Chapter 41 #2
Steeling myself, I bury every worthless emotion I’m feeling and straighten my spin. “As long as my group is okay with it, we can go first.”
I’ll wait for after our presentation.
Mr. Kyros nods and then gently smiles as he gestures for the door. “Best get going then. Presentations will begin soon and you need to get everything ready.”
I shift and glance over to Jullia who is whispering to our group. Adam and the demon are holding the poster that shows the timeline and our stack of research. They start descending the stairs and I wait until they’re with me before walking out. Not a single one of us says anything.
I lead, feeling blind, as I walk through the halls until we get to the opened path to the cafeteria.
Instead of going in I take the thin path to the right that leads to where the witch’s observatory is.
In my astronomy with relative astrophysics class we had sometimes met up here near nightfall to study the stars.
A hush falls as we enter the building from everyone already seated. The whole room is packed – which should be a feat since there’s about three hundred seats and I’m sure most of these students have exams.
Heads bow forward as I pass and stupid words about worship and gods and deliverance are whispered. A few words I hear about my appearance. Gods shouldn’t look like this. I had only looked for a second in the mirror after my shower.
Dark circles under my eyes, my skin paler than it should be, jaw slimmer than it was a week ago, collarbones protruding. I look sickly thanks to my starving and for letting the wishing star close to the surface. It’s sucked more out of me than before.
The room quiets again when we get to the front where the podium is.
In the front row sits the Mage Board. Eight people who I haven’t seen all together since I was first brought before them, along with the Dean, Esmirra, and a few other professors.
Behind them sit Hanna, Ricka, Asher, Kyno, and Scorn.
I ignore all of them and step onto the podium waiting for my group. Hundreds of eyes all focused on me.
Jullia steps up next to me and we turn our backs to the audience as Adam and the demon put everything on the table. There’s a single stand that we prop our poster on. Then everyone in my group straightens and looks at me expectantly.
Jullia squeezes my arm and whispers, “Are you alright to present?”
I was the one who was supposed to present. I’m sure everyone is expecting it.
Without answering, I grab the stack of research and face the crowd. Percius and Castiel now sit with the other professors in the front row. I look each and every one of them in the eye.
“May we begin?”
I direct my question to the Mage Board. Eight beings who sentenced me to the school because it was either this or death when they labeled me an illegal vampire. Eight beings who most were alive during the end of the War of Gods and were the ones to help in creating the Willow of Lore.
Mr. Arcturus nods at me and then I cast a broad look over the room.
“The War of Gods,” I announce, lifting up the thick stack of papers, folders, and scrolls, all before I toss it before me.
Our research skidding and flaring out before me on the podium in front of the Mage Board.
“All that research. . .” I point to the strewed papers.
“All the history, all the facts, all the truth that you were told. . . it’s all a lie. ”
Silence. Then a presence slowly enters and I look down at those eight people and sneer.
“The war did not begin between two gods. The war started with Hessenti, Goddess of Shapeshifters and Runes, sending her Primordial Devil to kill Sanivin the First Vampire. And Sanivin’s brother, to protect her, killed the Primordial Devil. Sanivin’s twin brother, the Forgotten God of Blood Moons.”
“ENOUGH!”
And right as the demigod council member shoots to her feet and screams a wave of world destruction hits.
I raise an eyebrow at Percius as the room goes up in chaos. You would think by now they wouldn’t be as surprised. How many times has this school been attacked? How many times have I saved them without a single casualty?
I shut my eyes and release a slow breath as I begin rolling out my shoulder. I’m about to open myself up through the bond between me and Varian when something hits the middle of my chest. My eyes flutter open and continue to blink as I try to process what just happened.
Beside me Asher is kneeling over Jullia and everything in my head goes very loud. There’s another pressure that hits my right shoulder next and it takes me entirely too long to realize they’re bullets.
Something roars. In my. . . head? Maybe. Maybe not.
Another bullet hits right above my heart before I feel it. Like a slow trickling of realization except it’s a tangible feeling through my blood. Those bullets. . . they’re full of blue belladon. A pure, undiluted liquid that floods my system.
How. . . clever.
I feel like everything moves in slow motion as I look up through the crowd.
And he’s just standing there. A storm raging above the open ocean holding every secret within its depths.
That’s what his eyes look like. Blue and gray raging together instead of warring.
There are threads of glinting gold through his golden-brown hair.
In this slow motion moment, he extends an arm out and curls his ring and pinky fingers into his palm as he points his middle and index fingers at me with the thumb pointing at the ceiling. He bends his thumb and another bullet hits me straight through my chest again.
Precautions, I hear him whisper to me through that open link between me and Varian.
There are other voices, words spoken and screamed, but I can’t focus as the full effects of the poison of the deadliest thing known reaches every corner of my body.
Flowing through every vessel, consuming every muscle, lining every bone, and touching every organ within me.
You don’t know.
He tilts his head and flicks his thumb again to symbolize another shot, but something blocks it this time. A shield of green and gold runes appears in front of me and I only get to glance at Asher beside me before my knees hit the ground.
That slow motion moment finally passes and time resumes to its normal pace as everything comes back into focus. The sights, sounds, scents. I slide to my ass and slam my hands into the floor as I pant. The poison working faster than any other as people surround me, but I can only focus on one.
I try to turn and grab and curl my fingers into Asher’s jacket but my body is not functioning properly. I have seconds – maybe. Hopefully.
“Don’t let them destroy the Willow of Lore.” His green eyes flash and flicker with what I think is confusion, but I can’t focus on it. “Use my aura and your runes and protect it. It can’t be destroyed yet. I need you to go now.”
Asher shakes his head and Jullia I think says something but everything is getting muddied.
“GO!” I scream. Or maybe whisper. I don’t even know if I was able to say it. “I’ll be fine.”
Unfortunately.
Somewhere deeper in my mind I can hear him chuckle. Something pulls too and I wonder how catastrophic it would be if I were to open those four doors within me and try to use my magic.
I could forgive you for killing my witches because your fated were at risk, he says in my mind. But then you killed my shifters and threatened my family.
Someone roars in my mind. It aches. I can’t fully concentrate.
Don’t worry, he tisks. Percius has the antidote to blue belladon. Just give us a second to destroy the willow and then we’ll get you all well again.
I’d laugh if I was able to. Through bleary eyes I think I see red eyes encased in gold. It almost feels like it did when that vampire jumped me. Disorientated and unfocused.
You don’t know, I repeat. Percius and his true form right beside me.
I squeeze my eyes shut to try and concentrate.
To focus. Control. I can tell now, they’re all listening in his mind.
Blue belladon cannot do anything to nothing.
But even still. Didn’t you hear what they called me?
They said I am a forgotten goddess reincarnated.
Blue belladon cannot kill primordials. There is only one thing that can.
“Godskiller.” I hear that clearly enough as it leaves my mouth. And that presence that was silently watching explodes with existence and sings. “Forgotten God of Blood Moons.”
I lock eyes with Mr. Arcturus. An almost sense of déjà vu hits with a bittersweetness as I incline my head at him.
“Poisoned boy,” I whisper and his eyes shutter.
Turning to the Death Devil, I stare at the face of my fated. Eyes identical and yet impossibly different. His expression drops as he looks at me. As he watches me straighten my back and rise from the ground. My blood flowing openly and freely as I stand but I don’t stop it.
I haven’t even released my aura or magic.
“Rule number one,” I hiss at him. Kolasi, the Death Devil. One with his true form, and yet terrified of little me who feels no more powerful than a vampire right now. “Never hesitate.”
“We weren’t trying to kill you.”
“Then your death is your own fault.”