Page 52 of Dark Captivation

Was I losing my touch? Back home it only took one word of warning from me to daunt the proudest of he-wolves. There were even a few betas who feared me.

But these demon kids? They were an all-new level of beast for me to conquer.

Margy offloaded Toshi into his seat, pushing his chair right up to the desk, locking him in place. “Now, class. That’s enough fun. Sit up straight and quiet down. We're about to start.” She exhaled, looking exhausted.

I joined Margy and Ferina by the white board as the children finally quieted.

“Okay, good. So why don’t you start by standing and introducing yourselves. Tell us what you want to be when you grow up.” Margy waited, eagerly crossing her hands over her belly.

Nobody volunteered leaving Margy to call out, “Lucinda, why don’t we start with you?”

A girl with red pigtails drew her chair back, her smile was unnaturally wide and her eye contact was so intense, it was as though she were trying to look straight into my soul. “I’m Lucinda Mardigreen.” She said with a voice full of pride. “My father is a member of Parliament and one day I’d like to be Chief Adviser to the king.”

“Yeah, when pigs fly! A girl’s never going to be an adviser to the king.” The little boy next to her yelled loudly and several students snickered harshly.

The girl’s head dipped, her cheeks going bright red. She appeared on the brink of tears.

“Hey! Don’t you bully her. Of course, she can be the adviser to the king if she wants to be. There’s no job that men can do that we women can’t do better!” I said proudly.

“You tell him, Sunny!” Ferina pumped her fist skyward.

“Shows how much you know. You’re just a wolf. You don’t know anything, Outsider!” The boy stuck his tongue out and jerked his head away in anger.

“Apologize to Lady Sunny this instant!” Margy gasped, piledriving her foot into the floor.

The floor rocked and it rocked again, this time shaking the building. Ferina and I exchanged glances as the glass window fractured. That wasn’t Margy, the way the building now shook, it felt more like an earthquake. A banging, rumbling noise accompanied the quake.

“What’s happening?” Ferina asked and the fear that gripped Margy’s face spoke for her.

The banging carried on as a plum of white mist built up outside the window. Ferina and I flew to the windows to see what was going on.

A gang of nine men crowded the community center door. They had swords, daggers and other weapons. Security guards splayed out on the grass in front of the building. They were either dead or knocked out.

The gang set off a series of small caliber bombs, the white smoke partially masking their faces.

The loudest bang so far roared like a dragon and the door blew wide open.

They stormed inside brandishing swords and daggers. Alarm shot through me as my brain raced a million thoughts per second.

This had to have something to do with our visit today. But who the hell were those men and what did they want?

“Lock the doors.” I barked, but my voice was drowned out by the sea of screaming children. I hadn’t noticed it before, but every last child had left their seat and watched as the gang members stormed inside.

Margy shook like a leaf, visibly confused and unprepared. She mumbled something incomprehensible.

“We need to lock the door!” I barked and Ferina and I locked the deadbolt, and braced ourselves against the door.

The children kept screaming and Margy just stood there in a stupor.

“Margy! Snap out of it and help us brace the door. If they try to break in, the locks might not hold.” I roared, and Margy snapped out of it, joining Ferina and I as we braced the door.

“What’s happening?” Ferina asked Margy and she shook her head.

“Lord. What- what do we do about the other children and everyone else in the center?” Ferina said.

“I’m going to go to the administrator’s office. He’ll have an intercom we can use to tell everyone in the center what’s going on and to barricade themselves in their rooms.” I said.

“I’m coming with you.” Ferina replied.

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