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

by Juliann Whicker

  I hesitated before I blurted out, “I have a contract with Drake Huntsman. We’re getting married on Valentine’s. At home. Meeting mom is in the contract. Will that be a problem?”

  He held his breath for a moment. “No. He should know what he’s getting involved with. Send me a copy of the contract so I can go over it.”

  “I already signed it.”

  “Until you’re married, it can be dissolved.”

  Good to know. “Fine. I’ll email it. I’m getting a little bit nervous about it.”

  “How so? Is the contract unfavorable?”

  “It’s not that, it’s that there are so many conditions that involve the two of us together. We have to live together and have a twenty-four hour mustache day once a year. And have Tuesday Community Service and Sunday afternoon tea parties. How long can that possibly last? Also, what happens when he finds out about Pitch? And that I don’t have magic.”

  “Penny, I met the mage. You adore him. He owns you. This contract is the next rational step whether or not you were under a deadline. Also, Huntsman can protect you from the TMD as well as Creagh. Have there been any other attacks?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Congratulations, Penny. You attained a contract with the most eligible peer at Rosewood. I know it’s been difficult for you, but your mother and I are very proud.”

  I rolled my eyes. “And Drake gets to meet her. Do you think she’ll be normal?”

  “Normal? Do you think that a mage who adores you would possibly be interested in normal? Keep me updated.” He hung up on me.

  I sighed and dropped the phone.

  Chapter 16

  Mage

  Over five hundred battles that Huntsman mercs were involved in. The trouble was that I’d bother to infiltrate the enemy, both sides so I could figure out who the enemy was, which no one seemed to really know, but after hours of dragging mages hundreds of feet above the ground in Jello’s claws, and I’d finally figured it out, the next night my mercs were back to fighting the wrong side again.

  I spent a week in Darkside, wading through the morass that was the war on the deception sorcerer who was living in my house, before I went to find The Devil.

  “You haven’t been fighting.” The man was tall, with sharp features and a receding hairline that made him look like count Dracula, or chocula.

  “I have, actually. The subtle sorcerer has taken over my armies ever since the Creagh attack and he decided either revenge or irony was more to his taste than all-out war. I can break his hold on my men, but the moment I turn my attention elsewhere, they forget and once more attack the wrong side. At least I’m not personally fighting for him anymore.”

  He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the extremely elaborate table that didn’t match the dingy tent we were in. “You can break his hold, but can’t maintain your own grasp on your men’s minds? Do they lack loyalty?”

  I scowled at him. I’d already been scowling. My head ached from spending so much time in Darkside and so little time sleeping. Also, I had a tree date waiting for me if I could just clear this mess up. I’d barely been able to get away for our Tuesday. “I’m not a spellsmith much less a spellmaster, and this sorcerer, frankly, has you running scared, so I wouldn’t cast slurs in my direction, thank-you-very-much.”

  He smiled, his teeth slightly pink as though he’d been drinking blood. Or eating fireballs. “I’m surprised you’re able to break the spell at all. You’re doing very well. It’s true, this mage has been plotting and putting things into place for a very long time. The important thing is that my granddaughter stay out of his clutches. If she somehow gets taken by him, it will make this entire mess look like a walk in the park.”

  “That’s what you say, but I’d like a few more details. What, exactly, would he do with her and Pitch?”

  The devil studied me for a long time. “I don’t know all the details, but she has more energy than a witch should have, yes? Her mother stole that energy, gave it to the child, and he wants it back. He will take it back and either keep her alive as a sleeping princess, or kill her. Before that happens, others will kill her.”

  “Signore.”

  “The Deliverer, the Ruby, yes. It is extremely important that she remain out of Darkside.”

  “So many complications. If the mother took his energy, then he’ll want to destroy her most.”

  The devil shot me a sharp glance. “If he can. If Serene is no longer handicapped trying to protect the child, there is very little that she cannot accomplish. Such charming women in our family. You’re very lucky. Congratulations on the contract.”

  I blinked at him. Signore had been there, who would kill Penny if it looked like she was going to fall into the wrong hands. So, Pitch was Penny’s protector to keep her and the stolen energy away from the sorcerer. “Does he have a name? Subtle Sorcerer is too long.”

  The devil smiled again. “One of his names is Benjamin Sooth. Are you certain he hasn’t lured you over to his side?”

  “He has a number of times, but I think, at the moment, he has not. But I don’t know. Maybe you’re him. Maybe everyone is him. Maybe the world is already populated by Sooth’s, and here I am with a name like the Soothing Sorcerer which isn’t any shorter.” I stood up. “Do you have any advice for me on how to get Sooth out of my family?”

  He raised his black eyebrows. “You mean your mercenaries?”

  “He’s living in Dayside, in Huntsman manor.”

  He stared at me, his black eyes chips of coal. “You did not fight him when you got the chance?”

  “Inside our family home? Are you mad? The entire place would be completely destroyed. The ghosts of my ancestors would haunt me eternally. Also, it’s in Dayside. There are laws about mage battles that I don’t think Sooth would follow. Do you?”

  He stared at me for a long time. “Perhaps you’re right. He has escaped from much more confining traps.”

  “So, no advice?”

  He studied me for a long time, his monstrous mind at work beneath that façade. It was very likely that we wouldn’t always be on the same side. “You can individually bind your men to you and they will share some of your immunity to the sorcerer.”

  I nodded. “That’s actually useful. How strange.”

  He raised his eyebrows so he looked particularly surprised. “We are at war. These are things you should already know. Of course, if your immunity is a personal matter. Who could have taught you about such things? You aren’t an ordinary Daysider mage. Your blood runs very dark.”

  “Thank you.” I bowed to him. “I appreciate the advice.”

  I went throughside, coming out in my bedroom. Penny wasn’t there. If I could share my immunity with my men, there was one I would have to start with. I called Jasper.

  “Master Huntsman?”

  “I have an emergency. I can’t take off my boots. I need you immediately.”

  He sighed and hung up. He was almost instantaneously at my door, knocking politely.

  “Come in.”

  He entered, his sandy hair mussed and his exercise clothing dark from sweat. “Your boots?”

  “Jasper, I have this idea about you swearing your loyalty to me. It’s very feudal, ancient, but I’m feeling whimsical about it. Do you want to kneel and offer your sword, or do blood brother business? We could exchange spit.”

  He stared at me. “I’m an employee of Huntsman inc. We do not have a feudal system of serfs and lieges. You are the master of Huntsman inc. not me. I am not an actual slave. You do realize that, don’t you?”

  I stared at him. “Don’t be an idiot. You’re the master of Huntsman inc. Anyone who thinks differently is completely oblivious. Not even I missed that. No, this is something quite different. You see, for reasons that you currently can’t understand, I’m in a position where I have immunity that I can share if you declare your fealty to me. It won’t actually mean anything, but will protect you. See?”

  He frowned at me, his sandy eyebrows like on
e big caterpillar crawling across his forehead. “You believe I’m under the influence of diabolical magic? Your father said that you might say something like that.”

  I stared at him.

  He stared back. He smiled slightly. “I appreciate the offer of enslavement, but I’m actually looking forward to retirement in a few years.”

  “Fine. In that case, you’re completely useless to me. You won’t remember any orders I give you. Also, if you refuse, the most loyal employee we have, what is the chance that any of my armies will agree to it?”

  He studied me for a long time. “Was that not a hypothetical question?”

  “Do you have anything useful to say?”

  “What influence do you think is over me?”

  “The sorcerer I’m fighting in Darkside, of course. He influences everything. He sees all, knows all, and he keeps flipping all of my orders upside down.”

  “What immunity do you have to him?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Something I inherited from mother, probably. I should appreciate it more, but if I weren’t aware of the problem, I could go on blissfully thinking that I’m fighting against the sorcerer instead of on his side.”

  He frowned fiercely. “Why didn’t you mention this before now?”

  I rolled my eyes and pointed at him. “You see? How many times can I repeat myself? I should have realized when you signed the contract sending our armies to fight for the sorcerer without adequate payment that you were completely worthless, but it’s hard for me to believe that about Jasper, the most talented Daysider mage. Even Revere called you that.”

  He frowned. “The spellmaster. Can he help you?”

  I shrugged. “I can’t contact him, so I wouldn’t know. Fine. If you don’t want to swear fealty or whatever, help me figure out the spellwork needed in case I can find some hard up warriors who miss medieval times.”

  He studied me for a long time before he took a seat on my couch and pulled out a notebook and pen. He sketched out a design, stars with stars and circles, interspersed with lines that left a spinning impression when he was finished. “This should help focus your abilities and share them as long as the individual performs according to your will. That is, as long as you are their sworn liege. Darksider oaths are very powerful. I’d let them have their own. It will mitigate their feelings of powerlessness.”

  “I don’t want them powerless, I want them protected. What good would powerless mages do me? Thank you, Jasper. Perhaps you aren’t entirely worthless in spite of your inability to fight Sooth.”

  He winced. “What did you call him?”

  “Sooth. Why? Do you know him?”

  He gripped my shoulder. “Sooth was locked away a thousand years ago.”

  “That’s nice. It seems to be time to lock him away again.”

  “And he’s in Dayside, has taken personal interest in your armies?”

  “Your face is all pale. Do you need a drink? Sit down, Jasper. It’s not that bad. He’s just interfering with my dating life. And your mind. Your hands are shaking terribly.”

  Someone knocked on the door. Knocked was the wrong word. Pounded. It sounded like Pete excited or Zach angry. I sighed and pulled the piece of paper out of his notebook. He stared at me while I went to the door. I opened it with a scowl because I did not need my friends to take my time.

  Penny’s eyes were dark with specks of gold in them that called to my inner dragon. “What is this?” She held up her phone and I saw images of me lounging in a chair in a tophat while Penny rubbed lotion on my chest.

  “I believe they call it: edible. A good deal like you. Would you like me to demonstrate, Penny Lane?”

  She raised her eyebrows and gazed at me sternly, but her lips twitched. “And the money?”

  “I don’t think it’s overpriced for a his and hers lotion.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me, but a corner of her mouth went up. Her corners were so delightful, like her slopes and spirals. For a second there she was, all geometric shapes in bright gold before she came back into focus.

  “Drake, there is no way that I can process over two hundred thousand orders on his and her lotions. Even with my Chem girls. What were you thinking, doing a national ad campaign?”

  “Rhoda’s done a great job making certain that every bottle is up to the Darkly Sweet standard. The manufacture is going extremely smoothly. Your profits should be in the black.”

  She grabbed my lapels and yanked me closer to her. I protested by putting my hands on her waist and holding her tight. “If I wanted to have a big beauty business, I’d mess around with grandmama’s. Darkly Sweet is mine. It’s small, personal. It was a little bit okay to have my Chem girls, but outsourcing production to an impersonal machine? Do you not know that there are things more important than money?”

  I slid my hand up her back to the base of her skull. I hadn’t seen her in far too long and her anger made her cheeks pink and eyes bright. “I only allowed manufacture for the new lotions, the him and hers. It’s an experiment, not only with your business, with our new partnership. It’s probably time for us to have a business meeting, CEO to board members and we can iron out these little problems.”

  “Board members?”

  “Myself, Señor Mort, and Professor Cadaver are all senior members of the board. I believe we were going to have our board meeting in a tree. Because wood.”

  She smiled and for a second I forgot about anything besides the curl of her lips and the scent of vanilla. She tugged on my lapels again. “You’re trying to distract me. A week you’ve been too busy for our tree date and now you’re offering me yourself in a tree.”

  “You say that like you want me in a tree.”

  She cocked her head and her eyes drifted down to my mouth. “You smell so nice. Drake, can I have you in a tree?”

  I swallowed. “Yes. If you promise to talk business. I love business. There’s nothing more—” I kissed her, her lips soft and sweet, her body melting against mine while my skin thrummed and my suit coat absorbed every sensation of her like she was against my bare chest. “Except that,” I said, pulling away. I kissed her again. And again. I couldn’t seem to stop, and her hair, her neck, shoulders, back, I needed every particle of her.

  She pulled back, dizzy and breathless. “You’ve missed me?”

  “Too much. What tree? I’ll bring a picnic. Fifteen minutes.”

  She shook her head with a slight smile. “Bring you. An hour. I’ll come and pick you up. Okay?”

  I nodded. An hour? I pulled her against me because that was too long. She responded, shoving against me and scraping my lips with her teeth. Her tongue and teeth assaulted me for a wickedly short time until she pulled away and took three steps back, crossing her arms.

  “One hour. Meet me by the tree closest to Lilac Stories on the green. Also, don’t bring Professor.”

  I raised my eyebrows, but she whirled around and marched off showing way too much self-discipline. My mouth still throbbed from her assault. When I turned around to go back to my room and take a very long bath and dress, or perhaps make a list of my most loyal soldiers who I might be able to convince to swear their loyalty.

  Jasper was still sitting on the couch, his expression something like shock mixed with horror and a healthy dollop of fear. Also anger.

  “I agree.”

  I frowned at him. “You agree to what, Jasper? That I should definitely not neglect Penny Lane even for matters of war or business? I agree. I don’t have a lot of time before the wedding. I need to get this cleared up.”

  “I’ll become your vassal.”

  I blinked at him. “Oh. Are you sure? I might rip out your soul or something.”

  “You wouldn’t know the first thing about ripping out souls. I should explain something. Sit down, Drake.”

  He never called me Drake. I sat down at once. On the floor. He glared at me and I sheepishly went to the couch. Clearly this wasn’t a whimsical moment, but I had a date with Penny in an hour. In a tr
ee. Without pets.

  “Drake, when I was young, I had a lot of ambition, but was limited as all Daysiders in the use of magic. I went to Darkside on a quest for knowledge and power. I came back with exactly what I’d sought, but I paid the price.”

  “I can relate. One never gets exactly what they expect in Darkside, does one?”

  He shot me a glare. “Darkside wasn’t always as it is now, a free and fairly lawless wilderness of magic and mages. There have been ages where one or two sorcerers controlled the world.”

  “I’ve heard something about that. It’s time for a new age of power and darkness as old lines emerge or new ones develop. You’re saying that Sooth is one of those lines?”

  He hesitated then nodded. “You see, it was a simple spell that drew on the power of the ancients. It connected me to one I chose, one who had the abilities I admire most, subtlety, wisdom, manipulation, foresight.”

  “So you’re saying that you tied yourself to this sorcerer to gain your current powers and standing? Interesting. So, you’re working for him?”

  He shook his head. “No. I don’t work for him, but if Sooth is around, that makes me the weakness that he can exploit to take advantage of Huntsman.”

  “In that case, you’re fired.”

  He glanced at me sharply. “Only your father can fire me.”

  “I don’t suppose you know where he is this time of year.”

  He frowned at me. “He’s been at the house. Oh, no.”

  I smiled blandly. “Oh, yes. If you did that spell, I’m not sure if it would work, swearing fealty to me, but I’m willing to try if you are.”

  He stood up and waved his hands until the shape he’d written spread across my floor in bright lines of green. He was adapting the magic already in my room. He could do that, so what else could he do as Sooth’s puppet?

  “Right. I’ll just stand here.” I stood in the center of the circle.