Chapter 24

AVERY'S POV

The thought of why my mercenary disappeared still lingered in my mind but was almost overwhelmed with why the celestials were here.

The trio of Noble blooded Fae who have not taken a single life and had been personally trained by their ancestors, the faes before they disappeared. I wondered if they knew why they disappeared.

"You need to go," Matilda advised, pushing me gently out of her path.

Her hurried push shoved me to one of the bookshelves which acted as my cover. I still watched the elders.

They walked up to Matilda and I watched her bow respectively like a lady from the eighties.

"Glad to see you." Matilda continued being polite and pretending not to get the hint that the elders didn't give a fuck about her curtsey. They were here for business.

"Where's Legolas?" They dryly asked.

Matilda looked hurt but she quickly masked it and lead them to the secret passage that led to the Academy.

It reminded me I was in enemy territory and o had to leave.

Henry had gone camping with his mother, a house for the weres to let their wolves free and practice for the epic battle that was coming.

The door was opened and since I could smell a little blood, I knew Damian was around.

Damian was sitting down on the couch, the Persian armrest having a different taint of red. His knuckles sore and red with blood.

"What happened?" I gasped.

He stared up and his eyes meet mine, steel blue.

"He's dead."

Who was? The question hit me on replay.

"The vampire you sent after Matilda!" He replied.

My heart stopped. He killed his one kind. A fear I had known suddenly gripped me. It was a tendency Damian had always had.

FLASHBACK

(Ravenwood 1968)

The vampires were closing in on us.y pen people wanted me dead. They had deceived us and brought us right to Victor. If it was Victor. We could outrun him but not our own kind. I could see them whizzing through the forest as effortlessly as us. An arm grabbed me and jolted me off yet floor. I went flying and only stopping when I hit a tree, cracking a rib.

This made Damian stop. His eyes staring menacingly at the vampire who threw me.

I was still healing from collateral damage so I best stayed still.

Damian raced for the enemy. He did not miss it. His extend claws biting deep into his chest as the man gnashed his teeth in pain. Before the man could retaliate, Damian sank his fangs into his neck.

"No!" I managed to scream out.

This did not stop Damian. He drank, draining the vampire of his juice, his life force and leaving him cold.

I stared at Damain wondering what he just did. He drained a vampire entirely of blood in minutes. Like a ripper.

I was mortified.

***

"Am I a monster?" Damian asked, sobbing. I watched the salty liquid drop on his blood-stained hands, the liquid turned reddish almost immediately.

"No, you're not." I pacified, remembering he said those words when my father first transitioned him.

"How do I explain this to the Flock?" Damian queried, still worried about the damage he had done."I was only worried about Matilda. I thought he would harm her."

I Wasn't aware he was stalking her and it frankly creeped me out but I put on a bright smile to mask my worry.

I stood up and sat next to him in going the new copper smell, the bloodstains on him brought to my sinuses and gave him a tight hug.

"I know you are not a monster. You only protect those you love even if it means you die."

We stayed like that for almost eternity until I learned the house a bit too silent. Where was Kalim? He had agreed to stay with us after his father's death and to plan with us.

"Damian, where's Kalim?"

"In his room."

The guest room was just beside mine so I dashed to see if this was true.

The door opened and Kalim was indeed inside. He did not move though, like he didn't even feel my presence.

"Kalim?" I called but there was no answer.

My enhanced hearing informed me he was not breathing nor was his heart beating. I barely knew what was going on but I could feel something was wrong.

I reached out for his hand to shake him off his deep state. My hand went right through.

WTF! It was an illusion.

"Dami..."

Damian showed up before I could complete my sentence, the small box containing the crystal skull in his hands. I felt nothing but dread immediately.

"He took it. Orvinis is gone."

"Oh no!" I lamented. He was taking what had the power to kill us or the enemy right to the wrong territory.

The mirror image of Kalim disappeared leaving only green sparkles on the sheets. I could make out a torn paper with writing on it. I picked it up and read,

"Legolas will pay!"

KALIM'S POV

I knew I was jeopardizing our win but I could not wait to kill the bastard. I could not keep the promise of letting him free knowing that the man who wiped out my mother's people along with her and my father was alive.

O headed to the library, keeping the crystal skull on the most unsafe place, my Jean pocket. I was dressed in a plain black top and black jeans which brand I did not know. My sneaker eas females since it belonged to Avery but I made do with what I had. The warm crystal kept on spilling secret I could not believe I understood.how to create illusions. The crystal felt like it had secretly been a parting gift from my mother. Sort of like a guardian angel.

Matilda was on seat but she looked like she was going somewhere. I could not elude her if I was to pass the secret passage into the academy. I knew Legolas would be there at this time.

The crystal nudged me to move forward and taking the risk without thinking.

"Stop!" Matilda said when she sighted me. I faced and smiled at her, hoping she would suspect nothing. She was dressed in a simple lavender gown that spread like vines and covered her thin legs. Her hair was dressed in a bun, letting a lock flow freely at the front to add to her looks and mild makeup, a little bit of eyeliner and some gloss. Her family emblem, a butterfly could be seen in her neck-shoulder region and could be mistaken as a tattoo.

"Are you sure you want to go in there? Is this part of the plan?" She inquired.

I had to lie.

"Yes! Damian figured I was the only one that isn't wanted dead by Legolas that much. I'm here to make him afraid and lose his mind possibly." I forced a smile.

"Oh o-kay." She said with uncertainty and I proceeded for the academy.

I turned back momentarily to see Matilda with a hand placed to her forehead almost like she was talking to someone.

Damian! I quickened my steps and went into the passage and successfully reaching the academy. I was so in a hurry that I didn't watch where I was going. I bumped into someone.

The man bounced back before he could fall. A feat for such an old man.

"Sorry!" I rushed clumsily, proceeding to help the man.

Immediately my palms met his, I felt a surge of electricity flow through me.

Woah! I was bewildered and Immediately withdrew my hands.

Thanks, man smiled as he tried brushing away the coffee brown stain that was smudged on his shirt when I bumped into him.

The man was dressed in a floral printed Hawaiian shirt and brown Khakis that screamed young at heart and he had funny hair color almost like he bleached them to look way older than his years.

"Who are you, my boy?"

"Kali-m Eve-e-green." I stammered trying to find my way out of this conversation.

"Ah! I've heard of your father. How is he?"

Pent up emotions welled up inside me like I was opening a still-healing wound.

"He's dead." I swallowed.

The man seemed genuinely sorry and was about to apologize when Matilda interrupted.

"Sorry your lordship, he's not supposed to be here." She said, trying to catch her breath, her makeup was slightly dripping down from her face but it was still enough to make her look pretty.

"Nonsense." The old man said waving her off." Why don't you come to dinner with us ehm...Kalim?"

Matilda's breathing quickened. She stared at me telling me to refuse the old man's generous offer.

"Sir...ehm..."

"Call me Meshach." The man quickly chipped in.

"Meshach... I don't think..."

"Nonsense!" The man cut me off."you're coming. You wouldn't want to dishonor an ancient would you?"

My mind reeled. My father had mentioned something about ancients and they were supposedly celestials, higher faebloods. If I gave in to his Invite, I could learn more about my maternal heritage. There were things that hardly made sense.

"Yes!" I answered.

The old man gave me a wide grin

"Matilda would take you there." The man said and walked away.

I faced a physically and mentally exhausted Matilda and for the first time, I could see the colors. I was going to find the truth.