Page 125 of A Lesson in Obedience
My throat was sore from Oliver’s hands but it didn’t bother me. Ididn’t care. I used my magic and made the flames higher and he looked around.
“You want to be a disobedient child, Riley? Let’s take a walk down memory lane.” He brought his hand up slightly and all the glass pieces from the broken window ripped away from their place and stood at attention. He flicked his hand and the jagged pieces tore through Asher’s side, Grayson was able to shadow out of the way, but another piece hit Corrin in the face and two sliced Ike’s leg.
“STOP IT!”
“Why?! You don’t like the privileges I’ve given you, the future you could have!?”
I didn’t realize what he was doing until I heard Corrin screaming my name. Chancellor Fowler was dragging her over to the window.
I used my magic to try to pull her back, but he pushed back. My mind was exhausted, but I kept going. Corrin tried to squirm away but his hold on her was too strong. Asher was bleeding from his side but he grabbed her and tried to yank her back. Grayson’s shadows tried to bring her in, hoping that would get her out, but she was planted firmly in Chancellor Fowler’s hold.
“Let go of my sister!” Ike held onto his metal dagger, running over to them just to get tripped up by Chancellor Fowler and thrown back. The chancellor moved his desk with ease, and pinned Ike against the wall.
Mateo and Jade whined as Chancellor Fowler put pressure on their minds. I heard other wails from beyond the room and saw Beau trying to get to me. His own head was being forced down, but his eyes never left me.
Mom. Mom, make it stop.
He limped forward, a long cut displayed his side and he winced with each amount of pressure the chancellor was adding to his head. He kept moving towards me and my body started to vibrate. The wolves chomped at the air, the room collapsing from their jolts.
“You can fix this, Riley. You can just be my obedient daughter and we can put this all behind us.”
I could feel sweat everywhere and it wasn’t just from the heat that surrounded us. It was my mind working and reworking. I wanted to help relieve the wolves of their agony, I wanted to pull Ike from his entrapment, I wanted to help Corrin and Beau and everyone else, but it was all so much. This wasn’t fair. I should have just shut up and did what I was told.
But that wasn’t me.
You are stronger than him because I think you know exactly who you are, Riley.
My powers were amazing, and I couldn’t wait to explore them on my own time. Right now wasn’t that time.
I blinked over to him. “I’m sorry that I disappointed you. I’m so sorry I never listened to you.”
His eyes turned soft, like I knew they would. He reached out to touch my cheek.
“I’m sorry that I ever made you think I was your daughter.” I grabbed his hand and yanked it back, hearing the bones crack. He yelled, his magic temporarily releasing his holds. I held onto his arm, bringing my knee up and connecting it between his legs. He wheezed, dropping to his knees.
He willed some of the fire to wrap around my wrists, burning my skin and I screamed at the pain. “I am your father. You. Will. Listen. To. Me.” The words came out through his teeth.
The pain was ruthless but I didn’t fight against it. I wasn’t a regular human. The fire could hurt but it was also at this moment my salvation. I pressed my lips together through the pain and I embraced the rings of fire around my wrists. The wisps of flames moved around my skin, burning the hairs on my arms, but eventually melting into my skin.
It felt like added heat to the burning sensation that was already settled at my very core.
Chancellor Fowler shook his head, scowling at me as he tried to get his bearings but I wouldn’t let him. He used his powers to force me across the short distance over to me, but I willed myself to stop.The power he was using to try to yank me over was heavy and I was straining to stand my ground. I watched as the last of the flames retreated from my wrists and I eased up my resistance. My body sailed towards him, but I kicked out my foot, hitting him in the stomach hard enough to hear ribs pop and crack.
I let my telekinesis roughly bring his face up towards me and I slammed his head down, letting the flames he’d created to enclose us, burn the top of his head. I forced him up with my powers, tilting his head back. “You arenotmy father.” Blood trickled down the front of his face, coating his lips, his teeth. It dripped on the ground around me and I had no desire to black out or to let the red liquid deter me from what I needed to do.
I cinched my hand around his throat and applied pressure, hearing him gasp for air and forcibly opening his mouth. I collected the fire that was around us into my hand, feeling his pull to stop my hand but it was weak and almost like he was pleading with me, wanting me to let him in.
I smirked and dropped the fireball into his mouth, forcing his lips closed. His throat turned red and blisters popped up in various places. Smoke came from his mouth when he could finally open it, and he clawed at his throat when I let him go.
He reached for me and I leaped back, seeing Corrin running from the window and to my side. “Is he…?” Mateo’s large wolf form towered over us, letting small growls leave his throat. The sound of wood scraping against wood sounded in my ears and I watched Ike shift the desk that had him pinned, away from his body.
My heart thundered loudly in my chest. “Not yet.” Beau shook off his body, his cut still leaking blood, but he limped over to Chancellor Fowler’s body, licking his chops and very viciously diving into the chancellor’s neck. He ripped skin and tore through tendons. His tail wagged happily the entire time and when he was done, he came over to me and sat down. Blood coated his face, but it almost looked like he was smiling.
Good boy. You’re a very good boy.I thought to him, tears collecting in my eyes.
Jade’s howling got my focus again and she nodded at me, using her large paws to shuffle Ike and the others out. Grayson and Asher both grabbed me and we followed after the wolves. Blood soaked the walls as we ran down the hallway. Bodies of people I’d never met littered the ground.
I stopped when I saw one I knew. She had a large claw-like gash in her neck that followed down her chest. “Lena?”
