Kano's War

Chapter 15

We left the witch hut right away, not even saying our goodbyes to the witches. It didn't take us long to find the Academy. But when we got there, everything was different.

There were no students roaming the halls. No sounds echoed off the walls, and the only smells I could place were unfamiliar. I could place one smell, but it smelt of iron, like blood. My eyes widened and I almost sprinted my way into Cyrene and Griffins chambers.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw next.

My rough hand went to my mouth in an effort to conceal the screams. Cyrene... she was laying there unmoving. There was blood that marked the walls, and hand prints imprinted into them aswell. My breath hitched as I took a step towards her body, my eyes stuck on her protruding stomach.

She was dead. Her body was lifeless. Griffin laid next to her, his rib cage open for the human eye to see. His heart was on the ground, a few meters to the left of their bodies. I walked faster towards their bodies, then squatted down next to Cyrene. Her eyes were wide open and gray. There was no life in them whatsoever.

I pushed my hands on her back, trying to get her to wake up. "Cyrene." I whispered, pushing her a bit more.

"Amory..." Kano's voice was behind me.

"Cyrene wake up." I said, louder this time. My eyes watered as I withheld a sob. "Cyrene get up."

"Amory she's-."

"She's not dead. There's no way." I pushed her body even more. Tears began to run down my face and onto the fluid covered floor. I knew I smelled blood earlier.

"Amory!" I pushed my hands onto her even more, trying to shove her awake. I felt hands pull me from under my arms into the air, making me turn around viscously.

"She's not dead Kano! There's no way!" I yelled, whimpering a bit. "There's... There's no way." Kano pulled me into his chest, his arms encasing me to him. He was warm and his scent was intoxicating. But it was not strong enough to make me forget the scene behind me.

I cried into his chest, letting my sorrows flow over me and onto him. "I should have never left. I should have known that they were in trouble when the Alpha King's warriors came." My hands yanked on his shirt but he didn't seem to mind.

"Amory..." he whispered into my ear. I lifted my head to look up at him.

His hand traveled up my arm to my face, gently caressing my cheek. I pushed myself into his palm and cried even harder. "It's all my fault."

"It's not your fault." Kano said to me. His eyes darkened as he looked into mine. "We couldn't have known that this was going to happen." It was quiet for a few moments. He held onto me and I held onto him like he was my heart and he was the only thing keeping me alive. The little moment was gone when he suddenly became tense.

He began to sniff the air. "Amory, we've got to get out of here." His voice was alarmed.

"What?" I responded. "We can't just leave them."

"They're dead. And by the smell of it, it's fresh. We need to leave now." He pulled me away from their bodies with his hand, and I followed him. I kept my eyes low as he led me to the secret door. It was the same door we used to get in and out of hiding for my heat.

My body shook as we stepped into the void space on the other side of the door. Kano seemed to stiffen, pulling me close and bringing my head into his chest tightly. His chest rumbled and I suddenly quieted my sniffles.

Someone was in the room.

"That'll teach Griffin from betraying my Father." We could only hear the voice, but by the sound of them, they sounded young and male.