Free The House of Grey- Volume 6 by Collin Earl Page A

sick that day—”
    “Yeah, yeah, sure you were—”
    Monson walked up and threw his arms around his friends, stopping the conversation in mid-retort. “Be careful, guys. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I lose anyone else.”
    Casey and Artorius smiled as he let them go, apparently forgetting their argument. “You too, Grey,” said Casey. “Be careful and don’t lose your cool.”
    “Yeah,” said Monson, putting up his fist. “Will do.”
    The other two smacked theirs against Monson’s and then turned to leave. Monson lingered briefly, watching Casey and Artorius round a corner and disappear out of sight. He listened to the fading slap of their footsteps until there was silence once again.
    Moving with determination, he ripped the Glyian Combat Glove from his hand and began to pry his grandfather’s silver stone from the frame. To his dismay, it was slightly cracked. Monson swore. “That’s definitely not a good omen.” He tried to convince himself that he was not going to need luck—that he would create his own. Believe. That was what he needed to do. He needed to believe and hope for the best. With that  thought in tow, he headed towards the boys’ locker room and hopefully, the final confrontation.
    “You don’t need luck, you know .”
    Dawn’s unmistakable voice drifted in and out of Monson’s eardrums, hurting his head with its unpredictable changes in volume.
    Monson grabbed at his temple. Why are you coming in like this, so weak? he thought. Is your frequency broken or something ?
    “Not a bad example, I will have to use that one sometime. That’s not entirely true, but good enough .”
    And of course you’re not going to explain that statement, either .
    “I would, but it would do you little good right now . ”
    Monson tapped at his head as Dawn started to cut out, but realized how stupid this was and stopped. Why are you leaving? What’s going on?
    “There is not any time to expl a in. I am going away, but let me warn you that something is coming, something incredibly dangerous. You and your friends need to get away from Coren before it comes. I have to depart as my limits may soon be tested, but heed my warning—leave now . ”
Monson shook his head. I can’t. I have to save Cyann and capture Baroty before I can —
    It was no use. Dawn was gone and Monson could not feel the slightest trace of his presence. He was truly on his own; the thought actually scared him a bit. He pushed it out of his mind as he descended the stairs towards his objective.
     
    ***
 
    Minutes later, Monson found himself sneaking along the hallways leading to the locker rooms of the Coren University Legionnaires. He was lucky to have gotten this far without being detected. There had been one near run-in with a small squad of Baroty’s black-clad commandos; if Monson had not ducked into a random office, it would have been over for him.
    Now closing in on his destination, he heard hurried, anxious voices, most bellowing about “power” and “containment.” Monson understood none of it. His brief time in the Legion had given him a familiarity with the locker room, enough to proceed without incident. His main hope rested in Coach Able’s office, which ran almost the entire length of the long hallway. If he could get into that office, he might be able to get out onto the Battlefield unseen and undetected.
    Trying the heel-toe approach that had given him so much trouble earlier, Monson was able to reach the entrance of Able’s office. Slowly he tried the doorknob and felt considerable relief as it turned. Monson slipped into the darkness of the office, silently closing the door behind him.
    “You know, you’re really not as sneaky as you think you are.”
    Monson’s hands were already moving, calling upon the magic as he whipped around to face the source of the voice. What he saw made his blood boil.
    Cyann Harrison, unconscious and gagged, slumped at the feet of Damion Peterson. Very close to