Chapter 258 The Councillors

Chapter 258 The Councillors
Aria's pov
Just before Lux can reach Mr. Benson, time snaps back into motion.

Mr. Benson reacts with terrifying speed, causing my teeth to sink into his shoulder instead of his throat. I taste his blood. It’s putrid and vile just like the man himself.

Before I can clamp down harder, the bastard vanishes into thin air, leaving behind only a faint wispy trail of dark mist as he reappears on the far side of the stage. The men he had suspended in the air fell on the stage, his magic leaving them in the moment of chaos.

Knowing Mr Benson will seek revenge, I immediately leap backward and plant my massive frame directly in front of them to protect them, ignoring the pain and panic coming from the students behind us.

Hopefully, that wave I released didn’t kill anyone.

Lux lowers her snout to the ground, my chest vibrating with a deep, murderous growl as she prepares to attack again when I notice the creature beside me. 

It's Ghost. Kael’s wolf. But…….something is different. 

He seems bigger……much bigger. 

His head is lowered, his hackles raised as he snarls at the councillors and he is frothing at the lips like he is rabid and his eyes are red like mine instead of its normal gold.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Mr. Benson shouts, taking my attention away from Kael. He glares at the councillors, his hand on his shoulders stashing the bleeding wound.

"How did you miss this level of power in her? How could you let this happen?!" He spat at them.

Refusing to give him a single second to reorganize his defenses, I launch myself at him again, my massive fiery paws tearing up the floorboards as I move with a blinding speed that surprises me, but he disappears before I can reach him.

Dammit.

I can smell his blood and Lux wants to pave the street with it, tear him limb by limb and feed him to the forest the way he had done Nathaniel and Isla.

"You told me she didn’t go after him!" Mr. Benson hisses as he materializes directly beside the council member. "Did you lie to me? Are you part of this?

"Of course not, sir," Nerezza replies.

"Then what the hell are you just standing there for? Kill them both right now! Tear them apart!"

Through my red gaze, I realize Mr Benson is more shocked than afraid. I know how strong he is. I can sense his powers. Even though we had assumed he had been weakened by the forest, he is still the strongest creature in the academy. And he reeks of confidence which my wolf hates.

I spring at him a third time, only for him to dissolve into black mist once again, making my teeth snap shut on nothing. 

The motherfucker is too fast.

At this rate, he will just keep slipping away until he wears us out, making it impossible to land a single blow. Still, I refuse to accept defeat. Refuse to go down without a fight. 

He had dared to touch my father.

He had dared to go after Kael. 

I turn around to see that kael is still snarling at the councillors, his red eyes locked onto Nerezza and Thalric as he approaches them slowly. Thalric has discarded his jacket, while Nerezza’s eyes had turned black with bleeding black veins around it, her razor-sharp claws extended as they both stood in front of Thallia protectively.

Councilor Silena remains standing at the side like a soulless marble statue, while Councilor Vibe stands off to the side, his brow furrowed as if concentrating on something.

What are you doing? I mindlink Kael. Leave them and help me get Mr. Benson before he slips away again

It’s Thallia that is feeding his power. She is the key and we won’t win if she keeps strengthening him. I’m going to kill her

My stomach churns as I look at the witch chanting behind her protectors, realizing Kael is right. Yet the thought of slaughtering her leaves a sickening knot in my throat. Thallia had never personally harmed me, merely acted as an accomplice to the madman holding us hostage. Killing her feels wrong.

Even with Lux’s blinding rage burning hot in my veins, a small part of me is relieved that I can still think logically through the haze of blood.

"Think about what you are doing, Blackthorn. You’re going to throw your life away for nothing,” Thalric growls.

"Remember what I told you yesterday, boy," Nerezza hisses.

Mr. Benson chooses that exact moment to flash back, appearing beside the councillors.

“What you told them. Is that from your numerous visits to their house?” he asks calmly. 

He is too calm.

Too damn confident. 

I look around to realize that the whole council guards have surrounded the stage ready to attack us. There will be no getting out of here without going through them, yet I edge towards Mr Benson ready to attack at any opportunity.

“I visited and talked to them on your request sir,” Nerezza replies.  

The lying, backstabbing rat bastard. My blood boils as I realize Kael was completely right all along. Nerezza and Thalric had been playing both sides, manipulating us with false hope while serving the tyrant.

“Except I didn’t send you yesterday," Mr Benson says. 

I feel a shift in the air and look towards the councillors to see them all focusing on Mr Benson. Thallia's mouth has stopped chanting, her lips parting as something crosses her face. 

Fear. 

My breath hitches. 

What the hell…….

If someone with that much formidable power is terrified of the man standing beside her, then maybe Nerezza hadn't been lying to us.

The vampire’s pitch-black eyes change back into their normal, deep green hue, her claws retracting. "I was merely making sure they —"

"Shut your mouth!" Mr. Benson snaps. "I’m not an idiot, Nerezza. You have forgotten I know you better than you know yourself. And I warned you that the last time is the last time.”

A look of pure, desperation flashes across Nerezza's pale face, and with a guttural, feral snarl, her eyes bleed back into pitch black as she lunges toward Mr. Benson. But before she can even complete a step, there is a flash of light and she freezes. The black veins vanish from her skin, her hands fly to her throat, her eyes wide with shock as she falls to the ground.

She looks lifeless and the immense, crushing aura of power that always radiated from the ancient vampire is just gone.

Then a scream comes.

A high-pitched, shattering scream of pure, unadulterated anguish from Thalia. The sound is so raw that it sends a physical shockwave of magic rippling outward from her body. The blast of energy hits me like a freight train, forcing Lux to dig her claws deep into the stage floorboards to keep us from being thrown backward. 

There is so much anguish and pain, so much guilt, so much unfiltered emotion in the air as Thallia falls to her knees beside Nerezza and pulls her head to her laps. She rocks back and forth, sobbing, while every scream she releases seems to drag another torrent of magic into the air around us.

My anger and lux’s disappears as I try to figure out what is going on. 

It isn’t just Thalia’s pain I feel, but Alpha Thalric's too as he stood beside them his hand clenching and unclenching, his eyes glowing gold. Mr Benson had broken three untouchable councillors and he hadn’t even touched them.

"Do your damn jobs or you're next,” Mr Benson says. “Now... kill them."

"No!" Thallia screams, lifting her tear-streaked face toward him. "I'm going to kill you!"

She begins chanting again, louder than before. The air bends around her and I feel raw magic so intense that even Lux instinctively takes one cautious step back.

"Thallia, no!" Thalric shouts.

She ignores him as her voice rises into a furious peak.

Then Councillor Vibe steps in front of Mr. Benson, his calm demeanor completely unfazed as a glowing white crest ignites upon his forehead. His entire eyes wash over into a brilliant, solid white,and something hits Thallia directly between the eyes.

Thalia’s loud chanting cuts off instantly and she lets out a blood-curdling shriek of agony. 

Then she clutches both sides of her head as she falls on her knees.