Jo’s POV After I stood up, I wiped the blood from my mouth. I offered Ora a hand, but she declined and got to her feet. “What was enough?” Ora innocently asked. “We were just getting to the best part.” Her comment made me smile. I wrapped my arms around her, being careful not to get too much of my blood on her. Despite everything that has happened, she’s still acting like the warrior I have been training for all these years. As I looked around, I couldn’t help but notice that the crowd had grown. Most of them are sitting there looking like goldfish. There are also several faculty members, including Principal Andrews, who stopped our fight. “That is the level I will train you to,” I said. “That’s extreme. Don’t you think? They are only 18, after all,” Principal Andrews says. “My home was attacked, my aunts were killed, and we were helpless.” Shouted at the principal. She grits her teeth. “Never again will I feel useless. I will train, I will fight, and the next time I see her
Ora’s POV Beep. Beep. Beep. The sound of my alarm goes off. The difference between the time zones is killing me. I know it’s going to take a bit of time, but I have to adapt. I have to get back to my routine. “Aunt Jo. It’s time to get up,” I said, getting out of bed. She didn’t move. I started getting dressed and pulled the blanket off of her. Aunt Jo groans. Tugging the blanket back and throwing it on the floor. Usually, she is up before me. But not lately. I woke up during the night, and she wasn’t there. So I don’t know when she went to bed. Occasionally, I look at her and I see her eyes filled with tears. She won’t admit it, but I can see she is struggling with everything going on. “Breakfast, then a run,” I told her as I walked into our enormous bathroom. I brush my teeth and tie my hair up. I stare at myself in the mirror and remind myself that I need to be better, stronger, faster. “You know how far away Summer Hill is?” Aunt Jo asks me as she ties the laces on
Ora’s POV As I walked inside the unfamiliar church, I got a whiff of the familiar incense. I guess it’s a universal scent. I tell myself as I dip my finger into the holy water font and make the sign of the cross. I looked over and saw the votive candle stand. I have never done this before, but I watched it done many times over the years. I pick up a match and strike it. The tip bursts into flames. As I go to light the candle. Tears ran down my cheeks. “For Aunt Jayne,” I said as the tears flowed freely. A lump formed in my throat. I want to curl up in a corner and cry my heart out, thinking of her. But I can’t. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. I have to do this; I say, to encourage myself. Opening my eyes, I saw that the match was still burning, which is when I lit a second candle. “For Aunt Josie,” I said, quickly placing the match on a tray to burn itself out. I wiped my tears with my hands and sat down on the nearest pew. I put my hands together and lowered my head
Jo’s POV We just managed to return to Beta Academy in time for a quick snack before my fighting session. Ora ran up to our suite, muttering about dropping something off before she went. I found her comment confusing because we had gone nowhere to pick something up, nor was she carrying anything. But she ran off before I could had a chance to ask. I didn’t have nearly enough food, but it would suffice until after my session. I hate tardiness. As Ora and I made our way to the weapons shed. I noticed a massive crowd eagerly waiting for me. Alongside the students, I also saw some tutors and Principal Andrews. I guess my words yesterday hit a nerve. Yes, they were harsh, but they were true. “I hope you have all warmed up,” I shouted. There are a few muffling noises. “You are wasting my time and mine if you turn up ill-prepared.” I pause and watch a few people squirm. “For the next few days, I need to assess you. I want to know what you are capable of?” I wandered up and down the c
Ora’s POV On the last day of the month, Aunt Jo re-scheduled her fighting session. So she could take me to the Blessed Sacrament Church. She seems to understand why I want to pray for my aunts. This time I felt comfortable when I prayed to the Wolf Goddesses Selene and the Magic Goddess Hecate. I have a bit more knowledge about both goddesses since Matty has been tutoring me. When it was time to leave, Father Nicholas reminded me how important faith was. He then invited me to return at any point should I ever feel the need to talk. “Thank you,” I said, “but I’m not sure that you would understand the situation.” He smirked, “everything happens for a reason, Ora. God works in mysterious ways.” “He’s working in a very mysterious way. If that is the case,” I responded, a bit too sternly, as I got up to leave. As we walked towards the exit, Father Nicholas drew my attention towards a noticeboard in the foyer. I had seen it before, but I had never really looked at it. The
Jo’s POV I couldn’t get Shannen’s words out of my mind during training. Matthew and Jasper’s relationship has been strained since Charlotte’s death. I was there when Jasper and Charlotte first met. The mate bond may have brought them together, but they loved each other. He worshiped her, and she adored him. Their children are a piece of Charlotte. If anything, her death should have brought them closer together. I found Matthew sitting on the front steps of the Academy. I sat next to him and looked at what he was holding. It was a picture of him and Charlotte. He was young. “She was a beautiful woman. Inside and out.” I told him. “Even to this day, I think she was too good for your dad.” He didn’t look at me. “You knew her?” “She turned up here at Beta Academy a few months before Jasper left. He is older than me, so I got to spend time with her after he’d gone.” I put my arm around Matthew. “Jasper made me promise to look after her until I left. Not that he wanted her to sta
Matty’s POV My leg bounced when I was waiting for the plane to take off. Jo didn’t want to disclose what happened because of her loyalty to Uncle Nathan. I can’t risk him finding out. I need to talk to Goldie. She wouldn’t tell Uncle Nathan or Aunt Sarah about what was going on. Ash, Dex, or Fin spend too much time with their dad. One of them may slip up. I kept hold of Mom’s music box the entire length of the journey. It fits in my hand perfectly. “I will give it to Lizzy on her 18th birthday. Mom would like that.” I told Killian, who whimpered at the gesture. As I thought about my mom, I had to fight back the tears. I miss her so much. I never realized Jo knew my mom, not until today. But I should have put two and two together. Jo’s comments about my parents are confusing. The way she talks about Aunt Sarah as well. But then again, she has been gone for over 20 years. Maybe they’re different now compared to before. As I walked through the palace doors, Lizzy came run
Ora’s POV I still couldn’t believe I was allowed to have a sleepover with Shannen. This has never happened before in my life. I was practically giddy when I knocked on her door. I know Aunt Jo is around here somewhere, and that the building is full of people. But once I am inside her room, I can forget about everyone, forget about everything. It will give me the illusion I am having an unsupervised sleepover. This is so exciting, and I feel like bursting on the inside. “What do you want to do?” Shannen asked me a bit too casually. Does she not know this is the first time I have ever had a sleepover? It needs to be epic. “Anything. Everything.” I told her. Then I worried that Aunt Jo would change her mind and come and get me. Shannen looks at me skeptically. “This is the first time I have ever been trusted to stay away from my aunts.” Shannen laughs at me now, understanding why I am so excited. “Growing up, my sister Goldie and I shared a bedroom. But my mom was horrible to us