Summoned by Magic (Drexel Academy Book 1)

by Lexie Scott

  I nodded, not able to muster the energy to speak. Life kept rolling on with me, happening to me. I was only a passenger with no active decision-making role. Other people were telling me where and when to do everything, and I was forced to go along with it all.

  “Your key is here,” he said, flipping through the rest of the folder. “After we get your schedule finalized, you can go to the library to collect your books. There’s also a page here with information about whom to contact in case of emergencies as well as the name and number of your RA. If you have any questions that aren’t answered, please feel free to reach out to me. My office hours and email are included here as well.”

  He pushed the folder at me, and I lifted it from his desk clutching it to my chest like a lifeline.

  “I’ve asked a student from your year to escort you to your room. I figured you’d prefer that to being seen with your guidance counselor.” He said it as if he was doing me a favor, but being passed off to yet another stranger just made me tense even more.

  I didn’t have a choice, though. I was being dismissed, so I stood and thanked him before turning to the door and struggling to get both of my bags out while holding on to the folder.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he called behind me.

  I gave a small wave before heading down the hall toward the oh-so-pleasant woman.

  “Ms. Williams,” she said without looking up from her screen because I still wasn’t worth her full attention. “Ms. Jefferies is here to escort you.”

  I looked at the row of chairs against the wall and smiled at the pretty brunette who stood. She wore black fitted pants and a black sweater dotted with tiny pearls over a white collared shirt. Combined with her high ponytail and light makeup, she looked preppy and exactly how I pictured a boarding school student, down to the leather oxfords.

  “Hi, I’m Hannah.” She gave me a genuine smile and looked at my suitcases. “Can I help you with one?”

  I let out a breath and relaxed. “Yes, please. I’m Saige.”

  “What a pretty name.” She took one handle and started down the hall, glancing over her shoulder once. “So where did you transfer from?”

  I wasn’t sure what she meant. Did she want to know my old high school? What were the odds she was familiar with my area? “Um, I'm from Twin Fields. It’s just north of Pittsburgh.”

  She stopped walking and faced me. “What?”

  I stared back at her, equally confused. “I went to Twin Fields High?”

  She cocked her head to the side. “You came from a non-supernatural high school?”

  I nodded.

  “But you’re in my year? You’re seventeen?”

  “Yeah?” I hated sounding so unsure, but we clearly misunderstood each other.

  She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “Sorry, let’s start over. Who are you, and where did you come from?”

  I was almost offended until she started laughing.

  I chuckled lightly. “I’m pretty new to this world. I didn’t know I was coming here until yesterday morning.”

  Her brows shot to the sky, and her big blue eyes widened. “What? How?”

  So the “surprise, you’re a witch” thing was unique to me? I wasn’t sure how much I should share with her, but I had a feeling I’d be getting reactions like this a lot in the next few days. Maybe she could help me come up with a better explanation, so I didn’t have to repeat myself quite as often.

  “I didn’t know I was a witch. My . . . powers”––I wasn’t sure I even wanted to accept that label yet; I was perfectly fine ignoring the freak accidents––“didn’t really show up until recently. My family thought I didn’t have abilities, so I was raised in human society.”

  I used phrasing I picked up from Masie and hoped that explained things.

  Her surprise faded some. “Interesting. You have some catching up to do, but I can help you, and we can get a study group together so we can bring you up to speed.”

  “Really? Why would you do that?”

  She just smiled. “Because I remember how overwhelmed and confused I was when I got here, and I knew my whole life that I was a witch. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. Plus, you’re one of us now, and we watch out for each other.”

  She spun back around and started walking again. Was it that simple? She made it seem like it was, but what did she mean by “us” and “we”? The students of Drexel or witches? I wasn’t sure I wanted to join in on the segregation, but maybe it was another area where I didn’t have a choice.

  She led us through a back entrance connected to a wide brick pathway. She waited for me to fall into step with her and told me about each grand building we passed. Pentacles were etched over the entrance to each of them and even in random spots like the side of a bench and some of the pavers.

  “Over there,” she began, pointing behind us, “is the assembly hall. If there is ever a school or grade-wide meeting, that’s where we go. If there are performances or anything like that, they use the stage in there. Since tomorrow’s the first day of the new term, we’ll have a school assembly, so you’ll see it.”

  I hurried forward to keep pace with her as she pointed to the next building on our right. There weren’t very many other people out, but I noted that none of them wore what could be considered uniforms. It was yet another thing I wasn’t sure about. Since no one had brought it up yet, I hoped there wasn’t a pleated skirt or blazer waiting for me in my room.

  “That’s the greenhouse. Witches with an Earth affinity are usually the only ones who use it, but anyone that’s interested in growing plants is welcome to use it.”

  I wanted to ask her what her affinity was, but I wasn’t sure if that was taboo or not. What about shifters? How could I tell the difference between a vampire or a witch? Would I know instinctively?

  “And that’s the health center.” She pointed to a smaller version of the administration building. It had fewer turrets and no parapets but was still a similar style. “That’s pretty self-explanatory. If you’re sick or injured, head there. Some of the witches and vampires with healing abilities intern there, but those are only the older students.”

  Healing abilities? That was an option? I wanted those. How cool would it be to wave my hands and fix a broken bone or cure an illness?

  There was a curve in the path, then a split. She paused, and I stopped next to her. “That is the lab building where most of the science-related classes are.”

  The path to the right led to where I needed to go in the morning for the assessment, so I made a mental note of where to turn.

  “And that’s the library.” The building on the opposite side of the path from the lab building was massive and far grander than any library I’d ever seen. I couldn’t wait to explore it.

  She started down the path to the left. “This way leads to the dorms, dining hall, and the tower.”

  “The tower?” That sounded ominous.

  She grinned. “Its real name is Bradbury Tower, but that’s a mouthful. It’s the only tower on campus, so it’s not like you’ll get confused. It’s where most of the witches’ classes are, so you’ll be spending a lot of time there.”

  I saw the tall building in the distance and hoped my classes weren’t at the top since I doubted it had an elevator. Thoughts of the imposing tower and all the work ahead distracted me. One second I was upright, and the next, the ground was speeding toward my face.

  Chapter 7

  I tried to catch myself before I hit the ground, but my hands were full. Just as I was about to faceplant, I stopped.

  I sucked in a breath, inches from the bricks, then looked around for what had caught me. Hands wrapped around my biceps, lifting me back up like I weighed nothing. Panic washed over me. What was happening?

  When I was standing and no longer in danger, the hands disappeared.

  “Are you all right?” Hannah’s eyes filled with worry.

  I nodded. “I think so.”

  Everything had hap
pened so fast. I wasn’t even sure what made me trip. I turned around searching the ground, but nothing stood out.

  Hannah stood with her hands on her hips. “Come on, guys. Don’t mess with her. She’s new.”

  I looked for who she was talking to but didn’t see anyone.

  “Daniel. Malik. Come out.” She tapped her foot and waited.

  Suddenly, a mountain lion appeared around the corner of the building, and I let out a shrill scream.

  Hannah jerked and looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Did she not see the freaking wild cat coming toward us? I pointed and took a step back.

  “Saige, that’s Daniel,” she said in a bored tone. “And that’s Malik behind him.”

  I took my eyes off the terrifying animal long enough to see a smaller black animal behind him. Was that a skunk?

  I scrunched my nose, ready to run.

  In a blink, both animals morphed into teenage boys.

  Naked teenage boys.

  I covered my eyes, not caring that they were now laughing at me.

  “Oh, man. She is new,” one of the boys said.

  “Put clothes on, you heathens,” Hannah hissed.

  “Give us a second, geez. Not all of us have rings.”

  “Sounds like a personal problem,” she muttered.

  “One you could easily solve,” the other boy said in a sultry voice.

  I nearly jumped out of my skin when one of them touched my arm. “You can look now, princess.”

  I peeked through my fingers enough to see that both of them were now wearing sweatpants. I would have preferred shirts, too, but I wasn’t exactly in a position to make demands. New girl status rarely came with a ton of influence.

  “Sorry we scared you.” The taller boy with dark brown skin and black hair that hung to his shoulders apologized. He was ridiculously muscular. Far too defined to be around our age.

  “Yeah, we didn’t mean to make you fall.” The golden-haired boy with a friendly smile shrugged his tanned shoulders. He looked like a statue of a Greek god. Seriously, where did these boys come from? No one at my high school was nearly as attractive as they were.

  I stared. “How did you make me fall? I didn’t even see you.”

  “We ran right in front of you. Sorry, we were racing, and I wasn’t paying attention,” the brunette one said.

  “Malik,” Hannah scolded him. “You guys need to be more careful.”

  He rolled his eyes at her before looking back at me.

  “Which one were you?” I asked before he could open his mouth.

  He narrowed his eyes. “What?”

  I looked from him to Daniel. “Who’s the mountain lion, and who’s the skunk?”

  Daniel burst out laughing while Malik just glared at me.

  I turned to Hannah, feeling my face burn. “Is that not okay to ask? Sorry, I’m still learning.”

  She waved me off. “No, that’s completely fine. Shifters don’t care if you ask what their animal form is, it’s just that you called Malik a skunk.”

  “Oh.” I bit my lip and looked at him. “Sorry. I just saw a black animal with a white streak. I didn’t get a good look.”

  He sighed, and his lips turned up. “It’s fine. I’m a honey badger. We’re not all that common around here, so it’s fair that you didn’t recognize one.”

  “Where are honey badgers from?” I asked, wanting to know as much as possible about the first shifter I’d ever met.

  “Western Asia and parts of Africa.”

  “Okay. Does that mean you’re from there?”

  He smiled while narrowing his eyes. “Yeah, I’m Arab, but my grandparents immigrated to the U.S., so I consider myself American.”

  I didn’t know if that was a sore spot since he said it so frankly or if it was just his personality. I was too curious to worry right now. “So are shifter’s animals based on where they are from?”

  Daniel and Malik shared a look before Daniel replied, “Just how new are you?”

  Hannah stepped forward and punched his arm. “Be nice. She only recently manifested. She was raised in the non-supernatural world.”

  Both of the boys looked shocked.

  “Really?” Malik asked. “No wonder you have a million questions.”

  “Be nice. Saige is in our year, so we’re going to help her navigate things.” Hannah said with a pointed look at each of them.

  “Oh, we are? Well, it’s a good thing we ran into you.” Daniel grinned.

  Hannah’s chin tilted up. “I was going to text you when we got back to the dorm. I told her I’d put together a study group to help her. Now we just need a few vampires.”

  I cringed, still not quite sure about meeting the undead—or whatever they were.

  “Don’t worry. They’re not nearly as scary as non-supes make them out to be.” Daniel winked at me.

  I forced a smile and looked down at the ground. Something was still nagging at me. “If you guys ran in front of me, then who caught me?”

  Hannah held up her hand and did a small finger wave. “That would be me. I’m an air.”

  She said that as if that should explain it all.

  “Hannah, she’s new.” Malik teased. “She means her affinity is air. She probably manipulated it to catch you.”

  “Yep. I compressed it to take a form to hold you and pull you up.”

  I blinked at her. “Those were the hands I felt?”

  She smiled proudly. “Cool, huh?”

  “Will I learn to do stuff like that?”

  “Of course.” She seemed excited. “Well, similar things, depending on your affinity. Things like that come pretty naturally to us. Give yourself a few weeks, and you can show off some of your abilities.”

  I seriously doubted I’d be able to have that sort of control. So far, I only made mistakes.

  “We should finish our run. We’ll see you both later.” Daniel waved and started walking backward.

  “Bye,” Malik called over his shoulder.

  I watched as the mountain lion and badger reappeared and took off around the dorms.

  “That’s insane,” I whispered, and Hannah laughed.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to all the madness soon enough.” She grabbed the handle of my suitcase and waved me on. “Come on, we’re in the next building.”

  She led me to the front doors of Bennett Hall, another castle-like building with far more windows, before asking to see my folder. She flipped through until she found my room assignment. “Perfect, fourth floor with me, but you’re down a few rooms.”

  We went to an elevator, and I was grateful we wouldn’t have to carry my bags up. The doors opened up to a long, empty hall with red carpet that matched the administration office. We walked past several doors until we reached four-fifteen.

  “This one is mine,” Hannah commented but continued on to four-twenty-two. It was almost at the very end of the hall. “And here you are.”

  She took the key from my folder and unlocked the door. “Oh, Tasha!” She sang as she swung it open.

  A girl with thick, glossy black hair and hazel eyes looked up from the book in her lap. She glared at Hannah. “It’s Natasha. You know I hate that name.”

  Her low, sultry voice fit her exotic look, and I bet she was one of the popular girls that always had the boys begging for her attention.

  “Sure,” Hannah ignored her, and tension fill the room instantly. “This is your new roommate, Saige.”

  I offered a small wave. “Hi, nice to meet you.”

  Natasha sized me up with a look, then went back to her book. “Keep your side of the room clean and tidy.”

  “I was planning to do that already,” I said but she ignored us. Hannah rolled her eyes and patted the bare mattress. “All right, I’ll leave you to unpack. If you need anything, let me know.”

  She stopped and held her hand out. “I’ll put my number in your phone, so you don’t have to walk down to my room.”

  “Thanks.” I handed her my phone, an
d she typed quickly before handing it back.

  “Most of us go down to dinner around seven if you want to come. If you’re too tired, I totally understand.”

  I smiled and agreed. My stomach knotted too much to think about eating, but I hadn’t had anything substantial since leaving my house. Friday night?

  Why did that feel like years ago?

  Her eyes darted to Natasha with a small frown before she glanced back at me and grinned. “Bye.”

  She shut the door behind her, and I stood in the middle of the room for a minute, dropping my shoulders and sighing.

  Finally.

  I was done for a while. No more moving. No more surprises. This was my space. Granted, I had to share it with someone who didn’t seem particularly pleased about that fact, but I didn’t have it in me to care.

  When I glanced over at Natasha, she had emerald headphones on, and I took the sign to leave her alone. I leaned against my bed and texted Mom to let her know I made it on campus and was settling in. I wanted to ask what she knew about this world, but my emotions were all mixed up. I didn’t want to know exactly how much she’d been keeping from me. I also wanted to keep that part of my life the same. I needed some semblance of normalcy amidst the chaos.

  I dropped the phone on the bare mattress and frowned. Masie and I hadn’t packed bedding. I only had clothes, shoes, toiletries, and a few personal items. I didn’t even think about sheets or pillows. There were probably a hundred things I’d realize I needed over the next few days, but priority number one was my bed.

  Natasha sighed and pulled her headphones around her neck. “There are two sets of sheets in the bottom drawers. A pillow and comforter are in your closet along with two sets of towels and washcloths. If you want anything else, you’ll have to order it.”

  Before I could thank her or ask her how she knew what I was thinking, she covered her ears again, eyes locked on her book.

  I pushed away from the bed and looked at the four drawers in the base. I pulled the top two open and found them empty. The left bottom one was as well, but the right held light gray sheets. I pulled one set out and went through the motions of making the bed. Then I went to the double doors on my side of the room and opened them to reveal a large closet with two rows to hang clothes, a tower of six drawers, six cubbies, and a shelf that ran the entire length at the very top. It was bigger than my closet back home. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about finding places to store my stuff.