Urban Mystic Academy: Third Project (A Supernatural Academy Series Book 3)

by Jennifer Rose McMahon

  She leaned against the inside of the outhouse, staring into oblivion. It would be a long time before she could fully process the trauma she'd experienced. In many ways, she was still in shock. Her ability to speak of their memorials so soon was a perfect indicator that the weight of the situation hadn't fully settled on her. Maybe that was an okay thing. For now.

  Getting Courtney home, away from this madness, was the goal. If she could integrate back into her life at home, pain-free, then she would have a chance. I hoped.

  "Go on," I encouraged her to the plank. "Your turn."

  After a few moments, our heads turned in unison toward the sound of distant voices. Without making a sound, we peered through the boards of the outhouse, searching for the source of the noise.

  A woman and two men rode onto the farm on horseback. They hovered by the pyre, staring in shock as the horses stomped their nervous hooves.

  "Someone has been here," a man stated.

  "I told you," the woman hissed, glancing around with a suspicious gaze.

  They pulled at their horse’s reigns, and the three riders took a lap around the farm, circling the house and the barn. They searched for clues as I prayed Shane had time to hide within the root cellar.

  The older gentleman with a tall black hat stopped his horse in front of the house and dismounted. He moved with caution up the porch steps.

  I recognized him instantly by his clothing and stern scowl.

  "The magistrate," I whispered with barely a sound, covering my mouth with my hand.

  "Is anyone in there?" he called. "Miss Dawson? Are you there?"

  Courtney's spine straightened as she stifled a gasp.

  "He's looking for me," she whimpered. "They thought I ran off."

  The front door squeaked open, and he called again, "Anyone inside?"

  The sound of his boots echoes out to us as he moved through the empty house. A few moments later, with a slam of the door, he returned to the others.

  "No sign of her," he said without affect. "Check the barn."

  My eyes closed as I thanked the stars that Shane hadn't lit a hearth fire yet this morning. And now, I held my breath as they searched the barn.

  "Empty," the other man called out to them. “But for the stink of animals.”

  I exhaled my held air as they rode along the perimeter of the homestead one last time, and then trotted out of sight.

  Shaking from the close encounter, I rubbed my trembling hands together in relief. Our shoulders relaxed at the same time as Courtney and I let our guards down.

  And in that same instant of our relief, a woman's voice entered our heads, shocking us back to full alert.

  "I felt you there," she said with a curious tone. "Get out! Before you have the rest of us hung!"

  Chapter 18

  As soon as we gained the first ounce of courage, Courtney and I bolted from the outhouse toward the safety of the barn. We hurried inside and kicked at the hatch door.

  "Shane," I called. "It's us."

  Within a second, the hatch lifted from within, and we grabbed onto it, throwing it open.

  "Are they gone?" he gasped.

  His question taunted me. I prayed they were gone.

  But the woman's voice lingered in my mind, keeping my nervous twitch alive.

  "We stayed hidden in the privy," Courtney said. "But we could still hear them. They knew someone was near. And then the woman...." She hesitated.

  "What about her," he pressed.

  I dropped my head back, wishing the truth away. "The woman. She crept into our minds again, demanding us to leave."

  Shane tightened his fists. "Quick, get inside." He hopped out of the cellar to make room for us. "I think it's best to stay hidden, at least until nightfall. We can live off the rest of the soup down here." He glanced around the barn before closing the hatch behind himself. "And best to hold off future bathroom breaks until dark, as well."

  We settled into the shelter of the root cellar and lit more candles. A full box sat on a shelf among the vials and jars of herbs, powders, and other unknown elixir ingredients. With at least six or eight hours until nightfall, we'd have plenty of time to explore the finer details of the workshop.

  Keeping our minds closed against the woman, and any other possible dangers was our primary focus. The unfortunate part of it was that we had blocked Dom as well. We hoped he would understand and trust our planning.

  As the hours ticked by, we had scoured the book of spells, becoming familiar with its profound contents. Spells for deep sleep, past-life connections, and memory altering kept us fully engrossed in the power the book held. Chants for conjuring spirits and awakening souls sent chills through me as I read some of the phrases aloud in my mind, over and over.

  We chuckled at the pages of elixirs—potions for all sorts of things; physical ailments and troubles of the heart. I believed each one held magical qualities and didn't doubt their potency.

  The weight of the book was immense. It held the mystical world within its bindings. And therefore, I knew it held the powerful answers to our quest.

  If only we could find the missing pages.

  As the light faded from the cracks in the hatch, we prepared our blankets for sleep. Shane moved up the ladder and cracked open the door. He listened first, then opened it fully.

  "I'll go first, to check that no one's around," he whispered. "Stay here until I return." He closed the hatch again, leaving us inside.

  With a deep inhale, I sat on my blanket, waiting.

  Checking to see if it was safe for us to come up was a valiant act for Shane, but now, sitting here in the dark, I regretted letting him go. He was so quick to take on the role as my protector, I allowed it without question. But it was too risky. I could take care of myself and didn’t need him putting himself in harm’s way for my wellbeing.

  The thought of him putting himself between me and real danger made my stomach turn. My head swam in panic as I replayed our intimate encounter from detention. Fear of never having that feeling again sent terror through my veins. Being that close to Shane was the most incredible experience of my life. I’d do anything to have the chance to be that close with him again.

  As the minutes ticked away in slow motion, I struggled to keep my mind from wandering to every possible disastrous scenario. What if the three riders were hiding, waiting for us? What if curious villagers were exploring the site, and discovered us? The fear of falling victim to their hysteria was very real in my soul. If they got hold of us, they'd do the same thing they did to the sisters. The idea twisted my soul with dread.

  Another moment of my inner panic, and then the hatch sprung open.

  "Coast is clear," Shane said. "Come on up."

  My air whooshed out as relief coursed through me. I closed my eyes in gratitude, thanking every deity for his safe return.

  As we climbed out, he walked with us into the yard and stood guard as we crossed the rest of the way to the outhouse.

  Glancing back, I soaked in his strong silhouette, appreciating every part of him.

  We finished our business quickly and rejoined him by the pines. As we moved back toward the barn, Shane lifted his arm to stop us.

  "Shh." He tapped his finger to his lips.

  We froze, darting our eyes in every direction.

  And then we heard it too.

  Snapping twigs. Rustling.

  Someone was hiding in the shadow of the trees.

  I squeezed my eyes shut, willing it away. "Please God. Please God," I chanted in my head.

  Then I made a quick shift in my mind and chose new words. "Power of the mist. Out of sight and out of way. Power of the mist. Out of sight and out of way." I repeated the parts of the invisibility spell I had learned from the book and concentrated on its words.

  The darkness of night surrounded us as seeping fog crept out of the woods.

  I continued repeating the chant, astonished that it might actually be working. But before it could take full hold and cloak us entir
ely, a dark form launched out of the woods, cutting my spell short.

  The three of us jolted from the shock of the attack and lifted our arms in spontaneous fight mode.

  In mid-flight, the bounding figure burst into full view, and its massive paws struck the ground in front of us.

  The ground beneath our feet rumbled from the explosive thud, sending quakes of adrenaline through me.

  I stared in awe at the creature that stood before us once again. Seeing my friend in this condition was more than I could comprehend and probably something I would never get used to.

  My twitching nerves sent warning that I should never trust such a beast, but I resisted their nagging.

  Dom pounced, shoulders squared, heaving through flared nostrils. His glorious black fur shimmered in the moonlight, and his bright, curious eyes searched us for information.

  My held breath finally fell out of me, as a new level of protection surrounded us. Having Dom as part of our group gave a sense of security we had desperately needed. I prayed it would be enough.

  We huddled around the wolf and filled his twitching ears with our plans for the following night. His enormous head nodded as he absorbed the details of running into the woods at midnight, following the guidance of the full moon, and finding the portal at the height of Samhain.

  The plan was set.

  And now we waited.

  We slept our final sleep in the root cellar while Dom remained hidden in the woods. Streams of the light of dawn hit our waiting eyes, and we immediately began preparing for our ultimate mission. Studying the book of spells and learning the depths of its knowledge as best we could, we waited impatiently for the moment when we would step out of hiding.

  Our heartbeats synchronized in anticipation of our great journey—the culmination of our every lesson, every desire, every fear.

  Our focus remained on one thing only—reaching the open portal and getting home safely. All of us.

  Each of our past projects achieved a piece of our over-arching purpose, getting us closer to ending the curse of the Dark Witch. I had to remember that it took more than one step to achieve such a massive goal. And this was one of the pieces. Once we were home, we could focus on the next project—finding the lost pages.

  But right now, the primary goal was to get us home as a team. We’d regroup then in our strongest form ever—all UMAs, together again.

  As the hours ticked by and the day grew long, I allowed my guard to drop ever so slightly, as hope moved into the deepest regions of my heart.

  We had a chance.

  And our chance was now.

  And then, in one simple moment, it all shattered, as the thunder of pounding hooves rumbled the walls of the cellar around us.

  The rumbling of hooves grew in intensity as we huddled in the root cellar. Then aggressive voices filled our ears with sickening threats. Countless voices of men and women, agitated villagers, searched the farm for more bloodshed.

  Then one voice rose above them all.

  "Hold your torches," he commanded. The imposing voice of the magistrate was impossible to miss. "Give them a chance for surrender first. And if not, then we'll burn them out."

  The hostile mob resisted the command, complaining of time wasted.

  The crackle of an older man’s voice broke out. “Witches deserve no mercy. They must be removed like vermin. And we’ll show any others among us what will become of them if they too marry the devil.”

  Then the magistrate’s voice boomed again. "Hold your ardor. We'll hear from Mistress Harrison first. Her wisdom has brought us thus far."

  My heart stopped in my chest.

  The woman, the one who'd entered our heads, she was known as Mistress Harrison.

  My brain jammed with thoughts of betrayal. She'd exposed us, making us vulnerable to the hysteria of the mob. And could she be an ancestor of Ms. Harrison of our coven? My mind imploded from the devastating connections.

  "They plan to rise up with the full moon," her shrill voice cut through the golden glow of sunset.

  Dusk was upon us, and every minute counted from here forward.

  If we were trapped in the root cellar, we'd miss our chance to race to the open portal. But with the understanding of their clear intent to burn us out, we'd have to make a break for it.

  "We can't stay down here," I said. "They'll burn the barn, and it’ll collapse onto us."

  Shane closed his eyes in deep concentration. "We need to stay down here as long as possible, to allow the most amount of time to pass."

  "Because once we exit, they'll be on top of us," I finished his thought.

  I knew Ms. Kelly and the others would begin their ritual of Samhain as soon as the moon was up. I prayed they’d get an early start on it. As long as they were doing their part, we'd have a fighting chance.

  "Come out!" the magistrate shouted. "Come out without resistance, and you'll suffer a less violent fate."

  Shane huffed. "Yeah, right. The consequences end with the same final result, so what's the difference?"

  I closed my eyes, willing away my terror. Now was not the time to succumb to their corrupt pressure. Their archaic tactics were deplorable and resonated in harsh judgment throughout history.

  There was no way I'd let their simple-minded hysteria take my life away from me. Not when I finally held enough power to save the souls around me.

  And that was it.

  I planned to save the souls around me.

  I would lead them out of here.

  It was my only focus. My one true goal.

  "As soon as we smell smoke, we make a break for it," I commanded. "We'll get out of the barn before it's fully overcome in flames, and in the frenzy of it all, we'll escape into the woods."

  My mind calculated every move to get us out of here, and I wouldn’t allow any of us to be left behind.

  "But the hay. Everything about the barn is flammable," Shane argued. "We need to get out before that point."

  Shit. He was probably right.

  The flames would overtake the barn in a matter of minutes, maybe even seconds.

  I scratched my head in concentration, determining the best approach.

  "I'll go first," Courtney said. "I'll distract them and make a spectacle of myself, thrashing like a possessed witch."

  I resisted her plan. It would be suicide, a selfless sacrifice, and there was no way I’d let her do it.

  "No, Courtney," I stifled her. "You won't survive it. They'll descend on you like hungry wolves."

  And with those words, the lonesome howl of a wolf filled the entire farm, silencing the villagers.

  We grabbed hold of each other's hands, forming a circle.

  "It's Dom," I whispered.

  My breath fell out of me as I feared for his life. They'd shoot him without hesitation.

  His howl grew closer, sending chills through my every nerve.

  "He plans to distract them," I huffed in shock.

  I knew Dom well enough to understand his next moves. He never stepped down from a confrontation and basked in the limelight of being front and center. Only this time, his life was on the line.

  The howls moved around the perimeter of the farm as if he were surrounding his quarry—an entire mob of blood-thirsty villagers.

  Voices rose again in disoriented planning.

  "Aim your rifles into the trees and fire at first sight," the magistrate commanded.

  I held my breath waiting for the next sound.

  And then it exploded like ravenous thunder.

  The growls of the massive wolf filled the open space with the forceful sound of an entire pack. His thrashing jaws gnashed and snapped as he circled the mob like a frenzied beast.

  Their shouts and screams became confused and unhinged as they attempted to take aim without shooting into themselves.

  "Keep your eyes on him! Don't let him catch us by surprise!"

  Those were the words we'd been waiting for.

  Knowing their attention was on Dom, we hurr
ied up the ladder and burst through the hatch. Hearts pounding, we scurried to the barn door and peered out. Horrified gasps escaped our throats as we took in the sight of the armed mob. Torches, axes, and shotguns filled the hands of each frenzied villager, and they shook their weapons toward the woods.

  Dom had them facing away from us, and I relished in the understanding of his genius planning.

  "Let's go," I commanded. “Now!”

  The three of us stepped from the barn and bolted for the nearest part of the woods. I willed my legs to run as fast as they could, praying we'd disappear into the shadows before being seen.

  And then her voice rang out behind us.

  "There they are!" Mistress Harrison screamed. "Running away!"

  Her voice tore chunks of flesh from my bones—her betrayal leaving me gasping for air.

  I twisted toward the sound of Mistress Harrison's alert, and just as the mob of villagers turned toward us, my desperate eyes locked onto hers.

  I held her shocked gaze, and within our frozen stare, I poured our story into her. With each detail, her eyes widened further, and her confident frame crumbled. Regret washed over her face as understanding resounded through her soul, and she dropped to her knees.

  In that same instant, I turned back toward the woods and sprinted for my life.

  The three of us stayed close as we entered the darkness of the trees, followed by the explosive sound of our hunters, drowning out the cries of Mistress Harrison.

  She screamed in desperation for them to stop their pursuit.

  “They are innocent,” her desperate voice exclaimed. “They’re messengers of a higher order.”

  Her voice drowned out by the crescendo of shouting attackers, and it was too late. Her new understanding of our origin had enlightened her, but the mob had risen to a frenzy that couldn’t be stopped.

  Her cries of regret faded into the cyclone of our assailants.

  Shots rang out behind us as the villagers fired blindly into the trees.

  We darted to the left, changing our escape to the direction of the portal.

  Sounds of the howling wolf carried through the forest around us as Dom attempted to distract them and throw them off course. But the encroaching glow of their torches, and the rising volume of their lunacy, proved they were firm in their determination.