Gift Academy (Book One in the Gifted Series)

Chapter Forty

Fay

After Nick blasts away the remaining two Extras, Liam's the only one conscious. He stares wide-eyed at us, looking exactly like a cornered animal.

"Well? Aren't you going to do something?" He asks us, sounding the same as he did in the dreams I had.

"No, we're not. Come on," I tell him, and pick up the Fate Dagger from the floor. It once again pulses with power in my hand again, and I can't help but feel safe with it in my hand.

"Y-You're the wielder," Liam points out, standing up and staring at the dagger in my hand.

"Yeah, and now we have to go. We have to go back to Shift Academy before it's too late," Gina tells Liam, and I realize that she has the case with the Life Dagger in her hands. I must've dropped it while I had my vision of the Death Dagger.

All four of us rush back to the front doors of the academy. I glance down the hall to my left, where the infirmary is, and hope that John and Mariah are doing okay. Hopefully no other Extras attacked them.

I clear my mind of everything but getting back to Shift Academy and burst through the front doors.

I freeze up completely, and so do Nick and Gina.

Staring directly at us are hundreds of Extras, all wielding their elemental Gift. Twelve we may have been able to beat with Nicks new ability, but this is impossible. We're screwed. We're done for.

"This is quite a party," a female voice says. Emily Walker walks up to the front, smirking at Nick, Gina, and I. A deadly anger rises in my throat, threatening to burst. I try to calm myself, but there's no way we're getting out of here alive.

"Liam. I knew there was something fishy going on with you," Emily spits at Liam, scowling deeply at him. She looks back at us, her straight black hair slightly blowing in the soft wind.

"We'll take those daggers off your hands now," Emily tells us. Gina takes a step back with the Life Dagger and I hold the Fate Dagger tighter. Emily's scowl returns, and a fireball appears in her hands.

"No can do, Walker. And I suggest you back off before this dagger shows you what real power is," I growl at her. Of course, I'm completely lying. I know absolutely nothing about what the daggers can do. All I know is that the Fate Dagger can predict the future, or whatever that was. I have no clue as to what else it can do, but I'm ready to find out.

Fortunately, it seems to work. The Extras glance nervously at the dagger in my hand, which is once again illuminating the dark night with a bronze glow.

Emily scoffs at me, shaking her head. "If you're going to let me know that you're going to use it against us right now, then I might as well tell you this; not all of the Originals are neutral in the war. Not all the Shifters are helping you."

Not all the Shifters are helping us? What does she mean by that?

My mind wanders to the guy who helped us in the basement. How the Extras didn't attack him on sight, how these Extras knew that we were here.

No, I know exactly what he did to make sure the Extras he distracted didn't attack him. He's the smart one, after all.

"Well, in that case, I don't care," I reply, and point the Fate Dagger at the mass of Extras. They all gasp or shout, stumbling back from us, tripping over each other and getting utterly confused in the chaos.

It's a beautiful sight.

Emily sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose in annoyance at the Extras stumbling and mumbling in confusion behind her as their enemy points a seemingly powerful, deadly weapon at them.

"Why does it have to be a dagger? Why can't it be like a magic bazooka or something like that?" Gina mutters, glaring down at the Life Dagger in the case she's holding. A small smile flickers on my face for a split second before I continue glaring at all the Extras in front of me.

"You'll never win, Gifted! It doesn't matter what weapons you have, we'll win this time. We'll make sure of it. We'll kill all of you!" Emily rambles, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. She's making a decision. She's thinking about what to say next.

"And you, Fay Landoff, are going to be buried, right next to Veronica."

I can't breathe. I can't think, or move. Veronica. My best friend, who sacrificed herself for me at Extra Academy, killed by Mariah Smith.

My guilt and depression quickly turn into anger. They did this. Not me. I didn't kill her. I thought it was my fault she died, but it's not. They're the reason this war exists, they're the reason Veronica died.

The Fate Dagger pulses in my hand more rapidly now, glowing brighter. I always knew I had to forgive myself for it, and now I do. It wasn't my fault. I didn't kill Veronica.

I glare at Emily fiercely, and the dagger in my hand glows so bright it almost blinds me before a beam of bronze light shoots out of the sharp tip, exactly where I was aiming. At the Extras. They all scream and scatter, but the blast from the dagger causes a bang so huge it knocks most of them down.

Emily looks stunned at what happened. I guess she didn't know that the dagger could shoot bronze energy beams, either. I wonder how much she knows about this dagger in all.

"You don't want to hit her!" Emily shouts at me frantically, just as the dagger glows exactly like it did before the energy blast.

"Who?" I ask her, and I almost don't recognize my own voice. Deadly calm, like a cold, sharp icicle ready to fall on someone. In control, but something that should be feared.

I tilt my head slightly to the left as I notice the obvious fear in Emily's eyes, shining like a flashlight. Her hands slightly tremble, and she looks ready to sprint away as fast as she can.

"You're scared of me," I point out, and Emily freezes up at my deduction.

"Should I be?" She questions. I nod my head.

"Goddamn right you should be scared of me."

Emily shakes her head slightly, but I somehow know that she's not disagreeing with her fear towards me. She's disagreeing with something else.

"All of us are afraid of you. But she isn't."

And a very familiar figure steps out from the group of Extras, stopping right next to Emily. I gasp and stumble back, almost dropping my dagger. I recognize her immediately.

Long, straight, and silky black hair with soft blue eyes, a pretty and calm face, and a kind smile. How could I not recognize her? But how? How? How is she here? She can't possibly be here.

I stammer for what seems like minutes before I'm finally able to breathe out one word. Her name. My voice sounds small and scared, confused and hopeless. I sound exactly how I feel.

Her name.

"Veronica?"

Book One In The Gifted Series