Gifted: The Winterwood Academy Book 1: A Young Adult Witch Novel

by Kate A. Fox

  “Where are you taking me?” I asked in a weak voice. My head was pounding and it hurt to open my eyes but still I found myself peaking up at his handsome face.

  "Hey sleeping beauty." Booth glanced down at me and his striking blue eyes seemed to flicker with relief, "I'm taking you to the infirmary. Merrin already rushed ahead to ready a bed for you."

  "I don't need the infirmary." I protested, struggling in his arms. The truth was I just wanted to run back to my room and hide under my bed covers.

  The thought of the entire school gawping at me as I blacked out made me so embarrassed that I could have cried and there was no way in hell I was going to cry in front of the hottest guy in school.

  "Stop wriggling or I'll drop you." Booth's voice was more of a threat than a warning and I grew instantly still, finally admitting to myself that I lifted the sensation of being carried in his strong arms.

  He had one arm hooked under my knees, the other wrapped firmly around my waist.

  The dark green dress that Zoe had insisted I wear for the full moon circle was riding up my thighs and his warm touch on my skin caused me to tremble.

  "Are you okay? You're shivering." Booth sighed and seemed to hold me closer to him. I snuggled into him, enjoying the warmth of his body next to mine even as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

  I definitely wasn't okay. My head was still pounding and the tingling sensation that ran down my spine was a horrid reminder of what had happened in the temple.

  What was wrong with me? I couldn't even get through one school event without something going seriously wrong.

  Right now I felt as though his touch was the only thing grounding me. Without his hands gripping tightly to me I felt as though I might simply float away into nothingness.

  At least then the pain in my head might stop.

  "I don't know." I admitted in a quiet, weakened voice. I was finding it harder and harder to pretend around him. The feeling in my gut told me that I could trust him, what with I didn't really know yet.

  Before I knew it he carried me through the double doors of the main building and in the direction of the infirmary.

  "There you are!" Merrin's voice sounded shrill with worry as she appeared from the other end of the hall, "I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost with her."

  "We're here now." Booth pointed out with a grunt as though I was growing too heavy to hold.

  "Well let's hurry and get her into the infirmary so I can check her over." Merrin said almost as though she hadn't yet noticed I was awake. Perhaps it was because I was resting my head against Booth's shoulder and my hair had fallen down over my face.

  I remained still until Booth placed me down onto the first bed in the infirmary and stepped back to allow Merrin to drop down onto the bed beside me.

  "Brianna? How are you feeling?" Merrin asked even as she reached for my wrist and pressed her fingers firmly there as if she was trying to check for a pulse.

  "I...I feel...dreadful." I admitted.

  Merrin, seemingly happy with my pulse, removed her fingers from my wrist and placed her palm against my forehead.

  "Your pulse is a little elevated but that's to be expected and you don't appear to have a temperature." Though she spoke to me it was almost as if she was thinking out loud.

  Booth stood behind her, gazing over her shoulder at me as though he was frightened to take his eyes away.

  "I'd like to keep you for observation overnight." Merrin suggested but her tone suggested that I didn't really have a choice.

  "Merrin?" A deep, silky voice caused us all to jump and as one we all turned to look at the door.

  Standing in the doorway was the drop dead gorgeous lecturer Tomas.

  "Celestria has requested your presence in her chambers." He explained.

  "Right now?" Merrin scowled back at him, "Can't it wait?"

  "I believe that it is urgent." Tomas said in a stern tone, the edge of French in his accent making him sound almost threatening.

  "I'll stay with her." Booth offered, "And I'll come and get you if she shows any signs of passing out again or…"

  He paused and we all knew he was going to say 'or if she starts glowing again'.

  My mind was beginning to reel. Was I in trouble for breaking the circle? Was it my fault that I had begun to glow? Had I done something without even realising it?

  Merrin turned to me with a soft expression as though she had sensed exactly what I was thinking.

  "You just lay back and relax. Don't worry about anything." She said as she squeezed my hand comfortingly and pushed herself up from the bed.

  I watched her follow Tomas from the room and cringed at the pain in my head when I heard the sound of furniture grinding against the hardwood floor.

  When I looked around again Booth had pulled a chair up beside my bed.

  "Don't worry, New Girl, rest and I'll be right here when you wake up."

  My heart fluttered at his promise. I suddenly felt like a princess who had been rescued from a castle with my brave, protective knight beside me.

  I know, stupid, right?

  But that's how I felt and having Booth next to me did make me feel a little better.

  I leaned back and rested against the comfy pillows, allowing myself to relax into them.

  My entire body was aching, my head screaming at me for sleep but I wasn't at all sure I would be able to drift off after everything that had happened.

  I was still shivering and as if he had noticed, Booth reached for the blanket that was folded at the end of the bed.

  "Here." He smiled warmly at me and ran the blanket up over my legs.

  "Thanks." I blushed as he tucked the blanket around me.

  I was silent for only a few moments before it became too much for me.

  "What do you think happened back there?"

  Booth shook his head and lowered his eyes for a moment, looking thoughtful.

  When his eyes came back to mine they were filled with wonder, sparking with awe, "I have never seen anything like it."

  Great. I really am a freak.

  "Do you think everyone noticed?" I cringed as I felt my cheeks burn red hot with embarrassment once more.

  "It’s kind of hard not to notice when someone screams like a banshee during the middle of a circle and her marks start to glow through her dress." Booth scowled at me.

  Jheez...I'd screamed? I don't remember screaming but if he said I did then I must have.

  "Could I be more of a freak?" I groaned and cringed even more when I realised I'd said the words out loud.

  "Don't worry, New Girl. We're all freaks here. You're just the Queen freak." Booth chuckled as though he found my horrified expression funny.

  Had the hottest guy in school just called me a queen? Sure he'd also called me a freak but my pulse had hitched up when he'd called me queen.

  "Booth, will you take another look at my back for me?" I asked, almost without meaning to. How else was I going to know what was going on back there? I didn't see any mirrors and I was sure he wasn't about to let his guard down and let me get out of bed to go and find one.

  "If you wanted me to undress you, all you had to do was ask." Booth winked and my heart fluttered all over again.

  "Booth!" I snapped at him, "I'm serious."

  "Okay, okay." He raised his hands in mock surrender, "Lean forward."

  I did as he asked, propping myself up and pulling my hair away from my back so that he could get to the zip at the back of my dress.

  He unzipped it deliciously slowly and I couldn't ignore the way my thighs began to burn with desire.

  Jheez. I'm too young for those kinds of feelings but there it was. The desire for him to touch me was almost unbearable.

  The back of my dress fell away from my spine and I heard Booth's breath catch in his throat.

  "Jesus! Brianna! It’s beautiful!" He exclaimed and even without asking I knew that something had changed. At his words my entire back began to tingle.

  "Wha
t is it?" I asked, frustrated at the fact I couldn't see for myself.

  "Your mark. It’s spread." Booth gasped, "There are all sorts of spirals and waves and...and I think they are grape vines coming off your Earth mark."

  I shivered at his words.

  "How bad is it?"

  "Bad? It’s not bad at all. It’s the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Booth's voice was breathless and I gasped when I felt his fingers begin to trace down my spine, then away from it as if he was following the lines that I couldn't see myself.

  I closed my eyes and followed his finger with my mind, trying and failing to imagine what it might look like.

  "What do you think it means?" I asked, relieved that my voice sounded stronger than I felt.

  "I think it means the Goddess has something special in store for you." Booth finally zipped up my dress and leaned back in his seat.

  His eyes were still filled with awe as though he couldn't get the image of my marks out of his head.

  I forced myself to lean back against the pillows, trying my hardest to control my breathing.

  I opened my mouth, about to speak but the sound of footsteps coming down the hall made me pause.

  I turned my head just in time to see Merrin entering the room once more.

  "Booth it's time you go back to your dorm." She said simply, her voice leaving little room for argument.

  "I'd rather stay here and keep an eye on Bri." Booth said, his own voice tense and I felt my gut beginning to ache at the thought of him leaving me.

  I'd only known him a couple of days but having him close made me feel safe. The last thing I wanted was to be left alone in the infirmary.

  "I'll be sleeping in my office down the hall this evening." Merrin assured him, "She will be fine but you must go back to your room and get some sleep. Classes are continuing as normal tomorrow."

  At least my outburst in the temple hadn't brought the whole school to a standstill. That was a small relief at least.

  When I felt Booth's hand land on top of mine, my gaze shot down, admiring the way his fingers clasped tightly around my own. I held my breath as I moved my gaze slowly up his muscular arm to look at his face.

  His eyes were still blazing with worry as he asked, "Are you going to be okay?"

  "I'm just going to sleep." I yawned, suddenly realising just how tired I was. I couldn’t tell him yes outright because the truth was I had no idea if I was ever going to be alright again.

  "I'll stay in this chair all night if it'll make you feel better." Booth squeezed my hand comfortingly, looking at me as if I was the only person in the room.

  I could feel the cloud of tension around Merrin thickening and knew that it would cause one hell of an argument between them if I didn't encourage him to go.

  Even though I really wanted him to stay, I shook my head and pulled my hand reluctantly out from under his, "You should listen to your mum."

  Booth looked hurt then and he stood without another word. There was still concern written all over his face as he crossed the room and when he turned back at the door to look at me, his gaze drew me in and once more made me feel as though he was looking right into my soul.

  "I'll be back first thing in the morning." He promised and with that he was gone, leaving me alone with his mum.

  As soon as he disappeared Merrin moved to take the seat he'd been sitting in.

  "Brianna, there's something I need to tell you." She sighed and her words caused my head to whip around and look at her.

  "What is it?" My voice was so weak that I could barely even hear it myself. Was I just tired or was it something else, something more malicious?

  "After what happened tonight Celestria has called the council and requested that they come to visit the academy much earlier than planned." Merrin sighed and shook her head, "I had hoped to figure out a little more about your goddess gifts before then but Celestria is insistent that they meet you as soon as possible."

  I gulped at her words. I wasn't entirely sure why but the thought of meeting the witch council made me feel sick to my stomach.

  "They will arrive next week." Merrin sighed, "So at least that gives us a little time to try and figure things out."

  "W...what will they do when they get here?" I asked, trembling again so badly that I pulled the blanket up over my arms.

  "They were coming to check up on the academy and make sure that everything was running smoothly but now they are coming to meet you. Celestria believes you have been brought to us for a higher purpose than us teaching you our ways. She believes that you…" she broke off then as though she was struggling with how to explain herself, "It doesn't matter right now. We can talk more once you are rested."

  How the hell was I supposed to sleep if I spent all night worrying about what she had been about to say?

  She didn't give me the chance to ask her as she pushed herself to her feet and sighed, "As I said, I shall be sleeping in my office. Give me a shout if you need anything at all. I'll be in to check on you every few hours."

  I opened my mouth to tell her that I was beginning to feel better and that I could return to my dorm but she was already crossing the room.

  "Sleep well Brianna Winters." She spoke the words as though they were a wish to the Goddess before slipping from the room.

  The candles all around me suddenly seemed dimmer than before. My eyelids were remarkably heavy and I couldn't help but yawn all over again.

  ***

  I was drifting in and out of sleep no more than an hour later when the sudden urge to get up and leave hit me like I'd run into a brick wall.

  I sat bolt upright in bed, feeling as though somebody had called my name.

  Straining my ears to listen out into the dim room and the darkness of the corridor beyond, I found that I could hear nothing. There was only eerie silence all around me.

  "Hello?" I said, my voice small in the vastness of the infirmary room. I glanced around at the other empty beds, half expecting to see someone sitting in one of them.

  I was relieved when I found that I was still alone.

  That's when I heard it, the soft lilting voice that called out from me from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

  Brianna, my daughter, you know what you must do.

  My entire body trembled even as my gut clenched painfully, warning me that I had to get out of bed.

  "Who's there?" I called even as I shoved back the blanket and slipped from the bed onto shaking legs.

  Go, Brianna, go now! The voice was filled with urgency. You must learn the truth.

  My legs began to move almost without my permission and I found that my legs were much stronger than they felt as I half-walked, half-ran down the corridor, tiptoeing silently past Merrin's office.

  Why didn't I want her to catch me? I wasn't sure but the feeling in my gut told me that I shouldn't let anyone stop me from getting to wherever the hell it was my feet were taking me.

  I took the staircase two steps at a time, gathering speed even as I whipped around the bannister post at the bottom and found myself face to face with the huge, ornate library doors.

  The whirling wind symbols on the door frame seemed to glow iridescently causing my breath to catch in my throat.

  It is time you learned who you are. The voice was soft and sweet as fresh water from a summer spring. It urged me forwards and the doors sprung open after only a few steps.

  That means I'm supposed to be here, right? I thought to myself as I remembered that I'd been told the doors in the main building only opened up when we had a right to have access to the room.

  Maybe everyone in the academy had access to the library right now but I wasn't so sure. Somehow I felt as though the doors were opening up for me and me alone.

  They clicked closed with a gentle creak as I stood inside the library unsure as to what I was supposed to do.

  As always the fireplace at the other end of the library was lit, warming my shivering body.

  Why am I so cold?


  Sure we are getting towards the end of summer but it’s still warm even though the sun has been asleep for hours. Just as I should be right now.

  I glanced at the clock that hung above the fireplace and saw that it was just past one in the morning. I definitely should be sleeping right now. I’m a haggish nightmare if I don't get at least eight hours sleep.

  My hand moved instinctively to the pendant around my neck, that so far I'd managed to keep well hidden in the neckline of my clothing since I'd arrived at the Winterwood Academy.

  I don't know why touching it soothed me but it did.

  As it touched it I began to realise that for the first time the gemstones weren't cool to the touch. In fact, they seemed to be pulsing in my fingers, a warm powerful heat that spread up my arm as I pulled the pendant out of my dress.

  "What the hell?" I gasped when I realised that it was glowing. Not glowing because the candles in the library were shining on it but glowing as though it had its own light, coming from within.

  In my surprise, I took a step forward and suddenly realised that the glowing was getting brighter.

  The flicker at the corner of my eye suddenly made me look up and my jaw practically hit the floor when I realised that my pendant wasn't the only thing glowing.

  Nestled upon the velvet cushion, beneath a thick layer of glass, the 'W' that was burned into the leather cover of the Winterwood book of shadows was also pulsing with light.

  My instincts took over once more, fighting back my fear as they urged me forwards.

  My stride grew more urgent as I rushed up to the podium.

  I don't know what made me do it but I reached out to touch the glass and my mind instantly began to spin when I realised that it was no longer solid as it had been when the library had been filled with people.

  My hands passed easily through the transparent material as though they were moving through water and when my fingers caressed the leatherbound book I felt a surge of power, like electricity, jolting up my arms and into my chest.

  As though there was suddenly no barrier, I lifted the book easily from the cushioning and slipped it from its casting.

  The 'W' glowed so brightly now that I had to squint my eyes against it as I moved to place the book on the table where I'd sat for Lecturer Tomas's class.