Fallen Academy: Year Four (Fallen Academy #4)(18)

Chest heaving, I spun to see Scarlet with her back to me, watching the alleyway as she protected my back.

“Let’s go,” I whispered, handing her the bloodied meat cleaver back, as I wiped demon blood off of my hands and onto the leg of my pants.

If demons were raiding the academy, I needed to protect my summer school students, and the vulnerable staff members.

We made the quick dash across campus in record time, and slipped into the gymnasium quietly. The lights were off, but the emergency exit lights cast shadows on a group of students and staff at the back of the room, as well as another person I didn’t expect to see. Emberly was standing in the middle of the room with a gun pointed right at me.

“It’s Brielle!” I whisper-screamed, and she lowered the Glock. “What are you doing here?” I asked, as Scarlet and I rushed over to meet her.

“Bad pain day. My dad wouldn’t let me go to the raid.”

She was in her Pj’s, looked sweaty, and her features were drawn in a slight scowl. Something I’d come to learn was the look of a ruthless day with her pain management. I felt bad that she’d had to stay behind because her wings were hurting her, but I was also glad she was here; I couldn’t protect everyone alone, and she’d be a huge help—even in pain.

I peered past Emberly and nearly sagged in relief as I counted heads, noting Elodie and her son, all eleven of my students, Mrs. Greely and a few of her patients from the healing clinic, as well as the librarian, Rose, were here. Everyone was accounted for, but I was the most senior officer in the room, which meant I was in charge.

I turned to Scarlet. “I want you to hide in the back with the rest.”

She nodded, and I swooped down to grab a two-pound dumbbell that had been left on the floor, tossing it up into the emergency light. It shattered, plunging us into total darkness.

Plan A was to hide.

Plan B was to fight.

Without a word, Emberly strode with me to the back of the room, and I pulled my cell phone out, to give us a little light that I could control if I heard the main doors opening.

Elodie’s son was whimpering, and a few of the injured Fallen Army soldiers from the clinic looked worse for wear. One was hooked up to what appeared to be a transfusion of blood, and another was in a wheelchair with a bandage around his abdomen that was soaked with blood. She’d gotten them out in a hurry, no doubt.

“We’re going to try and hide in here until we can get some backup, but on the off chance we’re attacked, Emberly and I will be on the front line.”

The fifteen-year-old beside me nodded without hesitation. She had skills that no one in this room could rival, and I needed her to help me.

“I want my students in a line behind Emberly and me, and the injured and others are to hide behind them. Got it?” I called out to our small group.

Everyone nodded, and my students slowly stepped out of the cowering crowd. Most of them had thought to bring weapons, thank God. Tiny was clutching a sword, she looked feral and ready to kill. Nick and Ray both had weapons as well and stood on either side of Tiny, forming a line at our backs. If Emberly and I fell, my eleven students would be the only thing protecting the weak and injured.

“Tiny, you’re in charge of the group. I won’t be able to give you direction. You need to just go on instinct.”

She nodded. Her small frame, and mousy brown hair was unsuspecting, but she was a fearless badass , and that went a long way when fighting demons.

I met each of their eyes with confidence. “Your job is to protect the weak and injured,” I confirm in a low voice. “If you do that, I’ll make sure Raphael passes you into year two without going through the gauntlet again. Tonight, is your gauntlet. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Tiny nodded as the others echoed their agreement. They fanned out in a wide arc, standing like sentinels before the patients and staff behind them.

My attention shifted to Emberly, and something passed between us. We would do whatever we had to do to win this fight tonight.

Turning my phone light off, I plunged us into darkness, and tucked it into my back pocket.

Five strides and we were on the front line, the first defense if the demons found us.

All we could do was wait, and pray that they weren’t here looking for bloodshed.





Eight





Emberly and I stood there, wings touching, swords and guns at the ready as the demon alarm blared outside. Was it just a raid for weapons? Was it a raid to kill students? Or something far more sinister? Was Lucifer here?

It felt like an hour had passed, but it was probably only ten minutes, when the metal doors screeched open, letting the moonlight flood the entrance of the gymnasium, lighting up a tall Abrus demon and two Hellhounds.

Frick.

The Hellhounds would sniff us out, no problem.

Plan B.

“Put up your shield,” Emberly whispered.

Oh yeah, my shield. Could I use it to protect the others? I’d never attempted something on such a large scale.

“Use your mind control,” I whispered back. The demon alarm was so damn loud that I was hoping it covered our voices.

I could barely see her standing in the dark, but her whole body went rigid. “It’s against the rules,” Emberly hissed.

I rolled my eyes. “Screw the rules. It’s an Abrus demon, not another human,” I told her as I pulled my power forward and tried to create a bubble-like shield over me, then extended it to Emberly.