Terror

Chapter Twenty-Two

The sky glowed with a display of fireworks, bursting into shades of orange and purple. Jason watched them from a distance, staring into an empty field with Greyson. Zane decided that it was best that they go together again, despite Esme's nagging to trail along.

"Is it a display or Ashley's location?" Greyson stated.

Jason didn't know, but he assumed James would know what the best course of action was.

"I'm guessing location. Cassandra's been hunting Ashley down with Divina," Jason said.

Just saying Divina's name sent a sharp pain through his chest. The thing who inhibited Bella's body now was not the same girl he and known and loved. Those once warm eyes had turned cold, always wearing some look of evil.

Jason glanced behind him as they travelled toward more of the broken road before seeing something. "Is Uden burning?" he pointed out.

From the distance, he could see flames lighting on outside of Simcoe. Though the front gates of Uden Academy remained intact, thick plumes of smoke rose from the roofs of the attached buildings, which were engulfed in flames. He knew for a fact that Ashley didn't go to Uden Academy.

"Those four shouldn't have been placed there," Greyson muttered. "People knew it would be coming."

They stared at the fire burning from a distance. Jason wondered if those on the outside could see Uden Academy being burned down slowly.

Despite the sharp pains coursing through his body, they rushed up the highway. As they approached the school's front gates, one of the first people they spotted was Will. The boy had green sunglasses on, twisting a bow in his fingers.

"Isn't it so cool? Eden gathered some stuff up before lighting it all up," Will said.

The building engulfed in flames was primarily located a the east end, which Jason had been in multiple times. This wasn't for simple visiting, but searching or being ambushed.

"Is she insane?" Jason exclaimed.

"Of course she is," Will replied casually. "Eden used to burn things all the time."

This was the same religious girl who had always appeared innocent, her face wearing that graceful smile. However, beneath the facade of faith and virtue lay a personality filled with deception and manipulation.

Just then, Mia came skipping out the doors wearing purple sunglasses and a blue bucket hat. In her hand, she swung, moving to a rhythm that she could only hear.

"Starships were meant to fly," Mia sang out joyfully. "Hands up and touch the sky!" She lifted her hands high above her head. "Can't stop because we're so high!" She started dancing around.

This girl wasn't the least bit concerned about getting killed at all. The flames spread behind her, and threatening to engulf everything in their path, yet she seemed lost in her own world. A dazed smile spread across her lips as she finally noticed them.

"Eden was intelligent and thought this could pose a distraction," she slurred out. "We got a lot of weapons. Oh, Bryce thought of something as well."

Jason spotted Bryce pushing out a stand-up table on the ground. The difference being it had been the grey platform only.

"Throwing a table at her won't work," Greyson spat.

"Why don't we try some magic carpet flying?" Bryce suggested with a smirk.

Jason eyes the long grey table. It was wide enough for two people to kneel and maybe three if they balanced perfectly.

The only solution he could think was using it was like a surfboard. He had only used a surfboard once before, on a surfing machine at a water park during a summer trip.