Blooming Black: Rosewood Academy of Witches and Mages (Darkly Sweet Book 4)

by Juliann Whicker

  Blooming Black

  Juliann Whicker

  Copyright 2018 by Juliann Whicker

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  Chapter 1

  Witch

  “Pitch.”

  I stared in the mirror at my reflection.

  Nothing.

  “I know you’re in there. We need to talk.”

  My pupils went darker, but other than that, nothing. Pitch was home, in the place where I lived. She wouldn’t be floating around without my knowing it. I had to own it. Own her.

  It was Sunday morning. Two days since I’d played with Pitch. Zach had spent all night with me, reveling in my weakness, and healing me, but mostly reveling in my weakness.

  I closed my eyes tight and tried to breathe. Finally I shook my head, lifted my chin and gave myself a cool smile. Yeah, I was Pitch, and yeah, I was pain, and yeah, I also liked pink. Zach could hate me if he liked. He could tell the whole school exactly what I was. I could take it. I could take anything, but I didn’t have to because it was over. I was only at the school to marry a mage and save my mother. I couldn’t do that, not now, not with Drake and Zach sinking their teeth into me.

  Drake. He’d come and knocked on my door, called me, texted me, but how could I face him after everything? I’d missed our Tuesday so I could skin Jackson. I’d put myself in the position of being vulnerable to Zach so he could carve into my soul. And now I had Pitch inside of me, the darkness I’d spent my whole life fighting, the darkness that would skin a million mages if it meant hurting the one who had destroyed Poppy.

  I picked up my bag and floral covered weasel cage and headed out. My perfect curls bounced as I walked through the hideously garish lavender common room to the door. There was no Zach draped over the couch, no Viney glaring at me over her cup of coffee. Good. I’d call her later and explain everything. Not everything. The part where I had to go home for a family emergency, and that I was never coming back.

  My hip ached and I took a deep breath so I wouldn’t scream or dig my nails into my skin and rip out the entire ugly thing. At least Drake’s monogram was pretty. Zach’s, not so much. It was like the logo on Revere’s favorite brand for mage tech. Of course, because that’s Zach, Stoneburrow, the tech company with fancy gadgets that Revere wouldn’t let me play with. Selfish mage. Like my adaptations weren’t always an improvement. Or at least more interesting.

  I stepped into the hall then stopped when I saw the tall mage leaning against the wall between the cream pillars across from me. For a moment I thought it was Drake, but then he straightened and stepped out of the shadows.

  My heart beat rapidly inside my chest, a bird trying to fly home, but he wasn’t my home. “Ian. What are you doing here?” My shoulder ached for my russet-haired mage. I missed him so much. What could I possibly say to him, to explain to him about Zach?

  Ian smiled the same smile as the first time we’d met, kind of shy, kind of sweet, a total and utter lie. “I wondered if you could get me in contact with my new owner.”

  I swallowed. Because I needed to deal with another wolf mage. I’d been so stupid to throw everything away and chase Poppy’s lover. After all that, what did I have? A name.

  “I’ll ask her.”

  He nodded, his smile so gentle and sweet. “I’d appreciate it. It’s hard to go too long without physical contact with the witch who owns me.”

  I ran a hand through my hair and messed up my curls. Like it mattered. “She did mention something about you. She thinks you’re a good fighter, but too, um, easily distracted by… Anyway, she’s perfectly willing to trade you to the female of your choice for the price of a few bags of hurter supplies.”

  He studied me for a long time. “Hurter supplies?”

  “Barium. Calcium carbonate. Copper. I can get you a list if you’re ready to do that.”

  He smiled, shook his head and said, “No thanks. I’ll stick with her, or you, because you’re the one who has my bond. I can feel it. Pitch dumped the fabulous Ian Featherwell on Penny Lane. Did she give you Zach too?”

  I licked my lips. “Maybe. I don’t want to talk about him. Look, Ian, you really should find another witch, because I’m leaving.”

  He nodded at my bag. “Do you need a hand?”

  “I can carry my own things, but I won’t be here. You said something about physical contact. It won’t be possible, so you should definitely think about that whole finding another master thing. Because yeah.”

  I walked down the hall, ignoring him when he started following me. We hadn’t gone far when I stopped short. There stood Zachary Stoneburrow kissing a witch. Not just any witch, Rhoda, my Chem girl. Something inside me came to life as an angry burning creature of the night that would rip absolutely everything and everyone apart. I struggled to breathe evenly. No. I wasn’t about to let him trigger Pitch like Poppy loved to do, not so soon after the last mess.

  I stood there, not three feet away from them while Zach kissed her like he liked her. Like he really liked her, and she kissed him back. Tongue. Lots of tongue, and I just stood there while waves of fury rolled through me leaving me cold and trembling.

  I put down my suitcase and cage and started clapping. Loudly. Slowly. Until Rhoda broke away and gasped when she saw me. “Hey, Chem girl. Playing with Pitch’s boyfriend? I thought you were smarter than that.”

  “We broke up,” Zach said, his eyes hard, his voice harder.

  The twist in my heart was overwhelmed with anger so dark and agonizing, I could barely hold back a snarl. “How sad. I’m sure she’ll have a hard time finding another as devoted as you. What, did you break up an hour ago, or was it fifteen minutes, and you’re already on to the next fun little thing? No offense, Rhoda, but anyone who thinks that kissing Zachary Stoneburrow is a good idea, doesn’t belong anywhere close to me.”

  Rhoda’s blue eyes went big while her lips parted. “Are you firing me?”

  “Not that I ever hired you, but yes. You’ll be permanently logged out of Darkly Sweet and I don’t want you to ever talk to me again.”

  Zach sneered at me as I started to walk around them. “Jealous, Penny?”

  I whirled around. “Like I care. I’m just upset because Pitch is going to rip Rhoda’s face off and I’m going to suffer for it, and that’s exactly why you’re playing with her, so that you can hurt the highest number of witches possible with the least amount of time and effort. I have to admit that your use of resources is strikingly efficient. Well done, Zach. Well done. And Rhoda, Pitch will hurt you, so get some good defense spells and healing potions ready.”

  Rhoda lifted her pointy chin. “I’m not afraid of Pitch.”

  “Then you’re stupid. Almost as stupid as me.” I gripped my weasel cage tightly and was almost past Zach when he grabbed my suitcase and yanked it away from me.

  “Running home to your mother, Penny? Can’t handle the mean mages anymore? Afraid of what I could do to you?”

  I stood my ground and then said the stupidest thing possible that would hopefully hurt him the most. “I’m moving in with Drake.”

  He stared at me, his eyes widening and his knuckles turning white before he turned and started walking in the direction of Drake’s room. With my suitcase.

  “What are you doing?” I hurried after him, because he was really almost running.

  “I’m helping you out. What
are friends for?”

  “You’re not my friend.”

  “No. I’m Drake’s friend. He’ll be happy to have you close so he can really mess with you. I’ll be happy to have you out of my life.”

  I swallowed down nausea and anger that kept on building. “Good. Let me know if you want to trade the bond to Rhoda. You guys are cute together and I don’t want to see either of you again.”

  He laughed. “I’m just beginning to explore the possibilities. I do like Rhoda, such a cute, sweet girl, but there are so many other girls that you would hate Pitch to rip apart. I’m only getting started.”

  I lunged forward and grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him around. “Don’t you dare touch any of my other Chem girls!”

  He glared at me. I glared back.

  Ian draped his arms over both of our shoulders. “I really hate to interrupt such a tender scene, but if I may remind you, Penny, Zach, witches and mages can’t fight. It’s against all the laws. I’m not a particularly law-abiding citizen, but even I agree that it’s a very bad idea. You two have issues. Clearly, but you have to work through them in a civilized manner. Otherwise, I’ll report you to somebody.”

  Zach glared and shrugged his arm off. “Who will you report us to? The headmistress?”

  “Drake.” He grinned at Zach then at me. “And we’re heading to him, so isn’t that convenient?”

  Zach scowled at Ian before he inhaled deeply and dropped my suitcase. He turned and walked off. “I have better things to do than listen to Drake argue about ethical behavior towards witches. Much more enjoyable pursuits.” He shot a look at me over his shoulder that made me grind my teeth.

  He was definitely going to try and seduce all my other Chem girls. And I’d break them. Why? Because Zach belonged to Pitch, and Pitch was inside me, and this anger and malevolence would grow until I’d done something terrible. At least I’d warned Rhoda. I’d really liked her. Why would she do something that stupid? What could she possibly see in Zachary Stoneburrow? Had he shown her his Peter Pants face? I really was going to kill her. No, just hurt. Kill. Hurt. Bon bons and ho-ho’s.

  I ran a hand through my hair, messing it up more. Ian came forward and fiddled with my curls, tidying them up.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Grooming. What’s going on with Stoneburrow? I got the impression you were going a little bit further than Drake’s room when you said I had to find someone else to hold the bond.”

  “Did you?” I stared at him but didn’t really see him. Instead, I saw Drake, his dark eyes with specks of green that sometimes looked neon. “He’s going to kill me.”

  “Because you own so many mages, or because Zach owns you?”

  I gasped and tried to keep my breathing steady, but there was so much rage and so much pain and so much utter stupidity.

  I sat down on the floor and unwrapped a lollipop, cellophane wrapper crinkling deliciously as I unveiled the dark cherry masterpiece. I stuck it in my mouth and pulled back the floral cover of Señor Mort’s cage. I needed cuddling.

  “Hello, Señor. Are you excited to go home?” My mother would die when they razed the house, whether inside or outside of it. I shrugged. “I can’t help that, can I? Didn’t I do my best? Didn’t I try until I became a slave twice over? What else can I do? Nothing. I can’t stay in Lilac Stories, not anymore. I just really, really wish that I hadn’t been so stupid.”

  “You should move in with Drake,” Ian said, leaning against the wall above me. “I think that’s the perfect solution to all your problems.” He raised his fingers and started counting off. “It will infuriate Stoneburrow, it will infuriate every female in Rosewood, and it will keep me from seducing you.”

  I stared at him. “Excuse me? You’ll what?”

  He slid down the wall so he was crouching beside me. “What Zach did to you, binding you so he isn’t defenseless against your whims, it’s something that would tempt any mage. Like me. You’re simply too sweet to be in control of so many wicked mages. I haven’t ever tried to seduce you because you belong to Drake, but I could.”

  “I love Drake. I wouldn’t be seduced so easily, at least not by anyone who isn’t him.”

  He laughed, a golden laugh that spread through me like a warm bath, promising me rest, relaxation, peace. “It’s not a matter of pride, Penny Lane. I can seduce you. I can seduce anyone. I’d rather not because Drake would hurt.”

  “He’d hurt you?”

  “No, my betrayal would hurt him. Still, being owned by you, so sweet, so charming and virginal, it will be extremely difficult, particularly if I think that seducing you would lead to you letting down your guard, letting me under your skin until I’ve carved into it along with Drake and Zach.”

  I turned to stare at him. He was so golden, so rich and delicious. The scent of citrus and sandalwood wafted from his skin. I leaned over and inhaled before I pulled away and shook my head. “If you’re thinking about seducing me, isn’t it a better plan not to tell me?”

  He smiled, teeth sharp, perfect, utterly devastating behind his experienced lips. “I don’t think about much other than seduction. You owning me would make it personal, but for Drake, the effort that he’s put into making you fall in love with him, it would be so sad to ruin it. I’m warning you so that you aren’t an easy target. Use him to protect you from me.”

  I shook my head and stood up. My hands were shaking. “Use him. Just like that?”

  “Were you really going to leave without saying good-bye to him? That is an extremely dangerous idea.”

  “Dangerous?”

  He studied me and my heart pounded, but not from him and his dreamy deliciousness, it was Drake I saw, Drake’s eyes darkening with fury. He’d said that he wouldn’t let me go again. Was he serious?

  I stood up and kissed Señor Mort’s head. “Back in your cage, now. Do you want to live with Drake and Professor Cadaver?” Señor Mort’s beady black eyes gazed back at me and he licked my nose.

  I smiled and snuggled him against my ear, his cold nose bumping against me before I returned him to his cage. “All right. Why not? What exactly do I have to lose? I’ve already lost everything.”

  “Not everything. You’re still a virgin.”

  I scowled at Ian. “Ew. Do you seriously go around and talk to people about their sexual exploits? How about this, as your sweet and helpless master, I forbid you from saying any ‘V’ words to me ever again.”

  He grinned. “No ‘V’ words? I think I can handle that. Come on. Let’s go see Drake.”

  “You don’t have to come,” I said, glancing at him.

  He shook his head and picked up the suitcase. “Oh, I think it’s best if I do. He can hurt me instead of you.”

  “You think he has to hurt someone?”

  “Yes. Drake always has to hurt someone. Like I have to seduce someone.”

  I swallowed. Was I afraid that Drake would hurt me? No. I was afraid that I’d hurt him. I had hurt him, blowing him off for a week while he sent me pink roses, waiting so patiently like he wasn’t wicked at all. And all for a stupid name of some stupid mage who had hurt Poppy. It hadn’t been against her will. She knew what would happen, like I knew what Drake would do to me. But Zach, letting myself be vulnerable so when he wrote in my skin, the bond took, I wanted to rip myself apart for that. There was no way Drake wouldn’t be furious.

  Whatever. It didn’t matter. I could just throw myself on Drake’s lack of mercy and not try anymore. I walked briskly, Ian following like a steward. What if Drake didn’t want me to move in with him? Then I could go home. I could always go home, at least until my birthday when the whole thing came down.

  I knocked on Drake’s door. I squeezed my eyes closed and held my breath.

  Drake opened the door, his face pale, circles under his eyes, and he smelled like ashes and anger. He grabbed my neck and pulled me against him, his lips on mine as fierce and hungry as a dragon.

  My lips parted and the taste of him, rich and spicy, sw
eet and burning, made me forget about absolutely everything else in my messed up world. I dropped Señor’s cage and wrapped my hands around him, pulling him against me, trying to taste more of him. His tongue. Instead of pulling back, I slid my tongue over his, parting my mouth until our jaws were pressed bone against bone.

  He pulled away but still gripped my shoulders, scowling fiercely, those dark eyes lit with specks of green. “What’s this, Penny? Kissing me good-bye? Didn’t I tell you that I’d never let you leave without me again?”

  I swallowed down the rising nausea and smiled brightly. “Nope. A hello kiss. With tongue. Lots of tongue. Anyway, I hope you don’t mind me moving in with you because Ian’s going to go fetch my trunks from Lilac Stories and I’m never going back.”

  Chapter 2

  Mage

  I stared at Penny Lane. Move in with me? I just kept staring at her. This was a hallucination. A spell. A dream.

  “Drake?” She cocked her head and bit her bottom lip. She’d put her tongue in my mouth. Was this really Penny? It could be Wit in a glamour.

  Ian cleared his throat. “Maybe you should move out of the doorway and close the door while I go get the trunks. Unless you don’t want Penny in your bed, Drake.”

  I blinked at Ian. He didn’t belong to Wit anymore. He belonged to Pitch. And now Penny was having him fetch things for her. Did Pitch give Ian to Penny?

  Ian nodded slightly, glancing at the golden-haired witch I still gripped and didn’t seem to be able to release. “In my bed?” It was a growl. I shouldn’t growl, but Penny only sighed and leaned her weight against me.

  “If that’s where you want me. I will let you ruin me any way you like.”

  My heart pounded and my hands tightened even though it would hurt her. And I would have to heal her. And reset her spell. I pulled her against me, her forehead against my neck. She wrapped her arms around me and burrowed her face into my skin, her lips parting as she tasted my throat.

  I stared at Ian. He smiled a little bit ruefully and then pushed us into my room and closed the door.