Escape and Rescue

Nautica shoved me into Xander’s office, a large room overlooking the courtyard. He immediately clamped a fresh mint bracelet on my wrist.

“Hey!” I protested. Nautica pushed me into a chair.

“Shut up,” he told me. “And don’t open your fat mouth until Xander tells you. He went out on a limb bringing you back here, trusting you. You’ve got a lot of nerve disobeying him.”

“My mates were dying… He promised me he’d keep them alive…”

“I said, shut up!” Nautica shouted, raising his hand threateningly. Conditioned by Xander’s slap, I shrank into my seat.

“At ease, Nautica,” Xander said, brushing off his suit as he entered the room. The very sight of him made me want to hurl. “Call a campus-wide assembly. They’re nearly ready. I want you to lead the procession.”

Nautica bowed, throwing me a final smirk before he hurried from the room. Xander shut the door tightly behind him.

“What are you talking about? What procession?” I demanded.

“Why did you remove your bracelet?” Xander asked, completely ignoring my questions.

I scowled at him, refusing to answer.

He raised his eyebrow. “I thought I made it very clear, Madeline. Your obedience for your friends’ safety. Now, why did you remove your bracelet?”

I couldn’t tell him about Zayda’s magic. It would put her directly in harm’s way. “It was an accident,” I said, trying to pacify him. “I tripped in my dorm room and banged it against the corner of the desk. It shattered.”

He pursed his lips, and I silently prayed he believed me.

“You should have asked for a replacement immediately.”

I stared at him, not replying. I hated the bracelet and couldn’t wait for a moment to break this one as well.

“Why did you seek out the beasts?”

I thought about not replying, but I knew he would put pressure on me until I did. It was better, safer for my friends, if I gave him a half-answer.

“My brand made me do it,” I said defensively. “There was nothing I could do. Why did you hit me for something I can’t control?”

“You could control it if you kept your bracelet on,” Xander snarled. “Freeing Loch could put the whole campus in danger. He has a violent madness, rare even among Twin Leading Breeds. He’s capable of destruction on a scale you can’t begin to fathom.”

“You have him so drugged up that he’s no threat. Why would you do that?”

“Madeline, your mates are dangerous creatures. They’re on Dragon’s Bane for a reason,” Xander said. “It is my job to keep my students and faculty safe, and Dragon’s Bane allows me to do that. I had to weaken them.”

He smirked, and a chill ran down my spine.

“That and…one other reason…”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “What reason?” I asked, full of terror at what they could be doing to my mates.

Xander merely grinned.

“Come. It’s time for a demonstration.”

I followed Xander to Freesia’s Rock.

Students sat in the pews surrounding the rock. My eyes darted to the exits, but someone, probably Nautica, had cleverly placed students with weapons at every door. If I tried to make a run for it, I would no doubt be captured immediately.

I couldn’t save my mates if I kept getting caught.

Xander led us to the front row where two seats were open, like they were reserved just for us.

“Let’s sit back and watch the show. I hope you gain something from the experience. I’d love to hear your thoughts afterward.”

I stared out the window silently. Xander’s eyes lingered on me a moment, perhaps watching to see if I’d try to escape again.

Students began to crowd the courtyard. Soon, I could barely see the grass beneath their feet.

When Nautica walked out from the old stone building that held the dungeon, everyone erupted in cheers. You would have thought the cocky jerk was a popstar with the way he high-fived and fist-bumped his fellow students.

As Nautica approached the middle of the courtyard, I noticed the long chains in his hand. Loch and Hael were leashed at the other hand, crawling slowly and painfully along the stone path.

They looked like pigs brought to slaughter. Students kicked them, threw things at them, screamed encouragement to Nautica. Mason tailed behind them with a long whip.

I made to stand, to stop this madness, but arms wrapped tight around me, holding me in place.

“Nooo!” I screamed, horrified as a kick landed against Loch’s cheekbone, forcing his face to scrape against the hard stone ground.

I longed to connect with them, but the damn mint bracelet made it impossible. Sadness heavied my heart. Just watching this was torture.

I watched Loch and Hael struggle to get to their feet. Nautica grabbed the whip from Mason and lashed them until they stumbled back on all fours. A huge cheer rippled through the crowd.

Tears streamed down my face as I fought against the hold around my body. I was determined to go to my mates. To save them from this nightmare.

Another set of arms squeezed tight around me. I struggled, but it was no use.

A small swarm of students—mages, I gathered—came forward with knives and scalpels. They cut my mates’ flesh and drained their blood into vials. I felt as if I was being drained myself.

“Oh my god,” I whispered out loud. How could the students think this was right? It was the most sickening act of violence I’d ever seen.

“Spectacular, isn’t it?” Xander said, emotionally. “I just wish it was that demon Storm instead.”

Spectacular? I was about to be sick. I couldn’t tear my eyes from the courtyard, but at the same time, I couldn’t bear to watch. Xander and the dragon slayers were more sickening than any dragon could ever be.

How could they claim to be on the side of righteousness? I couldn’t have imagined worse punishment in hell.

“I know it’s difficult to watch,” Xander said. He stood, gesturing toward the door.

“Go back to your dorm, study hard, and try to see the good here. My methods seem harsh, but you’ll understand one day. I promise. Do not be blind any longer. Find out who you are. And when you’re ready, come to me, and I will show you how to truly use your power.”

The arms around me lifted me to my feet, practically dragging me toward the door.

“One more thing,” he said, stopping my guards. “If I catch you visiting your mates again, we will kill them without a second thought. Clear?”

He stared like he was trying to swallow me with his eyes.

“Very clear,” I said, with great effort.

He nodded, sitting back down to enjoy the remainder of the procession.

The arms around me pulled me once more toward the door, and this time, I didn’t fight them.

I couldn’t just ignore what was happening to my mates. If Xander kept holding these assemblies, Loch and Hael would drop dead in no time. Meaning my life was still in danger.

My mind was made up. I wasn’t going to be Xander’s protégé.

My mates needed me. And I was going to find a way to save them.

***

Phase one of my plan was complete.

With Zayda’s new boyfriend, Xythor’s, help, Zayda, Thea, and I found an apartment in Requiem City. It was a run-down, roach-infested hovel in the skeleton quarter, but it was away from Xander University, and that was all that mattered.

And on the plus side, Xythor agreed to have the lease in his name, making it harder for Xander to find us.

As if his slimy ass would ever step foot in the skeleton quarter.

Phase two of my plan was harder to accomplish, but I did it. Despite restricting my movements around campus, Xander allowed Zayda and Thea free rein. The night we escaped, I was able to cause a commotion in the courtyard using some of my skills from the streets.

In the hubbub that followed, I slipped on a hoodie that Thea had been holding for me, and the three of us walked out the front gates and into Xythor’s waiting car.

Phase three required leaving Harry and Darshan behind at Xander University. It gutted me to do it, but they agreed to our plan, even volunteering for it.

The plan was for Darshan to make his way to the dungeon where Loch and Hael were being kept. Our hope was that if anyone caught him, he could use his blindness as an excuse and say he got turned around.

Once there, he would throw a potion Zayda made between the bars, giving Loch and Hael instructions on how to take it. Then he would make his way back to the main level and find Harry. The two of them would find a way to the front gate, where Xythor would once again be waiting in his car.

Maddie

R u sure ur up for this?

Harry

We got this 💪

Harry

D wants 2 know what’s in it

Zayda

Berries, quicksilver, frog poison

Zayda

One drop should do it. make them lucid enough to escape but not regain full power

Maddie

Remember

Maddie

Throw the potion through the bars, tell them what to do, then run before they hulk out

Darshan

I got this 👍

While Harry and Darshan were delivering the potion to Loch and Hael, Zayda, Thea, and I went to the movies. That way, if there was ever a question later on about my involvement in Loch and Hael’s escape, I had an alibi.

We took our seats in the theater, and I turned my phone to silent.

There was nothing to do now but cross our fingers and hope for the best.

***

The movie was two hours long, plenty of time for Darshan to carry out the plan.

The ushers were real sticklers about phones, so I had to keep mine off the whole time. I was so nervous I barely paid attention to the screen. But I had to stay in the theater and keep my alibi. People needed to see me there.

When the credits rolled, I anxiously took my phone out of my pocket. It seemed to take forever for the texts to load.

Darshan

✔️✔️✔️

Darshan

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Darshan

I DIDN’T SEE ANYONE

Darshan

JK - I MEAN NO ONE SAW ME!

Darshan

SUCK A BIG ONE XANDER!!!!!

I freaked. He’d done it! My mates were free. And even better, there was no way Xander could pin this on me.

“How’d it go?” Zayda asked.

“Mission accomplished,” I told her. She high-fived me and Thea.

I texted Darshan.

Maddie

OMG!!!

Maddie

Ur the man

Maddie

U with X?

Maddie

Darshan?

Maddie

Harry???

Maddie

?????????????

Maddie

Dude ur making me nervous. txt me back so i know ur safe! pls!!!!!!