Chapter Twenty-Nine
J olting awake, I untangled myself immediately from my bedsheets, only to hurl my guts up in the wastebasket, on my knees again. Dry heaving until there was nothing left, I pushed the basket aside, sweat dripping down my forehead and back. Every inch of my body shook, my teeth chattering like I stepped out of a walk-in freezer. Anxiety coursed through my nervous system, making it difficult to calm myself down now that my flask was confiscated.
Fucking Josh.
I managed to crawl back into bed, my stomach empty. The idea of consuming food gave me a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
No breakfast today.
Bits and pieces of my dream came back, but not enough to decipher whatever message was hidden beneath. A scarlet cape, a brilliant white light, cheers of excitement from whoever stood before them, all were masked in shadow. I had no problems before remembering my dreams. Now, it had become a struggle, and that didn’t sit well with me.
Rolling over to face the windows, the early morning sky, a cloudless blue, reminded me of summers in the Hamptons. Grams would bring her tote of yarn and tried every year to teach me to knit some type of article of clothing, and every time it would come out like a big blob, but she never stopped encouraging me to keep going.
But how could I keep going now, when Heather’s life hung in the balance? When monsters were…
To even say the word inside my head and acknowledge its existence… I reached for the wastebasket again, wanting to die.
Somehow, I must’ve fallen asleep after that second round of vomiting, only to awake to my phone blaring in my ear. Swiping it from the little bedside table, I checked the caller ID. Josh’s name flashed on the screen.
Groaning in annoyance, I pressed reject and tossed my phone at the end of the bed, throwing the covers over my head. My feet started to vibrate from it going off again, but I ignored it. Because the plan was to hide forever, hoping he give up and leave me the fuck alone. Maybe my body would camouflage against the comforter so I…
Barely able to finish the thought, the covers were ripped away, Josh standing over the bed. “Hiding will do you no good.”
“But pretending none of this exists sounds like paradise,” I sneered.
Josh scowled. “Do yourself a favor? Keep your comments to yourself for the next hour. We have a meeting with Toke in five minutes.”
I rolled my eyes and ignored his suggestion. “A meeting for what?”
“You have two minutes to change. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Asshole.
Once he left, I had half a mind to roll back over, but Professor Toke called the meeting, and the last time I saw him was during my signing. Of course, he had to know about Heather’s condition, but that didn’t mean he had the power to change her outcome.
Cursing under my breath while gathering a fresh set of clothes, I dressed hastily, remembering I only had two minutes.
Locking the door behind me, I bolted down the hall, only to run into Colleen and Meghan. Staring at one another, an awkward silence stretched with each passing second.
I was going to get yelled at if I didn’t hurry up, but I couldn’t help myself, I had to ask them. “Have you gone to see Heather?”
They gave each other a look before Meghan took the initiative to speak first. “We’re not allowed to. In fact, we’re not allowed to speak with you anymore.”
“Once our path has been decided, we cannot converse with anyone from …” Colleen paused, looking around before continuing, “The Order. It is considered a sin.”
Dumbfounded, I took a step closer. “I don’t understand. You participated.”
“But we were not chosen. Our lineage may be qualified, but not all pass what the Lord needs for warriors,” Meghan whispered.
Colleen grabbed her by the hand. “We must be going.” Then both girls darted down the hall out of sight.
I eventually made it downstairs to a pissed-off Josh, but I couldn’t shake what Colleen and Meghan shared. Now they were outcasts, not allowed to speak with anyone who belonged to The Order, regardless of their bloodline. The purification ceremony gave them the easiest way out, yet they lost all contact and had to remain hushed in the shadows.
Heather would never get them as visitors.
Josh, surprisingly, opened the door for me to exit. “Thanks.”
“We’re late, keep up.”
Prick.
The heat decided to take a little break and give us a breather. Cooler air touched my cheeks, with the sun hidden behind clouds. It was a relief in some ways; in others, it reminded me of the night before and how drastic the temperature had dropped, only to bring a demon on campus.
I kept up with his brisk walk, glaring at his back. He wore a white shirt that clung way too well to his body and dark jeans. His hair, a disheveled mess, worked well with the mop of dark brown curls he sported. I had an urge to trip him just to watch him fall on his face, then had to choke back a laugh, only to receive a dirty look from prissy pants himself.
We cut across South Field, heading in the direction of Hamilton Hall. Baron appeared out of thin air beside us, walking with his twin, Chloe. She gave me a tight nod, keeping pace, a black bag slung over her shoulder.
Baron, however, fist pumped Josh, easing into conversation. “Do you know what this meeting is about?”
“Besides the obvious?” joked Josh.
Baron peeked over his shoulder, his eyes catching mine before turning back around. “She seems to be doing better.”
“Thank god she stopped throwing up.”
My foot purposefully stepped on the back of Josh’s heel, getting a hard huff of air out of him. Chloe only shook her head, while Baron stifled a laugh.
Good, I hope that hurt.
Entering Hamilton, we took a staircase down to the lower floor and into one of the lecture halls. I was taken aback by not only the Scarlets and Saints in attendance but every one of the Aces, including Dean Poverly. Standing next to him was a well- built man in Saint’s attire, only the “s” embroidered on his right breast was silver.
He had a crossbow strapped to his back, the feather on his arrows the same shade of silver.
I wondered if the color difference showed rank.
Chloe motioned for me to sit next to her, behind Josh and Baron, in the first few rows in the front. Anna sat in between Kal and Asher, with Zoey to the right. All the Aces stood to the left, watching Dean Poverly’s interaction with the Saint.
Minutes passed until both parties ended their rather tightlipped conversation, then Dean Poverly walked over to the podium.
The lights dimmed just as he cleared his throat. “It is no surprise that Captain Harrison has joined us for this meeting. I am aware of what breached our campus grounds yesterday, and as not only your Ace in rank, I am still dean of this school, and I must assist Father Benedict in damage control. Professor Toke will lead the rest of the meeting during my absence.” He said his goodbyes to the other Aces and exited through one of the emergency doors. Toke then approached the podium, adjusting his collar on his dark polo. “Captain Harrison, Dean Poverly, and I had discussed at length the possibilities that could’ve caused the breach. It would seem upon further inspection that the prayer Father Benedict performed to secure the perimeter has become faulty.”
Audible gasps were heard around the room.
I gave Chloe a quizzical look, not too sure what it all meant.
Thatcher was the first to speak up. “How? Security has been in place for years. The prayers performed are fool proof.”
Captain Harrison advanced toward the podium, moving Toke aside with just a sweep of his arm. His shiny bald head gleamed in the light, and he sported a gray goatee. “Our well-trained Saints and Scarlets took the liberty of scouting the area and found small nests on the outskirts of the campus. It seems they were overlooked.”
Thatcher glowered, her hands flexing at her sides. “That doesn’t explain the breach.”
“Actually, it does.” Coming down the stairs to the lecture room, a woman of dark hair and fair skin reached Captain Harrison, with another male in toe. Dressed in black leather fighting gear, she came face to face with Thatcher.
“Emilia. It’s been a while,” she commented, looking her up and down.
Her smile did not reach her eyes. “It has.”
I leaned over to Chloe. “Is there something I’m missing?”
“Emilia is one of the top Scarlets in the region. That tall, scary-looking man behind her? That’s the top Tutelary Saint, and her guardian, Cillian. Together, they’re one deadly duo and have killed thousands of demons.” Cillian’s dark eyes scanned the room, his reddish hair half shaved on one side. Some type of symbol was tattooed on his scalp there. The man had to be over six and a half feet, with a broad stature that could shoulder someone to death.
“So, why are she and Thatcher beefing?”
Chloe snorted. “Because Thatcher was training her to become an Ace. Emilia called that position weak and incompetent.”
Stunned, I continued to watch their exchange unfold.
Thatcher crossed her arms, fists tucked underneath. “So, how does any of what Captain Harrison said explain a security breach?”
“Because the security prayer was never placed.” Emilia took notice of us in the crowd. “And with that came the nests, festering for months. That Magidoz demon was a female.”
“That’s impossible,” whispered Thatcher, her eyes wide, her mouth somewhat agape.
Toke dabbed some sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. The man, good-looking as he was, seemed a nervous wreck after Emilia’s claims. “You tested the area with holy water?”
“Doused every inch,” confirmed Cillian. The way he spoke, his words were laced with a cautionary tone that dared anyone to challenge not only him but Emilia herself with what they claimed.
Emilia leaned casually against the podium, twirling a piece of her midnight hair. “Like I said, the prayer was never placed. It seems like an oversight from your Priest.”
“She acts like she’s never worked with Father Benedict before,” whispered Chloe.
Then it all clicked together. “That’s why Dean Poverly left to assist Father Benedict.” Josh stole a glance in my direction, a curt nod to confirm my train of thought.
“The real question is, how long has it been broken? Because that would mean—” Chloe never finished her sentence. Emilia must’ve been paying attention to us because she strolled over, Cillian not too far behind.
“Oh, please, finish your thought,” she purred. Never in my life had I been scared of another person, but Emilia oozed power from her poreless face.
I watched Chloe’s throat bob, her eyes slightly wide. I’d never seen her so nervous. Usually, people avoided her because she gave off an I-don’t-care attitude, but her body language said otherwise. “Because that would mean…” she took in a deep breath, “that would mean it’s been open season for the demons to prowl right through. It also means whoever ‘placed’ the protection prayer on the perimeter did it wrong… on purpose.”
Thatcher clutched her blue blazer, worry crossing her face. Toke stopped dabbing his sweaty face, eyes wide as saucers. Professors Levine, Stoll, and Adler exchanged hushed words, panic rising in the room.
“Glad to see someone has been paying attention,” remarked Emilia.
She started to retreat toward the front when a thought struck.
“But that doesn’t explain how only one Magidoz came through,” I said.
She froze. Her eyes traveled over to my face, and a smile appeared on her lips. “And you are?”
I squared my shoulders, aware that all eyes were on me now. “Remi Watson.”
Recognition crossed her face, and her smile turned genuine. “Ah, the famous Remi. Lizzie’s granddaughter.”
“You knew her?”
“She was a fine lady. One of the best in her rank during her time. I’m sorry she passed.”
It dawned on me that Emilia knew of her passing, but Josh didn’t. Something didn’t add up.
“You were saying?” she pushed.
Clearing my throat, I proceeded. “If the security was never placed for a period of time, wouldn’t there be more breaches of other demons? I don’t think it was never placed, I think it was recently broken.”
A pin could have dropped in the long stretch of silence in the room. Thatcher looked back and forth between Emilia and me, waiting for some type of explosion to occur, but all she did was nod, accepting my opinion.
“I like the way you think, Remi. It seems we have a Scarlet who’s not afraid to question all sides.”
I swallowed a nervous lump in my throat, shocked to find Chloe clenching my arm for dear life.
Captain Harrison called attention to the front, a stack of papers now in his hands. “I have the reports here. This way, everyone’s map can be updated. Let’s hope Father Benedict can rectify the situation before things get worse. In the meantime, our fleet will be hidden, keeping an eye out until no other activity is spotted.”
Captain Harrison led both Emilia and Cillian toward the exit, but not before she looked at me, giving me a small smile before she exited the room.
Everyone seemed to release the breath they were holding, as chatter began to rise in the lecture hall. Josh gestured for me to follow him to the back, wanting to speak privately.
“I’m glad you caught that,” he said. There was a gleam in his eyes. Was he proud of me?
“Did you know too?” I questioned.
He nodded. “Yes. But it also means there could be someone working in-house.”
“Are you saying… are you saying someone might have double crossed us?”
Josh rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit he seemed to have whenever we spoke of a possible demise. “Not double crossed us… yet, but they’re on their way to.”
Panic rose in my blood. “What can be done?” Heather lay vulnerable just a couple blocks away with only a ventilator keeping her stable.
“Nothing yet. I was going to wait until after your ceremony to start your training, but I think after today’s meeting, now would be a good time.”
“And this training entails?”
“Get dressed and meet me at the cathedral in an hour.”