Ashwock Academy ✓

C H A P T E R - F I F T E E N

Small key : *** means focus on different character(s). Will be used later in the book.

I'm so excited. I love this chapter so much.

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Jackson climbed up the ladder, refusing help from anybody else. He was the last one to leave the basement, and Rafe shut it right after he stepped out.

"I need a break," said Jackson. "Some time without all of this demon stuff."

"I agree," Ella said. "Let's go to the kitchen, I haven't eaten since dinner. And that was yesterday."

The others agreed, and started walking towards the kitchen. Each one of them was worn out from what they just experienced, and were glad to settle it over brunch. But Ella didn't just want to eat because she was hungry, her appetite was long gone after experiencing Fox and Marisa's deaths, but she wanted an excuse to go to the one safe place in Ashwock Academy.

When they got there, Ella and Fletcher sat on one of the tables, Raven and Teony sitting on another. Rafe and Trevor were the only ones left standing.

"I'll make something," Rafe offered. "I learned how to cook from my mom."

"I'll help," said Trevor. He went into the back with Rafe and got ready to start to cook.

Ella and Fletcher looked at each other, not sure what to say. They had both just experienced something that they tried to prevent, and were frankly still a little shook by it. Fletcher got goosebumps thinking about how he watched Marisa squirm in the attic and how she drank poison just to save her friends' lives. She sacrificed everything for them.

He wished that he was that brave.

Damien and Jackson sat on a different table, talking quietly so that Ella and Fletcher couldn't hear, but they did see the two smiling and snickering a little, along with patting each other on their thighs. And they also noticed how much happier Jackson was when he was around Damien. He really did have a gift for making people smile.

Fletcher didn't know what to do then, so he just said the truth. "I'm sorry, Ella," He whispered to her. "I know how close you were to her."

Ella didn't look at him, trying not to express the pain she was holding in. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have blamed her, and now I feel like it's my fault that she's dead."

"It's not your fault. She chose to do what she did." Ella looked him in the eyes, letting a few tears fall down.

"It is, Fletcher. I called her a murderer and now she's gone." She sighed, taking a long breath in between sentences. "It's funny. Usually I can forgive people, yet I can't forgive myself."

He put his hand on her shoulder, not knowing what else to do. He was upset as well but tried to keep it together in front of Ella. He didn't want to make her feel worse. 

"We've all done things here that we shouldn't have, things that will haunt us for the rest of our lives, but you can't let those things keep you down. Because right now, we just need to get the hell out of here."

And right after that, without thinking, she leaned into him, crying a little. Fletcher wasn't alarmed and instead continued to embrace her. They felt like brother and sister at that point, after all they have been through. Like family.

A small, broken family.

"I'm scared," She whispered. And it was true. She was frightened that they would all get killed by the dark forces, that she would the next victim to the magic and that when she closed her eyes she would never open them again.

Fletcher deeply inhaled, and then let it right back out. "I am too."

***

Raven fidgeted with her hands. It was a way to deal with her nerves, and at that moment, she had a lot of them.

"You okay, Raven?" Teony asked concerningly. She didn't know if Raven had healed yet from her encounter in the room, so she rested her hand on top of hers to stop her fidgeting and make her feel safer.

But that's not why Raven was nervous. 

As Teony's hands touched hers, Raven moved hers away. She looked away from her and instead all around the room, trying to ignore how much she wanted to look at her. 

She was really pretty.

"We're safe right now," Teony reassured. "I promise."

"I know," Raven lied. She just didn't want Teony to worry about her anymore.

"Then stop fidgeting." Teony grabbed her hands again, separating them so that she couldn't rub them together anymore. When Raven realized that they were making eye contact, she looked straight away. "Raven, I'm worried about you."

"Don't be. I'm fine."

"No, you're not. I'm concerned." 

"It's just that..." Raven started. She didn't know if she wanted to finish, nervous of how Teony would react. "a year ago, I knew a girl named Mari that got affected by the magic. Like my parents had. She had never done anything wrong, a-and I didn't even know till it was too late. She was the nicest person I had ever met. She was..." 

Raven trailed off, taking a sigh before continuing. 

"She was my girlfriend."

Raven expected Teony to gasp or frown, but she didn't. Instead, Teony smiled. She was glad that Raven had told her the truth, and was actually really happy with what she said. Without thinking, Teony wrapped her arms around Raven, squeezing as hard as she could.

Alarmed, Raven stared at Teony for a second. She was quite surprised with the reaction, expecting the worst, but was also relieved. Nervously, she put her arms around Teony as well, holding her close. She wasn't going to let Teony leave her, not like Mari did.

The hugged for the whole time it took Rafe and Trevor to cook.

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