Shadowborn Academy_ Year One (Dark Fae Academy #1) - G. Bailey Page 0,74
stretches its wings out, so beautiful and terrifying, and suddenly everything makes sense to me. Zander’s eyes, his magic… he’s part dragon. He’s got to be to wield this sort of power.
The dragon shoots into the cave tunnel, shattering the barrier and turning the particles into dust. The impact sends a ferocious wave of magical energy through the cave, knocking each of us back. When I get onto my feet and see what lies ahead, nestled away inside the tunnel, I can scarcely believe my eyes…
“Oh my fucking God,” I gasp as I stare up at the pods dangling from the ceiling. There are dozens of them hanging in between the crystals. The blue glow of them is unnatural and yet beautiful all at the same time. Water swirls around inside the pods, holding each of their victims in place.
“I wouldn’t be sure a god did this,” Zander mutters behind me, but I’m already running to the pods with Jonah following close behind.
Jonah runs ahead, his eyes searching each of the pods, and Gage heads after him, glancing once at me. I don’t recognise three of the students I first see but I know in my soul Sage is here somewhere. The guys and I aren’t looking for the same person, though, and I know why Jonah and Gage need to find Jane. Thankfully, I find Sage right away, at the front of the pods. Without thinking about it, I rip into the pod with my hands and scream as a blast of magic slams into me from the water. It burns my hands and arms as I grab Sage and drag her out of the pod. Zander stands near me with Ronan, watching out for danger as I feel for Sage’s pulse. I suck in a deep breath as Pitch leaves my soul, appearing at my side and looking down at Sage. He hovers his hand over her head as Zander mutters a bunch of curse words. I’m too panicked to even move or stop staring at my best friend, wishing she would wake up any second.
I let her down. I should have stopped this sooner somehow. I should have been awake last night. I should have fought for my best friend. If anything happens—
“You need to get your friend to a healer. Right now. Dark magic like I’ve never seen is reworking her soul, sucking the energy from it and killing her,” Pitch explains, and cold dread creps into my body.
“Her neck tattoo is gone,” I mutter as I look up at Zander. “Take her to the healers with your shadow magic. Please.”
“I will stay and watch out for Jonah,” Ronan suggests, stepping away from us.
I don’t know why he suddenly gives two shits for Jonah.
Zander doesn’t question me as he leans down, placing a hand on Sage’s arm and my shoulder but nothing happens and he lets go.
“I need to get away from here to use my powers. Something is stopping me.”
My heart thrashes in my ears with panic. I watch him pick Sage up and we both turn around at the same time, pausing as a man walks straight towards us, two long-ass swords dragging across the stone. His cloak lifts behind him with the same blue magic that the pods are giving out, and his eyes glow with the power as his lips tug up in a smug smile.
He looks like a god…like he’s unstoppable.
“Get the fuck out of here, Corvina!” Pitch roars at me but I can’t move an inch as my headmaster stares at us.
“Headmaster Greyhorn, what brings you down here?” I ask with a false sense of calmness, but I already know the reason.
This is all his doing.
Zander carefully puts Sage down, then tugs out two daggers from his belt and he returns to my side. I don’t even look where Ronan or Jonah are, but this isn’t good.
“Put the student back in the pod and leave. If you do, I won’t have to kill you two,” Greyhorn states, his face wiped clean of emotion.
“That isn’t going to happen,” Zander states before I can say a word. I look up to him for a brief second and I know I will always, always remember this moment.
This moment when he decided to stay and fight for my best friend because of me.
Because it’s the right thing to do.
“And we’re going to free every student here,” I add, gathering a ball of magic into the palm of my hand. “What the fuck are you