Equinox Academy: Dark Prophecy

Chapter 4

My feet feel cold...

Are they wet...

I wiggle my toes and feel liquid moving between them. It feels icy eliciting a shiver to run up my spine. My eyes flash open because umm... why the hell are my feet touching the water?  

What the f**k?

Where the f**k am I? 

    My mouth drops open at the wondrous sight in front of me. The water I'm standing in stretches for miles almost like being in the middle of a calm ocean with nothing but you and the stars as company. And the stars are absolutely breathtaking. The twelve zodiacs shine proudly like they are shouting their stories and meaning vying for my attention. The planets are so clear and the colors are otherworldly. In the country back roads, you can get a glimpse of the beauty the sky offers every once in a while but it's nothing in comparison to the beauty I am beholding at this moment. I've only seen photos of this kind of magic on the computer, but to experience it in real life is awe-inspiring. Just as I'm getting my breathing under control beautiful lights streak across the sky and I find myself mesmerized all over again. 

    I notice something glowing underneath me. I look down and gasp as I take in my reflection. My hair is slicked back from water but I'm unsure how it got wet. My eyes are glowing like they were when my powers came in but they seem brighter like someone plucked the stars themselves out of the night sky and placed them in my skull. My usual caramel-colored skin glows a honey-colored gold that highlights my features but the most shocking is my clothes or the lack thereof. The dress I'm wearing hugs my body like a second skin and the fabric is see-through white. The straps crisscross across my chest and lay over my breast doing nothing to hide my flesh. The fabric cinches at my waist and flares out over my hips accentuating my hourglass figure. There is a high slit that reaches to the top of my hip while the rest of the skirt falls about my feet. Honestly, I'd love it if I wasn't seeing all my goodies on full display. I mean I like X-rated clothing as much as the next girl but I might as well be nude. 

    My feet shift and the water ripples. I watch as it shifts the reflection of the stars as far as my eyes can see. Suddenly I realize I've got a huge issue. I'm in the middle of a mysteriously large body of water with nowhere to go. Panic seizes me and I am now conscious that if I move I may be swallowed whole forever lost in the abyss of this vast dark void. 

Fuck...

Just Breathe...

Don't Panic...

Just don't f*****g panic...

Well f**k I'm already panicking...

    Just when I feel the fear starting to spread to my limbs I hear a silvery disembodied voice.

"Fear not my child, you are safe."

    As if a soft breeze brushed my exposed skin the voice caresses me and eases the mounting fear that threatens to drown me. Still unwilling to move I whisper "Who are you?" Mentally face-palming myself at the shaky tone that escapes. 

"In time my sweet girl just know I mean you no harm."

    Gaining back some of myself I can't help but scoff. "Yeah sure lady, try telling me that when I'm not surrounded by a body of water in the middle of nowhere talking to a voice that's essentially coming from the wind." A tinkling of whimsical laughter fills the air and despite my smartass comment, I smile. 

"Good Point"

I turn my head trying to find the source of the voice and notice a bright light that sits on the horizon that looks similar to the moon. I lift my foot against my better judgment but the voice stops me.

"The time to talk face to face is not upon us but I need you to listen to me very carefully."  Her tone has become more serious and almost urgent which makes me slightly nervous. I replace my foot heeding her warning. Suddenly a tugging sensation starts in my lower belly. Almost like an invisible string is attached to my belly button is pulling me backward. I place my hands there in a failed attempt to thwart the sensation but it starts to intensify. The voice speaks again. 

"My darling child your time with me reaches its end. Your powers have been released but not to their full potential you must find those who belong to you and you to them."

Those who belong to me?

And me to them?

What the hell does that mean?

"There will be those who will covet you, fear you, and despise you. True friends will be your guide and monster will wear the faces of innocents. Do not be fooled by pretty faces because they hide the ugliest souls. Your journey will not be easy but remember to follow your heart." 

    The tugging is getting worst. It feels like my front side is going to be ripped through my back. I grit my teeth trying to concentrate on her last words. 

"Heed my warnings child and remember dark does not always mean evil and light does not always mean good. Go forth my sweet girl and know I believe in you. 

    Air rushes past my ears as my body feels like it's being hurdled through the sky. I catch the last whispered words from my mysterious voice.

"Restore the balance..."

    My body jolts and a gasp escapes my lips echoing around the room. Pain flares in the left side of my chest and I grit my teeth as tears fill my closed eyelids. The smell of disinfectant stings my nose and the beep of a heart monitor sounds like a siren in my ears. I move to shift my hands but find them restrained by heavy cuffs. 

What the f**k?

Why am I handcuffed?

Oh, Goddess not again...

    I try to slowly open my eyes but they feel cemented shut. I struggle and shift my head towards the pillow but it's no use. My only option is to use my voice. "Help..." Only it comes out raspy and brittle and sounds strange to my own ears. I try again. "Someone please help." It feels like my throat is full of sandpaper. I swallow past the pain and try harder. "HELP!" I try to listen concentrating past the stupid heart monitor but don't hear anything indicating that someone has heard me. I feel around searching for the help button and finally snag what feels like a wire. Pulling it towards me I finally feel the button on top of the handle and smash it several times. Not even ten seconds later the door swings open and what sounds like at least 4 people enter the room. I hear shuffling feet and murmured voices. 

"Was it a fluke?"

"Her eyes are still closed"

"Did the emergency button fall?"

    With great effort, I whisper "Water." A collective gasp sounds through the room. I try again hoping they hear me. "Water...Please." All at once the shuffling starts and I hear someone leave. I feel someone prod my chest causing me to hiss. They flinch back and mumble "sorry" before more movement. Whoever left returns in rushed steps and approaches speaking in soft tones which I'm grateful for.

"Ms. Pheonix I'm Lisa the head nurse practitioner on duty. I have a glass of water but I need you to take small sips okay?"

    I nod slowly and feel a straw placed between my lips. I take a slow pull of water and have to restrain myself from gulping down the liquid. The crisp water hits the back of my throat soothing the sandpaper quality. I take another sip and Lisa, to my dismay, takes the cup away. Again I have to restrain myself from crying out or whimpering. 

"Okay, Ms. Pheonix I need you to answer a few questions before I give you more water."

"Kassandra."

"Excuse me?"

"Call me Kassandra or Kass most people do."

"Very well before we get started your parents have been notified that your awake and are on their way."

"Okay." My voice is still gritty but it doesn't hurt to talk as bad. 

"First off how are you feeling?"

"I can't open my eyes, that heart monitor is giving me a headache, and my chest still kind of burns but other than wanting to wrestle that water from you I'm okay."

Almost instantly the monitor stops beeping and I sigh in relief. Lisa place the straw between my lips again and I take another swallow before she retreats to continue her questioning. 

"Any other pain aside from the headache and the pain on your chest?"

"No ma'am."

"Do you remember what happened?"

Images flash through my mind but I don't focus on them, not yet. I'm not ready. A brief glimpse of peridot eyes causes the pain in my chest to flare slightly but goes away after a moment. I whisper "yes" but don't elaborate further and Lisa doesn't ask me too. She must sense my reluctance to talk about it. 

"Can you wiggle your toes?" I do.

"Can you wiggle your fingers? I do and the cuff tings against the metal frame of the bed I'm in. 

"Can you try moving your legs?" I try to lift my legs and after some effort and a lot of shaking I manage to get them a couple of inches off the bed before they come crashing down. 

"Can you lift your arms? I lift them up with a little effort but the cuffs keep me from doing more than an inch from the bed. 

"Do you know what day it is?"

"No."

I hear the scratching of pen and paper.

Well, that's not a good sign... 

"Okay Kass we are going to help you open your eyes slowly is that alright?"

"Please."

    A warm cloth is placed on my eyes and slowly someone washes away the gritty crust. "Okay, Sam cut the lights so she's not overwhelmed when we open them." I see the backs of my eyelids darken and feel gloved fingers slowly work the remaining crust off my lashes. Tears spill from my ducts and more warm gauze is rubbed across my lids until they feel normal. Warm oil is rubbed add to soothe the scratchy raw feeling after having my eyes cleaned. Lisa's soft voice breaks the silence once they finish. 

"Okay, Kass I want you to slowly open your eyes."

    My lids flutter and it takes a little effort but slowly I'm able to open my eyes. The sharp sting of color has me blinking rapidly but after a moment I manage to hold them open and let my eyes adjust. Lisa's face comes into focus and for an older woman, she is quite beautiful. She is light skin but not pale. Her face is soft and her eyes are kind. Her smile is bright and her soft brown hair is braided back in a stylish French braid. 

"Well damn, I've never seen such unique eyes."

I blush at the warmth in her voice and scan the rest of the room. Two young Lamia stand near the wall looking slightly nervous and I spot a man in a uniform at the door. He looks to be of Lycan descent, he's really tall and buff reminding me of Nick and I wonder is he here to protect me or protect others from me. My eyes flick to my wrist and I scrunch my nose and brows in confusion. I search Lisa's face for answers and she must see my need to understand because she finally gives me a small explanation. 

"I know you're confused Kass but it's just a precaution. You made quite a mess the other day and we couldn't have you going all nuclear on us while you recover."

"Did...Did I..." My throat seizes and Lisa gives me another sip of water mistaking my distress for a sore throat. I swallow the water and spit out my biggest fear. 

"Did I hurt someone?" I'm so terrified that I caused someone else bodily harm. I don't want to go back to those dark days. After dealing with the Spencer's it took me a while to get over the guilt of what I'd done. Don't get me wrong he deserved it and I do it again to protect myself or the people I care about but I don't take pleasure knowing there is blood on my hands. Lisa's brow furrows but then she begins shaking her head. 

"No dear your parents evacuated everyone before things got serious."

    A breath whooshes out of my lungs that I didn't realize I was holding. Lisa's words lift a major weight off my chest. I was terrified that someone had gotten hurt because of me. Lee and Nick's faces pop into my mind. Lee's face covered in tears and soot and Nick's slightly scarred and healing face. Again the peridot eyes make an appearance and the tug in my chest flares. I'm still confused though if I didn't hurt anyone then why am I being cuffed. Lisa must spot my confusion because she slowly slips her hand into mine and squeezes. Her fingers are soft and warm and the tension I'm carrying slightly eases.

"Kass everything will be answered in time we just think it's better for your parents to tell you what's going on than a bunch of strangers. No one is here to hurt you. Your mother made sure to put the fear of the gods into just about every person in this hospital before she agreed to go home. Your parent should be here shortly and then the doctor will come in to examine you to make sure everything is okay."

I chuckle softly knowing she's not even exaggerating a little bit. If I know my mother well enough she probably threatened every person in her path that she would kill them all slowly and painfully if so much as a hair was harmed on my head. Lisa squeezes my hand softly and turns to leave. As she leaves the room she turns and speaks with the guard who flinches at whatever she says and I know she's warning him that my mother will be returning soon. 

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    About fifteen minutes later the door just about blows off its hinges and Lee storms into the room like a vampiric hurricane on a warpath. I can't help myself I begin snickering hard because Lee can't help but make a spectacular entrance. Lee pauses halfway to my bed and complete and utter shock registers on her face. Tears spring to her eye and my laughing comes to a complete halt when she practically vaults across the room and buries her face into my chest. I feel her fingers slip into mine and her soft multicolored hair tickles my nose but I can't help breathing in deeply taking in the familiar scent of Jasmine and a slight tang off copper. At first, I think she sniffing me too but to my horror, my strong brave mother is in fact crying. Realization dawns on me that she must have been worried sick and guilt rears its ugly head making my eyes burn. Then it feels like all the fear, guilt, terror and confusion hits me square in the chest and now in the safety of my mother's loving arms, I let the tears fall. I cry into her hair while she sobs into my chest for a good twenty minutes. Lee's body shakes as she gasps through her sobs only spurring more of my tears to fall. 

    Eventually, we pull ourselves together and I sense another presence close by. Nick is in the room quietly standing vigil as Lee and I had our moment. It takes me a moment but when I really look at him I can't help sucking in a startled gasp. He looks completely different. Instead of his usual pristine appearance, my father looks exhausted. His face is drawn tight, bags are prominent under his eyes, and he even looks like he's lost weight. His normally bulky body looks slightly shrunken in size. His eyes are bloodshot with a weary quality to them and his usually pristine dreadlocks are haggard and slightly grown out.

    My confused brain kind of short circuits because it starts to piece together that something is completely wrong. First off, Lee never cries. When I say never I mean never. The woman has suffered severe injuries like broken bones, potentially fatal wounds, and helped fight in the war losing many friends and family. Not once to my knowledge have I or anyone to that matter seen her cry the way she is now. I glance at her and see her puffy eyes and tear-streaked cheeks and my inner warning bells start going off. I glance at my father and my second cue fires off in my mind. My father always seems calm and collected. He's either smiling or smirking and there isn't a hint of a smile or smirk. He hasn't made a joke about Lee's crying or made a joke to loosen up the tension in the room. When we first met after my ordeal with the Spencer's the doctors were struggling to get me to open up because I grew up not trusting anyone. However, Nick seemed to bypass all my walls with a couple of jokes at my expense. He has always been the silver lining type of person and taught me that no matter how dark something looks there is always light to be found you just have to be willing to find it. However, right now his demeanor only adds to the fear that is starting to wrap around my insides and squeeze. 

     Before I can say anything there is a knock on the door, to my utter shock both Lee and Nick growl and spring into defensive stances. Perplexed I try to sit up because if there is a potential threat I refused to be completely defenseless. I may be handcuffed but I've been trained to inflict pain even while my hands are confined. My muscles ache but I get my feet positioned in a bend so that I can kick out if I need to. Lee calls out in a gravelly tear-stricken voice.

"Who is it?"

"Dr. Long"

Both my parents seem to physically relax minutely but not completely.

"Come in."

    Nick's sharp voice causes me to flinch. I've only heard it a handful of times but luckily have never been on the receiving end. The door creeps open and a large frame walks in. He is followed by Lisa who arches her brow at my parents who still seem to be in attack mode and stifles a laugh with a cough which makes me relax. I like Lisa despite the circumstance. Even though I'm more at ease with Lisa's presence my parent's behavior still keeps my senses on edge. Slowly Dr. Long approaches the bed no doubt being cautious because of Lee and Nick's behavior. When he comes closer I see that he's in his late forties but has aged well. His face is kind and warm like Lisa's which helps settle some of my nerves. He has a kind smile and his eye are warm with slight wrinkles around them showing that he laughs a lot. He's got dark hair with silver on the sides and his eyes are a grey-blue color that reminds me of Pierce Bronson. Before I can let my brain go off on a tangent he speaks calmly and softly. 

"Hello, Ms. Pheonix I'm Dr. Long I'm the head physician on duty how are you feeling?"

"Kassandra."

"Excuse me?" He sounds perplexed and Lisa stifles another laugh. I flash her a wink because at least I can try and cut the tension in the room because honestly, I feel like I'm about to suffocate. I feel the tension dissipate slightly as both my parents relax a little further and I elaborate for the slightly confused doctor. 

"Call me Kassandra or Kass most people do. Ms. Pheonix makes me sound old. And to answer your question I'm doing... okay I guess."

He chuckles at my slight joke and glances at Lisa who is smiling at my antics. 

"Okay, Kassandra are you in any pain?"

"Aside from the blaring headache, the pain in my chest, and the empty pit growing in my stomach I'm all good."

At my statement, my stomach rips an angry snarl and the mood seems to lighten as everyone starts to chuckle lightly. 

"Well we will try to remedy that soon but first we need to discuss why you're here."

Just like that the tension in the room returns and both my parents stiffen sparking the warning bells in my brain to start firing like fireworks. The doctor either doesn't know how to read the room or he simply realizes that we can't prolong the inevitable because without hesitation he continues.

"Kassandra, do you remember what happened on the night of June 24th?"

  Confused by his wording I can't help but answer hesitantly. 

"Umm... yea it was my birthday and my powers came in."

"Great do you know why you're here?"

"I... I got hurt I think..." I fade out when Lee hiccups and Nick shifts to grab her hand. 

"Okay very good Kassandra, do you remember anything else?"

My brain flashes and my sense are filled with the smell of burnt wood, ashes under my fingers, and melted plastic overwhelms me. Images of c*****e flit through my brain and I flinch at the destruction I caused. My eyes shift to my parents and I'm overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow. I'm only able to choke out the next answer.

The bar... I'm so sorry." Tears sting my eyes but Lee is by my side shushing me while Nick squeezes my hand and caresses my knuckles lovingly. I bite my inner cheek to keep from crying again but their overwhelming love and support always causes me to get slightly emotional. After taking a moment to pull myself together I face Dr. Long and answer his question. 

"I'm not sure what all happened but I know I destroyed a good portion of my parent's bar."

    Dr. Long nods slowly and approaches the bed. Lee growls which causes him to stall but it's more warning than anything. They lock eyes and I can see the "I kill for fun" look she gives him. Lisa smiles again and I try to hide my confusion. Dr. Long nods in acknowledgment and closes the space between us. When he reaches the bedside he sits in the chair and begins to examine my chart. He performs a simple check of my vitals and seems satisfied when he's finished. He moves to my chest that has the only bandage on my body and lifts it to check what's underneath. Curious about the wound, I try to tilt my head down to see it but can't from the angle I'm sitting in and his hands are in the way. So I just decide to ask.

"What is that?"

I see Nick and Lee stiffen which only makes me more curious.

"Well, it's a mark that appeared after your powers showed up. We are unsure what it means but the good news is it's almost fully healed."

What the f**k?

A mark... what kind of mark?

I flash concerned eyes at my parents and my father implores me with his eyes to wait for answers. I give a slight nod but also give them both a look that says when we're alone I need answers. They both flinch slightly but nod in agreement. As we have the silent conversation Dr. Long stands and grabs my chart.

"Well, Kassandra looks like everything is healing or already healed. We are going to start you off on a restricted diet and if you can stomach it we will switch you to solids. You have recovered from your initial wounds weeks ago so we're just going to keep you here for monitoring for a couple more days and start you on some physical therapy to help you regain your strength. If all goes well we should be able to release you soon so you can go home." His smile is genuine but his words send my brain spiraling. 

Weeks ago...

Did he say weeks ago...

Again I look at my parents and panic starts to eat at my insides as Dr. Long and Lisa speak to Nick going over details I don't register as my mind tries to process what the f**k is going on. When they finally leave with the promise of returning with food I turn to my parents and ask the question burning a hole in my brain.

"How long have I been here?"

They both look at each other and hesitation creeps into their features. They must see my panic so they both scoot close and grab my hand. Lee is the first to speak but the tone she uses causes my panic to flare harder and my head begins to swim. 

 "Kassandra baby, stay calm. I know you're confused and we'll explain everything but we are trying to take this slow so we don't freak you out."

I can't help the sarcasm that slips out as fear and panic snake around my brain wrapping it in a vice grip. 

"Umm... too late what the f**k is going on."

She squeezes my hand and pulls out her phone. She presses the unlock button on the screen and the shock at what I see hits me so hard I actually physically flinch. My grip tightens on her hand to what has to be a bruising strength but she doesn't flinch away. When I find my voice I can't hide the disbelief that's coating my tone. 

"That... That... can't be right?"

I stare at my parents as a whirlwind of emotions batters my insides. Just before the phone turns black the date burns its way into my retinas. 

"July 31st"