Undercover Witch Academy Box Set

by Rachel Medhurst

  “That’s an honourable profession.” I couldn’t deny that what his parents did for work was incredible.

  Getting up from his seat, he paced a bit before coming to a stop in front of the cold fireplace. I clenched my hands into the skirts of the dress, trying to keep my energy calm. Maybe the others wouldn’t be able to trace me. Having weird magic made it hard.

  My chest squeezed as that realisation dawned on me. I’d been a fool. Surely, the others would have no idea how to find me considering my magic couldn’t be located. I would have to find a way to escape myself. Glancing around the room, I noted the front door, which was locked tight. There was also a wooden door, probably leading to a kitchen. It was closed, but there was no lock on it. Maybe I could make a run for it?

  “They went missing three weeks ago. It was straight after a high profile case that angered their coven. They had managed to clear a witch of killing a human schoolboy, even though he had been involved with the magical accident that caused his death.”

  “I suppose the coven thought that your parents shouldn’t have got involved?”

  Nodding, he cleared his throat. “The witch was eighteen, the human boy seventeen. Of course, there was a ton of controversy because the human was so young. Most people thought the witch should’ve been punished in the same way as an adult witch, but my parents fought for him to be tried as a minor.”

  He was a good storyteller, I was hooked. I wanted to know what had happened to his parents and why he thought the institute had been involved. Maybe I could get clues about my own parents.

  “Why do you think they’ve been killed?”

  Glaring at me, he glanced out of the window. A huge green hedge grew high in front of the house, blocking our view to the outside world, which sucked.

  “My mother rang me a day after they went missing. She was crying. I couldn’t quite make out what she was trying to say, but in the background I could hear someone ordering her to put the phone down, or she’d be shot. A few seconds later, a gun went off, and she screamed before the call went dead.”

  My hand came to my throat as I imagined how that must have felt for Damian. No wonder he’d been driven mad, clambering for magic. Especially if he had convinced himself that he needed it to beat the institute.

  “How do you plan to take down the institute? Do you think you’ll manage to find out what happened to your parents?”

  As I got wrapped up in our conversation, my rush to escape lessened. I figured that I might as well get as much information out of him as possible. He believed that I would weaken and maybe die with his spell, so he wouldn’t be a danger to me just yet.

  Going to the window, he clenched the sill in his hands until his knuckles turned white. “Everyone knows that when paranormals go missing, it’s because of the institute. They threatened my parents days before the trial. I know it was them who took them. I have to find out what happened. I’m collecting magic so I can threaten them.” Looking over his shoulder at me, he narrowed his gaze. “I’ve said enough.”

  “They killed my parents, too,” I rushed out, untying the ribbon around my neck and throwing the bonnet onto the floor.

  He paused in his turn towards me, his eyes staring, studying my face. “How do you know?”

  Er, Alishia, what happened to being discreet? Telling him my story would ruin everything. If he knew I was an Illusionist witch, he would kill me instantly.

  “They were working on a science project using magic. The institute warned them too, but they didn’t listen. I came downstairs one morning, and they…” My throat closed in a choke as the image of them came to my mind. “…they were dead. Had been since the night before.”

  Shaking his head, he came closer to me. “I can’t tell whether you’re lying.”

  Thrusting towards him, I clenched my hands by my side. “I’m not lying, I found them dead in my living room, dried blood dribbling from their eyes! How dare you tell me that I’m lying about something so, so-”

  “Okay!” He held his hands up as I came to an abrupt stop in front of him.

  I’d dropped the protection spell a while ago, but he wouldn’t have known that. Until now. Instead of using the opportunity to hurt me, he sucked in a breath and flicked his tongue over his dry lips.

  “I believe you,” he breathed.

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I cringed when a tear escaped them. How could my emotions betray me in such a volatile situation? I had to be cool, calm and collected. Not a mess with makeup running down my face.

  “How are you going to take them down with the magic?” My words were whispered.

  There was no way on Mother Earth I should have asked him such a question. A real agent would want to stop him from draining others and undermine his vigilante mission to take down a powerful institute. And yet, the image of my parents’ dead bodies was strong in my mind. The institute had taken not only my parents away from me, but Dracian's dad, too. Surely, if justice could be served, I should support that?

  “I've been leaving a trail behind me, a clever one.”

  “If you do say so yourself,” I quipped without thinking.

  The corner of his eye ticked slightly before he looked away from me. “Whatever. The institute will be following my breadcrumbs, trying to find me.”

  “Breadcrumbs? With the students?”

  Glaring at me, he stepped forward. I swallowed, backing away from him. Before I could retreat, he took hold of my arm and squeezed. “Your magic feels a little different.”

  “What will you do when the institute finds you?” Changing the subject was something I had become good at. When my foster carers had tried to get me to talk to them, I had managed to avoid it every single time. This time was no different.

  Damian tucked a strand of his lovely brown hair behind his ear. Talk about hair envy. “You've solidified my plan. You shouldn't have had to suffer the pain of seeing your parents that way.” Coming closer, he touched my cheek with the tips of his fingers. “I promise, I'll get them back for what they've done to us. By whatever means necessary.”

  Chapter Ten

  “What's going on with your magic?”

  The question came out of nowhere as I moved to sit back down on the couch. Ignoring him, I eyed the kitchen door. If I made a run for it, would he catch me? My magic was draining slowly, but I might have enough to throw up a firewall between us. It might just give me time to get to the door.

  “Alishia, that's your name?” His voice was tight, unamused.

  Facing him, I nodded. “Yes.”

  Narrowing his eyes on me, he took out his phone. “I'm sure one of the students mentioned something about an Alishia. What's different about you?”

  About to open my mouth, I threw all caution to the wind. Instead of answering, I took advantage of his distraction by running for the door. The skirts around my legs were a slight hindrance, but I managed to reach it quickly.

  Damian swore behind me before he launched.

  Shouting a spell, I gripped the handle of the door as the sound of flames erupted in the room. I risked a glance over my shoulder as I opened the door and thrust through it. The firewall was intact, Damian standing on the other side. Catching sight of his eyes, I gasped in a breath before shoving the door closed.

  The kitchen had an Aga in the corner. I stood next to it as I searched for a back exit. The gas rings suddenly erupted, the flames sizzling and almost reaching for me. Jumping away, I yelped and ran around the old carved wooden table. There, a hard wood back door... which was shut and no doubt locked.

  “You really think you can get away from me that easily?” Damian was standing in the doorway of the living room.

  Breathing hard as my heart thudded loudly in my chest, I yanked on the handle of the back door, trying to open the bugger. It stuck tight, not giving me anything. Not even a slight nudge backwards.

  Muttering a releasing spell, I grunted when it did nothing. Damian was too strong, his own magic keeping me inside.

  “L
et me go!” I shouted, trying another fire spell.

  He immediately extinguished it, his red cheeks growing brighter as he took slow calculated steps towards me. The flames on the cooker were still high, sending out waves of heat. I tugged at the collar around my neck. Only moments before, I had loved the delicious dress, but now the bastard thing was suffocating me.

  “You’re that Illusionist witch! How the hell have you got that magic?”

  Backtracking, I squeaked when my spine hit the wall behind me. He was furious, the energy pulsing from him. His eyes grew dark, the whites turning almost grey. Had the witch filled himself with so much magic, he had become evil?

  A smash rang through the kitchen as the windows exploded inwards, the glass flying through the air. I covered my head as it shattered all over Damian, making him drop to the floor. Wait, he was trying to seek protection too, which meant he wasn’t the one responsible for the destruction.

  “Alishia?” A deep voice called my name through the door. “Step back!”

  Moving, I ducked under the table, seeking shelter from both Dracian as he banged open the door, and Damian, who had surged to his feet, ready to attack.

  “Be careful!” I shouted as Dracian and the professor thrust into the kitchen.

  Damian raised his hands and threw back his head, roaring loudly into the air.

  Dracian grabbed me, dragging me out from under the table and towards the exit.

  Seaton started a Latin chant, his arms also raised high.

  I couldn’t quite grasp what was happening as the noise exploded in my head.

  When we reached the door, a tiny woman with dark hair came through, almost knocking us out of the way. Devon Jinx, my heroine.

  “Damian Future,” she cried. “You’re under arrest!”

  Gripping hold of Seaton’s arm, she forced him to drop his spell.

  I just caught the sight of Damian clawing at his throat before Dracian forced me out of the cottage.

  “No, wait,” I called, trying to get back. Managing to break free, I went to the door. “Don’t hurt him!”

  Devon looked over her shoulder, frowning as she muttered a spell that caused Damian to drop to his knees, clasping his head and howling in pain.

  Arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me away. I tried to fight Dracian, but he was too strong. Plus, the stupid dress got my legs all tied up. How bloody impractical. No wonder women had issues with men back in the day. They had nothing to knee them in the balls with.

  “Dracian,” I hissed. “He’s going through the same thing as us with his parents.” As my words hit his ears, he released me. I spun, gripping the top of his arms and squeezing. “They’re missing after the institute threatened them. He’s convinced they’re dead.”

  Frowning, Dracian ran a hand over his lavish dark hair. It was ironic that the institute had targeted all three sets of parents. Surely, there was more going on that we didn't know about. Surely, we had to listen to Damian's side of the story and make a plan to find out what was going on with the institute.

  “Fine,” Dracian said, shoving past me.

  Running into the cottage, he disappeared. I was about to follow when Mrs Hinley came into the garden, blocking my way. Blinking, I listened for those inside, trying to work out what was happening.

  “Are you okay?”

  Taking my hand, Mrs Hinley checked me over, feeling around my face and head to make sure I had no injuries. She was using her magic to soothe me, I could feel it filtering into my skin.

  “I’m fine, thank you.” Taking her hands, I squeezed. “Mrs Hinley, you mustn’t let them harm him. He’s going through the same thing as Dracian...” My sentence trailed off.

  Although she knew what had happened to my parents, I had never spoken to an adult about it, other than my therapist. Being so vulnerable with a teacher was too hard, I couldn’t open up.

  Somehow, the woman had a sixth sense. Some witches were psychic, so it wasn’t really a surprise.

  Looking at the cottage, Mrs Hinley took a deep breath. “It’s okay, they won’t hurt him, they’ll just arrest him.”

  “But, he’s trying to find his parents, he’s convinced they’re dead!”

  My pleading fell on deaf ears. Yes, he was a criminal who had hurt others, so he would have to pay for his crimes, but surely they could hear him out?

  About to try again, I paused when the others came out.

  Devon Jinx dragged Damian with her, a grim expression on her face. Vines tied his hands behind his back, forcing him into complacency. He stared at the ground, his eyes vacant as if he wasn’t there. Maybe he wasn’t as sound of mind as I’d first thought. Had he somehow manipulated me to feel sorry for him?

  Professor Seaton came to me, making sure that I was well. I was about to tell him everything when he laid a hand over my forehead, closed his eyes and whispered a spell. The draining spell lifted off me instantly, leaving me lightheaded.

  “Thank you,” I whispered when he pulled away.

  “Let’s get everyone back.”

  Looking around, I noticed Helissa and Isabel standing on the pavement outside the property. They waved, trying to garner my attention. Their expressions were pinched, both looking worried for me. My heart melted at their concern. It had been five years since so many people showed that they cared about me, and even then, Aunt Fel was the only true person who loved me.

  Giving them a thumbs up, I smiled to reassure them that I was alright.

  “Miss Jinx,” I said to the agent as she went to walk past. “Please, he’s going through a really tough time. His parents have been killed by the ins-”

  “Shut up!” Damian hissed, surging for me.

  Devon held him firmly without flinching. She was strong, not to be messed with. Her leather jacket and boots made her look like she should be in a film. And yet, she was bringing down the bad guys every day. I wanted to be her. Wait, I wanted to be like her.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll interview him and find out what’s going on. We know that something drastic must have been driving such a young man. Plus…” She laughed as she nudged him forward. “…We do manage to stop some executions.”

  Nope, I wanted to be her. She was beyond cool and kickass at the same time. And yet, when she walked him out of the garden, I could hear her reassuring him that she would find out what happened to his parents. It made my heart swell just a little.

  Mrs Hinley clapped her hands and indicated that we should go. Three agents from the agency appeared from nowhere. Two drop dead gorgeous men, and a stunning tall blonde woman, ran into the garden and disappeared into the house.

  “That’s our cue to go. The Hunted Witch Agency have taken over the investigation now.” Seaton put a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s get you back.”

  Walking ahead, the teachers talked amongst themselves as Dracian joined me. His shoulders were slumped, his eyes glued to the grass.

  I didn’t talk, not sure what to say. Was he thinking of his dad? Did he blame my father for his dad’s imprisonment?

  “Do you think they’ll find out what happened to his parents?” His voice was heavy, his eyes only lifting briefly to look at me.

  Shrugging, I swallowed, trying to hold back the wave of emotion that flooded me. Boy, I had just been through an ordeal. One that I had thought I could handle. One that was slowly making my knees shake as we neared the gate.

  I was about to greet the girls when my knees gave out, and I sank to the floor. Before I hit the ground, arms came around me and slowly lowered me down. Dracian’s scent slipped up my nose as I held onto him, trying to calm my erratic breathing.

  “You’re okay,” he whispered against my ear as he held me close. “You’re fine. You’re safe.”

  Looking up at him as the others came rushing over, I stared into his eyes. They spoke to me in a way that no words could. Reaching out, he stroked my hair out of my face and blinked slowly as he licked his lips. Why was my heart dancing happy in my chest?

  “A
lishia Jones, you’ll always be safe with me. I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

  And with that, my heart was lost to the boy who had been my enemy.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Why are they holding him here?” Isabel asked, tutting as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. “I don’t care about his parents, he harmed the students of-”

  Dracian silenced her with a hand on her shoulder. “The other students are well enough to go home to recuperate. However, Devon wants Damian to give them their magical imprints back.”

  Huffing, Isabel glanced over to where I stood, trying to look into the classroom door. The professor and Mrs Hinley stood back while Devon Jinx spoke to Damian. His face was pale, the skin almost translucent. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him as he raised shaking hands and plunged his fingers into his hair.

  “I’m sorry, I know it was wrong. I just… I was desperate.”

  I had managed to put a listening spell on Mrs Hinley before she’d left us in the hallway. Because my magic was untraceable, she wouldn’t have felt it. It wasn’t right, but I had to know what was happening.

  “Alishia?” Helissa hissed next to me, distracting me from the conversation inside.

  About to glare at her, I managed to stop myself as I turned. “Sorry.” I sighed as she took my hand. “I shouldn’t be so worried about what happens to him after what he did.”

  “It’s understandable.” Helissa glanced at Dracian as he stood closer to me. “For both of you. He may have answers about his parents, which could lead to more information about yours.”

  Shyly risking a look at Dracian, I blinked when he smiled sadly. The others knew that I had told him everything. They had been supportive, but trod on eggshells the whole time we were in the same vicinity of each other.

  “Three men in black outfits turned up,” Damian said in the room. Turning back to the door, I looked in as Devon sat on a chair in front of him. “They threatened my parents, told them to drop the case. My parents tried to refuse, but they hit my father, which made them keep quiet.”