Page 117 of Destined Dawn

“Us, all of us, right?” I say. “The only way we’re going to defeat him is if we fight together.” I let my gaze run over these five men. All of them mean so much to me. But would they have each other’s backs in battle? Will they fight for one another? “I don’t think this works unless we are in it together.”

Pip squeaks his agreement from my ankles.

“All of us,” Azlan says firmly and Tristan and Spencer both nod.

“Stone?” I say. “I know you have a past with Renzo. I know you have issues with him–”

“You have issues with me?” Renzo asks him, sounding genuinely hurt.

“Of course, I have issues with you. You’re a psychopath.”

“It’s notnice,” Renzo says, “to call people names. I can’t help what I am, Birdman, any more than you can help who you are.”

“Yeah, but I don’t enjoy killing people.”

“I’ve found something I enjoy even more than killing now,” he says, eyeing me up like I’m dessert.

Stone rolls his eyes and shoves his hands deep in hispockets. “I can live with him,” he says to me, “if that’s what it takes.”

He might even grow on you, I say in my mind.And remember, you promised me you’d try.

Stone grimaces, but he’s willing to try, and that’s good enough for me. Because I’m certain that if we don’t stand together, we are going to fall together.

And a hell of a lot of people will fall with us.

40

Rhi

It seemsnone of the students have taken Spencer’s advice. No one is sleeping tonight. The campus is alive with noise as we walk down to Stone’s cabin, groups gathered on the pathways, hanging out of windows or crammed into different rooms. They fall silent as we walk past them, staring at us like we’re unicorns or made of diamonds or are gods themselves. It makes me a little uncomfortable, but Tristan, Spencer and Renzo lap it up. In fact, Renzo keeps giving little waves or blowing kisses like he’s royalty.

I’m relieved when we make it down to the meadow away from everyone else, even if Pip does bitch about the walk through the long grass and I’m obliged to pick him up.

“Seriously,” Stone mutters, “that pig gets more love and affection than all the rest of us combined.”

“That’s because he’s special,” I tell him.

“And we’re not?” Spencer asks with mischief.

“Hmm,” I say, shrugging and pretending to be nonchalant.

“Such a brat,” Stone says, eyes darkening and I pick up my pace, eager to arrive at the cabin.

Maybe it’s seriously morbid, but none of us knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, whether or not we’ll be successful. We can hope we will be, we can plan and pray and wish to make it that way. But there are no dreams forthcoming to indicate either way. Which means, it’s a very good chance that tonight could be our final night together, and I am determined to make it a special one.

However, any plans I may have had receive a large bucketful of ice cold water. The door to Stone’s cabin has been kicked in and there are books and possessions strewn all over the front decking.

“Seems I’ve had one or two visitors while I’ve been away,” Stone says, climbing the porch steps and picking up one of the books, tutting with disapproval as he strokes his hand over the cover with tenderness, as if he’s nursing the book. The professor, for all his sarcastic tough guy impressions, is one giant nerd.

Cradling the book in his arms, he strides through the gap in the doorway and then a minute later, strides straight back out, two more books in his arms and a massive frown on his face.

“It’s been completely trashed. Sorry, Rhi, we’re not staying here tonight.”

“Couldn’t we do a little repair job with our magic?” I ask.

“I think it best we conserve all our magic for tomorrow,” Azlan tells me.

“Then where are we going to go? I doubt my room has fared much better and it wasn’t exactly a great room to begin with.”