Phoenix Academy - Lucy Auburn Page 0,15

curious. "Your mom isn't exactly the type of person to let things go."

Reggie snorts. "You think? I still remember how she acted when I got a C in Calculus. You would've thought I spit on the ancestors' graves or something."

"I don't honestly remember what happened next," Xavier confesses, "except that Dad made dinner. And dessert. Plus probably apologized a whole bunch in private."

"My dad never cooked anything," David confesses, "well, unless you count hitting buttons on the microwave as cooking. Even that he made me do myself by the time I was tall enough to stand on a stool and reach it. He'll probably wind up down here one day."

My heart tightens, and I slow down a little to reach out and squeeze David's arm. "You never know. He could reform himself. After all, he still has a soul."

David grimaces. "I'm sorry, Ari. I forgot that your dad is..."

"A literally soulless psychopath? Actually, that's probably an insult to actual psychopaths." I sigh and shake my head. "Don't worry about it. He'll get what he deserves just as soon as I'm able to give it to him."

"You shouldn't have to kill him." Reggie is studying my face. "Someone else should take on that dirty work. It might change you forever if you do it."

"I want to," I tell him firmly. "It's my duty. After what he did to me, it's personal. But more than that—the world can't sustain having a soulless asshole walk around like that. I'm sure there has to be a way to kill him. I just have to find it."

Xavier looks out into the darkness of Hell around us, just beyond my phoenix flames. "Do you feel like there's something out there watching us? Waiting or... something."

Glancing out, I drop David's arm and feel my heart skip a beat.

I let my naturalistic senses pour out into our surroundings, and cringe instinctively at the evilness they come up against. Xavier is right. There is something demonic out in the darkness. It's watching, and it's waiting.

Waiting for my phoenix flames to sputter and die.

Waiting for the four of us to be stranded and defenseless.

So it can gut us slowly and listen to our screams."

"We have to hurry," I tell the guys, panic flaring inside me as I turn and push my magic out into the very depths of Hell. "We need to get somewhere safe, now."

If there is anywhere safe in Hell.

Or a way out.

There might not be. I might have led us all to our doom. Which means that the deaths of these three guys, who have stood by me and protected me, would be wholly my fault.

No. I can't let it happen. There has to be a way out. A path forward to escape from Hell.

Maybe my magic can find it.

As the blue path unfurls in front of us, we run together through Hell, our feet taking us faster than any normal human could run. I can feel the spark of blue fire within me and wonder if my blue hair and blue eyes are glowing in it. Beside me, Reggie and Xavier lope with panthers' grace, while David runs as fast as a wolf itself, his eyes flaring an unnatural yellow in the darkness.

My magic can only go for so long, though.

I can feel it stretching to its limits to protect and guide us.

I hear roaring in the distance.

Sense the demonic forces creeping close.

And know that we don't have much time.

So when I see a wall of hedges in the distance and experience déjà vu, I don't think. I just run directly towards the hedgerow garden, hoping that the door to Hell is open enough that we can figure a way to at least talk to Auerbach on the other side—and hopefully make our way free from Hell.

Or die trying.

Which right now, seems more likely.

"Hurry! Run!"

"This way."

Xavier trips, and Reggie catches him, pulling him up. "I got you—c'mon."

We run as fast as we can. Push ourselves to the limits. At the edge of the path, I feel something slither—and throw a fireball right at it. The thing roars and rears back, but only for a moment. It'll return.

It'll kill us all.

So the instant I reach the hedgerow, I don't hesitate. I throw a blue fireball right at the thicket of leaves and branches and run right through it, the guys fast on my heels, the four of us stumbling into a maze of garden plants once again. Panting, I turn around and expect to see a demon