Goody Magic Academy, Year Three

Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

T he high priestess put a hand on the doorknob, the metal gleaming dully in the dim light. Her lips curled into an icy smile and her eyes glinted with malicious amusement. “Enjoy your evening, Peyton. I wouldn’t bother trying to escape. The walls are warded, and the Bloodborne Brotherhood is patrolling the halls. In the meantime… Do try to stay warm.”

As the door creaked shut behind her, the sound echoing with finality, a wave of emotions crashed over me. Terrified and yet at the same time furious, I stood rooted to the spot, trembling. My fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms, but the sharp pain was a welcome distraction from the panic threatening to overwhelm me.

Was my father really here? I clambered up onto the rickety chair again and peered through the window, trying to guess which cell he might be imprisoned in.

“Dad?” I called. The word sounded so foreign on my lips.

There was no answer.

I didn’t want to cry—I really didn’t. I bit my lower lip so hard I tasted copper in an attempt to hold back the flood of emotions. But the dam broke despite my best efforts. Hot, frustrated tears welled up and spilled down my cheeks, leaving salty trails on my skin.

My breath came in ragged gasps as I got down off the chair again and leaned against the cold stone wall, sliding down until I sank to the floor. The chill of the ground seeped up through my clothes, and I wrapped my arms around my knees, hugging them to my chest, trying to hold myself together.

In the oppressive silence of the cell, even my quiet sobs were deafening. Each tear that fell felt like a small admission of defeat, a crack in my determination. But beneath the fear and frustration, a small spark of defiance still flickered. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, smearing dirt and tears across my face.

My voice, barely audible, broke the silence. “I won’t break,” came my hoarse whisper to the empty room. “She won’t win. I won’t let her. I’ll get out of here, and I’ll save my dad.”

Suddenly, a searing thought cut through my despair. Jaxon. Was he imprisoned here too? My heart raced as I scrambled to my feet, pressing my ear to the cold steel door. I strained again to hear any sound, any sign of life from the other cells.

“Jaxon?” I whispered, then louder, “Jaxon! Can you hear me?”

Only silence answered, heavy and foreboding. My mind raced. What if he wasn’t the only one? Could Twyla be locked up here too? Finn? Maybe even Valentin, or Rose? The possibility that they were suffering the same fate as me made my stomach churn.

No. I refused to be a basket case. Third time’s a charm, right? I grabbed the chair again, its legs scraping loudly against the stone floor. Muscles straining, I climbed onto it, pressing my face against the small window and calling out, my voice cracking, “Is anyone out there?”

Once again, silence was my only response. A chill froze my blood as a new fear suddenly gripped me. Maybe the high priestess’ spell was such that other people couldn’t hear me, same as I couldn’t hear them. The thought made my throat constrict with panic.

I leaned my forehead against the frigid window, the cold seeping deeper into my bones. My fist connected softly with the metal door, each muted thud matching the rhythm of my racing heart. How was I going to escape from this place? What was the Bloodborne Brotherhood doing right now? Were they invisible? Was what why I couldn’t see them, even though the high priestess had said they were roaming the halls? Had they captured any more of my friends? The questions swirled together in my mind, each one more terrifying than the last.

As if summoned by my dark thoughts, the door at the end of the corridor creaked open. A cloaked figure appeared, their face hidden in shadow.

Shitshitshitshit

My heart vaulted into overdrive, pounding so hard I swear I could feel it in my throat. Adrenaline surged through my veins as I leapt from the chair, landing with a bone-jarring thump on the floor. My mind raced, survival instincts kicking in. There was nothing I could do but hit the bastard with a chair if they came into my cell. It was the only weapon I had.

I grabbed the chair, hefting it experimentally above my head. The weight strained my arms a little, but fear gave me strength. Actually, yes! This was a chance of escape! Maybe my only one. I planted my feet, muscles coiled like springs, ready to unleash hell on whoever came through that door.

The door creaked open, the sound grating on my already frayed nerves. As the cloaked figure entered, fresh adrenaline surged through my body.

I yelled like a banshee and rushed forward. The chair felt heavy in my hands as I swung it with all my might.

“Peyton, no!” The figure ducked, the voice achingly familiar.

My heart skipped a beat, but doubt gnawed at me—it could all be an illusion. Gritting my teeth, I swung again, my muscles straining.

In a blur of motion, the figure thrust out their arm, yanking the chair from my grasp. The sudden loss of my weapon left me off-balance, and I stumbled back.

“Didn’t I tell you no, or are you deaf?” The hood of the cloak fell back, revealing Jaxon. His dark brown eyes locked onto mine, a familiar smirk playing on his lips. His brownish-blond hair fell across his shoulders, looking ridiculously gorgeous and perfect even in this dire situation.

My breath caught in my throat. He looked as handsome as ever, but still fear coiled in my gut. I backed up, my legs trembling slightly. “S-stay away from me,” I warned, struggling to keep my voice steady.

“Peyton. I’m not here to hurt you.” His eyes darted quickly over his shoulder, his tension evident in the set of his jaw. “I’m here to rescue you.”

I pressed my back against the wall. “B-but you’re under a spell. I saw the high priestess s-summon you.” My voice quaked slightly.

He chuckled, the sound both comforting and unsettling. “Indeed I was. But the spell was broken, thanks to the help of a couple of friends.”

I narrowed my eyes, suspicion warring with hope. “Meaning what?”

“Look, Peyton, can we talk about this later? Or the dragon lady will suspect something’s up.” Impatience colored his words, his foot tapping restlessly.

I folded my arms, partly as a show of defiance, partly to hide my trembling hands. “Not until you tell me the truth.” My voice came out braver than I felt. Inside, everything was quivering like a plucked string.

He gritted his teeth, frustration flashing in his eyes. “Okay, little miss Doubting Thomas. If you must know, Dimitri Dragan and a reaper broke the spell. Satisfied?”

As he reached for my arm, I scooted away, my heart racing. Fear of those damned power-binding cuffs had my skin crawling. This was just another trap to bind my powers again. “Don’t touch me. You’re not putting those bracelets on me again,” I hissed, pressing myself further into the wall.

He held up his hands, palms out, his expression a mix of exasperation and urgency. “I have zero intention of binding your powers again. That wasn’t my idea the first time anyway, remember? That was all the dragon lady.”

He took another step closer, then stopped and put up his hands. “All right,” he said. “I’m not going to touch you, but we’ve really got to get the hell out of here before our favorite jailer comes back.”

He headed toward the door, his movements quick and purposeful. Over his shoulder, he tossed back, “Or do you want to stay here and become her favorite zoo exhibit?”

I held up a hand. “Wait. Does the high priestess really have my dad?”

He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry to say so, but it’s true. Your father truly is a black dragon, and he hid the Dragon Nexus—something that she desperately wants. That’s why she imprisoned him.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut.

I forced my stiff legs to move, my muscles protesting after hours of relative inactivity. Gathering my courage, I darted past him, the rush of sudden movement making my head spin slightly. I just prayed she didn’t have cameras up there watching our every move.

Adrenaline surged through my veins and my heart pounded in my ears as I sprinted down the corridor, frantically trying to see who was in each cell. Which one held my father? After years of wondering about his whereabouts, was he really just beyond one of these cold metal doors?

A strong hand gripped my arm and yanked me to a stop before I could get too far. I whirled around ready to fight, only to find myself face to face with Jaxon. His eyes, usually so guarded, now blazed with an intensity that gave me pause.

“No,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “You’re only going to make things worse, Peyton. Trust me. I know.”

I tried to wrench my arm free, but his grip was like iron. “Let go of me,” I spat, glancing nervously over my shoulder. “My father. I have to?—”

“Have to what, exactly?” Jaxon cut me off, his words sharp but tinged with something that sounded almost like concern. “Burst into a highly warded cell without a plan? Get yourself captured, or worse? Think, Peyton! Do you even know what he looks like?”

His words hit me like a bucket of ice water, momentarily dousing the fire of my impulsive actions. I stopped struggling and really looked at Jaxon. The tightness around his eyes, the slight tremor in his hand that still held my arm fast—he wasn’t just trying to stop me. He was genuinely afraid.

Was he trying to protect me?

Finn’s voice echoed in my mind. I could almost see his skeptical frown and hear the warning in his voice insisting that Jaxon would betray me. Finn would have insisted Jaxon was leading me into a trap.

But Finn wasn’t here. And looking into Jaxon’s eyes, I saw something I had never noticed before—a flicker of shared pain and understanding. Whatever his motives, whatever secrets he was keeping, in this moment, I sensed he was truly trying to protect me from making a terrible mistake.

I took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing myself to think beyond the maelstrom of emotions clouding my judgment. “Okay,” I finally said, my voice little more than a whisper. “But you have to tell me what’s really going on here, Jaxon. No more half-truths, no more evasions. If my father is here, I deserve to know everything.”

Jaxon’s shoulders sagged slightly with relief, but the tension didn’t leave his face. He glanced furtively down the hallway, then back to me. “Not here,” he murmured. “It’s not safe. Come—I know a place where we can talk.”

Jaxon pulled the hood back over his head, obscuring his features. He led me down the corridor, his footsteps quiet on the stone floor. I glanced toward the other cells, my heart clenching as I wondered how many other poor souls were locked behind those doors with no way of escape.

Instead of exiting via the door he had come through, he stopped abruptly and my breath caught as I watched him tap on four different stones. The wall groaned and shifted, revealing a secret passage lit by torches. The flickering light cast dancing shadows that almost seemed to reach for us.

“Follow this until you reach a door at the very end,” he instructed, his voice low and urgent. “Once you’re there, there will be a stone wall in front of you. One of the stones has a cat engraved on it. Tap the engraving three times. The door will open, and you’ll end up in the courtyard.”

My stomach plummeted. “You’re not coming with me?”

He shook his head, his eyes glinting in the dim light. “No. I was ordered to check on the prisoners and report back.”

Fear gripped me. “She’ll know for sure that you helped me.”

He shrugged. “Maybe. But something’s happened to her powers, so maybe not. I think Dimitri used the Solarite ring on her and it diminished them some.”

I scowled, confusion and frustration battling inside me. “The Solarite ring? What’s that?”

Jaxon’s eyes darted nervously down the corridor again before he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to an urgent whisper. “I can’t explain everything now. You’ve got to go. Now.”

A riot of questions exploded in my mind, each fighting to be asked first. “Jaxon, I can’t leave without my dad. Where?—”

Jaxon’s hand on my arm silenced me, his grip urgent. “Peyton, please. Every second you stay here puts us both in danger. Your father too. I promise, I’ll tell you everything I know when it’s safe.”

I looked over my shoulder at the row of cells, each one a potential prison for the father I’d never known. “Can you at least tell me which one he is in?”

Jaxon’s face fell, frustration and sympathy crossing his features. “Peyton, we can’t bust him out too. I could only break the spell that controlled one cell, and I chose yours.” His words were soft but firm, tinged with regret.

“No! We have to try.” The words burst from me, raw and desperate. “I’m not going to leave my father behind, not when I’ve just learned of his existence.” I spun on my heel and made to race back toward the cells.

Jaxon’s reflexes were quicker than I anticipated and his arms wrapped around me, scooping me up off my feet. “I’m sorry,” he whispered in my ear, his voice pained. In one motion, he tossed me as gently as he could into the torch-lit passage. “Go before it’s too late.”

Adrenaline surging, I scrambled to my feet and charged back toward the opening. Too late. The stone door had slammed shut with a deafening finality. Unable to stop my momentum, I hit it at full speed. Pain exploded through my body as I stumbled back, stars dancing before my eyes.

“Jaxon! Jaxon!!!” I pounded on the door with my fists, panic rising in me. “Jaxon, open up! We can’t just leave him!” My voice cracked with desperation.

My cries echoed off the walls, bouncing back at me as if I was trapped at the bottom of a well. The sound of my own desperation surrounded me, a haunting chorus of fear and regret. The flickering torchlight cast monstrous shadows that reached for me with twisting, grasping fingers.

I leaned against the cold stone, breathing heavily. Alone. I was alone with nothing but Jaxon’s vague instructions and the corridor stretching out before me. And somewhere, behind that impenetrable door, was the father I’d never known—closer than he ever had been, yet utterly out of reach.

Taking a shaky breath, I forced myself to stand. I had to keep moving. For my own survival, for my friends, and now, for the father I was determined to save. With one last glance back at the unyielding door, I turned and began my journey into the unknown.