Ex Nihilo Academy (18 page)

“You killed Luca’s sister?” I say weakly, my legs barely holding me up at this point. “It’s not like he’s making it sound! It’s my sworn duty to protect humankind and she got involved with the wrong people and she
was on a feeding rampage.”

“She was sick and she needed help.” Luca cuts in. “But I guess we vampires aren’t on your list of approved species. Not like your tenuous relationship with the fairies - or does she not know about that
either?” Rowan starts to lunge at Luca but I grab his arm.

“Stop it, both of you! Now let me just see if I have this straight. Rowan, you have some kind of business relationship with my people?”
He nods reluctantly. “So you knew what I was and never thought to mention it to me? Do you have any idea how much easier my life would have been over the last few months if I had had someone to talk to?” I turn on Luca. “And you. You’ve
known this whole time that Rowan is Nephilim and on top of that he’s responsible for your sister’s death and you didn’t think either of those things was worth mentioning?” Luca at least has the good sense to look uncomfortable.

“I didn’t think it was my place to tell you. We aren’t
supposed to reveal the Nephil race no matter how much we may want to and in exchange they leave law abiding supernatural’s alone, at least, most of the time. That’s why we don’t even talk about the half-breeds at school. The
Council feels if we don’t acknowledge them they will go away. It’s not like they have the numbers they used to have. I wanted to tell you believe me I did.” Luca’s voice is reticent. “And I was planning on telling you about my sister. I
was trying to find the right way to.” I put up my finger to silence him.

“You have both been lying to me. Do either of you even really care about me or is it just some hate-on you have for each other and I’m the carrot that’s dangling between you?” I don’t think I’ve ever been this mad.
I am shaking with rage from the betrayal.

“That’s not how it is!” Rowan shouts, throwing his arms up.

“Lily, can we talk about this later? I need to have a look
at your leg.” Luca says, concern etched across his face.

“You know what? No! As far as I’m concerned both of you can go straight to hell!” I step around Rowan and try to dodge Luca whose hand encircles my wrist as I pass him. “Do. Not. Touch. Me!” I scream and yank my
hand back. I try to run down the stone path but I mostly just manage to hobble along with my weight balanced on my right leg. When I reach the bottom of the road a black van pulls up and the doors swing open. I am momentarily
disoriented as hooded figures jump out and I feel the pain from the sharp crack to my head before I slump to the ground. A pillowcase is thrown over my face shrouding me in darkness and I can hear Rowan and Luca frantically calling my
name as I’m hoisted off the ground and into the back of the van. I start to scream Luca’s name when I feel another blow to my face and I close my eyes and succumb to the darkness around me.

It is the slow dripping onto my forehead that wakes me
first. I open my eyes just as another bead of water drops and lands on my cheek, then trickles down my chin. I’m lying on my back on a slab of marble staring up at a blackness lit only by the flickering glow of candles. I can
just barely make out the shapes of dark gray rocks that tell me I am in some sort of cave. It smells damp and musky and faintly of copper and I can’t remember how I got here. The last thing I remember is hearing Luca’s voice as I ran from the church. I turn my head to the side which sends a sharp pain
shooting up through my skull. I lick my dry, cracked lips and try to raise my hands but they resist and that’s when I see that my wrists are shackled just above my head. I strain to move my legs but the cold metal bite against my skin
tells me that my ankles are also restrained.

“I was wondering when you were going to wake up. You’re missing all the fun.” I recognize his voice before I see him.

“Tristan?” I croak, my throat dry and sore and desperately
in need of a drink.

“It’s me, baby, and there’s no boyfriend around to protect you this time.” He laughs bitterly and pushes up the sleeves of his floor length black robe.

“Where am I?” I manage to roll on to my side and I see that
I am surrounded by black-robed figures that stretch the length of the cave. There are a few witches but most of the figures are vampires. Not the vampires that I am used to seeing at Ex Nihilo either but ones with vacant empty eyes.
They seem restless - and hungry - a few are feasting on rats and I instinctively know that they are the made vampires Luca talked about. I look down at the cold stone I am attached to. It is midnight black with flecks of
gold and polished to a high sheen like an altar of some kind, and it is then that I see that I am in a floor-length nightgown made of white gossamer.

“What am I wearing?” I say, trying my best to keep the trembling from my voice.

“Do you like it? I hope you don’t mind but I changed you myself. But don’t worry; there wasn’t a lot to see.” He snickers and my stomach turns at the thought of Tristan touching my bare skin. He approaches the altar
and shoves me back down so I’m lying flat, his hand lingering against my breast bone as his eyes rake over me.

“I have to say, California, I expected more.” His eyes are filled with such hatred that I shudder involuntarily.

“Quit toying with her, Mr. Powers, she is not here for your
amusement.” A hooded figure in a long blood-red robe calls to him from above before making its ascension down a set of craggy candlelit stairs. It is exactly like Zaros’ vision and there is an audible intake of breath as the
other robed figures drop to their knees in prayer.

“What you are giving us today princess is worth so much more than Mr. Powers' crude display. Today you give our kind the greatest gift you
can possibly give — your sacrifice.” The figure pushes back the red robe, revealing a familiar head of cropped platinum hair and emerald green eyes.

“Lucinda?” It comes out of my mouth as a half whisper, half moan and she smiles down at me in a way that almost seems motherly.

“Lily, you can’t be surprised. How many times have I told you what’s at stake? How many ways did I have to warn you for you to understand? I thought if your life was threatened you would see how serious we
were and choose the right path but your most recent stunt with the Council convinced me that you would never see the error of your ways.” She stands at the foot of the altar with her hands folded neatly in front of her.

“It was you all along: the speakers at the dance, the almost
hit and run, the boat, the fire. Oh my God the fire. You killed Niall!”

“No, you killed Niall with your refusal to see the light.” She shakes her head sadly. “I needed more time to build my army and complete
the summoning ritual and I figured no one would suspect me of trying to kill you if I befriended you. And now you have the opportunity to make up for all of your mistakes. Give yourself to us in willing sacrifice and a new fairy leader
will show us the way out of hiding and lead us to our rightful place of dominion over humans. Your sacrifice is our first step and our first act of war against those who defy us.” A collective roar echoes around the cave and the
witches and vampires are frantic, circling each other and salivating. “The time for stalling is over. Mr. Powers, please bring me the knife.” Tristan unsheathes a dagger from beneath his cloak and hurries it over to her. It has a sharp-looking point and a thick ruby-encrusted handle. I cry out as she slashes
one of my wrists and holds a heavy-looking brass cup beneath it, letting my blood run into it. When she lifts the cup to her lips to take a sip I notice the inverted pentagram seared into the flesh of her forearm. “Potestate
tenebrarum invoco te libertatem vicissim dare et accipere sacrificium!” She chants as her eyes turn black. She drops the cup of blood to the ground and raises the knife over her head, causing her army to scream and tear at their
hair. She moves to stand over me and brings the knife down to rest it against my chest. It presses hard into my sternum and I whimper as a small stain of blood spreads across the front of my white gown. “Pacis erit vobiscum.” She whispers softly as I close my eyes and prepare for the end. But instead of the
sharp pain I’m expecting I hear the knife clatter to the floor and my eyes fly open in time to see Lucinda lifted into the air. She is thrown back against the wall with such force that she slumps forward and stills, and I tilt my head
back to see Nissa at the mouth of the cave with her fingers raised mid-spell. Luca steps out from behind her and rushes at two of the black-robed vampires blocking his way, his hands making quick work of the stake he’s holding. The
vampires closest to me explode into fits of howling as they rush the altar. I’m still tethered and I can’t stop my body from trembling as I prepare for the worst but they stop before they reach me, staved off by the massive gray wolf standing guard. As it turns its head to me I instantly recognize the amber
eyes. “Cai.” I breathe, my eyes welling with tears as he noses my palm. He turns back to the semi-circle of vampires and bears his teeth, his hackles rising in challenge. One runs at him and Cai’s teeth sink into his neck,
detaching his head. While Cai is busy holding off the made vampires I see Lucinda stir and slowly rise slowly from where she’s been thrown against the wall.

“Get her Mr. Powers!” She screams. Tristan rushes at me and
Nissa raises her hands to fight him off but he is too quick and he traps her in a column of fire. It burns in a circle around her, stretching up and over her head. She falls to her knees, coughing heavily into her hand. “Go to her Cai! You have to help her!” I scream and he is moving before I finish my sentence.
He jumps through the fire and a terrible howl escapes him as it singes his fur. Nissa grabs hold and swings on to his back, allowing him to carry her to safety. Once they are through the flames he deposits Nissa against the stone
wall of the cave, then guards her closely while she catches her breath. Because I’m unprotected one of the vampires lunges at me and I manage to shoot a small ball of fire at him while still shackled. It’s the size of an orange but it’s
enough to send him reeling backwards and I have a moment of reprieve before Tristan makes his way to the table. “I’m really going to enjoy killing you, you little tease.” He leans over and presses his mouth hard against mine, his
bitter tongue pushing open my lips, and then he rears back and slaps me hard. His big hands wrap around my throat and squeeze, leaving me gasping for breath. Spots start to form at the corners of my vision and I know that it won’t be able to stay conscious for much longer. Suddenly Tristan’s grip loosens as a
wooden stake pierces through his chest. His eyes go wide for a minute then his whole body sags as he slumps forward on to me. Luca lifts him like a rag doll and throws him to the side.

“A sharp object is a sharp object.” He shrugs, easily
snapping the metal shackles apart with his hands while kissing my forehead. “I am so sorry, Lily.” He lifts me into a seated position then pulls his shirt off and wraps it around my bleeding wrist. He takes a protective stance in front of
me as he turns back to the waiting vampires, but there are so many of them closing in on us that I know he won’t be able to take them all on his own. There must be at least twenty and surrounding us now and more keep streaming in
from different parts of the cave. I look over at Cai, who is still shielding Nissa with his large gray body. One of the rabid made vampires lurches at him and sinks its teeth into his fur. Cai rears up and lets out a pained howl. “He’s been bitten!” I say frantically as I start to move but Luca just shakes
his head and holds me in place.

“He’ll be fine. Stay behind me.” A wall of cloaked vampires and witches are descending upon us. I am flush against Luca’s back and he
spreads his arms wide, shielding us. One of the witches throws up his hands and starts chanting and Luca’s body freezes in place.

“Luca?” I say uncertainly, my hands snaking around his waist.

“I can’t move, Lily. It must be some sort of spell. You need
to run.”

“I’m not leaving you.” My voice wavers.

“Run!” He yells and I can hear the desperation in his voice.

“No.” I say firmly. I know that he is only trying to protect
me but I’m not going to let him face this alone. As they advance on Luca I know that there is only one element left that I can summon. I’ve never used it before and I’m scared what it might do but I can’t let Luca get hurt. I close
my eyes and chant ‘Terra, Terra, Terra’ and just as quickly the ground begins to shake. Rocks start to crumble and fall from the sides of the cave as the ground opens up beneath the witches and vampires. Those closest to us are sucked into the hole below and some hang on to the edges as they try to claw
their way out of the abyss. Despite my best efforts there are still so many more robed figures streaming into the cave and not enough of us to fight back. Lucinda has crawled to the platform above and is laughing a high, unnatural
laugh. Her eyes are completely black now and her body is moving and contorting in such an unnatural way that I know that it must be her channeling demon power. Suddenly the cave is lit up by a blindly bright light that causes the
vampires closest to the entrance to scream and cover their eyes. Rowan, Charles, Danny and Tom storm in dressed from head to toe in white and brandishing silver swords. I am struck again by how big they all seem and how angelic they look bathed in the warm white glow from their swords. Rowan’s eyes
meet mine and he grimaces, and I can only guess it’s because of my battered appearance. I know that with my head wound and bleeding wrist that I must not look very good. The three other Nephilim rush at the advancing witches and
vampires and slash their heads off with what seems like very little effort. Rowan charges the platform toward Lucinda who sends him reeling backwards with a small flick of her wrist, fueled by strength from the demon possession. Rowan
jumps back on to his feet and races toward her again. She runs at him and plunges a hand right through his chest, leaving a gaping hole where her hand has gone through. I scream as he sputters and a trail of blood drips down his chin. He falls to his knees and Lucinda laughs. He sways on his knees with his
eyes closed and I watch with morbid fascination as the hole in his chest fills over and the pale freckled skin smoothes out, until the only evidence left of his injury is the tear in his white shirt. Rowan somersaults forward so quickly
I almost miss it and sends his sword straight through Lucinda’s still-beating heart. Her eyes roll back in her head and she shrieks and bats at the sword lodged into her chest.

“You may kill me, fallen angel, but do you really think I am
the only one? There are so many of us with powers you can’t even imagine and we will keep coming for her. We will keep coming for all of you.” Tar black blood spurts from her mouth and she sags forward, still impaled on Rowan’s sword. He
slides it out of her and shoves her body to the side before making his way back down the platform to where the rest of us have gathered. He walks straight up to Luca, drops his sword, and punches him squarely in the face. Luca, who is
momentarily stunned, quickly recovers and hits him back in the jaw. They tackle each other and fall to the floor wrestling, but before I can intervene Rowan is standing again and has Luca pinned to the ground by his sword.

“I should kill you right now, Morello.”

“No!” I scream as I drag myself to Luca’s side, the burn on my calf still causing me to limp.

“How can you trust him? How do you know that he’s not with them?”

“Please Rowan, leave him alone.” I beg, trying to push my
way between the sword and Luca while he just lays there glaring at Rowan and refusing to plead for his life.

“There is important work to be done and you can’t be
involved with him while you do it, Lily. There are only two sides in this battle - you have to choose one.”

“He is on my side.” I say, my voice breaking and Rowan looks away, then back at me. “Swear you won’t go near him again and I’ll let him
live. We will grant him asylum since he tried to help you tonight but if he comes near you again all bets are off. This war is just beginning and the fairies have always been allied with us. Vampires and fairies don’t mix and it is my job to keep him and others like him as far away from you as possible. Now
swear it! Swear that you won’t go near him again.”

Nissa and Cai look on in total disbelief as I lean my head against Luca’s bare chest.

“I can’t.” I sob and Luca brings his hand up to touch my
face.