Page 98 of Ava: Part Three

She looked over at the sea of students. How many parents and guardians would have to bury their children after today?

She closed her eyes and felt Nyx’s presence.

Trust her, Zeke had said. So she did. This job was bigger than she could handle, but Nyx would manage it.

When she opened her eyes again, she knew they were red.

‘I love you, Ava,’ Zeke said in her head.

It sounded a lot like he was saying goodbye.

Chapter 57

Avawatchedhowthestudents at the front started to inch back, aware that her beast was now in control. The stench of their fear aggravated Nyx. Ava didn’t understand that for a moment until she realised that Nyx would not get any joy from attacking defenceless people. Her fear that she would shift and attack everyone at the academy had been unwarranted. Nyx was like her in that aspect; there was no need to fight unless her life was in danger.

But the councillors and Head of the Council behind her were a different story. A threat that Nyx wanted to eliminate. A challenge. And her beast apparently lived for these challenges. She could feel her rage build up at these people who had put her in this position.

She had refused to submit to anyone all her life, and she’d fought with those who had still tried to force her. It was now clear that Nyx’s ego had been wounded then, and she’d sought revenge. It had been Nyx who had wanted to see those people on their knees, submitting to her. It was what she wanted to see from Mr Hansson.

‘I don’t think that will happen, Nyx.’

“We don’t have all day, Miss Morgan. Give me names. Show everyone here why you are chosen. Why you are better than them.”

Anger welled in her chest, and her fists clenched.

She was not better than anyone. They were all the same, from Omega to Alpha. From the witches who’d just come into their powers to the ones more seasoned. The vampires who were still learning to fight, like Robert, to their prince. All the same.

She looked at Zeke and looked into his wolf’s eyes. In the red depths of Shadow’s eyes, she saw all the anger Zeke had held back. Her mate would have gone along with whatever decision she would have made, but he would never have been happy if she gave in.

Shadow was not meant to be caged by this system.

Nyx wasn’t either.

She turned her head to look at Mr Hansson, and he smiled when he saw her eyes. He couldn’t hide his excitement at the show he assumed he would get, and that disgusted her.

“We can do this another way,” she said.

She was surprised at the sound of her voice. It was deeper, huskier.

“And what other way is that, Ava?” Mr Hansson asked.

He moved even closer to her father, so confident in his invincibility. Maybe he was right to be that way. Andrei frowned at her as if he was asking what she was doing. But Zeke was right. They couldn’t put their lives into other people’s hands. They couldn’t be pushed into these despicable acts that they would have to live with for their whole lives just to satisfy a madman’s agenda.

If the councillors didn’t have the balls to stand up to him, then she and her friends would have to do it themselves. She had chosen her side and would accept the consequences.

“Everyone here is just a number to you, but they all mean the world to someone. They’re someone’s child. Someone’s sibling. Someone’s friend. We will not slaughter anyone to build your army.”

There were shouts in the crowd as they started retreating further.

“Have you forgotten what you did to get yourself in this position?” Mr Hansson said.

She would never forget.

‘It was them or you,’ Nyx said.

She knew that, but it was time for her to accept it. Nyx had saved her life. She was her monster, her darkness.

“I never hid from the punishment I deserve, and I will still accept it now. But no one needs to die today.”

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