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

by Juliann Whicker

  Zach ran a hand through his hair. “Couldn’t you have told her the truth about why you couldn’t marry her? Why did you have to make her feel like she was worth less because of her lack of magic? You know that makes her the most valuable witch in Dayside or Darkside, that thing you threw in her face.”

  I shifted uncomfortably. “She fought beautifully. Wasn’t she exquisite? Not a drop of magic and still able to defeat the Chemiss captain at his own fight.”

  “Exquisite. That’s Penny. Also schizophrenic, and you’re not helping any. Why did you lie to her?”

  I glanced at him. “She can’t remember her father except in random scribbles. Her family who knows her best knew that she would sacrifice her life for her mother’s happiness. Would she sacrifice it to save herself? She isn’t suicidal, maybe, but she’s probably fatalistic.”

  “You recognize your own characteristics in her? I suppose you think I should marry her now. She might not want to ever get married, whatever the consequences. She might run off and join Sooth so she can watch him rip out your soul and eat it with ketchup.”

  “I don’t have a soul.”

  “Then what’s so crushed? You’re going to have to work harder if you don’t want her to realize that you’re in love with her.”

  I closed my eyes. “I’m not…” If I didn’t love her, why did my heart hurt so much? Why did my hands feel so numb, like nothing was real without a Penny to hold? “If I loved her, would I be able to let her go?”

  “Apparently. I feel almost good about letting you have her, except for the part where you ripped out her heart and fed it to your dragon.”

  “Don’t talk about that.”

  “You’d rather I talk about taking Penny to Community Service in her ripped wedding dress where she spent hours crying on the couch with the one-eyed human? You’d rather I tell you that every injury she gave you, she’ll acquire in her weird energy empathy thing and Ian is in her bedroom healing her? He’s good at healing. She told me. You suck.”

  “I’m better than I was. It’s true. Every word she screamed was true. My knee is cocky just like the rest of me. I was so close to happiness, Zach. I could feel it, taste it, hold it in my arms. I broke it. I broke her heart. I’ll never be her Revere.”

  A knock sounded on my door. I glanced at Zach because it was a weird knock, sharp, persistent, endless and tormenting as a final exam.

  “A teacher,” we both said in unison.

  Zach winced. “You’d better answer it. Maybe look a little more respectable.”

  I scowled and rose, snapping my fingers to start the spell of faux respectability. I regained my jaunty, jerky swagger by the time I reached the door now wearing an impeccable suit instead of the purple one.

  I opened the door and there was her supreme majesty, Mesdame Clotch, the headmistress of Rosewood.

  I blinked at her. “Good morning. It’s a little early for a surprise inspection, but if you’d like to explore the depths of my bedroom, by all means, enter.”

  She lifted her nose. “You will accompany me to my office.”

  She turned and started walking. I ground my teeth and almost snapped her head off of her neck, but swallowed down the monstrous urge and followed. The walk went by with far too many students up and about, staring at me like I was on my way to death row. Didn’t they know it was rude to stare? Apparently not.

  “Sit,” she said, once we’d reached her immaculate office, all white and dark wood. So pristine and deadly boring. Like Penny’s lab. Maybe Clotch had hidden depths like my Penny. Not my Penny. I sank down into the chair she gesture towards, barely keeping upright instead of sagging down in a heap of defeated idiocy.

  “What do you need, Madame? I have class to prepare for and other important nonsense.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me, the color quite stunning, blues a tad lighter than Wit’s. They were distantly related. “A witch attacked a mage. You know the law.”

  I frowned deeply while I considered my words carefully. “She was defending her property. You see, I borrowed something of hers, and she wanted it back.”

  “Then she should have stolen it back, or better yet, reported the crime to the authorities. There have been far too many instances lately of inappropriate conduct, from floating teacups to the selling of unlicensed hurters on school property.”

  “There’s something against floating teacups? Where is that written? I could have sworn I’d memorized the entire student handbook. How could I have missed such an important rule?”

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “You study the student handbook? No doubt to get inspiration of what rules there are that you haven’t yet broken. I’ve overlooked a great deal for the sake of Penny Lane’s special circumstances, but half the school watched her make a crater in the driveway with your head. What is your statement?”

  I licked my lips and stared at the small sphere she held in her hand, recording every word. So this was going to be a legal issue. “I broke a contract. Penny was acting in the role of her guardian to administer the penalty. She was being gentle. If it had been an act of war, an illegal attack, why would we have fought without magic? We only used mage forms, other than the hurters which her guardian made. I will absolutely sue this school and put my family crest over your desk if you ever suggest that Penny Lane would break the one law.”

  “And Jackson? We found him on a roof.”

  “So?”

  “He claims that she skinned him alive.”

  I wanted to rub my temples and turn this office into a smoking heap of rubble, Madame Clotch in pieces at the bottom. Instead, I smiled. “Did he? Does he have proof? What would she do with mage skin?”

  Her eyes narrowed even more. “Drake, that witch of yours cannot flaunt every rule without consequence. I will not have my school turned into a war zone. You don’t understand the danger, but if it begins, the war between witches and mages, it can last for years. The last one was in Darkside, twenty-five years ago in a small, remote area. When we got there, there wasn’t anyone to execute. This isn’t a game, Drake. I know that you enjoy tormenting witches, but you must be cautious or you will start something that you cannot contain, and it might consume our world.”

  I sighed. She was being so responsible and logical. I stood up. “Point taken. Actually, I’m no longer interested in bad behavior. It might not last, but for the meantime I’m consumed with business and family issues. No time for fun.”

  She studied me for a long time before she nodded. “Keep yourself clean. The girl has gotten everyone’s attention. If she steps wrong, she’ll be gone one way or another. You’re excused.”

  She said that just so she could feel in charge, because I was leaving anyway. I paused and bowed, very low. “Thank you. I hope your day is as delightful as yourself.”

  I did not slam the door on my way out. I did step immediately throughside and came out in Huntsman Manor. It was cavernous and empty in spite of the housekeeper. I went into the library but instead of heading towards the alcohol, I went to the bookshelves. What had Sooth been reading? It took a second before the recall came back with clarity. I piled the books on the table and began the day’s school lesson.

  The housekeeper came in with breakfast, her pot of orange bergamot exactly according to my instructions. When I summoned tea it had to come from somewhere. It burned my tongue. I nodded to her to keep it coming as I worked. I opened my laptop and cross-checked notes until I looked up because she was turning on the lights and drawing the curtains for the evening. A day had passed. My first day without Penny Lane.

  The housekeeper left with a slight smile. She had no idea what to do without Jasper. We’d be fine. We’d cope. I unbuttoned my shirt, one button at a time, unspelling until the gold satin had taken its real color. She’d made a voodoo doll for the mage, Mitch, and dressed him in a violet and gold suit. In reality, he wore yellow and lilac. Coincidence? I smiled as I leaned back and closed my eyes. I dug my claws into my chest, feeling Penny Lane as though she w
ere beside me.

  “Penny Huntsman, I’m sorry.”

  Chapter 28

  Witch

  I slept through that day and most of the next night. When I woke up, my shoulder throbbed, aching as though Signore had sank his fangs into me. Why did he have fangs? I rubbed my shoulder. My heart ached and my whole body felt like it was made out of lead, but honestly, it wasn’t worse than the weeks right after Poppy died. I hurt, sure, but I wasn’t crazy like my mother, was I? How could I possibly know? I’d kind of gone insane on Drake, no, I hadn’t really hurt him, and that’s why Ian had taken ages to heal me, because my skin wasn’t all torched off and shredded with embedded shrapnel, also my head liberally concussed from me smacking him down.

  I rubbed my shoulder and for a moment it felt like Drake was there, holding me in his arms, but I gasped and let go because it hurt. It hurt so much to feel him love me when it was a lie. I was too stupid. I believed he loved me even if he threw me away at one telephone call. What business had it been?

  I grabbed my laptop and started researching. Huntsman had taken a sudden and unexpected dive which had caused stocks to crash all over. My own business, Darkly Sweet was affected as well. I exhaled and glared at my screen. His business wasn’t doing great, so he needed someone richer than me. That’s what it was. Maybe if I’d had magic he would have felt like I could come up with some gold somewhere. Would I hear an announcement of another engagement? Maybe he’d marry Wit or Viney. Viney would marry him in a second. Anyone would. He was perfect. Perfectly wicked.

  My stomach rumbled. Weird. After Poppy I’d hardly eaten for months. I shrugged and rolled out of bed. I got dressed for classes in my most adorable outfit, bathing, shaving, triple lotioning my long legs until I felt as polished as one of Drake’s inner circle. Maybe I didn’t have the wealthiest family and couldn’t do magic, but at least I could look nice. I snuggled Señor Mort until it was time to go to breakfast. I was the first one in line. I piled up my plate, went to the little table in the corner where we sat and ate. And ate. And ate until all the students were gone and I was alone, sitting at our table, without him.

  Everything in my stomach felt like a rock, heavy and roiling, a wonderful combination. I walked slowly back to Lilac Stories. I didn’t notice Rhoda until I walked into her where she’d parked in the hall in front of me.

  “How did you do that?” she demanded.

  I stared at the adorable blond girl with a hot pink t-shirt beneath her uniform vest. “I shouldn’t have. I feel like I’m going to throw up. Way too many eggs.”

  Her eyes narrowed and her nose twitched with barely contained energy. “Fighting Drake. How did you do that? That was mage style. Was it a spell, something that copied him?”

  I patted her head and walked around her. “My mother thought it would be amusing if I knew how to beat a mage at his own game. Aren’t mothers wonderful?”

  “Penny,” she said, falling in beside me like she didn’t have a class to get to. “What about Jackson and the monster? You just left us all there and flew away. Half of the school saw the whole thing.”

  “The monster?” I frowned as I tried to remember the mottled snout of the huge beast that had come barreling out of Darkside straight at Rhoda. It was lucky she hadn’t gotten gobbled. “Don’t worry, Rhoda. We’d fish you out of his stomach if he’d snacked you.” I patted her again and headed into Lilac Stories, the ugliest place in the world. Had the paint samples arrived? I went to Zach’s room and would have picked the lock, but he’d left it open.

  “Zach, are you sleeping? With your door open? Suicidal mage.” I dropped my bag on the lump under the blankets. “I brought you bagels. Mostly because I couldn’t eat them.”

  I went to the poster of Pitch, action shot, all black tight suit with her white face, black lipstick and blacker eyes. She was so cool particularly with the mustache. I patted her cheek and the wall slid up and away to reveal the tech shop. I rifled through the cupboards and crates, taking this and that, adding it to the counter in the center.

  Zach groaned and stayed where he was. I shrugged and got out the welder. After my classtime, I put everything away very nicely and headed out. I locked the door behind me, just in case Viney was feeling bored.

  World’s History with Professor Vale was nice enough. She wore a white powdered wig with her black leather pants as she explained about the Reformation. Or something. I couldn’t seem to concentrate. The next class was a lot like that. It was just a little bit foggy, like the world was a bit misty, or maybe I was foggy. Ashes. Smoke. Something bad. I tried to focus on my math class, then in Conversations, but I felt like I was waiting for something, someone that never came. Zach didn’t come, either.

  I realized what it was in Ballet when I walked into my class and saw Drake standing at the barre in his soft black pants, white t-shirt, stretching his incredibly flexible feet. I couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t like holding your breath, it was like a monster stuffing your head in its mouth and sucking out all the oxygen you’ve ever had in your lungs, and then biting down until your heart is punctured by its fangs. I turned and staggered out of class, down the hall to the nearest exit, out into the windy, sleety day. I sat down in the mud in my pale pink leotard while my heart shattered over and over and over again. However tightly I held my knees or pressed my eyes against them, I couldn’t stop the horrible, awful pain.

  I don’t know how long I stayed there before Viney grabbed me around the waist and hauled me upright. She was so short, she could fit her head under my armpit. I shivered as she dragged me to my room. Once we got there, she ran water in my tub, and pushed me in, still wearing my leotard. I suppose since it was wet, it really didn’t matter.

  “Are you going to get sick?” She put her fingertips to my forehead like she’d seen it on a movie or something. “I’ll get Zach.”

  “No.” I grabbed her hand and held on until she turned to me, arms crossed, glaring.

  “Why not? He’s skipping today anyway.”

  I frowned at the rising water. “I’m okay. I don’t need any mage to take care of me. It was just the shock. That’s it. Tomorrow will be better.”

  She knelt down and grabbed my hand, dark eyes bright and fiery. “You’re right. That’s not what you need, some idiot mage. You saw him in ballet?”

  I nodded and squeezed my eyes tight, but I could still see him, expression serene, untouched, completely indifferent to the world around him. He hadn’t seen me, probably wouldn’t have noticed me if he had. He’d closed the door of his heart to me, shutting me out.

  “Penny, it’s fine. You aren’t acting fine, but I’m sure that you’ll get over Drake. I’m not over Drake and he didn’t try to make me fall in love with him, but you’ll probably…” She broke off and squeezed my hand so hard I winced. She swore rather loudly for a long time before she sank down on the floor, still holding my hand. “It makes no sense. He worked so hard to throw it all away.”

  “His business is down. I think he’s going to marry the richest witch he can find. They’re always doing that in dramas.”

  She rolled her eyes. “While your life may seem like a drama, Drake isn’t going to marry anyone for something that heartless. He might marry a human girl for her money, but not a witch.”

  I frowned at her. She was making no sense, but it didn’t matter because the pain had gone numb enough that I could realize that I was in my leotard in my tub, and my ballet slippers were completely ruined. I sighed and climbed out, dripping water all over Viney.

  “Where are you going?”

  I wrung out my hair. It wasn’t great, but I wasn’t going to see Drake, anyway. “I need to get to class. Will you help me with my hair? Something to hide the mud? Braids or something?”

  She rolled her eyes, but set to work with her nimble little fingers, rolling and twisting my hair, pausing and making me hold it up while she ran to get something. She brought back strands of gold studded with jewels that she wove into my hair until it was wrapped on my head li
ke a crown, strands falling down that weren’t muddy and a mess. It probably took longer than just washing my hair, but drying was another matter. Maybe I could get Viney to use drying magic on my hair. When I suggested it, she snorted and referred me to a hair dryer.

  By the time I got to dressage, I looked more pulled together than you needed to deal with horses, but that was fine since I mostly groomed Henrietta, and she seemed to appreciate my hair, kept mouthing it. She missed Zach being in this class. So did I. When I walked out, I couldn’t help but notice that witches stared at me. I didn’t overanalyze why they were staring, or what thoughts went on behind their eyes. On my way to Chemistry I got a text from Viney.

  She was keeping me updated on Drake’s location so I could avoid him. He was going to be coming down my hall in a few seconds. I ducked into the nearest hall and ran, past students who got fewer and fewer in between until I found myself in the part of the school where they’d held the ball. I found a small alcove and leaned against the wall, heart pounding, but it hadn’t shattered. Perfect. When I got the all clear from Viney, I headed in the wrong direction and got completely turned around. I was going to be late for Chemistry. I wandered up and down stairs through locked and unlocked rooms until I came to a set of stairs that met on a landing which held a portrait of my grandmama. I stood there staring at the portrait for a long time. The title beneath it read ‘Penelope Rose and Horace Wood,’ but that was my grandmother, maybe younger and a bit more austere than the witch I knew, but definitely her.

  “So you really did found Rosewood. Has it lived up to all of your expectations? I know I haven’t. I tried. I was so close.”

  “You did admirably.” The voice was gentle for Wit, but still harsh enough to put my back up. I didn’t turn around, and she continued after a moment’s pause. “I think we can safely say that if neither you nor I could catch Drake, he’s not going to be caught. It’s a pity, all those genetics going to waste. You have her eyes.”