Chapter 11 Elodie
ELODIE
Stepping over the threshold, I blink, the tightness in my chest growing tighter instead of easing off as the familiar academy hall comes into view.
I’m back in The Vale. I should feel safer, calmer, more relaxed, but it doesn’t do anything to settle the tension rippling through me.
The serenity I felt in Paris is gone, and I almost regret visiting the Eiffel Tower.
If I hadn’t gone, I wouldn’t know what I was missing out on, but now I do.
My gut twists even more, forcing me to wrap my arms around my middle as Thorne appears beside me a moment later.
His presence makes a slight difference to the stiffness of my spine, but as we head down the stairs and the double doors come into view, a sense of impending doom takes weight on my shoulders.
The shadow fae beside me, who has been silent for our return journey, clears his throat as he brushes his hair back off his face. The soft, slightly overgrown curls fall over his eyes instantly, enticing me to reach out and do the same thing, but I think better of it.
“I’m going to assume we’re enemies now,” he mutters, and I roll my shoulders back as I turn to him with a hint of apprehension.
It’s impossible for me to get any more stressed. My heart is hammering so hard in my chest, I’m sure death is waiting on the other side of the doors.
“That depends on whether you are going to strengthen the protection here, as you mentioned.” I’m asking something of him, and I hate it. I know I can’t do this alone, but the idea of purposely leaning on someone to help me feels too raw, and I’ve been exposed enough.
“Of course,” he answers without pause, nodding firmly as if the motion sets it in stone.
Rubbing my lips together, I offer a thin smile. “Then I won’t hate you completely,” I breathe, and his minuscule smile is enough to rival my own.
“I’ll take it.”
He comes to a stop at the double doors that lead out into The Vale, his palm splayed against the wood, ready to swing it open, but he doesn’t move.
His eyes find mine, searching once again.
I take a deep breath, and this time my muscles relax just enough for me to take another, and another until my shoulders aren’t so close to my ears anymore.
“Ready?” he asks, and I nod, but a tinge of disappointment nestles in my stomach as he pushes the door open. The sun is still up, but it’s behind the academy building, which means we’re earlier in the day.
I can’t even wrap my head around how long I’ve even been gone.
A yelp in the distance captures my attention, and my gaze latches onto three sets of eyes that blink back at us in disbelief.
“Elodie!” My name is a screech of disbelief as they all take an instinctive step toward me.
“Did you tell them we were back?” I breathe, unable to tear my gaze away to look at the man beside me.
“No.”
The second he mutters that single word, they set into action.
Ocean.
Rion.
Kael.
The latter remains a step back with Ocean, as though he’s using her as a shield, while Rion bolts toward me with a ferocity I’ve only ever seen from him.
My heart pangs at the desperation in his eyes as he charges this way, and I internally berate myself for ever thinking he was in on Kael’s betrayal.
It’s when my heart flutters that I know I’m in serious trouble. I try to tamp down the response as I edge toward the door. I’m certain I hear Thorne snicker under his breath as he steps outside, holding the door open for me, while also giving Rion a clear shot to get to me.
I can’t bring myself to step over the threshold; I’m too locked onto his gaze and the way I feel inside. His smile spreads from ear to ear as he reaches the bottom of the stone steps and I finally remember how to use my feet.
Ready to launch myself into his arms, I let the tension slip from my veins, but before Rion can reach the threshold, the door whips between us, slamming shut with an almighty thud that rocks me to my core.
Panic rears its ugly head instinctively, coming in thicker and faster than before.
So much so that I sway on my feet, lightheaded and wary.
“What the hell?” I blurt, lifting my hand to push the door back open, but it’s bolted in place.
The rapid thump of Rion’s fist on the other side steals my breath, my pulse quickening in my ears when footsteps echo from behind me. Turning in slow motion, I freeze as the new arrival creeps out of the shadowy hallway.
“Elodie Blackwood, how nice of you to return.”
“Rikard,” I bite, hating the dusty blond hair that frames his face, making him look far less wicked than I know he is.
Gulping, I shake my hands out, trying to mentally back myself out of the corner I know he’s attempting to put me in.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I mutter, pressing my hands even more firmly against the door behind me as his grin grows, but the darkness that seeps around him ensures there’s no humor to be found.
“Then you won’t mind meeting with the other members of The Sanctum, will you?” he muses, rocking back on his heels three times before pointing toward the stairs, silently directing me toward the portal I just came through.
Blinking at him, I already know I don’t have a choice.
I could try to use my magic on the asshole and make a run for it, but in reality, I need The Sanctum and the guise of protection they offer.
Which means I need to suck it up and do as he requires.
Besides, I don’t think I’m ever going to catch a break, never mind one right now in the thick of disaster.
“Of course, lead the way,” I breathe, channeling an inner peace despite the rage coming from the other side of the door.
“No, after you, Miss Blackwood. I insist,” he retorts, waving his hand at the stairs this time.
I take the command, physically ascending the steps while my soul remains in that exact spot.
My breathing shallows out as we reach the portal once again, and my spine stiffens when his hand clamps on my shoulder as we pass through it.
As the magic washes over me, Rikard shoves firmly, knocking me off balance.
A squeak parts my lips as I tumble to the floor, unable to keep myself upright.
I grunt as my palms burn against the rough carpet beneath me, my knees not fairing much better as I glare over my shoulder at the man in question.
Before I can give him a piece of my mind and wipe that smug grin off his face, the sound of someone clearing their throat cuts through my rage, snapping my attention in the opposite direction.
Four familiar figures are seated behind a long, rectangular desk, a familiar position for The Sanctum. Each one of them looks at me inquisitively, seeking answers I don’t care to give.
Rising to my feet, I dust off my yoga pants, courtesy of Thorne, and straighten the oversized hoodie I’m definitely stealing forever. I take my time, casting my gaze over each of them as Rikard walks around me to take his seat on their side.
In their usual formation, Anya sits on the far left, Toman beside her, and Saken dead center, while Cordelia holds up the far right, allowing Rikard to take his usual spot between her and the man in the middle.
Anya taps a perfectly manicured pink nail against her chin as she assesses me, while Toman looks exhausted.
Or is it boredom that makes his eyelids lower?
Regardless, he seems about as happy to be here as I am.
Saken pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his usual peppered hair a little disheveled as his lips pinch together, while Cordelia laces her fingers together on the table as she leans forward, openly raking her eyes over me three times, her eyebrows raising a smidge with each passing.
Rikard, on the other hand, leans back in his seat without a care in the world, amusement now dancing in his eyes.
The only reason I can imagine for it is that he successfully knocked me over.
If he’s enthralled with such menial victories, I can’t wait to watch his final demise when it comes.
“I’d say I’m pleased to see you, Elodie, but I must admit, knowing you’re working with The Obsidian Circle, I can’t offer such pleasantries,” Saken states, his words sharp as he taps the desk.
My eyebrows gather in confusion as I blink at him. “I’m not,” I state bluntly, but if he hears me, he doesn’t acknowledge it as he continues to badger me with questions.
“Are you spying for them? What is your goal here? What secrets have you kept from The Sanctum that put not only us in danger, but your peers, Miss Blackwood?”
I take a deep breath, refusing to rise to the accusation he’s goading me with. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I reply blandly, and Anya snarls, slamming her palms on the table.
“Don’t lie! Only magic can burn your eye like that,” she bites, pointing at my face, and I gulp as panic merges with rage, surging my defenses forward.
“What do you want from me?” I grumble, folding my arms over my chest as I look down the table until my gaze meets Cordelia’s.
“Answers to your betrayal,” she says calmly, tilting her head as she continues to stare into my eyes.
My hands clench into fists as I force them back to my sides, aware my behavior isn’t going to come off in the best light if I keep acting like this.
Taking a deep breath, I offer a tight smile.
“I didn’t betray anyone. I was taken against my will and unable to defend myself since your daughter decided to attack me. ”
I stare back at Anya, my inability to keep my mouth shut getting the better of me despite my efforts, as she snorts.
“My Willow would never,” she insists, planting a hand on her chest as she sneers at me, and it only serves to fuel my fury.
“Fuck off. The Obsidian Circle may have aided in healing me so I didn’t die, but the scars still remain,” I hiss, grabbing the hem of my new hoodie. I tug it up just enough to reveal my ribs, the scars still raised along my flesh.
Having Anya see them feels like they’re being sliced open all over again, and I may be sick. Cordelia balks in surprise at the scars that line my skin, but I quickly tug the hoodie back down.
“Any wolf could have done that,” Anya insists, sniffing with an air of arrogance as she waves me off.
“No other wolf felt the need to,” I bite back, refusing to allow this woman to make me out to be a liar.
“We’re getting off topic,” Toman mutters with a sigh, drawing my attention back to him.
“Are we?” I challenge, cocking a brow at him.
His lips part, but his response is interrupted by the thunderous boom of a door slamming behind me. I jolt on the spot, spinning toward the sound in panic, but horror quickly seeps into my bones, my blood running cold as I blink at the new arrival.
Kael storms toward us, his eyes wide and raging as his nostrils flare.
“What are you doing here, Mr. Forrester?” Saken grunts as my heart beats wildly in my chest.
I continue to gape at the vampire in disbelief as he paces right past me, only coming to a stop when he’s positioned perfectly between The Sanctum and me.
“Why are you continuously questioning her without her guardian present?” he roars, planting his hands on the table top, just like Anya had done earlier, only this time, the wood creaks and groans as it snaps right down the middle from the force.
I blink at him, uncertainty warring in my chest. He might be trying to help me, but it’s for his own gain. I’m in a room full of enemies with nowhere to turn. I’ve never felt the cliché statement as hard as I do right now: keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
“These matters don’t concern you,” Toman states, and Kael scoffs, the sound rugged as The Sanctum remain in their seats, unfazed by the shattered table between us.
“I think they do,” Kael snaps back, standing tall as he takes a blind backward step so he’s perfectly at my side.
“Unless you have any further details to share about the student in question, you can leave,” Anya muses, steepling her fingers together as a wicked gleam bursts in her eyes, watching my every move.
“Further details?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I’ve fallen straight into the trap she laid out as she preens, sitting straighter as she glances at Kael out of the corner of her eye.
“Oh, didn’t he tell you? He’s been keeping tabs on you and informing us when necessary, Miss Blackwood. You know, for the interest of The Sanctum, of course,” she informs, cutting through the final tether that connected me to the vampire at my side.
I don’t bother to look at him. I already know it’s guilt I’ll see in his eyes, and I’ve seen that look from him once too many times. I never wish to bear witness to it ever again. Instead, I turn for the door, focused on the exit as Rikard hollers from behind me.
“We’re not done here, Miss Blackwood.”
I scoff, waving him off without even bothering to glance back. Kael can stay here for all I care; they deserve each other.
“Take it up with my guardian. I’m done.”