“I know where she was infected,” said Kaia, stepping forward to ensure she was noticed. “All this nonsense can stop now.”

  “You know?” asked Avery. “Then why the hell haven’t you spoken up sooner?”

  Zarya glared at Kaia. She wouldn’t betray her, not with the spell stopping her.

  “She doesn’t know,” said Pan quickly.

  “Tell me,” commanded Avery, glaring at the fae.

  “It was a ghost who infected her. His name is Abaddon.”

  Zarya felt the blood drain to her toes as Kaia said the name, but it wasn’t the confirmation of what her subconscious knew all along. That this was a way for Abaddon to render her weak so he could come with an easy attack and destroy her. What made her head spin and her knees weaken was Kaia saying what she promised not to. How could she betray her like this? And why wasn’t she doubling over in pain? The spell should be burning in her palm.

  Another realization swept over Zarya. This time she swayed.

  Pan let go of Sakura and rushed to catch her. “Steady.”

  She let herself be wrapped in his strength as the insight flooded through her. Her magic wasn’t working, and neither was her spell, and now her biggest secret was known by Avery and her greatest enemy, Sakura.

  There was no way she could win now.

  Daire

  “Fool,” yelled Avery to Pan.

  Now free, Sakura rushed for the door.

  Daire moved with his vampire speed and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He struggled to hold her while dragging her back toward Avery. A hiss came from his lips.

  Sakura froze.

  Daire pressed his lips against her bare neck, enjoying the increase of her pulse. “Move, and I’ll drain you.”

  Automatically Sakura went limp in his arms.

  “At least one of us is thinking,” said Avery.

  Daire tried not to look at Zarya in Pan’s arms, but he couldn’t help it. Jealousy prickled at his heart like small knives stabbing at him, causing him to bleed out. He looked back at Avery.

  “Where do you want her?” he asked.

  “There’s only one outcome for her now. She’s been here. She can’t stay alive.” She pointed at Sakura, sparks of red magic flickering from her fingers.

  “You can’t kill her,” said Zarya, pushing Pan away, looking as white as a ghost herself.

  Daire was glad to see Zarya out of that wolf’s arms. He kept his hold on Sakura, trying hard not to think about how close he was to a meal, to drink fresh blood for a change. He could feel the hunger rising with him. Sakura shivered in his arms, intensifying his desire for a feed. Daire ran his hand along her arm, enjoying the feel of the warm skin. He pressed his lips into her neck and thought, if only I had fangs. He’d puncture them into her and drink. His nails hurt, and he knew they had changed. All he had to do was to prick her with his sharp nails, and he could have a meal.

  “She has some value to us,” said Zarya. Her voice brought his attention away from the thought of a blood feed. He looked at her, caught her eyes, and instead of the fire of desire that usually surfaced when their eyes met, it was something entirely different. He glanced away, not wanting to see look of the disgust in her eyes. He was a monster, someone who had to take life from another to survive, and he wasn’t even alive anymore. She was very much alive, and why would she want someone like him, who couldn’t go out during the day, who could drink her dry in a moment of intense desire that always was close to the surface when she was around him. No, it was better she’d chosen Pan. He might be a monster too, but at least he could be shut in a cage, and he wasn’t dead.

  “Only as a test to see whatever Raiden comes up with will bring back her magic. Then she’s dead. The vampire can drink her dry.”

  Daire licked his tongue along her neck. Her salty pheromones burst in delight on his tongue. Sakura whimpered. He’d do just that now if he could. Another reason why it was good Zarya hadn’t chosen him. He didn’t have values. Look at her, she was defending someone who hated her and tried to kill her. She was far too forgiving for her own good, but that was what made her so attractive too.

  “I can keep my mouth shut,” said Sakura with a shaky voice.

  “Doubt it,” said Avery with a huff.

  “You’ll help me get my magic back, then just kill me?” Sakura started to make a defense for her life.

  Avery waved her fingers gently, and the red magic wrapped around Sakura’s mouth, gagging her. “Good thing I still have my magic,” mused Avery. “That’s much better without hearing your annoying voice.” Avery turned to Zarya.

  “Who’s this Abaddon?” asked Avery, looking intimidating in her black leather pants and dark green tunic laced in the front, showing off her bustline and the ruby pendant, her dark curls tumbling down below her shoulders.

  Zarya didn’t answer. She only glared at Kaia, a sadness now in her eyes. How Daire wished he was the one to comfort her.

  Let her go. She’d made her choice after all, and it was Pan. The last thing Daire wanted was to be a sore loser.

  Daire sensed a change in the atmosphere of the room. There was an extra flow of energy. The witches here might be losing their magic, but it seemed his paranormal senses were sharpening. His eyes widened as Crowe’s form shimmied into existence at the bottom of the staircase.

  Crowe looked at him directly. Daire forced himself to meet it. A cold stare for even a ghost sent the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. No one else appeared to notice his presence.

  I’m done for, he thought. His mind started to switch to thinking about ways he could get out of here. If he left within the hour, he might manage to make some good time, go south, and at least get out of Seattle before sunrise. A stretch of a plan and he would have to leave Zarya, but the way Crowe was looking at him, he didn’t think he would be alive much longer anyway.

  “Who’s Abaddon?” Avery repeated. “And why would he want to take your magic?”

  “He’s a ghost, and he’s after Zarya, but we don’t know why,” continue Kaia.

  Daire shook his head. He had been right, and he wished he hadn’t been. Now he knew the secret between the three. If only he knew earlier, he might’ve been able to help Zarya. None of that seemed to matter now. He was going to have to hightail it out of here tonight and say goodbye to what had become his home in such a short time.

  “At least someone around here is able to talk, though I’m not sure this is making a lot of sense to me. Zarya, tell me, or I’ll send you down to the basement with Sakura.

  “That’s the basis of it,” said Zarya. “I seem to have attracted a malevolent ghost for some reason, and it’s after me, or at least it’s having fun tormenting me.”

  “You have no idea why?”

  Zarya shrugged. “I can only guess it’s because I’m a ghost hunter.”

  Avery shook her head. “How long has this been going on?”

  Daire saw a subtle change in Zarya. She was lying. There was so much more going on, and she wasn’t telling Avery. If only he could manage to get some time alone with Zarya, they might be able to talk openly about this, and he could help her. It wasn’t as if Pan would be able to help her make sense of what was happening.

  “Around the same time I came here. I’m sure it was a coincidence. Samhain is a few weeks away, and things get a bit crazy for me at that time of year.”

  Avery narrowed her eyes at her. “You should’ve told me.”

  “Didn’t want to bother you.”

  Daire started to put together some of the information he had against what Zarya was saying. He knew Abaddon had been imprisoned here, and it couldn’t be a coincidence that Abaddon was coming after Zarya.

  “You have to tell me of these things. We’re in a very desirable place here at the Academy, others will want it, and we need to work together to protect it.”

  “I will. I just didn’t want to bother you being the new girl and all.”

  “I’ll let it pass this time, but you do something like this again where you put me and everyone else here in danger, you’ll be lucky to be living out on the streets. Do you understand?”

  Zarya nodded.

  Avery sighed, rubbing her temples.

  “Pan, take Sakura down to the basement with Daire. He looks like he may well drink her dry now and can’t be trusted.”

  Pan glared at Avery. “Fine,” he spoke grumpily.

  Daire was going to protest, but it was true. If alone with Sakura, he might use his sharp nails to prick her and drink. It has been too long since he’d fed properly, and as much as it might disgust himself, and he hated to think what Zarya would then think of him, but he was who he was.

  “Crowe, where the hell have you been?” demanded Avery as she spun around to see the ghost hovering in the air behind her.

  “Been a bit tied up with things,” he answered.

  Daire clenched his jaw. Did this mean he wasn’t going to tell Avery what had really happened? And why wouldn’t he? Crowe didn’t like him, so this would be one way to get him into enough trouble to be kicked out.

  “In my office,” said Avery to Crowe.

  “You…” She pointed to Zarya. “Back in the infirmary, so you’re not spreading the infection. I can’t keep us safe without my magic, and you pose a huge threat to me, along with that bitch Pan brought back here.”

  A low growl rumbled in Pan’s throat. “Thought I was helping.”

  “Yes, you always do.” Avery turned from the wolf and walked up to Kaia. “Now, what to do with you.”

  “What do you mean?” Kaia looked incredibly nervous.

  “How do you think you can be of help?” Avery put her hands on her hips.

  “I… I…” Then Kaia’s eyes widened with an idea. “I can go help Raiden.”

  “Aren’t you worried about getting infected?” asked Avery.

  Kaia shook her head. “Only infects witches.”

  “You worked that out yourself, did you?”

  “Yes. I… I… didn’t have a chance to say it sooner.”

  “Hmm. You can escort Zarya back to the infirmary. I’m sure she’ll love your company. Then you can go and help Raiden. We need something to stop this infection. Otherwise, we might all be forced out of the Academy.”

  Avery turned around dramatically, the full length of the tunic fanning out behind her. “You all should heed that. If you want to stay here, we need to be ready since there are others who want to take it away from us, and we can’t trust anyone.”

  Daire bit back the question of asking who would want to take this away from them. Holly’s form was to his right as a reminder. The Guild wanted control of the library, and they’d sent Holly to help them gain it. If Sakura had told them of the infection, they might think Avery was weak and come back again, ready to take over. He finally understood the worry that was creasing on Avery’s forehead, despite the confident exterior she maintained.

  Avery strode toward her office. “I expect obedience. Crowe will check on you all in a moment to make sure you’re actually doing what I tell you, and he has permission to impose whatever punishment he desires if you’re not.”

  “Excellent, this could be a fun night,” spoke Crowe as he smirked at the students before turning to float after Avery.

  “I’ll see you in a minute,” Pan said to Zarya, giving her a lingering hug, one that made Daire sick with jealousy. Could he make it back to Zarya before Pan did? He wanted to talk to her, tell her what he’d done, how giving her his energy helped to find the room where Abaddon had been contained, and that doing this again might help them find out more in the library even though she didn’t have her magic.

  “Let’s get this over with,” said Pan. He grabbed one of Sakura’s arms, taking her from Daire’s grip, and started hauling her to the back left of the staircase to the door that led down to the basement.

  “Take it easy on her,” said Zarya.

  “Don’t worry, we will. You go and rest,” said Pan with a soft smile. Daire wished he didn’t see so much between those two. It didn’t help the conflicting feelings surging through him. One of them was unsure why Zarya seemed to care for the well-being of Sakura when clearly the witch didn’t care for her.

  Zarya paused for a moment. Daire didn’t dare look at her. It was bad enough walking past her holding on to Sakura. One woman he wanted to feed on, the other, well, that was entirely different, both not an option for him. It didn’t matter. In an hour or so, he’d have left here, and neither of them would ever see him again. He wondered how far south he might need to go until he found a place he could hide and be left alone.

  “Come on, Zarya, I don’t want to face Crowe,” said Kaia, her curly hair looking a little frazzled at the ends. It had been an exceedingly long night.

  “You… don’t you ever talk to me again.” Zarya glared angrily at Kaia before turning on her heels and storming away, heading back to the infirmary.

  “I had to. You’ll come to see that, Zarya,” said Kaia, rushing to catch up.

  Daire wasn’t so sure.

  Zarya was incredibly angry right now.

  “Keep up,” said Pan as he dragged Sakura forward.

  A muffled sound came from her mouth as the magical gag remained. She pulled backward against the direction Pan was taking her. Without a word, he picked her up, threw her over his shoulder, and began down the stairs.

  A shiver went down Daire’s spine as they walked into the basement. Avery was big on the students’ punishment, and he’d had his fair share of time down here. He rubbed his arm, remembering the last time he was here. The cuts had been healed by Raiden, so there weren’t even any physical scars. There were the emotional ones, as Avery had intended, and those were much harder to forget. He should thank her.

  Sakura looked at him with fear in her eyes.

  “Don’t worry, he’s got no fangs, so he can’t hurt you,” said Pan as he pulled a chain from the wall, clipping the metal cuff it was attached to around her ankle.

  “He’s a werewolf who can’t control his transformation.” Daire cringed at his response. Pan had made him angry, causing his fingernails to elongate.

  Pan swung around with his fist clenched, aiming at the vampire. Daire leaned backward, the wolf’s fist just missing his nose. He responded by lashing back. His nails scratched the side of Pan’s cheek, who riled backward in shock. He didn’t waste a moment in attacking back, sending a roundhouse kick into Daire’s gut, followed by a better-timed punch. Daire went flying backward in the small space.

  “You haven’t learned anything in my training sessions.” Smirked Pan.

  “Muscles aren’t everything,” responded Daire as he got back on his feet, despite being somewhat winded. He took pride in seeing the red marks on Pan’s face.

  “It’s what got me the girl.” He stood widely, barely out of breath from the exertion.

  Daire held up his arms ready to strike with his nails, then thought twice about attacking Pan, who was by far the superior fighter. Pain began to take hold of his body as he faced off against Pan. He’d heal quick enough, helped by a good feed of blood, of which Glinda had plenty in stock.

  “Well, this is hardly surprising.” Crowe’s form came floating into the room. “I do have a mind to let you two fight it out, but since it’s not an equal fight, it won’t be entertaining to watch.”

  Daire let his arms drop to his side, reminding himself it wasn’t worth fighting with Pan, no matter what was at stake.

  “Good choice,” Crowe mused, looking at Daire. “The wolf doesn’t have such a good head on him for making choices.”

  A low growl rumbled from Pan.

  “Going to fight me, are you,” taunted Crowe, his form floating in front of the wolf.

  Pan dropped his arms and clenched his fists by his sides. Daire noted that Pan was starting to achieve better control over his transformations. Another time and he’d be in wolf form putting them all at risk. Daire narrowed his eyes at Crowe. Had that been what the ghost was hoping for? To provoke Pan into transforming and causing himself and the witch to be in danger. Or was he simply being confrontational because he could be? Either way, Daire didn’t plan to hang around here any longer, so he made his way toward the exit.

  “Leaving so soon, how disappointing,” said Crowe.

  Daire didn’t bother answering him as he started going up the stairs.

  “You can’t leave me here,” Sakura called out.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll leave the light on for you,” said Daire, glancing down at Sakura, who looked scared out of her mind.

  “You’re lucky to get that,” spat Pan as he too turned to leave.

  “Oh, it’s over already, boys,” said Crowe. “I was going to ask how things had been progressing on what I asked you to do, though it has been clear that neither of you have been doing anything.”

  “Don’t have time for this,” called out Daire. “Neither do you, you know, since your own ability is diminished, and I’m guessing you haven’t told Avery.”

  “You should mind your own business,” shot back Crowe.

  “Is it true, he can’t manipulate the energies,” asked Pan as he started going up the stairs.

  “It is, and so for now, there are no punishments in the basement for us, and who knows, I wonder if anything Raiden might up come up with to reverse the infection will actually work on a ghost? I shouldn’t think it would,” said Daire, pausing to look over at Crowe, who was hovering near Sakura. He looked angry as hell. What did it matter if he riled up the ghost, he wasn’t going to be around to find out the consequences? None of it mattered anymore.

  “That’s good to know,” said Pan. “I think I might go and pay Avery a visit now to tell her the witch is secure, and Crowe is infected, too.”

  The look of horror on Crowe’s face was a sight Daire relished. Instead of responding, Crowe’s form vanished.

  “That was a good way to get rid of him,” said Pan.

  “You might want to hurry, get to Avery yourself, to make sure he’s there,” said Daire.

 

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