Gray's POV

I felt a staff strike my side, causing me to double over in pain.

"Gray, get up," Egrick commanded me. He hit my back as I struggled to get up, knocking me back onto the ground.

The blow caused a grunt to escape my mouth. Before he had time to hit me again, I jumped to my feet. "That was a cheap shot and we both know it," I said as I stood up.

"There is no such thing in war."

I rose my eyebrows in his honesty. That was more information I got from Else within the last few days. "So, you admit there is something going on?"

"I think that's enough, Egrick," Else's crisp voice rang out behind me.

He nodded as he bowed his head, taking a step away from me.

My eyes met Else's and instantly I put down my staff. I had been waiting for her all day, wanting answers at the last meeting she attended.

"Grayson, can you come with me?" Else asked as she pulled on the sleeve of her blazer.

"Sure." I gave a small nod to Egrick, then follow Else off from the rest of the training. She took long strides towards the tree line, away from everyone else. I had grown to understand that she picked this area for a reason. The barrier of the protection spell around the castle interfered with almost anything magical, including eavesdropping.

Else sighed as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. She looked tired again, like she had for the last few days. Ever since word of my father reappearing, all prominent officials had been on high alert, including her.

"So, what is the news?" I asked.

"He's still on the edge of the castle's boards. He hasn't made a move. I think he knows there will be backlash when he storms into the castle. But he has made alliances with the Forest Witches."

I looked out into the woods as I reached out to touch the barrier.

"Don't do that," Else warned.

Her warning caused me to drop my hand quickly. "Why?"

She tapped her foot on the ground, questioning whether to tell me what was on her mind. Finally, she pulled up her sleeve to show a new gold bracelet around her wrist. "New policy. You can't go through the field unless you have one of these."

"So no one can come in and no one can leave?"

She nodded as she waved to someone behind me.

"Who is the prisoner now? How long has this been a rule?" I asked in spite as anger coursed through my viens.

"This wasn't my idea."

"Of course it wasn't. But Else, you never defend your ideas," I snapped at her.

"The Dean is just trying to protect the students here. He does not want the blood shed that happened recently to ever happen again. He is just doing his best."

"And locking them here is a good way to protect them? If he is the Dean he can come up with some better idea." I questioned. 

"This is just a quick fix." 

"Sure."

"Gray, knock it off. You don't know what those war room meetings look like."

"No, I don't. Because you never tell me everything nor would you let me participate." 

She let out a sigh and shook her head. She tapped her healed book on the ground for a moment before opening her mouth again. "Your father has convinced shifters to join his cause."

I frowned as I thought about the group of beings called Shifters. They were rare and often lived far from the school or the royal boarders. They had the power to shift into anything or anyone. They could be dangerous if on the wrong side.

"For now, we know that there are no Shifters at this school, and we want to keep it that way. Each day, his army grows. He is really securing himself as a genuine leader."

"And that must be the reason he has taken a month to make a move."

Else nodded. "Correct. I think he was growing support before he makes his final move. He can only go so far with Darkling control. It's another thing to have support from other groups. The more groups he has, the harder it is to remove him from his position.

"What do you think he'll do if he takes control of the castle?"

Else looked out into the woods for a moment before turning back towards me. "I am not 100% sure what he will do. I only have guesses. But I think first he will kill any leadership that went against him. Then he will rewrite the book of rules. He will allow mixing to happen and he will permanently open the gate to Jackson and the other gates around the world."

"That means the monsters from here will go to earth," I said as I thought about Stella.

She was still on my mind most nights. The thought that Darklings and other creatures from Churchwell could get to her realm caused my heart to race. She needed to be protected. She needed to be safe. I was away from her because I wanted her safe. I kept my distance because she was one of the few things I cared about.

Else nodded. "Your father was always big into the saying 'the strong will survive'."

"We can't let that happen. Else, let me go onto the battlefield. I need to stop him."

She gave a tired. "You will have a chance. But for now, wait. We all have to."

"But if he gets into power... Stella," I said as words came tumbling out of my mouth.

Else frowned. "You need to think about yourself first. Think of your home first. Churchwell should be first on your mind, not the human. Stella is safe. Don't worry about her yet."

Stella would always be first on my mind. As long as she breathed, I would think about her. She was not just any human; she was Stella. "You don't know that."

She placed her hand on my shoulder. "I promise she is safe. I saw her at school when I picked up your homework last."

"How did she look?" I asked before I knew what had escaped my mouth.

"She looked happy. She talked to a group of girls with a smile on her face. Gray, she is safe, and you need to worry about her less."

But the thing was, I wasn't sure if I believed her. I just wished I had my phone so I could at least text her. "If I gave you a note, would you give it to her next time you are in Jackson?"

She placed her hands on her hips as if getting tired of this conversation. "Fine."

"Thank you."

"I am only doing this so you can think more about Churchwell. This is your home, and I feel like you are forgetting that."

"I know where my home is." As much as I wish it was here, it wasn't. I never truly felt home here. But I never felt home in Jackson. However, Stella made me feel at home, no matter where I was.

"Good. Grayson, I have to go. But please be on alert. If you see anything that is unusual, let me know. War is not what we need."

I shook my head as I thought about how my father mentioned the last war. I still knew little about it. "When I talked to my father when he was captured; he mentioned the 200-year war. What was it against? Why is it not discussed?"

"It was against the heretics."

Heretics was something I had never heard of before. "What are they?"

"You should ask who are they. They are a group of half bloods that fought against the royal family. They were monsters. The rules about half bloods were because of the heretics. You should know there are rules about half bloods for reasons. Half bloods have powers that sometimes they cannot control."

"Do you have information about heretics?"

"I have little, but it's in my study. I can bring it by when I return."

"Thanks."

"Ok, I really have to go. Please keep your guard up, Grayson. I will be back soon."

<>

With that, I watched as she walked through the barrier and into the woods. I watched until I couldn't see her anymore.

I thought that staying here I would provide more aid. I thought I would play more of an active role in the war, but so far, I felt useless. Else didn't want me to join her. She locked me here like a prisoner. It caused my blood to boil. I was a gatekeeper. I wasn't supposed to be locked anywhere.

Out of frustration, I kicked a rock into the protection barrier and watched as it broke through and fell onto the other side. "So it's only for living things," I muttered to myself as I kicked another rock through the barrier.

I touched the barrier and felt my finger burn on impact. I pulled my finger away and watched as blisters appeared on the tips of my fingers. The sight caused me to swear loudly as I shook my hand out.

With a heavy sigh, I turned on my heals and started to walk towards the school. As much as I had a problem with the new rule, there wasn't anything I could do about it, at least not at this moment.

As I walked towards the school, I heard my name being called out. It caused me to stop and look around for the sound.

"Hey Grayson!" Birch called out to me with a smile. With a case in her hands, she ran to me.

"Hey Birch," I said with a wave.

"Have time for a chess match?"

I nodded, although I wasn't in the mood. However, there was something in her eyes that made me want to say yes to her. "Of course."

She beamed at me as pulled me to the closest bench table and set up the game. "I really need this. The infirmary has been really busy today. This time, it's not just the combat specialists that are in there."

"Really?" I asked as I helped her, not using my damaged fingers.

She nodded. "It's students from spells and magical history now. I don't know what's going on, but this isn't normal."

I frowned as I thought about the protection barrier. Every day, things were changing, and it wasn't what anyone was used to.

"Anyhow, I'll go first," she said as she moved a piece across the board.

I moved a piece and sighed as concern filled me. Once again, Else wasn't telling me everything, I was sure of it. She was lying and for what reason? The royal family was gone. There was nothing she needed to shield me from anymore.

Birch moved another piece, capturing one of mine. "You know, I mentioned you might be overreacting to things changing. But I think I was wrong. After you said that, I started noticing things, things I had never seen before in the war. I have gone to this school for three years and after the war, I have seen things that I never thought. Like who beats a student in magical history?"

"What else have you seen?" I asked as I moved a piece, taking one of hers.

She shrugged, as if not sure she wanted to share. "I saw some guards beating up a second year."

I frowned as I thought about it.

"I know you weren't really around before the war, but corporal punishment was something we did not do," she said as she moved a piece across the board. "The dean was very against it."

Else had mentioned very little about the dean after the war. I only met the man once or twice before, but after the battle, I had not seen him. It made me wonder if we still had the same dean for the school.

"Birch! What the hell are you doing?" a woman yelled at her from the doorway of the school.

Birch frowned as she looked at the woman.

"Get back to the infirmary. We need you."

Birch sighed as she stood up from her seat. She quickly gathered her board and put the pieces away. "Well, so much for an escape."

I nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. I had seen very little in terms of breaks myself. Between working with the combat specialists, meeting with Else, and homework, I found myself with little extra time.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" I asked before she walked away from me.

"Maybe. It depends on that," she said as she thumbed to the woman.

"Well, if you find yourself free, I will be in my dorm room so we can pick this game up again."

She smiled. "You just want an excuse to beat me, don't you?"

"You caught me."

"Birch, get over here. Stop wasting time," the woman screamed at Birch.

Birch looked at the woman, then towards me. "Maybe I'll see you tonight," she said, then ran towards the school entrance.