Page 1 of Hellfire

CHAPTER 1 - TALON

“Itable the matter of Luna Prince.” Kymbal stared down his hooked nose at every member of the Guild Council present in their chambers.

Council members shifted in their seats, two pairs of eyes going to Venellan, one Gildron adjusting his collar, another bouncing his knee, a third nervously swallowing a third of his water. Fidgeting was a sign of danger they taught us in Tollen classes. Something foul brewed involving my princess, and I was helpless to do a damn thing about it, unable to sway the members with my opinion or testimony.

My fists clenched on my knees as I watched the proceedings from the computer screen at my desk in The Eye, where my crew ferreted me inside each day to update me on the news.

The night we returned from Camus’ castle, Kymbal put Cole, Luna, and me on suspension pending an investigation, with demotions his aim. Punishing us further, they assigned the three of us to Veil repair crew duties for practically the entirety of my princess’ winter break.

The Tollens didn’t respect their “new leader” or his brand of retribution and wanted Kymbal gone. Decisions made during our emergency meeting included following every member of theGildron Council to establish what dirt Kymbal held over them to obtain their vote and support in my penalty. An investigation separate from my private infiltrator search conducted with the help of my closest circle, Cole and Blaze.

Kymbal’s finger stabbed at his glasses to lift them up his bulbous nose. “The danger Miss Prince caused to the Veil is without precedent. The most massive disruption threatens to tear the protective barrier completely asunder. I propose she be expelled from this institution immediately.”

I balled my hand into a tighter fist, needing to expel restless energy and knock that guy in the goddamn schnoz.

In the four meetings they had since we rescued Blaze, they barely mentioned Nelle or her deceit, when the bitch smuggled dark magick spells into the Academy and eroded our protective spells, resulting in the elemental and Brotherhood invasions.

“I’m not condoning her actions.” Venellan gestured to the rest of the Council, seeking to convince them. “I don’t blame the girl or her friends for rescuing Blaze when you roadblocked me, demoted me as Council leader, and prevented me from launching a retrieval mission for him.”

Kymbal puffed out some muttered excuse that went nowhere as his influence on the Council sank like a leaking ship. His minions glanced around the room for a lifeboat.

Venellan went in for the kill. “You left one of our most valuable assets in the hands of the snakes, and now he’s branded by them, potentially under their influence.”

Deafening silence gripped the Council in a chokehold.

“Perhaps we ought to vote on your removal from this Council for reckless decisions that have cost us.”

Kymbal’s lip curled in response.

“We all make mistakes. It’s how we learn.” Venellan hit home another point. “Are you free of blunders, Kymbal? I seem to recall you getting into some hairy predicaments over the years.”

“Like the Clarence Village incident,” Albert added.

Ah, the infamous incident where Kymbal lost control of a hydra, and it morphed into another three beasts and destroyed the entire village. I chuckled along with the Council.

Red splashed across the soon-to-be-ex-new leader’s neck and face.

“Or the Zig Zag train line catastrophe,” Cecil piped in, another supporter of Venellan’s who looked twitchy moments earlier.

“We’re not talking about me,” Kymbal spoke down to them in his standard haughty tone. “Miss Prince sought out the aid of a wielder of the dark forces.” He enunciated each word like a fired bullet cutting down my princess’ future. “Darkness twists, corrodes, and corrupts the spirit of the person who uses it, and I won’t have that brought intomyfacility.”

Venellan jerked at the last three words. He worked with my team and went along with this sham for the purpose of eradicating his competition for good. Kymbal turned the Council into a joke, a bunch of nappy-wearing politicians that squabbled over petty bullshit that got us nowhere, instead of making decisions that progressed the Academy.

I cracked my knuckles, desperate to release my pent-up anger.

Venellan leaned forward on the table. “Much as I hate to admit it, the rogue, Gable, has never made a move against us since he escaped the serpents. He survived and fought the evil we also battle.”

Defending Gable was a first, but he needed to cut down the bullshit PR narrative the worm tried to spin.

Kymbal went to rebut this, eyes closed, mouth raised in a sneer.

Venellan cut him off at the pass. “Must I remind you that Gable has come to our aid on multiple occasions?” Hehammered in each point with a stab of his finger on the wood table. “He saved the lives of students and staff caught in the crossfire of Camus’ invasion of our library and rescued one of our own from his former master’s clutches. And alerted us to the presence of an infiltrator, who we discovered was one of our students, Nelle.”

Murmurs of concord echoed throughout the stone room. I rubbed my palms, pleased that the Council leaned toward his argument, potentially saving mine, my brothers’, and my princess’ future here. We needed all the lifelines we could get with our fate uncertain.

“What evidence do you have that he’s corrupted anything, let alone Miss Prince?” Venellan swatted at the air to make a point. “Bold accusations like this demand proof.”

I smiled at Kymbal, barely able to restrain his seething hatred of his rival. “Miss Prince went outside of the Academy’s direction when she was expressly forbidden to. What never changes is that on one side of the line is light and on the other is darkness. That girl going into the darkness endangered us all.”

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