11. Arabella

Chapter 11

Arabella

" T ell me how you did that?" Rhys snarls, grabbing my bicep tightly while I try to gather my items at the end of Psychic Magic class. I try to shake out of his hold, but it doesn't work. If anything, it makes him grip my arm tighter, and I know I'm going to end up with a bruise from it now.

"Did what?" I shake my head, not understanding what he is talking about. It doesn't make sense. All I did was practice our magic, which the teacher asked us to do. I chose to try using dream walking, which did not go as planned. I couldn't do it at all. I didn't think it was one of my powers; I had never had it before, but it was worth a shot.

"You manipulated Temperance's emotions, and then you pushed your own emotions onto her," he whispers in my ear. I can barely focus on what he said with his body so close to mine. I don't want to react to him. If anything, I feel repulsed by him, but my body betrays me, and enjoys him being pressed up against my back. I wish my body would get the memo that Rhys is bad for us. The last thing I want is to be affected like this by a damn fallen angel, especially one that is an asshole like him. "That power only belongs to one person, Lucifer. How did you do it?"

"I don't know," I answer with clenched teeth. I don't like what he is assuming. I didn't do anything, at least not intentionally. I know what power he is talking about, though. I remember reading about it in the journal. The journal I'm just now realizing would belong to Lucifer or someone related to him if the power he's talking about is something only Lucifer can do. It takes everything in me not to let my body react to my thoughts and what I just realized. If I have the same power as Lucifer, then that would mean I'm somehow related to Lucifer, which is impossible.

Secrets. There are way too many secrets surrounding me. I don't like it. It's overwhelming, and knowing that someone in my family has lied to me, to all of us, is making me panic. None of this should be possible. It shouldn't be possible if everything I learned in Angel history is true.

"You need to let me go," I whisper as I attempt to hold back my tears. I refuse to let Rhys see me cry. He won't win. He won't get to bully me the way he thinks he can. I won't let him. "Rhys," I push with more authority. "Let me go now."

"We aren't finished talking, Princess," he snarls before releasing my arm and shoving me away from him.

I take the opportunity for what it is and bolt away from him and out of the classroom as fast as possible. Getting out of the main building is a blur. I pay no attention to the others I am passing, even narrowly avoiding running into a few people in my escape to the outside world. I have no idea where I'm going or what I'm going to do. All I know is I need to run, be free, and get away from everyone and everything as my thoughts consume me. Thought after thought, emotion after emotion, consume me as I push my wings out and jump into the sky, letting my soul find some sort of solace in the wind as I fly over the school grounds looking for somewhere I can be alone. Finally, I find the perfect spot. A large lake surrounded by trees with a few large rock formations. It doesn't appear like a soul is in sight, which is exactly what I need.

Slowing my flight I come to a soft landing on top of one of the rock formations. It would be hard for someone to reach me here without being alerted to their presence. I don't bother to pull my wings back in. Instead, I leave them out as I sit on the edge of the rock and sit with my legs underneath me, the bottom of my wings resting on the rocks behind me. The second I close my eyes, the tears begin to fall. I don't bother wiping my eyes or trying to stop them. It's a freeing feeling to just let myself feel and let them slide down my cheeks, hitting my thighs and the rock beneath me.

I have wondered this whole week how that journal ended up in my possession. I had never seen it before in my life. I should have asked Warrick this morning during our mentorship lesson, but we had other pressing matters to talk about, and I'm also scared to mention anything about the journal. It feels like having it in my possession puts a target on my back, and if the wrong person found out about it, well, I'd be afraid of the consequences.

Reading the journal, I felt something, a connection of some sort to the writer and the truths they were speaking in the story. I understood the hardships, and learning the truth of the Angels, at least from their point of view, was rough. I remember the first time I read about their powers of manipulating the emotions of others and pushing those emotions onto others, and I was scared for two reasons.

The first is having a power like that, people could use it for ill will and hurt others to get themselves further ahead. I understand why the Seraphim would want nothing to do with that power. It isn't Angel-like. The second reason is because I've felt that power. I never knew what the power was. I tried to hide it in classes because I feared what my teachers would say.

Warrick had an idea of the power, but he had no idea how to help me with it, so he told me to keep it between us. Even he was afraid of it but said I needed to learn to control it before it controlled me and I hurt someone or myself with it. When he warned me of that, I was a young teen, and it terrified me. I never wanted to hurt someone. I just wanted to be the perfect Angel that my father expected and be accepted not only in my family but in Angel society. For a year, I had refused to do anything with that power despite Warrick pleading with me to at least practice on him.

When I got to RISE Academy, I knew it was my chance for a fresh start. Then, I read the journal and decided I wanted to find the answers. I had been combing through the library the last two days, trying to find answers of some kind. Something that explained angel history in the way the journal explained. Something that would explain my mysterious power, and what it meant, but so far, I had no luck. It never occurred to me to ask the Fallen. After how they behaved in Angel History and Angel Law I should have known they would probably have the answers. Maybe deep down, I did know it. I just didn't want to step out of my comfort zone and seek those answers from them. I should have known better. Of course, Rhys would recognize the magic I used in class. That's just how my luck has been going. I hate the fact that the Fallen have the answers I'm seeking. If my father knew I went to them for anything, he would have my head.

"FUCK!!!" I scream through the sobs. All I had ever wanted was a simple, easy life. Is that too much to ask for? I suppose it is if I'm here at RISE.

"Alright, Arabella," I whisper to myself. "Enough of the pity party. This isn't you, and you are stronger than this. You had your time to freak out and throw a fit. Now it's time to pick yourself back up, be the bad bitch that Isis believes you are, and find the damn answers yourself. Just maybe avoid Rhys in the process."

Chuckling to myself, I open my eyes and look out to the lake below, finally taking a minute to look at my surroundings. Thankfully, I'm still alone. No one has found their way here and seen or heard the little freakout I just had, which is great news for me. The only other creature here with me, at least that I can see, is a small family of ducks swimming across the water. I must remember to bring them some bread the next time I come out here.

Already, I feel lighter. The stress is still inside, but it's at a manageable level. Without knowing it, Rhys gave me answers to questions I had been seeking since I arrived here and even ones I've been asking since I was a kid. Well, I guess it wasn't entirely answers per se, but it was a good starting point which is more than I had this morning. I've been looking for answers in the wrong section of books. I need to find the ones about the Fallen and start there instead. Knowing I now have a plan in place for this weekend, I stand up, brush the dirt off my jeans, and open my wings to take flight once more. The girls and I had agreed on having a girl's night in our dorm, and if I don't get back soon, I'm sure they will wonder where I am, and that's a question I'm just not quite ready to answer yet for them.

Taking off into the sky, I make my way back to the angel dorm. For the first time, I notice I'm not the only person flying around campus. I spot a group of Fallen flying as well as a dragon. Now that is something I never thought I would see. I knew dragons existed. They teach us a small amount about the other species, but I have never seen one in person, and it is honestly the coolest thing I have ever seen. At first, I had been apprehensive about attending a school that combined all the different species, but now I can see the appeal. Maybe while I'm here, I can make some friendships and begin mending the broken bonds between the species. It's probably a pipe dream that will never happen but if no one takes the first steps then it surely won't happen.

It takes about twenty minutes to get back to the dorms where I land outside and pull my wings fully back in. I give the guard at the front door a small wave and proceed inside, walking up the four flights of stairs to my dorm. Swiping my card, I enter and realize no one is back yet. I wonder if their classes ran over late or if they had something else to do as well. We never really agreed on when we were starting girls' night, but I figured it wouldn't be too late since we still have classes early tomorrow.

"Whelp, guess I have time to change into something comfy and find something on the television to watch before they get home." Shrugging, I leave my backpack at the door knowing I'm probably going to do some homework if I have time and head to my room. Turning to walk to my room, that's when I pause. My door is wide open when I know I had closed it this morning before I left. I always close it out of habit. Carefully, I walk to my room and peek inside. Of course, it's even worse.

"What the fuck?!" I shout, stepping further into the room. The whole place is in disarray. My room is torn apart, the bedding everywhere, drawers wide open with clothes hanging out of them, and almost all the clothes in my closet are torn off and lying scattered on the floor. It looks as if a tornado came right through the place. Even the shade for the lamp on my nightstand had been taken off and was thrown to the other side of the room.

Knowing better than to touch anything just yet, I back out of the room and move to a bar stool at the kitchen counter to wait for the others to get home. A part of me wants to get out of the dorm room as fast as possible and alert the guard downstairs but I'd rather speak to the girls first. It doesn't look like anyone is still in our dorm and only my room is the one that is a mess if my open door is anything to go by. The girls doors are still closed like they were this morning, so whoever did this is targeting me.

I spend the time waiting working on some homework and when the girls finally walk in the door they find me in the exact spot I'd been in for about thirty minutes when I checked the time on my laptop. "Hey guys," I call out when the door opens. Both Harper and Isis are home at the same time which is perfect.

"Oh good! You are home. I was worried when I didn't see you in the library because I figured you were doing your work-study so I had stopped by to ask you for help and that's when I ran into Harper," Isis answers as she dramatically drops her backpack against the wall and kicks off her shoes. "Please tell me you already ordered the pizza."

"I didn't yet," I laugh while watching her. "I wasn't sure what time you both would be home and didn't want it to be cold."

"Uh, Arabella," Harper calls out hesitantly. I see her standing in the middle of the living room looking directly at my room. "What the hell happened to your room?"

"That's what I was going to ask you both about," I answer hesitantly as I slide off the barstool. "When I got home about thirty minutes ago I saw my room like that. When I left, it was clean, and my door was shut. I wasn't sure if either of you had been back today and noticed anything."

"Do you think we did it?" Isis asks surprised. Turning to look at her, I see her standing with her hands on her hips, ready for a fight if I even think about accusing one of them.

"No, not at all," I shake my head. "I would never accuse either of you of such a thing. I know we are friends, and I trust you."

"I haven't been back to the dorm at all today," Harper whispers from my doorway. "This...," she sighs and tries again. "Arabella, this isn't good. I'm scared. Have you checked our rooms yet?"

Damnit. I hadn't even thought about checking their rooms. What if the person who did this had been here the whole time because I was careless? "No," I mumble, now terrified. "I didn't even think to. I just assumed that if my door was open, only my room was targeted. I'm sorry. I should have thought that through." My breathing picks up its pace as I start hyperventilating and freaking out.

"Arabella!" Isis shouts, snapping her fingers in front of my face. The movement pulls my attention back to the problem at hand and not the freak out I was having. "You're right. I highly doubt whoever did this would have stuck around. Let's just check our rooms real quick, and then we can notify security, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's good," I mumble, trying to pull myself together. Harper and I follow Isis as she slowly opens each of their doors. Just as she said, no one touched their rooms; they were still in the states the girls had left them in this morning. Only my room was the one that had been targeted. A part of me calmed down at the realization only my room was targeted. I'm glad their rooms are fine. The other side of me, though, is panicking at the fact someone is targeting me.

"It had to have been Rhys. He is the only person who has been targeting me. I haven't had a run-in with anyone else," I try to explain, reasoning to not only myself but them on what could have happened. "He has been bullying me since classes started. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Are you sure there is no one else?" Harper asks. "I'm not saying you're wrong at all. I just don't think Rhys would have been able to get into our dorm room. He needs a key card."

"She's right, Bella," Isis chimes in. "Didn't you have a run-in with that creepy guard the first day? What was his name?"

"Noah," I mumble. "Wait!" I shout, remembering what had happened this morning. "That was only the first time I had issues with Guard Noah. He was outside our dorm this morning and walked me to the main building. He was acting weird and kept trying to touch me. He never got the hint to just leave me alone and he gave me a veiled threat to keep an eye out."

"Why didn't you tell us this at lunch!" Isis asks, throwing her hands up in the air. "That is something we would like to know as your friends." Her voice gets softer at the end, and I can hear the hurt she tries to hide.

She's right, they are my friends and I should have said something to them about it. I don't need to keep doing everything on my own. They deserve better from me and I'm going to make sure I can give them that starting now. "I should have told you both and I'm sorry I didn't. How about we go let the front desk know and file whatever report we need to and then we can order that pizza and I can tell you all everything that has been going on. I'll even spill the tea on Warrick and how we are best friends. Is that fair?"

"Best friends?" Isis sighs. "Girl. You have so much to fill us in on. Let's get this damn report done because I don't want to hold on to all these questions I have."

Harper and I both laugh as she grabs our hands and basically drags us out of the door room and downstairs. Already from that small talk, I don't feel so alone. With them by my side, I know everything is going to be okay. We are going to have a fun girls' night and not let this get us down. I'm determined to make that true, in any way that I can.