Page 49 of Goody Magic Academy: Year Three

A sickening thud echoed through the sanctuary as the figure ploughed into Jaxon. Long, curved fingernails, more like talons or claws, dug deep into Jaxon’s flesh. The coppery scent of blood filled the air, making my stomach heave.

Jaxon’s cry of pain pierced the air, raw and agonized, as crimson rivulets snaked down his arm and hit the floor with a sound that made my very bones shake.

The attacker’s hood fell back, revealing a face that sent ice-cold fear coursing through my veins. Long black hair framed a face that might have been handsome if not for his eyes—blood-red orbs filled with hatred so intense it was almost palpable.

“Hello, Peyton,” the man sneered, his voice grating like nails on a chalkboard. “So glad we can meet again.”

My lungs constricted as recognition hit me like a physical blow. Those eyes... I knew those eyes. They were the same terrifying red eyes that had haunted my nightmares, the eyes of the man who had grabbed me in the courtyard back at Goody Magic Academy.

The high priestess’ voice cut through my panic gleefully. “Ah, Peyton, I don’t think you two were ever properly introduced.” She stretched out her hand in a mockery of politeness. “Allow me to present Balthazar, a demon. He’s part of the Bloodborne Brotherhood.”

As if choreographed, the remaining members of the Bloodborne Brotherhood lowered their hoods in unison, the soft rustle of fabric unnaturally loud in the tense silence of the desecrated church. My eyes darted from one face to another, sending wave after wave of dread through my body.

My gaze latched onto one figure in particular. Long, golden hair cascaded over his shoulders, shimmering like spun sunlight. But his beauty ended there. Blue eyes, cold as arctic ice, held the same intense hatred I had seen in Balthazar’s red ones. The contrast between his angelic appearance and the malevolence emanating from him was truly startling, and it made my skin crawl.

The high priestess’ voice cut through my rising panic. “And this is Ari, a Dark Demon,” she purred, her tone filled with twisted pride as she clasped his arm possessively. “He’s Valentin’s father.”

The words hit me like a physical blow, causing a strangled gasp to escape my lips. Really? Valentin—my friend and ally—the son of this...monster?

Ari’s lips curled into a cruel smirk. With exaggerated slowness, he blew a kiss in my direction. “Do tell my son,” he drawled, his voice as smooth and cold as polished ice, “that I’ll see him soon.” The threat in those words was unmistakable, freezing my blood and bones.

The high priestess continued her “introductions”, gesturing to the other four figures and rattling off their names, but her words faded to a distant buzz in my ears. The world tilted and spun, my reality warping, and my focus narrowed to just the two demons standing before me.

Terror clawed at my insides, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat, each rapid beat echoing the word—demon, demon, demon.

Balthazar’s lips curled into a cruel smile, revealing teeth that were just that bit too sharp to be human. “You’re not fooling anyone with that whole bravery act, pretty witch,” he snarled. He swung Jaxon around as if he weighed no more than a rag doll in a casual display of superhuman strength.

I watched in horror as Balthazar positioned one long, deadly nail at Jaxon’s throat and pressed until a bead of blood welled up, trickling down Jaxon’s neck in a thin crimson line.

“Now.” Balthazar’s voice dropped to a menacing whisper that somehow managed to fill the entire church. “Hand the Dragon Nexus over to the high priestess, or your pretty little boyfriend dies.”

“Don’t do it, Peyton!” Jaxon’s voice was strained as his eyes met mine, filled with both fear and determination.

Balthazar’s response was swift. He pressed his nail deeper into Jaxon’s throat, eliciting a pained gasp that echoed in the cavernous space.

My entire world had narrowed down to this moment. My mind raced, searching desperately for a solution, but finding none. I had no choice. If I didn’t hand over the Dragon Nexus, everyone I loved would die.

Checkmate.

Hot tears spilled down my cheeks, blurring my vision. Each step I took toward the high priestess felt like I was moving through molasses, my body rebelling against what my mind knew I had to do. The triumphant gleam in her eyes grew brighter with each step I took.

As I stretched out my hand, the purple pouch dangling from my trembling fingers, the Dragon Nexus within it feeling impossibly heavy, a sense of utter defeat hit me like a physical blow, stealing what little breath I had left.

We had lost.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

The high priestess’ eyes shone with a manic light as she grasped the pouch containing the Dragon Nexus. “It’s mine. Finally, it’s mine,” she breathed, her voice trembling with barely contained excitement.

She threw her head back and erupted in a bone-chilling cackle that echoed through the desecrated church as she lifted the artifact high above her. She reminded me of the wicked Queen in Snow White. A fleeting, desperate wish for divine intervention flashed through my mind—a bolt of lightning, smiting her from the heavens—but the tainted air remained still, heavy with the stench of evil and decay. This was no fairy tale but real life…and in real life, the villain often triumphed.

She ripped open the purple pouch violently. The Nexus' power smashed into me like a bulldozer. I winced, hissing through clenched teeth as my knees buckled.

Gritting my teeth against the fearsome onslaught of energy, I forced out the words, each one feeling like a knife in my throat. “I gave you the Nexus. Now release Jaxon and my parents.”

Her eyes snapped to me as she barked out a laugh, cold and merciless. “No.” The single word fell like a death sentence.

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