The Reluctant Witch: Year One (Santa Cruz Witch Academy Book 1)

by Kristen S. Walker

Everyone flinched. We all knew that the older students tested new spells on defenseless underclassmen. The teachers monitored every experiment with heavy safety regulations, but something could always backfire. There were rumors about horrible accidents covered up by witch schools.

  Damian, always eager for good gossip, sidled up to Hailey. “What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to one of the test subjects?”

  “Other than being forced into outrageous outfits?” Hailey quipped, raising her eyebrow at him. She cupped her hand to the side of her mouth and stage-whispered, “I shouldn’t tell you this, but we lost someone in the Otherworld last year.”

  I shivered. Most magical beings could live on either side of the Veil, but humans who spent too much time in the Otherworld were eventually driven mad by the chaos. On the other hand, Fae could only visit our world before the logical nature of reality wore away their sanity. We were two extremes, each only suited to our home realm, while the rest of the magikin fell in the middle.

  Hailey told us more secrets about the school’s magical exploits as she showed us around. We got to see the outside of the laboratories, shielded with iron to keep magic from escaping. Local magitek companies like Josiah Blackburn’s paid the school to develop new magical theories and practices.

  Witchcraft was the only magic humans could use, and all witchcraft derived from Fae magic. There used to be another kind of magic for humans, sorcery, but it was illegal now. The courts banned all use of sorcery after the Witchgate incident.

  My grandma didn’t use sorcery. Most people only focused on her as the ringleader of the whole conspiracy, but there were a lot of others in her group who helped open that gate. Human sorcerers, disgruntled magikin, even faeriekin. They had help from the Unseelie, also called the Winter Court. It took many types of magic to cause all the chaos that nearly ripped our town apart, but it was humans who took the blame. So sorcery was outlawed and witchcraft was restricted. It wasn’t fair.

  I didn’t agree with what my grandma did, and I felt bad for the people who got hurt. I could just see both sides. But no one teaches the other side of history.

  I kept my thoughts to myself as Hailey told us about the witches at the school. Like me, she was too young to remember what things used to be like. All the rules and regulations felt normal to her. I wasn’t looking forward to the lectures on our laws that would try to indoctrinate me to be just like her.

  The tour ended near the dining hall so we could grab lunch. Damian and I found a table in the back by ourselves where we could crack jokes at Hailey’s expense.

  “Guess you have to be a stick-in-the-mud to get chosen as RA,” I said with a shrug. “What’s yours like?”

  Damian sighed. “The one assigned to the Dragon building is basically the same thing. I tried to ask him about party spots downtown, and he told me that I should concentrate on my studies.” He whipped out his phone. “But then I found him on Grindr.”

  I leaned closer and caught a glimpse of a dark-haired guy posing shirtless as he took a selfie in a bathroom mirror. “Wow, what a dork.” I looked up at Damian. “Wait, how are you on that app? I thought you had to be eighteen.”

  “Please. Everyone lies about their age—along with everything else.” He pointed to a line on the RA’s profile. “He says he can bench-press two hundred pounds, but I saw how he struggled with my luggage. My suitcase is only sixty pounds, tops.”

  “And he helped you with your luggage because…”

  Damian gave me a naughty smirk. “Maybe it’s better if I don’t tell you. It might destroy your innocent brain.”

  I punched him in the arm. “I am not innocent!”

  “Sure thing, Drew Barrymore,” he said with a wink. The nickname referenced one of her movies, Never Been Kissed. It was his way of calling me a virgin.

  I swung for his head next, but he ducked. Before we could get in trouble for fighting in the dining hall, though, a TA shouted from the entrance.

  “The elemental tests are done!” he said. “Junior students, go to the amphitheater in an orderly fashion.”

  We both jumped up from our seats, our squabbling forgotten. This was the moment we were waiting for. Time to go find out our fates.

  4

  Despite our instructions to walk in an orderly fashion, the junior students all rushed to the amphitheater. Once we got there, we still had to sit down and wait again for the ceremony of Elemental Assignment to begin.

  This time, Damian and I found seats closer to the front. I didn’t want to miss anything.

  Professor Goldheart was on the stage, but he stood near the back sorting paperwork. His frog hopped across the table and neatened the stacks of paper with his slimy toes. Running the ceremony was Dean Sparrowhawk. Their quail ran back and forth on tiny legs, looking over the gathered students with sharp eyes.

  “This ceremony will reveal your course of study for the next two years,” Dean Sparrowhawk said. “Your elements were chosen with careful consideration by all the teaching staff. There are no appeals or options to switch elements. If you’re unhappy with your assignments, you are welcome to find another school.”

  I swallowed nervously. That was harsh. Did they really care that much about who studied in each department? It’s not like they would teach us anything dangerous as part of the first degree.

  Dean Sparrowhawk gestured to Professor Goldheart, who placed a crystal ball on a wooden stand in the middle of the stage.

  “I will call your names one at a time,” Dean Sparrowhawk continued. “When it’s your turn, you will come up and place your hand on the crystal ball. The color will change to reveal your assigned element.” They cast a glance over the student body. “I trust that I don’t need to explain what the colors mean. Then, you can go to the back to meet your new head teacher and receive your course schedule for the semester.”

  Three women in professors’ robes joined Goldheart on the stage. From the crests on their robes, I could see that they were the heads of the other three elemental schools. I knew their names and familiars from the academy’s brochures. Professor Paige McGowan, with the red flame emblem, and her cougar, Mystique, who crouched in the shadows at the edge of the amphitheater. Morgan Helicon, with a green stone for earth, had her raven, Blackberry, on her shoulder. Sabrina Frost, marked by a yellow wind symbol for Air, had her black cat, Omelas, sitting by her feet. Einar Goldheart was the final department head with a blue wave for Water, and his frog, Iron Heart, hopped into his pocket. Each one stood next to a stack of class schedules on the back table.

  Dean Sparrowhawk nodded to the department heads, then held up a list. From the second row, I could see that it was handwritten on parchment—just another way the academy liked to show off. All this pomp and circumstance was wearing thin, and it was only my second day here.

  The dean cleared their throat and began reciting names. Unfortunately, it turned out to be alphabetical by last name. I was going to be pretty far down the list in Q.

  Samantha Blackburn was the third student called. She sauntered up to the crystal ball and touched it carefully with only her fingertips. To my surprise, the crystal glowed blue. Really, Water? I thought she’d be in Air with the other tech geeks. Between sharing a room and all our classes, I was going to be stuck with her 24/7.

  Professor Goldheart smiled and welcomed her, and she shook his hand warmly. Great, she was already sucking up to our head teacher.

  One of Samantha’s minions, the ditzy blonde Diana Carter, was chosen for Air. Then I kind of zoned out for several students, none of whom I recognized, while I waited to get through the letters.

  “Damian Gockel,” Dean Sparrowhawk intoned.

  Damian squeezed my hand as he stood up next to me. “Wish me luck,” he whispered.

  “Luck is for nerds,” I whispered back, but I squeezed his hand back and grinned at him. I knew he would get exactly what he wanted.

  Damian walked up onto the stage in an imitation of Samantha’s haughty walk and put two fingers on
the crystal ball, sticking his butt out behind him. I covered my laugh with my hand, then let out a cheer when I saw the crystal turn red. Fire, just like he wanted!

  Damian pumped his fist in the air.

  The dean cleared their throat. “If you don’t mind, Mr. Gockel, we have one hundred students to get through.”

  “Oh, sorry,” Damian said, hurrying back to see Professor McGowan. He collected his schedule and came back to our bench.

  Then came more students whose names I hadn’t learned yet, but most of them seemed to get the elements they wanted, because they smiled and looked happy. A few looked disappointed, but under the dean’s stern glare, no one protested their assignments. It was hard enough to get into this school that no one would jeopardize their standings by complaining about their classes.

  Finally, after Samantha’s other minion, Kelsey Patton, was also assigned to Air, the dean called my name. “Bridget Quinn-McAddams. That’s quite the mouthful,” they said, looking at me over the parchment.

  “I know,” I said with a small chuckle. “So I just go by Brie.”

  That got me a small smile from Sparrowhawk. “Like the cheese?”

  I shook my head. “More of a childhood nickname. I don’t eat cheese.”

  Sparrowhawk gestured to the crystal ball. “Please show us your element, Brie.”

  I stared down at the ball and took a deep breath. The choice had already been made, and this was just the school’s way of showing off. Yet I couldn’t help but feel nervous, like I was going to screw it up somehow. Delaying it didn’t make it any easier, though. I flexed my fingers and placed my whole hand on the crystal ball.

  The crystal was surprisingly warm to the touch, like a living thing, and for a moment I thought I felt something stir beneath the smooth surface. A green light pulsed under my fingers.

  I yanked my hand back like I’d been burned. Something had gone very wrong.

  Dean Sparrowhawk nudged me to the back, where Professor Helicon was smiling expectantly. Her raven cawed at me with annoyance. She was a tall African-American woman with green locs braided back from her broad forehead. I’d met her a few times at academic stuff with my mom. Before I even realized what was happening, she had taken both of my hands in hers and led me away from the crystal ball.

  I tried to twist around and look at the crystal over my shoulder, sure that I would see the color changing to blue. “Th—that was wrong,” I stammered. “I mean, no offense, but I’m supposed to be Water.”

  Professor Helicon shook her head, sending her green hair swaying back and forth in a mesmerizing way. “No, Brie,” she said gently. “I work with your mother, remember? I knew you would be in my department as soon as you applied.”

  I pulled away from her and looked back again, but the dean had already called the next student. My head was spinning. “My… mother?” I gasped out.

  This couldn’t be happening. The school put me in Earth just because that was my mother’s specialty? But what about all the tests we’d taken, the specialized questionnaires that were supposed to determine what suited our personalities and abilities? They were so confident in the accuracy of their measures, we weren’t supposed to question them. It had to be something more than just putting me in the same class as Mama.

  Professor Goldheart glanced over at me and sniffed. “I thought I explained quite clearly that emotionally fragile students couldn’t handle my element,” he said. “An outburst from you now will not help change my mind.”

  I gritted my teeth to keep from snapping back at him. So if I tried to say anything against their choice, they just labeled it an “emotional outburst” and used that as evidence that I couldn’t handle it. Talk about a Catch-22. I couldn’t believe how stuck-up and rude this professor was acting.

  My mothers both worked in schools and they’d never treat a student the way Goldheart was treating me right now. But, I realized with a sinking feeling, I’d insisted on not going to Mama Rosa’s school. I’d just have to suck it up and deal so I didn’t get sent home in disgrace.

  I plastered a fake smile on my face. “I’m honored to be in your department,” I told Professor Helicon. “Thank you.”

  She smiled back and handed me the schedule. “I’m sure you’ll feel right at home. Ms. Murphy will be your teacher for now, but I’ll have you in my class when you come back for your second degree.”

  I kept the fake smile in place and nodded, but on the inside, I knew there was no way I would come back here for the second degree. All I could think about now was getting out of this school as fast as possible.

  When I got back to my seat, Damian saw right through my mask. He grabbed my arm. “This sucks,” he whispered. “You totally should have been in Water.”

  I held up the sheet of paper to hide my expression as I whispered back to him. “It’s a load of bullshit. I’m only in Earth because of my mom. Look.” I gestured to my class schedule. “My magical classes are herbalism and basic grounding. I could have studied that at home.”

  He shook his head. “And now you can’t even ask them to change it? Ridiculous.”

  “Yeah. Coming here was a big mistake.”

  There was a huge list of books on the other side of the schedule, but the bookstore wouldn’t be open until Monday morning. Weird. Not that I wanted to start my reading early, but Mama Rosa had warned me to get my books first thing because the used copies would sell out. I needed to save money because my financial aid would only go so far.

  But I clenched my hands into fists and made it through the rest of the ceremony. The only good part was after this, we had the rest of the day and most of the weekend free to do whatever we wanted. We would receive our powers on the Fall Equinox, which was technically Monday, but like all Fae holidays, it started on the evening before. On Sunday, I’d cross the Veil into the Otherworld and meet the Fae who would take my oath. After, we’d celebrate at a party with the other students.

  But my powers would all be Earth-based. I still couldn’t believe it.

  I spent Friday afternoon and evening hanging out with Damian, but I begged off to go to bed early. The tide app on my phone told me that the waves should be perfect early on Saturday morning, and I wanted some sleep. He reluctantly let me go after making me promise that we’d spend Sunday getting ready for the Equinox party.

  My alarm went off before dawn on Saturday. I did my best to climb out of the top bunk quietly and get ready in the dim light, since Samantha was still asleep. I caught a glimpse of her face. She looked so peaceful when she was resting, with an almost ethereal beauty. Could there be a slight trace of Fae blood in her family? But then I caught myself and forced my eyes away. I couldn’t afford to be distracted by staring at my bitchy roommate, no matter how hot she looked.

  I grabbed my surfboard from behind the door and tiptoed out into the hallway. Time to escape from this horrible school.

  There were closer beaches in Soquel, but I found myself driving up the coast to the Santa Cruz Lighthouse, the spot I’d seen on the day I arrived. Many cars were already parked along the side of the road and I saw a whole crowd of surfers. Normally, I wouldn’t want to surf in such a popular spot, but something pulled me back here. The face I’d seen in the water. Was it really a mermaid? It was a bad idea, but I wanted to find out.

  Eventually, I found a parking spot and carried my board down the cliff trail to the beach. Fog hovered just over the water, making an eerie, gray scene. As I stepped into the waves, I could feel the chill of the ocean through my wetsuit. The cold was invigorating, waking me up better than any cup of coffee.

  I lay down on my board and paddled out, fighting the waves that tried to push me back to shore. The people already on the water nodded to acknowledge me, but no one spoke. I sat up and let myself bob up and down, looking all around.

  Underneath the lighthouse, there were sharp rocks, forcing the surfers to keep their distance. The rest of the bay curved away to the south, quickly disappearing in the fog. The surface of the water w
as dark, and I could barely make out a few shadows, probably kelp. A few seagulls circled overhead, but even their cries seemed muffled by the oppressive clouds. There was no sign of any other life out here.

  This was a mistake. Even if there had been a mermaid here two days ago, she’d never come back when there were so many people around. Mermaids were notoriously reclusive and territorial. Most mermaid hunting grounds were marked as marine sanctuaries to keep humans away, and there weren’t known to be any in Monterey Bay. I’d either mistaken something else for a mermaid or even if there was a real one, she was just passing through on her way to somewhere else.

  I cleared my mind and concentrated on the water. I might not be studying in the Water Department at school, but nothing could keep me away from the ocean. Losing myself in the rhythm of the waves, I turned my brain off and let my body guide me through the familiar motions of riding the board.

  The sun rose and burned off the fog, warming the air. The ocean stayed the same cool temperature, but the waves began to shrink as the wind died down. Most of the other surfers headed inland, packing their boards back onto their cars and leaving to enjoy the rest of their Saturday somewhere else.

  My muscles were aching and I was growing tired, but I didn’t want to leave. All that was waiting for me back at the Academy—even Damian—sounded like too much trouble. I sat on the board and let it drift with the currents, just feeling the water around my legs and the sea breeze through my hair.

  My eyes were half-closed against the brightness of the sunlight when I saw a furtive movement nearby. I shielded my gaze with my hand and scanned the surface. There were sea otters off in the distance, diving in the kelp beds, but they were too small for what I’d just seen. Was it a sea lion? Mostly they hauled out and barked lazily underneath the Fisherman’s Wharf, but they could be aggressive if they felt threatened.

  A splash echoed on my other side. I whirled around and caught a glimpse of a purple-scaled tail slipping beneath the foam. I wasn’t imagining things. Only a mermaid could be that size.