19. Brax

NINETEEN

BRAX

After Genie’s unexpected visit this morning, Raven shook off the lingering effects of her bullshit and got on with the day like it wasn’t a goddamn tree that hit her. I think that’s why she holds me captive despite my best efforts to keep her at arm’s length. It’s all gone to shit and I know it. Admitting it hurts more than I would like, but fuck, it’s the truth.

I’ve never met anyone in all of my life who continues to get back up every time they’re knocked down quite like she does—both metaphorically and physically, if the tree to the head this morning is anything to go by. She doesn’t cower, she doesn’t hide away, she doesn’t let a single hurdle keep her down.

Even now, as we head down the hallway, her shoulders are back, her head high, and her strides purposeful. She has an inexplicable presence that I can’t even put into words. I should have known I never stood a chance against her. Arm’s length may not be working anymore, but letting myself hunt her down, stake my claim, and take what’s mine makes up for it.

Today, my issue isn’t the fact that this damn woman has me twisted up in knots.

No.

It’s the fact that classes are relatively… normal.

There hasn’t been a single glimpse of Erikel or any of his men. I have no fucking clue what that means or where they might be, but the reality is, if we’re getting peace from them, someone else is paying the price of their presence. Likely on a grander scale. Which will be an issue for us in the near future, I’m sure.

Despite the impending doom, it’s a relief. Not enough for my guard to drop, I’m on pins and needles, but when we step into our final class for the day to see it’s an actual tutor instead of some fucker from Basilica, I heave a sigh of relief.

The moment I realize it’s Figgins, my gaze drifts to Raven. Her eyes widen as she freezes in the doorway, her knuckles white as she clings to Zane at her side, and her brain short circuits for a moment before she’s scurrying between the desks to speak to her.

There’s no question what topic is at the forefront of her mind.

Ari and the magical creatures in the forest.

Figgins is supposed to be the professor in charge of all of that shit, so she has some explaining to do. Intrigued to watch my girl in action, I don’t bother to follow her up to the front. Instead, I take my usual seat and get comfortable.

“Professor, I need to talk to you about something,” Raven blurts as she plants her hands on the desk between her and Figgins. The latter quirks a brow at my girl, likely questioning her rudeness, but Raven doesn’t back down as she holds her stare.

“That will have to wait until after the class.”

Raven’s already shaking her head before Figgins finishes speaking. “I need to talk to you about Ari and the other creatures who—”

“Miss Hendrix,” Figgins shouts with a gasp, cutting Raven off, and my spine stiffens, ready to jump to my girl’s defense if necessary. “I said we can discuss this after class,” she repeats, and Raven stands tall.

She straightens her blazer and purses her lips as she glares at the professor. “We can discuss this now and I will keep my expectations of you low, or we can wait until after class is done with and I’ll be holding you accountable for more. Waiting until the end of the class will cement your dedication.”

Hot. As. Fuck.

No one should look that good when they’re being that demanding, but Raven has a way about her.

Figgins looks around the classroom, twisting her lips as she considers her options. After a few moments, she sighs, nodding. “Have it your way, Raven. Let’s take this outside.”

I’m out of my seat in a flash, my brothers along with me as we hightail it back into the corridor. Figgins regards us for a brief second but clearly sees that we’re not going to budge on this, so she closes the classroom door behind her and turns to face Raven.

“What seems to be the issue, Raven?” she asks, lacing her fingers together as she stares expectantly at my shadow.

“Where do I begin?” Raven snaps back, already fuming and ready to cause mayhem. “Ari is trapped inside the fucking forest you force them all to be in but I can’t ask you to let him out without demanding the others be released, too. Not only are you putting his life at risk, but you’re also putting everyone else in danger because there are creatures in there we know nothing about.”

“Raven, I know every creature in there. The academy has always operated this way. It’s not going to change because your familiar doesn’t like it,” Figgins grumbles, which only makes Raven’s eyes widen further with anger.

“You don’t know, do you?” Raven rasps, her jaw ticking as her hands clench at her sides.

“Know what?”

“That there are creatures in there that Erikel brought with him. Creatures that have the others scared.”

The professor tilts her head, assessing Raven as if trying to decipher a lie. “That’s not possible. It’s—”

“Ari purposely went through the barrier, choosing to be in the forest to help protect his herd. They’re not safe. None of us are. This is already a volatile situation, now isn’t the time to be keeping magical creatures that could help us trapped to be killed off on a whim. Now is the time to be gaining their trust in the hopes of having their aid when the time comes.” Raven’s chest rises and falls rapidly as she throws her hands around in frustration.

“Raven, you must be mistaken,” Figgins starts, shaking her head dismissively, and Raven holds her hands up high as she vibrates with agitation.

“Do I look mistaken? I’m dead fucking serious, and you’re not listening to me.”

“Raven, take a deep breath. Maybe we need to calm ourselves so we can repeat what you’re saying in a way the professor understands,” Creed offers, glaring at Figgins when he mentions her.

“I don’t need it repeated, Creed. I understand what she’s saying, but I’m telling you, it’s not possible.”

“What makes you say that?” I interject, intrigued by the fact that Raven is throwing all of this information at her and she’s refusing to let it stick.

“Because I put the wards up myself. I always know who is tethered to the forest.”

I glance at Raven, knowing she doesn’t have the answer, but there is something Ari didn’t let us do when we last went to visit.

“When we went to the forest last week, searching for Raven’s familiar, he refused to let us step through the barrier because he believed this information to be true. If there’s one thing we can all be certain of, especially since it was Raven’s familiar that saved us all at the outpost at Shadowmoor, that’s the fact that he is highly protective of her in every way. He wouldn’t choose to be in that forest if he didn’t believe it to be true,” Creed states, saying it far better than I could have. I’m well aware I’m a lot more caveman than him. She would have been lucky to get anything more than a shoulder barge.

Figgins at least looks to be considering his words, but I get the feeling she’s going to be too stuck in her ways.

Clearing my throat, I try to tamp down my building rage to approach the situation a little more calm and collected like Creed, but nothing comes out. Thankfully, Raven takes a deep breath and takes control of the situation once again.

“Professor Figgins, all I’m asking is for you to come and take a look with us. I’m not wrong in what I’m saying. We need these creatures. I know it in my heart and soul. Just… please, come and look with me.”

The five of us stare at the professor, hope warring inside of us, until she finally clears her throat and straightens her cloak.

“Fine, but it can’t happen until the weekend.”

“Thank you,” Raven murmurs with a sigh of relief. “We’re going to need to act fast once we’ve been there, but I appreciate you agreeing to this.”

Figgins nods, glancing over my shoulder to the classroom behind me. “That being said, you misspoke in there, Raven. You’re going to have to sit out for the rest of the lesson. The rest of this stays between us,” she adds, and we all mutter our agreement.

I’m up for an early finish, so it’s no issue for me if we leave now.

Hiking my backpack up my shoulder, I settle my hand on the small of Raven’s back and steer her away from the class without a backward glance. Creed, Eldon, and Zane are right with us and we don’t slow our pace for a single moment until we’re walking down the pathway to our home.

Once the front door clicks shut behind us, Raven sags in relief. She rests her chin on my chest and for just a second, I cling to her, inhaling her scent and getting my fill before it’s back to business.

“That’s a plan for the creatures on the agenda. We’re going to have to try and shoulder it until the weekend. Is that going to be okay for you?” Eldon asks, flopping down on the sofa as he looks to Raven, who nibbles on her lip.

“I’m already feeling the strain from the distance between us. The weekend might be a struggle,” she admits, and it only makes me softer on her. The fact that she so openly shows her vulnerability to us now knocks me off my feet.

“We’ll make it happen,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her forehead before I drop down onto the sofa. “For now, though, I think we need to take a look through this thing.” I pull the book on magical artifacts from my bag, waving it in the air for a second. It’s practically been burning a hole in my backpack and I’m desperate as hell to understand everything in here, even more desperate than I am to understand why Leila went hunting for it to begin with.

I still can’t make up my mind about her. It’s exhausting.

“I’ll get everyone a drink while you have a glance over it,” Raven states, breezing past us all with that natural sway to her hips that holds us all captive. “But I think we should understand everything there is to know about the Poten’s Ruby first.”

None of us answer, our eyes glued to her sweet ass, and it’s only when she turns to head back to us that we realize she’s waiting for some form of acknowledgment. A knowing grin takes over her mouth and not one of us tries to cover our tracks. Instead, she takes the manuscript from my hands, sits down, and starts to read it herself.

I watch as her eyes dance over the pages, her finger lingering in certain spots for a few moments as she clearly thinks over what she’s reading. When she turns the page to find the entry she was reading has ended, she flips back to where she was and releases an exasperated sigh before leaning back in her seat, offering us nothing.

“What—”

“It’s the most ridiculous shit,” she grunts, cutting my question off as she wipes a hand down her face and sighs. “All it says is exactly what Burton said about it yesterday, along with a listing of where in history it has been used before. This is the kind of shit we’re supposed to be taught in this place. Instead, we’ve got the old head professor hiding the damn thing. Why hasn’t someone destroyed it? What greater dangers are lurking out there?” Her frustration is clear.

Taking the document from her, I glance over the information. She’s not wrong. It’s ridiculous. “It states that the ruby was first documented over eight hundred years ago and is known to have been used by four men in the past; none of them currently living, until now, it seems,” I say with a scoff, flicking the page back and forth. “Otherwise, it explains it has the ability to suck the magic from any being for it to be stored in the stone or transferred to another. It doesn’t state where it was last seen or how to destroy it. Nothing.”

“We should have known it wouldn’t make that easy for us,” Zane grumbles, and Creed hums in agreement.

“What else is in there?” Eldon asks, propping his chin on the palm of his hand as he leans forward.

I flick through a few more pages, scanning over the bold text at the top of the tattered pages. “There’s an artifact that can be worn like a crown to stop someone from getting into your mind. There’s a golden table that mutes and saves all conversations spoken at it,” I continue, but Raven rushes to her feet, stopping me from reading any further.

“Like the golden table in the Nightmares Guild?”

My eyes widen at the connection and I nod. “Fuck. Maybe.”

“I think that’s something we need to check out,” Zane adds.

“There’s also the Lotus Onyx that deflects magic and an emerald gate that leads to the Realm of Shadows, to name a few. But the table is something we can investigate sooner,” I state, closing the tome and placing it on the arm of the sofa beside me.

“What I’m hearing is there are a lot of magical artifacts out there that do more than is necessary. Like it’s not enough to be gifted with powers already,” Eldon says with a sigh.

He’s right.

I thought losing my parents at a young age was dark enough. Then, being enrolled into an academy that takes your death as payment for the knowledge they provide seemed to top it off. But this… what we’re facing right now; it’s on an entirely different level.

The mention of the Realm of Shadows swirls something inside of me, a remnant of my parents deep in my dreams floating to the surface, and it has me itching to learn more, but I brush it off. There’s enough going on around us without me clinging to the desperation that seeps through me, wanting to find my parents in a real, more controlled environment.

This crazy fucking ride has us by the balls and there’s no stop to get the hell off and make a dash for it. We’re here whether we like it or not. And although it’s not the battle we thought we had signed up for, it’s a war all the same.

One way or another, we’re either royally fucked or on the road to greatness.

The sun peeks over the horizon in the distance, the clouds making it harder to see than usual, but it will rise above the fog soon enough. It always does. Without fail.

My limbs ache, waiting for the moment the warm rays touch me and soften me.

My gut clenches. I don’t know how I know that feeling—the touch of the sun’s warmth against my skin—I just know I do, and I’m desperate for it. I’m frozen in place, waiting for it, unable to move despite how much I want to.

The first dance of the sun on my skin is like taking my first breath, awakening me in a way I can’t quite explain. But one thing is for certain, the moment it graces me, I’m no longer locked in place.

Rocking my neck from side to side, my bones crack, or so I think. When I look down, my eyes burning from the new freedom they have now that they’re no longer frozen in place, I realize I’m in full gargoyle form, crouched on the top of a building, the roof sloping down to my left.

What the fuck?

Stretching out, a groan rips from my lungs, burning my throat as I shift from stone to flesh and bone.

I have no idea why or how I am where I am, but I sure as shit need to get the fuck out of here. Rushing down the slope of the roof, I prepare to launch myself at the gathered bushes at the bottom, a move I feel like I’ve done a thousand times, but I don’t recall a single one.

As I reach the bottom, my attempt at leaping through the air is short-lived as I lose my footing and fall head first. I brace for impact, ready for the pain to ripple through my body, but it doesn’t come as I continue to fall for what feels like a lifetime.

Just when the nausea eases in my gut, I slam into the ground without warning. I take a second to feel the blades of grass beneath my palms, hoping to calm myself, but it’s impossible.

I don’t know where I am. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. Yet I’m stuck here whether I like it or not.

Pushing up, I glance around my new surroundings and my heart freezes in my chest.

What the fuck?

I’m… home… again.

How?

I stare up at the house, waiting for it to grow legs and run the fuck away, but after a couple of minutes, it doesn’t do anything, so I slowly clamber to my feet. A hint of musky vanilla floats in the air, a smell I haven’t had the pleasure of in a very long time, and it makes my gut ache at the memory.

Walking the path, I take the porch steps slowly. Filled with fear that I’m going to get ripped away, just like I did last time, I take measured steps in an attempt to prepare myself, but as I near, I hear my parents laughing on the other side of the door.

It has to be a dream. It has to be. I should wake up. I know I should, but I can’t deny myself the guilty pleasure of being in their presence again.

Lifting my fist to knock on the door, I startle when it opens before my knuckles hit the wood, and my father stands on the other side.

“Son.”

One word.

One word and my heart cracks in two.

The word is accompanied by the sound of scurrying feet in the distance, and a moment later, my mother appears behind him.

“Brax.”

Fuck.

I shouldn’t put myself through this. It hurts too much, but I crave it like I crave oxygen.

“This is a dream,” I rasp, my chest aching, and my mother shakes her head.

“No, son. This is where we exist.”

“Exist?” I repeat, confused, and they both nod nervously.

“Then why am I here?”

A look passes between them, a look I can’t quite decipher, before my mother takes a step closer. She was always the one better with words.

“We’ve been trying to understand it since the last time you were here, but it doesn’t quite make sense. You should have stayed the first time you were here, but you disappeared just as quickly as you appeared. Then the second time, my heart broke all over again, because you didn’t stay for long. Now, I have no clue about this.”

I frown.

I’m assuming this is where I came the last time I saw them, but the first time… I don’t understand.

“Where is here?” I ask, my fingers flexing at my side as nerves get the better of me.

They look so real, so present, I could just reach out and touch them. But the fear of my hand going right through them like projections makes me refrain.

“Honey, we’re in the Realm of Shadows.”