They Came In Hoodies

Chapter 2: Half Blood

Gray's POV

Look out for the <>!

I looked at the staff in my hand and pounded it on the ground as I looked at a boy the same age as me on the ground. His eyes had such worry to them as he prepared for the final blow.

"What are you waiting for, attack him," Egrick commanded me.

I dropped the staff and shook my head. "He's already down. I don't need to attack," I said as I turned to Egrick. As I did so, I felt something pierce my side, causing me to topple to the ground.

"Grayson, we have been through this. Don't turn your back towards the enemy. Just because they are down, doesn't mean they will stop fighting," Egrick said to me then turned to congratulate my opponent.

I placed my hand against my side and saw blood ooze between my fingers.

"Let me guess, you didn't finish the blow?" Else asked as she walked up to me. Her posh clean appearance demanded attention as she looked down at me. Even with all this uncertainty, she still remained polished. Things had changed a lot since my father killed the royal family, but her style would never change.

I shook my head as I stood up from the ground.

She gave a tired sigh. "It doesn't matter if you are one of the best people on the team, Gray. If you don't finish the blows, you might be kicked off the team."

"That's not possible. They need me. I am Graywick's son. They want me around. That much is clear," I said as I watched Egrick talk to the group of young fighters he was training.

Else shook her head as she pushed her hair behind her ears. "Gray, you have to at least try to fit in. If you want to stop going to the infirmary, you should actually start fighting back. You used to want all of this not too long ago."

Her words caused my blood to run cold. There was so much that had changed since I wanted that. This place wasn't for learning anymore, it was for training. We were all fighting for a war that my father would bring. I didn't want to be a killer; I didn't want to be in this war everyone was prepping for.

"Is there anything you wanted to actually tell me, Else?"

It had been over a month since my father's attack on Churchwell and this place looked just as broken as the day after the attack. Cleanup had been slow, and it had to be because all the talented magical beings were on high alert for my father, meaning there was little time to clean up the castle.

Everyone was waiting for what my father would do, but it had been silence. That silence was probably worse than the actual war though. Churchwell had been in chaos since the royal family had died. There was no clear ruler and that left a perfect place for my father to slide in. We all expected it, but we expected it almost instantly.

In the meantime, I had stepped up my training. Everyone told me I was the key to stop him. I had devoted every moment of my last month to gaining new skills, practicing, preparing. When I wasn't training, Else whisked me away to meetings about different topics. All this business keeps my mind too preoccupied to think of Stella. Maybe that was my goal, I couldn't think of her in a time like this. It didn't matter if she still haunted my dreams and caused a longing for her deep in my heart. She was safe in Jackson that that should have been enough for me. But deep down, I knew it wasn't.

"I picked up your homework. It's laying on your bed."

I smiled at her knowing that she didn't like going to Jackson to get it, but I appreciated her doing it. "Thank you."

She nodded then opened her mouth but closed it, figuring it wasn't worth sharing. She looked at the books in front of her then turned back to me. Finally, she mustered up what she wanted to ask.