Our dorm shattered to pieces. My girlfriend took a journey through the underworld and back. And now, the portal of hell is open and breathing us all in.
And through all that,all of it, I’m still getting hit on by Grandma Fucking Harriete Henn.
“He’s not using me. He’s my friend. And he’s not one of them,” I growl through teeth that are clenched so hard I can taste chipping enamel. My hands shake as I peel her palms off of me and hold them at bay. “Release him,” I say slowly.
Her eyes are big and fearful, and I bet this witch is remembering when she sealed my lips permanently shut that one time.
I remember it too.
But I’m not a cruel person. Even when I want to be.
A dusty black dress shoe steps between us, and to my surprise, Professor Thorne pushes our hands down, causing me to release her, and then he releases Phoenix with a careless wave of his long, powerful fingers. He cuts through Zent’s magic just like that.
And the glares he receives in return are scorching.
Phoenix wavers, but his big body rights him with little effort.
“You two, follow me,” Thorne says in a smooth voice.
His long black coat swirls around his legs as he strides off into the casting of spells, away from the roars of demons in the distance, and he leads us right through the untouched doors of the faculty housing building.
When we step into the dark hall, it’s pure silence. The crackling flames and the screams of agony are repressed by some other form of magic that I’ve never noticed before. It’s so quiet inside it makes me crazy to watch the chaos through the glass.
It’s… eerie in a way. Academy of Six might always have the crawling, tenebrous feeling to it.
The professor stops abruptly and turns to us, his coat a dark wave that crashes and settles against his body. “It took effort to get here. It would have been easier to hide. What exactly do you two want?” the fae man asks, his sharp features eating us up as he eyes us closely.
Phoenix doesn’t hesitate for a single mortal heartbeat.
“What magic surrounds this academy? How’s it able to hold back the power of hell?” Sweat clings to the incubus’s brow, he’s breathing heavily, and he appears to be moments away from repeating those fast-spoken words in a screaming, demanding yell.
Luckily, Thorne is as intelligent as he is composed.
“The magic is able to contain it all because it isn’t just one person’s power. It’ssix,” he whispers with a memory glinting in his eyes. He’s seen so much history. He’s probably traveled through more history than any other Prod on the planet… He’s all knowing. “Six powerful Prods joined forces after the darkest days to create an untouchable place where struggling supernaturals would feel at home. Where they would learn and—”
“I don’t need the fucking bedtime story. I need to know if the magic can be broken. This shit could spill out into New York City at any fucking moment.” Phoenix’s chest continues to rise and fall, and at this point I don’t even think it’s from exertion. I think it might just be anxiety.
The soulless demon finally feels that dreaded, terrible emotion we all have from time to time.
And it’s wearing on him.
Professor Thorne’s amber gaze widens, and I’m stunned to realize no one else has considered this in the last hour.
“Right, yes. Yes, the protective ward around Academy of Six isn’t as…untouchableas people may think. The magic of the six is a physical thing. It’s a standing monument. It’s… very much something that can be destroyed.”
What. The. Fuck? Why? Why…
“Why would they make it an object?” I finally blurt out.
“Six objects, actually. Magic is just like a memory. It’s more powerful if it’s held in a memento.”
Six. Fucking. Objects. SIX. That’s six chances that these demons can level this place to the ground. And then ride out into the night. And eventually rain down all hell’s damnation.
“Where are the objects?” Phoenix demands while I stand stunned, trying to process all of this.
Thorne’s lips purse, and I can see Phoenix’s anxiety pulsing right into the professor now. “You’ve passed one of the objects every day since you arrived here. The first source of Academy of Six’s magic lies within the headmistress’s monument in front of the campus gates.”
My mouth falls open, and I can visualize how little effort it would take to bring that statue crumbling to the ground. But where are the others?
