Fallen Academy: Year Two (Fallen Academy #2)(10)

By the time I’d gotten out of my head, and focused on what was happening, Raphael had already started to drop the magic reveal dust or whatever it was.

Mikey just stood there, hands fisted and eyes forward. Terrified.

‘Poor lad,’ Sera said from my boot.

‘You scared me!’ I told her. I’d forgotten she was there.

‘Sorry,’ she whispered and then went quiet.

I was staring at my brother, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. Raphael had finished sprinkling the dust, and now just stood in front of him watching, same with Lincoln.

Oh God. He’s a dud. A freaking worthless human!

He’d get no admission to Fallen Academy, no job with the Fallen Army, and would be homeless. Tears welled in my eyes, and Shea clenched my hand tight enough to hurt.

At that moment, a howl ripped from Mikey’s throat and he lurched forward on all fours, panting in pain. The hairs on my arms shot up, and I leaned forward in my seat.

That howl wasn’t human.

“Mikey?” I stood, brushing Shea’s hand off.

His body was contorting, and the sound of cracking bones was so familiar to me, I actually felt some relief, and sat back down.

He was a beast shifter, like Luke. I could handle that. That was okay with me.

I glanced at Shea, who was smiling in relief as well.

My brother’s suit tore as his body bulked out, black fur popping up everywhere, muscles stacking up over his form, and enlarging his mass. Beast Shifters were usually animals—deer, bears, mountain lions, and so on, whatever animal had been in the vicinity when the fall happened—and then they had horns, which gave them a demon look. Luke would be able to help Mikey through what shifting was like, and everything associated with being a Beast Shifter. I was actually okay with it. It felt right.

At least it did until my brother turned into a huge black wolf, with black velvet horns, and searing yellow eyes. He looked freaking possessed as he bent down low, and started to growl at Raphael.

The Archangel went stiff, and Lincoln slowly pulled his sword.

What the hell!

“Call Clark!” Lincoln barked to someone offstage, and the whole crowd gasped as Mikey lunged for Raphael.

Shooting out of my seat, I barreled towards the stage within seconds.

“Mikey, no!” I shouted, but it was too late. Raphael was forced to grab Mikey’s shoulders and slam him to the ground in self-defense.

Lincoln held his sword aloft; it was glowing blue, and my brother was staring at it with a venomous gaze. His lips peeled back and he growled from his place, pinned on the floor beneath Raphael.

What the hell is happening? That was not my brother. I knew Lincoln wouldn’t hurt him, but why the hell was he holding his sword at him?

I climbed onto the stage, and Lincoln’s gaze shifted to me. “What’s wrong?” I asked in a low voice.

Raphael still had my brother pinned, and I could tell it was taking great effort, his arms shook as the muscles flexed. My brother jerked, trying to slip free, but Raphael laid more of his weight on him and strengthened his hold.

Lincoln looked out over the crowd and kept his voice low. “He’s a pack animal. When pack animals shift for the first time, they’re consumed with the need to hunt. He’ll wipe out half this crowd if we can’t get an alpha here soon.”

What. The. Fuck.

I swayed on my feet, looking down at my little brother. He was huge, almost as big as Luke’s bear, and it was clear now that Raphael was using all of his angelic strength to hold him.

An oversized wolf with demonic powers that wants to hunt humans. Awesome.

“Mikey?” I knelt down and tried to meet his eyes.

The growl that ripped from his throat, as he jerked his head in my direction, had tears lining my eyes. He’d wriggled his head free from Raphael, and was now snapping his teeth in my direction like a rabid dog.

“I can’t hold him much longer.” Raphael confessed through gritted teeth.

Oh. My. God.

‘Pull me out,’ Sera instructed.

‘What? No way. I’m not hurting my brother.’

‘Pull me out. We won’t seriously hurt him, but we might have to keep him from mauling the crowd,’ she told me.

I pulled Sera out, and Lincoln dropped his sword. He wrestled onto Mikey’s back half, trying to hold him down. Raphael was becoming weaker; every time my brother thrashed, he gained more way.

“Where’s Clark!” Lincoln roared to someone offstage. I kept my eyes on my brother, while I wondered who the hell this Clark guy was.

“He’s coming!” a voice called back.

Mikey ripped free then. In one thrust, he rolled out of Raphael’s and Lincoln’s grasps, and then stood with his back to the demons, who’d been watching keenly the entire time.

“Evacuate the building,” Lincoln ordered a Fallen Army guard, who was standing offstage with a gun in his hand.

“We’ll take him off your hands,” the demon sitting with Grim informed us, winking.

“Screw you,” I snapped at the ugly demon.

Mikey had his head down and was glaring at me with those freaky yellow eyes.

“Mikey. It’s me, Bri,” I told him.

Movement to my left pulled my attention, but not enough to take my eyes off my brother.

“I can stun him if he lunges. It’ll wear off quick, but it might help in the short run,” Shea said as magic crackled at her palms.