32. Chapter 32
Lennox
S he stepped up the stairs to Kappa Theta, Lennox pulled her hood closer around her face to brace against the bitter wind. The phone rang in her headphones as she attempted to reach Wyatt for the third time since he suddenly went radio silent for two days. It was so unlike him and with everything that had happened, she had to make sure he wasn’t also tied to a tree in the woods. She cursed to herself as the line cut to his voicemail once again, she opened the front door.
She quickly stomped the snow from her boots and peeled off the thick jacket as she listened for anyone around. Her eyes fell on a group of guys as they made their way from the kitchens and to the stairs, Nick at the front. He stopped when they saw her and he shifted on his feet for a few seconds at the sight of her.
“Hey, Cade. Everything okay?”
“Yes, don’t worry I’m not here to tell you off this time. Have you guys seen Wyatt?” She asked with a slight smirk as the other boys oohed and taunted him.
“He’s upstairs with Aron,” Nick told her quickly before he turned on his heel and went toward the game room followed by his gang of cackling hyenas.
With an eye roll, Lennox hung up her jacket amidst the others and passed under the Fraternity banners. She made her way up two flights of stairs and to the right to the end of the long hall was a cracked door to Aron and Wyatt’s conjoined rooms. The sounds of them laughing wafted down the hall to her as she approached.
“When’s your birthday?” Wyatt’s voice questioned.
“I don’t know man, most demons don’t! Do you know yours?”
“Of course I do! It’s July thirteenth. I was told when I woke up after being created.”
“Well shit, I guess I’ll make mine…. December twenty-sixth. People will know me as the next antichrist.” Aron laughed at his own joke.
“That’s coming up soon,” Lennox interjected, which made them both jump.
“Goddamnit, Nox! Why you gotta do that?” Wyatt scolded with his hand on his chest.
“I had to make sure you were still alive since you vanished for two days.”
Lennox crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at her best friend. Deep down she wanted to reach over and shake him for her worry. His demeanor shifted as he seemed to realize why she would be so worried and he hadn’t been very responsive. Aron on the other hand eyed her closely just as he did that day in class, like she was breakable.
“I’m sorry, Len. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I’ve just been a bit busy with Eden.”
“Can’t blame a man for forgetting the world exists for a few days,” Aron commented. Lennox shot him a look and Aron cleared his throat. “Yeah, uhh a text could be good at least. Head counts and all.”
“Yes, sir Head of House sir,” Wyatt smirked.
“You two are going to be the death of me…” She started to turn toward the door but stopped when Wyatt asked about the one thing she was hoping he wouldn’t.
“Speaking of that, how are you doing after predator and prey class?”
“Fine, has anyone been able to help Remi and Octavious be able to say what happened?” Lennox deflected and looked directly at Aron who ran a hand through his hair.
“No, not yet. Octavius is joining me on guard tonight though, he’s hoping we can find something in a stack of books he got from Rosalyn.”
“Aron, Head of Kappa House knows how to read?” She smirked as Aron threw a middle finger at her.
“Going already?” Wyatt frowned.
“Yes, unlike you two I have classes to attend.”
The clear night sky dimly illuminated the room as the full moon reached the top of the sky. With the windows tightly closed to brace against the freezing winds, the room was still as Lennox slept in her bed. It was almost as if the motionless vines covering the entrance were also asleep for the night. Omega Alpha was silent for the night except for the sounds of soft music as it drifted from under her door.
That was until the sound of soft click outside her room caused ámpleos to quiver and start to weave itself tighter around the door. Above the headboard of her bed, more vines crept toward her. From inside her dream, the same click sounded at her door echoing among the darkness of a dreamless sleep. Someone’s trying to get in. The feeling of leaves on the side of her face woke her fully but Lennox didn’t have time to open her eyes let alone reach for her phone.
The doorknob twisted and the door opened a few inches as a deep voice whispered a string of curses at the sight. Lennox lay there motionless as she feigned sleep to have time to come up with a plan. I have to find a way to alert Aron. If I do anything too brash they could move on to someone else. I’d rather be the target. A sharp pain radiated through her body as the vines were cut and torn away from the door. She grimaced but remained still, the connection with the vines she used to guard her room and the houses would be helpful in a fight with whoever was about to come in.
Internally, she placed her hand on the thread to her magic and gently pulled. Closer. The sigils heated as she forced the light from them to remain hidden while footsteps slowly approached her bed. It was easy enough to track the intruder by his footsteps now only a few steps from her as her muscles tensed. You will regret this. Lennox opened her eyes, now a bright green as she sent the vines toward the intruder. They rushed forward to meet the person just two feet from her bed. In one motion she turned to her back to see who was above her and hoped to find Wyatt in the middle of a terrible prank.
Instead, her fears were confirmed. Above her was Elder Alaric Miller with his arm above his head, the glint of metal caught in the moonlight. In quick succession, they wrapped around his ankles and sent him to the ground with a thud. The weapon clattered to the floor and slid across the room. Lennox stood from the bed, she lifted her hand toward the candles at her altar. The flames sprung to life which gave her enough light to see him looking up at her.
She squinted as her tired eyes attempted to adjust to the light, her gaze followed the weapon now far out of reach. That was when her eyes found her name etched into the blade and caused her heart to drop into her stomach. Daemonium Pugionem… He’s a hunter . With the distraction, she didn’t realize how close he had fallen by her. A hand reached out and grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her down with him.
Lennox pulled at the thread and tried to use the vines to pull him away but felt herself pulled with him. She kicked out with her foot but was met with another pain as he used a new knife to cut the vine around his arm. Her back burned as the magic caused her wings to attempt to form and stretch. The vines that twisted out were forced sideways as she tried to turn and stand. Damnit, not now. She fought with the magic that forced through her body as Alaric pulled her closer. She lashed out at him again and her foot met his face followed by a crack as her heel caught him in the jaw.
The man growled in anger as he was forced to let go long enough for her to crawl a few inches. However, it was too late as he brought his elbow down on top of her shin. Another crack could be heard and a new, stronger wave of pain caused her to stop, the vines loosened slightly with a shudder. Lennox clenched her jaw and let out a yelp of pain as she gripped her leg. Alaric stumbled after the dagger and left her in the middle of the floor.
Her glowing eyes snapped toward him and the vines that had forced their way from her back extended in large wings in their full span. The chains glowed and she lifted her hand once more. Two more vines sprang to life from the back of her wings and flew forward as the Elder tried to grab for the weapon. However, she was too slow. The man quickly had it back in his possession and turned toward her with a dark smile.
He spit blood off to the side, looked over to the altar beside him and picked up one of the candles. Her eyes fell on the flame and she forced the attack to halt as her attention locked on the fire. A smirk appeared on the man’s face as he took a step forward. He’ll burn the whole place down to take me down. Her mind raced as she tried to plan her next move. The look in his eyes told her he wouldn’t stop until one of them was dead. As he took another step, she slid back with her good leg and her wings met the back of the bed as she didn’t have much space. In a final attempt to protect her, they wrapped themselves around her. Unable to see him for a few seconds, she heard him bend down just in front of her. For the first time in two decades, she was faced with the fear Armaros had brewed within her.
“It’s over, Cade. This is for what you did.” Alaric’s harsh voice told her
A new but familiar sensation rushed through her as orange filled her vision. Her wings were on fire, a scream escaped her throat as the fire spread. Every nerve within her was on fire as the ivy couldn’t retract and opened. His hand wrapped around her throat and cut off her air and pushed her against the side of the mattress. She couldn’t move, he had all his weight on her as the fire grew on either side of them. Through the pain, she saw the flash of the dagger in the air above her once more. The world around her started to form black spots as finally the vines that had sprang to life before shot around him and pulled him back once more. This time they wrapped around his limbs and torso and dragged him up and against the wall. ámpleos joined in the attack and held him against the wall which allowed her to retract the two from her back.
Like a snake, they squeezed ever tighter around him. The ones beside him covered the door once again and locked them both in. She stood roughly and forced the leaves to wither away to snuff out the fire on her wings. Slowly they vanished as she limped over to the man now caught like a fly in a spider web. Her adrenaline kept her body steady for the moment, but memories of Felix, Rue, and Armaros pooled just beneath as she realized the security team was right. They were after Heads of Houses.
“What’s that you were saying about it being over?” Her hand shook slightly which gave her nerves away.
He said nothing and the vines tightened.
“Why are you after us?” Lennox questioned again.
No response.
“Damnit, just tell me! I don’t want to kill you but I will.”
“Then do it.” Alaric challenged, his voice strained. “I’m not going to be telling you anything.”
“Fine… I’ll be the bad guy for once… This is for Rue and Felix. You won’t hurt anyone else, ever again.”
Lennox folded her arms over her chest, her eyes glowed green and she took a few steps back. Another vine slowly moved around his neck as the edges of her vision went red. Rage filled her as she looked at Alaric, potentially the person responsible for the two biggest losses of her life. The man slowly started to turn pale as he glared at her and his eyes closed.
Once he was as motionless as the night outside, everything shattered. The memories filled her vision. Felix on the floor of Kappa. Rue in her casket. The flowers she always tended to at their graves. Their laughs, her laugh. “NO!” She screamed as tears flooded her vision.
“Lennox, can you let us in? It’s Coyote and the security team.” A familiar voice caught her attention.
Panic filled her chest at the thought of the risk of opening the door. Though the red along the edges had gone blurry she eyed Alaric pinned against the wall still motionless. “No… no no no. I can’t- He can’t escape. He killed the others! If he gets out he could hurt someone again!”
“Lennox, who’s in there with you?” She felt hands on the vines outside her door as if they brushed her arms. Coyote’s voice sounded like a whisper in comparison to the screaming in her mind now overwhelmed with the feeling of invisible hands.
“NO! No- I have him contained but if he gets out he could kill the whole house!” Denial. Her voice broke as pain welled through her chest.
Nothing made sense. Images of Felix the day they met flashed in her mind followed by Alaric’s body in front of her as she fought to compose herself to no avail. The conversation outside was barely audible but kept her attention.
“We need to get in there, cut the vines.” Coyote’s command sent a new wave of panic through her.
“No, the vines are connected to her at night, remember?” Elder Bloodfang quickly rebutted. “She has to let us in.”
“We can’t just stand here, but it does sound like she has it under control,” Coyote argued after a moment of silence.
“We won’t…Go drag Aron from his guard and Wyatt from bed so they can make themselves useful.” Elder Bloodfang instructed.
Whether it was minutes or hours, Lennox couldn’t tell. As their conversation faded away her gaze remained on Alaric against the wall. Music still played from her speaker and between the notes Lennox heard a small groan from the man. Her eyes went wide as she realized he was still alive, his shoulders moved slightly as he struggled to breathe. She took another step back and she felt her body start to shake as adrenaline filled her once more.
“You. Will. Not.” She growled as they tightened around his neck.
Her foot met something other than ground and the sound of metal scratch on the wooden floor made her stop as she stumbled a bit. Quickly, she caught herself and her eyes drifted down. The glint of her name in the moonlight was the first thing she saw. Blood rushed from her face and the air was forced from her chest.
Lennox didn’t move for a few seconds, her eyes unmoving from the weapon meant to kill her. One cut… I’d be gone. Her heart seemed to attempt to beat right out of her chest as she stared. That was until the connection between herself and ámpleos sent another alert of danger through her. Several voices including Aron and Wyatt’s outside the barricaded door sounded louder, amplified by the vines.
“Stay back until we know what’s going on in there. I heard her say something.” Bloodfang told someone.
“I’ll talk to her if I damn well please. I heard her scream and if you think I’m not going in there then you’ve got another thing coming.” Rosalyn’s voice stopped
“We don’t know if it’s safe,” Bloodfang reprimanded her.
“I don’t give a fuck, that’s my best friend. I can handle whatever is happening in that room and I can take you if I have to.”
“I’ll join you.” Aron’s voice caught her attention, the foliage around her room quivered at the sound. The same chill was sent down her spine.
The door squeaked as it was opened, however, the ivy was so thick light from the hall only peaked through a few tiny holes. Sparks cracked to life on the other side and sent a new wave of panic over her. Lennox could feel heat beside the vines and felt the magic direct them to lash out. Just in time, their footsteps stumbled back as Wyatt became the voice of reason.
“She’s connected to ámpleos at night, remember? You two burn them away, she’ll feel it.”
“Shit, you’re right,” Aron swore.
“If you two would have taken a second to listen.” Elder Bloodfang told them.
“Not the time,” Coyote whispered to him.
“I haven’t heard anything since that scream, we gotta get in there.” Rosalyn’s footsteps paced outside.
Once again footsteps approached the tangled wall and she could feel a hand beside the spot the doorknob that was covered. Gently, someone started an attempt to guide the ivy away from itself. Light started to trickle in as they pushed away from the person’s touch and a hand appeared through it.
“Call off your foliage, Lenoard.” His request was soft but left no room for argument.
“Don’t come in!” She called back as his hand found the knob.
“We can handle whatever you’ve got in there, let us in.” The vines continued to pull away to let him in.
“Please Len, everyone will be safe.” Rosalyn promised.
The door finally was free and slowly he pulled it open. Light from the hall illuminated her room and the scene within. In the hall stood everyone she had heard, Aron’s eyes were already on her as they scanned her up and down for injuries. His gaze fell to the dagger at her feet and his expression quickly shifted from worry to fear. He took a few steps toward her before he glanced around the room. Aron came to a halt as his attention turned to Alaric pinned to the wall once again motionless.
“What… Lennox- Did you.” His tone was suddenly cold.
Rosalyn barged through the doorframe and looked around the room. “What’s taking so long? Is everything-”
Slowly, everyone in the hall peered around and entered the room. Lennox didn’t move a muscle as each took in the obvious attempt on her life and the man who seemingly died in her room. Everyone but Aron made their way over to her, Wyatt and Rosalyn took her by the shoulders and pulled her to sit on the bed away from the dagger. With their help, she sat on the edge of the bed as the others moved around her room. The commotion around her started to feel like a sort of fever dream as she watched everyone. Elder Bloodfang went to pick up the weapon and Coyote went to check on Alaric.
“He’s gone…” The words hung in the air, heavy as she realized he was dead.
“Are you okay? You didn’t get knicked anywhere did you?” Rosalyn moved around her as she checked for cuts.
“No, I-I’m fine.” Her words shook as they came out.
“Are you sure?” Wyatt knelt down in front of her and held out his hands. “Breathe, Nox. You’re safe now. We are here.”
The commotion around her was nothing more than a blur as she saw Aron who hadn’t moved from his spot as he couldn’t seem to pull his eyes from the dead hunter. He ran a hand through his hair and his head turned slightly as if to look at her, but returned forward. Silently, he stepped back through the doorframe and into the hall and vanished from sight.