I release a sound best described as a groan and Kole examines my facial expression. “What’s wrong?” He asks. I know if I speak, I’ll lose my concentration. I watch a drop of water fall on his arm and he gets the hint. “Inside, now,” Kole shouts at the group. A few people veer their attention in our direction curiously, but nobody will know who we are. To them, we are merely ordinary people trying to avoid getting wet. They couldn’t be further from wrong.
We run toward an old building with an unreadable, faded sign. The only indication that it is a public area is the “We’re Open” sign inside the grime covered window. I find it odd that everything is so filthy. At Edmund’s Academy we have daily chores to keep the area tidy and livable. Don’t these people do simple responsibilities?
We walk into the old building and I am pleasantly surprised by the inside. It isn’t beautiful or luxurious by any means, but it is clean and organized. Candles light the room from each of the burgundy colored walls. I look around the shop and furrow my brow. “Hello, welcome to The Witch’s Cove. Let me know if I can help you find anything dear,” the woman at the front desk says. She looks sweet with long gray hair and a smile that lights up the room.
I smile back at the woman kindly, but I am disgusted. We’re in a shop that encourages the murder of magical creatures like me. Or maybe the Humans look at it as Monster Slaying.
Chapter 7
Witches are the magicians of the human world. Spell books are a crucial part of a magician—just as important as a person’s heart or a mermaid’s tail. If a magician’s spell book gets stolen, he will die. It’s a slow, painful death that can be avoided only if his book is recovered. A witch is a human with a stolen spell book. They are callous murderers.
I look at everyone’s expressions and they match mine exactly. I take another step into the store and look through the shelves of miscellaneous items, disgusted by the things I am seeing. There is a section for each of the known species and I wince when I see my species’ name. I walk toward the mermaid section holding my breath, praying not to see any hardy body parts.
Before I am able to see what lays on the shelf, I hear Keagan’s voice directly behind me. “Snow,” he says. I turn toward him and he holds a jar in the air. When I read the label, I widen my eyes. “They have everything here,” he says with a smile.
I grab the ogre’s tears from his hand and sigh in relief. I wasn’t sure how we were planning on conquering a cunning Ogre when we were almost defeated by an oblivious troll. Looking back now, I realize he wasn’t as ignorant as we initially assumed. He had a trap for perpetrators, so while he wasn’t the brightest creature, he was not dumb. I can’t even imagine how difficult capturing an ogre’s tear would have been. Why hadn’t the Headmaster just told us to come here? Surely he knew that such Human stores exist?
I grab the capsule of ogre tears and shove them into my pocket. I scan the aisles for a demon section, and once I spot it, I head in that direction. Keagan follows me closely and as we pass everyone else, they head in our direction. Kole, of course, is inches from me. “This is sick,” he mumbles.
“I know,” I whisper in reply. We each scan the shelves until Domino finally holds an airtight capsule above her head. It is full of black smoke and I know immediately that it is a demon’s essence. Domino slips it into her pocket.
“Do you think they sell a spell book here?” Laithe asks, golden eyes looking around the store curiously. Does he know how to hold a single form?
I hear a click from behind me and turn quickly. The old woman is holding a gun to us. I gasp and take a step back into Kole. Due to a vampire’s steel skin, a bullet won’t be able to harm him. “Who are you people? We only get locals in here,” She shouts, motioning to us with her gun. Kole takes a subtle step forward and positions himself in front of me. I want to push him away, but I know that I will die from a bullet. He won’t even bleed.
“We’re just picking up ingredients for a witch,” Laithe says calmly, holding up his hand. He is holding up what looks to be a mermaid tail and I feel my stomach turn. Does he have to brandish that under my nose? I should look for a Human heart in this house of horrors and return the favor.
“We only have three of them around here. What spell is she doing?” The old lady asks.
“A mermaid locator spell,” I say.
She puts down the gun and takes a step in our direction. I grasp the back of Kole’s shirt for the comfort his touch will offer. The muscles under his shirt are prominent. They tighten under my fingers and I look over his shoulder at the approaching woman. “What does Millie want with that?” She asks suspiciously.
“I don’t know,” I respond, stepping to the side of Kole. I hear the rain beating on the tin roof and it calms my nerves. “I don’t even know where she lives. She asked my neighbor to pick up the ingredients but his wife is sick. I’m just doing him a favor,” I say. I applaud myself for such an excellent improvisation.
“All right. Come up to the desk to pay for your tail,” the woman says, turning back in the direction of the desk. I realize too late that we don’t have the money. I turn around and stare at the two people behind me, still clutching Kole’s shirt. Wait, two?
“Domino?” I ask them, looking around. She is nowhere to be seen and I feel my heartbeat increase pace. “Where is she?” I whisper. I turn to head in the direction of the register. I need to come up with an excuse before we are asked to pay.
I near the counter and the woman opens a cabinet beneath, scanning the contents of a sheet of browning paper. “The tail is six coins,” she says, looking into my eyes. Her eyes veer to Laithe and she smiles. “I know you, don’t I?” She smiles and her laugh lines become apparent. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you before. You are the one that took down the great magician, am I right?”
I look at Laithe in shock and take a step away from him. “No, ma’am. That wasn’t me,” he says wearily. I assume he is revolted by the accusation.
“You sure, dear?” She asks.
“I wouldn’t go within a mile of one of those things,” he says convincingly.
“All right. Well, it will be six coins,” she repeats, looking at me.
“Uh,” I start, feeling inside my pockets for coins I know won’t be there. We don’t use money at the academy.
“Here, Snow,” I hear Domino say from behind me. She tosses six coins onto the counter with a wicked smile.
“Have a nice day,” the woman says with a bitter smile. I nod as we leave the comfort of the shop, yet remain under the outdoor awning. It protects us from the rain pouring from the sky. Laithe holds the unnecessarily purchased mermaid tail and I stare at the droplets of water as they beat on the pavement a few feet away. I can’t leave the dry area.
“Domino, how did you get six coins?” I ask, trying to buy myself time.
“Being a pixie is useful, sometimes,” she says. I grin and shake my head. For a twelve-year-old, she’s incredibly smart. Though, that doesn’t say much. It’s in a pixie’s nature to be cunning.
“So how are we going to get a spell book? There is no way we’ll be able to take on a witch,” Keagan says, pulling his eyepatch up and wiping away the sweat that beads down his forehead. The sight of his missing eye is gruesome and I feel immediate sympathy toward him.
“Guys,” Domino says, biting her bottom lip. She pulls a small, leather-bound book from under her shirt and my mouth drops. Laithe looks at her in shock and Keagan groans. “I think that woman was a witch.” I look back into the store and see her smiling at another customer.
“We need to go,” I say. Kole grabs an umbrella from alongside the building and opens it for me. I take it from his hand. It was likely left by the customer inside. I walk into the rain, using very little power to usher any drops away from my body.
The academy isn’t far. I’m happy about the close proximity, but at the same time, I dread going back. The world around me is dreary and filthy. The people all wear saddened faces and likely hate their lives
, but out here we aren’t categorized. In the school we are lucky if we can see other species, let alone befriend them.
But somewhere in the depths of my mind, my instincts are telling me something is very wrong. I look at each of my newly acquired acquaintances and furrow my brow. I want to accuse one of them of treason against the academy, but who? And are my instinct correct?
Chapter 8
“Do you want to know what I find funny?” Domino asks. We look at her curiously and she continues. “We could have just gotten the troll’s tooth from that store, but instead we went and took on a mighty troll. I’d bet the Headmaster expected us to find the store, not an actual troll. Do you know how dangerous that was?” She asks. For who was it dangerous—us or the troll?
We approach the academy quickly and I can’t help feeling something is amiss. We had three days to gather all the ingredients, but we did it in only a few hours, almost all of it from a simple shop. Why were we given three whole days to be away from the Academy? Something didn’t quite add up. My thoughts are interrupted by Keagan.
“You guys are all right,” Keagan says, casting a quick glance at us all. He turns and exchanges a few words with an invisible presence. I’m sure it is one of his resident spirits.
“Snow,” Kole says. “A few words?”
I nod and stop walking as everyone else continues. Once we are far enough from everyone, we begin walking in the same direction as the group, only this time, we are far enough behind to remain unheard.
“What do you need?” I ask, my heartbeat echoing in my ears. Is it possible that he got more attractive since the last time I rested my eyes upon him? He runs his hand through his thick mane and looks at me with vibrant hazel eyes.
“I need you to understand. We can’t split up when we get back,” he says cryptically. There is evidently something more he needs to tell me, but either he can’t or he won’t.
“Do you think this won’t work?” I ask, demanding to know his reasoning.
“I don’t know how to explain. The spell should work, but that’s not what I’m worried about,” he says.
“Kole, just tell me what’s on your mind,” I say, grabbing his arm instinctively.
“I can’t,” he explodes, anger oozing from him. He lifts both arms above his head and looks to the sky as I take a small step away from him. He sucks in a deep breath. “Do you know that vampires don’t mate or connect unless they have found their soulmate?” He asks. I merely nod. “I would only ever show interest in someone if they were my soulmate.” I look at my feet dismally. I don’t know why I thought he would want me. He’s too busy looking for his soulmate. But I am still unclear. Why would he show an interest in me if I am not his soulmate?
“I understand,” I say with a small, sad smile.
He is standing at an angle and his mark peeks from his shirt. I feel drawn to it. It’s almost as though I need to see it. He has seen mine after all—though he will never be able to tell me what he had seen. It is forbidden by the Headmaster and nobody would dare stand against him.
“You do?” He asks, pulling his arms back to his side and taking a step closer.
“Yes, I do. You are looking for your soulmate. That’s what I want you to do,” I say. Kole’s eyes are hooded and a growl erupts from the back of his throat. “Plus, I’m a mermaid. What are the odds you and I would ever be anything more than friends?” I ask.
“God, Snow,” he says. I take off in a slow jog to catch up with the rest of the team, trying to ignore being blatantly rejected. Is my mild attraction really so obvious? As a group, we come upon the academy doors and I look at them proudly. We did it. I glance at Kole, who caught up with the group seconds after me. His lips are pulled into a tight line and I can’t bear to look at them.
The front door swings open quickly and I smile up at the Headmaster, whose face is pale and distressed. My smile immediately seizes. “What is it,” I ask, rushing through the doors.
“The Elite magician is dead,” he says. “We must hurry.”
I follow behind the Headmaster and allow him to lead us through the corridors. Kole, once again, is right beside me. I wish he would allow me to get over my unreciprocated feelings for him, but he doesn’t understand personal space.
We enter through his office doors and take in the horrifying sight. There is no blood or gore, but the magician is sitting at an awkward angle, head turned in a way that should not be possible. His face is pale and I’m sure he is cold to the touch. Everything around the magician is destroyed. I cover my mouth with my hand and stare at the scene in shock.
“We can still do the spell, right?” Laithe asks anxiously. Something about his tone makes me turn my head and scowl at him. The spell holds little relevance if the magician who was planning on doing it is dead.
“We can’t,” the Headmaster says. “All the materials were destroyed.”
I walk toward the body of the murdered magician and look down at him. “Does he look oddly positioned to you?” I ask nobody in particular.
“Yeah, his head is doing a one-eighty,” Laithe says sarcastically. I shake my head and stare at him for a moment. Both Keagan and Kole look at the man and take a step in his direction. Domino stands beside the door with Laithe, but while Laithe looks as though he doesn’t care, Domino looks sick.
“Get Domino out of here,” I say to nobody in particular.
“Come with me, Miss. Elvy,” The Headmaster says, pulling her into his side and leaving the room. I am happy that he took Domino.
I watch as Kole examines the body alongside Keagan. Kole reaches into the magician’s pocket and pulls out a slip of paper. He scrutinizes the contents and his eyebrows shoot up. We make subtle eye contact and he drags his hand down my opened palm, which goes completely unnoticed by Keagan. I feel the slip of paper between his fingers and accept it greedily. I make my way around the back of the chair and open the paper from the magician’s pocket. The contents of the note fill me with fear and dread.
Assassin is Headmaster and Commander is Elite.
Chapter 9
I look at Kole and bite my bottom lip, unsure of how to handle the situation. I turn my attention to Keagan, who seems to be examining the body and looking for any sort of clue. He may be rough around the edges, but he seems genuinely curious as to who killed the magician. Domino is far too innocent to have done such a thing. I turn my attention to Laithe, who is watching us with an unsympathetic expression. It has to be him. It takes me a moment to process the impending danger, but once I do, I come to an awful realization.
Domino is with the Headmaster—the assassin.
“I need a minute,” I say, acting as if the body sickens me. I spring up and run past Laithe and into the hallway. I don’t give anybody a chance to follow me as I run through the corridors. “Domino,” I shout down the hall, but she doesn’t answer. A few people open their doors to see what’s happening, but I don’t acknowledge them.
“Snow, what’s going on?” Coral asks, running down the hallway. “Why are you screaming?”
“No time to explain. I need to find Domino,” I say. “Domino,” I shout.
“Domino,” Coral shouts, still noticeably confused. I hear a ruckus from a room on the right and barge in. Domino is standing beside the Headmaster.
“Come here, Domino,” I say urgently. “He is the assassin,” I elaborate. She looks up at him and then back to me with a terrified look. “Run.”
Just like I requested, she runs in my direction and the Headmaster looks at us with a wicked grin. He takes a step in our direction and I slam the door between us and take off in the opposite direction. Fighting an assassin is hopeless. They are invincible and only able to control themselves if their commanders are killed or magically separated from them. “Why are we running from the Headmaster, Snow?” Coral asks urgently. I dodge students spread throughout the hallway and take as many sporadic turns as I am able. Domino switches forms and lands on my shoulder. “And why are we helping a fairy?”
“Snow,” Domino screams in my ear. I halt in my tracks when I notice Laithe running in my direction with fury evident in his eyes. Could today get any worse? I instinctively throw my leg out and manage to push him into the wall and continue running past. Coral is no longer behind me, but she has nothing to do with the situation, so it’s for the best.
I am running hard and fast. After seconds of sprinting, I am pulled into a small nook and pressed tightly into the wall. I meet a pair of hazel eyes and hold unfathomably still. I open my mouth to say something, but Kole’s finger covers my lips and he blocks my body with his, fully encompassing me. I watch as Laithe runs by as quickly as I had been before, not paying us any attention.
I don’t notice I am holding my breath until he finally passes and I release the air. “Thanks,” I say breathlessly. He looks into my eyes and I become exceedingly aware of our close proximity. His breath fans over my nose and I smell his natural scent, which proves to be appealing to my senses. Frankly, everything about him entices me.
He leans into me and my attraction multiplies. When our lips are mere centimeters apart and our breathing is laced together, Domino clears her throat from my shoulder and I’m shaken from whatever trance I was put into. “Now really isn’t the time, guys,” she scolds.
“You’re right,” I whisper. Kole takes a small step back and allows me to ease past him, brushing his toned stomach along the way. “Okay,” I say, trying to break myself of the trance I was in only seconds ago. “We need to get away from this or we’ll all be killed. It looks like leaving the school is the only option,” I say.
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