And now I watched as they exploded into shattered pieces right before my eyes.
"I owe it to my parents to go back," I said, avoiding Clayton's eyes.
His sinking shoulders weren't missed in my peripheral vision.
Saying the words caused a sickening ache in my heart. I figured Clayton was feeling the same, if not worse. He was the one being left.
What was I even thinking, though? I couldn't leave Clayton. He was the one thing that held me together, making me stronger and a better person. His belief in me was what made me believe in myself. I'd always have him to thank for that.
But I didn't want to have to thank him.
I wanted to be with him.
But then there was Hattie to think about.
My little sister had snuck through the portal to find me here. I owed it to Hattie to return her home to our family. Thing was, though, getting her to leave Hazeldene would be no easy feat.
She loved it here, too.
For the first time in her life she felt like she fit in. Her life made sense now.
Which was exactly how I felt at the academy.
"I know. I understand," Clayton sighed. "Your parents sent you here for a reason. You have to at least find out what it was."
My eyes widened, and I lifted my gaze to him.
"Seriously?"
Was he actually telling me to go?
I mean, he was right. We both knew it. But for him to say it was unexpected.
He shrugged.
"They love you. Your parents wouldn't have sent you here if they didn't." He lowered his eyes to the floor. "They need you now.”
I took in a long, slow inhale and blew it out.
With a nod, I agreed.
It was a drastic measure by them to have sent me through a mystical gateway as a child. My parents must have known what they were doing, though. It was clear to me now that they had some kind of connection with Ms. Reed and the Higher Order. And it was time I found out more about that.
"I'm scared," I whispered.
It wasn't just the thought of traveling through a portal, but it was the idea of going somewhere so unknown, so dangerous.
Clayton reached his arms around me and grazed my hair with his face.
"That's why I'm going with you."
Chapter 2
"Shaye, Shaye, Shaye, Shaye!" Hattie's voice burst through my door and pounded on my head.
Smacking my lips, I pried my eyes open against the bright morning sun.
"What?" I muttered.
"Shaye, let me in," she whined.
"Fine," I grumbled, pushing my covers off.
Shuffling to the door, I unlatched the lock, and before I could open it, Hattie shoved her way through.
"Mornin'," she sang, bouncing across the room to my make-up table.
She immediately touched my things, playing with lip gloss and spraying body mist. My eyes rolled as I climbed back into bed.
Glancing at my phone, I checked the time.
Eight o'clock.
I supposed the wake-up call wasn't too criminal of her.
"Where's the fire?" I huffed, knowing I'd be getting no additional sleep.
She clinked moisturizer bottles together, reorganizing my items.
"I didn't want you to miss breakfast," she said. "There's going to be an announcement."
I sat up and swung my feet over the side of the bed.
"What kind of announcement?"
"I dunno. I heard the gong. Then I saw Housemother Harrison talking with Headmaster Reed in the foyer." Hattie glanced over her shoulder. "When they saw me peeking, they stopped whispering and moved into the dining room. They're waiting for everyone now."
I hopped out of bed.
"Why didn't you say so?"
I pulled myself together quickly, wondering why I had nearly slept through breakfast again.
"Will you go wake the others?" I said, running a brush through my hair.
"Already did," she chimed. "I knocked on doors, saved yours for last."
"Okay, good. Gimme a sec in the bathroom, then I'm ready."
I bombed down the hall with my toiletries, grateful I'd showered the evening before.
My late-night chat with Clayton had left me drained, but at the same time, it shot my anxiety to new levels of high. Staying with him until all hours was the best therapy, followed then by a long, hot shower. But even with such a perfect ending to the long night, my stressful predicament remained the same.
And now, with my heart in my throat, the anxiety of leaving Hazeldene returned as I rushed to the dining hall.
With my toothbrush stuck in my face, I twitched as the bathroom door pushed open. Foam dribbled down my chin as I rued the multi-user bathrooms.
"There you are," Piper chimed, waving for me to come with her. "Let's goooo."
Her wide eyes bulged in their natural, excited state, and I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.
With her peach-colored hair floating around her, she looked like morning sun.
"What's going on down there?" I mumbled through a mouth full of toothpaste.
Her orange lashes fluttered in disbelief.
"Didn't you hear it?" she asked. "The terrace bell rang one time. It means there's going to be an important discussion at breakfast."
I spat in the sink. "Weird. I didn't hear it."
Swiping my things, we flew out of the bathroom, and I dropped my bucket into my room.
Hattie had already found Asher, and the two of them were gone with the other young students.
As Piper and I hopped to the stairway, we stopped short for a moment, catching sight of Noah and Clayton at the bottom of the steps.
They stood tall with lifted brows, waiting for us as if we were disheveled, unruly children. I shot a guilty smirk to Clayton, and he shook his head.
"Let's go, ladies," Noah hurried us like we weren't already rushing.
The four of us joined together and hurried down the grand staircase leading to the foyer. Passing under the crystal chandelier, we followed the enticing aroma of cinnamon and coffee. The murmur of voices and clinking chinaware drew us into the dining room.
Hattie and Asher looked up as we entered and gestured to our four open seats.
It still surprised me that our spots were at the top of the table, right by Ms. Harrison's place at the head.
And then, just to be sure, I glanced down the long table to the far end.
Ms. Reed smiled back at me with a nod, reassuring me of her presence. I could still hardly believe that she was back, and my nervous twitch taunted me that she could disappear again at any moment.
But it was true. She was here once again with us, and it brought balance back to Hazeldene.
Ms. Reed's return from the lost abyss had convinced everyone of my innocence. They'd originally all believed Josie's lies about my blame for Ms. Reed's disappearance at Hell's Gates. Everyone thought I'd led her to her demise through my roguish ways. I'd actually started believing it too.
But now that she'd returned through Hattie's mystical portal, the other students and alum were quick to drop their blame. They'd witnessed the rescue and then heard Ms. Reed's tales of what had truly happened the day she'd gone missing. And then, in the sudden and strange turn of events, the once-judgmental students now honored me as High Priestess of the Mystic Coven.
The quick one-eighty still made me dizzy, but I was just glad that my tarnished reputation had been cleared.
Then my smiling eyes moved from Ms. Reed's wise face and shock of tight, jeweled dreadlocks and landed on Josie.
She fluttered her lashes at me with a sickening fake smile.
My molars clenched as I wished her house arrest could have lasted longer than it had.
I wasn't sure what the Higher Order had determined for her punishment, but whatever it was, it wouldn't be enough in my mind.
She'd not only damaged my reputation for all those years, but she also conspired against me with the town cler
k, Miss Rosco. The two of them had conjured the banshee-from-hell that still haunted my thoughts. I held Josie responsible, even if Miss Rosco had played her, using her as a pawn. It didn't matter. Josie still carried just as much guilt as if she'd acted alone.
Closing my eyes in an attempt to push Josie out of my mind, questions about Miss Rosco still whirled in my head. I couldn't help but wonder what her motives against me were.
She'd always had something against Hazeldene. And now, I'd learned the hard way that she had something against me as well—something big enough that she'd attempted to have me annihilated by the murderous banshee.
But I didn't want to think about Miss Rosco or Josie right now. I wanted to focus on the moment, the here and now.
Ms. Harrison banged her fork on her water glass, silencing everyone.
She stood and straightened her sweater over her full bosom.
The youngest students stared at her in awe, as she held the appearance of a wise sage. The lines around her eyes proved knowledge and experience, while the salt and pepper flecks through her hair accentuated it. She wore the regal amulet of the Higher Order around her neck, commanding respect and curiosity. Ms. Reed wore a similar talisman, making clear her rank and prominence within the academy.
But no matter the prestige and esteem that emulated from the Higher Order, I always felt unusually comfortable around them. They were like family to me. Ms. Harrison was the crazy, doting aunt. Ms. Reed, the wise one, never at a loss for life lessons. And Ms. Kelly, the chancellor, was a powerful mother-figure to me.
As Ms. Harrison gained everyone's attention, she cleared her throat.
"Good morning, students, graduates, and mentors of Hazeldene House. We have much to plan for the ritual of the Drawing Down the Moon. The occasion will carry with it more profound weight than ever before. As we have among us a graduate who's tapped into the channeling realm to a level that we have not seen before. Her abilities at incantation may directly open communication with The Goddess."
I swallowed hard.
The ritual of Drawing Down the Moon had always been one of lunar devotion, attempting to listen to the moon's wisdom of the Earth and the universe. The full moon’s enlightened voice and its billions of years of knowledge were referred to as The Goddess.
But Ms. Harrison was suggesting something more profound for this coming ritual.
I narrowed my eyes on her, listening intently.
She continued, "It is our hope that Chloe's supernatural gifts will directly channel the wise words of The Goddess, guiding us on our new path."
All eyes moved down the table and landed on Chloe.
She held Ms. Harrison's gaze and smiled.
Chloe?
But she was so quiet. She always hovered on the outside of everything, spending all of her time in nature, pulling birds into funnels above her, instead of focusing with the rest of us.
I stopped myself short in my thinking, realizing I'd missed the significance of her gifts completely.
But the Higher Order hadn't.
I balled my hands into fists, annoyed at my initial superficial judgment of Chloe. My brushing off her gifts as superficial had caused me to miss the true power within them.
If she could control the actions of birds in nature, then it was more than possible that her talent might reach the point of communicating with other natural beings.
Or celestial beings, like the moon.
My eyes widened with a new realization.
Maybe Chloe could even communicate with other realms.
Or other time periods.
My jaw dropped as I stared down the table at her.
Suddenly, Chloe was the most powerful graduate sitting at the table.
I stared at her in wonder, curious about her supernatural gifts that I'd underestimated for so long. With a long exhale, I turned my gaze back to my coven and caught Clayton staring at me with wide eyes.
His calculating thoughts churned in his pupils, and I knew he was thinking the same thing as me. Biting my bottom lip, I strained to hear the rest of Ms. Harrison's morning address, but it was no use. My mind was exploding with the possibilities of Chloe's ability to communicate with the beyond.
I turned to look at her one more time, but instead, my line of vision was pulled in a new direction.
Josie's narrowed eyes glared at me as if attempting to figure out my inner planning, and with a smirk, she proved she'd picked up on at least part of it. She turned to Lauren and lifted her cocky eyebrows. As if by instinct, Lauren glanced down the table at me and shook her ringlet curls with feigned intrigue.
Troy and Liam pulled in closer to the two girls, attempting to be let in on whatever was transpiring between them, but as usual, they were kept on the peripheral, wondering what they'd missed.
I wasn't sure what I hated more—the past annoyances of The Big Three or this new group. At least The Big Three had been a true threat, with Josie and Clayton combined. But now that Clayton had shifted his position within the academy and joined the Mystic Coven, it left Josie vulnerable. She had no choice but to recruit Troy and Liam to join her hive, along with Lauren. It was her weak attempt at forming her own underground coven.
Ms. Harrison sat down then, and the clang of forks on plates instantly filled the room, along with excited chatter of the upcoming celestial event.
"How long until we draw the moon?" Hattie asked with an innocent blink.
I grinned at her misunderstanding of the ritual.
"Only a few weeks," I said. "Drawing down means pulling the wisdom from the moon so we can learn from it."
"Ohhhhh," she replied, dropping her eyes to her plate.
Asher laughed, making her blush.
"Hey, it's new for a lot of the young students," Clayton said. He glared at Asher for a moment. "The moon has a huge influence on people like us. It can be our guide if we pay close enough attention. The ritual is our way of listening."
Piper sat up taller, blinking her eyes. "The full moon is everything to me. I literally feel my most powerful self, especially if I stand in its glow."
I stared at Piper as she spoke. I'd always known she'd worshipped the moon, but I'd never paid much attention.
"Have you ever made moon water, Hattie?" Piper asked.
Hattie's eyes widened with intrigue. "What's moon water?"
"It's water that's been infused with the energy of the full moon. You can make it by putting a jar of water in the direct moonlight overnight. Then, you can use it in various ways, like for drinking, bathing, washing clothes, whatever. I make moon water at every full moon."
"Whoa, I want to drink moon water," Hattie gushed. "What does it feel like?"
Piper took a deep inhale as she thought about it.
"It feels like pulling the knowledge of the universe into your body and feeding every cell with its light."
"I wanna try that," Asher interjected, readjusting his position in his seat.
"Not gonna lie," Clayton added. "I'd be interested too."
Piper smiled, proving her pleasure in the validation.
"It's just stale water that's been left out all night," Noah scoffed. "Probably full of bugs."
Piper threw her napkin at him, and with a quick response, he threw it back.
"Let's make tons," I said. "We can use all the help we can get."
Piper nodded. "Deal."
Suddenly, the impending ritual of the Drawing Down the Moon had taken on multiple new levels of intrigue. Instead of being an event of celebration and honor of all things lunar, it had turned into something much greater, more powerful. And we needed to be ready for whatever might happen.
Then I turned my attention back to Clayton and caught him staring at me with a lost gaze.
"What?" I mouthed silently.
He shook his head and lowered his eyes to his plate.
Oof.
His angst stabbed me right in the heart.
I couldn't blame him, though. The moon ritual held everything within
its power, now more than ever... including my ability to go home.
And Clayton knew it.
Chapter 3
As everyone cleared their plates and streamed out of the dining room, I chewed my thumbnail, lost in thought.
The clock was ticking now.
I had to make my final decision about going home to see my parents. I knew it had to be done, but suddenly, with the impending moon ritual, its timing seemed too close. I wished I had more time to plan and figure out what to do.
But it was obvious I had to go.
If not for my parents, then for Hattie.
Hattie had come all this way to find me, and our parents were probably freaking out, wondering if she was safe. Separated by centuries, the distance between us tore at my soul.
We couldn't just abandon them.
But the thought of entering the unknown chaos of the portal scared the crap out of me. And subjecting Hattie to that risk again was out of the question.
After Hell's Gates, Ms. Reed had been trapped in the abyss for such a long time, it proved the instability of the gateway. There was no way to truly know what would happen once you entered it.
This frightened me.
But what frightened me most was the thought of not being able to get back.
Clayton had offered to come with me, but in my heart, I knew I'd never put him at risk like that. Instead, I needed a solid plan for returning to him.
As I glanced up from the table, I caught Clayton watching me.
I dropped my eyes quickly before my entire truth was revealed to him. But it was too late. His worried brow exposed what he already knew.
Staring into my steaming coffee cup, I allowed my thoughts to stream along with the swirls of cream. Sounds of moving chairs and stacking plates rumbled in the background, attempting to pull me back.
I blinked to clear my dry eyes and glanced up again. Breakfast had ended, and the long table was clearing out.
As the last of the students and graduate mentors left the dining hall, Ms. Reed closed the massive mahogany doors and then pulled a chair next to Ms. Harrison.
Mystic Coven: Winter Wiccan (Supernatural Academy Graduates Book 2) Page 2