Nox Inferno

Chapter 7: No Choice

"My dad is not my dad?" The words echoed in my head and my owl crawled up my shirt and rested on my neck, next to the holes indented into my skin by a magical snake.

I closed my eyes and shook my head really hard. Then I inhaled, and inhaled and did that until my body couldn't take in anymore air. Finally I released it, and I let go of that information.

"Is there anything else, I should know?" I asked and looked straight at Principal Burnes.

"That's it? No tantrum, no dramatic fainting. You just accepted that the man you grew up with is not your father?" He asked incredulously.

I nodded, "I am going to do what I do best, bury my emotions deep deep down, and when no one is around release it."

"Okay." He said and searched my eyes, but when he couldn't find whatever it was he was looking for he shrugged and sighed, "If you want to learn more about your father later on in the year, please come find me. I will happily tell you more, when you are ready." He put emphasis on the words, 'when you are ready.'

I nodded, "Is that all?"

He shook his head, "As I stated before, we are demons. So is every student in Ravenwood, as a Nox Knight, your job is to protect these demons."

"Protect? As in regulate the laws and that stuff?" I asked.

"No, as in fight off Angels who seek to kill all those who live here." He said quickly.

My eyes widened, "Nope. No way, sorry but I can't do that." I got out my seat and headed to the door.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice." He said, and I whirled around so fast, I am pretty sure a created a mini hurricane.

"I don't have a choice?" I repeated. I saw him visibly gulp, as I marched over to the desk, "I don't have a choice?!" This time raising my voice. I grabbed him by the collar, "All my life, people told me what I had to do. I thought by coming here, I could escape that prison. Only to find this is just another prison cell! Sorry, if I decide that I don't want to be told what to do!" I shouted at him.

The door burst open, and in walked the odd four. All of them had weapons either slung on their back or attached to their hips.

"Twyla, you need to calm down." Clementine said.

Calm down? I am perfectly calm, for a person who was told they had no choice but die.

"I am calm." I said and let go of the principal's collar and lunged for her.

"It's her demon side awakening. She is not in control." Clementine shouted as Zephyr moved in front of her and used his bow to hold me off.

"I am in control!" I screamed and a sword appeared in my right hand. I swung at Zephyr only to be met with air, which made me angrier.

I felt a sharp burn at my side of my head and the next thing I knew the world was fading black.

"Twyla, can you hear me?" A voice echoed in the distance, slowly breaking the darkness that surrounded and comforted me.

"Oh look she's waking up." A feminine voice added cheerfully.

"Thank you principal, but we got it from here." Another voice said.

"I don't know what I said to her, I guess I should have worded things a bit differently."

"Shut up." I grumbled and I covered my ears. I was trying to sleep and all they did was yap away, like I wasn't there.

"How do you feel?" Another voice asked as a hand touched my throbbing sides.

I reluctantly peeled my eyes open, knowing they weren't going to leave me alone.I was met with two glowing pink eyes, in shock I jerked up. But it only caused me pain, as I collided with another forehead.

"Ow." I grumbled and placed my hands on my head in hopes to stop this new found pain.

"Do you remembered what happened?" Zephyr said slowly.

Alvina slapped the back of his head, "She was zapped by Clementine, she didn't get a concussion."

"Will you two, stop bickering like an old married couple." Kai demands and both of them turned to stare at him, Zephyr turned a shade of red.

"Twyla?" A soft voice drew the attention back onto me, I turned to face Clementine. "Are you angry?" She asked softly.

"Why would I be angry?" I asked.

"I sort of shot you." She said quietly playing with her pink sparkly ball, "With this."

"Uh..." Was all I could say.

"How much did Burnes tell you?" Kai asked.

"That I had no choice but protect you people with my life. Oh and you are evil demons." I said bitterly.

Laughter echoed through the room, "We aren't evil silly." Clementine said.

"How about we take you to your room, and get you settled in. The we will explain everything to you in the morning." Alvina suggested.

"But it's only mid-day?" I said quietly.

"Sorry."Clementine apologized once again.

"Clementine, I really don't remember what you did. But you have to stop apologizing, I'm sure you did, whatever you did for a good reason." I said and patted her on the shoulder.

She looked up at me with innocent eyes, "Really, you're not mad at me?" I shook my head.

She clapped happily, "Yay, I can't wait to show you our home."

"That's great." I said and soon after my stomach growled in protest. Placing a hand over my stomach, I then said, "How about some food first."

Zephyr extended his hand to help me off the ground, which I gladly accepted, "What are you in the mood for?" He asked.

A quiet growl echoed through the room and Zephyr let go of my hand immediately. Causing me to fall back to the floor with a thud, "Uh, ow" I said, glaring at Zephyr as he offered his hand again.

"So growling, is that a normal demon thing?" I asked which was received by a few chuckles.

"No it's like when an animal growls, they only do it when they feel threatened." Clementine stated.

"So do I have to worry about other animal behavior?" I asked.

"Like what?" Alvina asked.

"Like someone peeing on me." I stated.

"Please tell me your joking." Kai said, and I turned to face him. Completely forgetting he was in the room.

I scowled at him, I was in fact dead serious. I mean if they growl, then they must do other weird animal things too, and peeing on things is a weird animal thing as well.

"Look, Kai only growled at you because he is the Dux." Zephyr explained.

"What’s a duke say?" I asked eying Kai closely.

"D.U.X." Clementine spelt out, "It Latin for chief or duke, in terms mean he is our leader."

"So, why would being a Dux make him growl at me?" I asked.

"Well, even though you are a Nox Knight, you are still new. With every time you touch someone under his care, his animal flares up in aggression." Clementine explained.

"Though, Kit does not seem to have a problem with you touching anyone but Zephyr. Could it be, because you are his-" Alvina was cut off.

"NO!" Kai shouts, "It's not that, Kit's just weird." He stared intently at Alvina, until she shrugged her shoulders.

"It was only a guess." She said before breaking eye contact.

"Sorry, to interrupt whatever is going on, but who is Kit?" I asked and Kai's weirdly intense eyes shifted to me.

"Kit's my fox." He didn't say nothing more before turning around pulling up his shirt. On his lower back revealed a realistic fox tattoo, with a pulversing stare. The fox and I had a stare down before he blinked and closed his eyes.

"Did you name it?" I asked him.

He pulled back down his shirt and turned back around, "Yeah, but Kit approved it." He smiled as something swirled in his eyes.

Not wanting to intrude on whatever he was thinking about, I turned to look at the rest of the group, "Do you all have tattoos?" I asked hoping Kai and I weren't the only ones.

"Yup." Zephyr said slinging his arm around me, "Now how about that food. We should talk about this stuff tomorrow. We don't want you going bat-shit crazy again."

I ducked my head in embarrassment, "I completely forgot how irrational I was being. I should apologize to Principal Burnes." I muttered.

Alvina laughed, "We are all allowed a crazy day. I mean, I remember this case I was doing. This girl just found out she had a little bit of demon blood in her, not even half and suddenly she thought it was best to kill all mortals around her."

"What?!" I shrieked out.

"Oh not to worry that was decades ago." Alvina explained and the room quiet down. As if waiting for me to ask the one question, they know I was thinking.

"How old are you guys?" I asked.