Page 25 of Wicked Warlock
“That sounds like a you problem.”
Before I could respond, Hades waved his hand and everything was gone. I was lost to black nothingness.
Chapter 9
Zinnia
I’m not ready for this. I can’t do this. The oppressive tightness in my chest just wouldn’t go away. It was like my heart hurt so much that the pain radiated throughout my whole body. Each breath was a struggle that I fought for. I’d lost my mother to a spell, yet there was hope that she would return. But this, to lose Serrina, there was no hope left. The ball in my throat made it hard to swallow. I ground my teeth together and blew out a hard breath, fighting back the tears that wanted to fall. I was the high queen, the leader of them all. People expected me to be the example of strength in the face of losing one of our own. But I… I felt myself cracking.
The school was deathly silent. There were no students running in the hall. There was no laughter or even a hint of joy. Mourning had fallen over Evermore Academy and it didn’t seem like it should ever end. For her, I didn’t think it should. Even the earth seemed to be mourning her with cloudy gray overcast skies that looked like they themselves wanted to weep. The air was so chilly that my breath fogged. I huddled into my long black cloak, finding warmth within the thick faux fur lining. Gloves covered my hands, but I still couldn’t stop my emotions from letting sparks of my magic filter through them and glitter all around me.
Across the way at the front of the courtyard, Tabi stood in front of Serrina’s body, which rested peacefully on a beautiful dark gray stone altar. I could only see her from behind, but I knew she was sobbing from the way her shoulders shook and her breath heaved.
Serrina’s lips were a pale blue and her eyes were closed tightly as though she were asleep. But there was a stillness to her that held the tinge of death that couldn’t be denied. A long white dress covered her body and flowed around her shoulders. Her hands were folded gracefully on her stomach. Even in death, she looked perfect with eternal youth and beauty.
Wake up. Please, wake up.
This was all a nightmare. Tabi held her hands out to her sides and yellow streams flowed from her fingertips. Ever so slowly, vines crept up from the ground and began to wind around each other. Four posts began to form at the four corners of her altar. They reached up toward the sky then suddenly turned and began to weave together, forming a canopy over Serrina. Dark green leaves sprang from the vines and blood red roses bloomed before my very eyes. Black dahlias mixed in among the roses, and it was almost too poetically beautiful for one of our fallen queens. The strong floral scent of the flowers filled the air and clung to the cold breeze. Flurries began to fall slowly, like a sad dance that never ended.
A tear leaked from the corner of my eye, and I quickly swiped it away just as Tucker moved next to me. “I’m not ready for this. We’re too young.”
Tucker wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to his chest. I inhaled his warm cinder scent for comfort. He kissed the top of my head. “You have to be… This is what it is to be queen. And I will be here every step of the way with you.”
“Anything from Brax? Is he okay?”
Tuck shook his head. “He hasn’t changed back since we lost her. I think he still blames himself.”
Just then, Brax prowled around the courtyard in his full tiger form. A low, constant growl rumbled in his chest. “What about Grayson? I haven’t seen him.”
“I think he’s gone full vamp. He’s just everywhere at once, patrolling the school for another attack. I think keeping busy might be helping. Honestly, even Adrienne is even more buried in her books than usual and that’s saying something.”
“I don’t know what to do for them.” I wanted to help the knights who protected us. It was their job to keep us alive. But no one could’ve prevented this.
A shimmering portal opened right next to me, and my Aunt Penndolyn stepped out. She, too, wore a long black cloak as a sign of mourning and respect for the loss of Serrina. When she looked to the altar, her eyes swam with unshed tears. “I have seen and felt too much of this. It’s enough. More than enough to last me a lifetime.”
“Aunt Penny, I don’t know if I can do this. Give Serrina’s eulogy.”
She placed her hand over mine. “Unfortunately, my Queen, it is you they will all look to for strength. Even when we have no more to give. But it is at our lowest that we need to persevere.”
She gave my hand a squeeze then walked to the front row of seats and took her place beside Niche. They exchanged a few words then both sat still as statues. Even as adults, they weren’t prepared to handle this. If they couldn’t, then how could I?
Two dark figures emerged from one of the darkened hallways. I watched as Cross marched across the courtyard right toward us. His eyes were bloodshot and surrounded with dark circles. Ophelia walked silently beside him. She, too, was a hot mess, in her torn clothing from the battle that took place in the middle of the night. Pieces of her hair fell from the braided faux-hawk she favored. She held his hand tightly her hers and didn’t look up as they approached us.
Cross’ face was turned down into a deep scowl. “What about the others? Beckett, Astrid, Logan, Nova? Shouldn’t we mourn them, too?”
“I’m just not ready yet. We have Serrina here. I just… I refuse to give up on them yet.” I sucked in a deep breath and shook my head. “I can’t give up on them yet.”
Devastation fell over Cross’ face, and he rubbed at his eyes. “We lost Serrina to a soulmate bond. Her mate is dead… and Maze is never wrong. Never.”
“It wasn’t just Maze. They all saw it.” Ophelia sniffled and swiped at her nose. “They saw their death. Nova did it. I don’t know why, but I’ve seen Maze’s power. Cross is right. Maze is never wrong. There’s only one explanation. They…” she swallowed hard, “they didn’t make it.”
I didn’t want to believe it, but with Serrina lying there, part of me knew they were right. Maze came from down one of the hallways with Odin, the one-eyed black cat, hot on his heels. His hands were curled into fists and his eyes kept switching from glowing green to milky white and back again. The muscle in his jaw ticked as neon green smoke seeped from his hands up around his arms and drifted up to the sky. Strands of his dark hair fell over his forehead into his face. He stopped just in front of us and swayed on his feet. He pressed his hand to his temples and squeezed.
“It won’t stop. All I see is death. Over and over. Like a curse.”
The others all stared at me as if saying, “You see? You see what we mean?” I did know what they meant, but I had no idea what to say or do. I didn’t want to accept this—any of it. Not now, not ever. Yet as all the students from the school filtered into the courtyard and began to take their seats, I knew I had to accept this. It was too real. Too in my face. Their tear-stained cheeks, red faces, and quiet sniffles were more than I could bear. They needed me, and we needed this moment to mourn the loss of our friend, our sister, one of our queens.
I took a deep breath and began walking toward Serrina. The closer I got, the harder it was to breathe. I was supposed to say something about her, about the short life she lived, but how did one sum up everything that my friend was?
