Chapter 18

Ant had his foot ready to kick Margaret, but before he could, Ferr charged, sending him sprawling onto his back. Burning with humiliation, he'd never been so embarrassed in front of his crew. There was no way they were walking away from this. They needed to learn their lesson.

Kura hacked to the side, dodging his punch. Her right hand, previously concealed, swung up, connecting with a brick. It crashed into Martin's head. After a heavy thud, blood trickled down his scalp. His vision blurred as blood dripped into his eyes. He stood there, stunned. "One of Martin's men gasped, panic setting in as they saw the blood. Martin was the vice-principal of Merida High School. Since the day he'd stepped foot on campus, no one dared lay a finger on him.

"How dare you hit him?" His lackeys' eyes widened. One swung at Aurora's face. The others rushed to surround her, ready to avenge their boss. "Get her!" Martin growled, wiping the blood and gritting his teeth. "Show her what happens when she messes with me!" He assumed his men could easily handle a single girl.

With a battle cry, they charged. Aurora sidestepped the first blow, her movements fluid. Her brick whistled through the air, connecting with the next guy's head. He crumpled, blood streaming down his face. She kicked another off his feet, grabbed another by the throat, and smashed the brick into his face. Using his back as leverage, she launched herself, knocking down two more. Her moves were swift and clean. In an instant, the ground was littered with groaning bodies.

"Pathetic idiots!" Martin cursed, glaring at his men, rolling around in pain. He'd never expected them to fail so spectacularly. This would be a devastating blow to his reputation at Merida High. He vowed to never let this slide.

Margaret clapped, her eyes sparkling. She swung her fists, taunting the fallen men. "Yeah, hit them! They're bad! Hit them!"

Sweat glistening on her forehead, Aurora took a deep breath. It had been a while since she’d enjoyed such a satisfying brawl. She tossed the brick, watching Martin nervously back away. With a smirk, she teased, "You want some more?"

Tears flashed in Martin's eyes. He didn't want another brick to the head, but his pride screamed at him to fight back. He glanced at his groaning men and hesitated, torn between saving face and getting his ass kicked again.

Aurora slowly approached him, her cold grin unwavering. "Looks like we've got another round coming."

Martin's face turned crimson, his eyes full of fury. He pointed, jabbing the air as if to burn her image into his memory. With a final growl, he spat, "You just wait. I'll get you for this!"

He turned and ran. Revenge was a dish best served cold, he thought, and he wouldn't lose next time. Once the ringleader fled, the rest of the gang scattered like rats.

"Oh, my bag!" Margaret bent to pick up her backpack, which Martin had tossed aside. She held it close, like a treasure. "Thank goodness Dad's money wasn't stolen!"

Margaret looked up at Aurora, her eyes wide with admiration. "You're amazing! You beat up all the bad guys for me! I'm now a..." She trailed off. Aurora sighed, yanked Margaret to her feet, and brushed the dirt off her clothes. "Where do you live? I'll give you a ride."

"My driver's waiting at the school gate," Margaret said, her eyes sparkling. "You were so cool! Can you teach me?" She'd been bullied before, and most people avoided her, afraid to get involved. She wasn't stupid; her dad had taught her to stand up for herself, but she was still learning.

"Just grab a brick and hit them. No need for lessons. It's getting late, and you should head home," Aurora said, glancing at the darkening sky.

Margaret dashed back, carefully placing the blood-stained brick into her backpack. "I'm taking this home. I'll use it next time someone messes with me."

Aurora said nothing and started walking toward the school gate. A luxury car sat parked at the entrance, its door slightly ajar. The driver, chatting with the security guard, quickly approached Margaret. "Ms. McLean! I was about to look for you." Noticing something was amiss, his face darkened. "Someone giving you trouble again? I'm telling Mr. McLean about this."

Margaret beamed, grabbing Aurora's arm. "No need. My hero Aurora already took care of them."

"Hey, where's your driver?" Margaret looked around, seeing only her own car.

Aurora shoved her hands in her pockets. "I'm taking the bus." She'd known her family's driver wouldn't be waiting; it was always like this. Even at other schools, he was too busy for pick-ups or drop-offs. She'd gotten used to taking the bus. Besides, Maura was probably home, waiting to cause trouble.

"I'll give you a ride," Margaret offered.

Aurora nodded.

By the time they reached Terranes, it was dark. Inside the opulent dining room, people were eating. Maura and Mary sat at one end of the table, laughing. Jaxon sat at the head. Aurora stood at the entrance, watching with a cold face.