Every hair on my body stands on end. Hel said one of us did this. She said the god within us did. But which of us is it? And can I even say that in front of the godslayers, or will they just kill us anyway?
“We don’t know what you’re talking about,” Izzy says, and she sounds terrified.
“Really?” the big blond godslayer says, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Really,” Izzy throws back at him.
“Let’s show them.” Jessica’s voice is soft, almost afraid.
“After you,” Van tells her, his words dry.
We follow them slowly outside. They lead us across the school, and we notice that far too many lights are on. Students and teachers alike are starting to leave their buildings, and there’s a general sense that something is wrong. We walk until they lead us up a hill.
When we reach the top, we all stare in shock. The earth has been scorched, stretching out on one side of campus. A couple of lone buildings are nothing but burnt timber, and I swear pristine white bones are littered across the scorched earth like decorations.
My mouth drops. “What the hell…?”
“Exactly what we were thinking,” Clancy says.
I turn to see the godslayer with glasses. He runs a hand awkwardly through his auburn hair. It takes me a second to process what he’s implying.
“You’re saying I had something to do with this?” There’s an edge to my words.
Clancy meets my gaze. “You do have Hel herself within you, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t cause destruction like this.”
He lifts a brow. “Clearly you haven’t polished up on your history about the gods. Hel might not be as aggressive as the other gods, but she’s smart. And when she wants something, she’ll destroy hell and earth to get it.”
Was he right? A coldness moves through my veins. What if I’m the one who did this and Hel was simply tricking me?
I’m shaking. I don’t know what to think.
“Do none of you really know what’s happening?” Jessica asks, and I realize she’s staring at us.
We all shake our heads in unison.
Tuck, a massive godslayer, whirls on Jessica. “You can’t possibly believe them! The only thing capable of this kind of destruction, without us even knowing it, is a god. One of them had to have done it.”
“Unless they don’t know.”
“Jessica!” Tuck is almost shouting.
Clancy is suddenly standing between them, and the look he gives Tuck would scare even me. “Watch how you talk to her.”
“But this whole thing--!”
Jessica sets a hand on Clancy’s arm and draws him back. “There’s more going on here. Things we don’t understand. We need to get some answers before we go killing innocent people.”
“They’re not innocent!” Tuck shouts.
“You might be willing to kill just to get your old life back, but I’m not.”
Tuck’s anger fades away. “Jessica…”
“Tomorrow I’m going somewhere where I know I’ll find answers. You guys can come with me, or not, it’s your choice, but I’m going.” Then, Jessica whirls on us. “And you guys better make sure you’ve got control over your gods, or we’ll have to take care of you.”
She storms away, and the other godslayers follow slowly behind.
I watch them, my stomach turning. They might leave for answers tomorrow. But they’ll be back soon. And by the time they return, we better be in control, or we’re screwed.
“What could’ve done this?” Izzy asks, and she sounds frightened.
I swallow hard. “One of us.”
“What? Are you fucking crazy?” Van asks, glaring at me.
“No,” I state, and I’m certain now. “It was one of us. One of us who has allowed their god to take over too much.”
“That can’t be true,” Izzy says, but her words are soft.
“Don’t you guys feel it?” I ask.
We all stand in silence for a long moment. And I know they have to feel it, just as I do. This place smells of our magic. Of a power greater than any other on this planet.
“How is this possible?” Aiden finally asks, and there’s an edge to his words.
“They’re taking over when we aren’t aware. Maybe when we’re sleeping.”
“Then how do we fix this?” Izzy asks.
I draw in a harsh breath. “I don’t know. But we better figure it out. And quickly.”
We all turn back to the field of blackened earth, burnt buildings, and white bones. I wonder if they’re thinking the same thing I am. If they’re asking themselves who those bodies belong to, and which of us ended the peoples’ lives.
And maybe they’re even wondering the thing I’m trying to ignore…if this is what we’re capable of when we aren’t even aware of, what will happen if the gods really regain control?
Maybe everyone around us isn’t wrong.
Maybe they really should’ve already killed us.
Chapter Twelve
Izzy
I’d figured Mr. Time would have come in to deal with the fallout.
If you run a school for magical miscreants and you don’t want them to corner you, you probably shouldn’t label your parking space.
“Nice car,” I say, only a little bit sarcastic, as Mr. Time approaches his Lexus.
“Izzy.” He pauses, taking off his glasses and polishing them absently as he stares at me. “What are you doing?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“You don’t need to do that from the hood of my car. You could scratch the paint.”
I hadn’t wanted him to get away, so I’d parked myself on the hood of his car. Plus, it has been a very long wait.
“I might’ve done a lot worse tonight,” I say, and then bite my lip.
He sighs. “Come on. Get in.”
“What?” I ask.
“Get in the car. You know you’re supposed to ride in the car, correct? You are a lovely girl, but you’d make a disproportionate hood ornament.”
I unfold my legs and scoot down the hood until my legs dangle off the bumper. “Where are you taking me?”
I can’t hide an edge of suspicion in my voice.
“You came to me for help, right?” he asks, his voice gentle. “I want to try to help.”
“I thought you weren’t on our side if we turned out to be evil.”
“I don’t think you’re evil, Izzy.” His lips purse faintly. I tilt my head. I’m pretty good at reading people.
I’m not sure he believes that.
“You’re not taking me somewhere to kill me, are you?” The guys almost lost their minds about the possibility of me going anywhere without them. I’d convinced them I’d have a better conversation with Mr. Time without all of them glowering behind me like hoodlum gods. I want to convince the man we’re innocent.
“No,” he says. “I can’t do that, anyway. Even if I wanted to.” His eyes lock on mine, and he says the words slowly, with emphasis, as if he wants to be sure I actually heard him. “Which I don’t.”