"We'll explain later. I promise," he assured me. “But first, I really need to do this.”
His lips slammed into mine – a raw, intense kiss that surged life into me. I kissed him back firmly, feeling relieved to feel, smell, touch, and be wrapped in loving emotions that came from him.
I wished the kiss could be longer as he broke it, but I knew we had other things to worry about as his eyes turned to look behind me. I followed his gaze and there was Elijah, his frustrated glare only leaving him grunting before he turned around and raced towards the door.
"Dammit!" Kaito cursed, but I pulled out of his hold and took his hand.
"We have to go after him!"
"Brianne, you're not-"
"He can't get away!" I tugged at his hand and he followed me at full speed. The two of us chased Elijah down the chamber hall and then out into the room.
"Brianne! Kaito!" Connor called out to us as if he were trying to run back to the room but was on a full-on chase to catch Elijah once and for all - the swift race leading us to the main school building in seconds.
Elijah skidded to a stop before he crashed into the student council room, and I skidded to a stop with Kaito before we rushed in and were frozen in place.
Approaching footsteps followed with gasps of shock before the fire alarm went off. I felt Jax's presence by my left side as Kaito was on my right. The swarming emotions of shock that came from my back felt like Connor's, and the soft-spoken words that followed came from Finnick's lips.
"Fuck."
All we could do was stand there, out of breath and drained from what seemed to be our final exam, only to stare at the blonde girl with blue eyes.
Leia...hanging from the ceiling.
Her blood poured onto the desk beneath her, but it was clear this wasn't a suicide. What confirmed it wasn't her position, but the words written along the walls.
“Semester Eight will be your last. Prepare for death, again, Bri and Jax.”
I should have felt fear, or be shocked by the bloody words, but no. I felt neither. Instead, my lips curled in a devilish smirk while I reminded myself of the place I'd just come from.
The desolation I'd somehow survived.
This act of crime only told me one thing. Desperate times came with desperate measures and the shadow organization was afraid of the tables being turned. Now that I'd experienced the darkness myself, I knew what I needed to do.
Survive. Destroy. Conquer.
My smirk grew in satisfaction as I mentally nodded at Marianna’s declaration.
They thought killing Leia would ruin our desire to graduate. Tough luck, Shadow Kingdom. It’s only getting a hell of a lot darker from here.
When the element of fire burns within your veins, the academy for all things scorching is the best place to learn how to make that flame burn even hotter.
* * *
Alice Blaze is my name, and I'm not exactly your typical sixteen-year-old. My mom disappeared after my birth and my dad was an alcoholic maniac, so I was raised by my protective grandparents in the single house up the hill. The one people only come to visit on Halloween.
* * *
Because, yeah, apparently, our house is haunted. Naturally.
* * *
As an orphan living in a spooky house, it’s no surprise that my life has been…eventful. I’ve been inadvertently causing trouble since I was little and it always ends up with something combusting into flames. You know, lighting up the curtains, exploding vials in lab class. And don't get me started with the accidental school fire. Need I say more?
* * *
The flames really hit the fan when I'm accused of shattering all the windows in the entire school. Of course, that doesn't make sense because it has nothing to do with my burning nemesis. But it doesn’t matter. Expulsion is imminent and my grandparents are fed up with my constant transfers.
* * *
But then something amazing happens: a letter of invitation lands right onto our doorstep. Or window.
* * *
I'm invited to Blazing Academy, the school for all things — and people — that are scorching hot. Shifters, demons, and blazing hot witches...oh, right. I almost left that part out. According to the school, that’s what I am. A blazing hot witch.