Unfamiliar (Unfamiliar Series #1)

Chapter 46

We spin in unison to see that Eleanora is walking across the graveyard towards us, a black, wool coat buttoned over her as her gray academy skirt swishes around pantyhose-clad legs. Her hair is pulled back in a pleated braid, unlike her cousin who has her hair messily piled on top of her head.

"Ellen, what are you doing?" Astrid asks, though her tone already holds the answer.

Something is wrong.

Eleanora, who looks too much like Astrid but also not, simply shakes her head slowly.

"Astrid, I had hoped to keep you out of this," Eleanora says in a low voice.

Her words chill me to the bone as I watch other students come up the hill to flank her, their faces pale in the dawn sunlight. I recognize Violetta among the dozen or so hooded students and even Blaize, the boy who cheated during the dragon riding competition and was supposed to be expelled.

"Ellen," Astrid almost sounds afraid as she looks from me to her cousin.

"She's an abomination, Astrid, she's dangerous," Eleanora urges her.

"You're wrong," Tessa spits as she steps up to my side.

"She's not, Tess," someone from the gathered students says as they step forward and push back their hood.

Luke stands before us, his face blank and his eyes focused on me as his lip curls to the side in what could maybe be a snarl of disgust. Tessa draws in a sharp breath as her hand reaches down to grab mine and squeeze. I feel like I've been punched in the throat as it's hard to breathe but I steady myself, I have to focus. 

"He must be enthralled or something," she whispers to me, but I know that it's not the case as I warily eye him.

He made the decision to betray us on his own.

"Your friend made the right decision, now you need to as well," Eleanora says as she gives me a cool look before she glances past me and I can guess that she's looking at my sister.

Indigo is suddenly at my other shoulder, her hands clenching into fists, "Kara, you need to run."

"Indi-."

"Get help, Kara," Indigo says, her hand flying to her waist where her wand is tucked.

Astrid shoves me backwards as Indigo quickly fires off a bolt of lightning with her wand, the silvery tendril hissing and crackling as it splits through the air towards Eleanora. The other girl summons a translucent shield that deflects the spell as there's a clap of thunder and Astrid pushes me harder in the other direction.

"Go!" she barks as I reluctantly start to run, Tessa following me close behind as we sprint through the grassy field.

The granite headstones around us feel like foreboding messengers as I barrel through the graveyard with Tessa on my heels. I don't know who else could be following me, but I realize then that the others are relying on me as their only chance to get help as I summon Bastet, who keeps pace with me as I sprint through the graveyard.

I grab my phone from my pocket and punch in Diana's number before I press the phone to my ear. A corner of a nearby headstone explodes suddenly as we run past, earning a startled yelp from Tessa as pieces of it pelt my face. I narrowly dodge to the side, my ankle twisting sharply as I choose another path at the last second. A sign stands out to me as we sprint past a small gazebo, the words, 'Old Burial Hill cemetery' engraved into the wood in blackened letters.