I paused, and to my surprise, I felt their desire to help. It gave me the confidence to continue. “If you can find our friend Chutney, tell her we’re here.”
The white Pegasus walked up to us then bowed. Then it flapped its wings and disappeared, taking all of the Pegasi with it. I blinked and looked down at all the other creatures only to find them gone. Holy shit, they listened.
“What do we do now?” Emersyn groaned.
“We wait. We pray.” I sighed and pulled her into my chest. “They’ll find Chutney, and she’ll know we’re here. Until then, let’s check if anyone else got Coop’s dream.”
Chapter Nineteen
Emersyn
“Hey, Deacon?” Amelia frowned and looked up at him as we walked. “Are you going back to Eden for Thanksgiving?”
Deacon smiled and rustled her blonde hair. “Not sure yet, kiddo. But we’ll be at Thanksgiving lunch with you tomorrow.”
She grinned and nodded. “Cool. But you might go back to Eden after?”
“We might.” He glanced over to me and frowned.
I knew what he was thinking. We were both afraid to leave. It’d been two days since we got that dream from Cooper and sent the animals in to look for them. Two whole days of waiting. It was driving us both nuts. We’d gone back and forth on whether or not we’d made the right choice in not going in right then. But I couldn’t get around Deacon’s logic. We’d be no good to them if we got lost in there, too.
We’d had an emergency Coven meeting via FaceTime when we got back to his room that night. No one else had gotten the dream from Cooper, which made us feel a little bit better. Surely if they were in dire danger, he would’ve sent that to all of us—at least that was what we all thought. Our Coven-mates all agreed with Deacon’s reasoning for not charging in. They also applauded our creativity in sending the animals. I’d told them I felt the need to sit there at the entrance and wait, but both Henley and Royce said the animals would find us as long as we were in the city.
Which was why we weren’t sure if we were making it home for Thanksgiving tomorrow.
It was my first holiday with my full, real family…and two of them were missing.
“Emersyn!”
I jumped and looked up just in time to see Caroline skipping toward me. I froze. “Hey, Caroline…”
She practically tackled me in a hug that I wasn’t prepared for in any way. When she pulled back a second later, she was grinning from ear to ear. “Thank you.”
I blinked and shook my head. “For what?”
“For making me ask Noah to the dance.” She sighed and her cheeks flushed. “We’ve been inseparable since. Our families are spending Thanksgiving together this weekend in Cape Cod, and it’s all thanks to you. So yeah, I just wanted to say thanks.”
I smiled and felt the tension between us fade away. After our talk the other day, I had a whole new picture of who this girl was and why she’d acted the way she did. Most people probably wouldn’t have forgiven her for the stunts she pulled…but I was no angel myself. Deacon had forgiven me. Hell, Tennessee forgave Tegan for the weeks of lying and heartache last month. Life was just too short. Everyone deserved second chances in my opinion.
“Well, I look forward to hearing all about it next week, then,” I said with a chuckle.
She giggled and waved. “See you on Monday! Happy Thanksgiving!”
I turned and watched her bounce across the school cafeteria to where Noah stood talking to people. She bounced. Caroline Davenport…bounced. I chuckled and shook my head. Those two deserved some happiness. I hadn’t realized just how dark and lonely their lives had been before.
“Emersyn…” Deacon drawled, bringing my eyes to his. He arched one eyebrow. “What did you do?”
My cheeks warmed. “Caroline and I had a nice talk the other day. She told me a lot about herself and why she behaved the way she did.”
“And then?”
I shrugged. “And then Noah showed up, and the girl got all freaked out. So I simply asked if she liked him, and when she confirmed it, I may have encouraged her to be the one to ask him out to the homecoming dance.”
“I’m glad you two made friends.” Amelia smiled. “We can all hang out together now. Caroline has been really nice to me.”
Deacon shook his head. “I can’t believe you had all the fun without me. That’s Devil territory, right there.”
“Awww. I’m sorry.” I stood up on my toes and kissed his cheek. “Come on. Let’s get food.”
He slipped his hand in mine then led Amelia and me to the food line on the far wall. As we stood there, I watched Caroline and Noah hold on to each other a few tables away. I was happy for them, but their public display of affection reminded me of my twin and her soulmate. I couldn’t help it—all of my thoughts kept circling back to them. Two days was a long time when they could be in trouble.
Our Coven-mates kept watch of the gate, but they insisted that sending more people in was dangerous. At least without more intel or proof. Everyone kept telling us that Eden was doing okay, but I knew they were lying. Paulina had told me the truth. Eden was still under attack, just not as bad. Paulina promised they had things under control. Apparently she had summoned an army of spirits who were protecting our border. I was secretly happy to not have to see that.
But it wasn’t enough. We needed to be there to help. The school was open, had been for two weeks now. The shifters would be opening their section after the holiday, which I could come back for. There was no reason I couldn’t go home to Eden and help my family. I was a complete mess. If we didn’t hear from those animals by tomorrow after our turkey lunch, then we’d have to go out there with his parents and tell the remaining animals to contact them.
Twenty-four more hours. I could wait that long. I sighed.
Deacon squeezed my hand, and I felt his magic slide over me. He frowned and nodded. “I agree. We need to go home.”
He’d just read my desires…but I wasn’t mad. He’d never done that to me before, and I wasn’t sure I could get my thoughts out anyway. I nodded.
Amelia gasped, her eyes widening. “What’s tha—”
The windows behind me exploded. Glass shattered and rained down on the cafeteria. A swarm of bright purple and turquoise birds flew through the opening. People screamed and dove for the ground. I gasped and took a step forward. To the rest of the students, these probably looked like normal pigeons or ravens, but I knew otherwise.
“Oh, shit,” Deacon breathed. “They found us.”
The birds swooped low and flew in a straight line right to me. They chirped and squawked, and flew in tight circles around me. Several of them nipped at my clothes, pulling them away from my body like they were trying to drag me.
OH SHIT. They were trying to drag me.
I spun toward Deacon with wide eyes. “Deacon…”
He nodded. “Central Park. Now.”
Chapter Twenty
Deacon
Those colorful birds didn’t leave Emersyn alone for a second as we ran through Central Park. It was something out of a Disney movie the way they pecked at her clothes. A few of them had strands of her golden hair in their beaks. Not for the first time, I wished I had Chutney’s gift. I wondered if we were even doing what they wanted us to at all, but then again, they weren’t pulling at her. It looked like they were just escorting us.
I glanced over my shoulder and gasped. Amelia, Caroline, and Noah had followed us.
“Amelia, go back to school!” I shouted at my cousin.
“Not a chance!” she yelled back.
I cursed. I wasn’t going to use my magic against her, and I didn’t have time to argue with her. “Caroline, keep an eye on her!”
“Yep!”
“What’s going on, Deacon?” Noah shouted. “Where are we going?”
I didn’t answer him. It was too hard to explain. Instead, I charged forward, leading the way around the base of a bridge then through the tunnel beneath it. I took a shortcut off the
paved pathway and through fifteen feet of trees lined with bright red leaves. The birds still hung close to Em. When we finally came through the other side of the lake near the entrance, my jaw dropped.
We slid to a stop.
There were animals everywhere. Both Earth-bound and from the Old Lands. And they were just sitting there…like they were waiting for us. When we got within a few feet, the animals all jumped up and started to move around. The birds dropped Emersyn and flew around her face. They chirped a few times then disappeared between the trees.
Emersyn glanced over her shoulder to me with wide eyes.
“I don’t know…” I whispered. Something was happening, I just couldn’t say what.
“Guys, what’s going on?” Caroline asked while clutching her side. “What’s with the crows and now all these squirrels and rabbits?”
“Why are they all sitting there like that?” Noah asked with wide eyes.
Emersyn curled her wrists then pushed with her magic. Black mist poured out of her hands and into the ground. It slithered across the area inch by inch, washing over the animals. As it moved, golden glitter shimmered over them. Caroline, Noah, and Amelia all gasped and jumped back a step.
Amelia grinned. “They’re so colorful!”
“Hey! I’ve seen those blue puffy cats at school!” Noah chuckled and put his hands on his hips. “So this is where they come from.”
Caroline frowned. “What…are they?”
“Friends,” Emersyn whispered. She stomped her foot, and the glamour snapped back into place.
“They’re from the Old Lands,” I said as our friends gasped again. “Only those who’ve been to the Old Lands can see them for what they truly are—unless we put a spell on them like we did for the guys at school. Emersyn just gave you a glimpse.”
Just then, one of the blue puffy cats came rushing up to us. It meowed over and over and over. I felt its panic like it was my own.
I bent down. “Show me.”
The blue cat spun and leapt over to the bushes. Emersyn was hot on its heels. She got to the bush and cried out, then ducked down into it. When she stood, she held a small blue cat in her arms. Em looked up at me with teary eyes, and my heart sank.
Caroline sprinted over. “Oh no, what happened to it?”
Em shook her head. “I don’t know. But it needs help—”
“I’ll take it to the infirmary now.” Caroline held her arms out, and Emersyn placed the poor little thing in the cradle of her elbow. She ran her fingers over its face, and big golden eyes blinked up at her. “Hang on, sweet pea. We’ll get you help.”
“I’m going with you!” Amelia held her arms out to the crying blue cat who’d led us to the injured one. “Come on. You can come with us.”
The little cat didn’t hesitate. It leapt straight into her arms and settled in. The two of them started to run away when the ground trembled under us. It shook so hard it knocked me off balance, and I dropped to my knees.
I looked up just as the air shimmered bright silvery light. There was a gust of cold wind, and then two dozen Pegasi appeared out of thin air in front of us. I scrambled to my feet then helped Emersyn back up without taking my eyes off these winged horses. There was one in particular I was looking for, the one I’d spoken directly to.
The Pegasi neighed and shook their heads. Then the ones in front stepped aside. The beautiful white one galloped up to the front carrying something in its mouth. I frowned. Emersyn pushed past me and raced over to the animal. She petted its nose and pulled the black material out of its mouth. She held it up, and her face turned sheet white.
My body turned cold, and the world spun.
It was Tegan’s leather jacket.
The Uptown Witch
School of Magical Arts Novella 2
Chapter One
Emersyn
One day I’ll come here and NOT be nervous.
One day.
But today is definitely not that day.
“Thanks, Stedman,” Deacon said to his butler extraordinaire as the fancy black sedan pulled over to the side of the road. “Please let my mother know we arrived safely.”
Stedman put the car in park, then spun in his seat and smiled at us. “Of course, Deacon. Your parents said they would be in meetings all day, but should you need them, do not hesitate to ask.”
My stomach tightened into knots. It’s okay. Heather likes me now. Right?
“Will do.” Deacon opened the passenger-side door and climbed out. He held his hand out for me, then helped me out of the car.
Ice-cold air slammed into my face. I shuddered and pulled my wool coat tighter around me. It was lunch time, which meant even on the Upper West Side, the streets of Manhattan looked like one of those ant farms. I sighed and shook myself, then looked up at the building directly in front of us. The stone, brick, and stained-glass combination still took my breath away. It seemed like yesterday since we’d been here, opening up the school, but in reality, it’d been a couple of weeks.
The stone steps between us and the grand wooden doors were vacant.
“Thanks, Steds—”
I gasped and spun around, then leaned down into the open doorway of the car. “Thank you for the ride, Stedman. Much appreciated.”
“Give them hell, darling.” Stedman winked.
I grinned and shut the door…and then my nerves tripled. When I spun around, I found Deacon watching me with those gorgeous violet eyes of his and my cheeks warmed.
“Ready, Butterberry?”
The sound of my nickname eased the tension in my muscles ever so slightly. I cleared my throat and held my chin high. “Let’s go see how we stand, shall we?”
“We shall indeed.” Deacon took my hand then led me up the stairs and inside the main doors.
I smiled. We’d made the right choice in location. This place was gorgeous. The mahogany hardwood floors were shiny and smooth, reflecting the sunlight pouring in through the stained-glass windows. To my surprise, there wasn’t a single student on the couches and lounge chairs, but I was going to take that as a good sign they were enjoying their new school. As we walked up the red velvety carpet and passed by the giant fireplace, I spotted a bright blue mountain sitting in front of the flames.
The Old Lands cats. A few of them stretched and their golden wings fluttered before they curled back up. I chuckled. Personally, I would’ve loved to go curl up with them by the fire. The warmth of the flames called out to me, begging me to come closer. But I had to focus. I had to have my game face on. This wasn’t Eden. I was in charge here. I represented The Coven.
“There you are,” a woman said from the top of the stairs.
I looked up and found Headmaster Muller waiting for us with a warm smile and sharp blue eyes. Her black hair was pulled back tight in a high ponytail, showing off her pretty round face. She wore flat black shoes, yet she still stood two inches taller than my five-foot-eight frame.
Deacon held his left hand out to her. “Headmaster Muller, nice to see you again.”
“You as well.” She shook his hand, then mine, before stepping back and smoothing the front of her navy-blue blazer. “Though I have to say, I am shocked you called and gave me warning of your arrival instead of surprising us.”
“I may be the Devil, but that’s not how I play.” Deacon leaned back on his heels and grinned. “At least not all the time.”
“We’re here to help, not test.” I glanced around at the empty room. “How is everything going? Where is everyone?”
“Ahh.” She smiled and gestured for us to follow her down the hall. “You have excellent timing. The high school students are all at lunch right now, so you’ll be able to see all of them together.”
My stomach dropped.
She says that like it’s a good thing?
Is it? Do I want to see everyone all at the same time?
“Emersyn?”
Maybe I do? Then I can get an overall sense of morale.
While everyone is looking at m
e. Great. Fun.
I’d rather fight off demons than – wait, what? Who am I?
Deacon let go of my hand – then smacked my ass lightly.
I gasped and looked up at him as heat flooded my face. “Deacon.”
He grinned. “Great. Now that I have your attention, care to move on?”
“What?” I frowned and glanced around – and my face fell. I’d been so caught up in my inner turmoil I hadn’t noticed we’d walked all the way to the doors of the lunch hall. “Oh. Right. Sorry, I was…thinking.”
Headmaster Muller smiled, and I prayed she didn’t think I was a complete space cadet. “Let’s go in.” Then she nodded and pushed the double wooden doors open.
Golden light and dozens of wild voices spilled into the hallway.
Deacon took my hand back and pulled me toward the doors. “I have to say, I’m surprised by how much you liked that.”
“Liked what — oh, Deacon.” I smacked his arm playfully, but I knew my face was red.
We stepped inside the lunch hall – and everyone gasped.
Silence.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes snapped right toward us. Conversations died. Food forgotten.
Okay…this is…fun.
My stomach tightened into knots. I hated being the center of attention. This was the exact reason I quit being a cheerleader – well, not the exact reason. But one of them. The spotlight was not my domain. I was not my sister.
“Carry on, everyone,” Headmaster Muller ordered the students. Then she looked back to us with an encouraging smile. “Come, I’d like you to meet the newly elected SOMA Majors.”
My eyes widened. OH RIGHT. I’d forgotten we’d left them to that task before. I’d been wondering who they were going to select. I was excited to meet the chosen students. It would be important to have their inside scoop on the school. We followed Headmaster Muller straight down the center of the lunch hall as every gaze tracked our movements.
School of Magical Arts - New York City Campus Box Set Page 9