I bounced in my heels, waiting with bated breath for the gates to open.
Until my enthusiasm came to a screeching halt.
"Clayton is bringing them," Josie sneered with raised eyebrows, making me want to mess up her perfectly straightened hair. The impeccable fawn color annoyed me further.
Her grating voice made my shoulders flinch up to my ears.
"What?" I took the bait before I could stifle myself.
Why the hell was Clayton bringing them? I was always the first to greet the new students.
"I guess you've been replaced," she shrugged. Crossing her arms, she turned to her sidekick, Lauren, with a giggle.
Lauren chuckled, flipping her chestnut ringlet curls away from her face.
I dropped my head back and rolled my eyes.
The bane of my existence.
The Big Three.
Josie, Lauren, and Clayton.
Why did they always have to interfere in my life?
It was bad enough that Josie and Lauren were the obnoxious queen bees of the academy. Their supernatural skills were sharp, unfortunately, and they used them secretly to mess with the other students. They took pride in it, making themselves look top-notch to the Higher Order. Their heightened skill of deception was infuriating.
And Clayton. He was basically prom king, if we had such a thing, perfect at everything and graduated at the top of the class. He was super smart and more mature than the other two, which was his only saving grace, but also kept him in the threat-zone.
So, needless to say, all three combined made The Big Three my biggest challenge and least favorite thing about the academy.
Then there was my group.
The ones who made it all tolerable.
Piper, Noah, and me.
I actually liked our reputation at the academy, even if we were seen as the underdogs. We were the ones who upheld the core values of Hazeldene—respect, honesty, integrity, and practice. We relied on each other and the powerful bond of friendship. We always tried to do what was right.
Our intentions were good.
And so, we didn't stand a chance against The Big Three.
I turned to Ms. Harrison with my hands out to the sides. "Why is Clayton bringing them?" I snipped.
She pressed her lips together as she pulled her gray cardigan around her broad chest. "They were ready to arrive a bit earlier than expected, and you couldn't be found anywhere." Her colorful skirt swayed around her ankles as she shifted her weight.
My eyes widened as I closed my fist to hide my burn. Crap. I'd been at the labyrinth when they were trying to find me, and for some reason, no one could ever detect my whereabouts when I was there.
Why did that always happen?
"Nooo," I whined, imagining Clayton jutting out his chest in smugness. "Damn it."
Ms. Harrison lifted a hand to stifle me, and the lines around her eyes deepened as she crinkled her face. "Don't jinx it. We need no damnation at a time like this."
I smirked.
She always had the knack for lightening the mood.
"Figures one of the Big Three took your spot," Noah scoffed. "Never fails."
I closed my eyes in disgust.
It was the high-pitched squeak of the iron gate that popped them back open.
"Don't worry, Shaye," Ms. Harrison said. "You'll take back your rightful place."
Her words resonated through my skull, filling every space, lifting one eyebrow.
As my focus returned to the entryway gates, I watched as they slowly opened. My eyes nearly fell out of my head as I stared, waiting for the first sight of the new recruits.
At first, I saw only Clayton—his tall, dark form striding with arrogant confidence. He always stood as if balancing a book on top of his head, looking down his nose on those around him. If it weren't for the numerous twists of his black hair pointing straight up, I'd be convinced of the presence of said book.
"Can you see them?" Piper asked, squinting her bulgy eyes for a better view.
I noticed new movement behind Clayton.
"Yes, I see them," I said with excitement.
My head tipped forward as I focused on the new recruits.
A boy and a girl.
And for some reason, I couldn't pull my eyes off the mysterious girl.
I couldn't hold back any longer and hurried down the gravel drive toward them. The new recruits remained concealed behind Clayton's broad stance, but my eyes immediately met Chancellor Kelly's as she followed behind them.
The Chancellor's long black coat flowed behind her as she moved with the group. The heavy medallion hanging at her chest emanated royalty. Her face radiated hope and pride in the new additions to the academy. Chancellor Kelly always had an eye for students who would be a perfect match at the institute, and I trusted that these two would be no different. I wondered how she found them, but student histories were held strictly confidential, archived somewhere unknown.
Chancellor Kelly pushed the stray hairs from her face, tucking them back into her tight bun of wavy ash gray, and nodded at me with a smile, encouraging me to approach them. As I moved closer, Clayton's determined strut attempted to display superiority, but I ignored him and kept my focus on the newbies.
The boy had a mop of copper brown hair that he allowed to shadow his face. Peeking up with one eye, he watched me with suspicion. The girl's expression held curiosity as she studied me, unblinking. I imagined they must be frightened and overwhelmed, wondering what lay ahead of them, so my job was to put them at ease.
As I approached, Clayton side-stepped, ever so slightly, to block my access to the recruits. As much as I wanted to punch him, I also wanted to make a good impression, so instead, I greeted him.
"Clayton," I said with a nod.
"Shaye," he retorted.
A small brass cuff wrapped around one of his hair twists, shaking across his forehead. It upped his hotness game ten-fold, and I nearly had to slap myself before he caught me staring.
Damn it.
And with that, I stepped past him and stood in front of the two students.
The boy was closest, so I reached my hand out to him.
"Hi, I'm Shaye, the lead mentor here. Welcome to Hazeldene."
He took my hand and gave it a firm squeeze. Being somewhere around twelve and maybe a little small for his age, he had to prove his maturity with his grip strength, and it nearly brought tears to my eyes.
I'd forgotten about the burn on my palm, and it sent searing pain up my arm.
I choked back the scream that threatened to launch out of me, and used every ounce of energy to not pull my hand away. With everyone watching, that would become another faux pas the gossips would latch onto.
"Nice to meet you," he said. "I'm Asher."
As soon as he spoke, my searing nerves settled and my shoulders relaxed. I felt comfortable in his warm gaze and realized his gift right away. He controlled the emotions of those around him, possibly without even realizing it.
I smiled with a nod and then turned to the girl. She was likely around the same age as Asher, but stood taller, about shoulder height to me.
Keeping with formality, I swallowed hard and reached my throbbing hand out to her.
"Welcome to Hazeldene. I'm happy to meet you."
She took my hand, and I held my breath, preparing for the worst.
With a squeeze, she said, "Hi, I'm Hattie. I love your long hair. It looks like golden silk." She held my hand for a moment longer than socially acceptable, and as she did so, the pain in my palm subsided. It went away, actually, and felt good, as if a shot of morphine oozed throughout the skin.
I smiled into her deep blue eyes, hidden mostly by her messy, flowing black hair, and nodded in gratitude.
I couldn't be sure if she knew what she had done, but her healing power around my burn was profound. And there was something else about her. Something that drew me to wanting to know more. Becoming her mentor was suddenly the only focus in my mind.
&nbs
p; Glancing up at Chancellor Kelly's wise eyes, I smiled with approval of her choices.
She lifted her eyebrows at me as if to say, "Yes, I know."
Turning toward the academy, I prepared to lead Asher and Hattie to their new school, but instead, bumped into a solid wall of purple.
Clayton remained steadfast in his position, and his flashy purple jacket commanded all the attention. He rocked back on his heels with a smirk.
"Are we ready to introduce our new mentees to the house?" he stated.
Our new mentees? What the hell was he talking about?
I turned back to Chancellor Kelly, and she met my wide eyes with a nod.
"I've selected you and Clayton to be the mentors for our new students," she said. "I think you will each be perfectly matched to Asher and Hattie's training needs."
My eyes closed for a second as I balled my fists.
Figured I'd have to share this with one of The Big Three. That not only meant working closely with Clayton but also with his infuriating entourage. I much preferred mentoring new recruits with my own squad, or at least with grads I liked.
I took a step closer to Hattie, attempting to show Chancellor Kelly my preferred choice. I at least deserved that much.
She kept her eyes off mine as she said, "Clayton, you will mentor Hattie, and Shaye, you will take on Asher."
The words buzzed around me like angry bees, and I swatted at them with my mind, hoping to mix them into a different order. But it was no use. Chancellor Kelly had made her selection, and there was no arguing her ruling.
I plastered a fake smile across my face and stepped closer to Asher. Fortunately, I had a really good vibe about him, so the assignment wasn't terrible in that sense. My frayed nerves were pointed more at Clayton than anyone else.
Sure, I felt drawn to Hattie, like we had an instant connection, but in my heart, I knew I'd work well with Asher, too.
My teeth ground together as I watched Clayton shake his head, sending his twists in every direction. His dark brown skin radiated a perfect glow, accentuating his handsome features, burning my ass even further.
"Come on, Hattie. I'll introduce you to everyone at the house." He led her along with him.
I nudged Asher to follow too.
"We'll introduce them together, so everyone has a chance to meet them both," I added, refusing to give Clayton the upper hand.
He turned back with an annoying smirk. "If you say so."
Chapter 2
Choking on smoke and gasping for air, I shot straight up in my bed. With my eyes bugging out of my head, I searched the room for signs of fire, but there were none. The air was clean, and I took a deep inhale and then blew it out in a shaking stream.
Sweat beaded on my brow, and I wiped it with the back of my hand. Still panting, I positioned my pillows and sat up taller.
Why the hell did I have these nightmares? I never had this problem before, and now, all of a sudden, I had sleep issues?
Ms. Harrison told me it was anxiety around my transition to adulthood and all the new pressures that come with it, but I didn't think that was it. If anything, I was happy graduation had passed and I was moving on to bigger things.
I thought back on my day to see if anything stood out.
And, yup, there it was.
One thing after another had gone wrong during the past day, from getting burned at the labyrinth, to losing a mentee to Clayton, and then having to watch him flaunt Hattie to Josie and Lauren while they snickered and peered at me.
Yeah. It had been a bad day.
But now was the time to decide that I wouldn't let those things derail me.
It was time for me to rise above the pettiness and kick some ass.
I'd focus on my own projects, like furthering my fire practice, honing the powers of my mind, and helping Asher adjust to the academy. I had plenty to keep myself occupied.
With a satisfied smile, I lowered myself back into my bed and pulled the blanket up.
Then, in a burst of red light, a face flashed in front of me, causing me to jolt. The wicked eyes glared at me through streams of smoke as frazzled gray hair lifted all around, and I choked on my breath. Blinking to clear the image, I looked again as my heart nearly pounded out of my chest, and I stared in horror as long, bony fingers reached out for my throat. As the mummified hands moved out of the smog closer to me, the death-like hag cackled with a bone-chilling sound. Then her scratching voice rose into a wailing screech that sent me flying out of my bed.
Swatting her shriveled, leathery hands away from my face, I jumped across the room, breathless, as the smoke dissipated and the bone-chilling vision of the crazed witch blew away.
My mouth hung open as my breath whooshed out of me.
What the hell was that?
Clearly, the worst and most realistic nightmare I'd ever had.
But no.
I rubbed my eyes with my trembling hand.
That was no dream.
Grabbing a sweatshirt, I flew out of my room and hurried down the hall to Noah's. I rapped my knuckles on his door a million miles an hour and didn't stop until he opened it.
Peering through half-sleeping eyes, his lip curled up on one side as he stared at me.
"Umm. It's the middle of the night," he mumbled.
I pushed past him and closed the door behind me.
"Noah, something's after me," I blurted. "I've known it for a while now. I've felt it following me, watching me."
He rubbed his eyes with his faded California Dreamin' t-shirt as he climbed back into his bed.
"Another nightmare?" he grumbled.
"No!" I blasted, still out of breath. "This was different."
I stepped to his window and cautiously glanced out. Scanning the grounds, I searched for a billowing black cape or any other sign of the horrifying hag.
"Hey, watch out for my clean clothes," he said. "You're stepping all over them."
I glanced down at the pile of balled-up clothing strewn around the floor by my feet.
With a slight huff, I stepped away. "Sorry." Then I glanced at his dresser. "Or you could put them in that."
"Whatever."
"No, seriously, Noah. I don't know what to do." I paced across the room as his head moved back and forth, tracking me.
"Sounds like you need to talk to Ms. Harrison. She's good with this type of shit. But seriously, Shaye, I think you're just stressed out. I mean, did you see yourself at dinner? If looks could kill, The Big Three would be goners." He lifted his eyebrows at me.
I dropped my head back and exhaled louder than necessary.
"You're right. Fuck."
"Yup. You can't let them get to you like that. If you do, then they win." His lips pressed together.
"Okay, okay." I shook my head. "But I literally can't stop thinking that they have something to do with this. Like a dream spell or something. I wouldn't put it past them."
"But why, Shaye? What's their motivation?" he murmured.
"I'm not sure." I moved to the window again, this time avoiding his clothes pile. "But I intend to find out."
"Shaye..."
"No, seriously, Noah. You know I've always been a target for them. They know something about me that makes them nervous. I've always felt it. I just have no idea what it could be." I bit my thumbnail. "I bet there's something in the archives that would explain it."
Noah sat up with wide eyes.
"The archives are strictly forbidden," he spat. "Don't even consider it, Shaye."
I shook my head. "Too late. Already have."
Oops. I did it again.
Gone rogue.
Talking about the forbidden archives.
Did I never learn?
Then again, control was never my strength.
I couldn't control my fire. I couldn't control my temper. I couldn't control my fate. So why would I be able to control my impulsivity?
But I had to learn to control these things.
It was the only way to fight for
the truth of who I believed I could be.
More than a rogue witch.
Much more.
The morning sun’s bright light lifted my head from Noah's armchair, and I bent my neck to work out the crick. A moment later, he raised his head from his pillow and smacked his lips.
"Shit. Did I fall asleep on you?"
I grinned. "No worries. I didn't mean to barge in like that. I was just too scared to go back to my own room."
"That's messed up, Shaye." He rubbed his hand down his face and picked up his phone to check the time. "Whoa. Breakfast."
I shot up out of my seat.
"I need to bring Asher for his first time." I jumped toward the door. "See you down there."
Racing to my room, I heard the distant clanging of dishes, and a waft of warm cinnamon awakened my senses. In two seconds flat, I primped myself enough to appear decent and hurried down to the second floor to find Asher.
As I moved along the student hallway, passing old maps and gold-framed portraits along the walls, I peered into each open door to find all the rooms empty. Massive fireplaces and ornate furniture stared back at me as I gritted my teeth together.
I was too late.
They must all be in the dining room already.
I closed my eyes in self-loathing. How could I miss this moment with Asher?
And then, behind my closed lids, a flash of the hag's sinister face caused my breath to suck in.
Shit.
I blinked to clear the image as I tore down the grand staircase to the foyer. Breathless, I entered the dining room and scanned the long mahogany table. Tall-backed chairs with intricately carved details lined the length of the dining table, twelve on each side. Two larger, more stately chairs sat at either end, and my eyes caught Ms. Harrison's at the head. The seat at the opposite end was empty, as usual.
She sent me a weak smile and then glanced down the length of the table. I followed her gaze until my eyes found Asher. He smiled and waved, calling me over with his flapping hand and pointing to an empty seat next to him. He'd saved it for me.
Mystic Coven: Fire Festival (Supernatural Academy Graduates Book 1) Page 2