12. Eldon

ELDON

Ilooked at my brothers and my Little Bird with her noticeably pink hair and it was clear as day that we were all overwhelmed and exhausted. Two feelings we want to tamp down and pretend don’t exist, but there’s no avoiding them. There’s no escape. Creed is right; we’re a team. We need to eradicate the common denominator, and that’s the unknown bullshit we’re drowning in.

Fuck all of that to high Hell and back again.

I’m Eldon fucking Rhodes, I don’t let shit get the better of me. Not even my own magic drifting into my dreams and hooking me up at its mercy. My visions may be demanding my attention, playing more frequently than usual, but the most persistent one is starting to drive me insane.

Darkness. A vortex of grays in every shade, the paler tones offering a small glimpse at my surroundings. There’s no sun in sight, not even a glow from the moon as I slowly spin in a circle to see where I am. It’s nowhere I’ve been before, which is what is hurting my brain the most. Black marble floor scattered with cracks and blemishes, stone walls with names carved into the surface, while burnt-out torches line the edge of the room. Nothing but a golden table stands in the center of the room, but the sound of scurrying feet echoes around me. I don’t know where the fuck I am, but if I don’t find out soon, I’m going to go crazy.

The location is key to understanding what my vision is trying to tell me. I don’t know why I’m associating the vision with Shadowmoor, maybe it’s the darkness, but since that’s where everything started to go to shit, it’s a viable place to begin.

Pacing the floor by the front door, I heave a sigh of relief when Zane, Creed, and Brax all filter in from their respective rooms. They all fade into the background when Raven steps from her room and my heart starts to race faster in my chest.

Her pink hair is scooped up into a high ponytail, two fine strands framing her face, which is makeup-free, offering me a glimpse at the beauty that is wholeheartedly her. She’s wearing black combat pants, a fitted white tee, and a pair of boots that make her look so fucking hot it should be illegal.

I’m considering changing my decision to spend the first day of the weekend going to Shadowmoor, wanting to stay here tangled up in the sheets with her instead.

“Are we going or do you need a little longer to gawk at her?” Brax grumbles, but when I glance his way, he’s sneaking another peek at her too.

Fucker.

“I don’t know, I could gawk all day if she’d let me,” I retort, winking at Raven as my gaze locks with hers.

She rolls her eyes at me, as usual, but the teasing smile beneath her attempt at acting indifferent tells another story.

“Open the gateway, Brax, before these two turn this into an orgy,” Zane says with a chuckle, making Raven’s cheeks heat. I’m expecting another sharp comment from that tongue of hers, but to my surprise, nothing comes.

“I could be down for an orgy,” Brax states, making my jaw drop, along with Raven’s, as she stares at him with wide eyes, clearly considering the offer. But the niggling feeling at the back of my mind forces me to put my body’s desires aside to focus on the bigger picture.

“Zane’s right. We need to go, but when we get back, it looks like we have a plan.”

Nobody confirms or denies the offer now on the table as Brax grunts something under his breath, creating a gateway by the door behind me.

“Wait, have you been there before?” I blurt, gaping at the gateway that’s suddenly appeared.

His eyes meet mine as he gives me a single nod. “Once.”

Why don’t I like the sound of that? I roll my shoulders, trying to loosen the stress winding my muscles up tight, when Zane sidles up beside me with a concerned look on his face. “Wait, so we’re going to Shadowmoor itself, right? Not the outpost.”

“Right.”

“Well…” He glances at Raven for a second, almost like he’s considering his words, before he turns back to me. “We’re not going to get some random ass tattoos on our temples the second we step foot there, are we?”

I stare at him like he’s grown a second head, unsure how to even answer him, when Raven’s giggle reaches my ears.

“Only you would think of that, Zane,” she murmurs, shaking her head as she nears us. “But to answer your question, no. I don’t think that’s how it works. You’re usually marked when your powers haven’t come to fruition yet. That’s why my mother never had it.”

He nods a few times, taking in her words before a smile spreads across his face. “Good. Let’s go then,” he declares, not wasting a moment more as he steps through the gateway, leaving the rest of us to rush after him.

I don’t know what I really expect to find on the other side, but it’s like stepping into the shadows of Hell. The sun that peered through the windows seconds ago is gone, only a dull sheen casting from the sky above, but there’s no telling where the light is coming from.

It’s hazy, a flicker of darkness on even blacker surfaces. Blinking, I take real stock of where we are and pinpoint the trees that rustle around us. Not a single green leaf sprouts from their branches, making the place look even more harrowing. Yet there are crisp leaves scattered along the ground.

This obviously isn’t from my vision, but it’s not like I was expecting to rock up in the middle of the exact room that has been overpowering my mind.

“What, exactly, is it we’re looking for?” Brax asks as he closes the gateway, and everyone looks at me expectantly.

Scrubbing the back of my neck, I take a second to try and describe the kind of place I’m looking for. “It’s dark, windowless, and I occasionally get the stench of blood wafting in my nose.” Creed, Brax, and Zane all look at me with blank expressions while Raven taps at her lip in thought.

“I think I might know where you mean. Follow me,” she breathes, taking off through the woods and leaving us to catch up. She’s wearing a jacket I don’t remember seeing earlier and she tightens it around her waist as she takes cautious steps. Like she knows exactly where to step in order to not cause a disturbance.

It’s eerie, seeing her right now, like something has shifted and she’s right back to being the girl who arrived at Silvercrest, not the one who was standing in our house moments ago.

“Is it like this all the time?” Zane asks as we all finally fall into step with her, and her brows crinkle.

“Like what?”

“So… dark?”

Raven shrugs, but there’s a stiffness to her shoulders now. “Pretty much.”

“I can barely see shit,” I add, ducking just before I smack into a low-hanging branch.

“When you grow up in these surroundings, your ability to see in the dark naturally increases.” Raven’s words make me pause as I try to imagine what this was like for her. If this is how dark the days are, what are the nights like?

A break in the tree line comes into view but I can’t see what stands beyond it. Not that it matters, though, because she turns at the last second and comes to a stop by a large tree. Her fingers skim over the bark, the hint of a memory flickering through her eyes, but I don’t get to question her about it before the tree trunk transforms into a door.

She steps through the opening like she’s done it a thousand times before and it makes my heart clench for her. Not with pity. Fuck, no. She doesn’t deserve that. It is in awe of her and everything she has survived so far.

Following her inside, we come into a long, dark corridor. “I doubt anyone is here right now. The pits start later, but it’s best we keep to the walls anyway.”

I nod, keeping a step behind her as she presses her back against the stone walls.

“What are the pits?” Brax asks, not quite able to press into the sides with his wider shoulders and sheer lack of care.

Raven glances back over her shoulder with an almost solemn sigh. “The pits are where the strongest fight for bragging rights and a stack of cash.”

My eyes widen in surprise; it’s definitely not like the pits of the Gauntlet, but I don’t get the impression it’s any easier either.

“Is that why your knuckles were busted when you first came to Silvercrest Academy? Were you in the pits?” Creed asks, making my eyebrows shoot up into my hairline with surprise. I hadn’t thought of that, but I do recall the broken skin on her knuckles.

We take a left turn and a huge room comes into view. Blood-stained pits line the floor with large spaces around them for spectators to stand and watch. It definitely has the same sort of smell we’re looking for, but other than that, it’s not the place from my vision.

“No, I didn’t fight in the pits. I usually got attacked in the woods,” Raven casually replies like that’s not fucked up.

“Who the fuck attacked you? I’ll hunt every single one of those motherfuckers down right now,” Zane bites, his teeth bared as the muscles in his neck bunch together, but Raven quickly waves him off.

“It was my knuckles that were busted, remember? Not my nose, not my face, nothing.” I smirk, impressed with my girl. She turns to look at me as she waves her hand around, continuing on with the reason we’re here. “Familiar?”

“No,” I admit with a shake of my head. “It was windowless like this, and the stench of blood is the same, but the room doesn’t look right.” I close my eyes, letting the vision play more vibrantly in my mind for a second before I look at her again. “There are names carved into the walls and a gold table in the center of the room,” I add, but the blank expression on her face tells me I’m not giving her anything else to actually go off.

“I can’t think of anywhere else here that might resemble what you’re trying to explain. Not unless it’s someone’s private quarters, but that almost feels too big and grand. A gold table? I can’t even imagine there’s one of those in the biggest houses around here.”

“Then it must be somewhere else,” I reply with a shrug, trying to hide the disappointment and irritation I’m battling.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here then,” Creed murmurs, nodding for Raven to lead the way back out. She takes the exact same route, hiding in the same shadows that led us down here, until we step back through the tree and into the woods.

“Do you want to head back to the same spot the gateway brought us to?” Raven asks, glancing at Brax, and he nods in response.

We take a handful of steps before voices echo around us and Raven’s steps slow. As they become more clear, her instant frustration is visible as she sighs, her shoulders dropping for a second before she stiffens her spine and squares her shoulders.

“What…” My question drifts off as three guys appear a few trees away. They’re laughing and joking among themselves, currently unaware that they’re being watched. But when the second the guy in the middle looks up and locks eyes on Raven, I see the recognition on his face.

A sneer takes over his lips and his fingers flex at his sides as he turns to face her head on.

“Raven, my little Void, it’s been a long time. Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you.”

“You know this fucker?” Zane asks, louder than necessary, as he waves his hand in the asshole’s direction.

My little Void?I’ll kill this motherfucker myself.

“Wyatt, it hasn’t been long enough,” she grunts in response, answering Zane’s question, and the guy laughs.

“Raven, don’t be like that. You know I had to come pay you a visit after our little encounter the last time I saw you. Make you repay me for your mistakes with your mouth on my dick, yeah? We can rectify it all now. I have time.” He reaches for the zipper on his pants and chuckles.

Is this dude for fucking real?

“You’re going to need to tell me real quick who this guy is, Dove,” Zane snarls as my fists clench at my sides.

She takes a second to glance over her shoulder at each of us, trying to decide what to say, until she sighs. “He’s the reason my knuckles were busted when I came to—”

A terror-riddled cry halts her next words, drawing all of our attention back to the weasely fucker who writhes on his knees where he stood moments ago. His hands are clasping his head, his screams getting louder until he rolls onto his back in pain, which is when the noise stops and silence cascades over us, hanging from the looming trees above.

“What the fuck?” one of his friends says with a grunt, glancing down at his friend.

I don’t have the answer to what happened to him, but I know who does. “Creed?”

Everyone’s attention drifts his way, including Raven’s, who looks confused as fuck.

“What?”

“Don’t what me like you didn’t do that,” I state, pointing at Wyatt with a chuckle.

“Wake him the fuck up,” his friend shouts as Creed itches his cheek.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

It takes a second for his words to settle in my mind and understanding to wash over me.

“Did you just kill him before I even got a chance? That’s not fair. She’s my girl, too,” Zane grumbles. Brax stares at Creed with wide eyes as Raven gapes at him.

“Was that necessary?” she asks, tilting back to see Wyatt’s lifeless body on the floor.

“He touched you. He’s lucky I didn’t fucking torture him more, but we’ve got places to be and I really don’t care to stay here any longer.”

“He…”

“Isn’t wrong,” I interject, cutting the distance between Raven and me as I drape my arm over her shoulder. Turning to face the other two assholes still glancing between their dead friend and us, I smile. “Anybody else?”

Even with the dim lighting, I see the color drain from their faces, and it’s almost comical as they take off through the trees without a backward glance at their friend. When they’re completely out of sight, Raven scoffs.

“I’m not shocked they ran off like little fuck boys. That’s exactly what they did last time, too,” she admits, and anger quickly thrums through my body again.

“Don’t remind us there was a last time, Little Bird, or I’ll have you resurrecting this motherfucker so we can kill him again and again and again,” I breathe against her ear, and she shakes her head with a laugh.

“I can handle myself, you know.” Her gaze is locked on Creed, who slowly steps toward her.

“I know.”

How can one asshole be so smooth with such few words? Before I can ask him, Brax creates a gateway, hinting for us to leave.

“What about the body?” Zane asks, and without even thinking, I project my fire in his direction, incinerating his body in mere seconds before the flames die out and the embers flicker to nothing.

“It’s official. It’s not just Creed that’s unhinged. You all are.” Raven dips out of my hold and steps through the gateway without a backward glance, leaving the four of us to barge and shove each other to scramble after her.

I’m ready to wrap her in my arms and charge off to my bedroom with her, but when the other side of the gateway comes into view, it’s not our house I find.

No.

Marble surfaces and stained-glass windows greet us. It takes a second for me to place where we are and when the realization comes, I know we’re fucked.

“Excellent, you’ve all returned. Why don’t you take a seat.”

Professor Burton.

Shit.