Year Two: Rebels - Cara Wylde Page 0,56
Council. They have influence.”
“Then I will simply… not tell them.” I leaned over the table, looking the headmaster deep in the eyes. “And you shouldn’t tell them either.”
“They’ll find out.”
“We’ll do our best, and maybe they won’t. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go to the library to collect my thoughts.”
As I walked out of the dining hall, I felt relieved. I’d done it. I’d told them all the truth. Not only about me and my secret to staying alive for so long, but also about my mission. I just hoped Adrian, Seth, and Davien understood how important this was to me, as well as how probable it was for them to lose me. My heart felt lighter than ever before.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
We met at the Holy Chapel, outside, on top of the cliff overlooking the ocean. Both the Holy Chapel and the Unholy Chapel were designed to have two entrances each – one from within the Academy, and one from without. Thus, former alumni who wanted to come in and meditate or pray, could do so without disturbing anyone. When Lorna sent me the message, I asked Headmaster Colin and Professor Lovecraft to accompany me. Lovecraft refused, saying he didn’t want to be involved in what was to come. He’d done his part, and after he’d learned about what had happened to me, he was even glad he was a vampire now and couldn’t dream travel anymore. Headmaster Colin accepted, of course. I asked Adrian, Seth, and Davien, too. I needed them on my side. Their presence made me feel safe. They had rescued me from myself and from Yig once, and I knew that despite their differences, if they had to, they would join forces and do it again.
Lorna teleported first. She was wearing her Reaper cloak, and her scythe was glowing red, signaling that she was being summoned to reap just then. The wind was howling, lifting the snow that had just fallen in the freezing air. Winters in Salem were anything but kind. Lorna’s hood fell, and her long, black hair danced around her head, making her look like a ghost all dressed in black.
“I can’t stay,” she said quickly. “Headmaster Colin, it’s so nice to see you.”
“Miss Chiaramonte, thank you for doing this.”
Looking at all of us, she chuckled. “I see that what we’re doing here isn’t a secret anymore.”
“I need as many allies as I can get,” I said.
“Agreed. Well, the descendants will be here any minute. I told them everything, and they want to help.”
“What took you so long?”
“It wasn’t easy to track them all down. And then they said they needed time to do some research of their own. It doesn’t matter. It is done. They will do what you tell them to do.” Her scythe glowed a darker shade of red now. She looked up at the blade and sighed. “Good luck, Yoli!”
“Thank you.”
She teleported away.
“This is exciting,” Corri said from where she was sitting on my shoulder.
“Exciting?” Seth huffed. “It’s giving me the creeps.”
They were all on edge, I could feel it. Adrian was standing a few feet away. When he’d joined us, I caught a glimpse of the long whip he carried at his belt. The Hydra’s Tail. It was the first time I saw his weapon of choice, and something quivered inside me at the sight of it. It looked dangerous, yet so seductive. I hoped he wouldn’t need it tonight, but I couldn’t deny that I wanted to see him use it.
Seth and Davien were both by my side, as if they were ready to grab me and get me out of there if anything happened. Headmaster Colin was a few feet in front of me, waiting to greet the mages. Two of them had been his students two hundred years ago.
They teleported one after the other. Two of them were dressed in Reaper cloaks and were carrying scythes with curved handles. They were Merrit Castegny, Violent Death, and Klaus Hamelin, Merciful Death. I didn’t know the other three – two men and a woman. The woman was short and tiny, wearing a fur coat that covered her from head to toe.
“Thank you for agreeing to this meeting,” I started. “I am Yolanda Aleksiev. This is Headmaster Colin.” I hesitated, thinking it was probably stupid of me to introduce him. But on the other hand, only Merrit and Klaus knew the headmaster personally. As far as I knew, the others had never attended Grim Reaper Academy.