Page 24 of Underworld
It was Calamity that needed to be dealt with, and now, that meant dealing with Luc… and Cole.
“I’m glad you spared her,” I said, “Because Calamity is what we’re up against, and it isn’t done with us yet.”
“We wouldn’t be that lucky, would we?” Logan tugged on my hand, nodding toward a path that veered off to the right. “This way.”
“Everything’s trashed,” I murmured, gazing at the dorms that sported fresh scars and glittering embers of hellfire.
“It’s been rough.” Logan glanced behind us, mouth tightening as he looked at Hendrik.
“We’ve been managing,” Hendrik offered. “My mages can repair most of the damage, given enough Blood Duty. Olivia has proven useful in prevention spells, as well, given her nature as a Light Mage.” He said the work with a sense of pride when I expected a sneer.
I saw the evidence of her work when we came upon a building untouched by the destruction all around it.
Hendrik’s obsidian eyes swept over the structure, calculating, but satisfied. “Olivia made a protective spell for Central Hall,” he explained. “She had some help doing it, but it keeps those outside the Academy from damaging it or getting inside. It’s the safest place in the Academy for now.”
“Good to know.” I bit my tongue, because this looked like a damned powerful spell, whether Olivia had help or not. No wonder she looked like some sort of ethereal goddess. But like the Dark Mages, her magic would be finite and if she lost her soul in the process, Hendrik would have hell to pay for pushing her like this.
One more Virtue that could get in line on my shit list.
Venturing inside, I followed Hendrik to a platform that hummed with magic. Hendrik looked up and I followed his gaze.
No stairs.
Just a straight tunnel that wentup.
“Am I supposed to fly up?” I asked, my wings flicking uselessly behind me.
“Of course not,” Hendrik said as he waved his hand. H muttered a spell and a snap ricocheted through the air. The release of magic made my breath catch when it swept us off our feet.
We spiraled upwards, Logan taking my hand in his as I clutched my wings to my back, trusting the magic to hold us. He smirked at me, clearly enjoying it.
Hendrik landed first at the top platform and Logan swept me onto my feet behind him.
“Wow,” I wheezed as Logan nudged me through the doorway. “Beats running up stairs, I guess, although now I feel kind of sick.”
Hendrik hummed in agreement. “And it’s a safety measure to keep our headquarters safe.”
We ventured into a large office furnished with expensive oak. Blood-red light spilled across the floor from massive windows as Yuri smirked at us, her legs perched onto a massive desk.
She swung her legs over and giggled at my nauseated appearance. “You gonna make it, Champion?” she asked, using my title with a mocking tone.
“I’ll be fine,” I glowered.
From up here, I couldfeelthe damage done by the latest onslaught. Moving to the nearest window, I gazed out and my heart stuttered to a stop. Grabbing onto the window’s stone ledge, I stared outside.
“It’s a sad sight, isn’t it?” a woman’s voice asked, someone entering the room.
Whirling, I looked back at the Dean.
The woman who had killed me.
“Gwen,” I said weakly, clinging to the window’s edge for support.
“Hello, Lily.” Her lips curved up and she came to stand with me. “It doesn’t look the same as you remember, does it?”
I didn’t bother to answer. A blood red moon hung the air. Vibrant trails of molten red ran through the streets. The faint luminescent barrier flickered in and out of sight, while Hell itself lingered around the perimeter, pressing in like a nightmare.
This definitely wasn’t the Fortune Academy I remembered.
