And then, with a crash, the large front doors of the manor burst open. In a blur, a young boy ran out, gasping for air. He blindly stumbled across the lawn in hysteria, running from the sight of his dead parents.
The spirit of Young Shane flew toward us, eyes wide with frantic terror.
Shane jolted as he watched the boy tear across the lawn, desperately trying to escape the horror of what he'd seen.
"He's heading to the labyrinth," Shane yelled. "I remember this moment. I was trying to hide."
He choked on his air as he moved into the line of the boy's path. He glanced at me for a second and said, "This was when the Dark Witch had found him, in his moment of despair."
And then, in a quick decision, Shane stepped directly in front of the running boy and opened his arms as if to catch him. The boy had no time to slow or avoid him, and instead ran straight into Shane's chest. The two collided with a thunderous boom that shook my bones. Lightning flashed as their bodies shuddered in an explosive transformation, morphing into one being.
As the small boy’s image vanished within Shane, the spiraling death curse rose high above them. It whirled in a frenzy of screeching pain, pulling into a tight formation of a high-pitched wail. Then, with the shudder of a strange shock through the air, the funnel imploded with a flash, leaving nothing but white ash on the wind.
"That's it," Ms. Kelly whispered, with her eyes following the white ash on the wind. "It's the end of the Dark Witch’s death curse."
Her words bounced around in the back of my mind as the other UMAs twitched their muscles back to life.
Poorva coughed. "It tried to get Shane, by making him relive his worst nightmare."
"Yeah," Blake huffed. "But it actually helped him. When Shane's soul ran out of the house and collided with him, it broke the curse."
"Indeed. The curse caused its own demise," Ms. Kelly stated. "The irony is in the fact that the death curse brought life back to Shane."
Everyone fell silent for a moment, likely in shock.
"No wonder it killed itself," Blake snickered.
Their words floated all around my head, confirming that we were safe.
But I had only one focus.
And it was Shane.
I ran to him at full speed and smacked into his chest with all my force.
He stumbled back slightly, then wrapped his arms around me with equal power. His embrace shot his full life force through me, and I reeled back in exquisite joy.
He was whole again.
Every part of him was alive and awake.
He dropped his head back, allowing the sensation of life to course through his veins. And then with heavy sobs, he buried his face into my shoulder.
The little boy in him was back. He had given Shane his innocence, his curiosity, and his unabashed courage. And Shane soaked it all in.
"I love you, Brynn."
His whisper bonded me to him.
"I love you, Shane."
And I wept in his arms as we held each other, knowing we would never let go.
Epilogue
Shane and I walked toward the boarded-up manor and stood in front of its open doors. The haunting images of the frantic little boy running out of the house had already faded. His terror had been replaced with a sense of peace now. Shane had taken the small boy and sheltered him within his heart for safekeeping.
Now, as we gazed through the open doors into the foyer, we no longer saw the disturbing scene of Shane's parents hanging by their necks from long nooses. Instead, the manor called to us, inviting us into its protective walls. The home was full of magical secrets, and every room offered a unique comfort.
Shane squeezed my hand and then turned to the other UMAs.
"We need a new school," he said. "A place to practice our craft, an institution for training new recruits." He turned back to the manor and surveyed its condition. "Now that the church is gone, and Lakefield High can't quite keep up with us, we could really use a place like this."
I couldn't believe what he was suggesting. The magnitude of the idea blew my mind.
"Are you sure," I whispered.
He took my hand and held it firmly.
"I would never go back, Brynn. I want to stay here with you and with our coven."
Ms. Kelly stepped closer and soaked in the details of the time-worn estate.
"It would be incredible," she gasped. "Perfect, actually, in every way. But how could it be possible?"
Shane grinned.
"My inheritance," he stated. "It will cover renovations, as well as upkeep, basically forever."
My jaw fell open.
It was the most incredible idea, and as soon as it was spoken, I knew it would become real.
The manor was to become the new location of the Urban Mystic Academy. And before long, our numbers would grow. Our coven would strengthen and use its power for helping others.
As I gazed at the incredible possibilities of the grand estate, a strange sensation traveled up my arm, causing it to shake. I jumped and shook my hand as if a bug had landed on it, only to find the talisman quivering in my palm.
"Shane," I gasped. "The talisman."
He studied it in my hand as it jittered with energy. Ms. Kelly and the others came over and tightened a circle around me.
"It's open," Ms. Reed said. "It's ready to be used."
I shot a nervous look to Shane. The last thing I wanted was to invite more evil into our lives or open a new door of terror. But the talisman didn't give me a feeling of negativity. Instead, it maintained an aura of strength and useful magic.
I lifted it toward my eye as the others leaned in with hopeful expressions.
Looking through the center crystal, I searched the foggy glass for whatever it might share with us. The colors faded, and I sucked in my breath.
"It's turned gray, like black and white images," I muttered as I stared into the crystal. "Wait," I gasped. "There's more."
I lifted the talisman higher in hopes that everyone would see what it was revealing. The images projected into the space between us, causing us to step back in surprise.
It was a snapshot of the Dawson Farm, back in its early days.
"It's just as I remember it," I murmured in disbelief.
Shane rubbed his chin, staring at the image.
"Look," he blurted. "There are people there, coming out of the house."
We tightened our circle and watched the scene with silent intensity.
The talisman shook in my hand as my nerves responded to what we saw.
"It's Dom," I choked.
"And Courtney," Poorva whispered.
We stared through the crystal as we watched our friends in their new world, the world they were meant to be in.
Ms. Kelly gasped. "And there's Millicent."
Standing on the porch, Millicent held a swaddled bundle in her arms. Then, a woman stepped up from behind and stood by her side.
"Oh my god. It's Gertie." My words caught in my throat as my hand flew over my mouth. Seeing them all together was the most amazing gift I could ever have wished for.
They appeared healthy and happy, going on with their normal lives.
"It worked," I stated in disbelief. "They're safe from the darkness of the witch and the evil of the mob. They're okay." Tears fell from my eyes as I gazed upon our friends and the stability they'd created for themselves on the farm.
And then the talisman shook harder, more than my jittering nerves could produce. It quaked in my hand, blurring the images until they stopped altogether.
"What's happening?" Blake called out.
I grabbed my wrist to steady the uncontrollable shaking, but it was no use. The talisman felt like it was about to explode.
And then a surge of energy blasted out from the top of it, sending vibrations through the air around us.
Ms. Reed's eyes rolled to the back of her head, exposing only the whites. Her arms fell to her sides as she stood in a trance-like posture.
"I'm comin
g back," she said.
Only it wasn't her voice.
"Elizabeth?" Ms. Kelly choked. She stepped closer to Ms. Reed. "Elizabeth? Is that you?"
"My work here is done. Balance is restored." Her voice channeled through Ms. Reed as if a million miles away. "I will be returning. The portal is complete."
Static filled the air as we strained to hear the final words from Ms. Reed's mouth.
Her lips quivered as she struggled to speak them.
"I will return."
The words sent gasps through the circle, and then Ms. Reed coughed. Her eyes blinked back to normal, and she stared at our unnerved faces.
"What happened?" she asked in confusion.
"Elizabeth," Ms. Kelly stated. "She channeled through you."
Ms. Reed nodded. "I understand. Her message is still clear within me. She's returning to us."
Dom must have finally completed the portal. Driven by some force, he never stopped his building, always knowing it would someday be needed.
Ms. Harrison likely instructed him along the way as they conspired to keep the channel open.
But why?
Their lives in the past had settled into a normal existence, and if I wasn't mistaken, there was a baby in Millicent's arms.
The baby!
My eyes widened to saucers as I realized the importance of the child. The baby ensured the ancestral bloodline and allowed for the continued existence of the Dawson coven.
My eyes twitched and met Ms. Kelly's gaze.
Her thoughts were in perfect alignment with mine.
"The child must be guided in the proper direction," she said. "She is vulnerable to the darkness in those woods."
I nodded as the blood drained from my head.
"The loop," I muttered, closing my eyes against the realization.
It would never fully close, and therefore, a repeat of history was always a possibility.
Our mission was clear.
We would need to pull tight as a coven to police the gates and keep balance within the realms. It would be our ultimate goal.
Several months had passed with no contact from Ms. Harrison. We pulled together as a strong coven, renovating our new academy to its original stately glory. Its scrolling metal gates at the entry, and its high slated gables, gave it the appearance of a gothic institution for the training of supernaturals.
It was perfect.
Its bedrooms were transformed into dormitories, and the libraries and parlors became practice workshops and altar chambers.
Shane and I kept his guest house as our own private quarters, and he marked his mother's garden as off-limits, for the time being. The labyrinth would have its day once again, just not any time soon.
The UMAs gathered at the front gate of the manor for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Ms. Kelly's eyes misted as she prepared to cast a spell of protection over the grounds.
"It seems fitting to hold your graduation ceremonies at this time," she said. "Today is the day you take your first official steps toward our new mission as a coven."
It felt right.
We had definitely moved from the ranks of trainees to full-blown practitioners. A graduation gesture was unnecessary, but at the same time, felt right.
As we pushed the gates open and entered the grounds as new graduates, a sense of awe struck me.
I knew who I was.
I knew where I was going.
And I was exactly where I wanted to be.
As we approached the front porch of the new Urban Mystic Academy, a strange sound filled the air around us.
Ms. Kelly and Ms. Reed froze in their tracks as the rest of us watched their reaction with stealth focus.
Poorva and Blake stood rigid, darting their eyes between the women and Shane and me.
I listened to the breeze as it carried a faraway voice on its stream.
As the wind blew with more energy, the voice grew louder and more clear.
"Elizabeth?" Ms. Kelly called out.
My spine straightened as my heart pounded in my chest.
I stepped closer to Shane and pressed my shoulder into his. He held me tight as we studied the space around us.
In an instant, the wind grew stronger, spiraling into a powerful vortex of sound and fury. As it whipped debris and dust all around us, we covered our faces from the assault. And then, in a blast of blinding light, it ripped open with the sound of the universe vibrating through our bones.
With a final shockwave of energy, the vortex dropped its contents and then burst away, dissipating into the sky above.
We stood motionless, staring through the mist at a crouched form in the middle of our circle. My breath panted in and out as panic rose within my soul.
Ms. Kelly stepped closer.
"Elizabeth?" she whispered.
The hunched form moved with gentle motion, and as it lifted, it revealed a second being within its protection.
My hand flew over my mouth as I gasped.
"Elizabeth," Ms. Kelly said again. "You are safe now.”
Ms. Harrison lifted her guarded gaze and surveyed our coven as if in disbelief. She kept her arms placed protectively on the other person, sheltering them from the shock of their new location.
Then her eyes lit up, and a broad smile spead across her face.
"We made it?" she asked.
Ms. Kelly let out a laugh of delight. "Yes, Elizabeth. You made it."
Ms. Reed gasped in overwhelming happiness, as the three of them embraced with giddy laughter.
My eyes filled with tears as I watched the joy of the Trifecta's reunion.
And then Ms. Kelly stepped back and glanced behind Ms. Harrison.
"Who do you have there?" she asked.
We all leaned in closer for a better look. The person remained hidden within a shawl, keeping their face down.
Ms. Harrison stepped back and helped the unknown girl to stand. Judging from her height, she must have been in her early teens, but it was difficult to tell through her layered frocks. Long blonde hair framed her lovely face as she blinked her large blue eyes at us.
"I'd like you all to meet Shaye," Ms. Harrison said with a grin. “Beloved daughter of Dominick and Millicent.”
My jaw fell open as I gasped.
Then, with a grin, Ms. Harrison added, “She has been sent to you by her trusting parents for her training."
The End
<<<<>>>>
I hope you enjoyed the conclusion of the Urban Mystic Academy, six book series
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Next up:
A spin-off from the Urban Mystic Academy series
MYSTIC COVEN
Featuring Shaye!
MYSTIC COVEN
Book One-FIRE FESTIVAL
Book Two-WINTER WICCAN
Book Three-PAGAN PROPHECY
Book Four-SOLSTICE SUMMONING
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When a rogue witch tries to find her way, she knows the autumn equinox is her time to rise--Bring on the fire festival in the season of the witch.
Graduating from the supernatural academy at the bottom of her class forced Shaye to practice her own rituals, turning her already mixed-up world upside down. Nothing was as it seemed, and her magical training was far from helpful, leaving her at a crossroads--go rogue with her psychic abilities or join a coven of like-minded mystics.
Being misunderstood at the academy had been one thing, but being labeled a criminal was quite another. And having the Ancient Banshee on her trail, to impart a ruthless punishment for something she didn't do, was the breaking point.
And to make matters worse, graduation failed to remove the pressure of the top supernaturals and their negative influence on everyone beneath them. Shaye's group of misfit supernaturals at the academy hadn't stood a chance at competing with them... until now.
With the Fire Festival approaching, Shaye's sense
s sharpen since the Ring of Fire is anticipated at the exact same time. With the lunar eclipse marking the date of the festival, Shaye knows it's the one time of year that she may have a shot at her redemption. If only she could get a handle on the spontaneous combustion in her palm that keeps derailing her.
Grave robbing, home-job tattooing, and séance summoning, all while avoiding the unexpected attention from the most elite graduate of the academy, keep Shaye alert and out of the Ancient Banshee's clutches, for the moment.
Will Shaye get the chance to become the gifted mystic she's meant to be, or will she be blackballed and labeled by her peers as a misguided rogue.
One-click to join the Mystic Coven on a riveting adventure of forgotten magic and a festival you'll never forget.
Click for your copy of MYSTIC COVEN
Keep scrolling for a free sample of
LEGEND HUNTER
SHE THOUGHT UNLOCKING AN ANCIENT DRUID CURSE WOULD BRING HER POWER. INSTEAD, IT BROUGHT HER A DEATH SENTENCE.
Tomb raiding and dungeon breaking were not part of the plan as Isobel Ross set out to rescue her lost friend, Maeve. But an unexpected discovery of ancient artifacts connects her to the past in ways that terrify her, heightening her unnerving abilities of second sight.
In a desperate search through time, with ancient Druids closing in, Isobel faces horrors of the past while running from evils of the present. Power-hungry townsfolk want her stopped before her abilities grow too strong, but a local gifted family helps her to fight the witch hunt that threatens them all. The alluring grandson, Ryan, has unusual gifts that complicate matters further as Isobel and he struggle to gain control over their powerful visions.
Time is running out for Isobel to rescue Maeve from the abyss of eternity as the Druid curse takes its toll all around them. Will Isobel be able to save her friend from the clouding visions or will she too become trapped within the curse forever?
Urban Mystic Academy: Graduation (A Supernatural Academy Series Book 6) Page 12