The Dawning

Chapter Three

A bell rang throughout the institution's halls alerting everyone that they were under attack. There were certain drills that we had practiced for moments like these. Teachers and the higher Fae class would defend the castle whilst the younger classes along with a selected few of the higher Fae class would evacuate via the tunnels that ran underneath the grounds to a safer location.

The mountains to the east held some stable caves which was where we were supposed to head to. However most of the openings to the tunnels were on the first floor, which was getting overrun now with beasts from the Pack. They had entered the second floor through the balconies and a battle between Fae and the shifters was taking place in the ballroom.

I hadn't turn back to look at the ballroom because I could see the front door being busted open by angry monsters in all forms. They crashed into the windows, shattering them and attacked anything that they could see. The previous servers and waiters that had just been catering to the party's every whim were now brandishing swords and guns and all kinds of weapons and attacking the oncoming mass of beasts.

They formed a barrier at the end of the stairway at the first floor, trying to keep the pack way from the higher levels of the castle. Then more staff members came out from the sides of the house, blocking and protecting their assigned areas. As I ran up the flight of stairs, teachers and older Fae were running down, shouting demands as they ran down the steps. One of them saw me and hollered: "Make your way to Lilith's room!" before passing by me and joining the fight.

Belatedly I realized that it was Ms. Carvin who had spoken and for a second, I turned and watched as she shifted into a succubus true form. Curled black horns sprouted from her head, bat-like wings came next and then a serpentine tail snaked around her thigh as she pulled two swords from her back and charged into the ballroom, her dark chi streamed out of her and attacked the Pack's senses.

The boy, my mind reminded and I stopped looking behind me and continued running up the steps, looking for Cleo. The third floor was breaking out in commotion as well but it was students rushing out of class rooms with messed up hair and disheveled looking clothing instead of the enemy. I twisted, grabbing the railing for support and taking the stairs by two. I had to be faster if I wanted to beat the incoming flood of students leaving their bedrooms in both the fourth and fifth floors. The Mistress' room was on the last floor at the very end and the reason why everyone had to head there was because there was an escape route that went straight to the tunnels that would lead them on the right path to the mountains.

Sure enough, the stairs were already getting crowded by frantic students and I caught sight of Cleo's red hair as she was halfway to the fifth floor. While I was halfway on the forth. I would never reach her at this pace so I let my power go, touching wrists and hands and exposed arms, letting them feel my desire to get past them. They would move immediately out of my way, that devoted look taking hold of them for only few seconds but it was all I needed and I made a beeline for Cleo. I reached out between two bodies and grabbed her arm, forcing my magic in. She shivered and slowed, letting students pass until we were side by side and holding hands.

By this point, my power had wrapped itself around her like a snake, leaving her obedient and devoted. There was a look in her hazel eyes and I realized that it was awe.

"Alice." She savored my name in her mouth and I took the last few steps slowly, attempting to catch my breath.

"Please be quiet." My voice was like honey to her ears and whatever I said, she would want to obey it. She nodded and closed her mouth, smiling at me, looking at me as if only I existed. Inwardly I sighed but I smiled widely at her, rubbing her hand as I did so. Then I looked over her shoulder, at the boy she held on to with one hand, her power most probably still clinging on to him, keeping the boy in a quiet obedient hold.