Truth- Shadow goddess seris(COMPLETE)

Chapter Thirteen

At dinner I found myself looking towards the area the professors usually sat. I don’t know why, and I didn’t know who I was looking for. Well, maybe I did. Two someones to be specific, but I’d never admit it. Nope. Not me. I’m innocent. Snorting a laugh, I shook my head and moved to our normal table. I needed to talk to Ryker. He normally met me after combat and weapons class, but he didn’t today. When I left the locker room I found the hall empty. And an odd sense of hurt hit me at that. I was both curious and terrified as to why. When our table came into view I furrowed my brow. Ryker wasn’t there. And Lexi, the twins and Mathew were staring at me funny. Sadness and concern was written all over their faces. And it was directed at me. 

“What’s going on?” I asked, taking my usual seat beside Lexi. I looked over to Rykers empty chair, and pursed my lips. I hope he is okay. “Hey, do any of you know where Ryker is?” I asked looking back up at them. Everyone seemed to have frozen all at once, their eyes darting between one another frantically. “What is it?” I demanded, my voice tight. Lexi looked at me, then her eyes darted behind me and back to me. 

I turned and looked. My breathing stopped, and hurt swelled within me. Ryker was there, sitting back with the group of heirs. They were all staring at me mockingly, sadistic smiles on their faces. Darius smirked at me, before throwing his arm over Rykers shoulder. And Ryker smiled, He freaking smiled. Before turning his attention to me. His red eyes darkened, his smile falling away. My chest tightened. Was he really doing this? What did I do? I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly. “I think I’m just going to go to bed.” I told my friends, pushing my food away from me and standing.

“Rose. Wait.” Lexi reached out, gently grabbing my wrist. “I can come with you.” 

“No.” I tried to smile. “I’m fine. I just need to be alone for a little while.” 

Lexi nodded, her bottom lip quivering like she wanted to cry. The others held anger in their eyes. But I couldn’t stay to ask. I turned my back on them and walked away. I tried to keep my pace slow and casual, but it quickly turned into a brisk pace. My need to get away is overwhelming everything else. I didn’t know why I was acting like this. I have never let anyone get to me before. Then again, I never got so close to anyone before Ryker. I had friends, yeah. But they were just fun to hang out with. People my age I’ve met here and there in town. Mom home schooled me so I was always alone. But Ryker. I thought he was my friend. How could I have been so stupid to believe something so….. So obvious. He was an heir, of course he didn’t really want to be friends. He probably was just acting the whole time to get close to me. 

In my haste to get away I ran into something in the hall. Arms instantly reached out and steadied me. Orange flared around me in currents. Cassius. I looked up to him, willing the stinging sensation in the back of my eyes to go away. I didn’t cry. Ever. And I wasn’t about to start now. “Sorry.” I mumbled, side stepping him and continuing on my way. His hand reached out, grabbing my upper arm stopping me. I turned to him questioningly. 

“What happened?” He all but growled. 

“Nothing. It’s fine.” I pulled my arm away and once again tried to leave, but he caught me again. I released a heavy sigh and turned to him. “What?” I demanded, my voice holding no conviction. 

“What happened?” His voice was deadly, sending shivers down my spine and ice through my veins. 

I just shook my head, a humorless chuckle falling from my lips. “If you really want to know. Go in there.” I motioned to the dining hall. “Look at the heirs table. Then you’ll know. Now, can I please go? I don’t want to be anywhere near any of them right now.”  He released me, his eyes hardening as he turned and marched into the dining hall. I wasn’t sure why, or what he planned to do. But I honestly didn’t care. He was a professor, he could do whatever he wanted. 

I was at the end of the hall when I heard a loud crash. I spun around just in time to see Ryker flying through the now busted and splintered dining hall doors and land harshly, bouncing off the stone like it was made of rubber. I wanted to run to him, to make sure he's okay. But I planted my feet and just watched. Cassius stalked after Ryker, anger radiating off him so pugnantly I could basically taste it from where I was. He had had murder written in his eyes as he prowled closer to Ryker. The doorway now full of curious and shocked students as they waited for what came next. 

I couldn’t let Cassius get into trouble though. I wasn’t sure why he was acting like this, but regardless he could get in trouble. Be sent back to prison. So, in a split second decision I shot down the hall towards them. I reached them just as Cassius was reaching towards Ryker, his blue eyes looking black. “Professor, stop.” I said, grabbing his hand. He looked up at me, fury hitting me like a two ton weight. I shook my head at him. “Don’t.” I pleaded. “Think about what you’re doing, about what could happen. Remember what I told you? This isn’t the way to fight for that. This is the opposite. Choose your battles, Professor. This isn’t one of those to fight right now.”  

The black in his eyes faded back to his midnight blue. His hand squeezed mine briefly before letting it go and stepping away from Ryker. I turned and looked down at Ryker as he wiped blood from his face. He was glaring daggers at Cassius, before his eyes turned to mine, softening ever so slightly, questions within them. I shook my head at him, my heart pinching. “You chose where you stood, and that’s not with me.” I answered his unspoken question. 

“Rose I didn…” 

I held my hand up. “Don’t.” I said, my voice breaking. Damn it. “I hope you are happy with your decision, Ryker. And for whatever it’s worth, I’m glad you have your brothers back. I just hope they’re back for the right reasons. Goodbye Ryker.” I turned away from him. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. And I still don’t know why I was reacting the way I was. It made no sense because I have barely known him a week. 

“Rose, please.” He called after me. My breath hitched at his pleading tone. I couldn’t take it. So I took off running down the hall to get away. But he was a vampire, he could reach me in seconds if he wanted to. Thankfully though I made it back to my room, slamming my door and locking it behind me. My back hit the door, and I slid down it, my back rubbing the length of the door until I hit the ground and pulling my knees to my chest. 

Get it together. I told myself harshly. You didn’t know him well enough to act like this. I tried repeating those words over and over to myself so I could just forget him. Forget he left me at combat and training. Forget he dumped me to go back to the heirs. And forget he did all this without any kind of explanation. I laughed at myself. I was so damn stupid to get close to anyone here. 

After a little while, I decided to go talk to my uncle. I wanted to know if there was an update on my bike, and to ask about going ahead and taking my exams. I could make a deal with him. Agree to teach or help teach until the end of the year. That way I was still technically in class, but I would already have my diploma.Whatever that was in a school like this. And with the extra time on my hands I can try and find out what I am. I could read up on different supernaturals and see if any resonate with me. 

A blur of motion caught my attention, and I stopped my pace just in time, to not run into someone's chest. Not someone’s. Rykers. His blue and yellow aura was all over the place. Reds and greens and blues mixed into it. It was swirling and pulsing chaotically. Ryker was in turmoil, his emotions twisted and unreadable. When he reached out to me, I took several steps back out of his reach. 

“Rose, please. Listen to me.” He pleaded. His voice was thick and hoarse. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked up into his red eyes. I didn’t say anything, didn’t want to give away how much those simple actions of his hurt. So I gave him a curt nod and nothing more. A huge breath of relief whooshed out of him. “Darius found me outside of combat class when I was waiting for you.” He started. “He caught me off guard, compelled me to go with him. I tried to fight it but once compulsion takes hold it is almost impossible to fight it.” I furrowed my brow as I thought back to Cassius fighting off my compulsion. “When he brought me back to sit at his table I was just so shocked and surprised that I just went with it. They were actually talking to me, Rose. Like they used to when we were kids. I never even thought he was doing it to get to you. I am so sorry.” He reached out and grabbed both my hands in his. “Please, you have to believe me.” He pleaded. 

His red eyes were shimmering with unshed tears, and I could hear the truth in his voice. He sounded almost broken, sad beyond anything I’ve ever heard. And just like that, my hurt and sadness towards Ryker was gone, turning into white hot rage towards Darius. That son of a b***h was a dead man. How could someone be so evil? So calloused? Has this twisted and messed up world really corrupted him so much? 

I growled. Like actually growled. It sounded inhuman, and not like me. I pulled my hands from Ryker’s and took off at a run. I heard Ryker following behind me and he was shouting something at me, but I couldn’t hear him. His voice was drowned out by the pounding of my heart in my ears. And I let it. I let the fury consume me. I let my anger take root in my veins, the fury making my legs speed up taking me faster and faster to my destination. It didn’t take long to track down Caleb’s green aura. A bright cream colored one, Xavier’s yellow one, and there was a red one, a teal one and silver one. I didn’t know whose was whose and it didn’t matter. It meant Darius was here. 

I barged in the door, my shoulders heaving and a low dangerous growl escaping my throat. All the heirs turned to look at me, surprise flashing in their eyes. I ignored everyone but Darius as I shot towards him like lightning and striking out. My fist had already connected with his jaw before he could react. I hit him with such force his entire body snapped to the side as he fell to his knees.  “You pathetic son of a bitch.” I snarled. “Are you so damn evil, so corrupt, you’d use your own brother to get back at me? All of this because I called you an asshole.” I laughed darkly. “You haven’t heard anything yet. You are a pathetic, ill mannered, son of a b***h who doesn’t deserve the air he breathes. You are sick, twisted and demented. And if you think I am just going to roll over then you have another thing coming. I will fight you at every turn. Every blow you land on me I’ll land two on you. You actually think you have what it takes to make my life hell.” I scoffed. “I promise you. You don’t know what hell is until you walk in my shoes. So bring it on vampire, I look forward to this fight.” 

Darius stayed on the ground looking up at me in complete and utter shock. His jaw hung open as he held it in his hand to it, rubbing where I had hit him. His eyes were wide and his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. Growls came from one of the other heirs and Xavier sneered at me angrily. The only one who was staying back was Caleb. And his eyes were firmly set on me. I turned away from him and focused on the other four heirs. 

“Don’t even start.” I hissed at them. “None of you are any better. Using your family, people who were raised with you like toys, pawns in your own sick little games. You do it to show power, and you think you’re getting respect. But you’re not. All of you are evil, and vile. None of you deserve whatever seat you are set to inherit. You're all manipulative and self serving scum.” I snorted, shaking my head in disgust. “Worthless, the lot of you.” 

“Rose!” Ryker hissed under his breath. 

I turned on him and snarled. “No. I will not sit back and keep quiet while they use you. Use anyone else.” I wheeled back to the heirs. “I don’t know what I am, but I vow to you. Once I find out, and I know how to use whatever power I may have. I will take all of you down. One by one you will all be knocked off of that pedestal you have all placed yourselves on. The only decent one of you other than Ryker seems to be Caleb.”

“You bitch.” Xavier shouted, a red angry looking orb growing in his hand. I didn’t know what it was but I wouldn’t cower. I wouldn’t bow. I stood, feet apart and my arms crossed across my chest as I stared down. 

“Xavier, stop.” Caleb and Ryker both shouted. But he didn’t listen. They both moved to help, but I shook my head at them. No, They would not get hurt because of me. Not like this, not something I provoked. In the next second, Xavier threw the orb at me. I could feel the raw power that made up the orb. My muscles tensed as the orb hit my chest. I stumbled back a few steps, a harsh breath leaving my lungs as pain rippled through me. But I still didn’t move, didn’t budge. I focused on the power the orb held and surrounded it with my own aura, making it mine. I drew the power into myself and I wasn’t sure how. Not completely. When the glow disappeared, everyone stood staring at me like I had grown three heads. Even Xavier stared dumbstruck. 

“You should be dead.” He breathed, his mouth hanging open. 

“Well. I’m not.” I shrugged. 

“What are you?” Caleb stepped forward. 

“I don’t know. But I’m sure I will soon. But even then, don’t think for one second I will tell any of you.” I turned away, giving Ryker a small smile before breezing past him and to my uncle’s office.