Page 11 of Soul Bound (Cursed Descent (MistHallow Academy) #2)

11

MATILDA

Staring in panic, as I come face-to-face with the warlock I had hoped to never see again, I stammer, “How…?”

Luc, however, isn’t in the mood for chit-chat. He launches himself at my abuser with the wild abandon of the Demon from Hell that he is, his fists already flaming.

Stryker rises to meet Luc’s assault but earns himself a flaming fist to his face. He yelps as the Hellfire burns him, and he conjures up a shield to protect himself.

Luc doesn’t let that stop him, though. He blasts through the shield and attacks Stryker as chaotic magick flares up around us.

“What the fuck?” Draven asks. “Who is this prick?”

I gulp. “Stryker. The warlock who abused me.”

“And Luc knows this how?” Vex asks, his voice tinged with amusement as he watches Demon and warlock grapple in a fight to the death, or so it appears.

“He saw him in my nightmares.”

Draven’s eyes narrow as his gaze burns into me. “I see. So he needs his arse kicking?”

“Who, Stryker or Luc?” I ask in a weak attempt at humour.

Vex shrugs and throws out a spell that ripples with dark magick. The hex hits Stryker in the chest, and he freezes, which gives Luc the opportunity to smash his fist practically through Stryker’s face.

“You fucking bastard!” Luc growls as he punches Stryker again. “You fucking touched her, and now you will fucking die.”

I flinch as Luc uses Stryker as a punching bag. He twitches from the hex Vex threw at him and foams at the mouth. “What was that?” I mutter.

Vex’s eyes gleam with dark satisfaction. “A little paralytic hex. Every cell in his body has shut down. It’ll wear off soon, but not before Luc gets his pound of flesh.”

“Isn’t that forbidden?” I whisper.

“Yep.”

“Fuck.” My hands shake as I watch in horrified fascination as Luc continues to pummel Stryker. His fists are a blur of motion. Part of me wants to look away, but another part feels vindicated seeing my abuser suffer. I want more.

Draven grips my hand, and I look up at him. I don’t know what to say, and neither does he. The sight of Stryker has brought back a flood of painful memories I’d rather forget.

Suddenly, Stryker’s body goes limp, and Luc stumbles back, breathing heavily. His knuckles are bloody and raw.

“Is he...?” I can’t bring myself to finish the question.

Vex crouches to check Stryker’s pulse. “He’s alive. Barely.”

Relief and disappointment flood over me. Part of me wanted Stryker dead, but I know that would have brought its own set of problems. We are on Academy grounds. But that begs the question… how did Stryker get here?

“What the hell is he doing here?” Luc growls, staring down at Stryker with utter hatred.

“Good question,” Vex says.

Draven lets go of my hand and gives me a slow smile. That one that makes my pussy twitch. “Well, let’s find out, shall we?”

Vex mutters an incantation, and Stryker gasps, the paralysis wearing off. He coughs and spits blood onto the floor.

“You get a reprieve from my pissed-off brother to answer one question,” Draven says, his voice cold and threatening. “What are you doing here?”

Stryker laughs, a harsh, grating sound. “You children have no idea what you’re dealing with,” he sneers.

Luc bends down and grabs him by the throat. “Wrong answer,” he snarls.

“Where’s Professor Night?” I ask, proud that my voice doesn’t shake.

Stryker’s eyes lock onto mine. He gives me that cruel smile as his face goes hazy, and I feel like I’ve been punched in the cunt when the shimmer dissipates, and Professor Night is staring back at me.

“You... you were Stryker this whole time?” I choke out, feeling nauseous.

Night’s cold smile widens. “You’re smarter than you look, Tilly-girl,” he purrs, and I resist the urge to throw up my hefty lunch all over his face.

“Fuck you!” I roar and lunge for him, rainbow-infused dark magick sparking on my fingertips. “You absolute fucker!”

Draven rises and grabs my upper arm. “Allow us, petal.”

Luc’s grip on Night’s throat tightens. “I’m going to fucking kill you,” he snarls.

“And then I’m going to bring you back for my own amusement and make you dance like a monkey,” Draven says, pushing me behind him.

I should be mad, but honestly, I probably couldn’t hurt him. These guys, however…

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Night says calmly, despite Luc’s stranglehold. “You have no idea how deep this goes.”

“Then enlighten us before I let these two off their leashes,” Vex says, his voice dangerously quiet.

Luc scowls at him but doesn’t refute the claim.

Night’s eyes flick to Vex. “You’re smarter than this, Vex. You have figured it all out already, haven’t you?”

“You’re Guardian number three,” Vex states. “Yeah, I figured it out, you fucking cunt. But what I don’t know is why you hurt Tilly?”

“Because it was interesting to see the powerful Druid who doesn’t even know her own strength. To test her limits, to push her. Plus, it was fun to see her cry.”

“Ah,” I gag on the sob that bursts out.

“Oh, you just made a serious fuck-up,” Luc growls, tightening his grip until Night chokes. “No one makes her fucking cry and lives to find it amusing.”

“Wait,” Draven says. “The undead army. How?”

Night nods, looking pleased. “Power from her,” he spits out.

My blood runs cold. “What are you talking about?”

“The ritual, of course,” Night says. “Oh, don’t look so shocked. Did you really think your little orgy on that altar went unnoticed? The energy you four generated was…” He flicks his tongue out, “… exquisite. And exactly what I needed.”

Shame and anger burn through me as Night’s words sink in. The ritual we performed, our intimate moment, had been twisted and used for his own dark purposes. I feel violated all over again.

“You sick bastard,” Luc snarls, his grip on Night’s throat tightening further.

Night chokes out a laugh. “You have no idea what’s coming. The power I’ve tapped into is beyond anything you can comprehend.”

“Yeah, not so much,” Draven drawls. “I took that army from you, took your control over them and made it mine. I think it’s you who doesn’t comprehend exactly who you’ve fucked off.”

The air goes frigid, and I shiver as the scent of death descends in the air.

“Now, can I kill him?” Luc growls.

“Go for it,” Vex says. “And then Draven can bring him back so he can answer more questions.”

Luc’s hand tightens around Night’s neck, choking him slowly as Hellfire burns through Night’s skin. He howls with agony, making my insides shudder.

I want to tell him to stop, but I can’t. I’m frozen in place.

The smell of burning flesh fills the room as Night struggles in Luc’s grip. His screams turn to choked gurgles as Luc’s fingers dig deeper into his throat. Night’s eyes bulge, and his face turns purple.

Suddenly, he goes limp, and Luc releases him, stepping back as Draven places his hand on Night’s forehead, and the air grows hazy with necromantic energy. Night’s body goes rigid, his eyes flying open as Draven brings him back from the dead.

I slap my hand to my mouth and stumble back. It’s one thing to see skeletons walking about, but a newly dead warlock is something new and hideous.

“So, my little dancing monkey,” Draven says, standing up, his hand hooked as he draws Night to his feet as well. “Let’s see you move.”

I choke back the gag again. He is still burned, and his body is limp, like a marionette.

Luc blasts a fire orb at Night’s feet, and he jumps back. He blasts another orb, and Night moves to the side. Again and again, Luc fires orbs at the ground, and Night dodges them.

“Stop,” I croak out. “Stop!”

The guys look at me with expressions I’ve never seen before. It’s like they had forgotten I was even there.

“You don’t want him to dance?” Draven asks, his voice deeper than usual. Demonic, scary.

“I want to know why Chris wanted to get me pregnant,” I whisper. “Ask him that.”

“You heard the lady,” Vex states. “What does a child born mean in all of this?”

Night’s reanimated body twitches unnaturally as Draven forces him to speak. His voice comes out as a raspy whisper, throat still raw from Luc’s attack.

“The child... would be a vessel. Pure Praxian magick, untainted by the divisions of elemental forces. A conduit to channel the full power of the curse.”

I feel the bile rise in my throat.

Luc growls, flames flickering at his fingertips. “Who’s pulling the strings, then, because I’m starting to think it’s none of you assclown Guardians?”

Night’s body spasms violently as he fights against Draven’s control. “The one who bound us... the one who split the magick... he wants it back. All of it.”

A chill runs down my spine. “The fourth Druid?”

Night’s body spasms. “The Guardians... we’re just the beginning. There are others... waiting... watching...”

Goosebumps skitter across my skin. “What others?”

Night twitches. “Light and shadow... order and chaos... they all want control of the Praxian magick. And you, little Druid, are the key.”

My head spins as I try to process this new information. “But why me? What makes me the key to this?”

“Your bloodline,” Night hisses. “Pure... untainted... a perfect vessel.”

Luc snarls, flames dancing along his arms. “She’s not a fucking vessel for anyone.”

Night’s body jerks as he laughs, a horrible rasping sound. “You can’t stop what’s coming. The ritual has already begun.”

Ice floods my veins. “What ritual?”

“The one you started on that altar,” Night leers. “Your little orgy was just the first step. The energy you generated has awakened something ancient and powerful.”

“Which would be?” Vex asks impatiently.

“Forces you cannot compreh?—”

“Oh, fuck off with that,” Luc snaps.

“Let him go,” Vex says to Draven. “He doesn’t know.”

Draven nods and drops his hold over Night.

My breath comes in short pants as I stare at him. Then chaos erupts as staff flood the room and we are all hauled off to Blackthorn’s office in the blink of an eye before my mind has even caught up with everything we’ve learned.