Chapter 20
I had no idea how I was going to lure the Dean to Hell, but I guessed it would create serious obstacles in maintaining a passing grade.
Leaving the counselor’s building, I stopped in my tracks when I spotted a wall of wolves blocking our path. I squinted, trying to see what the hell was going on. One of the wolves jaunted towards us—a silver beast with his eyes locked on me.
“Logan?” I asked with a tinge of guilt to my voice.
It wasn’t as if I’d forgotten him, but I had a billion things on my plate.
Even if I wanted to get revenge on him for humiliating me, I still felt like I’d crossed a line with Orion.
I had hurt him deeply and it pained me how everything had played out between us.
His bones cracked as he took his time with his shift, making me cringe as I watched the slow, agonizing transformation. Dante edged closer to me, sensing a threat, but I couldn’t do anything except stare at my beautiful Virtue as his body shaped into his athletic form.
Even in the cold weather, Logan didn’t act cold even though he was completely naked.
He shook off a layer of snow that tried to settle on him as he approached us.
He kept his gaze on me and completely ignored the Hunter.
His perfect form moved and he almost didn’t seem real as he silently leaned in close and bit my shoulder, pressing hard enough to bruise the skin before backing away.
Only then did he regard the Hunter with a challenging stare that said only one thing.
Mine.
“Logan,” I managed to croak out, “we don’t have time for this. You don’t understand—”
He cut me off with a snarl, snapping his wolfish teeth that never quite shifted back to human.
His army of wolves advanced and echoed his warning, making it clear that not only had Logan established dominance as Alpha of his pack once again, but he was here to claim me, whether I accepted it or not.
Dante drew his weapon, clearly having had enough of the show. “You and your pack need to return to your dorms immediately,” he said, his voice low. “Pack congregation like this is prohibited and punishable by expulsion.”
The wolves growled, clearly not intimidated by Dante’s threat. They advanced, then halted and a few whimpered. I turned around to find Hendrik and his Mages approaching from the other side. The air around them shimmered with deep red and purple tones.
I felt a ripple in the Virtue connection as Hendrik met my gaze. Shit’s about to get ugly, pet.
I swallowed hard, realizing that all of my Virtue connections could talk to me in my mind, not just Logan.
The two sides squared off with Dante and me trapped in the middle. My adrenaline spiked and I found myself wishing that I could call reinforcements.
Orion’s presence surfaced in response and I knew that he’d just returned to Fortune Academy, although I sensed it was not of his own accord. I hoped he wasn’t going to go all Alpha on me too, because I seriously had enough to worry about.
Why am I here, little star? his voice trickled into my mind with an edge of irritation. I was having a lovely conversation with your mother that you cut short.
What a shame, playboy. Can you go make yourself useful without needing orders from me? I’m a little busy right now! I shot back.
He huffed in my mind. I would love to, but I’m in an underground tunnel system staring at a demonspawn. Friend of yours?
Oh. Maybe I had actually summoned him. I’d have to learn how I did that trick later. That’s Jess and I’m going to need her, so bust her out and come find me, unless that’s too difficult of a task for you.
Why should I? he asked, brushing my mind with an invisible kiss. What do I get out of it?
How about the fact that it’ll piss off Logan who’s trying to kidnap me right now? I snapped back.
Hmm, okay, I’ll bite.
Orion’s presence retreated from my mind and I let out a breath, hoping Orion would make it in time.
A third row of bodies appeared in the dusky light with Melinda at the lead. She stood at the ready, garbed in a sexy getup with puffy fur around her neck as she smirked at me. An entire enthralled wave of students stood behind her as the Dean stepped from the crowd.
“Lilith Fallen,” the Dean said, making my blood run cold.
Shit. Shit. Shit!
Merlin stood at her side, his white hair tied back in a clean braid that made him look almost regal in a wizardly kind of way. His experienced gaze swept over the assembly. “It’s as I feared. The Mages and the shifters are fighting over the Champion.”
I swallowed hard. They knew who I was?
Dante shoved me behind him, but I wasn’t going to be shielded like some kind of damsel in distress. I pushed him out of the way, having to use considerable supernatural strength to uproot the stubborn Hunter.
“How do you know who I am?” I shot across the cobbled streets, my voice carrying on the icy winds between three walls of bodies.
The Dean grinned. “I’m a powerful immortal, my dear. Merlin and I have been waiting for an opportunity like this. I knew who you were the moment Hendrik told me his vision.”
I glanced at the Dark Mage and a flash of regret crossed his eyes.
Betrayed again. Why wasn’t I surprised?
The Dean opened her palm and revealed a holographic image that floated in the air.
She stepped close enough so I could see Olivia tied to a chair with her golden eyes glowing with rage.
“All I needed was leverage, so I was thrilled when Hendrik brought me your Mage friend. It was quite stupid of you to give her a soul, you know. Now she has something to lose.” She snapped her fingers closed as if she could crush Olivia in the palm of her hand.
“I’ve been waiting to find leverage on you, Lilith.
” She brushed away a loose lock of her gorgeous hair.
“Unless you want your friend to die and her soul sent straight to Hell, then you’ll comply with my demands. ”
“You won’t be making any demands today,” Hendrik called out, summoning an electric storm that thundered through the sky. “Olivia is still part of my clan and under my protection.”
The Dean chuckled. “Or what, little Mage?”
He raised one hand and his army of Mages advanced, each summoning a dark orb of power that reminded me of tiny black holes. I had a feeling that one of those could destroy anything it touched.
Logan barked a command and the wolves turned away from me, facing the Dean.
We all had a common enemy—for now.
The Dean appraised the situation with a bemused smile. “Look at this, Merlin. The students think they can run this school.”
The white-haired wizard chuckled and patted Melinda on the shoulder. “I’ll leave this to you, my dear. They won’t want to harm their own.”
I cursed under my breath as Melinda ordered her wave of enthralled students forward.
This was going to be a bloodbath.
It was the library all over again and I’d gone all the way to Heaven to avoid it.
Now I’d have to go to Hell.
I spotted Orion in the distance, his golden skin brilliant after a trip to Heaven. A hissing dark form writhed behind him as he dragged Jess in tow by the wrist. She snarled and snapped at him, but after being drugged and starved, she was no match for a pumped up Demigod.
I took off my Blood Stone and gazed into its ruby depths. It was fully charged now and it hummed with power, ready to do what I needed.
Before I changed my mind, I slammed it against the ground, sending the jewel piercing straight through the thin veil that Fortune Academy sat on and breaking into the Hell realm that brushed up against its side.
There.
Blackness swept out from the spot I’d struck and made frost bite my nose as the temperature plummeted. Dante took my hand and gave me a subtle nod before all Hell broke loose.
Literally.
Melinda’s cry sent the enthralled students bolting towards us with weapons—not the spelled Awakening Arena weapons, but real ones, probably from the Dean’s personal stash.
Swords, morning stars, and daggers raised while crossbow bolts and arrows rained down on us.
The Mages tossed their first row of miniature black holes, wiping out the attack.
The shifters sprinted next, tripping up the students as they gnawed at their heels, not dealing any real damage but keeping the bulk of the gathering from advancing.
Meanwhile I concentrated on the spreading blackness and caught onto a link that tugged me from the other side. I didn’t have Renee’s magic to jump realms this time.
Orion caught up to us and offered me my demonspawn friend. Jess took my hand, reminding me that I wasn’t alone.
“Well look at that. The shiny brute actually was taking me to you.” She snapped her teeth at Orion as she wrapped her tail around my leg. “Let’s go home,” she whispered with a malicious grin as she rolled her dark eyes in the back of her head. “Use me as a medium to get us there in one piece.”
A low hum sounded from the back of her throat and I felt what she meant.
She was hellbound born and raised and the link I needed to connect this realm and the next.
The dark pool went translucent as I tugged at that connection and pulled us closer to it as if I was on a boat pulling onto a dock by a rope.
“There,” Jess praised. “Just a little more.”
“No!” the Dean shouted, raising her hand to show Olivia’s eyes wide with fear as someone wrapped a dagger around her throat. “If you run, her death is on you!”
I froze, unsure what I should do. Wolves and Mages battled against enthralled students who were only getting closer.
The wolves would have to start using lethal force, half of Logan’s pack already sporting bloody fur.
He was still in his mortal form and he fought a string of students that had been trying to get to me.
Slash wounds ran up his side and he panted, glancing at me with a “don’t make this all for nothing” look.
Hendrik likewise was closing in as sweat beaded his forehead. He sent waves of electric bolts slamming down, stunning rows of students that had tried to ambush me from the other side. Each time he sent down a new strike, a wave of his Mages collapsed and I realized he was cannibalizing his clan.
To my surprise, even Kaito had come out to join the commotion and his tattoo glowed red as he blurred through the warzone, sending students falling down unconscious in his wake.
If I gave in to the Dean’s demands just to save one life, all of this sacrifice would be for nothing.
Tears welled in my eyes as I made an impossible choice. Dante wrapped an arm around my waist, bringing me into the safety of his hard chest. “I’ll support you no matter what decision you make,” he vowed, making my heart break.
I knew what I had to do.
I closed my eyes and embraced the darkness inside of me until the only heat on my skin was where Dante held me against him.
“Don’t let go,” I whispered, my voice cracking with pain.
“Never.”