“It’s so beautiful here in the winter,” Izzie whispered. “Cold as anything, but absolutely dazzling. I’d never even heard of Charlottesville until I came to school here, and had no idea it was this gorgeous treasure tucked back in the middle of open fields and pastures.”
“I understand completely. I’ve been in snow before, having been to New York so many times, but nothing like this. In my mind, fresh snow is the stuff on your front porch nobody has stepped on yet.” Alison laughed. “Here, fresh snow is everything between and around you.”
“Are you excited for Christmas this year? I know it’s your first one with Brownstone as your official father.”
“I am, but I don’t expect anything more than last year. I came to the realization that unless I get crazy in the kitchen, which I don’t see happening, Christmas Eve ribs and Christmas pizza are going to become my new tradition. It’s cute, though, and it warms my heart to know I’ve come far enough to have traditions with someone other than my mother. I know she is looking down from wherever she is, and she’s happy about who decided to take me on. God knows I can be a serious handful.”
“You?” Izzie feigned shock. “Not you. You are the epitome of an angel.”
They covered their mouths and held back laughter, trying not to wake the others. Izzie smiled, watching Alison sense the energy of the snow floating toward the ground.
“How do you sense snow?”
“Everything gives off energy, magical or not, and snow gives off pure white light.”
“Wow, so when it snows like this, you see the world covered in a blanket of light. That is so peaceful. I love it. Oh, I got you a present.”
Izzie tiptoed back around her bed and opened her drawer, pulling out a wrapped oblong gift. She placed it in Alison’s hands, and Alison ran her hands over it and smiled.
“You got me something?” She walked over and pulled her blanket back, revealing a small wrapped box. “So glad I decided to get you something too.”
Alison handed the box to Izzie. “Sorry about the wrapping. Come to find out blind girls lack one superpower: wrapping gifts.”
“Please, I am sighted, and I still can’t wrap gifts.”
“You have no excuse.” Alison giggled. “Okay, okay you go first. Don’t leave me in suspense.”
Izzie held the box next to her ear and shook it, smiling as Alison waited patiently. Alison laughed, hearing the crinkling of the paper. “I knew you would shake it, so I put stuffing in it to keep you from being too slick this morning.”
Izzie smiled and ripped the package open, making Alison laugh. She pulled the long lid off the small narrow box, folded back a piece of tissue paper, and gasped. Inside was a bracelet, one with red rubies from Ruby Falls cut perfectly and placed on every other link. On the last one, there was a small heart charm with the inscription BFF Forever, including the braille equivalent underneath and their initials on the back.
“Oh, Alison, I absolutely love it. Seriously, it’s so beautiful; nicer than anything anyone has ever given me. Of course, I don’t remember a lot of my past, so you are lucky.” She giggled. “Now you.”
Alison rubbed the package along her cheek and took a big whiff. “It’s a monkey. I knew you would get me one.”
Izzie laughed, shaking her head. “If it’s a monkey, it’s the world’s smallest one.”
Alison smiled and quickly ripped through the paper and tossed it on the floor. She lifted the lid off and pulled out a small silver bar with a long chain attached to it. She ran her fingers across the bar, reading the braille. It said Sisters for Life, and Alison had to hold back tears. She loved it. It was absolutely perfect.
“Oh, Izzie, this is the best gift ever. It seems we were of the same mind.”
“Okay, I want you to turn it over. I am not sure this will work, but I thought it was worth a try. I knew you could see the energy of magic, so I had the same words etched with magic on the other side.”
Alison tipped her head to the side and flipped the silver bar over, holding it up to her face. She could see the magic’s blue glimmering energy. It was so perfectly done that the energy spelled out the words. Alison gasped quietly and put her fingertips to her lips. She had never seen anything spelled out before.
She leaned forward and hugged Izzie tightly, handing her the necklace. “Put it on me, please. I want to wear it always.”
Izzie took the necklace and Alison turned around, pressing the silver against her skin as Izzie buckled the clasp. She smiled and turned back around, still pressing her fingertips against it. She reached her hand out and took the bracelet, finding Izzie’s wrist and snapping it on. The two girls sat in front of the window quietly for several moments, enjoying the silent gratitude and feeling of family that coursed through them.
“Now when you sit down for Christmas dinner with Mara, you’ll know you aren’t an orphan anymore. You have a sister,” Alison choked out.
“And you will know the same,” Izzie whispered, tears in her eyes.
She took a deep breath and wiped the tears away, laughing. “Let’s not dilly-dally, then. The fresh powder is waiting for us.”
The girls threw their trash away and started getting dressed, donning the Christmas sweaters Brownstone and Shay had sent them over their pajamas. Alison’s sported a Christmas flamingo wearing sunglasses, and Izzie’s had a big tree and Santa on the front. Alison couldn’t see them, but Izzie couldn’t help but chuckle at how ridiculous they looked. They pulled their snowsuits on over the whole ensemble.
Once their boots were on, they put on their winter coats. Izzie pulled Alison’s fuzzy hat and gloves from the closet and handed them to her while she grabbed her own. They were dressed for the Arctic, but they knew how cold it got out there on the hills in the winter time. The breeze that rolled through was enough to chill them to the bone.
“Are you ready?” Izzie whispered.
“Sure. I mean you could roll me down the stairs. I am so padded I wouldn’t even feel it.”
“I think we should try that next year. I don’t want to send you back to LA for winter break with broken bones. Your new dad might not appreciate that.”
“Good point. I’ll use my feet, then.” Alison smirked.
“You sure you want to brave this?”
“Double sure. We have to keep up our ritual, and if we planned correctly, I’m hoping we will find Horace up by his cabin with his firepit going. Then we can warm our toes and give Horace the gift we got him before we leave.”
“Awesome,” Izzie replied. “A little wind, snow, ice, cold, and winter weather won’t stop us!”
As they headed out of the dorm and down the stairs, they passed several students roaming the halls enjoying a hot cup of chocolate. When they reached the bottom, Izzie told Alison to wait there. She hurried inside the cafeteria and returned with a tall thermos full of hot chocolate.
“Here, put this carefully in my bookbag,” Izzie whispered, turning around.
“Perfect idea. I knew I kept you around for something.”
They loaded up and walked out into the courtyard, crossing to the top of the first hill. Izzie shook her head at the beauty of the untouched sparkling snow. They giggled as they slid down to the bottom on their butts. They did this over and over, making their way to Horace’s cabin on the other side of the property.
Before they even got there, they smelled the burning oak wood that Horace used, and Alison could hear the crackling of the fire across the fields. They followed the sounds until Izzie could see the fire in the distance. When they arrived, Horace laughed at the girls.
“I figured the snow wouldn’t keep you away.”
“Are you kidding?” Izzie chuckled.
“Yeah, blizzard warning be damned, we had to see our friend Horace.”
“I’m glad you came. I put up two chairs for you.”
The girls sat down, and Izzie pulled her bag in front of her. She removed the thermos and the messily-wrapped package that was now smashed in the bottom of
her bag. She giggled and handed it to Horace.
“This is from us. Sorry it got smashed.”
Horace chuckled, taking the package. “Thank you. Smashed is just as good as not.”
“Unless it’s a banana.” Alison winced.
“Well, let’s hope it’s not a banana, then.” Horace tore into the paper.
“Oh, wow—the new magical thermal-wear gloves! Thank you so much.”
“Yep.” Izzie smiled. “They will keep your hands warm in weather down to twenty below, and are super-lightweight and thin, so you don’t struggle to do things with those thick gloves on.”
“We didn’t want you to have any excuse for not working.” Alison giggled.
“You must have spoken to Mara,” Horace joked. “But no, thank you so much, they are perfect.”
Izzie opened the hot chocolate while Horace passed around paper cups, taking some of the warmth for himself. He took a deep breath and looked into the fire, watching the flames dance like the faeries in the fall.
“Tell us stories about growing up with your Aunt Estelle,” Izzie requested. “They always put me in the perfect mood.”
27
The last couple of days of school before Christmas break were always packed full of fun but educational things. For the sophomore class, this included their second integration field trip with the students they had met before at the restaurant. None of the group were ecstatically happy about this, because they knew that the students were very aware of their magic. They had kept their promises, though, not telling anyone—or at least not anyone of importance—that the school was actually for magicals.
The sophomore class packed onto the bus all bundled up in their winter uniforms and boots, hats, scarves, and gloves. They took the jitney across Charlottesville to visit Monticello, the historic home of Thomas Jefferson, his slave concubine, and their children. When they arrived, the human students were already there, shaking from the cold as they waited for them on the front lawn.
The boy and his friends instantly made a beeline for Ethan and the group, greeting them warmly. No one mentioned their shared secret, at least not at first. They grouped off to tour the house, only half listening to the tour guide in the front.
“There are a total of forty-three rooms in the entire complex—thirty-three in the house itself, four in the pavilions, and six under the South Terrace. Jefferson and his wife lived in the main house, and the slaves lived in separate quarters, including the famous Sally Hemmings. She started as Jefferson’s mistress in France and came here under one of the most notable slave negotiations in history. She ended up bearing several of Jefferson’s children through the years, who were all eventually given their freedom by their father.”
“Hey,” the boy whispered, elbowing Ethan. “This would be the perfect place for you to try out a little of your magic.”
“They would catch me in a heartbeat.” Ethan chuckled.
“Nah, you could make it look like a ghost. Just switch out some of the plants in the gardens, or make the dumbwaiter go up and down on its own—something that they will find creepy but not really think about being magical.”
“I really shouldn’t. If I get caught, it counts against me for graduation when I’m a senior, and let’s face it—with my history of practical jokes and two years still ahead of me, I don’t need any more black marks on my record.”
“Come onnnn,” the boy whined. “We’re the boring humans. Imagine going to your school day in and day out, but without magic.”
“That sounds like torture.” Ethan grimaced.
“Welcome to our lives. Nothing but science, math, studying, and the occasional boring-as-hell field trip.”
Ethan was tempted. He knew that meeting students like them had to put a spark in the humans’ step, but was it worth him possibly getting caught? April Fool’s was a no-brainer—totally worth it. The book that had come to life was hands-down worth every second, but this? It would have to be something absolutely awesome to be worth the trouble he’d get into.
Luke walked along with Izzie as she read all the plaques and listened intently to the guide. She really liked historical stuff like that; she always had. Luke, on the other hand, was there because he had to be. The integration class was a requirement for graduating. Luckily for him, he was a shifter. Unless something went terribly wrong, there was no way he could accidentally do magic around the other students.
He actually kind of liked hanging out with them. They treated him normally, like anyone else. They had no idea he was a wolf shifter, and not a single person from the other school ridiculed or picked on him. At one point, he’d considered transferring to a human school, but then he realized withholding his secrets from everyone would be worse than dealing with the people poking fun at him.
“Okay, let me think,” Ethan whispered. “It has to be something good. Something that is worth me getting in trouble.”
Luke lifted an eyebrow and took a step closer to Ethan. It looked like peer pressure was rearing its ugly little head, and Ethan was going to crash and burn. Luke took another step and laid his arm over Ethan’s shoulder.
“Hey, buddy, what are you guys talking about over here?”
Ethan opened his mouth, but the boy answered first. “Ethan is going to do some hilarious magic out here to mess with everyone.”
“You are, are you?”
“I was thinking about it.” Ethan sulked, knowing he had been had.
“Here’s the deal with that, Ethan is one of my best friends, and what happens to Ethan happens to me too. I don’t think I can stand by and let him get in so much trouble that he might have to repeat his sophomore year. And for what? To entertain some kids who can’t do magic. It’s just not logical to me. Come on, Ethan, come check out the carriage house with me. This kid doesn’t care if you get in trouble or not.”
“I’ll tell everyone you are magical,” the boy threatened, looking irritated.
Luke leaned toward him. “And then we will wipe all of your memories, and I’ll make sure to arrange for you to be doing something most embarrassing when you snap out of it.”
The boy gritted his teeth and watched as they walked away, knowing there was nothing that he could do to change Ethan’s mind. Alison had listened to them talking. She wasn’t sure how well the whole integration thing was going, since one of the humans had tried to talk Ethan into doing something stupid within the first thirty minutes of the tour.
She shook her head and sighed as Tanner grasped her hand in his. She smiled, turning her face toward his bright and shimmering soul. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the Christmas present she’d slipped into her coat pocket before they left. It was difficult to get any sort of privacy at the school, so she’d hoped to find a moment during the field trip to give it to him.
“The construction of the house began in 1769, but it was not completed until 1784. The work on a new design for remodeling and enlarging the house began in 1796 and was completed by 1809. All the bricks in the building were made at Monticello, and the same goes for the nails used to remodel the house. Even the structural timbers mostly came from Jefferson’s private land, and the décor was imported from Philadelphia. The glass came from Europe and everything else from Jefferson’s estates. He also made sure that the majority of the work was completed by local masons, carpenters, and bricklayers. It was a huge project for the people of Charlottesville and provided some much-needed work at the time. Now, if you’ll look over here...”
The tour guide led the group down another hall, and Alison saw her opportunity. She tugged Tanner’s hand and asked him to find them somewhere private for a moment. He led her into the living room of the historic home, and she handed him the package.
“I wanted to find a moment alone to give you your Christmas gift. I found it in the kemana, and I thought of you.”
He smiled and took the package, peeling the paper off quietly. He tilted the box, and a pocket knife slid out. She’d had his initials engraved on the
handle. He held it and smiled, then leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, taking her breath away for a moment.
“I love it,” he whispered, pulling back from her. “I really do. I’ll cherish it always. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled happily.
“And it just so happens that I got something for you too, but I didn’t bring it with me. When we get back to the school, we’ll find a minute together.”
“You didn’t need to do that, but I would love to spend a minute with you.”
He chuckled and touched under her chin to tilt it up and kissed her one last time. “We better get back, or they will notice.”
“Oh yes. Heaven forbid we are not fully engrossed in the life and history of Thomas Jefferson.” She giggled.
He squeezed her hand, sliding his gift and the wrapping paper carefully into his coat pocket. They rejoined the others, and walked through the house holding hands and just enjoying being near each other. They stayed by each other’s side the rest of the trip. When the tour was over and lunch had been eaten, they climbed back onto the bus to head back to the school. Alison pulled her bag into her lap and looked over in surprise as Tanner slid in next to her. Usually, Izzie sat with her, but she could tell from the excitement in his energy that he was there for a reason.
They stayed quiet until the bus pulled away and everyone was focused on their own doings. Tanner reached in his bag and slid a small gift bag into her lap. She felt the bag, wondering if it was her Christmas present from him. With a smile on her face, she pulled out a small box and opened it. She ran her fingers over the small disk inside, feeling the lettering.
Wary Is Her Love: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (The School Of Necessary Magic Book 3) Page 16