Royal Academy: Hellfire's Fury

Chapter 4

Stefan's POV

I stood from my seat beside Anna at the same time as Killian and Luca both shot to their feet. I feel the heat bristling off Anna as I fight back my wolf prowling just beneath the surface.

This dude had better start praying the goddess resurrects his sorry ass, because I'm about to strip him to pieces.

My wolf Axel has been on edge ever since Dimitri Silver set foot in our home. Luca immediately sent out a scout to find out how he even got onto the compound past the patrols at the gate or on the borderlines of the field.

"You'll have to make yourself a little more clear, Dimitri. You just made the dangerous assumption that my wife and children are being hunted." I say in a barely controlled voice.

"I agree with my brother. How were you even able to walk in this compound? We have scouts and guards on patrol 24/7." Luca says as he and Killian take a cautious step forward, placing themselves in the line of fire if necessary.

"Like I said before, I mean your family no harm. I am here to help. Cora's family is like my own. I wish them all safe."

The sound of a loud crash from upstairs has everyone's attention looking up to the ceiling as the sound of hurried footsteps fill the air. The twins come barreling through the corridor and into the living room with Alexis and Eliza on their heels.

"Mama! Dani's spot is glowing!" Dante says in a rush as he turns to his sister and pulls back her hair to reveal her wolf-shaped birthmark glowing ember.

"That's not all, his is doing the same thing," Alexis speaks up as she turns Dante around to reveal his own wolf-shaped birthmark glowing as well.

Anna jumps up from her seat and walks over to the twins. She kneels down in front of them and presses her open palms to their necks. Within seconds, the glowing light fades and the kids are once again trying to bustle out the room as though nothing ever happened.

"How old are they?" Dimitri suddenly asked from his position at the front of the room.

Anna shifts her body to block out his view of the twins while Eliza manages to get them out into the corridor.

Stefan, I no longer think we should have him here. I don't like how he was looking at the kids.

The concern in Anna's voice matches mine as I move to stand beside her, her hand unclasped tightly in mine.

'I think it's time you left. We appreciate you letting us know what may or may not be on the horizon for us. But your stay here has reached its limit."

I watched as Dimitri's eyes flit across the room, watching everyone being ready to attack or defend as necessary. Shaking his head, he takes a step forward and then quickly waves both his hands in a circular motion. Gold sparks ignited midair, as what looked like a projection of a blurred image appeared before us.

I felt Anna tense beside me before I heard her quiet gasp, as the image morphed into one of a small house surrounded by a short, white picket fence. Daisies and pink roses line the barrier of the fence as a soft breeze shakes the great oak that canopied the small house from behind.

Anna suddenly shifts beside me as her hand goes slack in mine. She takes a small step forward as a couple walks out the front door of the house right after a little girl with two pigtails and a big white bow on her head.

"Be careful Anna!" the woman says with a smile on her face as the man chases the little girl around the garden.

"Mama, Mama! Come play with us!" the little girl giggled as her father caught her in his arms and tossed her in the air.

"Let's get you some lemonade first," the woman said as she turned to walk back through the front door.

The little girl chased after her mother, followed closely by her father. Within seconds, the house became completely engulfed in flames, as thick clouds of black smoke filled the air. The flames moved along the yard of the house, eating away at the flowers and the white picket fence.

"Mama!" the sound of the little girl's cries could be heard from the house, just before the sound of glass shattering filled the air.

A dark figure crashing through a window could be seen, followed by a loud explosion, as the house erupted into larger flames and broken debris.

Anna whimpered as she fell to her knees. I rushed to her side but had to pull back as soon as my hands touched her skin. Her skin was burning hot. Her hair was turning into the color of molten lava, as red and gold flames began to slowly build around her.

"Mama!" Anna whispered on the floor as Dimitri watched her closely, his arms still holding the image before her.

"Do you remember what you saw that night, Annalise?" Dimitri asked, his sole focus on her and no one else.

"Stefan, what do we do here?" Luca asks as he, Killian and Alexis watched on in silence.

"Stay back," Anna says, "Let me try."

Sweetheart, what is going on here?

This is the same dream. Maybe I missed something.

We can't trust what he's showing you.

Just give me a minute. Please, Stefan.

I signal Luca and the rest to stay back, and they nod their understanding while still keeping their watchful gazes on Dimitri.

The image continues to play in front of us as we see the man and the little girl with a police officer next to them, but in the background, a dark shape erupts from the middle of the debris. Its shape is almost like that of a person.

"Focus Annalise, what did you miss that night?" Dimitri continued to question her.

"She was arguing with someone. I heard another voice inside before my dad took me out." Anna responded quietly.

"What did she say?"

"She told the person they wouldn't take her...or me....I'm not sure. She said they'd have to kill her first."

"What did the voice say to your mother?" Dimitri prods further.

The images blurred once more, the scene was now from the inside of the burning structure. Anna's body shakes as she watches her younger self curled into a ball on the floor of her bedroom.

"Mama!" Anna calls out as tears began to flow down her face.

"Will! Get her out of here! Hurry!" a female voice echoes from a distance.

"Don't be a fool, Cora! The Circle will have what is theirs! You cannot keep her from them! She belongs with them!" a dark voice bellows.

"Never! Those monsters will never have her! She will survive this. But not you! You of all people should know what they are! Please, leave her be. Please, Mondel!"

A loud scream penetrates the air as a large ball of tall flames bursts forth from Anna before immediately fading out. Her body leans to the side and I catch her before she hits the ground.

Dimitri slumps back into the chair behind him, his face haggard as beads of sweat run down his temples and neck.

"It can't be." Dimitri's voice is low and catchy. "He's dead. They said that he died in the lake."

Anna comes to in my arms as she pushes herself up to sit upright. "How did you do that? How did you show me my dream?"

Dimitri takes a deep breath before looking over at Anna once more.

"I'm a mage. I can pull one's thoughts from their mind and project them before them. But the person must be strong enough for it."

"And how exactly did you know that Anna was strong enough for that?" I ask, my wolf once more threatening to burst forth and rip his throat out.

"Because Cora Jax was initially known as Cora Miletus," Dimitri breathes out as he looks directly at Anna.

"Miletus? Why does that name sound like I've heard it from somewhere before?" Alexis speaks up as she helps me get Anna onto the chair she was previously occupying.

"Because it was the name we uncovered when we sought out the PI who was helping me track my mother's family, if any still lived." Anna says as she wipes the sweat from her face and ran her fingers through her hair.

Everyone looked at Anna as she let out a long sigh and then looked over to Dimitri once more.

"Miletus is the last known lineage of purebred Hellhounds that ever existed. The bloodline is so pure that it was foretold to be indestructible."

"Indestructible? How?" Killian asked as he moved to stand beside Alexis, who was now watching Anna with concern etched on her face.

Anna shifted her glance to me before swallowing hard. "Indestructible because it is the last known pure bloodline that came from the main source of its power. The Cerberus, bloodline."