Shade Academy

Chapter 31

A harsh and unbelievably loud wail shocked me out of sleep. I shot up from my bed, knocking Samuel out in the process. He jumped up, his eyes groggy. "What? What is it?" The sleepiness in his voice was amusing. The waling kept echoing through my room like a siren, and it was beginning to irritate me. "Samuel, if that is some kind of alarm, I am going to smash your phone." 

He looked at me in confusion for a moment before my words sank in. "Anna, get dressed." His words were clipped and short, something in his tone telling me not to question him right now and do as he said. So that's exactly what I did. I skipped my usual morning shower and skipped right to putting that awful uniform on and brushing my teeth. 

By the time I had made it back to my room Samuel was fully dressed and looking the clean cut brooding professor he was. "Samuel, what's going on?" I asked as we ran through the halls, the vexatious blaring of the siren wailing throughout the Academy grounds like a million banshees. He didn't answer, his face drawn up in tense lines. He was worrying me, the emotionlessness that filled his eyes, the lines creasing his beautiful face. 

"Samuel, answer me." I pleaded. He stopped suddenly, back to me. "That is the school alarm." He told me tightly. "It means the academy has been invaded." I scrunched my brows. This sounded nothing like the alarm from before. This one was more incessant, higher pitched. "This alarm is different though." I told him, voicing my thoughts. "Yes." He responded. "That's because this one means there were casualties."

No. This time I took off, running as fast as my legs would carry me. I shot passed Samuel, easily moving and dodging through the panicked crowd of people that now filled the halls. When I reached the end I saw headmistress Charlotte. "Headmistress, what's happened? Who was killed?" I asked in alarm. 

Charlotte looked at me with sad and fearful eyes, but didn't answer me. Panic filled me to my core. I hardened my eyes and glared at her. "Who?" I demanded, power filling my words. Charlotte sighed, shaking her head before looking towards where a rather large crowd of professors and students stood crying. 

I slowly made my way towards the growing crowd, my heart beat so hard the crowd was drowned out as the pumping throbbed in them. I could vaguely hear someone calling my name, but I couldn't make out who it was and I couldn't bring myself to care. Someone tried to grab my shoulder but I instinctively threw them away from me, not letting anyone get in my way. 

When I reached the front of the crowd I let my eyes land on each professor one by one. Fear along with grief filled them as they saw me. Some of them shaking their heads at me, silently asking me not to look down. If I was being honest with myself, I didn't want to look down, didn't want to know who it was lying on the floor lifeless before me. 

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, steadying and preparing myself for what I was about to see. When I finally felt as if I was ready, eyes still closed I tilted my head down and opened my eyes. The world stilled along with my heart and breathing. A mess of black cropped curls lay in a puddle of blood, her tanned skin was now ashen. What use to be beautiful glistening earth brown eyes were now hazy and dull and frozen open in terror. Elana was gone. My wonderful, sweet and caring friend killed for no reason. 

Fury, something I have been experiencing a lot of lately filled me to my very core. I heard as screaming broke out around me, and watched as the professors desperately tried to usher the students away from me. I had no intention of hurting anyone though. "Stop!" I commanded all of them. They all stopped in their tracks and looked at me, and I at them, with red and black tinged vision. "I have no intention of hurting any of you." My power however had other plans as the building trembled at the power in my voice.

I sighed but continued. Using my power I gently lifted Elana's still body in the air. A bright light consumed her, before fading out shortly after. There she was, now dressed in a beautiful blue gown. She now lay in a casket made of gold. Silver vines twined around the gold like ivy. Brilliant emerald flowers with sapphire centers bloomed from the silver vines. Her lovely face was now peaceful as a small smiled graced her pink lips. 

Lowering her to the ground my eyes watered. "Save her. please." A boy screamed as he came up to me, tears streaming down his face. The boy looked to be eleven or twelve. I forgot the Academy housed younger students as well, they were prodigies. I looked into his sad and broken eyes. I crouched down to his level so I could better see him. He looked so dejected, and his heart break was evident in his chocolate brown eyes. "Who are you baby?" I asked in a gentle whisper, as a mother would talk to her mourning child. The boy sniffled as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'm Charlie. Elana is my sister. Please save her." He choked. 

I closed my eyes briefly as I tried to hold back my tears unsuccessfully. I grabbed the boys hands gently in mine. "I can do a lot of things Charlie." I told him gently. "I can heal people, but I can't bring them back from the dead. I'm so sorry." The boy let out a sob before throwing himself at me. I pet his hair as I held him and let him sob on my shoulder. The complete and utter heart break that was in this boys eyes caused me to cry along with him. "I am so sorry." I whispered to him. 

"Anna? Charlie?" Professor Abe said lowly. We both looked up to the reaper with watery eyes. "I thought both of you would want to know she is at peace. Her soul was successfully made it to the other side, I escorted her myself." I wiped my eyes and gave him a sad smile. "Thank you." I whispered. He nodded at me and turned and left. "Charlotte." I called, my voice a tad bit stronger. "Yes child?" She asked. I stood and looked her in the eye. "Please have someone watch after Charlie for a little while, and have some men carry Elana wherever she need to go. I know her family would like to see her and more than likely bury here where they want."

Charlotte then did something I never expected her to do, she hugged me. "I will make sure the boy is cared for, as I will ensure Elana's body is handled with the upmost care and respect." I flinched when she said body. The word reminding me Elana was gone. I would never see my best friend again. Never hear her laugh or see her smile. We would never have our weekly sleep overs where we would eat popcorn and sweets while we watched cheesy chick flicks. 

My chest tightened at the thought, but I couldn't break down again, not here. "Thank you." I said while pulling away from her. She nodded once and walked away, ushering the crying boy with her. I turned back to Elana and saw Abe and several other professors and students carrying Elana away. I watched as they disappeared out the Academy doors and she was carried to the main building where her parents would pick her up. 

When I turned and saw the crowd of people were still there staring at me I got mad. "All of you leave. Go back to your dorms, the show is over. A students death is not a sideshow, show some respect." I yelled. The group all tool a sharp intake of breath before scattering and disappearing back from whence they came, all except my guys. Ashe, Axel, Samuel and Alex all stood a short distance from me. 

"I'm alright guys, I'm not going to break." I said wryly. Ashe was the first to reach me and engulf me in his arms. "You did an amazing job with the child my love." The adoration in his voice didn't go unnoticed, but I let it got. "And that casket you summoned for her, was so elegant and breath taking. Her family will love it." Axel told me soothingly. 

I just smiled sadly at them. "Thank you all for being here." I whispered. "We will all miss her." Alex said softly. "She was an amazing girl who had her life taken from her. But she will live on in those who loved her." I sniffled a little at his words, but there was something they didn't know, something I was not going to tell them to keep them safe. I was going after the rebellion and I was going to make them pay. I would start with the couple I let live. I would kill one of them and leave the other to mourn for the rest of their days, then I would move on and kill any member I could find. They would pay, maybe not any time soon, but they would pay, I was going to make sure of it.