Spark (Academy of Unpredictable Magic Book 1)

by Sadie Moss

  Maybe this whole loner gig isn’t working out for me so well after all. Although how could I have known Raul was willing to hurt people like this? To kill someone?

  Since I don’t know, I can only guess. And I’m guessing that Raul was a lot like me. Alone. No family, or a crappy family. He was probably made to feel like shit for his magic, for being a “freak”. And someone, somewhere, saw that anger and loneliness and decided to use it for their own ends.

  It’s a goddamn shitty thing to do, but it’s also scary. Because under different circumstances… that might’ve been me.

  God knows I would’ve done anything to help Maddy and to provide for her. And for a long time, I felt resentful of the magical world. After our mom died, it felt like nobody cared about us. And the whole “go to this academy or lose your powers forever” bullshit that Aurora pulled? Yeah, still not over that.

  If someone had found me and said the right things, taken advantage of how alone and desperate I was feeling…

  A shudder works through me at the thought.

  So no, I’m not angry at Raul. I’m sad for him. I really am.

  Once everything’s cleaned up and we’re allowed out of the infirmary, the Circuit decides they’re done taking it easy on us, and they want all five of us questioned about the events of that day, right up until the moment Raul was knocked unconscious and the time-freeze spell began to break.

  Roman’s far from happy about it. From what I’ve heard, he tried to take the I’m the professor and I made them listen to me stance, but nobody bought that for a second.

  The interrogation isn’t fun, even though the Circuit reps in charge of it are pretty relaxed. They want to know what happened, of course, but none of them are looking at us like we had a hand in the attacks. They take us into Hardwick’s office and question us all together, and then they question us separately. The officers talking to me both look kind of young, and they also seem exhausted. This case must be keeping them up around the clock.

  “Raul was very clear that none of you were involved in his work,” the female officer tells me. “He did have an accomplice, or mentor, but we believe it was someone outside the school.”

  I suppose I should be grateful for that, but a twinge of fear hits me at the idea that whoever else was involved in this is still out there somewhere.

  “And you know Roman wasn’t involved in any of this, right?” I ask.

  “No, he’s been cleared,” her partner replies. “Raul was very forthcoming about murdering that student. He told us he’d tried to recruit Trevor to help him get into the storage room, but the kid turned on him and was going to report him.”

  My curiosity gets the best of me. “And where are the artifacts now? Are they still here?” Could this happen again?

  “That’s not for you to know,” says a familiar voice behind me.

  Turning in my seat, I see Aurora standing in the doorway. I sigh. “I’d say it’s nice to see you again, but I think we both know I’d be lying.”

  Aurora looks like she wants to pinch the bridge of her nose but is refraining because she doesn’t want me to know I annoy her. “Miss Sinclair. It seems you manage to cause a stir wherever you go.”

  I shrug. “Well, I wanted to give you something to do. You know, keep you on your toes. Must get boring just fetching newly magical kids all the time.”

  Aurora walks into the small room in the admin building that the Circuit has taken over for their interviews. “Storing the objects here was a clever move, but now that this case is being investigated, too many people know of their existence. We cannot allow the lives of students to be put at risk that way. The government is already working on finding a new place to house them.”

  “Great. But what about the school?” I ask, sitting up straighter. My heart thuds hard in my chest. “That was their collateral. As long as the artifacts were here, the Circuit couldn’t shut them down because that’d mean the storage room would be left unprotected.”

  Aurora’s gray eyes flash sympathetically. She’s a real pain in my ass, but I don’t think she’s malicious. “I understand your concern. But if there is any good to come out of this, it’s the actions of yourself and your fellow students. You’ve shown that this school is doing well, fulfilling its mission of training those with Unpredictable magic. Your bravery and skill were instrumental in the success of Hardwick’s petition to get the academy up and running again.”

  “Glad to know I didn’t get beat up for nothing.” Relief courses through me, and I lean back in my chair, smiling broadly.

  Aurora doesn’t look amused. “I hope from now on you’ll be more careful, Miss Sinclair. You’ll be getting a commendation for your bravery, as will your fellow students, but that was still a dangerous risk you took. I hope we won’t be seeing as much of each other in the future.”

  “Yeah, yeah, Mom, and I’ll be home by curfew.”

  Aurora sighs, looking pained. She runs a hand over her sleek white-blond ponytail as she addresses the two officers. “She’s free to go.” Then she turns back to me. “And on behalf of the Circuit, allow me to offer you our official thanks and commendation.”

  “Do I get a medal?”

  Aurora points at the door. “Don’t push it, Miss Sinclair.”

  Suppressing a grin, I stand up and scamper out the door.

  The guys are all gathered outside waiting for me—including Roman.

  “Did you hear?” Cam says with a grin. “We’re big damn heroes.”

  “Something like that, yeah,” I reply. I look over at Roman. “And I hear you’re off the hook too.”

  “Yes. I’m free to go back to my very exciting life of grading essays and creating lesson plans,” he deadpans in his deep voice, a ghost of a smile flitting across his face.

  Dmitri snorts in amusement. Oh, no. Are they becoming friends? If those two team up against me, they’ll be unstoppable. I’ll never get a moment’s peace.

  “So, now what do we do?” Asher asks. “The whole… after the battle, thing.”

  Shit. There’s so much. The school needs volunteers to help move furniture and supplies back into the repaired classrooms. And although I did some studying while we were stuck in the infirmary, finals are looming on the horizon, only a week away now.

  I’ve got to call Maddy and give her an update.

  Plus, I could stand a shower to get the last of that infirmary smell off me.

  But before I deal with any of that, I want to hang out with the guys a little longer and pretend we really are the badass team of heroes people say we are.

  “Wanna get some food?” I ask, my gaze traveling over the four of them, extending the invitation to them all. “I’m starving.”

  Epilogue

  You’d think saving the day, the school, and dozens of lives would make time slow down a little—but it doesn’t. Life goes on as normal, and despite the insanity of the semester and the literal bang it ended with, we still have to finish our classes and take our final exams.

  I didn’t miss the stress of huge tests when I graduated high school, and I’m sure as hell not any fonder of them now. But I pull through. We all do. I even pass Roman’s class with flying colors.

  The day after my last final, I’m sprawled out on a blanket in the quad with Cam, Dmitri, and Asher, watching the clouds roll by. It’s chilly but not biting, and after all the late night cramming sessions in our dorm room or the library, it feels good to be outside.

  “Do you think the professors were extra hard on us to prove we’re not their favorites just because we stopped Raul?” Asher asks. “There’s no other reason I can think of for Binns to be that diabolical in our Magical Theory final.”

  “Makes sense to me.” I trace the shape of a cloud with my fingertip.

  “You’re all such glass half empty people.” Cam snorts.

  “Oh, so you thought the exam was easy?”

  “Well, no…”

  My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out, grinning when I see w
ho the message is from. “Maddy’s here!”

  My sister is coming to visit me for a few days to see what my school is like before we both head to Neptune Academy for winter break. Her roommate is leaving for the holidays, so we’ll have the dorm room all to ourselves. I can’t wait to spend some quality time with my little sis and see where she’s been going to school, but I’m also surprisingly excited to show her around my own campus. Somehow, when I wasn’t looking, I became fond of this place.

  I sit up and watch as the shuttle full of visitors pulls to a stop near the admin building. The doors open, and several people get out—siblings and parents of students here. My hand flies up in greeting when I see a familiar figure emerge.

  Maddy runs over as I scramble to my feet, and I open my arms for her to jump into them. I laugh as she squeals, spinning her around a little.

  Asher and Cam climb to their feet too and smile at me—Cam with exuberance, Asher with that usual gentle touch—while Dmitri squints up at us like we’re a vaguely interesting zoo exhibit.

  “Was your trip okay?” I ask, petting Maddy’s hair and cupping her face in my hands. “Did you enjoy it? Do you have your bags? How was the drive?”

  “I’m fine.” Maddy laughs, stepping out of my grasp and staring around in awe. “It’s gorgeous here!”

  “Yeah, well, not all of us can go to academies that are right on the ocean with big, rocky beaches and gorgeous views.”

  “No, I’m serious, this is great! I want you to take me all over. I can’t wait to see everything!”

  “Cam knows all the best running trails, he can show us around.”

  Maddy’s eyebrows rise, and then she turns slightly and looks at the three men.

  Cam waves, his charisma and exuberance pouring out in waves like always. “I’m Cam. You must be Mini Sin.”

  “Sin?” My little sister’s eyebrows have climbed so high they’re almost at her hairline.

  Ah, crap. I’m going to get so much shit from her for this. “Nickname,” I say quickly. “And this is Asher, and the party pooper over there is Dmitri.”

  Dmitri, to my surprise, smiles—actually honest to God smiles—up at Maddy. “Pleasure to meet you. We’ve heard great things about you.”

  I have never been so betrayed in my life.

  “I thought he was the asshole?” Maddy asks, shooting me a confused glance.

  Okay, now I’ve never been so betrayed in my life. I pinch my lips together. “I hate both of you. All of you. None of you are allowed near me again.”

  Mads just laughs, and Dmitri, the bastard, smirks.

  “There you are.”

  The deep voice comes from behind me, and my entire body clenches with anxiety.

  Of fucking course.

  Any other time, I’d be pleased to see Roman. We do probably need to discuss our relationship sometime soon, which I’m not exactly looking forward to. If we’re going to have sex again—which seems likely if we ever end up in a room alone together—we need to clear up some expectations.

  Truthfully, I really do want something with him. I wouldn’t mind continuing to sleep with him, on a casual sort of basis, and I wouldn’t let it make things awkward in class. But I don’t know if Roman can do that. He’s always wanted more between us. And as much as I might care about all of the guys… I don’t know if I’m ready to be with any of them. Or anyone.

  The thought of it terrifies me. More than facing Raul did, honestly.

  Our interpersonal mess aside, hearing Roman’s voice still makes my heart skip. He’s been busy with grading papers and conducting exams, so I haven’t seen much of him other than when I took his final, and I kind of missed him.

  But right now, Maddy’s here. And my little sister is no dummy.

  She’s perceptive enough to have already noticed the palpable chemistry between me and my three roommates. And if she meets Roman, it’ll only be a matter of time before she figures out something is up between me and him too.

  I turn around, and lo and behold, my darkly handsome professor hasn’t disappeared just because I prayed he would.

  “Oh, hey, Roman.”

  “Elliot. I…” He stops as his gaze lands on Mads. “Sorry, who’s this?”

  “I’m Maddy,” she says, holding out her hand for him to shake because she’s a little shit. “I’m Elliot’s sister. I go to Neptune Academy.”

  “Ah, for those with water elemental magic.” Roman shakes her hand, his large grip engulfing her smaller one. “How are you enjoying it?”

  “It’s great. Hard work, but I’m having a lot of fun.”

  “Glad to hear it. I’m friends with a few of the professors there. Do you know…”

  Goddamn it, he’s charming her. I really do not need this. I look over at the other men, and all three of them, even Asher, have these absolutely smug grins on their faces that clearly state we’re going to win your sister over whether you like it or not.

  I’m surrounded by traitors.

  “That would be great!” Maddy says as I tune back into their conversation. She looks at me. “I’m starved, can we?”

  “Can we what?” I ask, feeling a little dazed.

  “I offered to take you all to lunch,” Roman repeats.

  “We’d love that,” Cam agrees quickly before I can say anything. He seems thrilled at the idea of all six of us hanging out together. As if he knows the fastest route to my heart is to win over my sister… which is totally fucking true.

  Oh, man, I’m gonna put a dead fish in his backpack.

  Just as I have that thought, something… weird happens. It’s not full-on magic, not quite. It’s not like I’m unleashing a sonic boom. But something ripples through me, and I can feel the magic in me churning, coming alive in a new way.

  Worry clenches my stomach. Well, shit. That’s not normal.

  Asher, ever observant, frowns slightly. “You okay, Elle?”

  “Great,” I reply, forcing a smile. What the hell was that?

  Whatever it was, it’s gone now. I blink, shaking off the strange feeling.

  “Just realizing how hungry I am.” Patting my stomach, I give up my battle against all of us going to lunch. The guys aren’t going to give up, and neither is my little sis. And maybe a tiny part of me wants her to get to know them a little—wants to make sure she approves. “Let’s get something to eat.”

  Maddy grins at me and takes my hand, and I squeeze it gently. Whatever the hell that weird feeling was, I shove it into the back of my mind to deal with later.

  Right now, I’m with my sister, and she’s what matters.

  Dmitri climbs to his feet and joins us, quietly quizzing Roman on something to do with the final exam. Those two are bonding over their shared crankiness, it seems. Cam’s cracking jokes, making Mads and Asher laugh, and Asher himself is quietly at my side, a silent support. He can probably guess, even without his powers, how nervous I’m feeling right now. My two worlds are colliding for the first time.

  Maddy leans into me, whispering so that only I can hear her. “I like them. All four of them.”

  She’s got a mischievous gleam in her eye, and I scrunch up my nose at her. “None of that,” I warn quietly. “We’re just friends.”

  “Whatever you say, Ellie.”

  I pinch my lips together to contain my grin as a swarm of butterflies flap around in my stomach.

  Cam was right. I’ve always been more of a glass half empty kind of person. But with my sister’s hand in mine and these four gorgeous, amazing men around me, relaxed and enjoying themselves, the afternoon sun bathing us…

  For just this one moment, it feels like my glass is overflowing.

  THANK YOU FOR READING!

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  And don’t worry, there’s more coming! Book two in the Academy of Unpredictable Magic series, Trials, will be here soon!

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  Also by Sadie Moss

  Magic Awakened

  Kissed by Shadows (prequel novella)

  Bound by Magic

  Game of Lies

  Consort of Rebels

  The Vampires’ Fae

  Saved by Blood

  Seduced by Blood

  Ruined by Blood

  The Last Shifter

  Wolf Hunted

  Wolf Called

  Wolf Claimed

  Wolf Freed

  Academy of Unpredictable Magic

  Spark

  Trials

  Thief

  Threat

  Hunt

  Clash