Chapter 2: Homecoming

Life from here on out will be much different...

I looked around the dorm room at the Academy and sighed, everything I owned had been packed away in boxes and this would no longer be my special safe haven. I sat on the bed and remembered all the times Giovanni and I had fought and I had come here to be by myself. Sometimes Carsa was here to comfort me and if not she would sense me through the bond and came if I needed her. I stood from the bed and went to grab one of the many boxes Giovanni had already started to take down to his jeep. "Don't love, I've got them. Why don't you make sure you've packed everything." Giovanni grabbed the box I had been going for and smiled at me affectionately. 

"Why must you want to do this on you're own. I can lift these boxes just as you can. Plus I've already gone through the room three times and there isn't a single item that wasn't here before we moved in." I sighed as Giovanni shook his head and left the room, there were seven boxes left and I wondered how a bunch of this stuff hadn't already made it's way to Giovanni's. I went back and sat on the bed, I laid back and let myself slip into Carsa's mind. Her and Joon had been here earlier today packing her stuff, they had been gone before we arrived. 

"What is this?" Joon asked as he was going through one of Carsa's boxes of clothing. Carsa giggled as I cursed at her through the bond. 

"That would be one of Lavera's dresses. It must have accidentally made it's way into my closet." I felt a bright smile spread over her face, she knew I was watching and was teasing me. 

"Carsa Marie Novella! You are to give that dress back to me as soon as possible." I said to her through the bond but I knew those words slipped out from my own mouth since I was so angry. 

Oh Lavera you worry to much. You'll get you're dress back in due time. Carsa looked at Joon and then spoke to him. "Anything else interesting you find in that box? We really need to get moving on unpacking this stuff if we want to get it done before dinner." Joon smiled and tossed her the dress.

"Only if you wear this." Joon smirked as he pictured Carsa in the little black dress. 

"Deal." Carsa grinned as she heard me spill out a new line of curse words at her.

She's the sister I always wanted but never had...

 I slipped back into my own head and looked around, there were no more boxes and I sat up waiting for Giovanni to return. I stared at the clock on the wall and as the minutes went by I got a little worried. I stood and walked to the door, I locked it behind me and looked both ways down the hall. I went to the right knowing he had parked his jeep on that side of the dorms. "Nini?" I called out to him just as I did sirens went off, the Academy was under attack. I cursed at myself for packing all my weapons. I took off in a sprint towards to exit. I tried to keep from panicking as I knew Giovanni could handle himself but not if he was ambushed without a weapon. I burst through the door and froze immediately, there were light bodies everywhere. Up head I could see a few dark soldiers running away. "Giovanni?" I walked through the bodies quickly scanning each searching for the man I loved. None of the light soldiers had been fatally injured but just rendered unconscious. I finally found Giovanni and ran to his side, I knelt down took his hand. 

"Get back inside, you can't let them find you. They are looking for you or Carsa." Giovanni pushed me away as his voice remained calm and serious I knew he was in pain. 

"I'm not going to leave, I'll take you to the infirmary and figure something out." I tried to grab a hold of him and lift him off the ground but he pushed me away yet again. 

"Run Lavera. Get back inside and hide. I can't lose you, reach out to Carsa and tell her to alert the officials. Do this for me, stay safe at whatever cost." Giovanni grabbed my neck and kissed me passionately before letting go. "I love you Lala, now go." Giovanni's look told me he wanted me to stay with him but in order to keep me safe I had to get out of the open. 

"I love you Nini, see you soon." I smiled and got to my feet and ran for the dorms door I had exited. I could hear a shout from behind me and I glanced back, there were two dark soldiers and they ran right for me. My body froze in terror, I wouldn't be able to fend off both soldiers, I wasn't trained enough to take on more than one opponent. Then Giovanni leap into action as one of the soldiers passed him Giovanni grabbed his leg and yanked him to the ground. Giovanni and the dark soldier sprawled and the other soldier continued to advance on me. 

"I wont hurt you if you come willingly." The man said as he reach out his hand and slowed his approach hoping I would give into him. I decided to play on his actions as I had with Joon in my test. As he got closer I reached out my hand and tried to look at innocent and confused as possible. I knew it was working when he smiled deeply in victory. "I've located the target and she is safe and secure." He spoke into his earpiece to his team. Before I could react there was a gunshot and the man before me fell to the ground. 

"Run now!" Giovanni was laying next to the dark soldier on the ground he had fought and got the gun off him. I sprinted the rest of the way to the door and burst in. I found an open room down the hall, I looked in and carefully inspected the room before going inside. Once I was in a safe hiding spot I entered Carsa's head. Carsa was in her bedroom hanging up her clothes. 

I must keep her safe at all costs...

If you are going to nag me for taking your dress go ahead. I'll give it back to you soon. Carsa suddenly felt my mood. Lavera whats wrong? What's happened? Why are you so scared? Carsa was now worried and had stopped what she was doing. 

The Academy is under attack. Giovanni... I can't save him now. The Dark Soldiers are after us Carsa, I'm hiding in one of the spare rooms but they will find me soon. Carsa you have to go somewhere safe! Leave you're house now. Even the voice in my head I used to communicate with Carsa was shaky. 

"Joon!" Carsa yelled to her soulmate as she left the room to find him. Carsa entered the living room to find Joon laying in a pool of blood on the floor. "Joon!" Carsa tried to run to his body but was stopped by a dark soldier. 

"Come on little princess someone wants to see you." The dark soldier blindfolded her and bound her wrists together. 

"No! Joon! Joon!" Carsa kept yelling and trying to fight off the soldier. 

Carsa! It's okay Carsa I'll go check on Joon, everything's going to be alright. Just calm down. I tried to reassure Carsa but knew there would be no way of calming her down. I returned to my body to find the sirens signaling the attack where no longer present. That meant either the dark had made it to the control room and turned them off or they had retreated after securing Carsa. I got up from my hiding spot and silently made my way to the door, I peaked out to find the hall empty. I continued to the door I had came through earlier and looked outside. There were medics checking everyone, I ran over to Giovanni and smiled as I knelt beside him. "Nini you're going to be okay now. I have to go get Joon, the dark soldiers hurt him and took Carsa. I don't know how bad he is." I kissed Giovanni's forehead and he dug into his pocket and produced a set of keys. 

"Try not to scratch her." He said as he smiled and wiped away the tears which had escaped my eyes now. "Get Joon help, we will bring her home soon." He spoke confidently, I nodded and stood. "Go with her." Giovanni said to the medic currently helping him, the medic nodded and followed me to the jeep. I tore out of the dorms parking lot and went full speed ahead. I didn't stop at the gate instead I just rammed right through it. Joon's house was miles away and I hoped he wasn't too injured. The drive took about twenty minutes, but them again I was going almost double the speed limit. I parked the car in the driveway and ran to the front door which was left open. "Joon!" I called out, the medic was right behind me. I knew he was in the living room and I lead the medic to him, he was still unconscious on the floor. After a quick examination and a few patches here and there the medic declared Joon would have a full recovery and would be fine. I reached out through the bond to tell Carsa the somewhat good news that Joon would be alright only to find nothing on the other end of the bond. 

"She's not there, there's no connection, what's happened?" I asked as I looked at the medic. 

"They must have given her a sedative that not only calms her but that blocks all bond communication. It's common when transporting a person of interest." The medic placed Joon on the couch to get him off the floor. 

"Why would they want to kidnap us, we are not special and lack the proper formal training." I sat in a chair and pondered my questions. 

"That's exactly what we want to know Miss Costa." I turned in my chair a quickly stood as the queen stood at the living room entrance, she was surrounded by many guards and I knew more were outside. 

"Queen Havana." I stood from my chair and knelt before her. 

"Com with me we have much to discus." The queen turned and left the room. I stood and followed her to her limo. 

I have failed to protect her...