Page 2 of Creatures of Chaos

“So, Locklyn,” Jules starts, a wicked gleam in her dark predatory eyes. “Looks like we have you at a disadvantage. If you’d like to beg me to let you go, I’ll consider having mercy on you.”

I glare at Jules. “I’ll never beg you for anything.”

Jules’ grin widens, taking on a sinister twist. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

With a flick of her wrist she shoots the stone at me. I try to dodge it but can only move so far because of my trapped foot. The projectile smashes into my shoulder, knocking me back against the rough stone wall. A burst of pain radiates down my arm as stone dust rains on me from above.

Dina’s and Freya’s stones fly at me next. They don’t have the same heat Jules’ did, but I can’t dodge both at the same time and one nails me high on my forehead, right at the hairline. I feel the trickle of blood as it slides down the side of my face before I register the pain.

Jules high fives Freya and I glare at all three of them, baring my teeth in an empty threat. I hope now that they’ve seen me bleed, it will be the end of it, but it’s not. They take turns pelting me with a half-dozen more rocks. I manage to protect my head, but I’m going to be a patchwork of bruises tomorrow.

When three stones come at me at once, I twist away as far as I’m able, hunching over to protect my head. As soon as my back is to them they start in on me with their fists and feet. I fight back, swinging wildly, even connecting a few times, but with my foot sunk into the ground I’m off kilter and can’t land a solid blow. That doesn’t stop me fighting like a hellcat though. Thethree of them only double their efforts because of it and I slip out of fight mode and into survival.

I take a hit to my mouth and then spit a glob of blood onto the ground right before a fist plows into my gut. The impact steals my breath and sends me crashing to my hands and knees. My foot finally loosens from its dirt prison, but at this point it doesn’t even matter. I’m too beat down to move, let alone fight them off. I grit my teeth and brace myself for the next blow, but my tormentors switch from physical to verbal abuse.

“You should have been put down ages ago,” Jules sneers.

“Yeah,” Freya agrees. “You’re just a magicless freak with hardly any friends.”

Low blow on both accounts, but I don’t so much as flinch. I’ll never let anyone know how deeply their taunts cut.

They can watch me bleed, but they’ll never see me cry.

I look up and get a little bit of satisfaction when I notice Freya’s eye is swollen and Jules has a small cut on her cheekbone. Looks like I landed a few hits after all. Too bad wolf shifters heal quickly, and the evidence will probably be gone in an hour.

“She should be shipped off to Slinker Island with the rest of the defectives,” Dina adds. I don’t see any injuries, but there are dirt smudges all over her top and pants, and half her dark ponytail has fallen out.

Slinker Island is just a myth, the place where creatures with little or no magic are said to be sent. In reality, it’s not much more than a gruesome fairy tale parents tell their children to scare them into taking their magic skills and abilities seriously. I know, because if it were real, I would have been sent there already. But even though the place may not be real, the insult is.

Most creatures come into their magic at around eight or nine, before puberty starts. There are rare instances where a kidreaches ten or eleven before presenting their magic, but creature powers always manifest well before their teen years.

Always. Without exception.Except me.

Freya is right. I’m a freak and no one knows why. The excuse the doctors gave us was that my magic was just too weak to detect, but that’s not it. I’d be able to feel it if I had even a touch of magic. I know in my heart it’s just not there.

I glare up at the trio as I catch my breath and then spit another blood loogie, making sure to aim for Jules’ white sneakers, but the projectile falls short.

Jules sneers at me. “You’re disgusting. And worse than that, you’re a nobody. You should do everyone a favor and just stay where you are right now, down in the dirt by our feet.”

She flicks a hand, and filth and small stones splatter me. Laughing, she turns and walks away, Dina and Freya following in her wake.

With shaky knees, I push to my feet, wiping at a trickle of blood running from my busted lip down my chin. My t-shirt and jeans are covered with grime and blood, and there’s a tear in the fabric over my knee. I don’t even bother to check my hair. I’m sure it looks just as bad as the rest of me.

I’m a mess. I can’t walk back into class like this.

Sighing, I tip my head back against the stone wall, taking a moment to rest and slowly move all my limbs to make sure nothing is broken. My ankle tweaks a little when I put pressure on it, but I don’t think it’s serious.

I’m so tired of this. What I wouldn’t give to go up against each one of them one-on-one without magic. I’d show them what it feels like to be me every single day of my life.

Vulnerable. Weak. Outmatched.

“Locklyn!” My name echoes off the tunnels and my body locks up before I register who’s calling for me. When I do, the fear leaks out of me, but shame takes its place, and for a momentI consider hiding from him. But it wouldn’t make a difference. Becks would find me, he always does.

It’s a few heartbeats and then Becks is standing in front of me, his green eyes wild as he takes me in, checking me from head to toe. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” It’s obviously a lie.

His gaze fills with compassion, and I have to look away. That’s not the emotion I want to see shining in his eyes when he looks at me.

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