97. Scythe

Chapter 97

Scythe

I t only feels like minutes later when the dark landscape is broken up by the lights of Animus Academy.

"Scythe!" Savage roars into my mind, registering my presence close by. "They took her! They took our regina!"

Fear lances through me, sharper and more poisonous than anything I've ever experienced. I barely notice the ache in my wrists as Celeste descends.

She slows her supersonic speed, but we still approach the academy fast enough to make my heart pound.

I get a view of chaos, students running and guards trying to muster them as Celeste inclines at a sharp angle and drops me without warning onto the front lawn. I land with a jarring thunk , rolling to cushion the blow and leaping to my feet before sprinting towards the dining hall, scanning the grounds, scenting the wind.

Any enemy that was here is only recently gone.

My own guards shout my name, and when they see no sign of me slowing, they run behind me.

"Aurelia!" I roar into the night. As I enter the dining hall, I call my brothers' names. The hall is devoid of students, with only my guards and my wolf and lion standing frozen by the wall.

Immediately, my hackles raise. Savage has half shifted—he has a wolf's head and upper limbs on a human's body, and he howls into the ceiling, the rest of his body stationary.

Their lack of movement has me on high alert.

Ernie and Bernie are trying to calm Savage. Meanwhile, Lyle is on his knees, his face pale, his body drenched in sweat as he appears to be held by invisible bonds.

It can't be.

She couldn't have.

But she has, I realise as Lyle shoots me a pained expression and Savage calls my name.

"Get away from them," I command.

The bear brothers immediately stand aside and I grab Savage by the shoulders. "Speak, brother. What happened? Where is she?"

But Aurelia's own magic is holding them firm. Binding them. Anger swells in me like a gathering wave, and I cut my finger through the air twice, breaking my brothers free of their telekinetic bonds.

"We need to go after her," I say, rapidly assessing the action in the hall. Marduk appears around the corner, jogging towards me; no doubt he'd assured his regina's safety first.

"She bid us to stay," Lyle says, getting to his feet and removing his tie. "Commanded it!"

"Fuck that!" Savage's voice says inside our minds before he sprints outside, making the guards shout and scatter.

"I'm going to get the car," Lyle says, following after him.

Marduk falls into stride beside me just as a scent in the hall sends my shark thrashing.

Ghoul.

"She went of her own accord, Scythe," Marduk says, eyes glimmering with adrenaline. "She planned this. Her, Xander and the basilisk."

As we exit the dining hall back into the night, a mythic power booms through the air like a drum. I freeze and fling out an arm to stop Marduk. Ahead of me, Savage and Lyle freeze too.

"Quiet!" Lyle roars.

The guards around us sense it and everyone on the lawn stops in their tracks. Everyone's hackles are raised. Everyone is poised.

It comes to us from the main road, in the direction the serpent trucks would have left.

A whoosh of molten power that halts in the air above us.

The sizzle of ethereal flame. Words made of spluttering red flames come to life in the air before us.

DO NOT FOLLOW

DO NOT COME AFTER ME

DO NOT SAVE ME

It is followed by a resounding boom that assaults my bones, my soul. The spiked gong of a regina's command.

Savage lets out a feral sound that is half grief, half fury.

Lyle falls to his knees.

We'd been so fixated on the serpent king that we'd completely underestimated her. My cunning serpent princess.

"They called me psycho," I rasp, the words not at all sounding like they're coming from me, but someone completely different. Someone much worse than before. "They called me mad. But they haven't fucking seen anything yet." The Great White in me rises as our regina's power glows softly under my skin.

This is Aurelia's revenge for me leaving.

My regina thinks she can play a bloody, murderous game with me.

Well, play a fucking game I will.