Reckless Souls (Saints Academy, #1)(112)

too shocked to acknowledge anything else as Adonis remains inside of me, holding me to his chest as

he attempts to shield me from view.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Adonis growls. “Get the fuck out,” he spits, not seeming to care

who he’s speaking to, and I mentally pat him on the fucking back because I have no words. This

goddamn supernatural world seems to keep leaving me stunned silent, and I can’t stand it. For now,

I’ll let Adonis handle Zellus.

Attempting to take a calming breath, I brush the damp, loose hair back off my face, but before I

can try and repeat Adonis’ words, with a little less growl, Zellus fully steps into the room, with two

guards on either side of him.

“Separate them,” he says, disgust heavy in his tone as he glares at me. “And take her,” he adds,

pointing a manicured finger in my direction, and I shake my head immediately as Adonis scoffs.

“Fuck off. You can’t just storm in here and do this. I don’t care who you think you are but you are

not taking her,” he grunts, taking a step back with me, but the guards continue forward as the sound of

a door slamming booms from behind us too.

Looking back over my shoulder, all too late I see another two guards approaching, completely

unfazed by our level of undress, and if I wasn’t so angry, I’d be dying of embarrassment right about

now.

With my arms pinned at my side beneath Adonis’, I feel helpless, but as one of the guards coming

toward us gets close, I kick my leg out, connecting my foot with his shin, I wince as I seem to cause

myself more damage than him.

“I’ve got you, Rhea,” Adonis murmurs in my ear, but whatever plan he has, I don’t get to bear

witness to it as out of nowhere, a blue powder is blown in my face by a guard, and then… I see

nothing but darkness.

“What is so important, Zellus, that you deem it suitable to force us all into attendance?” The man's

voice sounds distant, yet right by my ear all at once.

My throat is dry, my eyelids are heavy, and my head is pounding.

What the fuck is going on?

I try to pry my eyes open, but it’s harder than I expect, and I rack my brain to remember how I

even got myself into this situation but concentrating is hard with all of these people talking.

“I have something that may be of interest to you all.” I recognize that as Zellus this time, and the

twist in my stomach tells me it links back to me as the memories flood me.

Adonis.

Me.

A beautiful moment destroyed and shattered by the arrival of Zellus and his men. But I still don’t

understand why. It doesn’t make any sense.

“Then get on with it, Zellus, I have places to be,” a woman says with a sniff, clearly

inconvenienced.

Trying to feel my surroundings, I attempt to wiggle my fingers and toes, but it’s impossible. A

sickly feeling drips down my throat as dread threatens to consume me.

With a deep breath, using all my strength I force my eyes open, blinking rapidly as the bright light

burns my fucking skull. After a few moments I’m able to adjust, but being able to see doesn’t fill me

with relief. No, it makes everything worse.

I’m suspended, in the fucking air, arms out wide at my side and my legs together, feet straight, my

toes are even pointing down like a dancer, while an audience looks up at me with curiosity.

Zellus.

Three men.

Two women.

And Zeus.

They’re all standing, in what looks like a sacred room in the main building. The high ceilings no

longer glisten in an array of colors as darkness covers the night sky.

I need to get myself out of this, and I need to do it fast. But how?

I’m completely outmatched. Any hint of magic I have shown has been uncontrollable and not used

consciously. Considering whether or not I should call out feels futile, my life is in their hands, and it

doesn’t seem like any of them are eager to help a girl out. They’re too busy being inconvenienced by

Zellus.

At least someone managed to put a robe on me, but the thought of someone fucking touching me

while I was unconscious pisses me off.

“We’ve had word from a student that a few of our other students have seemingly activated their

powers early, fighting through the repression we put on everyone as a child, controlling when they

receive their powers,” Zellus says, walking a few strides in front of me, but his back is to me, and all

eyes are on him, so it seems like no one knows I’m awake as I frown at the information he just

dropped.

Repressed magic?

Is this a joke? A secret? What?

“How? That’s entirely impossible. The only way that could happen was if…”

“If they sealed their souls to one another, yes, Mrs. Black, that is indeed correct,” Zellus states,

cutting her off with a single nod, and I turn my attention to the woman.

Dressed in a crimson red pants suit, with her jet black hair twisted up into a tight bun at the top of

her head, she looks equal measures dark and cunning. She purses her lips at Zellus, offering him a