Chapter 119

Elly's POV

Aidan had returned downstairs with Petrova and Ryan but he'd returned with a fresh quest - to end Rockwell. How much of a threat was he?

“Stop!” I shouted again feeling my larynx vibrate from the strain. “Aidan, please stop.”

The last sound got choked in my throat as tears gathered in my eyes. Aidan turned his eyes to me, but it wasn't him. That realization shook me to my feet and I shivered as if I'd been immersed in cold water. Whatever, or whoever was staring down at me, with Rockwell in between his claws wasn't Aidan. It had to be a clone, but now Aidan.

“What are you doing? Finish him, and the others!” Petrova hissed from behind the big table, his fist clenched like he could squash an egg.

Aidan hesitated. I can't tell why, but I knew it couldn't have been because of me. He didn't even know who I was and that hurt.

“Dad?” Ryan repeated with a storm in his eyes.

Mr. Petrova turned to his son, with a stern look on his face like a parent about to rain hot on their kid for behaving badly.

“What are you doing here, Ryan? With the furballs?”

“Back at you, dad, what's your deal with the Mayor, and Myles?” Ryan asked, biting the names so hard in his mouth that I could tell how much he loathed the pair.

“No need to be rude, you'll thank me someday. I'm doing this for you?”

Ryan started pacing around the house, his eyes never leaving his father. “What exactly are you doing for me?”

Petrova looked away, probably disgusted by his son's stubbornness, but he should have known that he gave birth to himself in Ryan. This was my first encounter with the older vampire noble but I could tell this far, the apple doesn't fall too far away from the tree. Like father, like son.

“Let him go, Aidan.” Ryan commanded, but Aidan didn't flinch. He held on tight, as if torturing him would teach us to mind our business, but professor Rockwell was our business.

“I said let Professor Rockwell go!” Ryan yelled eden louder, and firm.

“He can't hear you, he's gone.”

“What did you do to him?” I quizzed.

“We turned him into a wall. You can't break in without tearing it down. AAidan will get hurt if you try to play macho.” Dr. Myles warned, walking forward with the most sinister look in his eyes.

The wall.

My dreams echoed in my mind. The wall, is this it? Was Aidan the wall the whole time? Adrian was right, so was Rockwell.

I turned to Adina. Is there anything you can do for him? I asked, wishing, hoping she might have good news.

“None. He's gone.” She replied back, her eyes still on Aidan.

My heart shattered into a million pieces.

“Then I'll bring him back myself.” Ryan hissed, marching towards Aidan.

I could see the resolve in his eyes and I wondered what he was going to do? Use the same trick he'd used to make me turn on Aidan? Does he stand a chance?

Aidan noticed his steps, and dropped Rockwell. The man fell heavily onto the ground. He would've cracked, if he was an egg, but no. He spurted a couple coughs, and spat out a mucus filled with blood.

“Professor Rockwell! Teach!” We all screamed at the same time, making a step to run to him, but Petrova was a devil.

“Looks like you've forgotten something, furball, I still have the upper hand.” Ryan croaked, intentionally poking at the demon now in Aidan and I wondered what his plans were.

“Not anymore, son. It's our turn now.” Myles said, shaking with laughter.

“What do you mean?”

“He's not only affected by the Lycan's curse, but he had his wolf locked up, like the Lycan.” Myles revealed, looking at Aidan like he was some lab rat.

“What have you done to him?” Ryan quizzed quietly.

“You'll find out soon. Be sure to bow before me when you do.” Petrova smiled, then as if he just remembered something, he turned to Ryan. “Didn't you hate the furball? Why are you fraternizing with him now? You all, Ryan was my spy at first.”

“At least I didn't pretend to be a friend then, I made it clear that I hated him.” Ryan seethed.

“And what about the girl? Weren't you interested in her blood?”

“She's still useful, she has the elemental powers like the Lycan, and like Rockwell.” Myles said, confirming my suspicion. He had eyes in the academy and knew what happened to who.

The men were speaking in parables and I found it difficult to understand as my eyes flew back to Aidan.

Can't we make use of this time? Can't we set Aidan free? I echoed to Adina.

I'll need some water and the moon light. Adina replied, still in my head.

“How about I end your puppet here now first.” Ryan interrupted the men with a smile and I knew that he had a plan.

Whatever it was, I hope it worked.

“I'll love to see you try.” Myles said confidently.

“Watch me.” Ryan challenged back.

The older man only smiled, clapped his hands together and more troops arrived. We'd fought vampires on our way, but these were a different breed. They looked more fierce, more alert and more dead.

“Kill all of them. Except for the vampire and the girl.” Myles instructed and began to walk away with the Mayor as a prisoner.

Petrova joined him, and for a second, I wondered who the leader was. However, one thing was clear. A coup was brewing. It was obvious that neither man would want to be ruled by the other so I could already see the end but how do we make it play out without getting our hands dirty?

“Kill the Lycan afterwards, we won't need his services anymore in the future.” Petrova ordered, then at the door, he turned to his son and added as a way of mockery, “Knock yourself out!”

Immediately they stepped out, the holocaust began. I knew in my soul that this fight was going to determine which force won. Good or evil. And at least, I was convinced that we were the forces of good, and not evil.

More troops joined and we were not only surrounded, but out numbered by one to ten vampires. We turned to them, ready to dash into battle but I could tell that we might not make it without a plan.

It was Aidan who first leapt towards us, but Rockwell resisted him. I wanted badly to skate towards him, to remind him of who he was but lovers talk was impossible with the situation so I left it to Rockwell. He would find him, he always knew how to find us.

Through the corner of my eyes, as I threw a vampire down, I caught professor Rockwell holding Aidan by the neck. He wasn't going to hurt him, I knew that, or he would've fought back long ago.

If the bad guys win, what happens to the kids at school? Do they turn them? Probably, they would roam freely, or become Principal Legrange and Myles’s pawns. Wasn't that the idea after all?

“Listen to me, Aidan. Snap out of it!” Rockwell pleaded, but when Aidan didn't, he did the one thing he knew how to.

“Gather around, all of you!” he yelled.