When Night Falls
Theo
Iglance at Blondie as she tells her mom she’s tired and needs rest. I frown slightly.
She’s hiding something even if she denies it. She’s a smooth liar.
“Theo,” Dad calls.
I turn to him. “Yeah?”
He motions for me to follow him to the hall, and I do, shoving my hands into my pockets. My eyes find Heaven’s back again. There’s a stronger spirit energy around her… something all witches have, but it’s been notably missing from her and her mom – until now.
“What is it?” I ask Dad.
He looks over at me, and he appears concerned. I cock a brow.
Are you alright? he asks through the mind-link.
Why wouldn’t I be? I counter.
What Katara said, she shouldn’t have. I’ll have a word with her. Don’t let anything she says bother you. You’re a good person, Theo, albeit full of trouble, especially when it comes to teasing or playing tricks on her and others. He smiles, and I return it with one of my own.
If only he knew… He might be trying to make me feel better, but it ain’t working after the shit I’ve done.
Why am I even here? Katara wasn’t wrong…
Well, don’t sweat it. I’m good, thanks for checking up on me, but I’m the one you don’t need to worry about at all, I mind-link and slap his back, making him smile, and he nods.
“Alright, but I’m here if you do need to talk.”
“No judgement?” I ask with a small smile.
“No judgement,” he promises.
I give him a pointed look, and he raises an eyebrow. I chuckle, that shit ain’t my business. I know he said no judgement, but I don’t think it’s that simple. He would be disappointed if he knew the real me.
Giving him one final smile, I head down the hall when I hear running from behind me.
“Theo!”
I stop, turn and look at Katara, who comes to a stop. She looks away, playing with her sleeve. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way,” she says quietly. “I’m glad you’re home.”
I smirk. “Of course you are. I mean, if I’m not around, who’s going to annoy you?”
She rolls her eyes but smiles slightly. “You will never stop, will you?” she says.
“As long as I’m around, no.”
“Right,” she scoffs before she waves at me and runs back towards the room where Dad is waiting at the door for her.
I look down, letting the perfect mask fall, sighing quietly as I head to my dorm, Division 6. The moment I open the door, a bunch of them get up.
“So, it’s true, you’re back,” our division leader, Colton, says, relief on his face. The dude is like an old man. Then again, he is twenty-four.
“Of course, I’m back, I’m The Theo Westwood. What can happen to me?” I ask as we exchange a manly hug before I begin bumping fists with the rest of the squad present.
“Thank the Goddess you’re safe; it’s been boring around here without you,” Angel, another squad member, says. She’s a year older than me with a no-nonsense attitude and bright pink hair.
“Obviously, so shall I take that as you missed me, Pink?” I ask.
She pops the bubble she’s just blown. “Don’t let it get to your head.”
“Nothing can get to my head; my ego is already pretty damn big.”
“That’s true,” Elias, a nineteen-year-old, says.
“Well, I’m gonna hit the hay. I’ll speak to you all tomorrow. No one’s been at my stash, right, Cage?” I cock a brow at my roommate; he’s twenty-two.
He smirks. “Well, in my defence, I wasn’t sure you’ll make it back,” he replies.
“You are a dickhead, man,” I groan as I enter our room.
It’s not as bad as I thought it would be, but it ain’t good either.
He’s got some of his clothes on my bed, which I toss across the room before opening my drawer and narrowing my eyes.
Ok, it’s bad. He’s gotten through my collection of dope and fags.
“Man! You owe me!” I call.
“Yeah, yeah,” he answers.
Wanker.
I strip, pulling on some sweatpants before dropping onto the bed, not bothering with a shower, and close my eyes.
At least let me fucking sleep tonight, I say to no one in particular, but those faces will return, like they do every damn night…
I wake suddenly. Something in the air feels off. My heart begins racing when I realise it’s the same darkness I felt on the night Ares was killed.
I get out of bed, the worst coming to mind. Cage is snoring in the other bed, and I activate my powers, letting the mist curl around me as I silently but swiftly leave my room. Pink’s sitting there, reading, unaware of me as I walk through the dorm and step out, the door shutting quietly behind me.
Magic. Power. The Unseen. These are things that even the best of security can’t trump.
And that’s the weakness… That’s the power that anyone might secretly possess, just like me.
I could walk into any dorm room if I wanted, and most wouldn’t even notice.
The security wouldn’t always capture these things either.
Yo, are any of you awake? I push into my brothers’ minds, needing to know they’re ok.
Yeah, why? Jayce answers.
Trying to sleep, Renji’s sleepy voice comes.
Fuck off, Ares says ever-so kindly.
Getting ready to sleep; it’s past 1am, Theo, Carter adds in a patronising tone.
Alright, alright, keep your tits on, man, I was just asking. Kinda weird being back, right? I say as I try to follow that darkness, but it’s disappearing.
Kind of, Jayce answers.
I kick the other wankers from the conversation and mind-link Jayce alone. I can sense something, like an aura that feels off. I felt the same shit the night Ares was attacked, I say.
Where? Jayce’s voice sounds serious now.
I’m heading towards the study hall, but I can’t really… I trail off when I see a shadow not far ahead. Someone’s here. I see them creep down the hall, sticking to the shadows. It could be a student sneaking around, but that aura is stronger here…
Theo? What’s going on? I’m coming, Jayce says through the mind-link.
Don’t. I’m following. I’ll let you know, I answer.
I need to find out who it is. I speed up, but the aura completely disappears when I turn the corner and stop.
The man ahead is wearing black sweatpants and a black hoodie, but it’s his back that I’d recognise anywhere.
I mean, I’ve fucking grown up around him.
Renji.
Oi, you gone to bed yet or still awake? I ask Renji via the mind-link.
Almost, you ok, Theo? he asks in a sleepy voice, and I glance at the man slightly up ahead.
Yeah, yeah, just out of fags, man. Need one to sleep, I reply, my voice light as normal.
Sorry, I don’t smoke. Goodnight, Theo, Renji laughs.
Night, I reply, frowning as I watch him turn the corner and disappear from view.
For a moment, I tell myself I’m tripping, but… it was him. There’s no doubt about that…
But what the fuck is he doing?
I scan around for that aura, but it’s completely disappeared.
Welcome back to Midnight Academy, Theo, where shit gets stranger and stranger.
We are all fucking gathered outside the Head Commander’s office.
“What are we, sixteen?” I mutter.
“Hey, we are. Well, I am,” Allie says in a clipped tone.
Jayce doesn’t react, simply standing there, arms crossed. Ares didn’t show up, and Carter’s here, but his eyes are glowing, his wolf’s in control as he struggles to calm his anger. That wanker Ahren ain’t here since he doesn’t go here. Fucking unfair.
“Enter,” Aunty Maria says, and we all step inside. She’s seated at her desk, and maps and papers cover it up. “Take a seat.” She motions to the sofa and the chairs opposite her desk. Heaven sits, and so does Renji, who is acting as normal as ever.
“You’re all called here due to breaking Academy rules.
This is a training academy, and rules are made to be followed.
I want you all to think of the worry, the concern and the effect this has had on other students,” Aunty Maria says as she stands there looking at us all with this firm yet composed expression. She reminds me a little of Blondie.
Speaking of Blondie, she’s back in one of those skirts she likes to wear with her hair perfectly braided and her belt around her waist. Almost as if that time in the Gods’ Realm never happened.
No one speaks, and she sighs. “But you did what was right, and sometimes we have to make decisions and do things that won’t always be easy.
A sign of a true leader. You broke rules, you took risks, but your hearts were in the right place.
So, I commend you on your bravery, and as a punishment, you are all to take a three-day break at the Rossi Mansion.
The weekend will commence after that, and you are welcome to return home and spend some time with your families. ”
“Yes!” Allie says, relieved. “I thought we would have to clean or something.”
Yeah, she’s a damn Rossi, too.
“So, like a five-star resort break?” Renji asks while whistling. “I’ll take that.”
Maria smiles. “Well, there’ll be training, too, of course.”
“Commander Maria, with all due respect, I will be declining. You may give me another punishment, but I will not go,” Jayce says quietly, his hands tied behind his back.
Well, damn, he definitely doesn’t want to run into her. Maria looks at him, her face softening slightly.
“I understand, very well then, if you wish… You may return home. I’m sure your family would like that.”
“Thank you,” Jayce says. She nods before looking at the rest of us.
“Very well then, for today, you have briefings to fill you in on everything that has happened while you have been away. Heaven, Alessandra, you are not in divisions yet; however, I want you both to sit in on the briefings. They are important.” Aunty Maria finishes.
“Yes, Boss,” I say, making her smile before we all leave.
“Jayce, may I have a word?” Aunty Maria says.
Jayce nods, and Carter shuts the door after him as we all head our separate ways.
“Oi, Zombilesandra, you didn’t tell your dad you’re the Volkov Queen?” I ask, flicking her ear. She growls at me and shoves me. I stumble but catch my balance, snickering at her annoyance.
“Well, I do plan on telling them, but I want to talk to Dante first,” Allie admits quietly.
“Right…” I say, then look at Blondie. “What about you? What are you hiding?”
Nothing, she writes. I cock a brow, slinging my arm around her shoulder, her cheeks flush in annoyance, and she elbows me, but compared to Allie’s, you can’t even fucking feel it.
“Stop annoying her,” Allie hisses at me.
“Shame you ain’t got your wolf, Blondie, you hit like a girl,” I mock. She rolls her eyes, raising her finger to write something when she comes to a stop. Allie and I look to see what she’s looking at, and I see it’s her dumbass boyfriend.
That stuck-up little prick is standing there, clearly not sure how to react. He’s looking between Heaven and me, and then he frowns.
Na, does this wanker think there’s something between us? I smirk, keeping my arm lazily around her shoulder, when he speaks.
“Heaven, can I have a word?” he asks.
I was going to say the same thing; I have five minutes to spare, Heaven writes.
I remove my arm. “Well, I’ll see you around, Blondie, wanker,” I add towards the alpha kid. He frowns deeply, and I snicker when he doesn’t say anything.
So, I decide to leave him to Blondie, who doesn’t look impressed. Instead, I wrap my arm around Allie’s neck and pin her in a headlock.
“Theo, I’m going to kill you!” she snarls. Her claws come out, and I let go before winking at her and jogging away.
I see Heaven and Holden enter one of the empty rooms and smirk. Something tells me they will both emerge single. That ship ain’t sailing nowhere.