9

CHAPTER 9

RAIN ANDREA RIVERTON 

          

“Okay, you’re crazy, they are crazy, everyone in this damn town is crazy.” I threw my hands up in frustration. I knew Aunt Eloise never trusted the council from day one, but freaking Hades? Hell nah. “Thank you for saving me, but I’m leaving.” 

She didn’t stop me, she didn’t even react when I walked away from her. Those judgemental eyes of hers only watching me with so much intensity. I could tell she had as many questions as I did. 

Sneaking back into my room was tough. The night watchers that guarded the dorm gates with their all-black uniforms roamed around. Not into the hostel halls of course, but I still had to find my way back into the main building. 

Pulling off my outfit, I slipped into a pink nightgown. I ran a hand through my hair, Aunt Eloise’s dairy in my hand. 

Kai almost killed me. 

I knew Kai was strong. Heck, everyone knew he was the strongest in Oakblood, so what on earth made me feel I could kill him so easily? I had gotten very close to death tonight and I put myself in that situation. 

Something ugly formed in my chest. What would Aunt Eloise do if she got the news I was dead?

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. My brows creased in a frown but I walked towards it anyway. The administration office had told me I’d be getting my roommate assigned earlier than intended. 

Pulling the door open, I froze, staring into dark siren eyes. Nazeera Hayat with a box in her hands. 

“You have got to be kidding me.” I sighed. She looked amused too but not as much as I was. “Are you for real right now?” 

“Take your query up with the school.” She pushed past me, settling on the bed opposite mine. 

Closing the door, I walked to my side of the room and sat on the bed with a folded arm. “Are you monitoring me? Did the council send you?” 

She recoiled. “What do you take me for? Some pawn that can be ordered around?” 

Well, that’s a reaction.

I couldn't have her as my roommate. She had made it known that killing me was top on her agenda. What was the guarantee that she wouldn’t slit my throat while I slept?

“Look, I don’t know what you want with me, but I am not that person. I’m here to graduate and be done with it. I’m not even sure my daggers glowed, I’ve used it all my life. If it mysteriously wanted to turn into a glow stick, I think I would be aware.”

“Riverton,” She exhaled. “While I still actively want to kill you, I think something is going on here. You might not want to admit your dagger glowed because all your life you have known your magic to be limited to one thing. But we both know what we saw, it glowed in that ring, and then runes appeared.” 

I grew alarmed. “Maybe I would have been able to confirm it if you hadn’t kicked it off my hands!” 

“I did that because if anyone else saw. If Prof Bengal or Dr Zia had as much of a clue as I do, both you and everything else would be in danger.” She removed her boots, revealing her socks as she relaxed more freely on her bed, pulling a black bonnet over her braids. “Besides, I fight fair and square, I don’t need you to be distracted to beat you.” 

“Maybe we can have a rematch. This time without your powers, asshole.” I glared at her as her frown deepened. 

“My grandmother was a powerful witch and she told me about a lot of things, knowledge that if anyone even for a second found out I was aware of, might make this night my last day on earth. The prophecy…” 

“Prophecy? What are we? Ancient Oaks?” I eyed her but she didn’t react.

“You really don’t think at all, Malek was right.” 

“Malek— you were eavesdropping?” My hands folded into fists.

She pulled the hem of her bonnet the slightest bit to reveal elongated ears, “Super hearing, I’m a halfling. Half witch, half elf.” 

Right. And here I was begging to have one useful emblem.

She continued, “What do you think Councilman Omen was talking about when he spoke about the keys? Hades? Heck, even Odhal?” 

I swallowed, shivers instantly crawling up my skin, even though I had yet to understand her point. 

“These are ancient terms, we all look up to gods above, not Hades or whoever Odhal is.” I frowned and she nodded. 

“What makes you think Sir Omen would bring it up with the headmistress if it didn’t mean anything?” Nazeera tilted her head. 

“The prophecy, can you show me?”

“Your dagger first.” She gestured to the dagger next to me. 

My eyes connected to hers in a mock staring contest. “How am I sure you won’t try anything with it?”

“If I wanted you dead, you would be dead.” 

“You think too highly of yourself.” I gave her one last warning look. “Try anything funny with it and I can assure you your neck won’t be connected to the rest of your body in a split second.”

Grabbing one of the two remaining daggers I had remaining after Kai made me lose the last two. I threw it harmlessly towards her and she caught it by its hilt. 

“The prophecy.” I stared expectantly while she ran her fingers along the blade. 

“I don’t know the full thing, but I do know an essential part. In blood through the veins, the chosen blades shall glow. Runes formed, marking the start of the end.”

She closed her eyes, trying to remember more of it, she continued. “When the moonlight dims and the veil does part, the key shall spark a fateful start. From a whistle soft, a demon's call, the blood of the chosen will break the fall. There is more but that’s all I remember.” 

My body stayed rooted to the spot. Aunt Eloise loved ancient histories and stuff like this, but I was the complete opposite. And maybe if I didn’t already experience some of what the prophecy stated, I would have called bluff. 

“That day, in the ring before it happened, I felt the blood rush through my veins before the glow, I was angry.”

“In blood through the veins, the chosen’s blades shall glow. Runes formed, marking the start of the end.” She quoted. 

“And on the night of orientation, I had this nightmare. It felt real. The moon was full, these floating faceless women gathered all around me, begging me to let them in, and I heard the soft calm voice of this little boy, one I recognized, urging me to use the whistle he taught me when we were kids. I haven’t done or heard that whistle in years and it was something we swore with a blood oath only we would share. That was the reason I instantly felt it might save me. Because whenever he whistled it, and I whistled in response, it always saved me.”

“When the moonlight dims and the veil does part, the key shall spark a fateful start. From whistle soft, a demon's call, the blood of the chosen will break the fall.” Nazeera’s gaze flashed with fear. “This boy, who is he?” 

I closed my eyes shut, begging for the memories I tucked away to not reveal themselves. Fighting the blue from my eyes.

“Kai.” My voice cracked, betraying me. “Kai Malek.”