Lock and Key

by Evangeline Anderson

  “I have no idea.” I shook my head. “The whole thing was just so weird. And I had the feeling she’d been spying on me—or maybe having Nancy do it.”

  “You don’t think she has us bugged, do you? Like, with some kind of magical listening device?” Kaitlyn looked around our common room worriedly, as though someone might be listening in to our conversation right that minute.

  “I don’t think so,” Avery said slowly, frowning. “First of all, that kind of spell is really complicated and delicate. And second, if Nancy’s mom was listening in on us they would have known how Megan was able to resist her truth spell and how she was able to shame-mark Sanchez too—by Blood magic.”

  “Don’t talk about it anymore until we’re sure!” Kaitlyn begged. “We’d better be more careful from now on, don’t you think? I mean now that we know Nancy’s mom has it in for Megan for some reason.”

  Avery nodded. “You’re right—we need to be careful what we say and where we say it. And we don’t have time to talk about it now, anyway. We have to be out of the castle gates by the time the weekend liberty bell rings or we’ll all be stuck here all weekend.”

  “Why don’t you all come by the I Scream tomorrow for lunch?” Emma suggested as we gathered our things—which was pretty much nothing at all for me. I was wearing the clothing I had come in with, having left my black leather satchel and all my uniforms hanging in my wardrobe.

  “Mmm…the I Scream Diner,” Avery murmured, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners with laughter. “Five star dining all the way.”

  “Cut the crap, Avery. We can talk during my lunch break,” Emma said crossly. “And Megan can decide once and for all if she’s going to meet you-know-who you-know-where,” she added significantly.

  I sighed. In all the confusion today, I still hadn’t decided if I would meet Griffin Saturday night or not. Of course, the answer was “no” if he wanted to meet after midnight—I would have to be back at Nocturne Academy by then. But if he wanted to meet before, well…I still didn’t know.

  I had been planning to make a decision when I saw him after my last period class but he hadn’t appeared to escort me to my dorm after Home Ec so now I didn’t know what to think.

  “You look like you’re still not sure what to do,” Avery said, looking at me. “What do you think—want to meet for lunch? I can pick you up.”

  “You have a car?” I asked as we all trooped up out of the Norm Dorm and made our way with a crowd of other students eager for the weekend towards the main entryway of the castle. Though I looked everywhere, I didn’t see Griffin among them.

  “Oh, sure.” Avery shrugged. “My dad bought it for me.”

  “Not just any car,” Emma added, “He’s got a Tesla!”

  “The kind with the wing doors,” Kaitlyn added, sounding slightly awed.

  “Um, those are pretty expensive, aren’t they?” I asked as the bell chimed three times and we passed with the mass of other students through the stone archway and started walking down the long bridge the led over the black waters of the lake. The sun was bright and hot overhead but a cool breeze blew, ruffling my hair pleasantly.

  “They certainly are expensive.” Avery gave me a wry smile. “My father gives me money instead of love. And since love won’t do zero to sixty in three point six seconds, it works for me.”

  I could hear the bitterness in his words and I reached out to grab his hand and give it a squeeze.

  “Sorry, Avery. I have a complicated relationship with my dad, too,” I murmured, letting him know I understood how he felt. “He pretty much dumped me on my aunt when he decided being a parent was too much trouble anymore after my mom died.”

  “Parents suck sometimes,” Emma said as we all tromped towards the end of the long wooden bridge. This time I barely noticed when the huge, scaly head of the Guardian surfaced for a moment and looked at us with a dinner plate-sized golden eye before sinking below the black waters again.

  “My dad left the day after I was born and never wrote or called or anything,” she went on. “My mom doesn’t even know where he is or if he’s still alive or anything.”

  “My parents were great,” Kaitlyn said softly and we all looked at her. She had her head down as usual and her long, wavy black hair was hiding her eyes. Remembering what I had learned about her tragedy in the Headmistress’s office, I suddenly felt really bad.

  “I’m sorry, Kaitlyn—we must all sound really ungrateful to you,” I said.

  She shook her head.

  “Of course not. Everybody has different relationships with their parents. It’s always complicated except with mine, well…it wasn’t. They loved each other and they loved me and I loved them.”

  Knowing what I did of her sweet nature, I could certainly believe this. She seemed like the kind of girl who would almost never fight with her parents and would stay close to them for life—if she’d been given a chance, that was.

  Kaitlyn sighed deeply as we all stepped off the bridge with the mass of other students. Some had cars of their own and some had cars waiting for them.

  Nancy and her fellow Weird Sisters shot me one last disdainful glance before piling into the back of a long, sleek limo which was apparently waiting for them. Wow, her mom must have money then! I wondered how much being the leader of a prestigious coven paid and why, if Winifred Rattcliff was so rich, she couldn’t find someone to help her dress in something beside mauve.

  It really wasn’t her color.

  “Well, I’d better get my bike and get going,” Emma said with a sigh, pointing to a bike rack where a single lonely bike was parked. It was an old ten-speed that looked like it had seen better days.

  “Don’t be silly—I’ll give you a ride. We can put your bike in my trunk,” Avery said. He looked at me and Kaitlyn. “And before we go, I’ll pick you two up for lunch tomorrow at…” he glanced inquiringly at Emma. “When is your lunch break?”

  “Kind of late—not until two,” she said apologetically.

  “That’s all right—late lunch works for me,” I said.

  “Me too,” Kaitlyn said. “And I think Mr. Breedlove can probably drop me off if you can give me a ride home, Avery.”

  “Of course, Katydid, no problem.”

  “I’ll ask my aunt but I might need a ride both ways,” I said. “It depends on if she’s teaching one of her classes or not.”

  “Your wish is my command.” Avery made a sweeping bow. “I’m happy to drive all you lovely ladies around all weekend if you want. It’s either that or fight with my father—if he’s home this weekend. Or else sew and craft with my mother—which of course, makes fighting with my father all the worse. He just hates it when I’m domestic. Oh look, Kaitlyn—I think your ride is here.”

  I looked up with interest--wanting to see the Nocturne family my new friend and coven-mate lived with. I had an idea they were going to be an interesting sight...

  48

  Standing beside a sleek black BMW, I saw a good-looking couple.

  He was tall with black hair, sharp features, and pale skin and she was slim with long, straight blonde hair and an ivory complexion. Both of them were wearing dark glasses. I could tell they were both powerful Nocturnes, though I never would have known before my first week at the Academy. I would have just thought they were rich and snooty-looking.

  Standing between the tall couple was a little girl, who looked to be no more than four. She had her mother’s blonde hair and she was jumping up and down excitedly.

  “Katy! Katy’s back!” she exclaimed, pointing to Kaitlyn.

  Kaitlyn smiled and ran over to sweep the little girl into a hug.

  “Hello, Allegra,” she said as the little girl wrapped her arms around Kaitlyn’s neck and squealed with delight. “I missed you this week—did you miss me?”

  “So much! I missed you a thousand muches!” the little girl exclaimed and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek.

  Watching them together, I saw the blonde woman give a wan smile, though
the man only nodded with slight approval before looking back down at his cell phone.

  “Those are Alistair and Anastasia Breedlove,” Avery said under his breath. “Kaitlyn was their babysitter before her parents died in the fire and now she’s kind of their live-in au pair.”

  “It’s nice that they took her in after her parents passed and sponsored her for the Academy,” I said.

  He nodded. “Yes, but they’re not exactly the warmest people. And the fact that their little girl adores Kaitlyn and she’s so good with Allegra factored heavily in the decision, I’m sure. She’s more their servant than another daughter to them.”

  “At least their little girl really loves her,” Emma said firmly. “Even if the parents are kind of cold.”

  I had to agree with her as Kaitlyn waved goodbye to us and, with Allegra Breedlove still wrapped around her like a clinging vine, climbed into the back of the sleek black BMW.

  “Oh, Meggie! There you are!” a familiar voice called.

  Looking away from the Breedloves’ BMW, I saw my Aunt Dellie coming towards us. She had parked her dusty old car on the edge of the lot and was wearing yet another crazy muumuu—this one had unicorns and rainbows printed all over it.

  “Oh, so that’s your aunt,” Emma said, grinning. “I’ve seen her around town sometimes but I didn’t know she had any family.”

  “She didn’t until I moved in,” I said.

  I was tempted to be embarrassed of my aunt’s eccentric appearance but then I remembered Kaitlyn’s sad face when she talked about her dead parents and how Avery couldn’t get along with his father and how Emma didn’t have a father to get along with in the first place.

  I’m lucky to have someone who loves me, I thought. And even luckier to have an aunt who was willing to take me in and get me into Nocturne Academy. It couldn’t have been easy to go demand they give me a scholarship when she’s a Null herself and everyone thought I was one too.

  “Aunt Dellie!” I called, waving at her and ignoring the looks of the few milling students who were studying her muumuu in amusement.

  She came up to us, puffing a bit because of the Florida heat.

  “Oh, Meggie—it’s so good to see you again! So, how was your first week? And who are these nice-looking young people?” she said, all in one breath.

  “Aunt Dellie, meet my coven-mates,” I said, smiling. “Two of them, anyway.” It felt a little weird to introduce them that way but right too, as though it was always meant to be. “This is Emma,” I said and she nodded and smiled at Aunt Dellie who smiled back. “And this is Avery,” I added.

  Avery took my aunt’s offered hand and bowed over it with a flourish.

  “Enchante,” he murmured in a French accent. “We have heard much about you, Aunt Dellie—all of it good, I assure you.”

  “Oh, what a charmer!” Aunt Dellie laughed delightedly and her free hand fluttered to her chest. She turned to me. “Didn’t I tell you that you’d meet wonderful friends at Nocturne Academy?”

  “You did.” I nodded. “And you were right. In fact, we’re all going to lunch tomorrow at the I Scream where Emma works. Um, can you drive me? If not, Avery can pick me up.”

  We settled it that Avery would pick me up and drop me off since Aunt Dellie had to teach a tea leaf reading class from one to two and then I waved goodbye to my friends and headed back to her dusty old car with her.

  I had a lot to talk to my aunt about—thought I certainly wasn’t going to tell her everything. And I had a lot to ask her too.

  The question was, how much could I ask without making her suspicious?

  49

  “Aunt Dellie,” I said as we drove home, “Why didn’t my mom ever tell me about any of this? For that matter, why didn’t you before you brought me here? I was kind of lost at first, finding out that witches and vampires and were dragons and fairies really exist. I mean, it was super disorienting until I got used to the idea.”

  “Oh dear, I’m really sorry about that, Meggie,” she said, casting a glance at me as she navigated the dusty road through the orange grove. “It’s just that I knew you’d been raised outside the magical world and with no knowledge of it—that was the way your mother wanted it and she made me promise not to tell you anything. So…” She shrugged. “I kind of had to throw you into the deep end. I’m sorry.”

  “What? Why wouldn’t my mom want me to know about Nocturne Academy and everything else?” I asked, confused.

  “Well…” Aunt Dellie looked troubled. “It’s kind of a long story. Maybe I should tell you over supper—I made a homemade vegetable and barley stew. It’s been simmering on the stove all day.”

  “Sounds delicious,” I said and meant it. After eating the food served to the Norms all week, I was ready for some home cooking. Not that Avery’s roasted meals weren’t wonderful, but I was craving something that wasn’t cooked on a spit for a change.

  We got home to Aunt Dellie’s big, ramshackle house which was, nonetheless, surrounded by a riot of flowers and a big vegetable garden—my aunt might be a Null but she had a green thumb for sure. Since I had nothing to unpack and was really hungry, (lunch had been another weird casserole made of broccoli and pinto beans and shredded barbeque chicken with the ubiquitous orange-crayon cheese melted on top) we settled right down to dinner.

  “Now, here you go,” Aunt Dellie said, placing a large blue bowl filled to the brim with a hearty vegetable stew and a plate with a thick slice of homemade cornbread in front of me. “Eat up and we’ll talk while you do.”

  My stomach was rumbling so I dug in, savoring the many fresh vegetables my aunt had no doubt picked from her own garden swimming in a thick tomato broth. The cornbread was delicious too—crumbly and moist and slightly sweet—it made a perfect accompaniment to the spicy stew. Aunt Dellie had also poured me a tall glass of cool, handmade lemonade which was very refreshing.

  “Mmm, this is delicious. So much better than what they feed the Norms at the Academy,” I remarked between bites.

  “Oh—did they have the nerve to class you as a Norm?” Aunt Dellie exclaimed, bristling. “You’re a Latimer, Meggie! I’ll go right back to that Academy and I’ll give them a piece of my mind. They’d better not—”

  “It’s okay, Aunt Dellie,” I said quickly, cutting her off. “I’m not a Norm—I’m technically classed as a Null. Though…” I added carefully. “I don’t know if I am or not.” I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to tell her about my magic and how I had managed to access it—if Blood magic was so completely forbidden, she might get really upset if she learned what I had been doing.

  “Oh, have you Manifested yet, Meggie? Have you Flamed up?” she asked me anxiously.

  “Well, sort of,” I said and told her about shame-marking Sanchez after he’d been cruel to Kaitlyn though I didn’t tell her how I had managed it exactly.

  “Oh my—that’s very strong magic!” Aunt Dellie’s gray-green eyes widened. “I knew you had it in you, Meggie—you’re just like your mother was at your age.”

  “So…Mom had magic too?” I asked. “She wasn’t a Null like—” I stopped abruptly.

  “Like me?” Aunt Dellie said briskly. “It’s all right, my dear—you can say it. I got over not having magic of my own a long time ago. It doesn’t really matter. Your mother, though—she had enough magic for both of us. She was more powerful than any other witch in our age group. Why, she was more powerful than many of our teachers at the Academy. It was the Latimer blood, shining through, you know.”

  I shook my head, confused.

  “But if she was so powerful, why didn’t she ever teach me about magic—why didn’t she tell me about our heritage?”

  “Because she forgot it—all of it,” Aunt Dellie said seriously. “And before you ask me how anyone could forget something as incredible as magic and Nocturne Academy, she did it on purpose.”

  “On purpose?” I said blankly. “How? How can you just make yourself forget?”

  “She worked a spell,” Aunt Dellie
said sadly. “A clouding spell on her memories and a binding spell on me, to keep me from telling you what you really are or reminding her of the truth. She knew, you see, that she would have a daughter—that she would have you, Meggie. But she didn’t want you to have anything to do with magic—anything at all.”

  “She didn’t?” I couldn’t imagine why my mother would feel that way—why she would want to deny me my heritage.

  “No, she didn’t.” Aunt Dellie. shook her head. “I told her—I promised her—that she didn’t have to bind me. I told her I would never remind her or speak of it to you about magic if she didn’t want me to. But she said there would come a time in the future that I would be desperate to remind her and that she couldn’t risk it.” She looked at me sadly. “As it turned out, she was right.”

  “The cancer,” I whispered. “The lung cancer—could it have been cured by magic?”

  Aunt Dellie reached out and put a hand over mine.

  “My dear sweet Meggie,” she said earnestly, looking into my eyes. “The lung cancer your sweet mother died of was caused by magic.”

  50

  “What?” I jumped up from the table, my wooden kitchen chair falling backwards to land with a flat smacking sound on the clean but faded linoleum floor. “Are you saying that someone put a spell on Mom that gave her cancer?” I demanded.

  I was thinking of how it was lung cancer and yet she’d never smoked a day in her life. And I could also guess who might want to hurt her that way. Winifred Rattcliff’s face with her too-large mouth and small, mean eyes rose in my memory. Wouldn’t my mom have been next in line to head up the Windermere Coven? And wasn’t it clear that Winifred Rattcliff would have done anything to get that place for herself and keep it for her daughter?

  But Aunt Dellie was waving her hands and trying to calm me down.

  “No, no, Meggie!” she exclaimed. “No, I’m not saying someone put a spell on her to give her cancer. I’m saying her unused magic caused it. At least, that is what I believe.”