The Queen's Red Lake

XIII

Javier open his mouth to argue but I cut him off, "That's final. Find me away inside and I won't take the stupid potion. I'll actually lose purposely and you all can keep your witchery laws the same."

Javier's clench jaw expresses his anger in my proposition. "Let's meet at the campus tomorrow night. I'll get you access to Level K."

The next night comes fairly quickly. I wait for all the lights in the house to be shut off before I am sneaking out of the house and biking across the red lake and toward campus. I see the other waiting at the side of the school in the shadows.

"Took you long enough." Sakiya mutters while rubbing her arms up and down to get heat in them.

I narrow my eyes annoyed. "Try sneaking out of Queen's home." I snap back. "Now let's go."

Javier leads the way and the others follow close behind. He brings us to a basement door and he pulls the latch and we enter the school from below.

"Okay nice job." Sakiya comments as we walk the tricky halls of the school. "You snuck us inside but how will you get us on Level K."

"Shut-up, Sakiya." Javier mutters.

Iris squeezes Javier's shoulder. "We should all calm down."

Zaria chews on her bottom lip and chooses to stick close to Sakiya hip. I twist the ring on my finger and Dimitri looks to me in concern. "Are you okay?"

I chew on my bottom lip. I'm on edge and the competition is tomorrow. "The Phoenixes for once have a chance of winning." I tell him. "I'm nervous."

"No matter what happens tomorrow. You leave the battlefield a winner." Dimitri smile.

I shove him. "That's corny as hell."

He chuckles and shoves me playfully. We make it to the elevator shaft and Sakiya rolls her eyes again. "Dude. Are you serious? I thought you knew a back way or something. There is no way we can get this elevator open. It's heavily coded—"

Javier snaps open a box and it is filled with wires. He pulls the red wire out and snaps it apart. The elevator doors slide open. Sakiya instantly shut up from shock. He places the cover back onto the box and we all step into the elevator.

Everyone is anxious that the ride up is silent.

Finally, after a ten-minute ride upwards the elevator doors slide open and my eyes widen at the sight.

Level K is a status symbol, it is purposely set above the other students. It is where it needs to be, separated and untouchable from the other peers as it glorifies its power and opulence. The architecture symbolizes Phoenixes, from the golden detailed pillars to the burgundy painted walls and draping Phoenix flag.

A statue of Eliza stands in the center of the room. She is wearing a battle uniform with a sword in her grasp. Each carving is detailed. It's beautiful in every sense. As we step further into the room we notice the lights floating above us and lighting the halls.

"Wow." Sakiya mutters. "It's beautiful."

All stair rails are ornate mahogany, carved and polished that it shined. I turn to Javier as we climb the stairs, "Where is the library?"

"This way." Javier points. We follow close behind him and as we walk the light above us continue to glow.

"How in the hell you know so much about this Level?" Sakiya questions skeptically.

"My great-grandfather help construct this place. My father walked these floors as a child." Javier replies. "They promised my family and I access but that was obviously a lie."