Truth- Shadow goddess seris(COMPLETE)

Chapter Fifteen

A countless amount of shots later I was on the dance floor with a smile as I danced with Lexi and the twins. Mathew, Guage who had shown up later, and Ryker were surrounding us. I kind of felt like they were protecting us from unwanted people groping and grabbing us like we were some kind of toy that says. “Feel me”. I didn’t mind though. In fact I found myself circling around each of them gracefully, trailing my fingers down their arms or the chests. The guys were all smiles as they watched me, their eyes never leaving mine. I think the twins and Lexi were getting jealous though. And I didn’t want to take attention off of them. So I excused myself and went to sit back at the table for a break. 

Sweat coated my brow. My body was sticky from perspiration and heat. My mouth felt like cotton and my throat was so dry it felt like it was just two breaths away from ripping. I quickly swallowed as much water as I could, relishing in the feeling of it running down my throat easing the burning pain. The longer I sat there though the more I realized how tired I was. The others were on the dance floor having fun and I didn’t want to interrupt their night. So I decided to leave a note on the table, and slipped out the door. 

Outside was quiet. The night was still lit up by the neon signs that flashed above some businesses. The streets weren’t as crowded as they had been but people were still meandering around going from shop to shop or in and out of clubs and bars. It was a nice sight after being locked inside the Academy the past week or so. 

I didn’t know how I was going to get back to the Academy so I decided to explore the town a bit. Jewelry stores, Wicca stores, potions and spells, clothing outlets, shoes stores. This town had everything. Including Starbucks and Coyote Coffee. I liked both coffee shops, but Coyote Coffee’s season specials couldn’t be beat. Especially their fall selections. Starbucks I usually only got the skinny vanilla latte with an extra shot of espresso and white chocolate. And I always got it hot. Coyote coffee now, I got frozen with espresso whip and whatever flavor I find I like at that moment. Hoping it would help clear some of the light headedness I grabbed a coffee and continued on my way. 

“You there.” A voice called out. I didn’t know if they were talking to me, but I turned around anyway. A small woman with something wrapped around her head, a crystal set in the center stood waving me down. She wore a long blue gown looking thing with bangles clanging on her arms. 

“Me?” I questioned, pointing my finger to myself. 

“Yes. Would you care to know your future?” 

A psychic? Really? Did she think I was stupid? No one can tell the future. It’s impossible. There are too many factors to change it. The future changes with every decision we make, every word we say. Nothing, and I mean nothing sets the future in stone.  The future is like the ocean. Constantly in motion, constantly changing. 

“No. Thank you.” I waved her off, turning around to finish exploring. 

“I know you’re struggling to find who you are.” She called, making me stop. “I know your life has changed and you don’t know how or what to feel about it.” 

How in the world did she know this? I turned around and gave her another look over. She looked like any little woman would. Nothing out of the ordinary other than her apparent lack of fashion sense. 

“Alright.” I nodded walking over to her. “You have one chance to prove to me all this isn’t some scam set up to draw in dumb people.” 

She nodded, and I followed her into a small shop I hadn’t even noticed before now. It was tucked away in between two larger and more imposing stores that completely blotted out her shop. Inside was dark, candles being the only thing that lit the room. Shadows were cast all along the walls in the flickering lights, and I swear I’m not going crazy. But it looked like more than just your average shadows cast by firelight. I swore I saw silhouettes, moving between the shadows. Chills shot down my spine at the sight. And the only thing I wanted to do was turn around and run as fast and as far away from this creepy ass place as I could. 

“Sit. Sit.” The woman said pointing to a chair on the other side of a round table with a red table cloth covering it. I laughed to myself. All she needed now was a crystal ball and the set up would be complete. As I sat down the woman leaned over and picked something up. And there it is. I smirked as she pulled out the crystal ball and placed it in front of her, alongside a deck of tarot cards. 

“I’m going to shuffle and spread these out. I want you to pick the one that you’re drawn to. It could feel hot or cold. It could give you chills or it could just be an internal feeling. But one or card or more than one will stand out to you.” 

I nodded with my brow furrowed as she shuffled and reshuffled the deck with expert skill. She didn’t falter once as she did the complex looking motions. When she was done she spread the cards out in a fan like shape before her and motioned wordlessly for me to choose. I ran my hand over the cards slowly, feeling my gut lead me to card after card until five sat in front of me face down waiting for me to turn them over. I looked up at the woman who gave me an encouraging nod. Flipping the first card I saw “Judgement” Written below an angel blowing a trumpet. 

“The judgement card means you’re awakening, but beware a reckoning after you awaken.” I gulped and flipped the next card. “The Hermit” Looked back up at me. A man wrapped in baggy clothes barely covering his hunched back as he leaned on his walking stick. “The hermit is a search for inner truth. What your purpose is and who you are.” Well no s**t sherlock. I grumbled. That’s kind of the whole reason I’m here. I didn’t say any of this out loud, but I wanted to. 

I just shook my head and moved on to the next card, flipping it over without hesitation just wanting this to be done with. “Magician” Was upside down, a wizard staring back at me, his wand held proudly in front of him. “The upside down magician means you’re being tricked. Someone close to you isn’t who they seem to be. Be cautious of the people you keep close.”  I swallowed heavily before flipping the last two over. My body stilled at the cards. “Death” A grim reaper staring back at me like it was beckoning to me. And the “Hanged man” A man with a noose behind him. In my mind I could see that noose swinging behind him, taunting him with what it entailed. 

“Death is not what you think.” The woman assured me with a small smile. “Death can also mean a great change is coming your way. But the hanged man says it will take sacrifice too. Your future dear will be a hard one filled with changes and betrayal. Be cautious child. The people around you are not always as they seem. Many will try and deceive you. I can feel your power, and the power that is still locked away inside you. You will awaken soon, find who you are. And when you do great change will come as your destiny is revealed.”

The woman pulled the cards back, placing them back in the deck before setting them to the side. “Now.” She said pushing the crystal ball into the center of the table. “Place your hands on the crystal ball. It will need your energy to latch onto to reveal anything.” I hesitated for a moment before sighing and placing both hands onto the glass. It was unusually cold, the glass almost burning my hand from the cold. But a purple mist began swirling in the center of the ball before forming five humanoid forms within them. The wispy forms were arguing, fists raised in the air aggressively. 

Two new forms appeared. A woman with long hair and another man. Both of them move to stand between the arguing men. The men didn’t like this. They all attacked as one, making the two people who tried to help duck and cover their heads with their hands. Before too much could happen two more forms jumped in, throwing the others like they were nothing but rag dolls in the way. 

The purple smoke swallowed the people before reforming. Upon a very large chair, or throne sat a woman. A crown on her head and scepter in her hand. A man stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder possessively while below her, people were bowed. They were all in a kneeling position with their foreheads pressed to the floor. When the purple smoke dissipated and reformed, the throne was blazing with fire. People were running, you could almost see the desperate screams coming from the people as they fled. The woman with the crown was leading people away from the flames, her arms waving wildly to try and gain everyone's attention. 

And just like that it was gone. There was nothing but clear glass left staring back at me. The purple smoke gone, with no trace it had ever been there. I looked back up to the woman slack jawed. She stared back at me kindly, a small but friendly smile on her face. But her eyes and her aura said the opposite. Her eyes held genuine fear, her aura blazed like wildfire with her terror. I didn’t ask, I was honestly scared to ask. I didn’t want to know what in my future had her looking at me like that. 

“Thank you.” I stood. “How much do I owe you?” I looked at her as I opened my purse. Clutch. Whatever this thing was. 

“No, no. It’s on me.” She said, her voice a few octaves too high. 

“Alright then. If you’re sure.” I hesitated, lowering the clutch/purse. 

“Oh. Yes, yes. Quite sure.” She rushed out, quickly getting to her feet and shooing me out of the door. Before I could ask what was going on and what her problem was, she slammed the door shut. I heard the lock click and her sign turn off as darkness surrounded me. Most places were beginning to close now, so her light was one of the only ones lighting up the street. Was, until she turned it off. 

I glanced around at the deserted streets wondering how I was going to get back to the Academy. My bike was still parked in the Academy lot. Ryker and the others probably already left thinking I went back. And I didn’t see any sign of a cab service. No uber, lyft, nothing. Great. A fifteen minute drive was what? A forty five minute walk? An hour? Way too far to be walking in the middle of the night when vampires liked to prey on unsuspecting people. 

Did I really have another choice though? I had to get back to the Academy. I guess how didn’t really matter as long as I got back. So, I started walking. I was getting more and more irritated with every step. I never should have let anyone drive me here. I should have just rode my bike so I would have a way back. I never would be in this situation if I had just done what I originally wanted to do. But no. I had to make my friends happy and get myself stranded.

I had just got out of town, the remaining lights disappearing in the background leaving me in total darkness. It wasn’t eerie, or frightening like a lot of people would think. I liked the dark. I enjoyed the quiet and the peace that came with it. It was like once the sun went down whatever happened that day disappeared. Like it never happened. The chaos, the noise were all drowned out by the darkness. Almost like a security blanket wrapping around you and caressing your flesh like a cool breeze, or a warm fire. It brought me peace. Complete and utter calm. 

Lights shone from behind me at a rapid pace. The brightness of them intensified the closer the car got to me. Whoever it was, was driving like a maniac. Their speed was way more than it should have been. I stepped several paces off the side of the toad, giving the driver wide berth making sure there was no way I could be hit. The car didn’t pass me though. It came to a stop beside me making my skin tingle with awareness and my mind sharpen at the danger I could be in. There was no point in continuing to walk, they would just keep up with me easily or catch me while my back is turned. There was no way I was going to give them the advantage of having my back towards them. Nope, not this girl. I refuse to be one of those dumb girls from a horror movie that run upstairs while the killer is after her. Why would they do that anyway? How did they expect to get away after running up the stairs? Jump out the window? 

The car stopped beside me. A beautiful black 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle now sat in front of me. Whoever was in this car definitely had taste. This car was amazing. And in immaculate condition for its age. There was no rust in sight. The sleek black color was flawless, its shine reflecting my image back perfectly. Damn. I was all but drooling over the car. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Cassius’s voice called to me angrily through the security of the car, before he stepped out slamming the door behind him. I winced. Not how that car should be treated. 

“I’m walking back to the Academy.” I told him crossing my arms over my chest. 

“Why? Who brought you here? Why didn’t you ride back with them?” He bombarded me with question after question leaving me no time to answer before he hurled the next question at me. 

“Whoa, stop there.” I raised my voice above his. “I came with Ryker, Lexi, Mathew and the twins. Some of the others met us there. But I walked out to get some air after I decided it was a good idea to drink too much. I was caught by a psychic and I guess in the time I was there they left thinking I had somehow already got back. And I don’t need you hounding me about how I get back. I didn’t see any signs of cabs, ubers, lyfts or anything else. So I had no other choice. Now if you don’t mind I’d like to get back. Take this awful uncomfortable dress Lexi put me in off and shower before going to bed.” 

“Get in.” Was all he said before storming his way back over to the driver side and getting in the car. Was he serious? Please tell me he was kidding. Getting into a car alone with Professor Cassius was not my idea of a safe ride back. Him being a vampire didn’t bother me. But being so close to him for twenty minutes seemed like a really bad idea though I had no idea why. I also didn’t have much of a choice. I knew he would never let me walk back. So I got in. The interior of the car is just as beautiful as the outside. All original tan leather seats, the steering wheel and gear shift. All of it was original to the car. 

“Thanks.” I said quietly, reaching to pull the seat belt over my shoulder, then remembering cars from the 60’s did not have seat belts. “Your car is amazing. How did you manage to keep it all original?” I asked, looking around the car in awe. 

“You know cars?” He asked incredulously as he pulled away from the curb. 

“Only the ones worth knowing” I shrugged. “And a 66 Chevelle is one of those worth knowing.” He stayed quiet for a little while, and I just looked out the window, doing my best to imagine a man with wrinkles and warts covering his face. It was gag inducing, but better than my mind focusing on the man beside me. 

“You’re welcome.” He finally said, breaking the silence. 

“Did you have fun at the bar?” I asked. He raised a questioning brow at me. “What?” I questioned with a furrowed brow. 

“You knew I was there?” He chuckled. 

“Yes. Just like I knew Professor Phoenix was there and a few other professors. And half the student body.” I didn’t mention the bimbo that was hanging off his arm though. How weird and stalkery would that be? Nope, I refuse to make a fool of myself. I quirked a brow at Cassius as he chuckled lowly in his throat. “What’s so funny?” He looked at me from the corner of his eye, amusement dancing in them. Okay. I thought to myself. That’s not weird at all. 

“Nothing.” He finally said, his tone light. “There is nothing funny.” 

Yeah, right. Did he really think I would buy that? But I let it go. I had no right to question him. He was an adult and a professor, a really hot one, but still above me. He could make his own decisions. Why do I even care? He was my professor, not my boyfriend. I shouldn’t be jealous, I didn’t want to be, but I was. And Professor Phoenix was nagging at me too. Both professors are taking a main portion of my mind recently and I didn’t like it. I had actually considered asking my uncle to take me out of their classes, but they were too much fun. Learning about defensive magic I never knew I possessed and sparring with someone who could actually keep up with me. I didn’t know if I could give that up. Even for my sanity. 

When we pulled up to the Academy doors, I rushed out of the car thanking Cassius for giving me a ride before taking off into the doors and running to my tower. I needed to be as far away from him and other people as I could be right now. I needed to take a shower, clear my mind and just rest. My emotions were getting out of control between confusion about the professors and anger at Ryker and the others leaving me in town.