All Chapters of VIREMONT ACADEMY:THE SEALED HUMAN CLAIMED BY THE FOUR SCIONS: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

My breath caught in my throat, trapping the air painfully in my chest.Jarek was so close I could feel the heat radiating off his skin.His golden eyes were locked onto mine, burning with a raw, unfiltered intensity that made my pulse pound against my bruised collarbone.He didn't look away, and he didn't try to hide the feral hunger etched into his scarred features.I opened my mouth to answer him, but my mind went completely blank.Every other guy at this academy played twisted political games with me.Zayden used me to mock his teachers, and Darian pushed me away to protect his stupid crown.Jarek didn't care about the rules or the royal hierarchy.He just tore a room apart to protect me, and now he was looking at me like I was the only thing holding his wild instincts together."Jarek, I..." I started, my voice failing me as my back pressed flat against the cool metal lockers.He leaned a fraction closer, his gaze dropping to my mouth for one agonizing, breathless second.A loud,

I stared down at the thick parchment in my hands, feeling a cold chill sweep straight down my spine.The blood-red ink was still slightly wet, catching the harsh overhead light of our dorm room and reflecting a shiny, sinister gloss.Don't go into the maze tonight.Saskia peeked over my shoulder and let out a sharp gasp, taking a quick step backward until her boots hit her bed frame."Who put that under the door?" she whispered, her dark eyes wide with fresh panic."I don't know," I muttered, folding the heavy paper in half and pressing my thumb against the sharp crease.My heart hammered against my ribs, and my first instinct was to lock the deadbolt, turn off the lights, and hide under my mattress until the sun came up.Then I remembered the grim warning Jarek gave me in the empty locker room just an hour ago.If I didn't show up to the starting line, the faculty guards would drag me out into the dark woods without any gear at all.I shoved the warning note deep into the front pocke

The gargoyle was massive, taking up almost the entire width of the tunnel.It was carved from rough, gray rock, but beneath the stone joints, thick metal gears ground together with a sickening crunch.Glowing yellow eyes fixed right on us, cutting through the settling dust like searchlights.Zayden shoved me hard behind his back.He didn't pull a second weapon or look for an escape route in the enclosed space.He planted his boots in the dirt and raised his empty left hand toward the monster.A massive wave of crimson fire erupted from his palm.The flames burned so hot they instantly singed the ends of my hair and sucked the oxygen right out of the narrow tunnel.The fire swallowed the gargoyle whole, washing over its heavy wings and horned head.I braced myself for the sound of cracking stone and melting metal.Instead, the ancient runes carved deep into the monster's chest flared to life.They glowed a blinding, bright yellow, and the beast simply absorbed the royal magic.The fire

I turned and grabbed Liora hard around the waist.I threw us both backward into the dirt just as the red rune ignited.The blast was deafening.A massive boom shook the narrow tunnel, vibrating right through my teeth.Chunks of hot rock and thick dust exploded outward in a violent wave.The monster blew apart in a shower of bright sparks and broken gears.The shockwave hit us like a speeding train.It picked us up and threw us backward across the loose gravel.I wrapped my arms around Liora's head, tucking her face into my chest to protect her from the flying shrapnel.Heavy pieces of stone rained down on my back.Sharp pieces of metal pinged against the walls around us.The heat from the explosion washed over my neck, singeing the collar of my jacket.Then, the noise stopped.The loud grinding sound of the monster was gone.The only sound left was the steady, heavy falling of dirt hitting the floor.I kept my arms around her for a long time.I didn't want to move.The adrenaline cras

The loud, pounding chaos of the festival and the terrifying roar of the stone monster were gone.The only sound in the massive, forgotten library was the harsh rhythm of our breathing.Blood soaked quickly through the first few layers of the cloth, making my fingers slick and warm, but I refused to ease up.I pushed my palms down harder, leaning my shoulder into his chest for better leverage."You can let go of my arm now," I told him softly.His grip slowly loosened as the initial shock of the pain finally passed.He didn't drop his hand back to the floor, though.He let his hand slide down to my waist, resting his palm flat against my back just above where I ripped my shirt.His touch sent a sudden jolt of electricity racing straight up my spine, and my breath caught in my throat.He wasn't trying to push me away anymore.He was just holding on to me like I was the only thing keeping him tethered to the ground.I looked down at his face, really looking at him for the first time sinc