And Kael is nowhere to be fucking seen.
Fear is palpable throughout the entire atmosphere, the energy warring between Jude and The Sanctum. Every single student present gapes in despair, rooted to the spot. The battle for control is undeniable, but it's Cordelia who clears her throat, standing tall as she speaks first.
“How dare you, Jude Forrester, show up here, repeatedly trying to overthrow The Sanctum. Howdare you murder one of our own in cold blood,” she snarls, and Jude laughs, the sounds splitting through her tirade.
“One of your own?” he says with a scoff. “Toman was one ofmine. I do believe he's the reason I knew every spot to hit, every time to do it, and where to cause maximum destruction.Andhe revealed to me when my plans came to fruition and Elodie became a member of The Vale. If anything, I've done you a favor, cutting off the deadly vines of a traitor.”
My heart ricochets in my chest at the mention of Elodie as Saken’s voice cuts through the air.
“Bullshit,” he snarls, completely out of character, and my eyes widen in surprise at the older man's terse voice.
“See what you like, Saken. Regardless, he's dead now, but please, proceed. Continue with your wondrous game that you created. I'm not here to interrupt. I'm here to have fun,” Jude muses, and the temperature drops as nerves ratchet up a notch.
“You don't get to come in here and think you make the rules. You can't come in here and call the shots,” Anya bites with her hands braced, ready to attack as venom burns deep in her eyes.
“Oh, Anya. Sweet, sweet, Anya. Truly, I say thisfrom the bottom of my heart, but nobody gives a fuck about what you or your little rodents have to say. I'm here because I love a riveting game of hide and seek, and what better way to play than to have one of your little games set the perfect atmosphere?”
Cordelia huffs in disgust. “You have interrupted our trials enough. You are not here to?—”
“I think we all know what I'm here for.” His eyes latch on to the girl beside me and my heart thunders in my chest until I think it might break a rib. “But I do love the chase. Although, we are all aware that Elodie is a force to be reckoned with, and a simple game in one of your little trials won't guarantee me the prize at the end, so I'll lay this out instead.” He aims a finger in her direction. “Bring the scythe to me, and I'll save you from death.” His words cut through the air, spoken to every student present as I instinctively take a step to cover Elodie. His eyes widen with glee.
“Oh, cute. Another wolf. Anya, remind him what I do to little pups that get in my way. You do remember your husband… don't you?”
Anya’s face pales, but the venom remains, her anger thrumming through the air. But it's not her that concerns me anymore, it's the students aroundus, all of which now have their eyes set on saving themselves from this monster.
Their new found ticket out of here just so happens to be my heart, my soul, my Petal, and it'll be over my dead fucking body that they get any closer.
Rikard clears his throat, yanking me from the spiral threatening to control my feral actions. “The game today is to make it back to your institute alive.” His eyes are set on Elodie, who peeks out from behind me. Rikard’s gaze quickly snags to Thorne for a beat too before returning to Jude’s, but it's the confusion etched into the facial features of the rest of The Sanctum that leaves my gut twisted.
Something tells me this wasn't the game. He's trying to help us, to helpher, which only seems to solidify what Thorne told me on the way over here. The memory, the information he shared with Elodie, it’s true.
Rikard might be fucked up, but whatever he's trying to do, he's attempting to do it in our favor.
Cordelia grunts. “But that's not the?—”
“Let the trial begin,” Rikard interjects, clapping his hands together, locking in the games as magic flutters over The Vale.
Every single person is looking at us right now as Thorne inches closer.
“I will drench this entire fucking land in darkness. While I do that, I need you to run.”
“We all need to run,” Elodie mutters, spinning on the spot with me right behind her and Ocean flanking her other side.
But before any of us can take a single step, someone chooses today to die as they charge toward Elodie. Anger burns through them, hatred thick in the air as if they have a vendetta, but before he can get any closer, Thorne blocks their path, smoke drifting from his hands, swirling around his limbs, tightening, strangling.
“You don't have to do this, Dominic,” Elodie mutters, but he simply snaps his teeth in rage.
Dominic. I recognized his face but his name eluded me. I just know he’s an Institute Four student, based on the pink stitching on his blazer. It doesn’t matter, though. Now I'll enjoy remembering him dead.
Making sure Thorne doesn't have all the fun, I cut the distance, letting my wolf strength rise to the surface as I reach for his head. The sound of his spine snapping echoes around us, making sureeveryone knows that the road to Elodie will not be a clear path.
I let the lifeless body slump to the ground and Thorne’s magic retreats. I can hear Jude snickering from his vantage point, taking in the carnage unraveling so quickly, but I focus my attention on Thorne instead.
“Take off with her. Now.”
“I’m standing right here, and I’m not going anywhere,” Elodie interjects, as if the swarm of students aren't inching closer, trying to get a clear shot.
I hear the familiar tears of clothes shredding as some turn into wolves, while the thirst for blood is thick in the air. Fuck knows what the damn witches will attempt, but I’m not willing to find out, and she shouldn’t be either.
