Chapter 38
38
S pencer
“Prepare?” I say. Have I missed the memo somewhere? What the hell is going on?
York doesn’t answer me though. She addresses Coach. “Hank, you know what to do?”
“All the students?”
“All of them. We’ll be along shortly.”
Coach nods his head curtly and leaves the room.
“Right,” York says, but before she can say any more, a machine crackles and beeps in the corner of her office. She squares her shoulders and glances its way. “That will be the Lord Protector. I advise you to remain quiet.”
Then she stands and walks to the corner, pressing several buttons on the device and watching as the blank screen on the machine flickers to life. A grainy picture comes into focus, Christopher Kennedy eventually staring right at her with unblinking eyes.
“Principal York,” he says, his voice making my stomach turn and my fists clench.
“Lord Protector,” York replies calmly, “how can I be of assistance?”
“We have received reports of intruders at the academy.”
“You have?” she says innocently.
“Yes, and our guards are unreachable.”
“As you can see,” she says, “I am in my office. No such reports have reached my ears.” She holds his gaze. “But I am aware your reports are always accurate.”
“They are. And the intruders are believed to be wanted fugitives,” he pauses, “highly wanted fugitives. You will apprehend them.”
“Ahhh,” York says slowly, “I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
“Not possible?! Why not?” Kennedy spits, frowning so sharply it makes his eyes bulge. “Have the fugitives–”
“No, it’s not that. It’s simply that I have decided to no longer follow your orders. I will not be apprehending anyone.”
Kennedy’s entire face reddens with anger. I wait for the explosion.
There is none.
He simply nods his head in understanding. “So be it, Stella. You understand what this means.”
“I am aware.”
Kennedy’s nostrils flare and then the screen goes blank.
“Was that wise?” I ask, unable to help myself.
“You’re here to meet your destiny. Is there any point in delaying it? ”
I stand up. “And what is our destiny because I’m still in the fucking dark here?” I snap.
“It’s us or them,” Rhi says.
“Them?”
“The Lord Protector and his followers. They’re coming here. They’re coming for me.”
“Then we should leave,” I say, eyes darting to the window. There’s time. Especially with the help of those dragons.
“No more running. We fight.”
“But there’s only six of us against him and his army!”
“Six fated mates. Queen ?eelfl?d and her knights. Your powers will know no bounds,” Mrs. Holyhill says, her empty teacup still balancing on her knobbly knees, “if you fight together.”
“And we will help you,” York says, removing her tweed jacket and rolling up her sleeves.
“We’ve been preparing,” Winnie Wence says, bouncing up onto her toes. “Several of us.” She nods towards Tristan’s cousin, Ellie.
“How are you even here?” I say, shaking my head in disbelief. Winnie is on the wanted list just like us and Ellie has always been heavily guarded by her family. There are obviously Christopher Kenedy’s spies in this academy – Summer being an obvious one – as well as his guards. How did either of them sneak into the academy?
“Stella – I mean Principal York,” Winnie says, “has been taking in fugitives and hiding us.”
“Building a resistance,” York clarifies.
“We’ve been living down in the infirmary in the basement and preparing – thinking of ways to build up the resistance and sabotage the Lord Protector’s plans. Trent’s come up with some ingenious tech ideas,” she says proudly. “And Ellie and I have been brewing special potions.”
Ellie smiles shyly, fiddling with the beads that hang around her neck.
“How many of you are there?” Azlan asks.
“About twenty.”
I snort. “That isn’t enough.”
“You will have the support of the staff and the students too,” York says.
“All of them?” Stone asks, one eyebrow rising skeptically, obviously thinking of Summer.
“Not all of them, I’m sure. But most. These students have been training for battle all the time they’ve been at Arrow Hart, Phoenix. Now they have an opportunity to decide which side they will fight for.”
“Will they fight for me?” Rhi asks hesitantly.
“Yes, I think they will, especially when they see you have Spencer and Tristan’s support,” York says, addressing me and using my first name for the first time in my life. “You will need to persuade them that this is the side to fight for.”
“Persuade them?” I scoff. “Most of them think I’m some diseased and dirty mutt.”
“And they think I’m some mad, untrained girl who speaks to pigs,” Rhi mutters, the pig in question, by her feet, snuffling a cookie she’s fed him.
“Spencer, you were our most successful dueling captain ever,” York says and then turns to Tristan. “And you, our most successful vice-captain. You know how to motivate and coordinate a team between you, so go out and make this happen.”
I turn to Azlan. I’ve come to depend on the enforcer’s advice. He is so often the voice of reason.
“What do you think?” I ask him .
“I think Principal York is right.”
“Okay,” I say, nodding slowly, the idea beginning to grow on me. “And how long do you think we have? How long before the Lord Protector arrives here all guns blazing?”
“I think they’ll be here at daybreak,” York says.
“You don’t think they’ll be storming here already?” Rhi asks.
“No, the man is clever and cunning. Christopher Kennedy has no doubt worked out that I’ll be leading some kind of resistance here at the academy and he’ll know you have dragons. He will need time to gather forces together and consider his attack. We are well defended here, even more so with dragons. It’ll take him time. Time we can use to our advantage if we use it now!”
I turn to my friend, gripping his shoulder. “Time to step up, then, buddy.”
“Time to step up!” he repeats.
“Coach Hank has gathered the students and staff members together in the gymnasium.”
“Do you think you can organize them?” Winnie asks with a little doubt in her voice.
“I may not be as smart as you, Winnie Wence,” I say, making her cheeks sizzle, “but I do know how to fight.”
Once we’re back out on the pathway and jogging towards the gymnasium, Tristan asks me, “Do you actually have a plan, Spence?”
I grin at him. Do I have a plan?
“Same plan we always have, Tris.”
“Lure and attack?” he asks.
“Works every time.”
He grins back at me. “Shit,” he mumbles.
I punch his arm and laugh, a lightness filling me. Maybe that’s this bond thrumming like sunshine in my belly, maybe it’s being back at the school – my territory, my terrain – or maybe it’s because we’re going to take action, going to strike back, going to take our destiny into our own fucking hands.
What does it matter what it is, anyway? It makes my feet lighter, my grin wider, and it means I’m going to give those students in the sports hall one hell of a show.
I pick up my pace, crashing straight through the gym doors and raise my fists into the air, as scores of frightened and anxious faces look back at me.
I can’t blame them. You can almost smell that battle coming. And though they’ve all been training for years, the last time they faced actual combat – when the academy was attacked at the Victory Ball – it didn’t go so well.
This time, though, this time we’ll be ready. And this time I’m here.
“I’m back, motherfuckers!” I yell. Fists high in the air as Tristan skids to a stop behind me. “Me and him.” I jerk my head Tristan’s way and wink at them all.
For a very long, excruciating minute, there is absolute and complete silence. A shocked silence as two hundred-odd faces gape at me like I’ve lost my mind.
I keep my fists in the air, keep the grin on my face. I won’t let them see the doubt. I need to project belief and confidence. Give them someone to follow.
More never-ending silence, so silent, you could hear a pin drop, and then suddenly there’s a whoop from the back of the hall and a fist drives up into the air. It’s one of the guys from the team. It starts a ripple effect, the other jocks around him following his lead and then those around them, until most of the damn hall is whooping and cheering.
“Hell, yeah,” I laugh. Then press my finger to my lips, signaling for quiet again. “Fuck, I love you guys.” I spot that little kid I half scared to death several weeks back sitting in among the crowd and give him a nod. “And I missed you.”
“We missed you, too, Spence,” the dueling team shouts from the back of the hall. Yeah, I’m not convinced that’s true but I’m going to play along with all this anyway. “I hear things have been … erm,” I smirk, “slightly shit while I’ve been gone.” There’s some nodding and murmuring, several gazes fall to the floor. “I can tell you, I haven’t had the best of times either. In fact,” I hook my arm around Tristan’s neck and tug him towards me, “If it wasn’t for my buddy here, I’d probably be dead. He risked his neck to come save me.” This time there’s murmuring and several girls stare at Tristan with actual goddamn love hearts in their eyes. “And now we’re here to save all of you.”
More murmuring, more eyes swinging nervously around the hall. I’m guessing they really do think I’m mad now.
“Save us how?” asks some girl, chewing gum so furiously I’m surprised her jaw doesn’t snap.
“You heard of Queen ?eelfl?d? Of the Fourth Prophecy?”
Even more murmuring and several looks of confusion. I guess I’m not the only one who failed to pay attention in history class.
“Queen ?eelfl?d had five fated mates and together they drove the darkness and the monsters from the land. The Fourth Prophecy predicts she will return and save us all again,” Tristan says, interpreting things in a way I’m sure both Winnie and Professor Stone would argue about. But who cares. It’s near enough the truth. It’s what these kids need to hear. They need a reason to be brave enough to fight back. To believe they can fight back. “And she has.”
The girl stops chewing and the gum nearly tumbles from her mouth .
“Who is she?”
We turn and look at each other. Yeah, this is where things may not go so great. We know how fucking amazing Rhi is, but these guys? Nope.
“Does she have five fated mates?” that small kid calls out, looking amazed.
“Yes,” I say. “Five mates. I am one of those fated mates.”
“And I am another,” Tristan confirms.
The entire hall erupts into chaos and this time it’s only Coach lurking at the back and blowing his whistle that silences everyone.
“But who is the girl?” the gum-girl calls out. “Is it Summer?”
Everyone swivels around to stare at someone standing in the shadows at the back of the hall. Her arms are crossed tightly across her body and she’s glaring at us with fierce hatred.
I hold her gaze and snort so loud it makes the kids in the front row leap up in the air.
“No,” I say. “No, fucking way.”
“I would actually die of shame if I was bonded to a diseased mutt like you,” she spits, stepping forward.
I laugh like that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.
“Nah, it’s not Summer,” I say. “It could never be someone so selfish, self-obsessed and cruel.” She goes to argue and I cut right over her. “Our mate is someone … someone who understands what it’s like for the world to kick you around, to treat you like shit. Someone who’s got back up each time and kept fighting despite her bruises. Someone …”
How do I even begin to describe what she’s like? Why she means so much to me? I don’t have the capability with words. Not to make them understand .
Luckily, my friend steps in. One with more charm in his little finger than I possess in my entire body.
“She’s funny and smart and caring and … I’d follow her to the end of the earth and back. I’d lay my life down for her.” He scrubs his hand through his floppy locks. “In fact, I already have.”
“Who is she?” the girl with the gum asks with annoyance now.
“Rhianna Blackwaters,” Tristan says.
I know it’s going to be difficult to win people around to this idea. But until the giggles and the scoffs start, I guess I don’t realize just how difficult.
“Are you serious, man?” Al says. “Pig girl?”
“Don’t call her that,” I growl.
“Summer said she’d cast some love spell on you,” Fiona sneers at Tristan, “and I guess she was right.”
Summer nods her head. “And she tried to kill me with crimson magic. She’s evil and dangerous.”
The little kid I knocked over pipes up.
“Didn’t she save you from that dragon when the academy was attacked?”
“No!” Summer says, with a pout.
“I definitely saw that,” the kid says to those around him.
“Summer is never right about anything. Do you know whose bed she’s been climbing into?” Tristan hisses.
“Your dad’s,” someone yells out, and this really isn’t going our way. Fuck!
“So, is this like some kind of revenge on her and him?” the girl with gum asks, clearly confused.
“No!” Tristan says, the charm slipping away and his annoyance clear now. I don’t blame him. Most of these kids have struggled to keep up with him. It’s always been clear to me, his oldest friend, how frustrating that has been. He’s never shown it before, though. “We’re doing this because the Lord Protector – my father – is restricting your liberties, terrorizing your friends, killing your families.”
“And keeping us safe from another attack from the West,” Summer says. “And degenerates like you!” She points at me.
“You’re on his wanted list!” some other kid says. “That has to be for a reason.”
“Really?” Tristan says, the frustration brimming in his features. “You really believe in all that bullshit? You’ve actually fallen for it? I know my dad better than anyone else in this room.” He scowls at the cheerleaders. “Better than fucking Summer. All he cares about is himself. His power and his control. You’re fooling yourselves if you believe anything else. And I can tell you, it’ll only get worse.”
The hall is silent while the other kids take this in. Then someone mutters:
“He arrested my sister because she dated a were. They say she could be infected too,” the girl with gum says, her eyes filling with water. “She didn’t even know the dude was a were. We haven’t heard from her since.”
“My best friend is on the wanted list – her entire family are – and they don’t even know why,” another boy pipes up. “They all disappeared last week.”
“I’m sure there was a reason,” Summer says, but others around her are mumbling similar stories.
“So you’re telling us our only hope is Pig Girl?” one of the cheerleaders asks, ignoring the deathly look Summer throws her.
“Don’t call her that,” I growl again.
“I’m saying you can have hope because of her,” Tristan says. “But one girl, one girl and her five fated mates, even if we are from some damn prophecy can’t change things. That takes all of us. All of you. If you want to end this reign of terror, if you want to see a better world, you have to help us fight for it.”
“So will you?” I ask, swinging my gaze over every single person in the hall, my eyes landing on Coach last, standing at the back with his hands in his pockets and his whistle hanging from his neck. “Will you fight with us?”
I can’t tell what they’re thinking. I could see this swinging against us just as much as I could see it swinging for us.
“I don’t know,” one of the cheerleaders says. “It all seems so far-fetched.”
“Far-fetched?” the little kid says. “They flew in here on dragons.” That has people talking again. Then that same little kid, the one I terrorized in the corridor, steps forward. “If Tristan and Spencer believe in this girl, believe in this cause, then so do I.” He turns and looks me in the eye. “They took my Gramps, just because …” His gaze falls to the ground.
“I’m sorry, man,” I say, resting my hand on his shoulder. “But this is why we have to put an end to things.”
“Yes,” the boy says, “we do.”
And, stars, I could actually kiss the boy, because now everyone is following suit, nodding, voicing their agreement, until my shoulders sag in relief.
We’ve done it. We’ve actually goddamn done it. Won them over.
“You’re all completely mad,” Summer cries, tossing her head in frustration. “And you’re only going to get yourselves killed.” She turns to her posse. “Come on!”
The posse glance at us and I smile at them. Then they peer back at Summer, her face sour and bitter .
One by one they shake their heads. Summer shrieks and paces away. There are some definite giggles as she goes.
Once she’s gone, the others turn their attention back to us.
“So what’s the plan?” one of my dueling buddies calls out.
“Ahhh,” I say with another of my grins, “Coach, do you think we could borrow your whiteboard?”