Chapter 9 #2
Sleep takes me quickly after that, and I fall into my dreams. The sensation reminds me of a scene from one of my favorite children’s books where the main character falls down a rabbit hole, though this is not nearly as exciting.
I’m falling into darkness, fragments of memories passing by me as I sink into the abyss of my mind.
I glimpse snapshots of my life. A photo of the car accident that killed my parents when I was young.
An image of the public high school that I barely survived.
A picture of the local library that was my safe haven.
It feels like I’m falling forever, but then it all stops, and dread crawls over me as a black-and-white scene materializes.
Blood.
It’s all over me.
I’m standing in an alleyway, staring at my shaking hands that are coated with it. A bloodied knife rests by my boots, and somehow, I know I’ve just dropped the weapon. Someone’s screaming, and I realize it’s me. Oh crap.
I don’t remember this place, but I know something bad happened here. Something that has me struggling to breathe. Something a past version of me doesn’t want to remember.
Across the alleyway, an ethereal ghostly shape moves in my peripheral. A dreamcrawler stands in the shadows, but it scurries away the moment I spot it, disappearing into a brick wall that’s covered in graffiti.
My heart races. I tell myself that I need to know everything about my past, but as dread and guilt starts suffocating me, I begin to wonder whether trying to remember everything is a mistake.
There’s a body not far in front of me, and though the memory is hazy, fear slides down the back of my neck. I take a small step forward, wondering if I’ll regret this. Wondering if learning this secret is going to destroy me.
I go to take another step, but my dream abruptly changes.
I cry out in surprise as a familiar cell appears around me.
And this is a place that I do remember. The cell that Professor Yevar had locked me in when he’d kidnapped me.
My heart hammers as my mind struggles to understand what’s happening, and I spot a cloaked figure standing beyond the metal bars.
Unlike the memories I’ve experienced in my dreams, this is different.
I’m not watching a scene play out. No, this feels more like…
“Please tell me you’re not actually in my dreams,” I groan, because the nightmare I was experiencing was bad enough. The last thing I want is a visit from Professor Yevar. “Don’t you have better things to do with your time, rather than torment me?”
The professor gives me a chilling smile, and I take a step back.
“What could be more important than seeing a promising student?” he drawls. “Especially as our last conversation was cut short.”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe you handing yourself in to the shadow queen for being a traitor?” I retort.
He laughs, pacing outside my cell. “While I can appreciate your candid humor, now is not the time. I’m here with an offer I hope you’ll seriously consider.”
I eye the professor warily and look pointedly at my surroundings.
“Okay firstly buddy, if you do have an offer, forcing me into a dream cell is a horrible way to start negotiations. And secondly, if you think I’m going to consider anything you have to say, you’re even more deranged than I thought you were. ”
He considers this, observing me from the other side of the bars.
“Fine. Let’s try something different then, shall we?
” He waves his hand and the dream changes, the cell dissolving as we instead find ourselves in a dimly lit room.
A roaring fire crackles close by, and we’re seated on velvet armchairs that are facing one another.
Shadows flicker in one corner of the room, and though I can’t be sure, I swear I can sense Knox. Trying not to draw attention to him, I quickly look away, but the idea that one of my mates is here has me relaxing a little.
“There. Is that better?” Professor Yevar says, crossing one leg over the other. “I trust you’re more comfortable.”
I stare at him like he’s crazy, because he seriously can’t be delusional enough to think he’s made me happy.
When I don’t respond, he simply smiles. “Let me start by saying, I’m glad you survived the ordeal at the games, though given your destiny it’s not too surprising. In any case, I’m pleased to see you’re unharmed. It would have been most…disappointing, if our weapon had perished.”
“Your weapon?” My brows slam down. “I told you, I’m not going to be your pawn.”
“Ah still in denial, are we?”
“Me? I think you need to look at yourself, because you know I won’t follow you.”
He drums his fingers on the armrest. “Why? Because you want to protect your mates? The same ones who treated you like their little pet when you came to this academy?”
My back straightens. “I’m not going to betray the realms and everyone who’s good.”
“Good?” He mocks me with the word. “What makes you think everyone in the nine realms is good? No matter where you look, war and suffering is evident.”
“There’s peace in the demon realm,” I counter.
“For now,” he concedes. “Provided the demon queen and the kings of Seral can keep it that way. And yet, as we speak they’re preparing to join the war against the Xalgrith. They’re so quick to offer up their blades again.”
The flames dance in the fireplace, the sound of the fire popping and crackling filling the otherwise silent room.
“That’s different,” I say. “The Xalgrith attacked Kiru, and we can’t let them sweep across the other realms.”
“War means casualties, no matter who starts it or who’s fighting,” Professor Yevar replies. “There are always winners and losers. Come fight for the Xalgrith, and like me, you can be on the winning side. Besides, what makes you think the shadow queen deserves your loyalty?”
I arch a brow. “Well for one, she’s trying to stop the annihilation of the realms.”
“Is she?” Professor Yevar questions. “Or is it all simply another dance for power?”
I frown in confusion. “You’re crazy.”
“Perhaps. Come to the Xalgrith realm and you can decide for yourself. Be a winner, Shade. They don’t want you here anyway.”
I know I can’t go with him, and obviously, I don’t want to, but I think about how I’ll be questioning some of the zenali creatures soon. We want answers. To find out what the Xalgrith are fighting for. Still, I’m not stupid enough to go with the professor.
When I stay silent, Professor Yevar grows impatient.
“I did try to do this the easy way,” he murmurs.
“Remember that.” His shadows shoot out, and I’m too stunned to react, but before they can touch me, the darkness in the corner of the room swells.
Dozens of Knox’s shadows spear toward the professor.
They wrap around Professor Yevar, pulling his shadows back to him, and winding around his body until the only thing visible is Professor Yevar’s face.
Knox stalks out of the darkness, gripping his sword as shadows dance around him.
He stops at my side, fury burning in his black gaze. “Sorry, my love. I wanted to hear his proposal before I ended him.”
I’m still speechless, but as Knox turns to Professor Yevar, the professor laughs. The sound is a horrible noise that seems to echo in the dream.
“Tell me, is the idea of your own death that amusing?” Knox says coldly, his dark gaze fixed on Professor Yevar.
The professor’s laughter tapers off, but his amusement doesn’t fade. “Oh no. It simply amuses me that you wish to protect the very being who will be your downfall.”
I hate the way his words cut deep.
“Shade won’t betray us,” Knox says with complete conviction. “You, on the other hand, are a disgrace to this academy.”
Professor Yevar simply laughs again. “I will admit, taking the students was my idea. One that’s working out beautifully, if I must say so.”
Anger courses through me at the thought of Jensen, Leira, and the other missing students. “What have you done with them?” I snap, my own shadows coming alive around me.
“If you accept my offer you’ll find out,” the professor replies with a dark smile. “Think on it, Shade. I trust you’ll come around.”
Knox’s shadows tighten around Professor Yevar, and the professor stops speaking as Knox lifts his blade.
“You can’t,” I blurt. “If you kill him, we’ll never know what’s happened to the students. He might be our only chance at saving them.”
Knox’s nostrils flare. “I’m sorry, but they’re likely already dead.”
I know he might be right, but there’s something about the look in Professor Yevar’s eyes that has me questioning whether that’s true.
In one powerful swipe, Knox aims his sword at Professor Yevar’s throat.
“No!” I shout.
But when the shadows clear, Professor Yevar isn’t there.
“Think on it,” the professor’s voice echoes in my head one last time.