by K M Charron
November 1
They had spent hours attempting to translate the book the night before. Some of it was too obscure even for Jax, and Google unsurprisingly hadn’t been too reliable. Half of the vocabulary was so old that it was unrecognizable. She needed to find someone who could tell her what it said. Maybe Oswald? She prayed that ancient languages were on the increasingly long list of his bizarre hobbies.
Every year, Ashcroft always canceled classes the day after the dance. Since it was a Friday this year, Sydney had planned to take full advantage of the long weekend to research the shifter. She knew that her mother would be at home until the early afternoon, so it gave her a small window to snoop in the Nest’s library when her mother wouldn’t be at her make-shift office.
She and Ava dressed quickly and were about to meet Khourtney downstairs when her cell pinged a high priority tone.
Mandatory emergency briefing for ALL students and staff in the gym at 8:15.
That was going to take a huge chunk from her fact-finding time. She knew exactly what it was about. Darren had died, and now they were all required to sit through some bullshit damage-control speech by Headmistress Chambers. God forbid a reporter or two wrote a piece on it. They couldn’t risk Ashcroft being on the radar for anything other than winning sports championships, full-ride University scholarships awarded to graduates, academic trophies, titles conferred on the teaching staff, or other general admirations. Her mother had absolutely orchestrated this, putting her little puppet, Chambers, at the helm.
She could feel her face flushing from irritation.
Ava pulled her boots on so slowly that Syd wanted to grab them from her and do it herself.
“With everything that we were dealing with last night,” Ava began, “we didn’t get to talk about Darren. Isn’t it weird that his girlfriend vanished last year, and now he’s dead? I mean, he was obviously murdered. He wasn’t stupid enough to volunteer to try out the pressing exhibit.”
Sydney had been thinking the same thing. “It’s definitely suspicious. Who knows, maybe he knew something about Daphne that he shouldn’t have. It wouldn’t be the first time someone killed to shut someone else up.”
“Or,” Ava said, wide-eyed, “Darren did something to Daphne, and someone found out. Maybe it was revenge.” She waggled her eyebrows as if letting Sydney in on a conspiracy.
Syd looked at her phone again. “We have to be in the gym in fifteen minutes. They’re really trying to get ahead of this.”
Ava snorted. “Yeah, well, few things are worse than having a kid turning up dead at a school function.”
Warmth soothed Sydney’s belly as she pictured how frenzied and panicked her mother must be feeling right now. “Karma’s a bitch, and so is Andrea Lockwood.”
Shaking her head, Ava said, “Oh come on. Your mom loves you, and she’s not all bad.”
Sydney hardened her stare on her friend. “Loyalty is a good virtue to have in a friend. It would serve you well to remember that.”
Chapter 15
Ainsley
“I'm so tired,” Harper said, poking her head out of her blankets. “What was all that about last night? Poor Darren. This whole situation is crazy.”
Crazy was an understatement, but there was no way Ainsley could confide in Harper even though every fiber of her being screamed to tell her. These secrets were a lot to carry alone.
Harper grabbed her glasses from her bedside table and slid them on before looking at Ainsley. “We would’ve been trapped in there all night, giving statements and being treated like criminals if Headmistress Chambers hadn’t stormed in. You should’ve seen her. It was scary and a little inspiring. The cops were arguing with her, and then all of a sudden, they just backed off, apologized for the inconvenience, and let everyone go. Mind you, it was nearly eleven by the time they did though!”
Persuasion? Ainsley wondered if Chambers was a witch, too. Since Sydney and her group refused to tell Ainsley any more than she needed to know, she had no clue how many of those around her were part of the Wildes and who were regular people. Were some or all of the professors witches? How many of her fellow students had magical abilities, and what did that entail? She had so many questions. She glanced over at Harper and wondered momentarily about her, but there was no way. She couldn’t imagine Sydney being so horrible toward Harper if she were a fellow witch.
Their phones went off simultaneously, shrieking in a tone she’d never heard before. She and Harper checked the texts and looked at each other.
“A mandatory emergency briefing,” Ainsley read out, not surprised considering there had been a murder on campus. Damage control. The last thing Ashcroft wanted was news crews and media coverage publicizing any danger on the Ashcroft campus.
Typing away, Harper appeared deep in concentration. “There’s nothing about it on any of the local stations or in the paper. Social media, of course, is all abuzz. I suppose it’s hard to keep twelve hundred teenagers quiet about something as outrageous as a student dying inside a pressing display—in Danvers of all places. Can you imagine what that would stir up? Get out the pitchforks.”
It looked like most of the students had stuck to Ashcroft’s private app, though. It was called Insiders and allowed texts, videos, and pictures between current Ashcroft students only. At first, Ainsley thought it was so cool that her elite, all-too-exclusive boarding school had a private messaging board app. But now she saw it for what it was: a way for the school to control its population, without noticing that the administration was manipulating them.
Ainsley thought back to Darren being pulled free of the Press and winced. “Any thoughts from my favorite genius as to how Darren got under there in the first place? If it was a joke or prank that went wrong, I’m sure whoever was involved would have tried to save him or at least called for help.”
Harper shook her head. “What prank involves piling real rocks—heavy rocks—on top of someone? No one here is that idiotic.” She kept scrolling the feed on her phone. After a minute, she glanced up. “His poor family. I didn’t even think about his parents and his older sister. She’s in her senior year.” Harper’s voice dropped in sorrow. “At least he’s with Daphne now.”
Harper’s empathy and compassion made Ainsley even more grateful to be her friend. Just remembering Sydney’s callous reaction last night made her sick. She fell to her knees over a cat but barely registered Darren’s death. A human being! Oh, wait, a mere middling to her.
“We’d better get ready. The assembly is in fifteen.”
Harper nodded. Her attention seemed a million miles away, “In the gym of all places.”
It did seem a tad distasteful, having it in the very location that Darren had died, but it was the only space large enough to fit everyone. “I know. It’s going to be rough.”
“Do you think Darren’s parents are already here?”
Ainsley pulled herself from her bed and began gathering clothes. “If not, they will be soon. I don’t know much about Headmistresses Chambers, but she must be losing her shit.” She pulled on a pair of jeans draped across the foot of her bed, a white long sleeve t-shirt, and a forest green wool sweater. Snuggly comfort was needed today after freezing her ass off in the forest, wearing nothing but a light cotton dress all night. She still had bone-chilling shivers.
The assembly was a gift in disguise. She could use the opportunity to see if there were any other doubles in attendance. The chances were slim, but if the shifter was ballsy enough to show up at the dance, why not today?
Students packed the gym from the top of the bleachers down to rows of chairs that circled the floor. A podium was at the front of the room with chairs set up behind it for the professors.
The noise in the room was deafening, with everyone screaming over their neighbor. Ainsley caught bits and pieces of conversation, mostly having to do with why they were there.
Harper leaned in, and Ainsley felt her roommate’s warm breath tickle her ear. “There’s Carey and Meghan. They’re
friends with Darren’s sister. This is so sad.”
Before Ainsley could say anything, Headmistress Chambers banged a gavel on the podium. Dressed in a knee-length black skirt and matching blazer, Chambers was the epitome of intimidation and control with her pale hair clipped back in a tight twist, and wearing no makeup except for dark plum lipstick. She gripped the podium's edges and stared out into the student body. In less than thirty seconds, the room was pin-drop quiet, all eyes focused on her, seeking answers for Darren’s death.
“It is with great sadness that we gather today. As you know, we lost a valuable member of the Ashcroft family last night in a tragic accident. Darren Angelo was a lovely, bright, and talented young man with much potential. His whole life was ahead of him. As you know, Ashcroft prides itself on its reputation for safety, support, inclusion, and academic excellence. We are a family, and as a family, we have a duty to protect one another. I implore you to refrain from discussing this matter on social media, even the Insider, as it’s too painful for many to see. Darren’s family has asked us to keep this matter private, which is why there have been no reports to news outlets about our heartbreak. We respect the wishes of our Ashcroft family, and I expect you all to do so as well.
“Our social media consultants have taken the liberty of removing any and all posts related to Darren’s accident and untimely death on the Insider as well as on other social media forums. I remind you, this is an Ashcroft matter, not a public spectacle. The Angelo family thanks you for your support, sensitivity, and discretion.”
Ainsley couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Ashcroft planned to cover it up. She was nearly numb from shock. “How can they do this?” she whispered to Harper, nervous at being overheard.
“Money and power? I have no idea. But that explains why I saw nothing in the news this morning.” Harper subtly opened her phone and opened her Insider, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Her mouth gaped.
“What is it?”
“Everything is gone from social media already, even my private message conversations. From when she started talking until now, all mention of Darren’s death has disappeared.” She slowly shook her head. “How? I don’t understand how it’s possible.”
Ainsley glanced around to make sure no one was watching them. Her stomach was a tightly coiled knot. “How is any high school this powerful?” And then she remembered the coven. Maybe the Wildes had a hand in this. Who knew what magic was capable of? An image of her father flittered into her mind, and a pang of longing grasped her tightly.
Had he gotten too close to something here? She saw his desperate face again on the rooftop, his wild eyes begging for help. Clutching her knees with her hands, she bent forward, closing her eyes and taking slow, controlled breaths. Maybe he hadn’t killed himself after all?
Harper’s hand was on her back, rubbing in soothing circles. “Are you okay?”
Ainsley needed to keep it together. There was far too much at stake. She could fall apart later. “Yes, sorry.” She straightened. “I was just lightheaded for a second. I haven’t eaten yet.”
A distraction would be good. Taking her time, she scrutinized every face in the crowd looking for any sign that the shifter was there, but she saw no doubles. She did spot Sydney, Justin, and their crew, who appeared to share her indignation about the way Ashcroft and Chambers were handling this.
Sydney met her gaze but quickly looked away. Ainsley slid her attention to Ava and Jax. Jax was too busy watching the show, but Ava met her eyes before turning sharply away. No love lost there, she supposed.
By the time Chambers had finished her speech, the entire student body was on their feet clapping as though they’d just seen a Broadway performance. The headmistress hadn’t given any answers as to what had happened to Darren, it was still unclear if he died there or elsewhere, and there was no mention about how the “accident” as Chambers referred to it had happened. Darren certainly hadn’t tied his own hands and piled rocks on his own chest.
Ainsley gazed around her. Students got to their feet and began clearing out. Something was wrong. The students were laughing, chatting away as if they’d just come from a pep rally. Their grief-, fear-, and anguish-filled faces were now thrilled. It was as though the only thing that had happened last night was a fun Halloween dance.
“Why is everyone so cheery?” She stepped down the bleachers, Harper in tow.
Harper tilted her head as if struggling to understand what Ainsley was referring to. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
“Because our classmate could’ve been murdered?” Ainsley said with sarcasm.
Harper burst into laughter. “No one was murdered. I’m starving. Want to get a bite to eat? You said you were hungry.” Her singsong voice left Ainsley cold.
What was happening? Every somber expression was gone, replaced with laughter and playfulness, joking and roughhousing. The atmosphere in the gym was akin to having just won a basketball tournament.
Ainsley stopped in her tracks and faced Harper, looking her directly in the eyes. “Darren is dead, and we still don’t know how he died.” Her hands gripped Harper’s upper arms. “The police were here last night. You were interviewed by them to see if you saw anything suspicious.”
Harper smiled widely and giggled again. “You’re so weird. I think there was something in your punch last night! Darren isn’t dead. He moved back home to be closer to his family. His mom’s sick. And of course, the police were at the dance, when we have an event, we always have a few officers come by to make sure everything runs smoothly.” She gingerly removed Ainsley’s hands from her arms. “Now, let’s go eat.”
“Um. You go on without me. There’s someone I have to find first. I’ll text you.”
Harper smiled and shrugged. “Okay, see you in a bit,” she declared with so much enthusiasm that it made goosebumps cover Ainsley’s skin.
Ainsley made her way through the crowds of students, pushing and elbowing until she was across the gym to where Sydney and the others had sat. Their chairs were empty. No, no. She really needed them.
A hand turned her around, and she nearly collapsed with relief when her gaze landed on Justin and the others. “Thank God,” she sighed. “What the hell is going on. No one seems to remember what happened last night. Harper suddenly thinks Darren moved away and that dance was a fricking hit.” She tried to steady her breath before she hyperventilated.
“Oh my God, she really is immune,” Ava said with a hand over mouth, her eyes looking Ainsley up and down. “Incredible.”
“No more vagueness, please,” Ainsley begged. “Immune to what? What’s going on?” She couldn’t handle any more tricks or lies.
“I told you,” Sydney said with gratification. “Now, do you believe me? Or did you think it was just my and Jax’s magic that was incapable of dealing with her?”
“Believe you about what?” Ainsley snapped. “If we’re going to work together, I need to know everything. I think I’ve proven you can trust me.”
Sydney stepped forward, a sharp nail pressed into Ainsley’s chest. “First of all, you’ll know what I decide to tell you. Secondly, don’t think for a second that any of us trust you.”
Justin put his hand out to silence Sydney. “You seem to be immune to all magical persuasion.” He exhaled a big breath. “Even from a powerful Elder witch. You can’t be spelled to forget or be compelled to remember something in a different way.”
Ainsley’s legs were like Jell-O, shaky and weak. “Is that what happened here? Did Chambers use Persuasion to make everyone forget about Darren?” She focused on Justin. As far as she knew, he hadn’t lied to her, and he was the only one she trusted fully.
Before he could answer, Ava said, “Welcome to the real Ashcroft, Ainsley, where not everything is as it seems.”
Ainsley made sure her voice was solid. This was no time to show weakness. “Let me see if I understand this. Headmistress Chambers is a witch, and she Persuaded a roomful of students to believe the dance last night
was nothing but fun? She somehow managed to remove all trace of Darren’s death from all social media and the public record? According to the rest of the world, it never happened?”
Jax’s countenance didn’t change. “That’s exactly what we’re saying.”
Ainsley nodded as if on autopilot. “And the rest of the professors are witches too?”
“Not all of them,” Langston said.
“That’s enough,” Sydney demanded, fire in her voice. Her eyes were darker than usual and set on Ainsley. “That’s plenty of information, middling. You may have been let in on a few of our secrets, but I will make sure you don’t live to tell another soul if I think for one second that you’ve betrayed us.”
“I think we can trust her, Syd,” Khourtney said from out of nowhere.
Ainsley had nearly forgotten Khourtney was there, but she was thankful the girl had stuck up for her. She seemed the kindest, aside from Justin.
“Thank you, Khourtney. You won’t regret it.”
Sydney squared her shoulders, glaring at Ainsley. “See that we don’t.”
Chapter 16
Sydney
Being summoned to the gym by the headmistress didn’t surprise Sydney. Ashcroft, and by extension, the Wildes, couldn’t have the police or the media snooping around, unearthing things they shouldn’t. It put the coven in jeopardy, and there was no way her mother would risk such exposure.
Sydney knew what her mother was capable of, yet Andrea Lockwood could still shock her. It was quite a feat to spell an entire roomful of middlings to forget a night like that, and as much as Syd and her mother had their differences, she was still in awe of her abilities. Sure, the headmistress had been at the helm, but this had her mother’s particular brand of magic and management written all over it.
She wondered what her mother would do with Ainsley if she knew there was a middling immune to Mental, and possibly other types, of magic. She was only sure of one thing, nothing good would come from it. Ainsley would be a magical science experiment: poked, prodded, and dissected. They would kill her; there was no doubt about that. Then again, death might be the kindest thing that would occur. This was her mother, after all. As much as she despised Ainsley, she didn’t want her mother getting her hands on the infuriating girl. If it came down to it, Syd would deal with the middling herself.