Dread Delight: Rosewood Academy for Witches and Mages (Darkly Sweet Book 2)

by Juliann Whicker

  She blinked at me while I headed toward the restroom, not waiting for her to follow me.

  “Right. I’ll see you at the after party. Everyone will be headed there, so you can’t get lost.” She hesitated, like I needed her to lead me to the bathroom. Also like she needed to keep an eye on me.

  “Nice. Later.” I hurried into the bathroom, waited for the count of ten then ducked out and ran down the side hall, smaller, one that led beneath the stage, into the orchestra pit.

  I stood there on the edge behind the cellos and watched Drake sing the most incredible aria. Was it called an aria? I had no idea, but it was like angels and made me melt in the oddest places. I barely noticed Wit where she stood beside him, smiling at him like, ‘oh, isn’t Drake great and he’s my boyfriend, aren’t I lucky’ kind of way. The orchestra swelled as Witley began singing, the two voices, perfectly pitched, perfectly matched, both exquisite in power and beauty. No wonder Wit wanted Drake. No wonder I wanted Drake. It was a wonder anyone didn’t want Drake, not that I could think offhand of anyone who didn’t. Maybe Oscar.

  Their voices entwined marvelously and I was swept away with the current of their emotions, fueled by their expressions, gestures, and then Wit put her hand on his arm and I gasped. It was one of those perfect moments, right between phrases and I felt like I may as well have screamed bloody murder.

  But the only person who looked over at me was Drake. His eyes met mine and held me where I stood, a little pink and strawberry-blond weirdo in the orchestra pit behind the cellos. Witley began singing, but he stood there silently, staring at me until finally Witley hissed at him. He licked his lips and then sang, the most soaring and ear breaking sound I’d ever heard.

  The audience gasped, moaned, cried as the most beautiful songbird exploded and wretched out its lungs in front of them. Drake sang more loudly, more atrociously than I’d ever done in my finest moment, my greatest hour.

  I stood there and watched him, listened to him, his eyes never leaving mine, his heart in that song, a song of such breathtaking ugliness I could not question it. He’d sung it for me. Because he’d rather be publicly humiliated than make me think that he was making fun of me on the top of that tower and every time since I’d sung along to the radio with him.

  He sang for me and my heart knew that song and sang back. Not out loud. I just stood there staring at him with the strange and horrifying realization that I wanted him, I liked him, but more, I loved him.

  Chapter 40

  Witch

  “You did great with Drake!” Some girl in so much theater makeup I had no idea who she was put her hand on my shoulder in a weirdly friendly gesture before she turned and ran off. People ran all over the place, faces a mixture of shock, horror and excitement.

  “Wit should have known better than to push him,” the guy in front of me said to the guy beside him, not seeming to mind that I could pretty much see through his tights to his fine buttocks beneath.

  “Penny? Drake’s looking for you.”

  I spun around to see Pete in tights and nothing else besides a smile. I should be blushing, but it didn’t seem real. Everything after Drake’s mind-blowing performance just felt like one of those music videos that didn’t make a lot of sense. “You should probably put on some pants.”

  He winked at me. “For you, Penny, I’d put on all kinds of things. You’re supposed to go to the big after show party and you’re going in the wrong direction.”

  I blinked at him. “I think I need to take a nap. I’m pretty sure I’m in shock.”

  He studied me, his smile still firmly fixed on his face. Did he know how to not smile? “Is that right? I think the entire school’s in shock. Drake doesn’t fail. He certainly doesn’t quit. He does put on a show. That’s got to be the most memorable finale in the history of Rosewood.”

  “Right. I’m serious about going to bed. All this near-nudity is making me faint.”

  He glanced down at his bare chest and smirked. “I am pretty incredible. Drake said something about a deal you’d made, something about Jasper?”

  I stopped walking and stared at the back of a girl in a shimmery dress. Her hair was fabulous. What kind of conditioner did she use? I did owe Drake. I’d said I’d introduce Revere to Jasper. Had Revere come? I closed my eyes tight for a moment. Macaroons and peanut brittle, had Revere seen my performance with Drake, seen me kiss him publicly? I took a deep breath and straightened my shoulders. Only one way to find out. I turned around and walked with the current of the other students. Pete kept behind me and pushed me through a door into a wide hall with an arched roof and a lot of adults who looked between grim, outraged, and expressionless. In that crowd of black-clothed people, I still immediately made out Revere. He met my eyes and raised an eyebrow before glancing away.

  I hesitated for a moment before I wandered seemingly accidentally in his direction. We walked, not looking at each other, but close enough that I could hear him.

  “Penny.”

  “Revere.”

  “Your performance was…”

  I glanced at him with a smile I hadn’t used in a long time. “It was. I didn’t think you would come, but I’m glad. I owe a mage. He wants to meet you.”

  He raised an eyebrow but didn’t make eye contact. That reminded me that I wan’t supposed to look at him. It was like playing spies, deep undercover.

  “Where is this mage?”

  “Jasper. Let me see.” I looked around, searching the sea of black tuxedos and felt my chest tighten like I was having a heart attack when I saw Drake gazing at me with obvious interest.

  “Is that him?” Revere asked, clearly aware of where I was staring.

  “No,” I muttered quickly. “He’s just my Pas de Deux partner. The performance was all choreographed. He’s not the one.”

  I tried not to notice Drake, instead searching the crowd for Jasper, but my eyes kept being drawn back to his amused smile, head cocked while he made his way languidly towards me. I turned around, facing away from Drake, searching desperately for Jasper. Ah. There he was. “Mage on the right, behind the overweight man with a monocle. Has brown hair, sunny eyes, looks like a tennis coach.”

  Revere gave me one glance before he said, “We’ll discuss things over winter break.”

  He glided away in the direction of Jasper while I stood there, staring at Jasper like if I didn’t blink, I could somehow not notice Drake getting closer and closer. He could be right behind me, fingers hovering over my hair. I could practically feel his breath on my neck.

  I spun around, but no Drake. There was a scrawny old woman dressed to the nines with bright red lipstick and heavy eyeliner. “Your performance was remarkable. How long have you trained?”

  I glanced behind me to see if she was talking to someone else, and jumped when I saw Drake, so close by my elbow.

  “Wasn’t she remarkable?” He took my hand, brushed his lips to the back of it then took his place beside me, smiling charmingly at the woman. “I believe she would say that she’s been training far too long.”

  The woman raised her eyebrows as she glanced down where Drake had his hand on my hip. When had he put his hand around my waist?

  “We’re not like that,” I said, trying to step away from him, but he only winked at me before he turned to the woman with a serious expression.

  “We’re only very good friends. Sometimes I forget myself, so lost am I in her.”

  I elbowed his ribs, subtly so no one noticed. He didn’t seem to notice either.

  “What are you doing here?” I hissed.

  He raised an eyebrow while the woman disappeared in the black crowd. “Mingling.”

  I almost smiled, but fought it down. I couldn’t play games with Drake, not with Revere in the crowd. “Fine. Mingle away. I’ll see you later.”

  I turned, but he stopped me, his fingers sliding around mine. “Are you forgetting your debt?”

  “I already asked Revere to talk to Jasper. I’m mad at you. You lied.”

>   “Are you really? Such a gentle fury.” Drake’s voice was low, his thumb brushing the sensitive skin of my wrist.

  I swallowed and tried to tell myself that I didn’t like him touching me. I should go. I shouldn’t let him hold my hand as though I would get lost in the crowd without him. I could not let Revere see us together. Revere would know the truth in an instant.

  “You sing too pretty for me.”

  His lips curled. “Pretty is not the right word. I’m extremely gifted and I’ve spent hours and hours taking that basic talent and turning it into something truly impressive. Talent without effort is negligible, which I recently realized applied to spellwork among other things.” He stepped closer, ignoring the suits around us, the dark figures who clustered in small groups talking about the show, particularly the fascinating finale.

  I should have stepped away, but I couldn’t seem to make my feet move. I stared into those dark eyes, sparking green, the smooth cheeks, straight nose and soft lips. Those lips that could sing like that. “Why did you lie to me?”

  “I could argue that I never lied. I never stated that I was a horrible singer. We both know that I meant to deceive you because it amused me. Your shameless bad singing was ridiculously adorable, and I didn’t want you to stop.”

  I stared at him, at those lips for far too long before I raised my eyes to his. “Why did you do that tonight, start singing horribly after I already knew you were a sneaky, deceptive mage?”

  His eyes glittered darkly and he stepped closer to lean down until his lips brushed my ear. “It was less interesting to me what everyone else thought of me than how you felt. Isn’t that remarkably altruistic? I should be rewarded generously, don’t you agree?”

  My lips parted and tilted towards him then Revere yanked me to the side, inserting himself between us.

  Revere faced Drake, a dangerously contemptuous curl to Revere’s lips. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

  Drake’s eyes were wide for a moment before he gave Revere a gleaming smile and bowed elaborately. “Drake Huntsman, at your service. I take it that you’re Revere, Penny’s noble step-father.”

  I blushed because Drake sounded like a total prissy rich boy. Revere despised prissy rich boys. If Drake thought that kissing up and charming Revere was possible this was going to be a very painful interview.

  Instead of saying something cutting and cruel, Revere smiled back at Drake, a terrifying smile that made my neck hair prickle.

  “Drake Huntsman, the famous heir to Huntsman incorporated? How fascinating. I had no idea the heir to such a magnificent family would still attend Rosewood as a senior. Surely you have other diversions that occupy your mind.”

  That’s what he said, but what I heard was, ‘Drake Huntsman is so pathetic because he’s nothing without his family name, a family whose whole basis is on money instead of merit, whose small mind needed very little to occupy it.’

  I glared at Revere. “He’s nothing like that. Maybe he’s not the best at spellcraft, and has sloppy knees, but he’s respected at this school, and not just because of his fancy family.”

  Drake cleared his throat. “To be honest, I think the majority of students do respect me because of my fancy family. There’s a lot of class distinction among Rosewood students.”

  I turned to stare at him. “You don’t mind Revere insulting you?”

  He grinned at me. “Your step-father didn’t insult me, at least not out loud. The fact that you know him well enough to read his mind then translate for me was an unexpected delight.”

  My cheeks burned and I glanced at Revere who stared at me utterly exasperated. “Such a delight,” he muttered.

  “Indeed,” Drake said, his voice smooth, soothing as he tried to slip around Revere to get closer to me.

  Revere blocked him seemingly unconsciously. “Since Penny has broken the ice so brilliantly, I suppose I should inquire. What are your intentions towards her? Are you seeking a bride?”

  I gasped and wanted to snap Revere’s spine in a few places. “Drake isn’t interested in marriage,” I hissed.

  Drake smiled lazily. “In general, that’s true, but where Penny Lane is concerned, I would certainly make an exception.”

  My heart pounded while I stared at him. Was I getting dizzy from desire, or was it because I wasn’t breathing I was so furious? Either way, I grabbed Revere’s arm and tried to tug him towards where I’d last seen Jasper. “Over here, Revere. You know how much I hate owing anyone.”

  Revere wasn’t moving. No, he was staring at Drake with a slight snarl. “So you are courting my ward?”

  “No, Revere, it’s not like that. We’re just friends, really casual disinterested friends who are definitely not dating.”

  Drake laughed and winked at Revere. “That’s right. Tea parties every week, long, private moments, and of course public displays of affection prove how friendly we are.”

  I glared at him. “You’re not helping, Drake.”

  Revere looked down at my hand where it was still gripping his arm and removed it, his fingers cold and hard on my wrist. “Penny, is this not the mage who reset your spell and healed you after the last debacle with your friend?”

  “I am,” Drake said slipping around Revere and putting his hand on the small of my back.

  My reaction was immediate. I turned towards him, my whole body and will wanting to close the distance between us.

  Revere cleared his throat and I closed my eyes. What in the world was I supposed to say? I could call Pitch and we could slaughter everyone. Oooh, messy. I could scream that Drake was not my boyfriend and that I kissed boys on stages all the time. Or, I could make this short, sweet, and over quickly. Like ripping off a bandaid.

  “Revere, Drake is the boy that I’m unreasonably attracted to, but there isn’t any way that it’s ever going to be anything serious.”

  Revere raised an eyebrow. “The boy who made you faint?”

  I swallowed and refused to look at Drake. “That’s right. I pass out whenever he does something too sweet to bear.”

  “Although she is building up her endurance beautifully,” Drake put in, his tone condescending like he was going to pat me on the head.

  I frowned at him. “That’s not relevant.”

  “Have you been spending a great deal of time together?” Revere asked stiffly.

  “No!” I said while Drake said, “Of course.”

  Revere studied me with a stillness that boded ill. All the same, his voice was soft when he finally spoke. “When you behave with this mage as you have, kissing him in public, touching each other with affection, it’s going to communicate to every other mage, that the two of you are seriously involved.”

  He was saying that if I was playing with Drake, I couldn’t be auditioning potential grooms. He was saying that I was an idiot for insisting that there wasn’t anything between us, because anyone could see that I was in denial.

  “Revere, Drake is the most popular boy at school. Every girl in school is obsessed with him. My reaction is completely normal and has nothing to do with actual attachment. He’s not really my type and I’m definitely not his. I’ve dated lots of mages. No one thinks we’re together.”

  “Not no one, clearly,” Drake murmured with a bland smile while Revere stiffened.

  “Penny, you’re still holding his hand.”

  I looked down and there it was, the traitorous paw clutching Drake like he was my teddy bear, keeping away the big bad monsters.

  Drake laughed loudly and pulled me against his side. “Isn’t she adorable? It’s something she does because I hate it so much. She really is dating other mages, and no one ever takes me seriously. I have a bit of a reputation for hating witches,” he said in a loud whisper like it was a secret he didn’t even try to keep.

  Revere smiled again and stepped closer to Drake, ignoring me entirely. “Huntsman, the consequences of you betraying my step-daughter will be very permanent. I am not the worst of those who would take it very ba
dly.”

  “Revere, you don’t need to threaten him. We’re not…”

  “Enough, Penny!” Revere’s voice was quietly furious. “You’re wasting my time, and yours. You’ll come home for winter break and tell your mother all about your exploits here.” He shot Drake a sneering glance. “Huntsman. Hopefully your spellwork improves drastically. With Penny, you will need it.”

  He turned and vanished, leaving me clinging to Drake. A rush of anger filled me. I turned, dragging him through the crowds, bumping elegantly dressed people and their soberly attired daughters and sons. I didn’t care, but Drake apologized, soothing and smoothing as we went until we were finally out of the double doors and into the hall.

  Everyone stared at us, only students there, but the way they analyzed the image of us, holding hands, after everything else we’d done, I realized the hall was not private enough for what I wanted to say to Drake. I dragged him along the main hall, then into a smaller one that broke off until I reached a supply closet. It was large, filled with old, dusty props from past years. I kicked the door closed and pushed him up against the wall.

  It was dim in the closet, the only light from a window half covered in plaster Grecian urns. His eyes were dark, fathomless, and the specks of green were barely visible. He smelled of ashes and black cherry, so much ash I could choke on it along with my anger.

  “Why did you do that? You made a deal for Jasper to meet him, not you.”

  The muscle of his jaw flexed as he leaned his head against the wall, exposing the delicious column of his throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that we were having a secret sordid affair, not after you kissed me on the stage in front of hundreds of people.” His voice was low with anger and he pursed his lips.

  I kissed him hard, his lips resistant beneath mine for a moment before his hands pulled me against him and he returned the kiss with interest. His lips were hard then soft, like his hands, rough then gentle, tugging on my hair, sliding up the back of my neck to dig his fingers into my scalp.

  He broke away, scowling at me. “It isn’t Tuesday. I don’t care. I don’t care about anything right now. We should probably not be in a closet when I’m this angry. I’m not used to being considered less than an optimal catch. If I’m good enough for you to carve your name into, why wouldn’t you acknowledge me to your step-father?”