by K M Charron
"Seriously? While you stand here admiring yourself? Go help her," Syd barked. She loved Beth like a second mom, often fantasizing she was her own.
Ava rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh my God, she’s fine. Besides, Oliver is with her." She puckered one last time before shutting the case. Oliver was Ava’s younger brother by only a year. They didn’t get along.
"I see you packed light, Sydney? No surprise there,” Khourtney chuckled.
Syd batted her eyelashes. "You never know what you’ll need."
"Where’s boyfriend of the year? I would’ve bet he’d be here to help you heft those things to your room." Khourtney said indicating the pile of luggage at Sydney’s feet.
"I’m not speaking to Langston right now, and I definitely don’t need his help."
"She is woman, hear her roar," Ava said with a teasing wink.
"Damn right." Syd grabbed one of the suitcases and pushed it toward Ava. "But I have no problem letting you help me."
Ava’s grin lessened just enough to show how pissed she was deep down. But the thing with her friends were, they knew their place was by Sydney’s side, and they didn’t step out of line. And if any of her classmates had forgotten her role over the summer, she’d be more than happy to remind them too.
Ava gripped the handle. "No problem."
"Thanks."
Sydney led the way across campus to the girls' dorm, Khourtney and Ava flanking her as usual. The few cursory glances from nervous and frazzled students scurrying around made Syd stand a bit taller. It didn’t matter that she was only a sophomore. Ashcroft was her school, and everyone knew it. Respected it. She could relax here. It was the one place she was revered, and no one—aside from the headmistress—knew what was going on in Sydney’s personal life. Her friends knew there was tension between her and her mother; but who didn’t have that with their parents? They had no idea how deep her resentment for her mother went or how she’d sometimes force her way into Syd’s head. They certainly didn’t know her mother was threatening her with banishment.
But she was away from home, and Ashcroft was hers. She let the heaviness in her arms and legs go. The bounce in her step revived as she led her friends down the pathway.
"Oh my God, did you see Claudia Newman yet? She totally got a nose job over the summer," Khourtney announced with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Hmm. How does it look?" Syd asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
A glow of pride that her opinion mattered flashed across Khourtney’s face. "Good, actually. She might have a chance of being pretty now."
Without missing a beat, Sydney said, "Maybe you should ask her who her doctor is, then you wouldn’t have to keep using glamours to give yourself cheekbones." She paused to let it sink in. "That or you could learn how to contour." Ignoring Ava’s slacked jaw and Khourt’s nearly inaudible gasp, Sydney walked on. A tinge of guilt at her remarks ruffled up inside her. Ugh. Guilt.
"Not that you even need it, Khourt. I just know it bothers you. I think you’re beautiful." She turned back to smile. It was a constant struggle to navigate between the need to be feared and the desire to be loved.
A group of freshman girls huddled together on the grass to their right were giggling and carrying on.
Ava groaned, rolling her brown eyes. "Settle down, ladies. It’s too early for that shit," she called out to the huddle of freshman.
The girls stopped, gaping at them, and then a tall, lithe blonde wearing a too-short skirt, white t-shirt, and matching tennis shoes stood, put a hand on her bony hip, and stalked toward them.
"I’m sorry, are you talking to us?" she said, stopping six feet away.
Sydney squared her shoulders and stared the girl down. "Yup," she said in a distinctive don’t-F-with-me tone.
"Why don’t you mind your own business?" the blonde said before whipping a chunk of double-processed hair over her shoulder. “No one was talking to you.”
It was the wrong thing to say, the worst day to say it, and the very worse person to say it to.
Sydney held her breath, prayed her magic would work, and tapped into the girl. Fear, panic, and anxiety filled her body in a mixed rush. Drawing her magic back out, she was both relieved to feel her ability working and thrilled that the little twit would be easy to deal with. Just another coward putting on a brave act. She plastered a fake grin on and closed the distance between herself and the blonde. "It’s your first day, so we’ll give you a pass for your attitude and disrespect. But get one thing straight. We run this school, and you’d better fall in line." Syd put her hands on her hips and gritted her teeth. "And if you don’t we’ll make your life a living hell." She flipped her hair, mirroring the girl. "Ask around if you don’t believe me. Now why don’t you and your friends run along?" she said using her fingers to shoo her away.
The girl swallowed hard, her eyes narrowed on Sydney. The fear inside her had multiplied, yet she didn’t back down.
Chick had guts, Syd would give her that, but no brains.
With the subtlest flick of her wrist, Sydney conjured a massive gust of wind. It hit the blonde from the back, making her skirt fly up and exposing her thong and two very bare ass-cheeks. The blonde squealed like a pig, fighting to get her skirt down. Her friends and the other students nearby laughed and pointed and generally mocked. It was heaven.
Syd released the breeze a second later. She wished she could’ve let it linger long enough for someone to grab video, but a ‘natural’ wind didn’t blow in any one specific area for long. She needed to be careful since, technically, magic use was forbidden for apprentices outside of the coven Nest.
The blonde ran off, tears staining her spray-tanned cheeks.
Her girls on the lawn stopped laughing and gave Syd their full attention.
Sydney smoothed her silk blouse into the waistband of her skirt and said in a soft voice, "The rest of you ladies enjoy your first day."
The girls nodded, their gaping stares trailing after Syd, Ava, and Khourtney as they passed by. They were barely out of earshot when Ava cackled, "That was priceless. Did you see her snotty little face?"
Khourtney’s grin widened. "God, you’d think the freshman would’ve heard about us by now. It is almost nine-thirty."
"Word will travel fast now," Syd said, pleased that her world was righting itself.
Strolling down the path in front of her friends, Syd spotted combat-boot-wearing Ainsley. Her intuitive skills seemed to be back in action, so why not give prying into the girl’s feelings another try?
Quieting her mind, she focused on wrapping her magic around Ainsley, but nothing connected. It was as if she had a protective barrier, blocking Sydney’s magic.
Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
No middling had ever been unreadable to her. If her ability wasn’t on the fritz, it was something about this middling.
Sydney couldn’t think of any reason her magic didn’t work on this girl. But she wouldn’t be acting with due diligence if she let it go. She needed to figure out how Ainsley could withstand her ability. It might be the way to prove herself to her mother after all.
Ainsley
Chapter 3
Ainsley clutched the campus map and her class schedule in her damp hands, as she followed her mom out of the office and across the school grounds. She couldn’t believe she was here. It took a lot of hard work to get her scholarship, and she’d considered quitting at least once a week, but Ashcroft was the only place she knew to start.
Her dad’s suicide still felt wrong—like he hadn’t wanted to do it. She’d stared into his face—into his eyes—before he went over and saw his fear.
At first, she’d thought it was natural, anyone would be scared in that situation, right? But after reading everything she could find, she discovered that people aren’t usually fearful in-the-moment. People who survived jumping attempts reported only feeling fear emerge once they’d begun falling, not before. It didn’t make sense. If he’d been afraid—which she was sure he was�
�he wouldn’t have done it. Would he?
Ainsley glanced around, considering how many times her father had come here and what he’d been searching for. Who had he talked to? And most importantly, what had he uncovered? Something about Ashcroft had been compelling enough for him to travel here regularly, not to mention worth straining his relationship with her mother over.
His laptop, full of those locked files, nagged at her from the backpack slung over her shoulders. It held his secrets, possibly even something to explain why he’d left them.
"You okay, sweetie?" her mom’s voice interrupted her train of thought.
Ainsley brought a smile to her lips and widened her eyes. “Oh, yeah, I’m just in awe being here.” Lie.
"It’s impressive. I had my doubts when you suggested Ashcroft, but they’re gone now."
They strolled down the path. So far, the experience of walking on campus was akin to being an ant lost in a sand maze as chubby, childish fingers flicked the glass waiting for a reaction. It was obvious she was different; she wasn’t wearing designer jeans or carrying a handbag that cost more than some cars. From a few looks she’d received, it was clear some of the other students had noticed that about her too. She forced herself to smile at her mom, the only one who needed to believe Ainsley was excited to finally be here. And she was—just not for the reasons her mom thought.
At least her uncle Philip had driven the two and a half hours from Augusta with them. This meant her mom wouldn’t have to drive back alone, with nothing to think about other than how different her life would be with no husband and now no daughter in the apartment.
"Just look at this place." Her mom stared, awestruck, at Ainsley’s new school.
Ainsley was doing her best to take it all in.
Ashcroft looked more like a gothic castle from a horror movie than the way it came across in the pictures online. Less ‘happy-go-lucky’ institution to foster young minds. More gray brick beast against the backdrop of a darkened sky. Hopefully not an omen of things to come. She was done with those.
High peaks, large ornate windows, and…were those gargoyles? The only thing missing was a moat. Smack dab in the center of campus, the main academic building was four stories high and the length of two city blocks, complete with ivy cascading down the archway marking the front entrance. There was even a clock tower that looked like it belonged on an old European church. The grounds were similarly incredible, with large fields and lush gardens and no shortage of buildings to get lost in. Ainsley studied the map, well, she tried to. There was a distinct difference between the aerial view of her map, where everything looked logical, and being thrust into the heart of it. The map couldn’t show how huge the buildings were or how insignificant she felt standing in the courtyard, unsure of which pathway to turn down to get to her destination. Ainsley stared at the surrounding landmarks and tried to find them on the map to orient herself.
"Oh honey, look at these gardens. Those roses are incredible. I’ve never seen any quite like them. I wonder if they’re a special type.”
Ainsley inhaled in frustration and looked at her mom. "I can ogle the flowers later. I just want to get settled in and look around, so I don’t get lost finding my classes tomorrow." She hoped her uncle was finished his phone call soon to help move her mom along.
Ainsley shifted her red, canvas backpack, as the weight from her notebooks and her dad’s computer had slid to one side. She’d used it for the past three years and, despite the frayed edges and hole in one of its pockets, it was precious to her—a gift from her dad.
"Are you trying to memorize that thing?" her mom said, gesturing to the map still in her hands. You’ll find your way, sweetie. You’re just a bit overwhelmed. Trust yourself. You’ve got your father’s great sense of direction." The way her mom plastered a smile on her face, one that never met her eyes or caused the fine lines around her mouth to show, threatened to break Ainsley’s heart into even smaller pieces. Her mom forced peppiness past her grief with each word that left her mouth, and it made Ainsley want to cry. But if her mom could stay strong, so could she.
Ainsley felt horrible about leaving her alone in their apartment, but a part of her knew it would be better. Her mom would never say it, but surely, she held Ainsley accountable? She hadn’t saved her dad. It had to be awful for her mom to look at Ainsley every day and hide the blame she felt.
That night, the police had pulled her mom aside, confirming what Ainsley already knew; her husband was dead. She’d watched helplessly as her mom buckled, clutching at her stomach as though the pain would rip her in two.
Eventually, her mom lurched over to Ainsley before dropping to her knees and grasping for Ainsley’s hands. She’d squeezed, looked into her eyes, and begged to know every detail of what had happened. Sometimes Ainsley could still feel the icy, bony grip of her mother’s grief on her hands.
Occasionally, her pain snuck up on her. Maybe it was fight or flight, she didn’t know, but the lightheadedness unnerved her. It felt like she wasn’t in control of her own body. Ainsley pulled her bag’s straps, so they dug into her shoulders. She liked the feeling of the weight. It grounded her, easing the sensation that she might float away.
"There you two are." Her uncle Philip walked over to them with a wide smile.
It startled Ainsley. "Oh, hey. Hope everything’s okay."
"There’s always a fire to put out. Anyway, what’s next on the agenda?" He asked with such enthusiasm that it was clear he was adding it for her benefit. But before she could fill him in, his phone rang again. Uncle Philip covered the phone and mouthed that he was going to be awhile. The fire at his office wasn’t out yet. He side-hugged Ainsley quickly and waved her off.
She and her mom lugged her bags along the path taking in the sprawling green manicured lawn and gardens that seemed to go on and on.
"Ah, here we are," her mother exclaimed, stopping in front of another large gray-bricked building. This one had beautiful red, yellow, and blue stained-glass windows with intricate iron flowers woven throughout.
"See, that wasn’t hard to find," her mom said with too big of a grin.
Ainsley pulled open the door to the girls' dorm. "Wow, that’s heavy!” A rush of frigid air sent shivers down her spine, gooseflesh peppering her arms as she entered. Whoa. Was it possible to feel a breeze indoors?
"I’m going to live here.” Although she had whispered it, the atrium’s fifteen-foot vaulted ceilings made her voice echo.
A woman sitting under a Welcome Students banner at the front counter had a severely coiled, golden bun propped on the top of her teeny head. Combined with the horrible green suit she wore, she resembled an out-of-season Christmas ornament.
Ainsley’s mom pulled paperwork out of her purse and guided them over to the counter.
The woman smiled, taking her time assessing Ainsley’s ID and papers before eventually handing over an envelope and a key. "Looks like everything is in order. There you go," she squeaked. "Let me know if you have any questions."
Mom leaned toward the woman with wide eyes. Ainsley could almost hear the wonder in her mom’s voice before she spoke, "When was Ashcroft constructed?"
Ainsley was doing her best to be patient since her mom was so supportive, but she couldn’t care less. She bent in and whispered, "Mom, why do you care? Let’s go already."
But the woman’s eyes shone as she bounded up from behind her desk. This was possibly the first time she’d ever been able to share the useless info she’d memorized when she’d gotten the job. "In the year 1696. Almost every building on campus is original. Most people forget how old some of our New England towns are. Danvers, originally known as Salem Village, is the very place where the 1692 Salem Witch Trials began." She shook her head sadly. "That was a tragic but important time in our nation’s history. Everyone knows about Salem, but many important things have happened right here. You can read more about it in this brochure if you’re interested. It also lists a few historical sites off-campus to visit if you’d
like."
Her mom lit up. "Fascinating! Did you hear that, Ainsley?"
She didn’t have the heart to tell her that, yes, she’d read all about it when she’d researched the town and school online. "Very interesting."
The woman beamed, suddenly overly friendly. "It has been lovely to meet you, Ms. Davenport. Let me know if you need anything more," she said, turning to answer the phone.
Her mom faced Ainsley, clasping her hands together. "I can’t wait to see your room. I bet it will be just as nice."
Ainsley’s gaze tracked across the vaulted ceilings, the dark wooden beams, and the numerous windows. It was pretty, but also cold and impersonal. More like a museum, not somewhere you’d call home.
"You’re going to have some of the best experiences of your life here, I just know it." Her mom’s pep-talk faltered then, the mask falling for a brief moment and revealing her pain. "Your father would’ve loved it here."
They grabbed her suitcases and rolled them toward the elevators.
Sophomore year at a new school, in a new city. Her stomach curdled with the ugly truth. How could she blend in enough to get the answers she needed? She’d probably use the wrong fork in the dining hall, a sad way to expose herself. God, why couldn’t she take a normal breath? It was like she was breathing through a straw.
"See, it’s not that hard to navigate around campus. Just follow the map like I’ve been doing.”
"Yes, Mom, walking around with a map under my nose all day will help me fit in perfectly." She winked at her mom, eliciting an authentic smile, which warmed her.
Waiting for the elevator, she worked on keeping her breathing easy, so her mom didn’t see her anxiety. Attempting to take her mind off being trapped in a moving death trap, she scanned the lobby, which was one huge room fitted with ornate rugs, embroidered curtains, and brown leather couches and chairs. A massive fireplace was in the center, and the walls were lined with statues and bookshelves, making it look like a country squire’s library more than a dormitory.