Saving Year Three (Grim Reaper Academy 3)

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Wait, what? What the fuck’s this about? It didn’t sound good.

“Sure we have,” GC said, a lazy smirk in his voice. “We cut ourselves all the time in PE. I, for one, heal super fast, but others aren’t that lucky.”

The Headmaster nodded. “But have you ever felt the bite of a scythe that was once broken and now is whole?”

My guys looked confused, and for good reason. I was the only one who knew my father had managed to break his blade somehow, and then replace it with a new once. Or, maybe he hadn’t replaced it, just fixed it. I couldn’t remember the whole story. It didn’t matter. What mattered now was that he’d just taken a step toward GC. Before I could react, he lifted his scythe, swung it at my boyfriend, and left a gushing wound on his cheek.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I yelled. “What the fuck? You’re attacking students now?”

Valentine ignored me. “Mr. Apis, maybe next time you’ll think twice before speaking to me so disrespectfully.”

GC was holding his cheek. He smiled at me. “Don’t worry, it will heal in a second.”

But it wasn’t healing! Sariel and Francis had stepped away from Morningstar, one out of fear and the other out of common sense, but Paz was frozen in place. He stared at GC until his mind finally wrapped around what was happening, then turned to Morningstar with a hateful, determined look in his green eyes. I knew that if I didn’t step in, things would end up even bloodier.

“Father, what have you done?” That got his attention, alright. “You just hurt a student. Do you realize how serious this is?” Pazuzu was boiling with anger behind me. I held my ground, refusing to move out of his way.

“And what will you do? You’ll go to the Council? Do you think they’ll listen? Do you think they’ll care?”

Morningstar had that glint in his eyes. I’d seen it before, the day he’d cornered the Council into making him Headmaster. His features were starting to shift. The pale, smooth skin on his cheeks and jaws started thinning, showing the bones beneath it.

“The Council…”

“They won’t!” His booming voice filled the room. “They put me in charge, and I will use whatever methods I deem fit to get this pathetic generation of Grim Reapers back on track, back on the straight and narrow, after two wasted years!”

“Father, you’re not…”

Thinking straight. I wanted to say he was not thinking straight, but he cut me off my raising his scythe and swinging it at me. I didn’t have time to duck, nor protect myself in any way. I felt the sharp point of the blade penetrate my right cheek, and I became paralyzed. It was as if everything was happening in slow motion. GC was still bleeding profusely and holding his jaw, Francis was holding Sariel back now, and Paz threw himself at Morningstar, his fingers wrapping around his scythe, trying to push him away from me. But no matter how many things were unfurling around me, nothing changed the fact that the very tip of the blade had dug a hole into my cheek and was now advancing millimeter by millimeter. And I couldn’t move, couldn’t react.

It was the strangest thing. The blade felt cold. Frozen.

When I was sure it would tear a chunk off my face, it stopped. Valentine stopped. He didn’t push any further, but he didn’t pull the blade back, either. Paz had a good grip on the handle now, but for some reason, he decided it was best not to move. They were all looking at me, at the place where the blade met my cheek. The place where the sharp tip had pierced my flesh. And whatever they saw there made their eyes widen and lungs forget how to breathe.

Then I felt it. It started to burn so wildly that tears filled my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I gathered my strength and pulled myself away, feeling the burn of the blade as it slid out of my flesh. I stumbled to the floor, crying and gasping, and that was when the spell broke and they all started moving around me again.

“Oh my God, Mila!” Pazuzu grabbed my hands, so he could look at the wound.

“What the hell just happened?” I head GC say in a stumped whisper. “What did we just see?”

“Out!” Morningstar raged. “All of you! Out of my office now! You’ve all just lost 100 worth points today. Out!”

Francis and Sariel pulled me up. When Paz tried to fight them, yelling that I was hurt, Francis calmed him down.

“We have to go,” he whispered gently. “Now.”

Sariel took me into his arms, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck.

“No! Put her down!” Paz protested.

“If you love her,” Francis tried to reason with him, “you’ll let him carry her, and you’ll move.”

My head was swimming. GC opened the door, and I saw that he was still bleeding like crazy. I didn’t understand why. He was a false god and a shapeshifter. The wound should have healed on its own by now. As Sariel carried me out, I threw a lost, confused glance at my father. He was standing in the middle of the office, and he was livid. His hand was shaking on the handle of his scythe, and his blue eyes were fixed on the blade. The blade that, as he’d said, had been whole a moment before, and now seemed to have… cracked. Thin lines spread from one side to the other, like red veins on pale skin.

“What…”

“You’re okay,” Sariel whispered in my ear. “We’re taking you and GC to the infirmary.”