School of Secrets (The Perkins School for Self Improvement #1)

Chapter 25

"Kill the extra one."

Marco's words seem to linger in the air, the warning of Atwater's prophecy returning to the surface of my memory alongside the uncontrollable fear.

Death leads to life,
sacrifice breeds chaos.

"No, Tara!"

This time I do shout, causing everyone's gaze to snap in our direction. Marco hadn't noticed us before, but he sure knows we're here now.

On the opposite side of the circle, looking even more sinister than normal in the light of the nearly full moon, Yumi glowers.

"I," she snarls, "will kill you. You've seen too much. You have to go."

Marco is nodding along with her, his expression one of unrestrained fury.

His head whips to the side as he glares at the upperclassman who's still just standing there. He hasn't let go of Tara, but he's holding the knife a bit further away from her skin.

"Kill the extra one!" Marco repeats, his voice seeming to be magnified by his rage, "Now, before you let them ruin my entire damn plan."

"B-but-"

"Now, Ethan!"

Ethan nods shakily, his hand beginning to move. In a matter of seconds, he's going to slit my sister's throat, and the threads of living shadow still keep me from passing into the circle.

From somewhere next to me, Lauren steps forward. She walks forward a few hasty paces, and I almost remind her that she herself said they can't be stopped.

Once they began the ritual, it became impossible for us to enter Marco's circle.

Lauren doesn't try to step over the writhing threads of shadow, though. In less than a minute, she's gotten herself to the edge of the circle, throwing both hands out in front of her.

Her voice shakes, but she speaks the words as though they're ingrained in her by something otherworldly.

"I call upon the power of my elemental ancestors!" Lauren shouts, speaking quickly but clearly, "Elements of nature listened to them, so I know those elemental forces are listening to me. Please, hear me out when I say that I need you to help me. Air, Fire, Water, Earth, protect her ! Don't let that knife touch her!"

The next few seconds are a blur.

Lauren makes a motion as though she's throwing an invisible ball at Tara. A silver glow seems to project itself from the nine-year-old's fingertips, forming a sphere of energy that hits my sister squarely in the chest and dissolves upon impact.

Tara manages to stay on her feet, and she's staring at Lauren in awe.

Ethan brings the blade down, ignoring everyone and everything around him. I vaguely register Lauren shouting at him not to do it, but by now it's much too late.

His hand seems to hit an invisible wall a few centimeters from Tara's throat.

Ethan makes a startled exclamation as the force sends his hand up, away from my sister's neck and back toward his own body. It takes only a blink of an eye for the knife to bounce off the energy field, completely reverse course, and embed itself in Ethan's chest.

My sister screams, freed from Ethan's grip as the upperclassman crumples to the ground. Blood trickles from his mouth in a steady line as he all but drowns on the liquid, the pain reflected in every line of his face.

Within a few quick minutes, he's dead.

The ground begins to shake again as the circle is finally broken. The threads of shadow slither away from its outskirts, vanishing into the darkness. One of Ethan's friends, a dude I recognize from the ritual with the mouse, runs to kneel beside the dead boy..