School for Stolen Secrets: A Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance (Academy for Misfit Witches Book 2)

by Tara West

  “W-well, yes,” the fae stammered.

  Thaddeus leaned down and blew hot smoke across the man’s back. “I will burn you to a crisp.”

  The fae let out a shriek and shielded his head with his hands, as if that would save him.

  “You will do no such thing,” Violet yelled, waving her wand at him.

  He snarled. “Back off, witch.”

  Her brows shot up. “So that’s all I am to you now? A witch?”

  Skirting Thaddeus’s paw, she scowled at the fae, shaking her head. “You’re a sad excuse for a father.” She zapped him with a bolt. He shuddered and went still.

  Thaddeus turned his anger on her. “You dare intervene?”

  “Yes, dragon, I dare.” Jutting hands on her hips, she glared up at him. “He’s fae nobility. You kill him, and you have to answer to the fae queen.”

  Thaddeus was uncomfortable under the weight of her censure. She had a right to be cross. He suddenly regretted his harsh words to her. “He needs to face justice,” he said more civilly.

  “He will.” She brushed past him. “I need to check on Serah and the child.” Kneeling beside their supine bodies, she checked their pulses.

  Feeling more and more like a big, angry jerk, Thaddeus waited in silence. He shouldn’t have called her witch. He hoped his insult didn’t damage their budding relationship.

  He sidled up to her, not easy in dragon form. “Are they okay?”

  “I’m not sure yet.” The girl with the flame-colored hair looked frail, as if her bones might disintegrate in the slightest wind.

  She removed the tau stone from Serah’s neck and untied her hands. She then bound the fae’s hands behind his back and slipped the tau stone around his neck. Thaddeus was proud of how capable and smart his mate was. The stone prevented shifters from shifting and witches and fae from using magic by trapping it. He would’ve shifted and helped her, but he was on alert for more threats, his dragon eyes seeing every branch and leaf and his nose sniffing for anything out of the ordinary.

  Violet went back to the girls and draped blankets over them, tucking them in. She cautiously approached the flying horses. They had bloody necks from fighting the ropes. She pulled two apples out of a sack near the carriage. She said to Thaddeus, “Shift. You’re scaring them.”

  Feeling like a ten-pound bag of gnome dung, Thaddeus returned to human form.

  The horses neighed and dropped to the ground. Violet handed them each an apple and stroked their manes until they calmed down. She found large red velvet sacks in the carriage and placed one over each head. The horses quieted in pleasure, their wings going slack, their tails swishing as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

  “The sacks are enchanted,” she said. “My mom had one like this for her unicorn. It displayed a pretty meadow and blocked out all sound.” She smiled. “You can shift back into a dragon if you want.”

  He didn’t need to be told twice. He became a dragon again, his heart not giving him any pain.

  “Look at you, Thaddeus.” Breaking into a broad grin, she waved at his glistening golden scales. “You’re a dragon!”

  She wasn’t cross with him? How odd. Katherine could hold a grudge for days if he so much as raised his voice for a second. He swooshed his tail, knocking down a small, petrified tree. “So I am.”

  “Your heart must be getting stronger.”

  “You make me stronger.” Bending down, he rubbed her cheek. “I’m sorry I lost my temper.”

  She kissed his snout. “It’s okay. You’ve had a trying few days.”

  “I’ve had a trying year.” He frowned. “We both have. It doesn’t excuse me getting short with you.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” She glanced at the sleeping girls. “Since you’re in dragon form, how about carrying them to the cave? Get them out of the elements.”

  Pinning his wings behind him, he nuzzled her once more. “As you wish.”

  Before he picked up the girls, he scanned the night sky, hoping for a sign from his brothers and fearing the worst had happened to them.

  AFTER HE PLACED THE girls in the cave beside the fire and shifted into human again, Violet led the horses up a steep, narrow path toward the cave. After slipping on the gravel a few times, Violet feared their path wouldn’t hold out for much longer. The horses were reluctant to make the climb, but a few carrot sticks did the trick. Luckily the fae had packed plenty of treats for his horses. Too bad he didn’t take care of his daughters half as well. After the horses were inside, she gave them water and then replaced their enchanted hoods in case Thaddeus decided to shift again.

  Violet kissed his cheek and checked on the girls, making sure they were breathing and their heartrates were steady. She wiped crusty yellow sludge off Serah’s lips, then smelled her fingertips. As she’d suspected, it was the scyllshade herb. She had no idea how much the heiress and child had been given or when they’d wake, but she made them comfortable. The child slept in the crook of Serah’s arm. Suspecting the eggs would wish to be near their mother, she tucked them in their blankets and set them beside Serah. She pressed a hand to each bronze shell, pleased at the warmth within and feeling a mixture of wonderment and jealousy. She wondered if she’d ever conceive dragon eggs with Thaddeus and his brothers. She secretly hoped so.

  A glint of silver caught her attention, and she opened her mouth in surprise as a shiny butterfly fluttered into the cavern, landed on Serah, and attached itself to the charm around her neck. A remembrance necklace? “Someone’s coming for Serah.”

  Thaddeus, who’d been stoking the fire, arched a brow. “Friend or foe?”

  Two distinct roars were heard outside. Violet bent over, shielding the fragile eggs and expecting the entire cave to collapse on their heads when she heard the pings of sliding rocks. Thaddeus shifted into dragon form and protected them with his wing, which was large enough to cover even the horses.

  Having a dragon boyfriend sure was convenient. “Your brothers?”

  He flashed a fanged smile. “Yep.” Then he let out a roar of his own, triggering another wave of rocks.

  She looked over at the horses, who seemed well, oblivious to the dragon roars with their hoods in place.

  A massive dragon landed on the ledge, ruffling his wings like an agitated bird as thick, black smoke poured from his snout.

  A robed witch, with long, dark hair tied back in a queue, tanned skin, and cracked, round spectacles, jumped off the dragon, brandishing a wand. “Thaddeus?” he asked, moving toward them.

  Thaddeus shifted back into a sexy shirtless stud, dusting debris off his arms. “Yes, Teju, it’s me.” He gestured at Serah and Violet. “And your mate and eggs are safe. My mate is taking care of them.”

  The dragon Teju had been riding shifted into a tanned man with wide eyes and a sexy baby face. He looked a lot like a younger version of Thaddeus. “Thaddeus? Is it really you?”

  Thaddeus smiled. “It’s me, Ladon.”

  Teju and Ladon rushed to their mate and eggs, kneeling beside them.

  “They are well. They were drugged with sleeping herbs,” Violet said.

  Ladon kissed Serah’s forehead before looking at Violet with watery eyes. “Thank you.”

  Violet shrugged, suddenly self-conscious under the weight of their stares.

  Thaddeus hooked at thumb at the fae, who was bound and gagged and propped up beside Periwinkle. “We took care of the sneaky fae claiming to be her father.”

  Teju crossed to their prisoners and removed their hoods. Both were unconscious. Periwinkle’s jaw was swollen and crusted with blood. “Prometheus Periwinkle?” Teju asked.

  Thaddeus said, “Long story.”

  Teju rubbed his chin and spit on them, then turned to Thaddeus with a wide grin. “Well done.”

  He chuckled. “A dragon’s work is never done.”

  Jumping to his feet, Ladon rushed Thaddeus, nearly knocking him down as he gripped him in a tight hug. “Thank you,” he said. “We thought we’d lost our mate... a
nd you.”

  Thaddeus looked alarmed at first, but he returned his brother’s hug. “I thought I’d lost myself.”

  Teju looked at Violet as if sizing up her worth. “I didn’t know my older brothers had a mate.”

  An awkward feeling twisted a knot in her gut, and she was overcome with nervous laughter. “Neither do they.” She winked at Thaddeus. “With the exception of him.”

  Ladon grasped Thaddeus’s shoulders. “Where have you been?”

  “We were prisoners of Master Eagleheart. He and his daughter Katherine tricked me into believing you had all been killed by Goldenwand.”

  “That gnome’s hairy wart!” Ladon cursed. “Does he still live?”

  “Unfortunately.” Thaddeus grimaced. “Where’s Draque?”

  “He’s injured. He can’t fly as fast as us, but he’ll be here.”

  “How bad is it?” Violet asked.

  “Bad,” Teju and Ladon replied in unison.

  Thaddeus turned to Violet. “Can you help him?”

  “I don’t have my healing herbs.” She had a little of her energy potion left, but that was it. If he was bleeding, the last thing he needed was something to make the blood flow faster.

  Thaddeus walked to the ledge and looked up. “I don’t see him.”

  Teju joined him. “He’ll be here soon. We haven’t always gotten on well, but I’m glad you’re alive.” He pulled Thaddeus into a bear hug.

  This time Thaddeus didn’t respond as awkwardly as he hugged his younger brother back. “My hatchling brothers and I have never treated our younger brothers as well as we should. We ran around with the resistance and disobeyed our parents. We didn’t realize the importance of family.”

  “We’ve all made mistakes,” Teju said. “We’ve given our parents and older brothers plenty of grief, too.”

  Violet’s heart warmed when they hugged again. Her mother had been older than average when she’d had her, and she had no brothers or sisters. She was envious of her dragon mate’s large family.

  “They are here,” a tiny voice said. The child was sitting up, her eyes glowing red and orange, like they were swirling with fire.

  She knelt beside the girl, stunned by her eye color. Was she a shifter? No, she looked too ethereal, thin, with long arms and legs. She was built like a fae, but fae were hearty, stronger than witches.

  “It’s okay.” She patted the child’s shoulder, frightened at how insubstantial she felt. “You were dreaming. You’re safe.”

  She turned a wan face to her. “None of us are safe. They are here.”

  Teju knelt beside them. “Who’s here, Lily?”

  Lily? The name suited her. She looked like a pale, delicate flower.

  Lily rubbed her eyes, yawning. “Bird creatures with lion tails.”

  The blood in Violet’s veins turned to ice. “Griffins?”

  Lily nodded.

  Thaddeus spun around, his voice as rough as sandpaper. “Where are they?”

  “They hide in the trees,” Lily said in a voice surprisingly devoid of inflection. “They wait for their master’s signal.”

  Ladon joined Thaddeus on the ledge. “I don’t see anything.”

  “They hide behind a magical veil,” Lily said.

  “How do you know this?” he asked.

  “She wears the Phoenixfire flower.” Teju pointed toward the child’s chest. “She can see through magical barriers.”

  Violet squinted at the charm hanging from the child’s neck; the flower burst into flame and then reemerged every few seconds. She’d never seen anything like it.

  Violet gripped her wand like a lifeline. “How many are there?”

  “Thousands.” Lily frowned, clutching her charm. “And they are all angry.”

  Eagleheart had sent his entire army, which meant the he was among them, and he was armed with a spell that could destroy them all. She reached for Thaddeus’s hand. “They must have discovered Katherine’s body.”

  Teju arched a brow. “She’s dead?”

  “I killed her.” Thaddeus’s eyes turned bright yellow as he gave Violet a pointed look. “She was going to kill my mate.”

  “No judgment here.” Teju chuckled and stood. “She was a raging bitch.”

  “What do we do?” Ladon asked, the color draining from his face.

  “We burn down the whole damn forest if we have to,” Thaddeus said in a deep dragon voice, the veins on his neck bulging like raging rivers.

  Violet’s hands flew to her mouth. “No, Thaddeus. Innocent animals will perish.”

  “They’ve already fled or been eaten,” Lily said, her red eyes a stark contrast to her pale skin. “They fear the griffins.”

  “Where are they?” Thaddeus asked.

  The child came to her knees and pointed outside. “Just behind that first line of trees and up the hill behind them.”

  Though her legs felt like two wet noodles, Violet followed Thaddeus and his brothers to the cave entrance. The full moon illuminated the landscape, bathing it in a pale silver-blue glow. No sound came from the forest. Not a bird, not anything. Everything was as still as a postcard. Too still. Violet swallowed back a lump of fear. Something was definitely amiss.

  Teju turned to Lily. “Do you mind if I wear the necklace, so I can see the threat?”

  She clutched the charm like a dragon guarding its treasure. “Only I can see.”

  “Why is that?” Thaddeus asked.

  Lily’s brows scrunched together. “You have to be a Phoenixfire.”

  Teju looked wistfully at Serah. “If only she would wake.”

  “Do you see Draque?” Ladon asked her. “Is he safe?”

  Closing her eyes, the child pressed her fingertips to her temple. “He’s coming.”

  Ladon let out a slow breath. “At least he hasn’t been captured by Eagleheart.”

  Teju nodded, brandishing his wand. “But it’s us against an army of griffins.”

  A shudder racked Violet’s body. “He’s created a more powerful unbreakable curse, one that can destroy all of us at once.”

  Ladon’s jaw dropped. “What?”

  She clutched her wand with whitened knuckles. “He taught me before we escaped.” How was she supposed to use it with her lover and friends so near?

  Teju’s eyes narrowed as if he were seeing her for the first time. “Why would he teach you?”

  She met his eyes without flinching. “I used a spell to make me look like Katherine.”

  “Wow.” Ladon rubbed his smooth face. “You’re good with spells, like Teju.”

  Teju’s brows dipped. “I don’t know this shifting spell.”

  Violet acted as if it was no big deal. “You need blood from the person you’re impersonating.” She grimaced, too ashamed to look in Thaddeus’s direction when she remembered what she’d had to do to transform.

  “Do you think he’ll use the curse on us?” Ladon asked, his cheeks turning an alarming shade of gray.

  “His griffins will die if he uses it,” she said, praying Eagleheart valued them enough not to use the curse. “It kills everyone except the wand holder.”

  Thaddeus crossed his arms. “But he can employ the old curse to pick us off one by one.”

  “Not if I get him first.” She held up her wand, a sense of urgency making her heart pound. “He’s unlocked the curse on my wand.”

  “Are you good with it?” Teju asked.

  “She’s very good,” Thaddeus said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. “She took down half a dozen Arcane Army witches.”

  Teju let out a low whistle.

  “I had griffin shields.” Violet shrugged, feeling ten shades of embarrassed for Thaddeus’s confidence in her abilities. She didn’t want to tell him that the more faith he had in her, the less faith she had in herself. “I won’t have shields this time.”

  “I can make you one,” Teju said. “You’ll have to step out of it to fire your wand, though.”

  Holy troll shit. This was
really happening. Violet was going up against Master Eagleheart. “I can do that.” She smoothed her robe in an attempt to stop her hands from shaking. “His griffins aren’t too smart. If we can kill Eagleheart, they will scatter.”

  Teju said, “But he’ll use them as shields, too.”

  “He will.” Thaddeus grinned. “But Violet has good aim.”

  Now was probably a bad time to tell him how afraid she was. She struggled for words. “You’re putting too much confidence in me, Thaddeus.”

  “Violet, look at me.” Thaddeus grabbed her shoulders. “Don’t underestimate your power.” His voice was rough and strong, allowing a glimpse of the powerful dragon he’d been before being broken by Eagleheart. “You broke a blood oath to save me.”

  She was still terrified, her stomach roiling in protest. “I’ll do my best.”

  “His shield is down,” Lily wailed. “He’s coming!”

  “Fuck,” Thaddeus and his brothers said simultaneously.

  The sky lit with brilliant blue and red thunderbolts, followed by a powerful clap that shook the ground. Fuck was right. They were about to go to war. Violet had finally found the dragon of her dreams. They still hadn’t been reunited with Thaddeus’s brothers. They had so much life ahead of them. She wasn’t ready for any of them to die tonight.

  Chapter Fourteen

  VIOLET WATCHED IN HORROR as the swarm of griffins descended, so thick they blotted out the night sky. She fought the urge to look away, horrified, when a pack of them landed on the bodies of the witches Thaddeus had dumped in a shallow ditch at the edge of the forest, tearing apart their flesh with their massive black beaks. Choking back bile, she had no time to worry about Thaddeus, who was discussing strategy with Ladon, when a red bolt flew past her head, nearly clipping her ear.

  Teju threw up a clear shield that spanned the cave entrance, holding it in place with an outstretched arm as if he was singlehandedly holding up a dam against a flood. The shield lit up as griffins bounced off it with ear-piecing screeches. They fell to the ground with sickening thuds, like bugs electrocuted by a zapper.

  Teju’s barrier certainly was strong.