The Afterlife Academy Saga

Chapter 11

11

While our teachers were trying their best to keep everything normal, it was clear they weren’t happy with the new management.

“Well.” Professor Rada clapped her hands in an attempt to grab everyone’s attention. “Since all old methods for travelling to the Veil have been banished by the Midnight Ravens, there’s not much use in me teaching you, is there?”

“Poor teacher,” Aellyn muttered.

I nodded. “I know.”

While she’d been reluctant to travel into the Veil with us after my incident, it was clear she didn’t subscribe to the Midnight Ravens’ new ways of dealing with the Afterlife.

“Luckily, we have a Raven with us.” Rada gestured to our Class Leader. “Pete Peterson, isn’t it? Come up to the front.”

The Raven looked startled. “Me?”

He probably hadn’t expected to have to do anything else but keep watch over us and lead the march.

“Yes, you.” Professor Rada waved again. “Come here.”

“Umm… Okay?”

On the other side of me, Astrid leaned in with a devious grin. “I wonder what she’s up to.”

“Looks like we’re not the only ones that want to get rid of them,” I whispered back.

“Not a surprise.” I gestured to the front. “Look.”

Where Professor Rada stood proud and tall, the Peterson guy seemed insecure and worried. Maybe he was a Raven, but he certainly didn’t have the kind of confidence that Commander Folk and some of his higher officials possessed.

“If our teachings are so corrupt, why don’t you enlighten us with the Midnight Raven’s new technique,” Professor Rada challenged him.

“Ummm…” Peterson ran a hand through his blonde curls, his expression worried.

If he was anyone else, I’d have sympathised with being put on the spot, but I didn’t.

“Come on,” Rada egged him on. “Why don’t you show us what Folk’s beliefs are worth? He dares claim male Wind Children or anyone without ties to the Veil can become an Afterlife Assistant. Prove it.”

It was dead silent in the classroom. Everyone was watching the spectacle unfold with caged breath, waiting for the Raven to break or something to happen. Maybe it was wrong for our teacher to force this young man’s hand like she was, but she wasn’t doing anything unorthodox. She was simply asking for a demonstration and after all the talk from Commander Folk about his new Afterlife and methods, I was certainly ready to see it.

Raven Peterson held up his hands. “I’m afraid I can’t. The Commander forbids it.”

“I don’t give a flying s**t what your commander forbids!” Rada screeched.

The entire class jumped in shock. We’d never seen this kind of anger from our professor, but after a month of being held hostage in our own school, everyone was nearing breaking point. It was only a matter of time before one of our teachers exploded.

“Do it,” she hissed, the markings on her face lighting up as the magic swirled through them.

The blue hue cast long shadows on the Raven’s face and he cowered in fear. “Don’t make me do it. He’ll punish me!”

The windows flew open and the wind whistled into the room, making our papers and hairs dance as Rada drew power and strength. “Do it!”

“Please!”

“Show me your faith!”

Before either of them gave in, the door slammed open and Commander Folk marched in, thunder weaved between his eyebrows. “What’s the meaning of this?”

If I thought the situation was explosive before, it was nothing compared to the stand-off between the two. Where Raven Peterson was just a boy, Commander Folk was Professor Rada’s equal.

“You arrogant son of a bastard. I’m sick of your new reign. It’s time you took your Ravens and left this school alone,” she threatened. “Or else—”

“Or else what?” Folk laughed, unbothered and crass as always. “You’re a month too late to stand up against me.”

“It’s never too late,” she shouted above the sound of the howling wind. With every passing second, the tension built. The cold air whirled and wheezed, raging past us as it gathered around Rada and resonated with the magic within her.

The ruckus was gathering bystanders and more and more students and Ravens alike came pouring into the classroom and filled up the hallway, all eager to watch what was happening.

Rada’s marks glowed and the wind started sparking with the same colour as her magic. It was obeying, transforming, becoming an extension of her. She was morphing it, shaping it to carry out her will. A feat not many Wind Children were capable of.

It sucked the papers off our desks and incorporated them into the brewing storm where they circled like angry white birds.

I held my breath, captivated by the display of sheer power. Even if it wasn’t directed at me, I could feel the immense force threatening to explode. I cowered under my desk, where I found many other students doing the same.

The Ravens around Commander Folk had retreated to the walls, leaving a circle around him. They all feared her power and so they should. And yet… Commander Folk didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. He was still laughing, despite the tornado forming around our professor.

“Is that what you’re going to hurt me with? A little bit of North Wind?” he taunted.

“You f*****g—”

The rest of Rada’s curse was drowned out as she released the raging storm and sent it hurtling towards Folk. It tore through the marble floor and threw desks into the air, leaving nothing unscathed in its path. The thunderous noise deafened the entire room and I covered my ears, hoping to protect myself.

The tornado collided with the Commander, swallowing him whole. For a moment, the noise was overwhelming. It threatened to tear the world apart from its very hinges and promised great destruction, and then, just like that, it was silent.

Dead silent.

Was it all over? Did Rada accomplish what the other professors had failed to do in the past month? Did she vanquish the Commander?

Just as I let out a breath of relief, I heard that sound again.

His laughter.

The tornado vanished and all the books and sheets fell down around Commander Folk. He stepped out of the circle of doom, not a hair on his head out of place, unharmed.

Professor Rada was speechless. “No… That’s not… I don’t… Not. Possible.”

“Did you think that little breeze of wind would defeat me?” Folk taunted, his voice reduced to a rasp. He was no longer shouting and that made him all the more terrifying.

“Impossible,” Rada whispered as she sank to her knees, her glowing marks fading back into her skin.

“Your North Wind is no match for the Midnight Raven.” He reached for the baton he carried with him. “Now you’ll be punished for your defiance.”

The bat swung into the air, gaining speed and momentum that would leave the professor’s back bruised for weeks. She looked up at the weapon, the defeat swirling in her eyes. She wasn’t even making an attempt to protect herself.

The baton came down, but it never reached Rada. Instead, a man had intercepted halfway through the swing by holding Folk’s arm back.

“Commander Folk,” Ormslang hissed, straining as he pushed the arm back down. “What are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Punishing the woman who dared question me.”

“Tssk.” His second in command shook his head, his thin eyes narrowing even more. “Sometimes, the tree splits better when it is wet.”

“What does that even mean?” Folk growled.

“It means a demonstration might be in order.” He pried the baton from Folk’s hand and let it thud loudly on the floor. “It’s time to show the Midnight Raven’s power. Her real power.”

The two locked in a standoff, one that didn’t seem to affect Ormslang much, but left Folk growing progressively redder. He glared at the thin man, reddening and reddening until he couldn’t take it anymore and he gave in. “Fine. Have it your way! Gather everyone in the main hall, I’ll show them. I’ll show you!”

He stomped through the crowd, shoving students and Ravens alike out of his way. “And someone pick up my f*****g baton!”

As soon as he was gone and some of the tension had evaporated, I sighed. “Wow, that was tense…”

“I’ll say.” Astrid dusted herself off as she crawled from underneath her desk and nudged her head to the side. “What power do you think they’re talking about?”

I shrugged. “No idea. We’d better go and watch.”

“Right.”

The two of us scurried through the masses, closely followed by Aellyn. We pushed our way through the rows of curious students, to the main hall where Folk was demonstrating… something.