Cursed Magic: A Paranormal Academy Romance (Daughter of Nyx Series Book 1)

by Charlie Daniels

  Declan rolls his eyes. “Calm down, Serena. The snakes are a spell. They’re not real. Anyone eaten just sits in their stomach for a while. They aren’t digested or chewed.”

  My stomach churns. “Okay, ew…”

  I turn back to the pit again and finally notice where there was once a bridge connecting the two towers, nothing remains. The tattered bridge holds on by a single rope, swaying in the breeze at the other tower. A couple of guys from the team on our tail are attempting to climb up it like a ladder, their remaining members—bar the one eaten by Mother Snake—grasping for their hands at the top.

  I look back at Pax. “You broke the bridge?”

  “When I pushed to jump, it snapped behind me.”

  A strangled gasp escapes my lips. “You nearly killed me! I was almost snake food.”

  Dane snorts, and I glare at him, but he shrugs. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you have such a girly reaction before.”

  “It’s a pit of snakes, slithering and hissing, and they’re all soft and silky and it’s… ugh,” I shudder, unable to hold my revulsion in any longer.

  To my side, Dane’s eyes widen, and he yells, “Duck!” and I do, the tower rumbling beneath my feet as scorching heat erupts around me.

  When I peer over my shoulder from the floor, I spot the rock wall towering behind me that definitely hadn’t been there before, the edges rimmed bright red from the heat of the blast being shot our way.

  “I guess they’re not happy at losing the bridge,” Rory mutters, and I nod.

  I turn to Dane, “Remind me to kiss you later, okay?” and his eyes sparkle as he winks, earning a dark look from Declan, which I ignore.

  Pushing up from the ground, I brush the dirt from my pants, only now becoming aware of the sharp pain digging into my shoulders and back as it moves upwards. Keaira’s head appears next to mine, and she stares at our group.

  “You’re all insane. There’s no doubt about it. You’re insane,” she whispers as she glances from the pit to the wall to Paxton, who barks out a laugh, startling us from the daze we’d been in.

  Declan nods and sticks his hand in the second red orb, waiting for it to turn green before removing it with another golden coin in his grasp. “I don’t want to jinx us, but this feels kind of—”

  I tsk, and he gives me a confused look. “Don’t you dare jinx us. We are having a difficult time, and this is super hard. Capiche?”

  His lips twitch, and he nods his head before turning around and glancing at the open, sandy field below us. My heart sinks at the stone warrior waiting at the gaping mouth of a cave.

  “Are you guys ready?” Declan asks, and we nod, staring at the giant golem blocking our path. “Then let’s go before the others catch up. I don’t want to give them a chance to get close to us after the stunt Pax just pulled.”

  “I knew… I should have… done more… cardio,” I wheeze as we run down the stairs spiraling around the tower leading toward the open sandy plain. My skin burns under the direct sunlight bearing down on us; it feels one-hundred times hotter than usual, and I guess I’m not the only one that thinks that.

  Rory glares at the sun, his face glowing red from sunburn, while the others look more bronzed than usual. Sweat pours from my face and the rest of my body, so much so that it feels like molten lava burning its way down my skin.

  “Anyone else feel like they’re dying a slow and fiery death?” I ask, and they grunt, but Paxton smiles and holds out his hand. I give him a confused smile as I take it, but a shivering coldness sinks into my skin, and I groan in relief.

  “What kind of sorcery is this?”

  “I’m cooling the water in my body, and now yours,” he replies nodding toward the commentator’s box. “A nice little gift of being a part of Poseidon’s pantheon.”

  The haziness pumping through my mind lessens. “I think I love you.”

  Dane and Declan snap their heads back around and give me simultaneous glares, earning a deep chuckle from Paxton. “Anytime, Serena.”

  I grin, grateful he shared his abilities with me. The rest of the trek down the tower doesn’t feel so much of a painful exercise—especially in leather, jeans, and Dr. Martens. Although the blisters on my feet continue to ache as we run down the last few steps, and I sigh in relief as we hit the sand. The others pant, hunched over, drawing in gasping breaths while Paxton and I fan ourselves, the heat not as terrible because of him.

  I glance at the golem and spots appear across my vision from the reflection of light across the sand. Weird. I step toward where the sand starts and stoop to scoop some up. It’s silky soft as it falls through my fingers, and strangely glittery. Almost like it’s made from diamonds or shards of mirrored glass. Looking at the sand directly sends dazzles across my vision, forcing me to look up and blink them away.

  I stand again and squint back to the golem, then look at my teammates. Rory, Declan, and Dane have all resorted to sitting at the base of the steps in the slither of shadow the tower provides.

  “Pax, you may have to sit this one out,” I say to him at my side.

  He opens his mouth to protest, but Dane beats him to it. “You don’t want a paladin to fight? Especially something like that?” he asks, pointing across the terrain.

  “You all will, actually. You guys can barely move, you’re sweating buckets,” I reply. I throw my hand toward the sun. “This isn’t normal heat. My bet is that we’d pass out from heat exhaustion within a few minutes of starting any kind of fight.”

  Declan glances between the golem and Paxton before sighing. “Then what do you suggest?”

  I ponder on his words as I stare at the giant rock, but it’s Keaira who answers for me. “Can’t I just blow it up?”

  An image of dust and rubble flying fills my mind, and I shrug as I stroke her head, which is surprisingly cool considering the terrible heat.

  The guys share a look before eyeing the cat on my shoulder, staring at it dubiously. “Ah, no offense, Keaira, but how exactly are you going to blow it up?” Rory asks, and she jumps down onto my open palm.

  “Summon me, wench! I want to prove these peasants wrong!” she declares, earning a few chuckles and an eye roll.

  “You know, calling me a wench isn’t going to get you anywhere,” I reply as I focus on shifting her form to my Bo-Peep-like staff.

  “It seemed like the perfect response, so I just went with it,” she replies.

  Her power radiates through the staff, intermingling with my own, and I nod, loving the electricity threading through the wood. “Are you sure we can do this?”

  She scoffs, and if she had eyes, I’m pretty sure she’d be looking at me as if I were a few screws short. “Of course. We both know you have more power than you let on, so let’s move!”

  As we stride forward and toward the golem, I make sure to stand in the thin stretch of the tower’s shadow, reaching across the sand. The heat isn’t so bad here, but I still feel like I could fry an egg on the top of my head.

  I take my time to survey the Colosseum and the people roaring in the stands. “For the Light, they sure know how to make a sport of hurting people,” I mutter, and Lore and Keaira hum their agreement.

  “I guess underneath everything, maybe the line between Dark and Light isn’t as far apart as we thought,” Lore answers, and I can’t help but agree with her.

  My powers and abilities were always seen as a sign of darkness. And I accepted that when I was thrust back into this world. I never questioned it when Master Rostova convinced me my powers were best used for malice—though something never felt right.

  But since being here, I’ve realized that I’m not a part of the Light, either. Maybe there’s a middle ground? My eyes lift to the box where She is watching me, and I shake my head. It’s probably because I’m not human… not anymore.

  I reach the end of the tower’s shadow, and a heavy groan fills the air. The golem’s eyes glow, embedded with rubies. Its grip on its stone sword tightens as it moves into a defensive positi
on.

  “I guess this is where we’re meant to fight it?” I mutter, and Keaira laughs, the rings around the hook of my staff glowing brightly.

  “Just point and shoot,” she replies, and I seek out Lore’s thoughts, but she just hums in agreement, so I shrug.

  “Okay then.”

  I hold the staff in two hands and close my eyes, flooding it with my powers, intermingling and mixing with hers. The air whips around me, drowning out the sounds of the crowd and the world beyond the pit, and it’s a relief I didn’t expect. Opening my eyes, I watch in fascination as a glowing midnight ball grows within the hook, the power coming from it sending shivers down my spine.

  “Fling her lose!” Keaira yells, and I draw the staff back before flinging it forward. The black ball flies through the air toward the golem, looking ridiculously small compared to it.

  My stomach drops as it hits the golem with a tink before absorbing inside it, not even putting a scratch on the damn thing. I watch with a frown as the golem places one foot in front of the other, heading right for me.

  It rears its sword arm back, and with an almighty roar, it sends the thing flying in my direction. But I make the mistake of looking at the sand; the rays bouncing from it strike at my eyes, disorientating me. I spin around and bring my hand to my face.

  “SERENA, LOOK OUT!” someone shouts.

  But it’s too late. Searing pain breaks out across my back, and I’m thrown to the burning-hot sand. I wheeze to draw breath back inside my chest, but each inhalation feels like I’m drawing nails into my lungs. I lift my head from the sand, wary of my aching neck, and spit granules from my dry mouth. Four sets of feet stop around me, sending more sand flying into my eyes.

  “Oh gods, guys!” I reach my arms up to protect my face.

  Next to my head, Keaira morphs back into her feline self and nudges at my face with her velvet nose. “Are you okay?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure.”

  “Sorry, Serena.” Pax’s cooling hand rests on the back of my head. “How’s it looking Dane?”

  “Not good,” he responds from somewhere near my waist.

  A burst of light, followed by a loud grunt, makes me turn suddenly, sending another slice of pain down my back. Paxton is standing before the golem with Declan at his side, both wielding swords toward the beast.

  “Get her away from here!” Declan shouts, waving his free arm back to us.

  Dane goes to slip his arms under me, but I wriggle and swat him away. “No, no. Look!”

  I point back to the golem. Its ruby eyes are no longer glowing red, but a deep purple. Light bursts from the cracks in the golem’s joints and the ones rippling across its body. Confused, Paxton and Declan back away slowly until they’re standing over me.

  “You may want to run…” Keaira whispers.

  “Guys,” I warn, drawing all four sets of eyes back to me. “RUN!”

  Paxton and Rory spin on their heels and head back toward the tower, while Declan and Dane crouch to carefully lift me into their arms. I wince as they jostle me while they run, their eyes widening in horror as the ground begins to shake.

  I glance over Declan’s shoulder just in time to see the golem explode, sending shock waves across the Colosseum. I grunt as I’m thrown to the floor, directly onto my wounded back. Strong arms wrap around me before a dome forms around all of us, protecting us from the blast.

  As the trembling stops, Dane releases his tight hold on me and drops the dome, and I wince when I see the cave and the rest of the mountain lying in rubbly tatters. “Well, that’s one way of getting the trident,” Dane whispers with a chuckle as he points to a glistening golden rod protruding from a mantle.

  I sigh with relief and let my head drop back to the ground as Rory jumps to his feet. “Let’s go grab us a trident!”

  Declan and Dane whoop and get to their feet too, about to follow after Rory, when I shout, “Um, injured team member over here!”

  All three bodies go rigid and turn back to me. Rory rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “Right… sorry, Serena.”

  “Why can’t Lore heal you like last time?” Dane asks as he sinks back down next to me.

  “I’m tired, Dane. Plus, I can only hear minor wounds, and by the feel of it…” I trail off to groan when Dane rolls me onto my side, then onto my front to examine my back. He hisses through his teeth.

  “We’ll need to get you to a medic, but I can give you something for the pain now so you can move,” he says as he rifles through the pouch strapped to his waist. He pulls out a small, green glass bottle and pulls the stopper. He hands it to me, and I chug it from my awkward position on the floor.

  The bitter taste hits the back of my throat, triggering my gag reflex, and for a moment I think I’m going to vomit. But then it fades, and a tingling sensation travels along my veins, then centers all across my back. Soon, the pain is gone completely. I sigh and push myself up. Dane and Declan help me to my feet.

  When I turn around, I catch Rory frowning at my back with concern and mild disgust.

  “What?” I reach back to touch my spine, but instead of feeling the leather of my jacket, I feel soft, moist mush. When I draw my hand back, it’s coated in blood. “Oh.”

  “We’ll deal with that later,” Declan says, then seems to catch his insensitivity and adds, “As long as you’re okay?” while looking at me.

  I smirk. “Peachy.”

  “Then… let’s go get us a trident?” Rory says again, this time more apprehensively.

  My smirk turns into a grin. “I’ll race you!”

  I set off at a sprint, and the guys laugh and race alongside me. As we go, I scan the arena, or… what’s left of it. Thankfully the stands are untouched, but every obstacle appears to have dissolved into a hulking pile of rubble. “I think we may have overdone it…”

  Keaira and Lore laugh in agreement, and Dane urges me forward to where the guys surround the trident, waiting for me. The powerful aura coming off the thing makes the hairs on my arms stand to attention.

  “Seeing as you destroyed the entire course, I think it’s only fitting that you get to pull the trident out,” Declan says, hands raised toward the relic.

  My hand trembles as I wrap my fingers around the golden rod. The unique power from the trident erupts across my skin. “Holy shit,” I whisper as the power of the gods flows through me, and my stomach sinks at the thought of handing this over to Master Rostova.

  There’s no way I can give this to him now.

  The speakers crackle and the commentator’s voice rings through: “The trident has been retrieved! All remaining contestants, you have five minutes to complete the… course.”

  My attention snaps to the stands where the commentator sits in his box. He squints down at the arena, taking in the lack of standing obstacles, then turns around to consult a few important-looking officials behind him. After a few moments of quiet discussion, he says, “There has been a change of plan. All remaining contestants, you will pass with a half-mark. Please make your way out of the arena. Winners, present yourselves to the god box.”

  Gasps ring out through the Colosseum, and I stare around at the guys, the trident held tightly in my hands. “What’s wrong?”

  The others remain silent as Declan glances away from the commentator’s box, and his eyes meet mine. “Because no one has ever been invited there before. Ever,” he answers, and my stomach sinks as I glance around at the destruction I’d caused.

  This can’t end well.

  Chapter 18

  I pause at the door in front of me and the woman waiting on the other side. A dull throb is beginning to develop in my back, evidence of the medication already wearing off, but I pay it no attention.

  “Serena, I don’t think the gods appreciate tardiness,” Rory whispers, his eyes flicking nervously to the door.

  I sigh and motion for Declan to go ahead. He reaches for the door handle and pushes it open. It swings tauntingly slowly, revealing the grand, marble room beyond,
and when it’s wide enough, I immediately want to close it again as those familiar emerald-green eyes stare back at me. But I don’t pull the door closed; I shut myself down.

  I nod to Her as I enter the room with the guys, ignoring their excitement.

  “Welcome! You five put on quite the show,” a tall man exclaims, his body rippling with sapphire power similar to what I’d felt within the trident now being held by Paxton, who is glancing between Nyx and me with curious eyes.

  Poseidon’s eyes land on Paxton, and he smiles warmly, bringing him in for a hug before pulling back and searching his face. “And you! You’re stronger, Paxton. I’m eager for you to join my ranks now, my boy!”

  My eyebrows raise, and so do those of the rest of my team.

  “It seems you’re not the only one with secrets, Mistress,” Lore says, and I smirk.

  “Thank you, sir. But you know my answer,” Pax replies, giving us a sheepish smile.

  Poseidon sighs, patting his shoulder. “I know, but it can’t hurt to ask again. You never know, maybe one day you will accept my offer.”

  Paxton grins with a shrug, and I know from that response it’s definitely a hard no. Poseidon’s eyes then turn to the rest of us as the other gods move in beside him, and of course, Nyx stands in front of me.

  “You really should say hello, Serena,” Lore whispers, but this time I ignore her.

  “And you all must be Paxton’s friends and teammates. I can see now why he would rather stick with you all,” Poseidon exclaims, and I tilt my head as he appraises Declan and Dane with a keen eye. I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.

  Poseidon likes guys? The conversation I’d had with Paxton that first restless night fills my mind, and I have to look away from the man I’d pictured swinging his trident around.