Hunter Academy

Chapter 27

Zander paced around the room as Iris made sure Sophia's head was propped up on a blanket. He tried processing the information and then plopped down in a chair.

"Shouldn't we take her to the infirmary?" Nixie asked and Iris shook her head.

"No. We can't risk moving her. She's better staying here," she replied. "I'll be back. I'm gonna go get the first aid kit and get our hands healed.  Zander, you try to figure something out with the new information." Before Zander could say anything, Iris ran out of the library.

"Yeah, just leave me with all this information," he muttered. "Wait, your story doesn't explain why those books are in the Restricted area."

"The spell books and the ones about certain races were what they used for their research. In order to keep all the books they were researching, they kept them on this exact table with a protective barrier around it. They did have a journal keeping up with their progress, but it disappeared when they died."

"How long ago did they die?" Zander asked.

"In human years, it was seven years ago. Kaydence took it hard and shut herself away from everyone until she met Sophia. Kaydence got more into potions to try and impress Sophia, but she hasn't told Sophia about it yet."

"Why don't you talk to the royal family anymore?" he asked.

"King Kalen and I had a falling out after our wives deaths. He wanted to find the journal and use it to take down the Shadow Callers. I told him he was mad and that it would never work. We both lost someone we loved dearly over that journal and I never wanted to see it again. He, on the otherhand, wanted to use what was the cause of our wives' deaths."

"Before your wife died, was she acting different?"

"Different? Boy, what are you going on about?"

"Just answer the question."

"No. No, she wasn't..." Zander could tell he was lying and crossed his arms. "Okay, she was acting a bit different. The night before her death, we had a family night and she kept telling us how much she loved us."

"Her and the queen were also talking very secretively at this table later that night," Nixie cut in taking Warren by surprise.

"What? I didn't know anything about that."

"Mom told me not to tell you. They had a journal with them, too. It had the word 'Hybrids' on it. They were both jotting something down in a rush. I don't remember much after that."

"I'm back," Iris said as she crouched down next to Sophia. She began rubbing a balm on her hand and then grabbed a vial out of the kit.

"What's that?" Zeldris asked going to step toward Iris and Sophia, but Warren shot him a glare.

"Don't move, demon," he said and Iris looked up at Zander.

"Don't know. I found it hidden beneath the interior. It said to use it if an emergency."

"What kind of emergency?" Zander asked.

"I don't know! It just said emergency, but at this point, it's better than nothing." Iris popped off the cork and opened Sophia's mouth. She poured the blue liquid into Sophia's mouth and then closed Sophia's mouth so she would swallow it.

Sophia coughed and her eyes fluttered open.

"She's waking up!" Iris exclaimed and Zander sighed with relief.

"Thank God," he said while Sophia just stared at the table that she was laying under.

"Sophia?" Iris asked as Sophia reached up and ran her hands across the engraving on the underside of the table.