Page 37 of Phoenix Academy: Madness

Chapter 18

"Why did you do that?"

My voice comes out louder than I intended, my words echoing in the empty gymnasium, bouncing off the walls around us. Snarling, nearly feral myself, I grab his neck and shake his fur as if I could shake the foolish thoughts from his head.

"She was trying to tell me something. I almost had her, I was almost there..."

His mouth opens, and I brace myself for the snap of his teeth, the snarl of his voice. I know David loathes me, whether as a wolf or a human. Maybe he'll bite me and give me the excuse I need to punch him in the throat.

Instead he lets his tongue loll out of the front of his mouth and delicately, carefully, licks my cheek.

Which is how I realize that I'm crying.

Not little, delicate tears or feminine hiccups. No, the grief I feel is too big to be small or dainty. The tears, now acknowledged, stream out, and with them my nose runs, and sobs leave my throat, bit and wet.

Rocking back onto my heels, pressing my hands against my leaking face, I try to pull myself together. All I manage to do is cry more.

I'm sad. Pathetic. And a wolf shifter is licking the salty tears from my face, a little whine now leaving his throat, as if he feels my pain.

There's no one left who loves me enough to comfort me, so instead all I get is this asshole.

At least he doesn't talk.

Pushing his muzzle away, I force myself to swallow my remaining tears and get up off the floor. My mother may not be here with me, but she would be ashamed to see me act so weak. Jessica Wolfe raised her daughters better than to fall apart without her.

Glancing around, I'm surprised to find that the twins aren't here, or Mage Auerbach. Frowning down at wolf-David, I ask him, "Did you come alone?"

He looks up at me, those golden eyes narrowed somewhat. Then, almost like he's reluctant to admit it, he nods his head up and down. There's something almost comical about the gesture coming from a large predatory wolf.

"I guess you... sensed that I was in trouble. Or something," I mutter, thinking back on what little I learned about familiars. "Maybe that's part of the bond I accidentally created. But if you felt that I was in danger, why didn't the twins? Shouldn't they feel the same thing?"

A shout from the front door, followed by insistent pounding, answers my question. Turning on my heel, I walk towards it, shouting out, "I'm coming!"

The pounding stops, and when I push open the door—thankfully it's only locked and warded from the outside—two familiar faces greet me, both bleary from sleep, both wearing glasses.

I blink at Reggie. "No time for contacts?"

"We came here in a hurry." He raises a brow. "But you still knew it was me. Itoldyou I'm the more handsome of us."

Reggie elbows Xavier, who just rolls his eyes at his brother and pushes his way into the gym.

"Are you okay?" Xavier asks me, grasping my arms and studying me from head to toe. His gaze from this close, and his touch on me, are enough to make heat spill into my cheeks. "We felt...something.And just knew you were in trouble. Then when we left the dorm we saw David run off in this direction in wolf form, and knew it had to be bad if his shift was forced on him. But I don't see any blood."

Reggie adds, "I don't smell any blood, either. Just the night air. What's that window doing open? Did you break in here?"

I find myself wishing that the twins were also stuck in their animal form, because I don't know how to deal with their combined scrutiny or how to answer their questions.

The truth is that I did something dumb and reckless, and nearly paid the price for it with my life, maybe even my very soul. I wouldn't still be here without...

"David saved me," I admit, pulling away from Xavier's arms and pacing towards the spirit rune. "I came back here because I wanted to see my mother again. And I did, for a few moments, before the spirits here overwhelmed me again. They were so fast and strong... he pulled me out of the rune. Again. I don't know what I was thinking."

Bitter anger courses through me, along with the grief. I know what I did was stupid, but I don't know what to do with myself now that my mom is gone. I just wanted—no,needed—to see her. And if I hadn't accidentally made shifters into my familiars, I don't know what would've happened to me.

Footsteps pace around towards me, and I can't quite raise my eyes to look at the twins, afraid to see judgment on their faces. No doubt Xavier thinks I'm an idiot, and Reggie is regretting getting out of bed to come save me. I shudder to think what terrible, loathsome opinion David has of me; the only thing sparing me from his glower is the fact that he's currently a wolf.

One of the twins—I can't tell which one, because I'm staring at my feet—comes closer. An awkward, heavy silence hangs in the air. I canfeelmy rib heal itself, the pain fading away shockingly fast as my new powers kick in. I wonder if I'll ever get used to that, or if it'll always feel like a strange, small miracle.

"Ari." Reggie's voice; I don't look up, so he reaches out to gently press his fingers against my chin, forcing my gaze towards his unusually somber face. "If you wanted to see your mom, I get it. I think we all get it. She was yourmom,after all, and shejustdied. Shit, if our mom died..."

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