Chapter 96 Burn
SOMA
The door shuts after Jade, and I press my legs together. He’s not here yet, but my panties dampen at the thought of what we could do together. Maybe I’ll let him have this, since the last pair of underwear I gave him was on my birthday.
But where is he?
Minutes pass with no sign of Brynne or Jade. I check my phone.
It’s time. My fingers drum against my thighs as one minute becomes two and two becomes five.
What if he’s not coming?
What if this is a prank?
I rise to my feet and head to the front of the class, pacing for a few seconds before returning to sit. Something must have held him back. But what? I grab the phone on the table and pull out his message. The wording is clear.
Have I misread our interactions?
For the hundredth time, I smooth the front of my dress, brushing invisible lint from the soft fabric until I hear it. Footsteps rushing toward this direction. My heart lifts.
Finally. I sit up straighter, running a hand through my hair and adjusting the collar of my dress. A faint smile plays on my lips. Brynne has a lot of apologizing to do.
The door bursts open, but it’s not Brynne. It’s Jade.
“Jade?”
Slowly, I rise, confusion turning to alarm as she stumbles forward. Her face is too pale, and her eyes are unfocused.
Her hand clutches her side, red staining her fingers.
“Jade!” I rush toward her in time to catch her before she collapses. My hands grip her shoulders, noting how cold she is. She trembles, shaking her head when I try to lead her to a chair. “What’s going on?”
“M-my lady,” she breathes.
Blood sputters from her mouth, and I choke on a sob.
“We need to get you help.” She makes a sound, gripping my arm. My throat closes, and I force out a “What?”
“Run,” she gasps. Her voice breaks. “Now.”
“No, Jade, you’re hurt.” I shake my head, trying to steer her toward the nearest chair, but she’s heavy. “Help me.”
But she slumps into me, her entire weight resting on me. I hold her tight, wincing at the stickiness that clings to my fingers. When I lower her to the ground, my hands come away with blood. Blood that doesn’t belong to me.
A wave of panic washes over me, and I scream.
“No, no. Jade.” I press both hands to the wound on her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. But the stain only expands. “Stay with me. Please. Someone help. Help.”
But no one comes. Where’s Brynne?
Jade’s eyes flutter open, unfocused and drifting.
“I feel… cold,” she whispers.
“You’re going to be fine, Jadesola,” I lie. My gaze darts to the door. It’s too far. “We’ll get help, okay? I… I just need to pull you up. Hang in there. We’ll go together.”
Tears prick the corners of my eyes when I try to lift her up, and despair crashes over me. Her body is so limp and so heavy. I can’t carry her. I don’t know what I’m doing.
“I’m sorry,” she murmurs. Her voice is barely there, and I don’t like it. “Please… tell Tristan I love him. Okay?”
“No, you’ll tell him yourself,” I whisper. “Jade, don’t do this.”
Jade smiles faintly, blood coating her teeth. “I think… you’re my best friend, Dee.” Her hand grips mine weakly. “Can I call you that? It’s been my honor… my lady.”
“No, Jade, stay with me.” My voice breaks as I stare at the door, dread clawing up my throat. “Help. Brynne. Brynne!”
Her eyes close, her hand falls from mine, and her head lolls back. She’s still. Too still.
“Jade?” I press my palms against her chest, trying to… what? Revive her? Fix her? Bring her back? “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I sob. “Please. Please don’t do this.”
The door creaks open. I jolt in fear and relief, which soon turns to horror. Because again, it’s not Brynne. I should have known. The text was a prank.
A group of six people in black step into the room, their outfits identical to the academy’s security uniform. The only one in the group wearing a hood steps forward.
“Pup-pup?” he says, his voice deceptively calm.
Tears blur my vision, and I blink them back. The man lowers his hood, and silver-blond hair falls around his sharp face. As his hand drops to his side, I see the blade.
It glints with blood. Jade’s blood.
“You,” I whisper. “You killed her.”
Something dangerous pulls and twists in my chest as I push to my feet. My throat tightens, and my skin prickles.
The silver-haired man doesn’t seem fazed. “Get the girl,” he tells the others. “And let’s go.”
Go? I scoff. A maniacal laugh falls from my lips. Hate surges into my veins, and the air thickens with heat. The pull grows stronger. I tilt my head and unclench my fists.
No one is leaving here alive, even if it costs me my life.
“You,” I begin, pointing at each one of them. A sadistic smile curls my lips. Poor creatures. “You’re all gonna die.”
Another bout of laughter rattles my frame. I slap a hand over my eyes, my body trembling from the laughter.
One of them snaps. “You need to stop that shit.”
I don’t know what that shit is, but I know the rage in my chest is no longer just grief. It’s fire. Pure, pulsing pressure that has taken a life of its own.
My vision tints red, and my hands lower, curling into fists at my sides. I take three steps forward and scream.
The sound is raw and primal, tearing from deep within a part of my soul I didn’t know existed. The room explodes.
Glass cracks and lights burst.
The windows shatter outward as an unseen force surges from my body, its power strong enough to fling the intruders backward. They crash into walls and furniture, and the dagger clatters across the floor.
They groan, stunned and disoriented, but it’s not enough.
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
The word spins in my mind like a chant.
Some intruders push to their hands and knees. Fear leaks from them as they crawl toward the door.
How dare they try to leave after hurting my best friend? I step forward, my eyes locked on the one who’s holding the dagger. I want him dead. I want him to burn. All of them.
The air charges, thickening with an energy so sharp it cuts my skin. Blood trickles down my cheeks, but my thoughts only rage harder.
Burn.
They must burn.
There’s that pull in my chest again that gives life to my thoughts, and they begin to disintegrate.
One by one, their bodies crack apart. Screams pierce the air, then a deafening silence follows. In seconds, they are gone, with nothing but the bloodied dagger to show they ever existed.
A faint haze lingers. The room reverberates with the force of their destruction, the walls and furniture bearing witness to the carnage. I release a breath, the stillness hitting like a slap.
She’s dead. Jade is dead.
My breath comes out in sharp gasps, and I collapse to my knees, shaking uncontrollably. My head pounds, and my limbs ache, but I crawl back to Jade.
Her body is still warm, but there’s no life left in it. I pull her onto my lap and rock her like it will undo everything.
“Jade, I’ve avenged you. Will you please wake up now?” I whisper between sobs. “You’re my best friend. You’re my only friend. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Her blood stains my hands, my dress, and even my soul. I told her I would protect her, but I failed. Still, I keep whispering, hoping by some miracle the Moon Goddess will revive her. My voice fades, but nothing happens. The edges of my vision turn black, and I collapse beside her.
Thank you for reading.
The story continues in The Alpha’s Unexpected Luna: The Rejection. I’ll be taking a week off to rest my head before I resume updates. You can join other readers on Ream or lnkitt to get started on book two, or wait until I upload chapters.
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