Page 14 of Dead Wolf Rising (Bad Moon Academy 3)

Sitting down, I walk my dragon across the wooden planks, frowning. Mom isn’t going to be happy, but how else am I supposed to play dragons? They kill all sorts of little animals. It’s not my fault Draco picks the puppy every time. Maybe if he picked a dragon, he wouldn’t have to worry about it.

Sighing, I lie on my back and make my dragon soar. “Destroyer of worlds, rawr!” I bring him down, rolling to my side so I can make him hover over the planks, and pause when I see a tall figure draped in black standing on the grass at the edge of the porch. Something about him seems familiar. I should run to find Mom, but I don’t.

“Hello?” Dragon shakes in my hand. He’s afraid of the figure, but I’m not; I’ll protect him. I’m not scared. That is until it floats over the porch, slowly coming closer.

Scrambling to sit, I hold up the dragon and roar my biggest roar. “Destroyer says stay back!”

The figure snatches my dragon and tosses it away before grabbing my hand and yanking me to my feet. I open my mouth to scream for my mom, remembering what she said to do if a stranger ever tried to take me, but the bright red eyes under the heavy black hood steal my words. My skin burns where it’s touching me, and I whine and try to tug out of his grasp.

“Reaper.”

My heart thumps at the rattling voice, and tears fill my eyes.

“Brayden! What did you do to Puppy?” Mom’s voice saves me, because the figure disappears, and I fall to the floor.

“Mom!” I scream, jumping up and running to her.

She grunts when I crash into her, wrapping my hands around her body and clinging to her. “The thing touched me!” I sob, not caring that I’m being a cry baby.

“What? What thing?” She grips my chin and tilts my head up. The angry lines on her face bleed away, and her eyes soften when she sees the tears covering my face. “What happened?”

“It touched me!” I shake my head, taking a shaky breath.

“What did?” She searches my face. “What are you talking about?”

“The figure in black! It tried to take me, Mom. I tried to call for you like you said, but I couldn’t. It froze me with its eyes!”

“Oh, honey. It’s okay. No one is going to hurt you.” She glances around. “Maybe we should watch a movie? Take a break from playing?”

I sniff, wipe my arm under my nose, and nod. “Okay.”

Over the years, Death visited me. He never stayed long, and I never knew who it was, but I got used to his strange presence, and my parents grew more and more concerned about their son with anoveractive imagination. Only Draco believed me even though he never saw the figure in black. Death was never interested in my brother though, only me.

I’ll protect Raven from him the best I can, but his interest is piqued, and I’m not sure I can provide an adequate distraction. Especially if Mazzikin is the source of Raven’s power.

Death hates Mazzikin.

And Death wants me back.

* * *

RAVEN

My skin crawls knowing Death is coming back at some point. I doubt he’d accept an apology for using his power source, and Mazzikin, for whatever reason, is part of the problem. She gave Theodore Thatcher access to the power, which trickled down through his bloodline over the years. Now I have the same magic, and Death isn’t happy about it. I can’t be the first person he’s been angry at for using the power, but I don’t know any of my ancestors and I can’t exactly ask the dead… well, I could ask Mom, but I’m not going there.

All I’m worried about right now is Bea and the wards. Knowing Bea might be in the Other World is difficult because I can’t venture off to save her until I fix the wards. I wish I knewhowto fix them because I don’t know where to begin. It’s worth a try though, especially after what everyone has been through. I’m sure most of our friends can’t wait to escape the academy grounds.

I don’t blame them. I want to leave too, but not until I find Bea.

Brayden keeps side-eyeing me, and I’m starting to get annoyed by the way his eyes narrow when he thinks I don’t notice. On the way to the foyer, when he does it yet again, I snap.

“What are you staring at?” I ask, voice sharp enough to make the guys stop walking.

“What’s going on?” Draco comes over and scowls at his brother.

Lifting his hands up, Brayden shrugs. “Nothing.”

“You keep looking at me.” Great, now I sound crazy. Getting mad at being looked at.

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