Page 37

W e walk in silence from the main building to the house, but the entire time my thoughts and worries are loud. So loud it’s all I can think about.

As soon as we are inside, I try to sneak away to my room, but Malakai calls out, stopping me.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” he asks.

My shoulders drop, realizing I’m going to have to get it over with and have this conversation now.

I turn around and finally look at them all. Each of them has a myriad of emotions slashed across their faces. The main one being anger.

“I honestly didn’t know,” I tell them with a harsh sigh.

“We’re supposed to just believe that you didn’t know you have fucking wings?” Knox glares at me.

I stop myself from snapping back at him, realizing I’m at fault here too.

“Tyler told me about them and then was able to reveal them to me to prove it. And then he threatened to reveal them to everyone else if I didn’t go along with his little plan,” I reveal.

“Your brother?” Cyrus asks, and I nod before frowning.

“Well technically we’re not actually related. He mentioned something about me basically being adopted.” Thank fuck.

“What plan?” Malakai asks, ignoring my little reveal to narrow his eyes on me.

I clear my throat and wince. “The one where I slipped into the commander’s office and stole a device for him.”

Knox opens his mouth but then closes it, while the others all look at me like they want to throttle me.

“Do you realize how dangerous—” Theon starts, but Malakai cuts him off.

“So, Tyler shows up, tells you he’ll reveal your wings if you don’t sneak into the commander’s office and steal a device?”

I nod. “Pretty much.”

Malakai clenches his jaw. “You should have trusted us when you found out.”

I should have. But I was scared. Sacred they’d hate me and look at me like they are now. With anger and distrust.

“You made it very clear you hated the other academy and their wings.” I glance down at my hands, “I thought you’d hate me too,” I admit quietly.

“It’s different,” Theon says with a sigh, and I glance up at him a little surprised at the softness in his voice.

“How?”

He gives me a look like it should be obvious. “Because you’re our mate,” he says with almost reverence.

Warmth seeps into my chest, and a sliver of hope starts to grow. I glance between them. “But you hated me before.”

Knox swallows hard. “That was before.”

“So, you don’t hate that I have wings?” I ask while making sure to pay attention to each of their facial expressions, needing to know if they’re going to try to lie to me. But their eyes soften and looks of guilt and sadness seep into their faces.

“No,” Malakai says. “We could never hate anything that is a part of you.”

I blink back the burn in my eyes as relief fills me, and that sliver of hope grows.

“Besides,” Knox says. “They’re nothing like those assholes’. They’re white and soft looking. I’ve been wanting to run my hands through them since I saw them.” A glint of mischievousness enters his eyes. “Pop them out there and give us a proper look.”

A burst of laughter slips from my lips, and the tension in the air around us almost disappears. “Eh… no. I only learned how to pull them back in. I’ll wait until I can guarantee I won’t be stuck like that before playing show and tell.”

Knox opens his mouth to reply when Malakai interrupts him again.

“What happened after you went into the commander’s office? Did you get caught for stealing the device?” he asks.

I shake my head. “Surprisingly no. Some guy that looks to hate Talos showed up through a portal and distracted him.”

Malakai frowns. “Who?”

“A guy from the other academy. Levington.” I glance between them, noticing how tense they all become when hearing that name. I clear my throat before revealing the next piece of information.

“Dakson was also there,” I tell them, and the moment of ease quickly shrivels up with the rage they’re all now emitting.

My stomach churns realizing what else I have to reveal. Quickly followed by guilt.

It must show on my face because Cyrus moves closer to me with a frown.

“Sena… What did they say?” he asks, and they tense up waiting on my reply.

I glance around at all of them. “They said I’ve to go with them?—”

“Over my dead fucking body.” Malakai glares around the room.

“Like hell,” Knox shouts as rage spears through the room. They all move closer to me as if trying to stop me from leaving.

Cyrus grabs my hand, pulling me closer. “You belong with us.”

“I don’t belong in this academy anymore. Levington wants to train me and show me how to use my wings. I can’t do that here,” I tell them.

“You’re our mate,” Theon grits out.

Cyrus’ grip tightens on my hand, and the others move even closer. “You can’t leave us,” he says before sharing a look of rage with the others. “How can the commander allow this?”

“I don’t think he has a choice,” I tell him, and they still.

Theon scans my face and whatever he sees makes him frown. “What are you not telling us?”

“They want me to leave after the war games. But they want you to come with me.”

Cyrus’ hand spasms around mine as the guys freeze, staring at me in shock.

“But you don’t have to come. I?—”

“We’re your mates. Where you go, we go.” Malakai shares a grim look with the others that makes my stomach churn.

“Look. We’re all tired,” he says. “Let’s get some sleep. We’re back in the War Camps tomorrow.”

I freeze. “That’s tomorrow?” A bolt of panic shoots through me. I thought I had more time.

Theon sighs. “The war games start earlier than our normal visits and last two weeks.”

Shit. I have two weeks to figure out another plan before I’m forced to go to yet another academy.

N one of them really want to go. Of course they don’t. And why would they? They’d be forced to live among their enemies, in territory with people they despise. Day in and day out for an entire semester.

It’s all I can think about as I head into our tent in the camps. All I can stress and worry about.

Just as I sit down on the bed between Knox and Malakai this time, Dakson walks in.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Malakai grit out. But Dakson ignores him, looking directly at me. He heads straight for me, ignoring everyone in the tent and their glares.

“Sena.” He smiles and the others move around me while Knox tries to outright block me from view.

I shove him with a glare, and he rolls his eyes at me before attaching himself to my side. I pinch one of his hard muscles, and he smirks down at me, promising payback that I might enjoy.

He drags his eyes from me, and the heat instantly evaporates only to be replaced by cool ice. “Lost, Dakson?”

Dakson gives Knox a bland smile. “Commander Levington would like to see Sena.”

I pat Knox’s chest, and he glances down at me.

“It will be okay. I’ll be quick,” I tell him and them.

“Sena—” Theon starts as I move around them.

“Twenty minutes, and I’ll be back,” I promise.

Malakai grabs me before I step away from them. “If you’re not back here in twenty, we’re coming to get you.” He drops a kiss to my head before glaring over at Dakson in warning.

Dakson and I head out of the tent in silence and start making our way to the other side of the camps. Everyone from our academy glares at Dakson as we move through them while glancing at me with frowns and confusion.

Once we step onto the winged side, the entire atmosphere completely changes. No longer is it stiff and tense but the males are actually laughing and having fun.

“You haven’t bonded with them yet,” Dakson says, drawing my attention to him. I give him a questioning look wondering where he’s going with this.

“I can see it in their eyes. They’re not… stable,” he says.

I frown. “We’re still getting to know one another.” And trying to learn to trust one another too.

He nods, giving me an understanding expression. “You’ll need to do it soon.”

Bonding … It’s the least of my worries right now. But he’s piqued my interest. I never really asked any of the guys how we complete the bond.

“What exactly do I need to do?”

A heated smirk slides across his face. “If I have to explain it to you, then your mates must not be doing their job properly.”

I clear my throat, understanding immediately. “What happens if we don’t complete the bond?” I ask, but look away, not wanting to see the judgement on his face.

“The bond has already started. Instead of being tied to the Shadow energy, they’ve slowly tied themselves to you.

As their mate, you’ve become their anchor.

Should you decide not to complete the bond with them, it may not kill them, but it will force them to reconnect to the dark.

And if not done right, they will unravel with madness. ”

My chest tightens making the air feel heavy around me. I try to focus on the wings of the males and not my spirally panic.

The men seem to notice me all at once, stopping what they’re doing to smile or nod at me.

“We all feel it,” Dakson says, and I find his gaze as it searches mine.

“Something almost draws us to you. A need to protect you,” he admits.

I frown. “Why?”

“I didn’t understand either. But now it makes sense. You’re an Alita.”

“Alita?”

He smiles. “A winged female Shadow.”

I give him a deadpan look. “Let me guess, rare?”

He chuckles. “Extremely.”

I glance back at the men. They all seem approachable, unlike the other male Shadows in our camp that glare and grunt at me.

“Why do you all hate each other so much?” The guys never told me about how their feud started. Just that they hate them.

“To be honest, I don’t,” he reveals.

My head whips to his in shock and confusion.

He sighs. “The other academy has very different beliefs to ours. We don’t cull our weak, we train them. Help them reach their potential. We don’t threaten them with death either. But we’re still Shadows at our core. We should be working together, not apart.”

We reach a huge tent, and two male Shadows bow to us before opening the clothed door.

Levington looks up as we make our way inside. “Sena. Welcome. I never got to properly introduce myself. I’m Commander Levington of the Volar Academy. I’m looking forward to having you at the academy. But in the meantime, Dakson will be nearby should you need help with anything.”

“Dakson said you needed to see me for something?” I ask, hoping to move whatever this is along.

“Straight to the point. I like that.” Levington smiles. “Do you understand what you are?” he asks, and I glance at Dakson before looking back at him.

“Dakson says I’m an Alita? But I thought there were no female Shadows? I mean none born,” I say, remembering my conversation with Robin when I just arrived in the academy.

Levington nods. “There are no female Shadows from Talos’ academy, nor has there ever been.

But female Alita have existed longer than any of us have been alive.

Usually only a female Alita and male Shadow can give birth to one.

Even then, it’s extremely rare. And you’re now one of the youngest alive.

” Levington’s expression turns sad. “Most of our females died in the war with only a handful of them making it. So, you’ll have to forgive us if we become a little overprotective of you. ”

“Are these other females in the Volar Academy?” I ask, and Dakson and Levington share a hesitant look that I don’t like.

“I’m sorry, Sena,” Levington says with regret in his voice. “But I can’t risk telling you anything until you’re safely inside Volar. I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you that the two academies are not on great terms. We’re constantly on the brink of a war with one another.”

“Why?” I ask as I try push back the reel of questions running through my mind.

Levington gives me a sad smile full of regret. “How all wars start. One side believes in something, and the other doesn’t. And I’m afraid we’re at the point where it’s too late to try and come to an agreement.”

His eyes flicker to Dakson’s. “We have the war games. That ensure the peace is kept… civil.”

But what’s the point. “What do you win if you win the war games?” It has to be something big if they’re willing to put aside their difference and compete.

“Do you know why the war games started?” Levington asks, and I shake my head. I honestly never really thought too much about it either. I just assumed it was because they needed some form of entertainment or a way to prove who the strongest is.

“Shadows don’t have much of the original power left from the royals. But the crystal we have that contains some of their power is only enough for half of all the Shadows. We came up with the war games to decide who should hold onto it.”

I frown. “You’re both fighting over a crystal?”

“It’s not just any crystal. It contains one of the royals’ essences and helps the Shadows stay sane. None of the winged Shadows need to be near the Hollow for fear of going mad while we have it in our possession,” he reveals.

No wonder the other Shadows are pissed and want to win this so bad.

“The war games happen every three years, and in the last two decades it’s been going on, Commander Talos’ academy has never won.”

“Never?” I ask in shock and Levington shakes his head.

“But I have a feeling that might change this year with your mates entering,” he says.

“Why do you say that?” I ask.

He gives me a look full of guilt and regret. “Your mates were chosen and groomed for this from a very young age. They were sent to the Void on purpose over and over to make them stronger, testing them to see if the Void and its dark energy was a viable source the Shadows could connect to instead.”

I jolt back a step in shock. “Why? I ask. “Why would Talos do that to them? They were only kids when they first went to the Void.”

I glance from Dakson to Levington as his face grows distraught.

“Why didn’t you warn them? Help them?” Surely, he could have done something.

“There was nothing I could do. We’re not allowed interfere with each other. It’s something that would start a war.”

But… If what Levington says is true, Talos is the one who made sure they were sent to the Void over and over. Not for punishment but to make them stronger for the war games.

It means that it may not have been the old Sena’s fault after all. At least, not entirely.

“Why don’t you sound happy about them winning?” I ask. “You said you’ve had the crystal for years. Maybe it’s time they take a turn.”

“If that were the only reason Talos wanted it, then I would gladly hand it over. We protect the crystal and preserve it in its original form. Whereas Talos doesn’t want to have to rely on its power.

He wants it only to destroy it once and for all,” he admits and from the look on his face I can tell that’s something bad.

“What happens if Talos’ academy wins, and he gets it?” I ask.

Levington shares a grim look with Dakson. “Then every Shadow, winged or not… will die.”