Chapter 24 #2
I tilt my head back as sounds of cracking and crumbling echo into the night just as thunder does.
It sounds closer than it did before, and towards the main building of the university the sky is completely dark.
Though, within that darkness streaks of light flash.
Lightning the color of my eyes right now fracturing the sky.
They come closer, devouring the visible stars, and bringing the scent of rain.
A roar splinters the air and I grin at it. Shadows begin curling around the edges of the balcony and I watch, almost transfixed, as forms solidify within them. A single white marking is etched on what I assume is their brow.
Nana did tell me about this kind of magic art. Demon runic magic influenced by shadow magic.
Detaching my flames from my aura, I wrap my aura back up within.
Cinching it so tightly within, stuffing it back into the confinements of my veins, until you can’t feel a single thing.
Until that door is sealed shut and the lock turned.
Until there is no fluctuation that could possibly be made because I fade my aura into my blood and let the poison mask it.
Hidden from senses while also being in plain sight.
The shadow monsters inch closer. Twisting their heads in odd directions no regular being should be able to.
My flames still consume and my grin doesn’t fall even as the shadows jerk closer to me.
Right before the closest one can sink its claws into me I close my eyes and reach an inner part of myself into the ether.
Thunder rumbles and in a fraction of a second lightning strikes directly where I’m standing. Burning, all-consuming, blood-red lightning latching onto my body and then letting go. It didn’t even feel like my feet left the ground.
I open my eyes and I’m facing familiar tree trucks and foliage. Glancing to my left is crumbling bricks and an ivy covered wall.
Turning around, thunder cracks right before silence and then like a clap rain begins pouring.
From here I can’t see any flames or smoke, but I can still feel it.
I can also feel the exact moment they’re all doused.
Not that it does anything because everything is already gone.
There’s nothing left in those rooms except ashes.
I skip towards the front of the dorm and for once Ricka isn’t sitting in her chair behind the desk.
I’m sure she’s probably still at the ceremony.
All that is something I’ll have to deal with tomorrow.
Maybe I’ll get lucky and no one will ask about how I knew the Willow of Lore’s symbol and the spirits song of old.
It’s not like the teachers are allowed to teach it anyway.
I hum as I take the stairs up. Remnants of the spirits song still stuck in my head. It’s the same melody my music box played that Ms. Elaycia gave me. The song and the lyrics to go with it the same one I would hum to myself when I was with the sun devil.
A song said to be needed to be passed down in order to know it. But no one ever says if it needs to be passed down from another physical, alive, familiar person. Afterall, there are other realms between the past and the after.
Opening my door, I’m greeted by darkness and I help the pumpkin cat onto the latch of the window. Then I toe off my shoes and don’t bother changing before face planting into my head. For some reason it’s softer against my cheek and smells like embers and wood.
That’s when I remember Callahan and everything that happened before the ceremony. I still need to find a way to rip my soul out. But that can wait till tomorrow.
Curling around the blanket, I wrap myself up in cackling embers and cedar and drift my eyes shut.
That night I’m glad for Asher creating a sound barrier around our room and for Jullia spending the night in his rooms. The comforting and calm from the scent of a warm fire surrounded by serene woods does not help this time.
For the first time neither does the hum of music.
. . .
Burning.
It never matters how differently the story begins, it always ends the same.
Sometimes I am a watcher in my own nightmares.
I view it through a screen as it happens to me.
Other times there is no screen and I experience it as I have before.
And on occasion, from the ground between episodes of pain, I will look up and see blood-red eyes instead of icy blue ones.
I’ll see long dark hair ending in blue and pink instead of cropped black hair.
Those times the pain feels worse and lasts a lot longer even after I wake up.
It’s like that now. Though I don’t burst up with heaving breaths and wet cheeks. I open my eyes slowly to a blank ceiling. A point of light cuts through it and I slide my eyes along it to where part of my blackout sheet over my window is smoking.
A bullet sized hole was burned through the material allowing the small slice of light in. The rest of the room is dark and Jullia’s scent is fainter. She hasn’t been in here for at least a day.
Sitting up in my bed, my bones creak. My blood feels stale in my veins and it feels like ash coats my throat. Thankfully, as I survey the room, it doesn’t look like anything was destroyed. Nothing. . . except my bed.
Most of my mattress is burned away to nothing along with my sheets, pillow, and Callahan’s blanket. Just. . . great.
Gritting my teeth, I slide my legs over and off the edge of what’s left of my mattress and let bare feet touch wood. I had taken my shoes off but I had climbed into bed with my clothes and socks on. Looking down, I’m as bare as the day I was born.
Well. . . almost. I doubt I had a body covered in scars, but same principle. My clothes had burned away to ashes as well.
Standing, my vision goes in and out and I don’t even have the strength to tense my body. It feels like falling for a moment before there’s a thump and my body hits the floor. This time I allow myself to groan because that hurt. Even though fantom pain from my nightmare still lingers.
Flipping onto my back, I wait for my vision to return and then stare at my window. In the corner I catch a bit of movement. My little guy peaks out for a moment and I watch him begin weaving a white colored web.
I’m so tired.
Groaning again, I sit up and take it slower getting up to stand. My vision still blurs for a minute but I’m at least able to make it to my mini fridge and grab a blood bag. Pulling all twelve of them out, I crash back to the floor and suck them all dry.
Mhmm.
Faerie, wolf shifter, goblin, another wolf shifter, elf, some sort of feline shifter, more faerie.
It feels like it barely does anything, but regular food will help along with proper rest. The latter will have to wait though, because I don’t know what day or time it is and I’ve already missed one day of school.
Standing – this time there’s no faintness – I tap my tablet on and read the date. O’seven o’three – Septmust third, and it’s six ten. Meaning I have a little less than an hour and a half until my first class. The dreaded Magic History with a professor I don’t want to see.
All day, actually, I will be seeing people I won’t want to see and –
My notifications pop up and my first one is a message from my section leader for the cleaning crew.
Fuck.
Today is Wednesday meaning I not only missed yesterday as well as Monday for school but I also missed work last night.
Rubbing my hands over my face, I almost feel like raking my nails down my arms. Digging deep enough to leave bloody trails to help both ground me and punish me.
I click on the message and section leader sent that after classes I need to meet with him immediately.
Excuses fly through my mind for why I couldn’t come in but I doubt any of them will be sufficient enough.
I’m not on probation but I’m sure they’ve been watching for any misstep to fire me.
And there’s no way I’d get another job anywhere after this.
Turning off my tablet, I turn away from it and head for my wardrobe. It’s something I’ll have to deal with later – among other things. Right now, however, I need to get ready for class. And that needs to start with a shower.
Just as I finish tugging a thin long sleeve and pajama pants set there’s a commotion I can hear down the hall and then my door gets thrown open.
“YOU CAN’T JUST WALK IN YOU SHIT-EATING – “
“MS. WATERSTONE IF YOU DO NOT – “
“SHE COULD HAVE BEEN CHANGING YOU BAST – “
“JULLIA!”
There’s another commotion then frost freezes the doorway and spears out along the floor.
Ice begins eating the floor and walls where the door is causing the temperature to nosedive as someone rushes into my room.
Jullia’s lavender eyes are wide and her hair is actually frizzy as she runs her eyes over me.
There’s a sigh of release that leaves her lips but it is quickly replaced by fury.
Turning towards the door she screams out, “SHE IS RIGHT HERE YOU FUCKWADS, I TOLD YOU.”
“MS. WATERSTONE,” a familiar voice shouts back. A voice infused with a power that rumbles through this space and is accompanied by the light disappearing through my little hole above.
Nerves rack up my spine, but I keep control of my heart and blood and the adrenaline that flushes my system quickly disperses.
Guards storm into my room and two of them each grab one of Jullia’s arms before pulling her back away from me.
She doesn’t fight this time, but her eyes plead with me for a reason I can’t read.
Then a tall devil enters my room with wavy hair that looks black right now. His gold ringed red eyes narrow on me and go up and down before shifting further into my room.
Behind him the Dean enters with his dark suit and scolding eyes, along with two other men.
“Ms. Tsuki,” the Dean sneers. “We need you to come with us.”