Power of the 8 Elements

Chapter Two

Celeste POV:

A.N: (contains vivid description of a body. Sorry guys, description is just my jam)

Though Phoenix did look adorable wearing a short-sleeve light blue blouse, she didn't look too happy. She was probably still mad at me from the party, but to be fair, it wasn't my fault. I didn't spike the punch, and I didn't think Reggie or any of those other brainless goons would've been invited as well. But as I walked down the hall, I noticed less people staring at me than I expected, and more were staring at Phoenix. Phoenix lowered her head. Lucifer shot up the middle finger, and that did the trick. The other students turned away from us. If there wasn't a demigod to be afraid of, it was the dark one—my boyfriend.

People didn't suspect me for much. I wasn't a very "suspicious" person. I mean, I was a light one. Not many people would think I was behind something. We walked down the hall into the classroom.

"Hey, Phoenix," Reggie said, clasping his hands together and trying to seem welcoming.

Phoenix looked away and sat at our table.

"Are you going to talk to me?" I asked, standing behind her.

"I'd figure you'd talk to me first," She said, a little bit more cheerfully than I expected.

"Oh, I thought you were mad at me."

"Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"Last night," I whispered.

"Oh..." She looked at Lucifer. "That night. We don't have to mention that."

"What'd the police say?" Lucifer said, sitting down.

"Well, you were closer to the body," I said.

"Eeeeh," Lucifer said.

I turned to Cheryl who was sitting in the furthest corner on the left side of the room.

"We should talk to Cheryl," I said.

Lucifer grabbed my arm.

"Cel, when most people see bodies with bullet holes, they prefer a little...seclusion."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just leave her alone. You're a very sympathetic person, and I get that, but maybe just...leave her be."

"We should find out who killed him?"

"Cel..."

"What? When have the police ever done anything? Last year, no one even bothered to check out all of those store burglaries."

"To be fair to the cops, Thrax and Nereid were very powerful and very skilled. They wouldn't last a few seconds," Phoenix said.

"I mean-"

We suddenly saw a bunch of people running outside and gathering outside the hallway.

"Ugh, my goodness, what now?!" Lucifer said, turning.

"There's a body outside," Reggie said, then leaving the room.

I looked at Phoenix who looked at the rest of us. She and Terri quickly ran outside. Lucifer grabbed my hand and we gathered outside. Several police and what looked like a hospital worker dragging a hidden body on a gurney. It was covered with a pale turquoise sheet.

They rolled over a stone that had managed to find its way in the building, knocking the sheet off.

"Is that...?" I said.

"Gertrude...Cassidy," Phoenix said, "My herbology partner."

Gertrude looked awful. Her body had been incredibly mutilated, even worse than Jacob's. Whereas Jacob's body had a simple bullet hole, Gertrude's had several parts chopped off. There was only a torso with one leg practically hanging on by a string. One of the seniors turned away from the body and vomited at sight. Her lips had been chopped off as well. Phoenix's face was blank. Lucifer went pale again. Terri kind of just stood there, not moving like a statue.