Shadow Walker (Neteru Academy Books) (59 page)

Ernie looked up, cowering from where he sat on the floor. “Please don’t be mad at us, even if you’re angry at her. We did our part. We drugged them all just like you wanted so it was easy for Patty to lead them here.” He motioned to the pile of bathroom cups and toothbrushes on the altar. “We tainted that stuff like you said and didn’t even bury it on school grounds. We sent it back through to you so there’d be no evidence.”

Josh nodded emphatically. “We’ll keep making your stuff, anything you want—just don’t kill us.”

“It took us a long time to infiltrate the Guardians,” Desmonda said in a near hiss as she turned toward her son, then smiled wickedly at Patty, completely ignoring the two boys. “For years we didn’t know where their stronghold was, and their powers were too great for us to locate them, but every citadel has a weakness, and theirs is the children. We only needed one on our side so we could focus our energies to her beacon, then let curiosity and human nature take its course. That is the only reason you are still alive, Patricia Gray. Don’t make me regret my decision.”

“You used to be a Guardian, Mom,” Wil sobbed. “You used to fight—”

“We were poor! Living in hostile barracks! Food was scarce, water was scarce—don’t judge me for making a choice your father was too weak to make!” She swept away from the altar she’d been tending and drew herself up in front of her son.

“Since the moment I supposedly died, you have experienced nothing but abundance. Boston fell, the East Coast Guardian teams are holed up in tiny villages, like the one above us, or in hiding in big cities, unable to buy or trade because they foolishly resist the mark of the beast. But you had everything you ever wanted. Your stupid father never had a clue as to why he was practically showered by good fortune after I was gone.” She held Wil’s face. “But now
you
know.”

She released him when he jerked his head back. “Why do you think I allowed you to go to the Academy?” She smiled an evil smile and walked back over to her bloody altar. “Because you needed to sharpen your skills, learn their ways, so when it is your turn to become Morrigan, as is your birthright—”

“Never!” Wil shouted. “Death before dishonor!”

“Either way,” his mother said coolly. “We’d only bring you back to work with us.”

This time, when the shadows coalesced, Sarah didn’t run from them. Instead she followed them deeper into the barn, noting how they stopped at the wall, the same way faint traces of Wil’s and Tami’s shadow echoes did, then saw that they were joined by another.

Something whooshed past her head and made her jump back. Two red-glowing eyes came out of the nothingness, and she realized that the whoosh had been a shadow, pulling her safely away from a swinging scythe. More eyes appeared, and Beep and Bop leaped at the demons, stealing their attention away from her for a split second. Panic made her drop to the ground to avoid another blade, and she rolled hard, hitting the wall as yet another demon stepped out of nowhere. The moment she touched the wall a trap door opened and she was falling into the blackness of a stone tunnel. But there, in the darkness, a face rimmed in light leaned in and touched her, forehead to forehead.

“Awake,” the floating face murmured.

Sarah hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of her, but Tami’s and Wil’s collective yells put her instantly on her feet. She saw Ayana weakly reach out to her from the corner of her eye even as a haughty laugh and a chorus of growls filled her ears. Huge beasts with glowering eyes and dripping fangs were closing in on her, but even as she screamed, her attendant shadows swept between their legs. She felt a pulse of energy run down her arms as she reached out to block the demon trying to grab at her, and it exploded, sending soot and embers flying everywhere.

“Get her!” a woman yelled out.

“Mom,
no
!”

Sarah saw Wil send a blue-white Tactical charge toward a hooded woman, but it missed her and exploded a section of an altar dripping with gore instead. Tami’s screams could have shattered glass, but when Patty rushed her, Tami’s fangs dropped—and then it was Patty’s turn to try to get away.

Tami’s superior speed and fangs, as well as compound training, soon won out. Patty’s lip was bleeding and she was screaming curses. Wil was grappling with a demon as he tried to get to his mother. Sarah sent another shadow pulse toward the altar, further decimating it, as Beep and Bop tore through the demon guards and were first to reach Desmonda.

“What have you done!” she shrieked as the Collectors clawed at her robe and face as the guard demons rushed to her aid, trying to fend off the relentless shadows.

Sarah struggled forward, unable to reach Yaya, chained to the wall with the others. Too many adversaries were coming at her, and coming too fast.

“Don’t let the seer get away—we need her alive!” Desmonda shouted. “Her power is necessary! She must be a part of the sacrifice!”

Sarah ducked as bricks and mortar, stones and hay, began to fall. Huge white light streaks blew what was left of the altar into a thousand pieces, sending bits of rotting goats and chickens to splatter against the wall. She covered her head and heard her nana’s war cry. A silver scythe moved like a blur, moved like a razor.

Hooves stampeded across the ground. Sarah made herself very small, covering her bleeding ears against demon screeches as the stench of sulfur choked her.

Suddenly a pair of familiar hands caressed her back, and she peered up into her grandmother’s face. Half the faculty was there. Professor Raziel clutched his scythe, breathing hard, wings spread. Titan Troy had Desmonda in his grasp as she struggled against Mr. Everett’s blue-white energy shackles. Patty Gray was sobbing in Amazon Akoben’s custody. Headmaster Shabazz stood on a pile of demon ash, snarling at Ernie Scheeler and Josh Abrams. Sarah glanced around at the trapped students and barely conscious Fae.

The Morrigan was in custody. The captured students, faculty and Fae were talent-drained but alive. The demons that would have escorted Desmonda and Patty to safety had been exterminated, but from the vicious look in the older woman’s eyes, she did not consider the battle over.

Sarah knew in her gut that there had to be more of them, more turncoat Guardians, more members of Desmonda’s wicked coven. The woman herself had referred to a larger coven. One Morrigan and a bunch of students hadn’t pulled this off alone. Desmonda was right. The battle
was
far from over. But as the wrongdoers were secured, Sarah’s grandmother walked over to her and stroked her hair.

“C’mon, baby,” her nana murmured, pulling her up into her arms. “Let’s go home.”

Three Weeks Later…

O
nce again, the entire school sat in the Great Hall, but this time it was early evening. And this time Sarah wasn’t embarrassed that all her crazy relatives had shown up to sit at the back of the hall to watch the award presentations. She also wouldn’t dwell on her disappointment because her father had apparently refused to attend. He wouldn’t ruin this for her; she was a Shadow and proud of it.

She looked around, smiling. It felt great to be alive, even though she had no idea what to expect for the Autumn Equinox dance.

Headmistress Stone was bedecked in silver flowing robes, while her husband stood proud and regal before the school in a midnight-blue African-inspired suit. The entire faculty graced the main stage, adorned in their finest—all except Mrs. Gillison, who, for obvious reasons, was listening over the school broadcast system from the pool where she swam with her husband.

Titan Troy looked uncomfortable in a suit, and Amazon Aziza Akoben looked like she couldn’t wait for the ceremony to be over so everyone could party in the gym. She looked hot, though, in her tanned leather halter and miniskirt, sporting gold wrap-up-the-leg sandals.

Even Razor was there, and Sarah had to smile, because he looked like he was going to a funeral in his black shoes, black suit, black shirt and black tie—but of course she wouldn’t dare laugh to his face.

Sarah sat next to Val in her first formal gown, praying that the color she’d chosen would be okay, all the while staving off belly butterflies that simply wouldn’t go away. She was wearing jewel green for the Fae good luck Mr. Milton always talked about, the green pastures and the beauty of seeing green life from so high in the air above. Tonight she actually felt beautiful.

And Val… He looked so handsome in a navy suit. She adjusted her spaghetti straps and hoped she could dance in her brand-new high heels. Al was sitting on the other side of Val, and then came Tami, a knockout in red. Donnie and Miguel book-ended Akiba and Adele, pretty in pastel pink and lilac. Allie simply glowed, the deep berry she was wearing perfect for her, and Aaron Wu and Jim Wilkerson both cleaned up nice. But best of all was seeing Hyacinth looking radiant in turquoise on Jim’s arm.

Ayana, too, looked happy, and for that, Sarah was glad. The tall, lanky kid from track, Randall Chapman, sat by her side in his black suit looking positively hot to death while Ayana was drop-dead gorgeous in gold silk. Maybe one day, Sarah thought, she’d be able to aspire to such fashion greatness. But until then, Jess and the gang kept things interesting. She was just glad to have a second chance…glad to have gotten her Yaya and ‘Cinth back. If life could just stay this way…

But it was hard to be completely happy, thinking of Wil and all he’d lost. Even though a part of her heart would always belong to him, he’d even lost her—to Val.

Sarah looked down at her clasped hands. Worse than anything, Wil had lost his mother—again. She couldn’t imagine losing her own mother once, let alone the trauma of losing her twice. Wil had also lost his first love twice, and she couldn’t be to him what he wanted her to be. Sadness filled her, and she allowed it to settle in for a moment before trying to expel it with a deep cleansing breath as she briefly closed her eyes. Wil was a good person, but all of this was bound to change him. She just hoped he’d still like her as a friend when he came back to school. He had taken a leave of absence to join his father and return to their compound to grieve, before attending his mother’s and Patty’s trials. She said a little prayer for him and then returned her eyes to the stage as her thoughts went elsewhere.

She didn’t even want to know what they did to the Morrigan. Treason was a capital offense, but these days, did that mean instant death or lifelong imprisonment? she wondered. Melissa’s fate was also still up in the air, though guilt by association didn’t seem fair, and Melissa and her friends really hadn’t been involved in the whole nightmare Patty had conspired in. Sarah tried to think about the dance as the ceremony droned on, but assembly was always a pain, and she didn’t have the patience.

The Gray sisters’ groupies had told all. Freaked out, they gave up everybody by name and no doubt would have behaved, had they been allowed to attend the dance. But after the whole fiasco of swiping drugs, bullying some students and spell-casting against others, their privileges had been suspended for the rest of the year. Still, not getting expelled alongside Josh, Ernie and Brent—the masterminds—probably outweighed not coming to the dance.

Sarah glanced at Stefan, who sat alone but looked good. His charcoal-gray suit matched his eyes, and when he noticed her looking at him, he gave her a brief nod, which she returned. Yes, she’d save him a dance, and no, neither her brother nor Val had to understand why. She was sure Tami would dance with him, too. Time and truth healed a lot of wrongs. His heroism and attempt to right the things he’d done wrong had earned him a well-deserved pass, though if he was caught so much as blinking wrong now, he’d be ejected from school on his behind. Still, it was very cool to know she’d be training with him in Shadows this year.

The big thing everyone was waiting for was the award for heroism under fire. A field trip to town was up for grabs. Until then, Headmistress Stone’s voice seemed so far away, when all Sarah wanted to do was laugh with her girlfriends and dance, especially to that one special slow song with Val. Everyone else was restless, too; not a soul was really listening as they all thought ahead to the celebration. Special food and magical treats would be courtesy of the Fae, whose music would be playing down in the repaired gym. Her mind drifted to the pretty blue lit corridor; she couldn’t wait to see what the faeries had done with their special blue fireflies for the dance.

When they called her and Val forward to accept the award, she thought she’d have a heart attack!

Val helped her up by her elbow, and she stood on wobbly heels. “If you fall, I’ll catch you and just fly you to the front,” he murmured softly in her ear, and then began to walk her to the stage.

She smiled, so happy that she almost bit her bottom lip to keep from squealing, and then remembered that she was never supposed to do that while wearing lip gloss, per Ayana and Jess’s orders.

Thunderous applause rocketed through the Great Hall. Sarah covered her mouth as her grandmother read out their achievements, wondering if she ought to pinch herself to be sure she was awake. Val gave her a wink. She returned it with a smile, then glanced around the Great Hall. One minute all the shadows looked normal, the next they did a little jig. Professor Razor gave her a nod from the stage. Jonathan Federman and Alexis Woodrow started a cheer. Yeah, this was real, and so much better than a dream. She didn’t care that Razor said she had a ton more work to do. Tonight she felt like the prettiest flower, a flower that wasn’t standing in anyone’s shadow.

The moment Headmistress Stone announced the close of the ceremony, complete pandemonium broke out. Sarah and Val left the riser with their awards in hand. Their friends and compound crew swarmed them, with family pressing in closely, and then she heard a familiar voice in her head. She turned to look past everyone to see his silhouette in the entrance of the Great Hall. Her mother pushed him forward, and for a moment she couldn’t move.

Her dad waded through the crowd in a pair of military fatigues. Sarah bit her lip—lip gloss be damned—and her friends turned, making way for him as Val stepped back. Professor Raziel jumped down from the riser and quickly pushed through the sea of students headed toward the gym, as though coming to her aid. He had the glint of battle in his eyes, seemingly ready to fight her father for her.