasn’t in the hospital, I would have called her or even Xeno to come find me.

When these moments happened, they would come rushing to help me. They allowed me to rest and fall into the dark oasis of comforting sleep.

Today was different. Just like everything that had occurred today.

No one was coming for me. To be fair, no one knew I’d somehow arrived here. I was aiming to head to Gabriel’s house, and I’d memorized the exact path to get there, but now I was a lost fool who could barely remain conscious enough to fight this void.

As I decided to try to make the journey to his place, my eyes caught onto the person who stood on the metal plank. I wondered if it was an illusion, and I wished it was because I knew I wouldn’t be able to ignore the need to aid them.

I tried to turn around and pretend I saw nothing, but there was that nagging urge to confirm my suspicions. It was what I had to do: be selfless and aid those crying out for my assistance.

Dragging my feet forward, I took the steps needed to climb the slight hill that led to the beam of metal. You’d think by now it would have been moved or used for the construction that seemed almost complete, but here it stood, in the perfect place where one could see the beauty of the sky and the waters - seconds before their life came to a dramatic end.

The silhouette was so familiar to me, and for a moment, I questioned if it was Clara standing there. The thought of her triggered the black outlined figure to turn to face me.

My magic began to pool into my eyes as the last beams of the sun shot through the sky as a final warning of its departure. My attention was solely on the woman before me, but it was the red beads on her wrist that tugged at my attention and left me wondering if this was Claire.

“Claire?” I whispered as I struggled to remain standing. I had to be careful because I was balancing myself on this beam that barely had space for both feet to be stationed on its rather unsteady surface.

I shuffled forward to get closer to the individual, and for a moment, her exact features came to life along with her facial expression. She looked frightened that I could see her, and she quickly shook her head and urged me to remain where I was.

I couldn’t understand what her intentions were, but if this was Claire’s spirit, I wondered if she’d be able to give me some sort of understanding of why she’d trusted Lock and Key.

Why didn’t she see their underlying motives?

My anger for Clara was still simmering within me. The taunting photo shouldn’t create an infuriating rage because it was obvious how fake it was, and yet, it poked at every nerve within me, because I was fucking tired of this constant game.

As an orphan, I was made fun of for having no parents or family. As a young teen, I was made fun of for being poor and for my sexuality and inability to be chosen by others, and now here I was, in my late teens being mocked because I was becoming a person who couldn’t love just a woman.

I was becoming someone willing to love a man and a woman.

It was never my intention to grow feelings for Alice. Neither did I have any intention of feeling something for Gabriel. Everything felt like it was moving so quickly, like all of this was unraveling and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

How I wished I could control this rollercoaster so I could figure myself out. That I’d be given the damn opportunity or even a few days off to take a breath and figure my own mess of feelings out.

All of this was too much. I…can’t take it anymore.

“Claire?” I whispered and gave her a slight smile. “Your sister frustrated me today.”

I probably looked crazy from afar, but I was using bits of my magic to try to communicate with her. I was trying to help her understand my words even though she was hovering between the land of the living and dead.

“She helped someone who had really bad intentions for us…and frankly, she’s been the complete opposite from how she used to be. I think your death…did a number on her. She’s acting polar opposite from the woman we’ve known for more than half a year, and I couldn’t help but be frustrated. I’ve been handling the workload for both of us this entire semester thus far, and I can’t take it anymore. In fact, I really can’t take any more of anything.”

I shook my head in defeat but sought her eyes that widened in shock.

“I’m trying to stay a little longer because I want to help you cross over. We have to wait until we can visit the shrine in two or three weeks, but…can I last that long?”

The question was one that I wasn’t certain I could answer. I wished my bed could be right next to me and that I could bask in its comfort while I sought the answers in my dreams.

“Today was hard. I’ve been running out of fuel, and well…my sister got hurt on my behalf. They’re doing the same thing to me as they did to my other brother, Xeno, and it’s sad to admit, but I’m not as strong as he is. His determination is hidden behind his unapproachable attitude, and yet he holds so much underlying strength that he’s underestimated. I wish to be like him…but I think I’ve met my match,” I admitted.

Taking another step, then another, I reached the spot that stood before her. She tried to push me back, but her hands simply went through me.

“Claire, it’s okay. I’m not going to fall,” I reasoned with weakened eyes. They were struggling to remain open, but I fought hard to keep them on the woman who was pleading for me to go back.

“Claire…” I whispered. “Why did you believe them?”

She shook her head and pointed to the same mark that spelled CLARA on her arm. Her commitment to her sister intrigued me, especially when it seemed as if they had some sort of tension due to their parent’s obvious favoritism.

Did Clara understand that Claire really cared about her enough to have a tattoo of her name in the realms of the dead? I wondered if Clara actually cared period, because the way she was acting and skipping school was far from they typical acts of rebellion. It felt like a habit one would have when they’re finally free to do whatever they want without carrying the consequences.

Claire tugged at the beads on her wrist, and I stared at them for a moment. For brief seconds, their energy bolted through to me, connecting with my magical wavelength as the sun’s rays disappeared and the heart of the night began.

Awakening my heightened senses that sought the voices that begged to be heard.

My magic began to spike in protectiveness, but that’s when I suddenly noticed it.

Claire’s aura…was familiar.

Seeing the aura of the dead took far more energy than one would expect from the dead, and yet I called to my magic to continue to heighten my senses in this element, all while I concentrated on Claire’s lips as she continued to move them to try and get my attention.

She bit her lip then as I remained silent, but to my shock, she moved her hands until they were trying to pat my cheeks, and she kept screaming something again and again.

Strings of red began to appear all around her, making her appear like a marionette, but I wasn’t prepared to actually hear her shrill voice.

“DAMON! Go back over there!”

I was confused because her voice was exactly like Clara’s, and it made no sense to me. She kept telling me to go back, but I was frozen in place as something clicked.

What if…did…did…we save the wrong person?

“C…C…” I struggled to ask her as she desperately yearned for my safety, but there was no way I could walk away now until I determined the ultimate truth.

“Clara?”

She paused in her pleas to stare at me with wide eyes. Her red orbs began to fill with tears as if the revelation and ability to hear me suddenly triggered this emotional response.

Oh, fucking hell. How? No…how did this happen?

“Clara. Is that you?”

“Don’t worry about me!” she snapped. “Go back. Please. Everyone…who comes here…to this spot dies. Damon…you don’t deserve to die. You’re kind and nice, and the others care about you. Alice cares about you. Just walk back! Ple-”

She couldn’t finish as her body began to fade away, as if the red strings were pulling her away.

“Clara!” I tried to grasp those very strings that I now understood were around her, but suddenly my mind was plagued with enough heaviness to throw me into semi-unconsciousness; my eyes rolled back as I fell forward.

I knew I’d hit something, most likely face planted onto the very metal beam, and a trickle of warmth began to bleed from somewhere, but I felt myself slipping to one side until I was falling as my arms and legs lifted upward.

There was no way to control my fall - the darkness fighting against the pulsating calls that were coming from all around me. There were cheers of glee and anticipation, excited to watch my body plunge into whatever were approaching, so I would join their submission to devastation.

I didn’t fully grasp what was happening until my body crashed into the waters.

Fear spiked through me as I couldn’t grasp enough air to hold onto, my body sinking further into the waters while my head began to beat harder and harder and the rest of my body grew numb.

That was merely the icing on the cake.

Save us!

Let us free!

Please! We beg of you.

We were robbed of life!

You can let us free!

Can you help me?

I FORCED my eyes to open as I struggled to make my limbs work. I needed to get to the surface. That was the only way I could survive this. But the frightening sight of black souls left me in a state of dread because all around me was dark energy of howling devastation.

Begging me to be their next victim.

My magic attempted to pierce out of me, but it was trapped by the sleek black threads that began to wrap around my body. They tugged me further down into the depths of the frigid water, and there was nothing I could do to stop my further descent.

That’s when I felt death approaching.

It amazed me that no matter how many times death came knocking on my door, I was still assaulted by the tendrils of fear and regret. There were so many things I’d yet to accomplish. So many avenues and dreams I fought hard to ignore. But compared to all the previous times, this seemed to hurt the most.

My family cares for me.

I have…friends.

I like a girl…and maybe a guy.

Why did I let myself miss out on so many things?

This year I had that little birthday celebration between Alice and me. Why couldn’t I have done that every year? I always got into bickering arguments with Westley. Why didn’t I let him know how much I enjoyed those stupid arguments? Kirby’s silly jokes and helpful gestures…why didn’t I let him know his aid and humor was appreciated? Gabe…why did simply looking at him make me a nervous mess of shyness one minute and urge me to be a man and do what I’ve been craving for in the hidden parts of my imagination the next?

So many fucking regrets.

I’d been so used to be alone in this world that I never thought the idea of being surrounded by others was possible. But now it was what I missed the most.

I’m going to miss them so much.

My consciousness began to fade, and there was no need to fight the inevitable. The chill that rushed through my flesh continued to grow, while my heart struggled to beat as my lungs began to fill with water.

This had been one of my deaths many years ago. It wasn’t as hard to endure. The way it felt like I was drowning from the inside out didn’t make my body jerk as it had before.

When you let yourself relax, dying was…easier…

When my consciousness drifted, I expected to remain in this cold oasis forever, but a warmth touched my cheek, and I opened my eyes to see a man.

A tall, well-built man. Built with muscles and many tattoos. His hair reminded me of lava - molten movements of orange, red, black, and ash grey. He was shirtless but held a sophisticated aura about him as he stood there looking down at me.

He stared down at me with intrigue, and I wondered who he was.

“You finally found your path,” he began, his voice like a rumble that shook the earth. “Yet, you’re here.”

I couldn’t understand what he meant, but he looked upward as if he were seeing something I wasn’t and to my surprise, a smirk of relief morphed on his dark lips.

“Amusing,” he hummed. “I guess Ruby knows who you are.”

Ruby? Who’s…Ruby?

He returned his attention to me, and his stroke of my cheek brought immense warmth that embraced me. It was an odd sensation. A protective, parental force that wished to prevent me from freezing over.

“Spade.” I looked at him as if that really were my name. “Allow yourself to be loved. You will discover who I am soon enough, and when you do, know…I’ll support you from the realms of scorching fire.”

It felt like something was tugging at me in that moment, and my consciousness was drifting upward. I tried to fight it, but the man shook his head.

“Go. Your fated love and friends await your revival.”

His image began to fade, and it left me with a hollow sadness as if this man were a father of mine. He turned around as his body continued to fade, and flames licked his flesh until he was gone. Then darkness inched into the lines of my vision.

I only surrendered to the darkness because of two things.

The words of this man…and the inviting warmth that begged for my return.

~ALICE~

“HE’S DYING!” Westley snapped and took his blazer off in an attempt to race into the waters, but Keru was already running to the metal plank, his uniformed clothes burning off and leaving him in just his boxers.

“Cycle the water!” Keru encouraged, and he dove forward and was in the water seconds later. I was trying not to panic as grey clouds began to cover the sky. It was far too fast to be normal, and from the quick glance in Westley and Gabriel’s direction, they sensed what I did.

“Westley, use your wind to spin the space where Keru is! It’ll give him more time to get him out! Alice! When Westley creates the spinning water cyclone, outline the inner walls with Holy Thunder. Shift it into a swirling movement so it’ll not only give Keru and Damon heat, but aid in healing Damon while Keru gets him breathing!”

We didn’t argue with Gabriel taking the lead as we rushed down the hill until we were on the very edge of the watery oasis.

Lightning rushed across the sky, seconds before the sky boomed with thunder. We couldn’t let it distract us. Westley took a few deep inhales as his magic began to bleed off his body and the non-existent gusts of wind rushed around us.

Their speed escalated until our strands of hair and attire were lifting wildly upward while his concentration moved forward to the exact spot where Keru had dived in. Who knew how long Damon had been within the waters, but it didn’t matter because we had to get him out promptly if we wanted a chance for his survival.

I began to calm my breathing, knowing well my nerves would do nothing to aid Damon and Keru as I widened my stance and charged my energy further. It felt like it had been a while since I’d been able to use my flaming traits without tainted anger or instructed actions within school walls.

My magic was desperate to aid anyway it could, and if I concentrated enough, I might be able to assist with what was coming.

The spiraling force of wind began to lift the water while sealing off that specific area so none of the water outside of the spinning vortex would flood in. I began to flood my hands with magic, and their trembling surface became immersed with fire as I kept building the temperature.

Westley bit his lip as he grunted in frustration.

“There’s resistance!” he warned. “I can’t…figure it out, but it’s dark!”

I looked over my shoulder to Gabriel, and he looked just as concerned before he was running over to where we stood to be by my left side while Westley furthered his stance on my right.

“I need a bit of help warding against whatever is trying to stop us from interfering!”

“Gabriel?” I questioned as I debated if I should continue charging up or switch ideas.

“I’ll do it. Just stay focused,” he assured us.

He summoned his wings and with a push off the ground, he was in the air and circulating the spiraling whirlpool below.

I returned to focusing on my task, and my hair began to levitate as I charged myself up with more flaming force.

Cyrus, I need you! Can you keep a lookout on the others?

With the knowledge that Brad was on the run, I knew that this could have been his doing and he could be hiding anywhere in wait for us to fall into whatever trap this was.

There was a gasp from the bottom of the spiraling force, just as Cyrus’s wolf body appeared at my feet. “Woof!” she barked in acknowledgment, and I further peeked over as Westley closed his eyes to keep his energy stabilized.

“Keru?” I called out.

“Fuck. C’mon, Damon!” Keru snapped, and I could see glimpses of him as he was pressing his hands against Damon’s chest at the bottom of the lake. The sight of Damon’s pale body and the blood that still dripped down the side of his head made my heart flip in worry and contributed to the intense spike of magic that charged through me.

“Alice! Your turn,” Westley urged through clenched teeth.

“HEAL THOSE I LOVE WITH THY SCORCHING FORCE! VERAVUFLAMANDA!”

My voice vibrated with enough force that it overrode the loudness of the thunder that took the opportunity to rage through the sky yet again.

My conjured attack shot outward - crashing into the swirling winds and water and creating a chemical reaction of sizzling mist as the fire began to extinguish. I bit my lip and focused harder, my mind willing the fire to not be a combative force against the gathered water but an ally in an attempt to save our comrade.

The flaming element bent to my will and began to cooperate as it seeped into the spinning vortex and began coating the interior while Westley eased on the wind so its vortex almost resembled a whirlpool with a hole in the middle.

Keru was still working on attempting to get Damon’s heart to start, but the longer it took the harder it was becoming to hold onto this.

“Tsk. I can’t hold this much longer,” Westley warned.

“Gabriel!” I called out to him as he summoned a bow and arrow and began shooting into the waters around the whirlpool that I hadn’t noticed were cloaked in a darkness that reminded me of sea tales of monsters hiding within the depths of the water.

“We need to get Damon and Keru out! We can’t hold this for much longer!”

He nodded, and his weapons disappeared before he darted downward.

Cyrus’s howl took me off guard, and when I looked down to see what the problem was, I noticed she was gone.

“Cyrus?”

“Shit! GABRIEL!” Westley snapped, and I looked up in time to see the largest bolt of lightning I’d ever seen going straight for Gabriel.

“GABE!” I screamed, and watched him swiftly turn to try to defend himself from the bolt, but instead - Cyrus’s little body appeared as she outstretched her hands.

“GO AWAY!” she screamed with her tiny voice and the bolt crashed into a massive silver magic circle that appeared as a barrier to hold back the charging force.

I hissed in pain as my whole body felt like it was on fire - forcing me to pull away from the energy as I fell to my knees.

“Alice!” Westley hissed and got Gabriel’s attention.

“Alice!” he called out to me, but I shook my head while I fought to recover from the tingling sensation running through me like I’d been electrocuted.

“Help Damon and Keru!” I shouted back before he could even attempt to come to my aid. We had to make sure Damon survived this. He deserved to live and we couldn’t let this hidden enemy win.

“Fuck! Another one!” Westley warned, and I opened my eyes to see the next bolt shooting downward. Cyrus’s eyes were on me as if she were worried about protecting the others, but I yearned for her to do exactly that.

“Keep going, Cyrus! Protect them!” I ordered. She bobbed her head and turned her attention back to the approaching bolt in time to summon another silver magic circle that absorbed the attack.

Once again I was assaulted by the charging force, and I bit my lip to stop the scream that would have left me as I hugged myself.

“Fuck. Gabriel! Hurry!” Westley urged, sounding like he was struggling to keep his hold. I opened my eyes and fought to breathe, sweat dripping down my face like I’d been microwaved in the hottest desert on earth.

Turning my gaze to see if Gabriel had a hold of Damon and Keru, I noticed the wolf that began to run from the other side of the lake - a wolf of golden sparks that had every intention of shocking this entire surface.

“Westley!” I grabbed his attention and pointed forward, and his eyes widened the moment they registered the approaching threat.

“Shit!”

“They won’t make it out!”

“Tsk.” Westley looked around, and his eyes glinted like he just got an idea. “I can create a bubble of sorts with my Dark Flame and a bit of Wind Flare. The Dark Flame will keep the air supply and the wind will be a barrier against any shocks, but I won’t be able to last long.”

“Go! I’ll figure something out! I’m sure help is on the way.”

“But Ali-”

“Do everything to get Damon to breathe! I’ll be fine! GO!” I urged him and forced my sizzling body up as I opened my hands out and centered all my energy on the charging wolf.

Let’s see how this will do!

With my thoughts, I sent out two fireballs that were triple their usual size towards the wolf as Westley jumped from his spot to dive into the middle of the whirlpool before gusts of wind wrapped around him and began to taint themselves with black flames that rushed to begin the process of forming a bubble.

My flaming attack merely crashed into the charging electric wolf but did nothing to slow it down as it howled.

I bit my lip and noticed the water begin to submerge into the hole, leaving me even more nervous as I hoped Westley had enough time to protect the others. The darkness of the surface remained as black tendrils rose out from the water while an eerie sound came from their growth.

“Really?” I whispered to myself as Cyrus flew down to me.

“Mistress!” She reached face level as she hugged my right cheek. “Damon needs your energy!”

“What?” I was confused, trying to figure out what I could do to fight against this approaching threat and save my men from the water’s depths.

“Energy! Mate! Need your flame!” She was trying to explain to me the best she could, and though I was confused, I realized I needed to either figure out a way to get down there myself or get them up to where I was.

“Cyrus! What can I do to get rid of that thing and get the guys out?” I questioned.

“Wolf! Phoneix!” she encouraged. “Me help!”

I wondered what she was picturing, and the thought triggered images that swirled swiftly into my mind and suddenly made sense.

Wolf and phoenix. Like when I’d done so in Professor Daily’s class. It makes perfect sense! Maybe I can use my phoenix to make enough wind to conjure up the same vortex while my wolf deals with the blows from the electric wolf.

The thought sparked so much hope within me, it felt like it was overflowing.

The wolf was halfway to where I stood, and I took the opportunity to focus as I recalled the spell Professor Daily taught us. My eyes suddenly locked onto glaring ones - the glowing orbs of a single person standing at the edge of the opposite side of the lake.

Brad…

He began to smile as if he’d won, but I was ready to put my plan in action as I let my magic flood outward.

“I call upon the flames within myself! Give me the strength to deliver justice to the heart of the enemy! DIVINA LE RA RESONADA SPIRTA BE FREELASHA VU!”

The whiplash of magic that escaped me only pushed me to channel more magic into the spell that thrived with my command. The adrenaline and explosive determination to defeat Brad sent two sets of flames out of my body - one that began to soar through the air towards the approaching threat, while the other rushed upward.

I was forced to dart my gaze from what was happening in front of me to what was going on above as the massive bodies of flames began to morph into my sealed animal traits. The charging ball of flames that headed towards the electric wolf began to shape into its own wolf, its size double if not triple the size of the electric wolf.

The second flame in the air had reached its peak, and it felt like everything was drawn to its miraculous flame because it burst through the air as its wings of fire spread out to their full capacity that could have been the length of a bridge. Its head took shape and a loud screeching sound escaped the hollows of its scorching throat.

I was now their energy source, my intentions already embedded in their minds. It was time for them to pursue my request, and I readied myself.

This is my chance to prove what I’ve learned thus far…and the chance to show Lock and Key that I won’t play to their tune!

My charging wolf howled in agreement and I watched as it collided with the electric wolf and triggered waves of aftershocks through the waters. My phoenix was already descending and beginning to spin in circles - soaring in a swift spiral movement that began to create a circular movement and lift the streams of water upward.

It grew faster and stronger as I activated Wind Flare to further speed the process until we were watching a spinning cyclone in our midst, and my phoenix was darting downward to retrieve what we desired the most.

Bolts of lightning tried to strike me, but Cyrus came to my aid as she blocked each one. The strikes did the same as the rest - pulsing through me and leaving me clenching my body in agony, but I began to use the electric effect as further fuel to charge up my energy until the sparks were vibrating through my flesh.

My phoenix finally soared out of the spiraling typhoon with the ball of dark flames with hints of wind to keep it together. It was withering in strength, which told me Westley was almost out of energy.

My phoenix rushed to drop the sacred ball behind me, and it rose upward with a loud screech as the protective ball burst in that moment.

Westley groaned and fell over to the side, Keru catching him before he could hit the grassy surface. Gabriel was still pumping Damon’s chest, his whole body glowing with magic in an attempt to revive Damon.

I bit my lip knowing it had been far too long since Damon got oxygen to his brain, and his aura was nonexistent. I didn’t want to give up, and yet the fear began to trickle as tears pooled in my eyes.

“Chambers said this is stuff we’re not even supposed to learn at Blazing but in Elite school, but essentially, a mage that has an intense Dark Flame trait and Holy Thunder trait would have to conduct an ongoing transition of reviving the individual and then killing them in a different way to begin the process of making that victim into a Blazing Necromancer.”

The sudden memory made me bite my lip. A single idea blared into my mind, and it was the only move that might revive Damon.

“Gabriel!” I called to him and he looked over to me with eyes of desperation. “Shock Damon’s body with Holy Thunder! As much Holy Thunder as possible!”

He looked absolutely confused, but he slowly nodded as his wings escaped his back and outstretched. Their white and gold feathers began to glow diligently, all while sparks of golden energy began to thrum off his body as he charged himself.

“Revive!” Cyrus encouraged. “Dark Thunder!”

I knew what she was implying. I focused all my energy into my phoenix that grew bigger and bigger as she stood at a high point above where Gabriel and Damon were.

She carried the essence of Blazing Flame and Wind Flare from the spiraling move, and all I needed now was Dark Flame, which was the very energy I was working on building. To do that, I decided to return my attention to the distance. Brad’s eyes glared at me with a level of rage no student should carry within themselves.

He knew nothing about me. Knew nothing regarding my relationships with my friends or the struggles I’d endured to reach this moment in my life when I had something to look forward to.

The bullying, the taunts, the constant feelings that represented how useless I felt to this world, that all changed thanks to these amazing individuals in my life, and he wouldn’t be the culprit to steal them away.

I promised that he’d face the ultimate consequence for defying the Blazing Horsemen, and I’d ensure that was the end result, even if it made me a murderer.

My anger was my fuel as I allowed the build-up of lightning attacks that Cyrus blocked to aid the final rise of Dark Flame within me. The energy that grew the fastest with emotions derived from sadness and anger.

I carried both and let them soar into the black flames that wrapped around me as various symbols began to bleed onto my flesh and burn with intensity.

Brad’s eyes widened from afar, and I watched as he began to run forward as magic circles of electric gold became platforms under his racing feet. He wouldn’t cross in time before I did what would surely save Damon.

I’d jolt him back into existence with my very energy.

Spinning around, I clapped my hands once, and there appeared the book CloverSpell and the others had used during my sealing ceremony. I’d barely used it since, but my gut instinct told me it was the key to all of this.

As I lifted my hand up, the book rose to hover above my outstretched fingers, my palm burning and shaking with the intense force of my conjured magic.

“Now, Gabriel!” I declared as the spell rushed into my head. “I, ALICE H. BLAZE, seventeen, Phoenix Wolf Horseman, represent all four of the Flaming Traits! Blazing Flame, Wind Flare, Holy Thunder, and Dark Flame! Allow the combined forces of my flame to resonate into Damon Lex and revive him from the shadows of death! May the excess be returned to my spell book hovering above my palm! REVA LE VA SU DU REVOKE NE LA!”

Everything around us began to glow as Gabriel sent the jolt of Holy Thunder through Damon’s body. His limp frame shook with electricity, which was my cue to push out all the energy within me as my phoenix let out a final cry and darted downward.

Cyrus was above me and finished the final piece.

“I, Cyrus Blaze, familiar of Alice Blaze, bind the chosen Horsemen to my Mistress! Let the power channeled through bind the elements together and create life in the realms of unity! Re va sealanda rainbarusha!”

I wasn’t expecting her spell and yet it fit perfectly as all forces collided into Damon and a massive silver magic circle emerged beneath the ground we stood upon and hovered above our heads.

We were engulfed in light and pushed back to the ground. I scrambled to stand up with the last flecks of adrenaline I had left and was left with immense relief as I caught onto Damon’s gasp for air before he entered into a coughing fit.

“Thank you, Mother Flame,” I breathed and spun around to see Brad had only reached halfway. He’d stopped in the middle of the lake, his energy still creating the platform he needed to stay afloat, but his glaring eyes could see the obvious.

He’d lost.

The black tendrils in the waters suddenly wrapped around his legs, and he looked down in disgust and yet didn’t seem worried about their invasiveness.

The book of spells lowered into my line of view, and I reached for it as the spine of its thick binding landed in the palm of my hand. The pages glowed with intensity, and I allowed myself to be drawn back to Brad’s intense gaze - to verify that if he decided to cross the remaining distance, I’d have enough power to strike him down once and for all.

The way he gritted his teeth made the biggest smile form on my lips as my eyes darkened. No matter how drained I felt, I’d fight the strings of unconsciousness just to see his end.

A flash of lights suddenly came from the sky, helicopters and a massive black phoenix emerging from the dark clouds that were beginning to part.

My eyes widened as I took in the massive phoenix that was surely bigger than the entire length of the lake, its wings remaining in place as it hovered in its spot and screeched in the air. The sound was loud and could pop one’s eardrums if the frequency was any higher. But then I noticed someone stood on the very metal plank that seemed to start this loop of death.

Dad!

“Brandon Hill King, on behalf of Blazing Special Task Force, you are officially under arrest for universal terrorism, multiple counts of murder, and association with enemy organizations.”

Brad shook with anger and he tried to look around, but flashing lights of red and blue emerged from everywhere: further behind us on the tops of the hills and paths, across the bridge, and even on the opposite side.

Boats and jet skis with officers in black were heading his way on both sides, and thanks to those very tendrils that kept him captive and the phoenix above, there was no way he’d escape.

He’s literally trapped.

“Put your hands up!” Chambers ordered.

His eyes locked on mine once more as I closed the very book in my possession and allowed it to return to its nestled space within me. There was no need to waste any more energy. Help was finally here, and Brad couldn’t escape what was coming for him.

Or so I thought…

His hands moved from his pockets, and I noticed the obvious black weapon that he clenched in his grasp as he lifted his hands up and pointed the very weapon to the side of his head.

I knew what he was going to do, and yet a large hand moved to cover my eyes as the warmth of their body pressed against me. I knew from the scorching heat of the body that it was Keru, and his free arm hooked around me as if to wrap me in his comforting warmth as we waited for that sound.

No one spoke as the sound of the single gunshot went through the air - followed by the sound of something crashing into the surface of the water.

Keru inhaled deeply and let it out.

“I guess death was inevitable today,” he quietly stated, and I couldn’t agree more with his words. Lock and Key had every intention for someone to die tonight.

Only it was one of their own.

Keru let his hand slide from my face but kept me in his grasp as my eyes began to grow heavy. I could see the blood that blended with the dark, murky water, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before his body returned to the surface.

Everything was beginning to fade: the desire to stay awake, the need to see what would unfold next, and the sounds of sirens and officers ordering one another to move forward.

I could hear Professor Caulder somewhere asking if Gabriel and the others were okay, and CloverSpell was calling to me and Keru. My focus was too far gone for that, and maybe that was why it felt like I was on the verge of floating as my eyes continued to grow heavier.

Though the power of my orbs dimmed, I still noticed one key thing that was across the lake and standing there in a uniform far too similar to the rest of the officers racing to clear whatever tainted the waters: a girl with venomous green eyes that met mine. The piercing hate her eyes carried for me only confirmed who my mind was thinking of.

Madeline…

With a blink, she was gone, but I wouldn’t waste my mental capacity on her tonight. My consciousness finally began to fade as I allowed my eyes to close.

Madeline witnessed our potential strength and would be the rat we needed to warn Lock and Key of what we’d accomplished.

If they want to play with scorching fire, we’ll play until the world is up in flames.

15

THREATENING MIDTERMS AND SHRINE OF BLAZING MERCY

“So…uh…. Does Westley know you brought me to his place?” I inquired as I followed Gabriel up the stairs. “Like…aren’t his parents going to come home or something?”

“His parents are in the Dominican Republic,” Gabriel replied. “And it’s his fault for ignoring the fact that my place is still blocked off because of the investigation nonsense.”

We stopped at a green door and he opened it without even knocking. Thankfully, the room was empty, but I could hear the sounds of the shower coming from the top left corner of the room where there was a door.

“Perfect timing,” Gabriel huffed and gently urged me to take two steps into the room. I turned around to look up at his unamused, scowling face. “Stay here.”

“And why are you abandoning me exactly?”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not.”

My pout made him sigh as he tried to let out a bit of his frustration by ruffling his long locks. “Keru needs to make a report with Chambers regarding the incident. He was able to track mostly everything and was awake afterward. Plus, his marks didn’t drop.”

The way he muttered the last part was full of envy, and I guess I couldn’t blame him because I was in the same boat.

Everyone but Keru’s marks dropped. We literally got reports regarding our performance, but I guess everyone at school’s marks had dropped much lower than expected. What happened flooded the news outlets because Brad was the son of an elite mafia boss and that led to the takedown of a whole organization.

Basically, it was a messy outcome and his death ignited bigger problems than we students could handle. We were stuck until things were sorted with the remaining mafia members and his parents were judged and thrown in jail.

School had been done remotely ever since, but our grades were already shit.

I could barely study before but now it felt like an impossible task with me and the others still recovering, and Damon’s recovery was definitely a distraction.

He may have survived the ordeal, but he was still weak and recovering from his death experience. My involvement had somehow pulled him into the connective bond I shared with Gabriel, Keru, and Westley, and with CloverSpell’s confirmation, it was clear that Damon was a part of the reason why I apparently had an upgrade of my own.

One I’d yet to discover because we’ve been stuck with remote learning.

Everything was happening far too fast and the whole fiasco with Brad was just one piece of the chaos. When we’d woken up, I’d told Dad and the investigating team that I’d seen Madeline in the crowd of uniformed police officers, and they were on the hunt for her while attempting to figure out how to put an end to the dark creature that was hidden in the lake.

It was said to be formed based on a manipulated form of Dark Flame that thrived in water and had grown stronger and stronger because of the rise in death in its very habitat. Its pulsating magic was what pulled individuals in without them realizing it and was why more than thirty individuals had perished at its hands - Keru and Damon being the only ones to survive.

We’d never learned that such manipulating forces and creations were possible, but we were coming to realize that school felt rather useless when the things happening in real life were far more advanced than the spells and knowledge we were currently gaining.

The only thing that came in handy was the spell I learned last year in Professor Daily’s class. Unfortunately, until this investigation was over, there were no in-class training sessions.

It was honestly the most frustrating thing to deal with right now and finding out we were at risk of losing our Blazing Horseman titles due to our drop in grades was adding insult to injury.

Gabriel’s hand brushed against my cheek, which drew my attention to him as he stared at me with an unreadable expression. He let out a sigh and his expression softened a little as he gently stroked my cheek.

“Frustrated, too?” he whispered.

“Very,” I muttered. “Summer camp drilled us to the bone. We finally began to get some progress, but then Brad came out of nowhere. We started school only for it to go completely downhill. We tried to steady the bullying and torments while we’ve been dealing with Claire’s death and the bullying from the rich transfers. All of that resulted in us being pushed out of school to do remote fucking learning and because of all the chaos, our marks dropped like the rest of the school’s,” I summarized. “With the exception of Keru.”

“Playful smartass,” Gabriel concluded with a slight smirk.

That actually made me smile because no one really expected Keru to be the top student on the board.

“I just want to feel confident enough to protect those I love,” I whispered and met his golden eyes that stared down into mine. His expression softened further as he took a step forward and lowered his head to gently brush my lips with his soft ones.

It was getting easier for him to kiss me randomly like this.

“Me too,” he admitted as his lips brushed mine as he talked. “All of this is above our capabilities, Alice. I know Chambers and the rest of the administration don’t want to admit it, but this isn’t close to normal. This is far out of our control, and I feel if we try to involve ourselves, things will get ugly and more people will get hurt.”

He had a point, and I understood the need to essentially “lay low” but it was hard to remain patient.

To be useless while things were happening behind the scenes that clearly were triggered by us.

I’m sure my defiance about falling into the hands of Lock and Key was one thing, but from our discovery with Damon’s report of how he ended up there, he’d been invited to join the dark organization.

I’d even forgotten about that.

“What about Damon being invited to Lock and Key?” I whispered.

“As of now, I doubt they’ll do anything to try and hurt him,” Gabriel admitted. “I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they acknowledge Damon’s connection with you, which only makes us a strong threat to destroy.”

“What do you mean?”

“Damon’s only struggling right now because he’s completely drained. He’s been pushing himself since summer camp and the lack of rest makes him vulnerable, but if he’s back to optimal health, you’re dealing with a dangerous threat. Blazing Necromancers are powerful, but I think he’s going up a rank with being bonded by you.”

“Is that you guestimating?”

“Pretty much,” he admitted with a tiny smile. “That and they’ll figure out Westley and Damon are twin brothers.”

“I still can’t comprehend that,” I muttered. “Or the fact I’m apparently the demigod daughter of Lucifer.”

“We have to look into that,” Gabriel admitted.

“Um…does…” I trailed off because it felt like a stupid question, but Gabriel lifted my chin up so I had no choice but to look into his eyes.

“Does?” he prompted for me to continue.

“Does that make you scared of me?” It was stupid to feel this unsettling worry with the batch of information overload we’d been given with no definition or further opportunities to speak about it.

The information didn’t change who I was, but wouldn’t that change our relationship dynamic in some way?

“I’m not afraid of you, Alice,” Gabriel whispered and pulled me into a hug. I melted in his embrace as he kissed the top of my head. “For now, we don’t know the full extent of your past life and the relations connected to Westley and Damon, but at least we know something and can understand why Lock and Key want you on their side. Until we get the chance to talk to CloverSpell, Professor Caulder, and the rest of the adults who know more about this situation than we do, we just have to do our part of resting and aiming to heighten our grades.”

He had a point and hearing it from him helped a lot more than I was sure he understood. He pulled back and kissed me one last time before letting go.

“Once Keru’s done with the meeting, he’ll be back at the hospital room to give me a report. We’ll most likely stay the night, but Damon’s been healing up pretty fast and should be discharged tomorrow. They wished to do it tonight, but the head nurse called in sick today.”

“He’s okay though?” I asked.

I’d only been able to see him once since he was admitted, but we’d been FaceTiming him to make sure he was okay. Gabriel and Keru were allowed to visit because they were aiding with the investigation.

“He’s fine,” Gabriel assured me. “Arguing with Westley via text message is enough to keep his blood pressure up.”

“That’s horrible,” I voiced.

“Looks like they’re the kind of twins that don’t get along,” Gabriel concluded. “I’m gonna go, okay? I’ll call you or Westley if there are any updates.”

“Okay,” I replied and took the initiative to go on my tiptoes to give him a farewell kiss. It surprised him for a moment, but he relaxed and kissed me back.

“We’ll get through this,” he whispered.

“I know,” I quietly agreed.

With them…together, we’d get through this.

Waving goodbye, I watched him go down the hall and stairs before closing the door and looking around. It was the first time I’d been in a guy’s space. I’d never entered Gabriel’s room at his house, and the times I watched over Keru while he slept, it was in one of the guest rooms Gabriel offered for us to sleep in.

Westley’s room was the kind you knew he’d grown up in. There were lots of antique, wooden furniture painted matte black, while the bed reminded me of those cozy beds you’d enjoy in a cabin in the woods. There was a guitar in one corner of the room and another had a television, game system, and bookshelf.

My eyes couldn’t help gravitating to the wall of pictures, and my eyes widened as I walked to the center of it and turned around to take in the floor-to-ceiling collage of images that literally left me speechless.

It was outstandingly beautiful: pictures that danced between childhood photos of Westley, his parents, photos of him with Gabriel and Keru, and recent photos I’d completely been oblivious to him taking.

The pictures of me seemed to be in the very center of the masterpiece - some with me in the classroom or council room studying, others with me asleep with Cyrus on the council couch or arguing with Gabriel while Keru was losing his shit over whatever we’d been discussing in that moment.

There were scenes where it was me and Westley that had to be taken by one of the others: us holding hands, moments where we kissed unexpectedly in public, moments we were laughing our heads off while eating, and precious moments where we’d both fallen asleep while studying.

It was absolutely amazing and it left me wanting to take photographing our relationship seriously. I said I would this semester, but I’d only gotten a few photos.

I think what made this simply unique was the fact that none of us were really paying attention to the camera. It was all natural, and that was captivating. It allowed us to admire the wonderous expressions of happiness in moments of our lives we’d never be able to return to.

A picture of us at summer camp caught my attention. It had me in the middle with all four of the guys - Gabriel and Keru on my left side and Westley and Damon on the right. I remembered we’d taken the picture with Clara, but I guess we’d taken a few with the five of us, and that was what was reflected back at me.

The remembrance of Clara made my blood boil because she’d contributed to spreading those images. We’d yet to determine if it was intentional or not, but she was currently in custody being interviewed. She’d be released tonight because Claire’s funeral arrangements were happening tomorrow after being a bit delayed due to the circumstances, but we’d already determined that she’d be stepping down as our assistant.

I’d told Keru to let Damon know today that we’d split the workload so it wouldn’t drain him and already had a discussion with CloverSpell about needing a break from the policies and other paperwork until Damon was recovered and we had a second assistant.

It just pained me that our friendship had gone downhill, and I couldn’t determine what I’d done wrong to make her take this route. I knew Claire’s death had really hit her, but we couldn’t keep using that excuse to brush away accountability.

She’d been skipping school, going to parties, and leaving all the work for Damon. That wasn’t fair, and I wouldn’t stand for it any longer.

With a sigh, I admired the picture while my fingertip circled around Westley’s body in particular, my eyes focused on his abs.

“We haven’t even gotten alone time to do anything this semester. Jeez. How do people manage to have sex-filled relationships and get good grades?”

“Multitask.”

I flinched at the deep voice that brushed my right ear, but an arm captured me before I could spin around, and wet lips pressed at the side of my neck.

“Westley?” I breathed but couldn’t possibly move because I felt the noticeable abs against my back and the droplets of water that dropped onto my short-sleeved uniform dress shirt.

I remained still, even with the growing warmth between my bare legs while I attempted to figure out if wearing my uniform today was a blessing or a taunting curse.

“I think about you all day long and somehow you arrive in my very bedroom when I’ve already satisfied myself,” he muttered lowly against my flesh.

I blushed at his words, putting one and two together as I realized what he was referring to.

“Y-You could have just asked for me to come over,” I mumbled shyly and gasped when he nipped my flesh and sucked long and hard. Shivers crept through me as his hooked arm further pressed me against him.

I mentally cursed at the hardness that pressed against my pleated skirt, my arousal spiking further and reminding me of how much I’ve been missing these moments. Since our last frisky moment together, we hadn’t gotten a chance to do anything aside from kiss, hug, and tell each other how much we loved one another.

The frustration with our relationship was such a pain because it was leaving a level of impatience within all of us because our connected relationship seemed like it was on hold. I’d progressed with each of them - moving from the stage of questioning to actually feeling more confident to kiss in public and show forms of intimacy.

It should have been easier now to get lost in one another at a deeper level where we could roam our hands across each other’s flesh and dive into the realms of sexual connection. I’d yearned to dive right into this, but always something came up or we were pressed on time.

“I could,” he admitted, and I bit my lip as I felt his hand begin to trail down my stomach towards the front of my skirt. “But last time I checked, you didn’t know where I lived, Alice.”

He was clearly pointing out the obvious, and my brain was trying to think properly and not be so lost in how badly I wished his hand would dive right in between my legs and further drench my panties with my arousal.

Before filling me with his length.

“Gabriel brought me,” I muttered, trying to distract myself to think logically. If we had sex now, I felt like we’d be at it until we couldn’t anymore.

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” he mumbled and kept his hand moving down. “I’m needy tonight.”

I turned my head slightly to get a glimpse of his eyes, and he didn’t mind moving just slightly so our eyes would meet. The lust in those ocean orbs was intense and something I wasn’t expecting as I lowered my eyes to his lips for a brief moment.

He already was closing in, until our lips lightly pressed against one another’s. He inched back for a few seconds, and I slowly licked my lips and inched the remaining distance to kiss him right back.

This kiss was firmer in nature, but it was the approval he needed to continue as he began to take the lead in the heated, dominating kiss while one hand sought to slip beneath my white dress shirt and lift it up.

The way I moaned into his mouth gave him the opportunity to deepen this further as his tongue slipped right in to explore, and his hand tugged on my bra until my right breast was free from the cup.

His other hand was already making its way between my legs, and the way his low growl vibrated against his throat made me thrum with desire as his fingers trailed the material of my panties.

I shivered when he tugged the fabric to the side, the brief chill of air gliding along my glistening folds before a single finger moved right along the edges. I was quivering at his touch that brought so much excitement while his hand cupped my bare breast. My nipple hardened at the mere touch.

He deepened the kiss further and remained still in that moment, the two of us just kissing and letting this draw out the growing anticipation between us.

My phone began to ring, forcing the two of us to remain still as I mentally debated if it was worth picking up.

“It could be Gabe,” I pointed out.

“Hmm.” Westley took a ring to think about it. “Answer it.”

I slid my hand into my skirt pocket - thank goodness these skirts had pockets - and picked up the phone before realizing who it was.

“Alice?”

“Oh…” My disappointment was obvious before I added, “Hey, Clara.”

“Am I bothering you?” she inquired with a tone that ticked me off just a little.

“I’m working on some important stuff,” I muttered. “Why are you calling? It’s late. And don’t you have prep to do for the traditional gathering?”

“I just got released from custody and wanted to call to apologize, that’s all,” she muttered.

“Apologize?”

“For everything that happened so far,” she began, but I gasped and used my free hand to reach for the wooden dresser that was to my left as if to steady myself.

“Are you okay?” she questioned.

“Ah, yes,” I replied and hissed in an attempt to distract Clara from the obvious fact that my gasp was thanks to the cold finger of Westley’s as he went right along with teasing my entrance. “I stubbed my toe. Ah. That…really hurts.”

“If you’re extremely busy doing stuff, I can call back?”

“No, no,” I urged, knowing damn well I didn’t want any callbacks. I wanted this man’s cock in me and so far, I was just getting a tease with his long index finger that was gathering and encouraging my wetness to gather from his stimulating touch.

“Please continue, Clara,” I encouraged while Westley kissed my neck.

I shivered at his touch. He was purposely going nice and slow to not interrupt while his hand began to massage my breast and his other hand was continuing its gliding up and down motion.

“I just called to say sorry for what I did this semester. It was immature of me and I was caught up and influenced a lot by others when I should have remained focused. Without the restaurant it just kind of felt hard to concentrate on school or anything but a way to escape, you know?”

“Mhmm,” I replied, clearly only half-listening as Westley’s finger began to slide slowly into me. My walls literally quivered around his finger. The obvious intrusion of his long, foreign finger was turning me on further while he moved his lips along my neck to my shoulder.

“I’ll make it quick, but I’ll be going to say my respects tonight with Claire and take a week to catch up on schoolwork to get my marks back up. Once I’m done with that, I’ll write an apology for what occurred. Do you think that will suffice?”

“I’ll…have to discuss it with the others,” I voiced with a soft, breathy voice.

“What, Alice?” she questioned. “It’s hard to hear you.”

“Ah…” I began, and my eyes rolled at the growing sensation of pleasure building from the movement of Westley’s finger that began to move faster. “I’ll…let’s continue this tomorrow, Clara. In the afternoon?”

“I may not have service in the air, but I’ll call before my flight,” she replied.

Air? Flight?

“Alright,” I replied as Westley gripped my breast firmly while he pumped his finger in a rapid movement. “I’ll…promise to call tomorrow!” All I needed her to do was hang up the phone so I could let myself go. My legs were trembling as the build of pressure kept growing against my invisible wall of resistance.

“Okay. By-”

I couldn’t even wait for her to finish stating the farewell word as I hung up and let the phone drop. My orgasm hit me at that exact moment. I cried out in ecstasy as my orgasm rocked through me. Westley sank his finger as deep as he could, feeling out every bit of fluttering movement of my pussy walls that quivered even after my high.

“Westley!” I breathed. He chuckled deeply and slid his finger out as he released my breast. He spun me around and hooked his arm along my waist, and his finger cloaked in my juice was at my lips.

“Wanna taste?”

Now I was as red as a tomato in three seconds flat, but from the way Westley looked at me like a fucking snack he wished to devour, I couldn’t ignore his suggestion. I leaned in to take in his finger into my mouth and sucked it slowly while my tongue twirled around it.

That must have impressed him because his eyes twinkled with interest while they flooded with spots of lust. Releasing his finger only allowed him to bring me right against him as he kissed me passionately.

I didn’t know what it was with Westley tonight, but he was horny as hell and I wasn’t sure if I was beyond excited or nervous.

Suddenly, it was his turn for his phone to ring, and he completely ignored it. He turned us, and we fell onto his bed. Then he climbed on top of me. His phone had to be on the nightstand because it rattled against the wooden surface, but we kept on kissing and kissing.

It was when both of our phones began to ring that we forced the hypnotizing kiss to end as we fought for breath.

“The one moment I get you to myself and the world is calling our phones like it’s about to end,” Westley muttered in annoyance. I smirked but hooked my arm around his neck to pull him down for one last kiss.

“Next time I want to lick you cock,” I whispered against his lips.

His cheeks began to flush as if he’d snapped out of whatever lust-hungry, savage mode he’d entered earlier. He nodded and got off the bed to quickly reach for his phone.

I didn’t bother getting mine, since I needed a moment for my legs to recover after that extraordinary orgasm. Westley was back and decided to sit on the bed next to me so I could see the screen of his phone. The caller I.D. showed KIRBY, and a picture of Keru popped onto the screen.

Westley picked it up and placed it on speaker.

“Hey, Keru.” Westley sound irritated as fuck and Keru sighed.

“Don’t give me attitude for ruining whatever plans you had with our Blazing Queen,” Keru complained, but there was a hint of urgency in his voice.

“What’s wrong, Keru?” I asked.

“How fast can you guys get to the shrine?”

“Shrine?” Westley and I said in unison as we looked at one another and noticed the obvious fact that I was in my crumbled uniform while Westley was just in boxers.

“The shrine as in the place we planned to go to next week, shrine?” Westley asked.

“As in the place near summer camp, shrine?” I offered to add more clarification of what we were trying to ask.

“Yes! That shrine,” Keru replied and the urgency was loud and clear. We scrambled off the bed and Westley handed the phone to me as he rushed to his closet to get clothes.

“Why the shrine?” I inquired.

“Damon remembered something super important,” Keru stressed. “Before the whole fiasco at the lake, he’d seen another image of Claire. You know, with the white dress and the red strings.”

“Yes,” I replied and listened carefully as he carried on.

“We need to get Clara and bring her to the shrine.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Clara isn’t Clara, Alice,” Keru revealed. “The Clara you saved is actually Claire.”

Holy Mother What?!

Even Westley paused in his movement of putting his pants on as we both stared at one another in shock. “You’re not joking,” I whispered to Keru.

“It’s true, Alice.” Gabriel’s voice came from the background, which confirmed they too, were on speaker mode. “You gave a red bead necklace to someone, correct?”

“Yeah. I put it on Claire’s wrist before entering the freezer to protect Clara.”

“The beads would only save those worthy of being saved,” Damon pitched in. He sounded tired from the thickness of his voice but he continued. “However, saving someone doesn’t mean allowing their soul to remain between the realms of the living and the dead if it wasn’t for a valid reason. Compared to the time we saw her before summer camp, I’ve seen her on two more occasions, and each time she has the word CLARA written on her wrist and is trying hard to speak her truth. The beads were on her wrist and the red thread that’s wrapped around her is a representation of that. The threads are keeping her from ascending because she’s outside of her own body and needs to return while the spirit that inhabits her body needs to be vanquished.”

“How is that possible?” Westley inquired. “Claire died, but instead her spirit is in Clara’s body and Clara’s soul is out floating around to grab our attention?”

“That’s exactly it,” Damon replied. “Someone switched their souls.”

“How?” I just couldn’t wrap my head around it, so I asked the question.

“If you want my honest opinion, I’m not sure. It could be a Necromancer, but that type of skill is lethal unless the person has been doing this for years. And in our time and age, it probably costs a lot of money.”

“Do you think it was Lock and Key’s plan all along?” Keru inquired. “That they were going to take Clara regardless if they killed Claire by the bomb or switched their souls?”

“It could be, but it doesn’t make sense. Why would they get rid of Claire’s body or kill her in general?” Damon admitted. “She’d had to have bargained for something. Like for her to take Clara’s body and for Clara to go somewhere else. If she’d wished for the reverse to happen, maybe she was convinced that the bomb would preserve her body somehow while the switch happened so they would both survive.”

“But since they didn’t…Claire took Clara’s body and has been living it up like she doesn’t have school, work, or anything,” I whispered as it clicked in. “Like she’s literally free.”

“Wait,” Westley whispered. “She just called Alice saying she’ll be in the air tomorrow and she’s going to the shrine now to say her last respects!”

The reminder made my eyes widen. “Oh no.”

“She’s trying to leave the country?!” Damon said on one end while Westley said it on mine. I stared at him. I was certain from the silence on the other end that Gabriel and Keru were staring at Damon, but we had no time.

“How are we going to fix this?” I questioned. “Damon? You’re not strong enough to unseal Clara or do a switch, are you?”

“I…” He paused as if he were trying to think about it. “I’m not sure I could handle it. I’ll be honest. I don’t feel a hundred percent yet. I could definitely get her soul back into her body if I used enough magic, but I’d need a second user who’s extremely experienced with magic that alters one’s destiny.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Like a psychic or card reader or something,” Damon elaborated. “If I take Clara’s soul out, I’m scared that I’ll leave her destined traits behind. That means that taking her soul from the realms of the in-between, I could potentially be leaving behind the future she was destined to carry and she’d be given whatever destiny Claire had once I tug her soul out. That could lead to big consequences, especially if Claire never had a long life expectancy on her life path.”

“Shit,” I cursed, and honestly felt horrible. This whole time we’d blamed the fact that Claire’s death had made Clara act so differently, but the reality was that she wasn’t Clara, but actually Claire’s spirit in Clara’s body.

It blew my mind because it was something you’d never think was possible, and yet that was exactly what we were dealing with. And I wasn’t sure how we could fix this.

“Do you guys know anyone?” I asked. None of them replied and I looked to Westley as his eyes suddenly lit up.

“Hold on! Your twin!”

“I don’t have a twin,” I huffed as I shook my head, only to realize who he was referencing. “Oh wait! Alicia!” I practically squealed. “Wait. Do you think she’ll be able to come?”

“We won’t know until we try. Can you call her?” Westley encouraged.

“Ya. Hold on,” I replied and rushed off the bed to get my phone on the floor.

“Regardless, we’re going to make our way to the shrine. We’re going to have to take the longer route since we can’t teleport there.”

“We’ll leave right after the phone call,” Westley announced as he put the phone down to finish dressing while I fumbled for Alicia’s number.

“Alright. See you shortly,” Keru concluded and hung up.

I finally reached her contact information and called her. Placing the phone on speaker, I worked on fixing my uniform, but Westley offered me a different set of clothes. I arched an eyebrow in question and he whispered, “You’re going to be cold in those. Wear these.”

“Alicia Midnight!”

We both flinched at her high-pitched voice.

“Alicia!” I replied and rushed to grab the phone. “Um, so sorry to suddenly call you but we have a big issue and need your help.”

“Oh, uh…” she began but trailed off for a moment.

“Alicia?” I asked and looked to Westley as he frowned and then mouthed ‘maybe they’re busy?’

“Alicia, if you’re busy, we can-”

“Ugh. Roxas! Stop already!” Alicia shouted. “The call is importa- AH!”

There was a crashing sound and it was like the phone fell onto something. We just stared at our own device as Alicia and what I could assume was Roxas went back and forth.

“Make it quick and come over here!” Roxas demanded.

“Ugh! No! It’s important!”

“The one day we get to fuck, and we’re interrupted! I’ve been waiting weeks, Alicia!”

“How is that my fault? If you stopped laying kisses all over me like I’m a damn statue we would have been fucking by now!”

“I’m not losing my only opportunity!”

“We can fuck after!”

“You’re going to be tired after!”

“Then…we’ll figure it out!”

“You always say we’ll figure it out!”

“Ugh, Roxas! Can’t we argue later already?”

The silence that followed made Alicia groan and it got all quiet for a long minute.

“Fine,” Roxas finally grumbled. “Only because they’re your friends.”

“They’re your friends, too, Roxas.”

“Whatever.”

“Thank you.” Alicia genuinely showed her gratitude, and there was another long silence as if they were sharing a kiss of some sort. I looked at Westley in the meantime, and this made me realize that maybe we weren’t the only ones struggling to take things to the next level.

“Hello?” Alicia began. “Are you still there, Alice?”

“I’m here,” I replied.

“Sorry about that.” She sounded a little shy about what just transpired.

“Don’t worry, Alicia. We’re kinda dealing with similar,” I confessed. “It’s hard to get time for intimacy these days.”

“Ya,” she sighed. “What’s the problem on your end?”

I looked to Westley because I wasn’t sure how to explain this.

“Hi, Alicia and Roxas,” Westley greeted. “The problem is a little complicated but it’s regarding a switch of souls.”

“Souls?” they said in unison before Alicia carried on. “I need a quick explanation.”

I went right into explaining what we’d dealt with and our potential problem with Claire heading to the shrine.

“She’s not going to the shrine to pay her respects,” Alicia said with seriousness. “Roxas, can you get me my cards?”

“Ya,” he replied and there was a squeaking of the bed.

“What do you think she’s going there for, then?” I asked.

Alicia was quiet before Roxas answered, “Alicia is going to find that out now. Are you guys able to put the phone on video function?”

“Yes,” Westley replied and made sure my uniform top was at least buttoned up before he changed the phone setting to FaceTime.

Roxas’s face showed up first and he gave a slight wave before he turned the camera to Alicia, who was sitting crossed legged on the bed. She was wearing a crop top and shorts, and her long orange strands were down with a loose curl in them.

She was shuffling a set of cards in her hands while taking deep inhales and letting them out slowly. Again, she continued this cycle until the blue cards with golden markings began to glow. She stopped shuffling and immediately took a card and tossed it in the air.

The card floated and aligned itself into a certain position, and the others that followed copied until there were seven cards floating before her.

Alicia opened her eyes then and they were mesmerizingly beautiful with glowing orbs that looked like twinkling stars as her arms glowed with various markings.

She moved quickly as words left her lips.

“Death is approaching the one who selfishly wishes for salvation. The girl whose flame has been within the depths of the shadows, ignored by the light of loved ones, seeks the revenge she’s awaited. Threads of red see the injustice at play but can only keep hold of the flame that shines with light. Time is precious for the shadowed flame, and intentions are as clear as the midnight sky. Prevent her desire to cut the threads of red and reverse the dark magic tainted within.”

“How though?” I whispered mostly to myself. “How are we going to switch them back?”

We watched Alicia as she smiled and reached for the single card in the center. She flipped it for us to see, and the word JUSTICE was at the bottom. Two souls with their backs pressed against a middle sword reminded me of one side being good, the other being evil, and the sword dividing the two from destruction.

“All I need is one who can tug on the threads of the dead. Then leave the rest to me and the stars.”

“Damon,” Westley confirmed. “We have that person.”

“Then do not delay. Time is ticking,” Alicia concluded and closed her eyes as the cards began to float back to the deck.

Roxas returned the screen to him. “When you reach there, you have to summon us to your world. Just think of us and use a simple teleportation spell. We should be pulled to cross over. We’re going to let Professor Blaze know just in case we need her to bring us back.”

“Alright! Thank you, Roxas. Thank you, Alicia,” I thanked. He nodded and hung up the phone and we swiftly finished changing before gathering everything we needed.

“So much for slowing down.” I sighed, feeling a little drained at the idea. I knew this was urgent and I shouldn’t feel like a drag, but when were we going to have a pause in this madness? There had to be a lull moment, right?

Westley approached me and pulled me into an embrace. We stared at one another and kissed without exchanging any words. He already understood me. He craved the same moment of tranquility we’d been yearning for since summer.

Didn’t school include fun times? Nights of just laughter and lust and not always studying and pushing yourself to become stronger for the sake of a future you had no true vision of?

Our kiss was short and followed with another tight hug.

“After exams, I think we should get away for a bit,” he muttered into my neck.

“Would we be allowed to?” I whispered. “We probably don’t have money for that.”

“We’ll figure it out,” he assured me. “Don’t worry about money. That’s not an issue.”

“But…” Maybe I was just trying to find an excuse so I wouldn’t get my hopes up at the potential idea of having an escape after all of this.

“We’ll make it happen, Alice,” Westley vowed. “All five of us.”

The mention of five made me pull back as I looked into his eyes to make sure he said what he’d obviously acknowledged.

Five. Me, Gabriel, Keru, Westley, and Damon.

“You’re…okay with Damon joining?”

“Well…he’s my brother,” Westley grumbled though it wasn’t like he was stating the words like he was really upset. “Besides, he’s bonded to you now. He has to come along.”

“But in the realms of…dating. Are you okay with him being a part of that?”

“I don’t care,” Westley admitted. “As long as you want that and he treats you right, that’s all.”

I felt like that was a huge improvement for Westley, especially with him being so possessive.

“We’ll figure it out,” he assured me and kissed my forehead. “Let’s go catch that imposter.”

Yes. To the shrine to make things right.

“UM… GUYS?” My eyes trailed upward. “That ain’t normal.”

Gabriel, Westley, and Keru moved their attention from one another to see what I was pointing at - and their gasps only confirmed that the spiraling red flames were indeed very real.

“Should I call Alicia now?” I questioned with my phone in my hand.

“We have to wait for Damon to be finished,” Keru acknowledged.

All of us were in black attire - black pants, long sleeves, and shoes. I’d borrowed Westley’s clothes and he’d used some sort of spell to shrink them a bit - which pretty much meant they were mine now - but we were waiting on Damon because unlike us, he had to wear a special garment of sorts.

“That typhoon of flames is going to destroy the shrine if we wait much longer,” Westley pointed out.

“It has to be Claire,” Gabriel emphasized. “How was she even allowed in?”

“When you’re desperate, you’ll always find a means of getting into somewhere you shouldn’t,” Keru voiced as he clapped his hands to summon his cape, which emerged on his shoulders. “That thing is powerful. No way is she working alone.”

“She’s not.”

We turned our attention to Damon, but we all were rendered silent because he looked absolutely outstanding.

He wore a traditional Japanese red and white outfit that held golden undertones and a belt of large red fabric that was secured by gold and red threads. His two-toned strands were hidden by an intriguing hat that held various charms that hung on red strings, and he carried a staff of gold that carried bells.

He looked like one of those people in animation shows that worked to vanquish spirits. Even his shoes were a special wooden type that were matte black.

“Wow,” I whispered in awe and noticed the way Damon began to blush.

“This isn’t a big deal,” he grumbled. “You can’t do certain things in the realms of spirits without proper attire, especially when dealing with the Blazing Veil. It’s almost insulting and can cause irreversible consequences.”

“Exactly!”

We all turned to see Alicia and Roxas approaching us. Roxas was wearing black pants and a dress shirt, while Alicia was completely dazzling from head to toe. Her outfit was similar to Damon’s, but the material design was galaxy themed.

The blue was vibrant and carried a holographic undertone to it while the whole outfit was decorated with golden stars.

Her hair was up in a bun with various hair ornaments with dangling chains that reflected golden stars. She wore midnight blue heels and carried a large book.

“Hello!”

Everyone but Westley was star-struck at my friends’ arrival, but I was more impressed at how they got here.

“We didn’t summon you guys yet?” I voiced like a question. “And hello!”

“We know,” Roxas calmly stated. “Professor Blaze brought us. We didn’t realize we needed permission to get into the shrine.”

“What happens if you don’t ask permission?” Westley inquired. “Because I doubt Claire asked and there’s that.” He pointed to the spiraling red force to draw their attention.

Roxas looked unsure, but Alicia smirked.

“That’s exactly what consequences look like,” she declared. “Makes our lives easier!”

She looked at Gabriel, Keru, and Damon.

“Oh. Didn’t you say you had three boyfriends, Alice?”

“Uh…” I began to blush while my eyes slowly moved to Damon. His face was redder as he immediately looked away. “Ya…well, Mother Flame decided I needed one more.”

I noticed the way Damon’s eyes slightly moved to acknowledge me, and I smiled before giving Alicia my full attention. “Thank you for coming,” I whispered.

“Of course! If the stars say I need to come to my friend’s aid, I’ll be ready with my trusty bunny!”

“I’m not even in that form,” Roxas groaned.

“I actually need you in that form,” Alicia pointed out.

“Ugh, why?!”

“Because you’re better at using magic in that form.”

“That makes no sense!”

“Yes, it does. Bunny with red eyes equals cute, fire-breathing force to be reckoned with! We discussed this.”

“You don’t make the others change into animals.”

“Ya, but you’re a special exception,” Alicia concluded.

“I’m going home,” Roxas huffed and turned around.

“Aww, hold on.” Alicia skipped over to him, dragging her long attire with her before she leaned in to whisper in his ear. His body grew rigid for a few seconds and he turned to look at her while she gave him a big sweet smile.

Why do I have a feeling she’s bribing him with sex?

Westley leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Is she bribing him with what I think she is?”

“Probably,” I replied back as Roxas let out a huff.

“Fine.”

“Yeah! I love you,” Alicia squealed and with a snap of her fingers, Roxas was gone and replaced by a black bunny that landed on her shoulder. She spun around and headed back to us, looking like she triumphed in a war.

“Are you guys ready?”

“Yes,” we replied.

Damon moved to stand next to Alicia, the two of them exchanging words before they got down to business.

“Roxas will have enough magical power to boost the both of us. The exchange of souls may be difficult with the imposter, but once she’s out, it’ll be easy to send her toward the realms of ascension.”

“What if she refuses?” Damon asked a prime question as we waited.

“It’s her choice to refuse.” Alicia didn’t seem to care. “If she does, she’ll be trapped in this realm of life where she’s clearly dead, and if she was somehow provoked to do whatever caused this switch to begin with, chances are, they’re waiting for her soul.”

“You mean, they want her to be stuck?” I asked.

Alicia nodded. “I can’t check the cards now. It costs too much energy. But the vibes I got from the reading from earlier still stand. She’s a villain in this tale, but every villain is given a plan of conviction that pushes them to commit their evil deeds: whether it’s an underlying purpose or a situation that triggers it. Either way, the best outcome is her moving on, or her failure will merely benefit the one who used her this entire time.”

Her words made sense but carried a sense of heaviness that made me feel sorry for her. I know I shouldn’t because it was thanks to her that Clara had been trapped for a good six months, but if she didn’t move on, she’d be stuck in these realms for who knew how long.

Eternity?

“Let’s move,” Damon encouraged as his eyes narrowed. “We’re running out of time.”

I wasn’t sure what he was seeing, but it was enough to get the rest of us moving as we headed towards the single path of stairs that led to the hidden path.

The closer we got, the more intense the air became, as the pressure made it feel like something would jump out at any moment to finish us.

Gabriel ended up moving right in front of the line as if he knew where he was going, followed by Damon, Westley, myself, Alice, and Keru at the back.

“The entrance is here,” Damon acknowledged as we came to a dead end due to a large stone that had intriguing characters carved into it.

“Looks like a dead end, though?” Gabriel pointed out but moved aside to get a glimpse of us.

“Just a facade,” Damon voiced. “Alicia?”

“Coming.” Alicia walked past us as she made it to Damon’s side. “Ready when you are.”

He nodded and lifted the staff in his hand as it began to glow.

“I call upon the realms of the holy land, the peaceful serenity that is threatened by an outsider. Allow us access to bring your world back to the realms of peace. We are the carriers of tranquility,” Damon declared with magic lacing his words.

Alicia opened the large book in her possession and we watched as it glowed and pages began to fly out of it and rise into the air - their shape shifting into smaller, rectangular pieces that replicated talismans.

Each one moved to strap themselves onto our chests. All of us had one, including Damon and Alicia herself.

“I protect us with your approval as we enter your realms of tranquility. Aid our conquest to deliver the justice of one’s unrested soul and vanquish all layers of evil that wish to taint your place of worship. May the stars above judge accordingly and lay down the ultimate punishment of selfish hunger.”

The talismans disappeared into our bodies, and we watched in amazement as our bodies were wrapped in a soft golden glow with hues of orange and red.

“Take us right to the source of your disturbance,” Damon encouraged.

“And allow us to save the innocent and charge the guilty,” Alicia finished.

Damon tapped his staff on the ground while Alice closed her book shut. The dual action made the very rock that blocked our path glow with intense heat before prism-colored flames burst to light and swirled into a vortex.

“Let’s hurry!” Damon encouraged and Gabriel didn’t delay, releasing his winds as he summoned a sword to fly right into the portal. Damon encouraged the rest of us to follow, and Alicia and I walked out at the same time to be mere feet from the spiraling force.

“Oh shit!” we cursed, and Westley tugged me back while Keru did the same with Alicia, as if to ensure we both didn’t just waltz right into the blazing madness.

My eyes immediately noticed the body floating in the middle and I gasped.

“Clara!” I called out, but Westley held me tightly.

“It’s her body,” Alicia pointed out. “But no soul currently resides there.”

“What?” I questioned in confusion as Damon began to approach the red vortex. “This tornado is a protective trap that stops anyone that has evil intentions from finishing whatever spell or incantation they wished to commit.”

“Which means it took the soul out for us,” Alicia acknowledged. “That means we just have to choose the one who’s innocent.

“How are we going to do that if we can’t see them?” Gabriel inquired.

“We’ll handle that,” Alicia declared. “Damon will open the veil. I can use my cards to alternate the realms and let you guys see the souls, but we need to be standing in a balanced alignment.”

“Keru, you balance Alicia’s aura better. Stand behind her and if she needs a further boost in magic, give it to her,” Damon ordered and pointed to Gabriel. “Gabriel, you’re behind me. I may need a boost.”

“Alright,” Keru replied.

“Sure,” Gabriel answered.

“Alice, you have to be on the left side. Westly, you’ll be on the right side. Your goal is to help us pinpoint the right soul,” Alicia explained. “This is the only chance to save your friend, so choose wisely.”

“Understood,” we replied, and all got into position. I was nervous as hell, especially with the idea that this was our only chance. I’d have to think of something that could help me tell them apart.

Alicia tucked her hand into the inner material of her dress to retrieve a deck of cards. They were different from the ones she’d used for the reading. The exterior was matte black with red accents, and the design was all in shimmering gold.

Her aura suddenly spiked as her eyes grew black like she was possessed by a demon before she tossed the cards into the air. They didn’t even hit the floor. Instead, they soared through the air and began to spin around the vortex as a red glow formed around their sleek exterior.

“I, Alicia Midnight, call upon the stars of darkness and flames of light to judge this case. Intervene and destroy outside forces that fight to manipulate these circumstances. Strike them with a mark that will never come off!”

I was shocked by her enchanted words as the cards began to spin faster and faster until they were a blurry line of black and red, but what caught my attention was the shriek of pain that came from afar.

The sound was far too familiar, and I looked to Westley. He nodded; he knew exactly who the potential scream was from.

Madeline!

“Don’t move from your positions,” Damon spoke up. “The person has been marked. They may escape now, but that mark is permanent. We’ll deal with locating her later. Focus on what we came to accomplish.”

He had a point and from his concentrating eyes, he was about to open the veil.

He slammed his staff onto the cement surface. We watched in amazement as the very staff turned into a golden scythe, and he spun it in place while his eyes bled to a vibrant red and his garments began to levitate with the spike of his aura.

“May the Blazing Veil open.”

His command sent the whole place into a black oasis. Colors finally bled through as our auras aided in identifying each of us. It was like our auras were flashlights that allowed us to be visible, but what scared me was the haunting creatures surrounding us.

None of us moved as fear washed over our expressions. Only Alicia and Damon seemed unconcerned.

“Roxas! Tie us down!” Alicia ordered.

Roxas’s eyes of red began to glow, and red glowing threads shot out until they tied around our ankles as if to secure us. At that moment, the floating creatures tried to crash into us, but walls of protective red held them back.

“Are these…souls?” Keru questioned in shock.

“Yes,” Damon replied. “It’s common for shrines to harbor a lot of evil souls in these realms. We’re inside the veil, which isn’t protected with talismans and other methods of spiritual protection like shrines are. These are the souls that wish to taint the very land we’re standing on. Alicia’s spell aids in keeping us untainted and in our place to not ruin the connection.”

“Then where are Claire and Clara?” Gabriel inquired.

“There!” Westley pointed further up, and we followed the trail to see the two sisters. They were glaring daggers at one another, but I knew right away this was going to be tricky because they both wore white dresses, had red threads around their bodies, and even had the same shade of red hair.

It’s as if she knew we’d be here to try and save Clara.

“Stop copying me!” they snapped at one another, and both bit their lips as their arms trembled. I thought we could tell the difference by the bracelet Damon had given me, but I guess Claire had figured that out too because they both wore the same red bracelet on the same wrist.

They somehow noticed us at that moment, their eyes locking onto me before realization flooded and they rushed downward.

“Alice!” they said in unison and stopped right before the red wall. Pointing to one another, they continued, “She’s the evil one!”

The look I gave them made them both huff in frustration.

“Stop copying me!” they screamed.

“Alice,” Damon warned, and I quickly looked at him. He had already broken into a sweat as he held his scythe that continued to aid in keeping the veil open. “We can’t stay long.”

I quickly glanced at Alicia, and though her eyes were still fully black, her outstretched hands shook while sweat began to roll down the sides of her face. I could tell Roxas was already giving Alicia aid, but Keru placed his hands on Alicia’s shoulders to assist.

“Shit. We don’t have long,” I muttered mostly to myself and looked to Westley.

His eyes met mine as he understood my dilemma.

“Ask something that you know they’ll have opposite tastes on!” Westley called out.

The twins ignored him entirely - as if moving their attention from me would seal their fates.

Something that they have opposite tastes on.

“Alice!” they said again. “Save me!”

I looked at the two of them before I let out a long sigh.

“Only if you promise to eat raspberry cake right this instant,” I announced.

“YES!” the one to my left declared, but the one to my right remained completely silent. My eyes slowly moved to her red ones that filled with disgust while her whole body shook.

“Fuck that!” she snapped as if she couldn’t bear the idea of eating such a sweet thing. “Raspberries?! Out of all the damn fruits in the realms of life, we have to eat nasty raspberries?! Alice! You know how much I hate those damn blood-mimicking pieces of disgusting fruit! Ewww! AH! Nope, nope, nope! As if having a damn red bracelet and strings around me isn’t eno-holy fuck! I can speak without being copied?! Alice!”

“Bingo,” I replied, and suddenly Cyrus appeared out of nowhere and jumped right onto Clara’s wrist.

“What the?!” Clara gasped at Cyrus’s arrival while Claire hissed and pulled something out of her get-up. I was baffled that she could do anything but float, but everything happened so fast that it was impossible to react.

“ALICIA. NOW!” Damon declared.

“DIE!” Claire snapped as she pointed what looked to be a gun, but it had a special talisman on it. Clara shrieked while we watched in horror - but Cyrus’s body began to glow until a wall of silver appeared before Clara - just as Claire pulled the trigger.

We watched as a bullet of black left the canister and headed towards the solidified wall, and to our surprise, the bullet bounced off the protective wall and headed straight into Claire’s chest.

She gasped in shock while Clara’s soul began to move towards Alicia like it had been summoned by her. Her body began to fade until she was nothing but a flame while Cyrus jumped and soared over. I lifted my arms to catch her, and she hugged me tightly while we watched in horror as Claire began to scream in agony.

“NO! No, no, no! This isn’t what they promised. Lock! Key! Madeline! You told me it would vanquish her. You said it takes me away from the shadows! AH!!!!” Her scream pierced through the air as strings of black began to shoot into her like needles, one after another until her entire body was frozen mid-air and filled with these very items.

We couldn’t see what happened next because the world of black suddenly disappeared as we were sent back into the present. The spiraling force was suddenly gone, and the gasping of air brought our attention to the middle of our circle.

Clara sat up and quickly patted her body as if she couldn’t believe it.

“I’m…I’m…holy fuck. I’m alive! I’m back! This…this…my body. I’m here.” Tears were rolling down her cheeks in seconds as she continued to pat herself and then the floor as if she couldn’t believe she was alive.

“Shit! Damon!” Gabriel snapped, and I turned my attention as Damon fell forward and was caught by Gabriel. There was a red light to my right, and there Roxas showed up as Keru caught Alicia, who passed right out.

“Alicia?!” Keru shook her to make sure she was breathing, and a soft moan left her lips.

“She’ll be fine,” Roxas urged. “But we have to go. You never remain at the site where you’ve exorcised a spirit.

I rushed to help Clara as I knelt down by her side.

“Clara?”

She looked at me with her wide red eyes that only grew glassier at my acknowledgment.

“You can see me now,” she sobbed and hugged me. “Alice!”

“I’m so sorry, Clara. I thought…I thought I’d saved you.” I hugged her tightly back while Westley and Keru arrived at our sides.

“We’ll carry Clara, Alice. We need you to send magic into the stone wall to make the portal,” Keru explained.

“Alright!” I replied and rose up as they lifted Clara. Gabriel had Damon resting on his back while Roxas held Alicia. “Let’s hurry!”

We raced down the path as screams echoed all around us.

“You think you’ve won!” Claire’s voice boomed through the night sky that began to darken further. “I’ll get my revenge! I won’t be a puppet! I’LL KILL YOU ALL!”

“Cyrus!” I called my familiar. She hopped off my shoulder and flew forward down the path to land on the stone wall. “Awaken the portal!”

“Open for my mistress! OVANLO!” Cyrus declared and sent a shockwave of magic through the stone wall that thrummed intensely and began to unlock the swirling waves of flames.

I moved aside and encouraged the others to run through.

“Hurry!”

They followed right in as our surroundings grew darker and darker by the second. Roxas was last to run through with Alicia. He took one last look behind as my eyes locked onto the screeching force heading my way.

“DIE!”

I grabbed Cyrus in my grasp, and we entered the portal as the last strings of flaming magic spun to allow our departure. I rushed out in time and tripped, only to be caught by a new pair of hands.

“Huh?” I looked up to see Dad standing there with a very unapproving expression. I didn’t know what I was more afraid of: the scary, vengeful spirit of Claire or Dad.

That’s hard to decide at this point.

“Hey, Dad?” I greeted nervously and looked around to see CloverSpell, Professor Caulder, and Professor Daily were also present. “It’s a nice night to conduct an exorcism, don’t you think?”

“Nice night to get a call from your mother asking about you needing Alicia and Roxas,” he tossed back as his scowl deepened. “And to find out Damon was missing from the hospital with his trusty watchers, and my daughter and one of her boyfriends weren’t anywhere to be found.”

“Ah,” I replied with a slight smile. “How bizarre?”

“How bizarre!” Cyrus cheered in my grasp.

Dad sighed and helped me stand up, and we gathered to explain everything that happened.

“I’ll escort Roxas and Alicia back to their universe,” Professor Caulder declared as Roxas yawned, continuing to hold Alicia in his grasp.

“Are you sure?” Roxas inquired. “I’ll be fine taking her back.”

“It’s a part of my role to ensure those who live outside of our universe return to their realms in one piece. Your professor is an acquaintance of mine. She’ll meet us once we arrive back.”

“Great,” Roxas replied and looked over to us. “Guess we’ll see you guys when we see you.”

“Thank you, Roxas.” I bowed my head in further thanks. “Please let Alicia know how grateful we are.”

“I will,” he said with a slight smile. “Fun to have intriguing friends.”

His body began to disappear along with Alicia’s and Professor Caulder’s.

“Bye.”

We watched them disappear before cries of relief came from our right. “Clara!”

Clara opened her tired eyes to see her parents, who were running towards our group. Her eyes widened like saucers before she gathered the strength to leave Westley and Keru’s grasp and race towards them.

“Mom! Dad!” She crashed into them, and the three fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably at their reunion. I had to fight not to cry, feeling both relieved and thankful that we somehow managed to save Clara.

Westley walked over to me, pulling me into a hug while Keru walked over to stand with our group and check on Damon.

“I can’t believe we survived that,” Keru whispered.

“That wasn’t in the school syllabus,” Gabriel concluded.

“Is Damon okay?” I quietly asked as I enjoyed Westley’s hug.

“He’ll be okay.” CloverSpell was the one to reply. “He’ll need lots of rest, as will all of you. You are also all on a magic ban until exam day.”

“Magic ban?” Westley questioned. “But…”

Professor Daily crossed his arms and shook his head. “No buts. Yes, what you guys just did was heroic, but it’s absolutely outside of your scope of practice. Only Elite students can even come close to venturing into a shrine and opening the veil to retrieve a soul. Maybe it’s deemed as easy to you all, but if Damon didn’t close that veil properly, you all would have perished.”

“Or worse,” Chambers added. “Be possessed by far eviler spirits that would have every intention to kill.”

We remained silent at the heaviness his words carried.

“Remote learning is still going on. The exam this semester will be an online exam and you will be selected to attend a location on campus for the second half. Until then, no magic usage whatsoever, and you will remain in a designated dorm we will offer you until the investigation around the Sunrose property is dealt with. Understood?”

“Understood,” we repeated.

“To the car,” Chambers ordered.

We quietly headed to the awaiting cars, but Westley held my hand as he leaned in to whisper, “Do you regret it?”

I looked over my shoulder to see a glimpse of Clara as her parents wiped away her tears and more family members rushed from the vans that just arrived to embrace her.

“Nope,” I quietly replied as I turned my attention back to him. “Not one fucking bit.”

He smirked and pulled me into his side as an arm wrapped around me.

“Me neither,” he concluded. “Whatever role we just did…I want us to do that.”

“Save people in need?”

“Mhmm,” he whispered. “Save people as a team…and solve crimes and murders involving Lock and Key. I want us to take them down for good.”

His declaration resonated with me, and I slowly nodded my head.

“Ya,” I whispered. “Guess we have to find the name for that.”

“For now, we have one,” he whispered with a slight smirk as he met my curious side gaze.

“What?”

He grinned and kissed my cheek.

“Blazing Horsemen.”

I like the sound of that.

16

BURNING BLAZING

“Feel free to take your seat belts off. The flight will be a short one, but if you need to use the washroom, please do so now.”

We sighed in relief as we unbuckled our belts and looked out the window.

“I can’t believe our exam is going to be on Blazing Islands!” I exclaimed. “Are we going to get attacked by flaming creatures or something?” I asked as I looked at Professor Caulder, who was our assigned chaperone for the trip.

‘“Hmm?” She poked her head up from the stack of grades she was marking. “Exam? What are you guys referring to?”

“The second part of the exam,” Gabriel noted. He was sitting next to my left side, while Damon was on my right. Westley and Keru were opposite of us with Clara in the middle.

Professor Caulder was sitting in a more open spot parallel to us. We were the only ones on this flight, seeing as everyone else either got assigned to go before us or were being moved to different opportunities.

“Weeks ago after the shrine incident, CloverSpell said we’d have a two-part exam.”

Professor Caulder needed a moment to think about it before it clicked.

“Ah,” she began and sighed. “It was in the works but was suddenly canceled two hours before your written exam.”

“Huh?” We all seemed confused even though it was kind of a blessing to not have a second exam.

“Wait,” Gabriel continued. “So, we passed?”

“None of you checked the boards after the exam was over?”

“No,” we replied in unison.

“We rushed to the airport after the exam so we wouldn’t be late for the potential second part,” I voiced.

Professor Caulder’s frown simply deepened as she paused in her marking.

“You all passed. From memory, Alice came out on top, followed by Damon and Westley tied in second, Gabriel third, Kerberus fourth, and Clara fifth.”

We all looked between Damon and Westley as they glared at one another.

“Why the hell did you get the same score as me?” Westley huffed.

“Oh, here we go again. Blaming my ass for everything. I’m still recovering, you know?”

“I don’t care!”

“Well, tough luck. I should have tried harder for the hell of it,” Damon whined.

“As if I’d let you.”

The rest of us ignored them as they continued on with their bickering.

“Why are you guys so shocked?” Professor Caulder inquired.

“Well…I mean, it’s not like we’re not grateful,” I tried to express.

“I think it’s because we expected something dramatic to happen,” Clara chipped in.

“Why was the second part canceled?” Keru inquired.

“The administration wouldn’t just cancel something unless it put everyone at risk,” Gabriel added.

Professor Caulder bobbed her head and caught all of our attention as she rose up and crossed her arms over her chest.

“There were reports that Madeline was on campus,” she revealed.

“Seriously?!” I gasped. “Were you able to catch her?”

“They’re investigating,” Professor Caulder assured us. “It’s another reason why we urged the students who were done to head to their designated reward spots.”

“Reward spots?” Gabriel questioned.

“It’s not normal in first-year practice, but from the second year onward, top students get rewards for their high marks in both physical combat and written examinations. You all did superbly and got the top spots, so the reward is going to Blazing Islands for four weeks.”

We all gawked in shock and she smiled at our obvious astonishment.

“All attire and essentials are already at the blazing suite on the island, and if you need anything else of importance, we’ll gladly get it for you. We figured after the hectic semester you endured even before my arrival, that things were really burning you all out. CloverSpell set this up when the semester began after the summer camp fiasco and it was approved by the upper board after news of the shrine incident and your heroic events to save a fellow friend. So say goodbye to Blazing for a bit.”

We all cheered in excitement at the news, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. It was like my prayers had been answered.

“I need to pee!” Clara announced, which made us laugh.

“Then go pee, silly,” I encouraged. “Before you laugh and wet your tights!”

“I like these,” she huffed.

“Cause I got them for you,” I said with pride.

“Sure, sure.” Clara laughed and reached out to playfully slap my knee as she got up.

“An escape sure is a blessing,” Keru said, sighing in relief as he stretched.

“It’s been a while since we’ve actually vacationed, let alone taken a break,” Gabriel chipped in.

“Some peace would be much appreciated,” Westley admitted.

“And no need to focus on any work,” Damon added.

“I can’t believe we’re going on vacation toge-”

“AHHH!!!”

We jumped at Clara’s piercing scream, and I was up and rushing down the aisle to the washroom with Gabriel right behind me.

“Clara?!” we screamed and crashed open the door where Clara was standing mortified - her eyes on the body sitting on the toilet with open eyes and a slit throat.

I couldn’t even move as I took in the person I’d least expected to be on this very flight - and very dead.

“M-Madeline?” Gabriel gasped. “Fuck. Professor Caulder!”

I looked at the mirror, only to see the written message on the mirror in blood.

“You said let’s play fire with fire, Alice. Alrighty, then. Let’s fucking play.”

“What?” I whispered in confusion. “What does that mean?”

“Holy fucking shit!” Damon and Westley screamed, and we rushed out of the bathroom back down the aisle to see them plastered to the windows.

“What?!” I demanded and rushed between them to see what the hell they were peering at, but the answer was set in stone as my eyes widened to take in what we all were seeing.

“Impossible,” I whispered, and I wasn’t sure I could get the next words out. “Blazing…Blazing…”

I trailed off as I took in the rising smoke, helicopters, and intense glow of the flames even from our altitude.

“Blazing Academy is on fire.”

Another life lost in the realms of deceit while flames spread like wildfire, swallowing a building that should never have caught fire.

I may have missed being their victim, but maybe they did get the last laugh because here I was, alive and safe, but at what cost?

They’re playing with fire to destroy us, the Blazing Horsemen.

If only they understood what we were capable of. Or more importantly, if they could grasp what we could accomplish as a team.

It’s time for them to find out…for Blazing Academy’s sake.

TO BE CONTINUED.

COMING SOON - Jun.4.2021:

https://books2read.com/BLAZINGACADEMYB4

TURN THE NEXT PAGE TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER OF:

WOLF AWAKENED.

READ NOW (FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED):

https://books2read.com/WOLFAWAKENED

WOLF AWAKENED BLURB

How do you thrive when you’re an unwanted, invaluable, human female?

Simple: alter your reality by switching teams.

During the day, I’m William De Luca, the only ‘son’ of Roberto De Luca, the king of the NYC mafia and Alpha of the deadliest wolf pack — one this city doesn’t mess with. At night, I’m Willow De Luca, cage fighter champion with a temper problem.

Regardless of which role I’m playing, I’m plagued by the inability to shift, a condition that has Papa Dearest deeming me a ‘fucking mistake.’ All the same, it’s worth enduring my double life if it means staying out of my father’s business and ignoring the growing legacy that’s waiting for me to claim.

Unfortunately, no matter how rich and powerful you are, the universe isn’t going to grant you everything you want. In Father’s case, it was having a son. In mine? Finding a mate. Without an inner wolf of my own, meeting a wolf shifter who’s connected to me is essentially impossible.

It’s a forbidden dream I’d all but given up on. Then my carefully balanced life is disrupted by the arrival of a new pack that intends to make me the target of a power play to take the De Luca territory. However, one glimpse of Dimitris, Neo, Saint, and Jayce is all it takes — I want to make them mine.

I’m willing to bet everything on a dangerous gamble, because maybe being a wealthy boy by day and lethal girl at night is the double-play I need to earn the grand prize.

Them.

PROLOGUE: FORBIDDEN FRUIT

The strike of a blade left me gasping for breath. Rushing pain flooded through me and spread, like a prick of a thorn that carried thick poison and aimed to leave its mark throughout my entire body.

My eyes were wide with shock, while I slowly took in the realization that I’d been struck with a weapon that was invisible to my sight until now.

As I took in the black hilt of the weapon, I absorbed the details of the hand gripping it for dear life - the thick lines of tatted marks that gave away one clue of who this perpetrator was. My lingering gaze was followed with my eyes shutting close as the blade exited my body and ignited the outward flow of the dark red liquid that kept me alive.

I should have submitted, but that was a quality I’d never been one to give in to. Yet again, my body revolted at the idea that this was the end for me as my fist moved swiftly until it punched my opponent in the nose. The crack gave me a sense of satisfaction as I lifted my leg to deliver another blow to his stomach.

The man went flying, a grunt escaping him as he crashed into the ground and skidded further back. As I lowered my leg and widened my stance, I was left a flinching mess as I immediately clenched the wound in my stomach, fighting for breath. It was as though my lungs were suddenly filling with liquid.

My body shook with adrenaline and the response of approaching death, but I ignored it as my fixed gaze settled on the man who fought to rise to his feet.

He looked at me in shock, as if he never expected that a woman as frail-looking as I could survive this long against him. He was a mass of muscle, and he reached a height of 6’0”. He was much larger than me, with my height of 5’5” and my slim frame. But that was always the first mistake of every opponent I’d faced.

The only difference here and now was that we weren’t in the fighting ring.

The man readied himself to strike again, but his nostrils flared as he suddenly took an extra second to sniff the air. His eyes widened like he’d seen a ghost, and he let out a mix of curse words as he looked around, trying to find a way out.

I watched his frantic change of behavior while fighting the urge to fall back in defeat. However, I would never allow myself to do that in front of a man who played dirty. Whoever this person was, he thought killing me would somehow leave a hollow wound in the heart of that fucker I called Father.

The mere thought threatened to make me laugh at the idea of that man even shedding a tear for me. If it wasn’t for my hidden talents and connections, I’d become just like my mom.

A useless waste of space that deserved to be chained and left in the dungeon for one thing only: to make babies.

She wasn’t even good at that, and I was the one miracle baby he got.

If only he could see me now: his frail human daughter fighting against the big, bad wolf who thought he was doing all of NYC a favor.

No matter my insignificance, I knew one thing was for sure. If I perished tonight, all bets would be off and all of NYC would feel the wrath of the De Lucas.

I expected the man to run, but what he did was completely unexpected and left me attempting to run while I mentally cursed myself for not paying attention thanks to my damn imagination.

The loud sound of a gunshot roared through the forest, and my scream left my throat before I could stop it. That high, shrilling sound preceded the shot of pain that forced my body to crumble as I began to fall backward.

I hit the ground with a thump, but my eyes were wide open as they stared up at the starry sky. How could such a sight be so calm and peaceful when it could see me begin to struggle against the fight towards living?

My gasps were quick and breathy, while my eyes fought to stay open as they looked from side to side, as if more enemies were ready to pounce on me at any minute. I heard the rushing footsteps coming towards me, and I braced myself before I gathered my strength to combat the next attack.

I may have been wounded by a blade and a bullet, but put me in a close-combat moment and I’d prevail without question.

As if the very ground had heard my silent declaration, my opponent arrived on the scene, ready to stab me one more time with the blade that still dripped with my blood. My lips somehow managed to curl up in a smile as I lifted my hands up to stop him from his swift attack.

That shocked him as he sucked in a heap of air, but this was my golden moment to show him what a true sport I was being in letting him damage me to this extent. My fists moved quickly - almost blindingly - as I disabled the hand that held the blade and managed to get it into my possession.

The next thing either of us knew, I was stabbing him in the eye. His scream of agony was followed with a grunt as I kicked him with enough force to send him back. I couldn’t roll over, but I quickly shot up and with a twirl of the very blade between my fingers, I sent it flying straight into his other eye.

It hit its mark marvellously, leaving my enemy hollering in pain as he clenched his face around the hilt of the blade. I bet he was debating on whether to pull it out or deal with the agony for the sake of saving time.

He rose up in a rush and quickly pulled out yet another gun. The safety flicked off before he readied himself to pull the trigger. All I could do was brace myself for the round of bullets that would get rid of me but at least I’d die with honor instead of as a woman who was filled with bullets and didn’t lay a bit of damage on her killer.

The last sight he’d see was the sin he committed, the lingering image of my dead body and the crime he’d face consequences for committing.

A shadow suddenly blurred above me, catching my attention for a nanosecond before its gigantic body crashed into the man a few feet away from me. The man’s mangled screams were only the beginning of the torture as the chorus of ripped limbs, crushed bones, and high-pitched echoes led to a gurgle. I was left in more shock than I had been when the blade and bullet injured me.

All it took was ten seconds for the deed to be done and my opponent’s remains to be scattered everywhere. The shadow turned to face me, and the full moon that took the opportunity to reveal itself from the passing cloud shone a ray of light upon the shadowy beast.

I took in the large wolf with white fur, the soft-looking coat cloaked with blood stains and dirt that must have splattered on him from the intense run through this crisp night.

Pink eyes met my blue ones. His eyes were the color of pastel pink that reminded me of balls of cotton candy that were served by those rare vendors during the busy evenings of rush hour.

The longer I stared into those mesmerizing orbs, the more familiar - and dangerous - they became. My brain was working hard against the sluggish pace, and it only took five extra seconds to realize those eyes were of my enemy.

One of my enemies.

I was ready to get up and pick a fight, proud to meet him in the form of my true self and ready to give him a piece of bitchery that he wholeheartedly deserved, but the mere movement suddenly sent me convulsing. My body fell back once more as all I could do was endure the waves of trembling shakes until they came to a pause.

Fuck! This hurts far worse than period cramps!

I fought to sit up once more, and I gasped for air that suddenly seemed to be stuck in my throat. I coughed, and boy did I regret that; it ignited a round of coughs which caused blood to spurt from my mouth and cloak my lips.

My single curse was muffled as I suddenly groaned and gave up on the idea of sitting up. Staring up at the sky was suddenly my way of revolting, but I began to realize that time was beginning to tick, and I’d need to get myself to a doctor as soon as possible.

I could imagine one of Father’s best medics racing over to come aid me with the simplest things, afraid of what would come if he didn’t give his all in every assessment he was forced to give to ensure I was a healthy little shit of a puppy.

Those benefits surely would have been handy now, but I was on the edge of some forest, and there was no way would I survive the journey back when I was bleeding from multiple wounds.

Crushing sounds caught my attention before heavy exhales that weren’t my own drifted to me. If only I could allow myself to be curious; I’d think of the perfect way to piss that jackass off before kicking his balls and showing him who the true ruler of this city was.

Papa Dearest may be the lead of the show, but I was the secret weapon that would fuck shit up for the sake of being the only one on Father’s shit list. Anyone else could either fuck off or be murdered - all so I could have the last laugh when I took everything from that sick bastard of a father and show him that females weren’t weak baby-maker bitches like he always remarked on a day-to-day basis.

Footsteps made my body grow tense, and lo and behold, there stood the man of my angered envy.

Even now, as those pink rings scanned the damage that was laid on my poor flesh, all I could do was glare at him in disgust. The idea of him even trying to help me made me gag and left me begging for any other scenario to deal with.

This fucker who thought he could control me. The one whose smirk taunted me when he had me pressed against the wall with his tight groin grinding against mine while my father continued his meeting in the other room.

There were so many instances where he showed up to fuck up my idea. He was no different from the others who showed up to aid with one of the many drug heists orchestrated by my father. They would do anything to gain his favor. I couldn’t wait to gain a little strength just so I could experience the satisfying moment of punching him in the face.

I’d love to ruin a hint of that handsome perfection, to see the blood rush to his face and leave a dark circle, giving him a raccoon eye that he wholeheartedly deserved. An eye for an eye could technically work, though I hoped I’d be dead by the time he tried to pull out mine.

I’d laugh at the idea if I could, but as I focused on my reality I realized my body struggled to function. I was losing sensation in my fingertips and feet while my body shuddered as a strange chill began to sweep through me.

The man standing there suddenly looked concerned, and it was such a foreign sight that I thought my mind was surely hallucinating all of it. He was on his knees the next second, his arms shaking me and his words fighting to cut through to me, but my hearing was struggling because of how loud my blood was pumping. A ringing sound assaulted my senses.

I finally was able to pick up his words as he suddenly grabbed my left bicep.

“Fuck…” he whispered before those shock-stricken circles peered into mine, which were beginning to grow weaker. “Will! You’re Will, aren’t you?!”

Could I even answer his question? Obviously not, as I suddenly felt like I was slipping through some cracks beneath the ground. It was a slow transition: bits of me were already drifting away while others fought hard to remain and see what this man was shocked about.

Wasn’t it obvious who I was? I was the girl who was always mistaken in the tabloids for being some sort of twin sister doppelganger of the richest heir in NYC.

Anyone - and I mean anyone - would want to be William De Luca. The rich heir of the De Luca Organization, which hid its secret mafia roots behind plenty of businesses. The organization made the idea of giving drug money to the poor appear pure.

I tried to speak, but that only made me cough up more blood. Suddenly I was gasping as dark spots began to claim my vision. The man before me was now wildly shaking me, and it almost pained me to see the fear that gripped those cotton candy spheres.

He knew I was dying. While it wasn’t caused by his own hands, it left him desperate to be the one to claim such ownership of my end rather than allow another to do so.

As I continued to drift, his eyes became wilder, leaving me almost confused as to why.

“You can’t die!” he declared as if it were my choice. I surely didn’t want to enter the pits of Hell when I’d yet to prove my worth, let alone find a mate that would be crazy enough to date the ‘human’ mistake of an Alpha mafia leader father, but sometimes beggars really couldn’t be choosers. When death came knocking on your door, all you had to do was suck it up and skip right into Judgement.

The idea of it all made me wonder if I’d be able to do just that - skip right into the toasty realms of Hell.

My attention returned to the man as he dropped to his knees. He clearly didn’t care about the blood that surely would have pooled all around me by now as his hands pressed against the very wounds that bled away the remaining fragments of my twenty-five years of life.

“Dammit!” he cursed and looked me dead in the eye. “Don’t you dare slip away from me! Did I fucking give you permission?!”

That made me smirk, though it had to be a tiny one that ignited his rage as he pressed even harder. I couldn’t feel the pain anymore, but I was sure that my blood merely slipped through the spaces between his spread fingers and quickened my approaching demise.

How wonderful to get a helping hand.

“You’re not leaving us,” he snarled when his efforts were finally deemed hopeless. However, his words made no sense as he couldn’t stop fate itself.

I was a goner, just like my mom had been as she lay chained in the dungeon of our mansion home for weeks until she finally died. My death was better off. Quick and painless now that my senses were practically gone.

“Awaken.” The man’s whisper left me in wonder before something seemed to beat hard enough for me to feel through the numbness.

What?

The man of my peak of hatred watched me in shock before tiny traces of hope flooded those pink rings that dilated further.

“I knew it,” he whispered as a cynical grin formed on his lips. “Our little wolf is right there at the brink of death.”

He hovered over me suddenly, and I watched as a tattoo that blared with vitality within the dark night formed on his left arm. His eyes began to glow, those pinks spheres suddenly shifting to a dangerous silver with rings of purple around his irises.

His black short strands began to flood with silver, leaving me to shiver internally as the pulsating force pushed harder for release.

He looked into my eyes with so much force that it seemed to unlock the sensations that had been muted by my approaching death. Sensation came surging back through me, making me gasp as my back arched like I’d been revived by a defibrillator.

“Awaken, our forbidden fruit! Let that dazzling beast out of you!” he commanded, and the next pulsing force left me screaming. The pain was back but far worse than before. I was frozen with spasms of crippling agony as my mind experienced multiple emotions.

They flickered through from four different directions, a compass of foreign feelings that begged for my utmost attention. Confusion, uncertainty, and intense lust were only a fraction of the emotions running through me. A burning anger swept in from all four directions.

Only, the combination of rage wasn’t directed at me but rather at the person who did this to me.

When another wave of pulsating force went through me, it triggered something unimaginable. My eyes rolled in the back of my head as my body convulsed once more. I suddenly was consumed by heightened agony as the splintering sound of snapping bones was followed with my vision suddenly shifting entirely.

I almost lost consciousness at the peak of it all, but a combined force held me up from losing the battle I seemed to be enduring with myself.

When my eyes suddenly opened, the vision before me was magnificently clear, even in the darkness that aimed to hide our surroundings. I was on all fours, but everything else was different, from the extraordinary vision to the elevated sense of smell that tickled my nostrils.

Warmth flooded me while the place that surely was my chest seemed to be bathed in extra warmth as the pain lessened with haste.

When the pain seemed to be gone, I looked at my legs to see the white hairs of fur with the tiniest hint of fine pink fibers in the soft coat that reflected against the moon’s rays.

A chuckle of pride and exhaustion drifted onto the passing wind and my attention was on the sole man before me. My height was at his shoulders, seemingly abnormal when he well surpassed 6′0″, but it didn’t matter as I narrowed my eyes at him with the intention of attacking him returning to me.

He lifted his hands up, but that taunting smirk was still present on those sexy lips of his, all while he stood there - naked and hard at the mere sight of me.

“Finally. Our sweet forbidden fruit is ripe and ready for us to pleasantly enjoy.”

A rumble left me that morphed into a low growl, but it only made him chuckle.

“I’m not your enemy, Will. Or should I say, Willow?” he inquired and used my true name, and I lowered in preparation for attacking him if he didn’t lower that sick pride of his.

“Willow, my sweet.” The way his seductive voice said those very words had me tingling from the inside out as my body burned to be beneath him and fucked.

I shook my head wildly at the thought, and that left him chuckling before he was standing before me in one swift movement. I should have bitten him, but his hand was suddenly stroking my cheek and soon I was lowering my head as he knelt down to one knee and pressed his forehead against mine.

“Forbidden Willow, don’t push me away. I may be your enemy during the day, but right here, right now, I’m the next best thing to salvation,” he growled soothingly. “Embrace this, Willow. Dwell in the blissful moment of being Wolf Awakened. Whatever held you back has lost its battle, and now?”

He leaned back just so I’d lift my head and look into his deadly eyes.

“Now we wage war on all who dare defy us.”

The joy of his dangerous motivation somehow sparked new life into me, and all I could do was lift my head and howl. I was now bonded to my pack of enemies. That knowledge left excitement in its wake instead of fright.

Wolf Awakened is what I’ve overcome and it’s time to seek my forbidden pack of lethal fuckers who will lead us to victory.

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Avery Song is a reverse harem author who specializes in paranormal, fantasy, and urban romance.

She especially loves writing strong main characters and is excited for all the books that are approaching.

~Books by Avery Song~

WILLOW’S FORBIDDEN PACK

Wolf Awakened

Wolf Endangered (Apr.9.2021)

CLAIMING MY PACK SERIES

Wolf Tamer (Mar.12.2021)

DEMON MASKETEER INSTITUTE

Shadows Of Hell (Apr.16.2021)

THE SUPERNATURAL SPY ACADEMY SERIES:

S.S.S YEAR ONE

S.S.S YEAR TWO

S.S.S YEAR THREE

S.S.S YEAR FOUR

S.S.S YEAR FIVE

S.S.S. YEAR SIX

S.S.S. YEAR SEVEN (Jun.11.21)

SPELL TRAVELER CHRONICLES (COMPLETE)

Witchling Academy- Semester One

Witchling Academy- Semester Two

Witchling Academy- Semester Three

Witchling Academy- Semester Four

Witchling Academy- Semester Five

Witchling Academy- Semester Six

Witchling Academy- Semester Seven

Witchling Academy- Semester Eight

JADE STORM TRACKER SERIES

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester One

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Two

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Three

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Four

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Five (Mar.5.2021)

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Six (May.30.2021)

ACADEMY FOR ALL THINGS SCORCHING

Blazing Academy - Semester One

Blazing Academy - Semester Two

Blazing Academy - Semester Three

Blazing Academy - Semester Four (Jun.4.21)

COWRITTEN WORKS:

SUPERNATURAL CAPTIVITY SERIES

Supernatural Inmate

Supernatural Outlaw

Supernatural Villain

Supernatural Savior (Mar.26.2021)

SUPERNATURAL MARKED MONARCHY

Psychic Prison - Book One

DESTINED IMRISONEN TRILOGY

Arrested By Magic

FOR THE FAEIRY ABSOLUTES

Celestial Prison

ROYAL CONFINEMENT FOR MALICIENT SUPERNATURALS

Shattered Princess

FOR THE PURELY DIVINE SERIES

Fae Rose Academy - Year One

Fae Rose Academy - Year Two

Fae Rose Academy - Year Three (Mar.19.2021)

WILLA SILVER ACADEMY INVESTIGATOR

Daggers and Smoke - Year One

THE SUPERNATURAL VAMPIRE FAE CHRONICLES

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year One

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year Two (Feb.19.2021)

Bloody Rosary Academy - Year Three (Jul.30.2021)