Dark Arts (Society of Ancient Magic Book 1)

by Fiona Starr

  The door of the first cottage opens and two more guys step out. One is blond, the other dark, and both of them are as stunning as Van.

  The blond walks over and smiles at us. “Hey, I’m Angus. This is Marco.” The blond—Angus—is a few inches shorter than Van, and stockier, but he still towers over me. The other one, Marco, is built like a linebacker with broad shoulders and biceps that bulge under his sleeves. He’s about the same height as Angus, though he has darker hair and green eyes that give me the sense that he doesn’t miss a thing.

  “Roz, Joely… My brothers.” Van tilts his head at the new arrivals and doesn’t say anything else.

  “Brothers? I had no idea,” Roz says, smiling at them. “Are you guys getting settled with everything?”

  Angus grins. “Yeah. We just did a wardrobe thing with Octavius in there.” He throws a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the first cottage which I assume must be the men’s tailor.

  “Me too,” I say. “I just finished with—”

  “We should go,” Van interrupts. “There’s a lot to do before classes begin.”

  The brothers stop chatting and straighten instantly, their faces serious.

  Angus tips his head. “It was nice to meet you, Roz. Nice to meet you, Joely.”

  “Yeah,” I say, maybe a little too breathlessly. We watch them walk away. When they are about to turn the corner at the gate, Angus turns back and smiles. “Is it Jolie like Angelina or what?”

  I shake my head, no. “Or what!”

  When they’re gone, I turn to Roz. “Holy hotness. Who were they?”

  She arches a brow at me and laughs. “Really?”

  “Uh, yeah. Are you blind? Really…”

  “The tall one is Harry VanDemaar. Goes by Van. I had no idea he had younger brothers.”

  The three of them look nothing alike, but they are all beyond good looking in their own ways.

  “Are they in The Society?” I ask.

  “Van is. I assume his brothers are too. It usually goes in families. But if they are anything like Van, you’re wasting your time.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because Van is as stiff as a board. He goes to the parties because it’s required, stands against the wall, doesn’t drink, spends his time peering down his nose at everyone. I don’t think he knows how to have fun. And judging by the way he was just now, it looks like he rules the other two. You see, the way they snapped to attention when he said it was time to go?”

  I keep looking over at the point in the gate where they left the courtyard, as if I can still see them. The way Angus smiled… The way the sun caught Van’s eyes… Marco’s bulging biceps… “Yeah,” I say, imagining them standing there, thinking as hard as I can to keep the vision alive.

  “Speaking of which… it’s time for us to go as well. We have two parties tonight and I have to show you the rest of campus before we need to eat and get ready.”

  “Two parties? I know about the welcome gala…?”

  Roz nods. “We’re going to a house party on campus, just for fun, and then there’s the party for the new members at The Society later tonight.”

  Mention of The Society brings on butterflies. “I’ve been here for like two hours, I don’t think I am ready for a party, let alone two.”

  Roz laughs “Oh, you poor thing with too many parties on her schedule. Welcome to Blakeborne. Buckle up.”

  “I’m serious. I haven’t even unpacked yet. I have no idea where my dorm is.”

  “That’s our next stop. And after that, we’ll eat and I’ll show you some of the nightlife.”

  Chapter Five

  ANGUS

  “You didn’t tell me the girls here were so hot, Van.”

  Marco tucks his head and shoulders me off the path, as if we’re on the rugby field. I shove him back, trying to keep from crashing into the trees, but it’s like trying to move a train.

  “Cut it out.” Van barks.

  “The blonde one seems to like you, Van. What was her name? Roz?” Marco smiles.

  Van shakes his head, exasperated with us already. “Rosamund. And she just likes to annoy me.”

  “Doesn’t everyone?” I add, because I know that will annoy him too.

  Van scowls at me and I let it go.

  Marco slaps my cheek playfully and darts ahead, daring me to chase so I can slap him back. I keep walking with Van. “Joely was something, though, right?”

  Just hearing her name makes me smile. “Right. But not like Angelina.” I say, raising a finger as if to correct him.“I wonder how she spells it.”

  “I wonder if she’s dating anyone.” Marco muses.

  “Enough. Both of you. We are not here to meet women. We have work to do.” Van’s tone is a stark reminder of our mission.

  We’ve been waiting so long for this, it’s stupid to get this distracted. But classes haven’t even started yet, and we aren’t ready… so where’s the harm, right?

  I bump Van’s arm. “Relax, Van. We’re all here together now. We’ll get things done, once and for all.”

  “And once we do, are we allowed to meet some girls then?” Marco pouts and makes a whining sound like a begging puppy.

  Van shoves him aside, throwing him into the hedge lining the path. He’s angry and trying to hold it back. “Don’t fuck this up, you guys. We are so close. We can’t afford any mistakes.”

  “You’re right. No mistakes. Don’t worry,” I say, but my head races through a montage of her hazel eyes and her full lips, her long brown hair that moves like silk and curls up at the ends. The way her smile edges up higher on the one side.

  Van checks his watch. “We have some time before the party. Any of you dogs care for a run?”

  We haven’t gone for a run in weeks and as he says it, I can feel myself relax.

  Marco whoops. “Now you’re talking!”

  Chapter Six

  JOELY

  Rubydown Dorm is a four-story building with a wrought-iron gate that’s covered with rose bushes. The blooms are all the same shade of deep crimson, Roz holds the door for me and we enter into a lobby with mailboxes lining one wall to my left, a large mural on the right, and an elevator at the back wall.

  The mural is a scene from outside the building, showing masons laying the stones and a pair of women planting the roses along the fence.

  Roz follows my gaze and explains, “This building is one of the first on campus. It was a gift from the Rubydown family, one of the founding members of The Society. Gladys and Lucy Rubydown were hedge witches and they absolutely adored their roses. The ones growing out there now are the same ones they created all the way back then. They don’t exist anywhere else in the world. Pretty awesome, right?”

  “Right,” I say absently. Everything about this place is amazing, and I have barely seen any of it.

  The elevator opens on the fourth floor and we step out into a great room that’s set up like a lounge. Four upholstered couches sit in a square around a long coffee table, and behind each couch is a taller table with lamps, and books, and green plants. The skylight in the ceiling lets in tons of natural light. Opposite the elevator, on the far side of the room, is a staircase heading down. There are four doors, two on each side of the room. The one to the left, closest to us is open, and there’s music playing, some kind of guitar band I am not familiar with.

  Roz waves her arm to indicate the room. “Welcome home. This is us.” She points to the door on the far left. That’s you. I’m across from you. Over here is Winter, and this is Georgia.” She raps a knuckle on the open door. “George, you home?”

  “One sec!” The voice calls from within. A moment later a short girl with long golden-blonde hair appears in the door in a cloud of cool freshness. “Here I am!”

  She’s a bundle of boisterous energy and has the most disarming smile. Something tells me she’s the one who would come calling with snacks and ice cream whenever you needed them. She’s dressed in a short-sleeved glittery pink mini dress that t
wirls when she moves.

  She turns her gaze on me and shoots me a dazzling smile. “Are you our new roommate? I’m Georgia.”

  “I’m Joely.”

  Roz puts a hand on my shoulder. “She hasn’t seen her room yet.”

  Georgia’s eyes go wide. “Oh! Then you should definitely go do that. They delivered your stuff a little bit ago.”

  “Oh, good.”

  “Winter texted. She’ll be back in a few. We’re going to head to the Morris if you want to join us before the party.”

  Roz nods. “That sounds great. Let me know when.”

  “Awesome. Glad you’re here, Joely!” She waves and ducks back into her room.

  “She seems nice,” I say.

  “Oh, Georgia’s the best. Winter is too. We’re all good friends.” Something crosses her features that makes me wonder if that wasn’t always the case, but I don’t know that now is the time to ask about it.

  When we get to my door, Roz stops. “After you.”

  I turn the knob and push it open, bracing myself for anything. I have no idea what to expect, other than my bags should be here since Georgia said she saw them deliver everything.

  The room looks like something out of a magazine, if the magazine was made specifically for me. A huge four-poster king bed sits in the corner. A wall of windows lines one side. The duvet is white with a pretty teal-blue paisley pattern. The curtains and area rug are done in grays and soft blues to match. The walls are bare, but the windows provide a view of the campus and the woods beyond.

  “You like?”

  “It’s so pretty. It’s exactly my style.”

  Yeah, Maurice is really good at what she does.”

  “Wait, this is all Maurice’s doing?” I run my hands over the soft duvet and notice the throw pillows that coordinate just perfectly with the rest of the room. “How is that even possible?”

  Roz tilts her head. “Um… you know… magic?”

  I smile. “I keep forgetting,” I say. Even in a house full of witches, this kind of magic is rare. The things in this room have been fabricated out of real fabric with real patterns. The construction of objects still requires cutting and sewing and seamstress skills, even if the work is done with spells. And the cost of all this custom work… I can’t begin to imagine.

  “You think that’s something, check this out…” Roz walks over and slides the doors open to reveal an enormous walk-in closet that’s absolutely full of clothing.

  At first I wonder if the previous person who lived here forgot to take their things with them when they left, but then I spot the Oxfords I chose, and a couple of blouses and dresses cut in the fabrics I selected.

  “Oh my god. How did Maurice get all of this stuff made for me so fast?” I slide the items on the rack and then move on to the drawers. There’s enough clothing here to last me for months without having to wash anything. I don’t know what to think.

  I can feel Roz watching me from the door, and I think I know why.

  I glance at her over my shoulder. “What did they tell you about me when you heard I was coming to live here?”

  She shrugs and pulls a face. “I don’t know. Nothing really. Just that we had a new student moving into our dorm, and they asked if I’d show you around and get you organized with Maurice.” She grins. “They didn’t tell me you were totally fun, so that’s a bonus. Why do you ask?”

  I lean against the chest of drawers built into the closet wall and look at my wrist watch. “Because I have had my magic for… about thirteen hours now.”

  Her mouth drops open and she just stares at me for a moment. “Thirteen hours? You’re joking.”

  “Not a bit. And to be honest, I am not even sure if it really is thirteen exactly, I blacked out when it happened.” I make a mental note to ask Nessa if she knows how long I was out for.

  “Holy shit, Joely. And they came for you this morning?”

  “Yeah. Daria was at my door first thing.”

  Her brows knit as if she’s thinking. “But I thought… don’t your sisters go here?”

  “Eliza and Kate, yes. Eliza is a third year and Kate is second.”

  “But you didn’t have any magic until thirteen hours ago?”

  “Yup.” I shake my head because I still don’t think it’s all sunk in yet. “At this time yesterday, I was a nonner.”

  Roz’s eyes are wide. “Wow, Joely. I don’t know what to say. I mean, I’ve heard of mages sparking late, but damn. I can’t imagine how crazy all of this must be for you.”

  “Yeah, a little. I mean, my parents are both mages, and my sisters have gone here for years, so it’s not like I was completely in the dark, but I can see now that there is so much more that I was never aware of.” I finger the lace edging on a gorgeous ice-blue gown hanging among a handful of formal dresses.

  “Well, that explains a lot, actually,” Roz says.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’ve been walking around this place gawking like a kid in the candy shop all afternoon. I couldn’t figure out why everything was so amazing to you. But I guess it makes complete sense. I grew up with magic and even I find this place overwhelming at times. It’s like they’ve thought of everything.”

  She’s right. I do feel overwhelmed. “Thanks for not making fun of me,” I say, and I mean it. I’ve wanted so badly all my life to fit in and be part of the magical world. It would have been terrible had the first friend I made turned out to be a jerk.

  Roz rubs my shoulder. “Hey… What’s all this?”

  “Sorry,” I say, sniffling as I wipe the tears from my eyes. Suddenly it all comes washing over me and I feel overwhelmed. “It’s been one hell of a day.”

  She pulls me into a hug and tugs gently on the ends of my hair. The effect is instantly relaxing. Then she pulls back and smiles. “Well, get it out of your system now, sister. Because you are in for one hell of a night.”

  Chapter Seven

  JOELY

  Roz and Georgia and I stop for a quick dinner at Morris Hall, which everyone just calls “The Morris.” Winter got caught up in something and said she’d meet us at the party after. The meals are all listed on a menu for the day, and as soon as you place your order, the food appears in front of you.

  I’m glad that this isn’t new to me, at least.

  When dinner is served at home, Mrs. Harring in the kitchen whips it up and magics it from the kitchen to the table without lifting a finger. My parents have a household staff that includes Mrs. Harring, Patterson the driver, as well as Daisy and Blake, a husband and wife housekeeping team, not to mention the groundskeepers and gardener, and Nessa’s parents, the caretakers. Almost all the staff at home are mages, so I am used to being surrounded by magic here and there. But nothing like I see here.

  I am also used to hearing talk of the cost of doing magic, and I know that all mages must conserve their energy or risk being depleted, which can wreak havoc on their ability to control their power, and even damage it permanently.

  So the dining experience isn’t new, but instant gourmet meals on top of a bespoke wardrobe, a fully decorated bedroom based on a ninety minute conversation with a stylist, not to mention all the smaller touches all around us like the floating candles that turn on and off depending on the ambient light, and the way it appears when people walk by on the path with a book floating in front of them as they read hands free… it’s jarring.

  I may have grown up in a magic family, but this side of the world has always been for other people. It’s not like anything is hidden from nonners, but I can see now how the world non-mages move in is definitely shielded from a lot of the day-to-day aspects of magic life.

  We all order, and I dig into my pasta dish as soon as it arrives. Once I get some food in me, I look around the dining hall and take in the scene. There might be a hundred students here right now, all clustered in groups, chatting and eating, some sitting alone with a book or with headphones on.

  The interior space is so large that all th
e noise of the conversation and the sounds of people eating are subdued, softened. The interior space looks a bit like a church. The ceiling curves upward in a gentle arch, buffeted at the corners by huge fireplaces set into the corners of the room. The walls and floor are smooth stone, but the tables are heavy dark wood and the entire room is lit by candlelight and the glow from the fireplaces.

  “It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Georgia says, noticing me looking around.

  “It really is. Everything here has been beautiful.”

  As different as the rest of this experience has been, I am relieved when we arrive at the party and it is exactly like every college party I have ever been to at Covington. Music blares from a speaker inside, spilling out onto the street which is crowded with students coming and going in various stages of sobriety.

  Someone pumps a keg on the front porch as a line of people gather around, sipping from their red plastic cups. Two guys laugh as they wrestle on the front lawn and the crowd that has gathered around them is cheering and placing bets on the outcome.

  A curvy girl with super curly dark hair hurries over to us as we enter the house. She grabs Roz by the arm and pulls her inside. “Oh. My. God. You have to come out back. Mason has broken up with Lacy over the summer. I think this might be my chance!”

  Roz touches my arm to get my attention as someone squeezes by us through the door. “Joely, this is Winter. Her room is across from George.”

  Winter smiles at me. “So you’re the new girl in Abbey’s room. Welcome!”

  Georgia tips her chin up at Winter, smiling. “Incoming, Six o’clock.”

  Winter freezes and her eyes go wide, her glittery eye shadow glistens in the light. A tall guy with long red hair and a wild beard sidles up behind Winter and slides a hand over her hips. “Dance with me, Winter,” he growls into her hair.