Winter's Awakening (Light Coven Chronicles Book 1)

by Alessandra Jay

  Scarlet

  Pulling into the townhouse, I do a little happy dance. It’s all red brick with a small set of stairs leading to the white front door, and there’s a two-car garage connected to its side. Quickly grabbing the box of gifts, I run up to the door. The excitement is causing my hands to quiver, making it very difficult to get the key into the lock. And finally, when it clicks into place, I take a deep breath and walk through.

  Everything smells brand-new, and its eminently bright inside. The large living room is directly to my left. The walls are a light gray, with white baseboards and white doors. The decor is rustic but modern. All of the furniture is dark wood. But the couch is a burgundy leather. It looks incredibly comfortable. There is a round, two-person chair that is the same color as the couch, and it looks just as comfortable. Behind the chair there are two glass double-doors leading to a small balcony.

  To my right is the dining area, with the same light walls and dark furniture. We have a round dining table with six matching chairs. And the chandelier above it is humongous. Two tiers of what looks like crystal rain illuminate the area even more than it already is. Behind the table on the wall is a large mirror framed in a white border, making it look like a painting. There are white double doors right behind the dining room. And straight ahead is a hallway that leads to the back of the townhouse. Could I even call this a dorm? I'm guessing the kitchen is behind the dining room, and the bedrooms are down the hallway. But as much as I would like to see the kitchen, my arms are getting tired of holding this box. So I decide to pick out my room and drop the box off first.

  I'm almost to the first door in the hallway when it swings open, and someone jumps out. I screamed so loud that I'm sure the neighbors heard me and I didn't even realize I dropped the box of gifts I was holding. Before I could bend down to pick it up, the girl falls to the ground laughing. It’s so contagious that I fall over and join her, as I squat down to pick up what fell out of the box. When we stand up, she pulls me into a hug. Letting go, she takes a step back to get a good look at me. With a big bright smile, she says, “I'm Mackenzie, but you can call me Mack!” I hear a southern accent, and now that I can see her, she looks like a lot of fun. A few inches taller than me with light sandy skin, she has shoulder length blonde hair with purple streaks throughout it.

  Her eyes are so blue they look like clear oceans, and her body is curvy and voluptuous. She looks like she knows a lot about fashion. She’s wearing distressed overalls with worn-in Converse. I'm more of a leggings with a long-sleeved shirt tied around my waist kind of girl. I'm sure we’ll learn a lot from each other. “I'm Scarlet. My family calls me Scar. But you can call me whatever you're comfortable with,” I clumsily introduce myself.

  “Cool! So I took the first room, ‘cause I'm gonna be comin’ in and out at weird times. I love to party, and I don’t wanna be wakin’ y’all up,” she giggles. I confess to her, “I’ll be learning a lot from you, then. Because I’ve never been to a party before.” She dramatically gasps, “Well, I'm the right gal to be showin’ you the ropes. Go pick a room. That door straight ahead is the ladies room. Put your things down, and I’ll be waitin’ in the livin’ room!” And she skips off to the front of our townhouse.

  I pass her room and head for the door on the same wall as hers. I knew it was mine even before I saw it. As I push open the door, I almost drop the box for the second time today. Straight ahead is a brick wall, but not the usual red bricks. These were all different tones of gray. There is a black, four-poster, queen-size bed that looks like I could melt into it if I laid down. I walk forward to drop the box off on the bed and turn around so I can admire the rest of the room.

  To the left of the bed is a black desk facing the doorway. By the corner, is a lone white door I'm guessing is the closet. And in the opposite corner is a reading nook. A white canopy drapes down from the ceiling, opening slightly to reveal a black loveseat. A small bookshelf pushes up against the wall, sort of hidden. I can already tell that’s going to be my favorite spot in the room. Then it hits me, I’ve seen the room I will be sleeping in for the next four years, and I smile to myself. So far, I’m very content with what I'm looking at. I haven't seen the closet yet, but that can wait. Right now, it’s time to get acquainted with my new roommate.

  Chapter 5

  Girl Time

  Mackenzie made herself comfortable on the couch, so I follow suit and do the same. Taking the seat next to her I laugh when she throws something at me. It lands in my lap and I reach down to pick up a Twizzler. “We must always keep these stocked here!” She declares, sounding serious. Just then the front door swings open and a cute and petite girl walks through. Her combat boots and plaid shirt tied around her waist brings me comfort. She looks closer to my style than Mack, and I instantly know that I'm going to relate to her sense of fashion. She has wavy raven-colored hair reaching past her waist and brown-sugar skin. Her dark brown eyes are slanted and hooded, almost lion-like. It’s striking. Her lips are red but naturally so, and she has cute freckles on her face. With tattoos all down her arms, she looks like a little bad ass. Mackenzie jumps up off the couch and I follow her. She runs over to the girl and pulls her into the same loving hug she gave me when we first met.

  “You must be the third roomie! I'm Mackenzie. Mack for short. And that’s Scar. Scarlet, actually. But she says we can call her whatever we want. I like the way Scar flows. And now I'm ramblin’. Sorry. I'm just so excited to meet y’all, and…” Through a chuckle I say, “Okay, Mack, slow down.” Then I extend my hand and she takes it, giving me a warm but shy smile. “I'm Charlie, but I'm not a fan of nicknames.” Charlie smiles bigger and pulls me into a hug. Mackenzie wraps her arms around us both, and we have our first of many group hugs. With a sarcastic smile she says, “So I'm guessing you two already picked a room and I'm stuck with the short straw.”

  Mack links her arm through both of ours and leads us to the bedrooms. “Honey, I made sure to be the first one here, so I could get dibs on the first room. But to be fair I haven't even seen y’all guys’ rooms yet. Scar, what do you say we show Charlie here her room, and then we’ll all take a tour of this massive dorm? Which reminds me, Charlie, how did you get in here? Scar and I are spoiled by our daddies who had to pull strings to get us in here.” I roll my eyes and quickly defend myself. “Hey, I didn't even know my dad did this until today.” Charlie chuckles and says, “Well, I got in here with my mad brain skills. I'm what you would call a prodigy.” She winks, causing us all to laugh.

  We show Charlie her room, and she’s more than happy. She says she would've picked it, even if she was the first to get here. I learned that my room was the only one with a balcony. Charlie had a whole wall dedicated to a reading space with floor to ceiling bookshelves and a sofa. And Mack had a huge walk-in closet, with one whole wall that was entirely a mirror. I'm glad Mack chose that room for herself. We have one bathroom, but it’s big enough for all three of us to get ready at the same time, if we needed to.

  Excited to see the kitchen, I turn and step in front of the double doors, pushing them open and striding through. The kitchen is spacious, with white cabinets, black countertops, and dark wood furniture. The appliances are all silver, really bringing out the gray walls. There is an island in the center, with three stools placed in front of it. And two windows are on each side of the see-through glass pantry. It is magnificent, and I hope I get the time to use it as much as I would like.

  Noticing my admiration, Charlie says, “Favorite room in the house, huh?” I playfully mimic her and say through a smirk, “I’ve got mad baking skills. I'm what you would call a kitchen prodigy.” Charlie and I take a seat at the island, while Mack runs out of the room. A second later, she returns with a large vase-like glass container and a box. She sets the container down and opens the box to reveal what looks like hundreds of Twizzlers. Mack fills the glass and sets it right in the middle of the island. I take one, Charlie takes one, and finally Mack sits across from us and takes one. Mack suggests
, “Okay, we’ll do a quick intro and then head out for lunch?” She always seems to be thinking two steps ahead.

  Charlie and I both nod our heads, and Mack begins. “Good. I'm starvin’. I’ll go first. I'm 19. Born and raised in Texas. Super into fashion. I'm addicted to Twizzlers. My major is business management, so I can open my own clothin’ store one day. I love to party, and I have an unhealthy obsession of boys. Also, my parents are pretty loaded. So if we ever need anythin’ for this place, let me know.”

  We all laugh. And then Charlie speaks up. “I'm 18 and from California. Obsessed with books, and addicted to tattoos. Major is book publishing. Never had a boyfriend because I was always too busy studying. And I'm a big introvert. So sorry, Mack. I won’t be tagging along to those parties with you. Oh, and I'm adopted.” Then it’s my turn. “I turn 18 next week. I'm from here, Queens, to be exact. I've also been too busy studying to date or party. I'm a baking fiend, and I must warn you, I'm a serial stress baker. I love to skateboard. My major is also business management, so I can open my own bakery. And I don’t have a mom, but I was raised by my dad, uncle, and sister.”

  Confusing us, Mack says, “Yeah, I don’t think so. I'm draggin’ y’all with me to most of these college parties, if y’all like it or not. High school parties are nothin’ compared to college parties. And y’all have lots of catchin’ up to do,” she laughs. Shaking our heads, we all burst out laughing and stand to tour the campus together for lunch. A few hours later, we make it back to our new home, stuffed and exhausted. We split up, so we can each get our stuff situated into our rooms. The girls and I agreed to meet back out in the living room for dinner.

  ***

  Finally, after what seems like forever, I get everything unpacked and settled into its place. But then I remembered about the gifts my family got me and I sit up fast. Dumping the box onto my bed, I open the biggest gift. A framed drawing signed by Layla reveals itself and I smile big. Then I quickly run to stand it up on my desk. My excitement grows, so I grab another box and open it to see several things placed inside. It’s from Demi. There’s a fake ID that looks eerily too real; that I'm sure she used magic to make. There are three all-white ceramic mugs with a small bag of coffee beans. A vintage-looking perfume bottle, and a gift card to a restaurant. A note with her whimsical writing reads:

  The ID is for the nights that you want to have fun getting into clubs or parties. Send me photos of your roommates and I’ll get them their own. Always stay together in those places. And please don't use it for alcohol. Dad would really kill me if he found out.

  The three mugs are for you and your new friends when you're cramming for a quiz late at night or waking up for class. The beans are enchanted to help keep you focused. Only use one scoop at a time. And don't drink too much of it or you'll be up for days.

  The perfume is for the stressful times. I know how you get when you overthink things. One spritz of this over your head will calm your nerves. Remember, only one spray, or you'll feel drunk.

  The gift card is to a restaurant ten minutes away from your townhouse. I went there with Silas once. I know you'll be doing most of the cooking, but this is for the lazy nights, if you just want to order in or eat out. There is $500 on it. Share it with your roommates.

  If you need anything else, ever, please just call me. I know dad won’t cast anything to you, but I will. I love you, little sister. Have fun. Can’t wait to see you for your birthday.

  So far, this is my favorite gift. I set the box aside and lift two envelopes out. When I open one of the envelopes, a check from Dad is in it. An amount with too many zeros is written on the check. My heart races as I stare at the gift. Not completely hitting me yet, I set it down with trembling hands. I slowly open the last gift and see a debit card with my name on it. After the check my dad gifted me, I cannot possibly take any more money. A Post-it with Dimitri's handwriting sticks to the back of the card.

  Don’t let the stress of college take you away from your love for the kitchen. There is no set amount on this card. It comes straight out of my account. Use it any and every time you need supplies or ingredients to whip up a masterpiece.

  Love you, Pal.

  Wow. I numbly lay back on my bed and dial dad’s number. “Scarlet? Honey, is that you?” His voice brings an even bigger smile to my face. “Yes, Dad, it’s me. I can’t believe everything you did for me. This dorm is incredible. I could live here forever. And, oh, my gosh, Dad. I can’t thank you enough for my gift.” His hearty chuckle sounds through the phone causing fresh tears to form in my eyes. “Anything for you, Scarlet. I’m just so proud of you. I wanted to make it even more memorable. As for the check, I just want you to concentrate on your studies, so you can get your degree and not have to worry about expenses for books and the other essentials. If you start running short, don't be afraid to call me. We miss you around the house already.” Hearing him speak this way makes me tear up even more.

  “Thank you so much, Dad. But trust me. This money will be there until the day I graduate.” We laugh and talk for another ten minutes, until he gets another call. It was Dimitri so I told Dad to tell him I would call him later and when the line ends, I dial my sister.

  “Scar!! I miss you already. I'm really craving your chocolate chip cookies right now. So tell me, how’s the place? And your roomies?” She says this all in one breath. “Dee, I can’t even begin to explain how amazing the dorm is. Dad really went overboard doing this for me. And my roommates are incredible. One is a southern party girl and the other is a genius reader from Cali.”

  “Let me guess. You like the book nerd more?” Leave it to my sister to try and start gossiping. “I love them both. But I do relate more with her, yes. That’s Charlie. The other is Mackenzie. By the way, your gifts are awesome. Mack is going to flip when she sees this ID. And the perfume is really going to come in handy. Thank you, so much.”

  “The best part is that the ID is enchanted, so no one will ever be able to tell that it’s counterfeit. It’s for fun nights with the girls or out with a guy. Cause you are going to try to be open to meeting guys, right, Scar? Like you promised?” Hesitantly, I reply, “Yes, Demi, I remember. I’ll try. There was actually someone I saw, and it was…different. He was gorgeous but totally out of my league.” I can hear her groan through the phone. “Oh, shut up. Don’t start over-thinking things. Just promise me that if you see this guy again, you will introduce yourself to him.” Silence. I don’t think I have it in me to walk up to a guy like that. What if he laughs at my attempt or what if he has a girlfriend already?

  “Scarlet Winter!” Demi shouts causing me to quickly respond. “Okay. Okay. I promise.” I surrender so easily. “Sorry. Not good enough. Promise on the Sisters.” I can’t believe she pulled that one out on me. “Jeez, Demi. Fine. I promise on the Sisters.” Now happy with herself, she says her goodbyes, “Thank you. I'm satisfied. Gotta go. It’s bath time for these brats.” The call ends, and I stand to start dinner with a heavy heart.

  ***

  During dinner my roommates and I talk about our lives and dreams. I come to the conclusion that with the more time we spend together, I know we’re going to be really close friends. Spending the next four years with them is going to be really great. Maybe my family is right. I am lucky to be here doing things the mortal way. With a new confidence, I vow to myself that I am going to have courage and try new things. If that’s parties with Mack or talking to the guy, I'm ready. The following two days, we stay mostly in our dorm. But we essentially wanted the extra time to get to know each other more. We have talked so much about our lives at home that it feels like we all grew up together. What I'm most happy about is that magic is not involved in any of our lives. Although, Charlie is a little closer to the secret of magic, through her love for the paranormal romance books that she loves to read. She would freak if she knew just how real that world is.

  Mack can tell that Charlie and I have a lot more in common with each other, but it doesn't bother her. She just made us
promise to go to parties with her, when her party friend can't make it. Hesitantly we did agree. And secretly I was a little excited. She’s been going on about a freshman welcome party that’s being thrown, by the most popular fraternity on campus. Only a handful of freshmen know about it, and of course Mack just happens to be one of them. She says this party is the most important party of the year for freshman, and that we absolutely must go with her. Charlie and I were going to refuse, but Mack was double-fisting Twizzlers. We’ve learned that she is really serious when she does that. Charlie asked if she could bring her book with her, and Mack really flipped. We both fell out of our chairs laughing, when Mack got all red in the face. I felt my phone buzz, and it was a text from Charlie:

  Really, though, I'm smuggling in my book.

  I'm trying really hard not to laugh again for Mack's sake, so I get up and run to the pantry. Once there, I step in and close the door, wiping the tears from my eyes and shaking out my arms to get the laughter to subside. There’s a knock on the pantry door, and I swing around to see Mack standing there with her hands on her hips and a Twizzler hanging out of her mouth. “The door is made of glass, Scar! I can see you wipin’ the tears outta your eyes! Quit laughin’ and get out here! We have serious business to discuss.” Following her orders, I tame down the laughter, and I grab the flour and chocolate chips. Walking out of the pantry, I can’t help but feel the need to defend myself. “I was just getting cookie mix.” I lie. “As much as I would love to try your cookies right now, you're not foolin’ me. Your cheeks are as red as a hot pepper.” These cheeks are always giving me away.