26. Raven

RAVEN

Ilet the front door click shut behind me as I exhale. Fresh day, fresh start. That’s the vibe I’m working with this morning after the talk we had with Rhys yesterday evening. I’m sure if I got the chance to actually process everything that’s happened that positivity might be possible. But instead, I’m drenched in impending doom vibes because there’s always more bullshit heading my way.

I’m not going to jinx myself today and think about what the day might bring, I’m just going to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and hope for the best.

It’s still strange that Leila isn’t waiting like she usually would be, and I’m almost wondering if I miss her presence. I need to pull my head out of the sand with that entire situation, too, and either get over myself or stick to my guns.

Eldon’s hand wraps around mine, distracting me from my thoughts as Brax heads down the path without a backward glance. Fucker knows we’ll follow. This time, Creed swoops into my right side while Zane grumbles behind me about how unfair it is that he doesn’t get to touch me this morning.

His pouting and complaining always make me grin, lifting a little of the weight weighing heavy on my shoulders by just being him.

The throng of other students on the main path gives us a wide berth as we join them, but I can’t help but get the sense they’re looking at us extra hard today. Usually, the girls all focus on the Bishops, my Bishops, but when I look at them now, they’re staring at me too. I can’t decide if it’s a snarl or a smirk on their lips, but I opt to focus on myself and my guys rather than their issues.

“Tonight, we’re going to try out the theory of sensing other magic around you, yeah?” Eldon murmurs, nudging his arm against mine, and I nod.

“Sounds like a plan.” It’ll be good to try and figure out what other abilities I might have, despite the craziness of how real this all is. If I’ve thought it once, I’ve thought it a thousand times. Never in my life did I expect to go from a Void to a necromancer in the blink of an eye. Regardless, we’re here now, and I’m a bundle of nerves and excitement at the thought of delving further into it all. “I’m ready to explore the possibilities, but more than that, I’m ready for a day of doing absolutely nothing. A day where I’m just Raven. At the moment, I can’t fucking blink without something causing a stir and the constant drama is driving me insane,” I admit, and Creed hums in agreement.

“Your wish is my command, Little Bird,” Eldon declares, brushing his lips over my knuckles in a quick kiss before he winks at me, continuing on like nothing happened.

As the crowd grows bigger and we get closer to the academy building, the underlying feeling I got from the other students increases with the density of the crowd.

“Does it seem like people are staring more than usual?” I mumble, hating how ridiculous I sound, and Brax stops dead in front of us, despite not hearing what I even said.

“They do seem more… observant this morning,” Creed states as we slow to a stop behind Brax.

“What the fuck is going on now?” Zane grumbles, his hand falling to the small of my back at the exact moment I lock eyes with Genie. Her hand is covering her mouth as she makes an exaggerated giggle ring out around us.

What the fuck am I missing?

“Hey.” Leila appears in front of Brax, blocking Genie from my view for a second, and the grimace on her face doesn’t ease the tension building inside of me.

“Hit me with it.”

“She’s being a bitch.”

“Who?”

“Who do you think?” she retorts, glancing over her shoulder to where Genie stands.

Of course she is.

“What has she done now?”

Leila sighs and I notice the piece of paper she’s clutching in her hands. She slowly spins it around so I can see the other side and understanding washes over me.

Picture after picture, frame after frame, my heart races in my chest. They’re all of me. Not alone, though. With one of my men. In every single photo. It’s not a montage of cute pictures where we’re staring at the screen offering a peace sign as we live our best lives.

No.

It’s basically a compilation of my O face in compromising positions with each and everyone one of the Bishops. There are multiple pictures with Brax with the patio glass smashed from when he chased me from class. There are a few that are hazy at best, but I’m still pinned to a tree with Creed between my legs. While others show my lips pressed against Zane and Eldon’s.

I’m still committing every inch of the paper to memory when it’s snatched from my hands, but the bright red marker that is scrawled over the front is imprinted in my mind.

Whore.

“What the fuck is this?” Brax snarls, but I don’t stick around to give him the answer, I’m already cutting through the crowd and their watchful stares as I storm toward my target.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I bite, and Genie smirks at me like I’m giving her the exact reaction she wanted, but I don’t give a fuck.

“Problem? I don’t have one. Maybe you do, though, if it’s taking four men to…” Her words trail off as she looks down the length of me. If she’s going to point fingers at me, I want to hear the words from her lips.

“To what, Genie? Give me things you always wanted?” I push, watching as the grin drops from her lips and her eyebrows pinch together.

“So you’re not denying it then,” she hollers, gaining everyone’s attention. If they weren’t already paying attention, they are now. “You’re sleeping with all of them.”

“You’re damn fucking straight I am.” I don’t know if she was trying to make me feel embarrassed or expecting me to deny it, but the Bishops are mine and I want everyone to know it.

“You’re a whore,” she snaps, rearing back like I’ve got the Lulum Plague from eight hundred years ago. Fool.

“A whore having the best fucking time of her life. But what I’m more concerned with is the little fucking creep that seems intent on watching me orgasm again and again and again. How did it feel when you took those photos, Genie? Were you hot for what you saw, or were you angry that you weren’t the one on the end of their dicks?” Whispers pick up around us as she vigorously shakes her head, failing to deny it. “I might be in some compromising positions, but I’m not embarrassed by a single one of them. They’re my fucking men. Mine.” I glance around the crowd, which is completely enraptured, making sure they know the warning goes to them too. “I would, however, be beyond fucking embarrassed at being caught taking pictures of someone like a total creeper. Wouldn’t you?”

I can feel my face heating with anger, but hearing the murmurs from the crowd twist in my favor fills me with an extra boost of confidence I’ve never really had the privilege of before.

“I never.”

“They didn't just magically appear, Genie. You’re fucked up. Now, do you have anything else to say before…” I play her at her own game, letting my words trail off. My pulse rings in my ears as every second rolls by and my muscles clench.

“Before what?”

Rearing my hand back, I slam my fist into her throat, relishing the sound of her choking and gagging as she keels forward, struggling to breathe.

Fuck, that feels good. My fist throbs, and I’m sure it won’t leave as good of a lasting impression as Brax’s stone hand smashing into Sebastian’s face the other day, but those two deserve each other and their matching bruises.

Laughter echoes around me as I feel hands land on either side of my waist from behind.

“You’re a savage,” Eldon murmurs against my ear, and I grin.

“I didn’t realize we were throwing compliments around today.”

His chuckle sends a shiver down my spine as one of Genie’s friends steps forward, wagging a finger in my face.

“You disgust me,” she says with a gasp of horror, and I join in with the laughter that continues to rumble through the crowd.

“You’re welcome,” I offer with a wink, turning to see Leila laughing with her hand over her face and awe dancing in her eyes.

“You’re the coolest fucking person I know.”

I roll my eyes at her while Genie continues to splutter. I’d love to have caused her that much discomfort, but surely she’s exaggerating now.

“What in the realm is going on out here?”

Laughter quickly dissolves into silence as everyone’s attention shifts to Professor Fitch, who is frowning at all of us. When Genie continues to hack like an idiot, he settles his stare on her. I’m expecting some bullshit to come my way any moment, but to my surprise, he sighs, pointing over his shoulder.

“Everybody get to the changing rooms. Now.”

There are a few grumbles around us as everyone follows his command, and I take two steps with Leila at my side before I’m halted.

“Not you, Raven.”

“Like fuck is she staying out here alone,” Brax bites, hands fisted at his sides as he squares off with Fitch like he’s not a professor.

“I don’t expect her to with fools like that around. She’s going to want to retaliate, you know,” Fitch states, turning to me with a tired expression, confusing me even more than usual.

I shrug. “It seems to be her hobby.”

He nods like that makes sense to him before clearing his throat. “We need to talk after class.”

“Why?” Creed answers for me, his onyx eyes staring holes into the side of Fitch’s head.

“About your extracurricular activities,” he breathes in response, glancing around at the guys as well as me. I’m assuming he means the Guild, but I also don’t want to say it out loud to clarify. I frown at him, unsure how to respond as he swipes a hand down his face with a sigh. “The five of you stay behind. It won’t take long.”

* * *

Every single limbaches from head to toe, but surprisingly, it doesn’t feel as rough as the last time he put us through our paces. I’m relieved to be getting the stamina boost I need, but the pain it comes with outweighs the pros right now.

Genie glared in my direction the entire class, exclaiming that, in her current condition, she wasn’t able to participate. Her friends tossed death glares along with her, and I fought back the eye roll threatening to burn my eyes. I couldn’t give a shit how they look at me. They don’t scare me. Even with the knowledge that Genie will attempt to get her revenge. It’s just another reason for me to be on alert, but fuck, it was worth it.

Getting changed into my uniform, I’m taking extra precautions to avoid putting my back completely to her when Leila clears her throat.

“Hey, I know we’re all up in the air and stuff at the moment, but I just wondered if you wanted to go to the party tonight?”

My eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Wait, is it Friday already?” I ask, completely lost.

“Yeah, are you okay?” she replies, concern thick in her tone as she frowns at me.

“Yeah,” I murmur with a sigh. “My brain is just a mess with everything. I think I’m going to pass, though. Not because of how things are between us. That has nothing to do with it. I need to decompress and I’m not in the mood to put on a fake smile and pretend like everything is great to people I don’t care about.”

She nods with understanding, the smile on her face showing no strain. “Of course, if you decide you need some girl time, let me know.”

“I will.” It’s true. I will. I have to give her the benefit of the doubt. She revealed she was in the Guild pretty much straight away, explained who the other members were without pause, came to get us when she knew other members wouldn’t, and today, with Genie, she showed up as a friend should.

Heading outside with Leila, we find the Bishops standing beside Professor Fitch. I expect Leila to stay too, but she waves me off as she follows the rest of the students heading to their next class. Once everyone is completely out of sight, Zane turns to Fitch with his arms folded over his chest.

“What’s the issue, Professor?”

“There isn’t one.”

“So why are we here?” Eldon interjects, and Fitch takes a step back.

“Follow me.” He heads toward the academy building and, as instructed, we stay a step behind him as he leads us inside, down a few hallways, then through a door with a gold plaque displaying his name on the front.

He waves us inside and we shuffle into the surprisingly large space with a desk sitting in the center of the room. There’s a high-back leather chair on the other side and a bookcase taking up the entire wall behind it, while the view out of the window to my right looks over the main entrance. That probably explains how he knew something was happening earlier with Genie and me.

At the sound of the lock latching, I turn my attention back to Fitch, who trudges around the desk to take a seat, leaving the five of us to stand.

“I believe you’ve been initiated into the Nightmares Guild.”

The five of us remain silent, expecting to wait him out, but it seems he’s better at it than us, and Eldon eventually relents. “It’s possible.”

“I’m still an active member. It’s not a secret to me. I just haven’t had a chance to speak with you until now.”

“Oh,” I mumble. I knew Leila was a member because of who her father was, but I hadn’t considered if he was still active himself.

“Why do we need to speak with you about it?” Creed asks with his head tilted to the side as he assesses the professor.

“You don’t, but I thought there might be some questions you were eager to get answers to,” Fitch offers, leaning back in his seat as he glances us over.

“At what cost?” Eldon asks, making my eyebrows rise in surprise. When he doesn’t instantly get a response, he continues. “You’re a calculating man, Fitch. Nothing is without a cost.”

Fitch laces his fingers together in his lap as his eyes narrow at Eldon, but he doesn’t budge or soften the words he just spoke.

“I believe an attack is getting closer and closer to the academy with every passing day. If we’re not prepared, we’ll be destroyed in the blink of an eye,” Fitch finally admits, making my gut clench. That is something to worry about for sure.

“How?” Brax asks, stepping closer to brace his hands on the table as he stares the professor down.

“Well, the Basilica Realm is where our enemies lie, but it’s not the only realm we’re up against. Since we cut ourselves off from them a long time ago, we have no idea what they’re now capable of or who they are allied with.” I’m trying to read between the lines because I know there’s a hell of a lot more to that statement than the impactful words already spoken, but I can’t decipher what.

“What does any of that mean for us?” I ask, folding my arms over my chest as I give him an expectant look.

“It means everything is balanced on a ticking time bomb. As a realm, as a nation, we should have been keeping our friends close and our enemies closer. Instead, we’ve turned a blind eye to anything and everything beyond our borders, choosing defense instead of offense, and I sense a storm is coming.”

“A storm?”

“A war.”