Spearwood Academy Volume Four (The Spearwood Academy Book 4) by A.S. Oren Page B

Fire rains down on his back, burning away his shirt. His tears fall on to my cheeks, but he doesn’t make a sound. I glance around at the rest of the room. Everyone lies on the ground: dead or unconscious, I can’t tell.
    “It’s okay, Lon. I’ll protect you if it’s the last thing I do. Now that you’ve returned to yourself, I never want us to be at opposite ends again,” Maverick gasps. My own hot tears course down my cheeks. I use a finger to cover his lips. He shouldn’t be talking right now. Aibek’s shadow falls over us. The force of his fire grows stronger, burning the tops of my hands. His black eyes look into mine.
    Maverick’s arms shake and give away. His full body weight falls on me. No, he’s not dead. He can’t be. “No!” My voice rings off the walls, causing cracks to form everywhere.  I have to get them all out of here. I won’t let’ them die for me. My vision goes white.

The Memories in the Walls

    T he rush of running water, the scent of a murky river and a cool breeze creating goose bumps on my arms alert me to the fact I’m somewhere else. The dirt room disappeared. My eyes open. I lie in the bank of a river. Maverick’s body remains on top of mine, my arms around his torso, holding him to me. The side of my face presses into his chest. His natural scent invades my senses. A calm rushes over me, filling my mind with the images that wanted to burst forth in the dirt room.
    “Don’t let that wuss take you, Lon,” Paden calls. My eleven-year-old arms hold onto Maverick’s, as we try force each other to the edge of the made-in-the-dirt ring we created in the barn.
    “You’re supposed to cheer me on, brother!”
    Paden laughs. “Nah. I know she’s going to win. She always does. “
    “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Den. Mav is easy to beat, though.”
    I push my weight forward, forcing him to stumble back. He stops inches from the edge of the ring. Damn, almost had him. “Don’t call me Mav.”  He pushes back, making my feet slide as they try to get traction with the dirt. He grins. He must think he has me this time.
    I smile. “You’d you rather we call you Ick?” I laugh, as another burst of strength enters my legs. This time, I get him over the line. I laugh and use more power to push him to the ground, straddling his stomach. I lick my finger and shove it in his ear. He groans and tries to rub away my spit. I laugh more. He hates when I do that, but he’ll get me back later. I look down at him, waiting for him to start his normal tickle war. His light blue eyes stare back into mine. He swallows hard. I frown. What’s up with him? He looks like he just saw ghost. His cheeks grow red.  “What’s wrong?” I ask.
    The red grows a deeper shade. “Get off!” he snaps.
     
    I frown. “But you normally tickle me when I give you a wet Willy.”
    He growls. “I said, get off!” He shoves me back. Not ready for the force of his push, I fall off him and onto the ground. He stumbles as he stands up.
    “Why are you being mean?”
    “Stay away from me!”  He runs out the barn doors. I stare after him.
    I look to Paden. He stares after Maverick as well.
    “What did I do?”
    He turns his dark blue eyes on me. “Nothing. I’ll go talk to him.”  Paden runs out of the barn, leaving me in the dirt: alone. A tightness grows in my chest. What did I do wrong? Tears blur my vision.“”
    My cheeks flush as the memory ends. Being older now, I know what caused him to lash out at me. Logical sense rushes back to me. “Maverick!” I try to wiggle out from underneath him. I have to know if he’s okay. There’s no way he let a guy like Aibek kill him. He’s too strong willed. I just know it. He has to weigh almost 200Lbs in muscle. I push with all my might, but not even the adrenaline coursing through me is enough to get leverage. I don’t want to hurt him more by forcing him off me like a log. “Maverick! Are you okay?”
    A soft groan escapes his lips. At least, I