Of Water and Moonlight (Thunderbird Academy Book 1)

by Valia Lind

  Raising my head, I turn, meeting Aiden's eyes. I don't have to look to know that growl came from him because he doesn't miss Noel's move to comfort me.

  "Everyone meet Natalie," Ben says while Aiden and I continue our stare down. I think I'm moving past shocked and straight into sad, so I need to escape somewhere before I make a scene.

  "Welcome to Thunderbird Academy," Christy pipes up, grinning.

  "Yeah, thanks." Natalie's voice is just as gorgeous as she is. When I finally look at her, I realize that she's the kind of girl countries go to war over. Smooth, tanned skin, large brown eyes, and lips as plump and red as a cherry. Everyone introduces themselves and when it's my turn, I'm not sure what to do.

  My heart crumbles like a piece of paper in a clutched hand. Suddenly, I can't breathe and everything in me wants to flee, but I stay put. And I put on a smile.

  "I'm Maddie," I find myself saying, "It's nice to meet you, Natalie."

  The table stays silent as I finish my introduction, and the girl in front of me gives me a quick study before turning to Aiden.

  "We should really get going. Not to be rude," she hurries to add. Her smile is full and blinding, and I think I'm going to burst into tears any minute.

  "I'll see you later," I hear Ben say, and I force myself to look at him and nod. Apparently, our little adventure has bonded us, and I'm glad. I like the guy. But right now, I want to hide from every shifter I know and never allow myself to feel anything ever again.

  They move away without a word, and I realize the others didn't even speak up. Owen has always been silent and watchful, and I wonder how much he truly sees. There's a moment of silence as we're left on our own.

  "Gosh, she's gorgeous," Christy breaths out, and I lose it. Standing quickly, I push past Noel and Jade, racing into the opposite direction the group went. I hear my name called, but I can't be there right now. Blindly, I run toward the pond, the need to scream almost overwhelming me.

  I let myself be in this situation. I allowed myself to develop feelings for a guy who was never going to be mine, and now that he's not, I'm broken inside. And I don't know how to put myself together.

  With the whole world falling apart around me, what a stupid thing it is to fall for a guy.

  When I reach the pond, I'm out of breath. But it doesn't stop the magic building up inside me. I stumble right into the dirt at the bank and then I let it all out. The scream rips out of me as I thrust my arms into the water. The magic ignites, blinding me for a second, before the whole pond lifts up, hovering in the sky. The anger at myself, the sadness at the situation, the frustration, all pour out through my body as it shakes with power. The water begins to disperse, flying with the speed of a bullet in different directions. A second before it becomes too late, I realize what I'm doing, and I pull it all back.

  The water snaps back into the pond, splashing over the side. A wave comes over me, soaking me to the core, but I don't care to protect myself from it. I fall onto my back, looking up at the sky while I force myself to breath normally. My body feels numb, as if I've just spent hours training, but somehow, exhilarated at the same time.

  Slowly, I sit up, glancing at the water now resting calmly in its original space. How can I be so dumb as to fall for a guy I knew could never like me the same way? My sisters’ fairytale love stories have blinded me to reality. Not that I would ever fault them for that. I love that they found happiness. I just hope one day I can have someone look at me the way Connor looks at Harper or Mark looks at Bri. Like they're their whole world and nothing can tear them apart.

  I give myself another few moments as my magic completely calms inside of me. That was quite the outburst, and since the school is under even more monitoring than usual, I probably set off some alarms. Which means I really need to go tell the headmaster I'm the one causing the waves and not the Ancients.

  Pulling the water out of my clothes, I'm dry once more. I square my shoulders and put on a brave face. I can't allow anyone to see just how much this situation is bothering me. Jade and Noel already know because I'm a lot more transparent around them. But I don't need Ben to know. I definitely don't need Aiden to figure it out.

  When I'm back inside the building, I head straight to the headmaster's office. The hallways are still full of students, even though most of the classes are finished for the day. No one wants to separate themselves from the herd. There is strength in numbers, after all. Miss Cindy doesn't hesitate to buzz me in, as if she's been waiting for me. Which I wouldn't be surprised if she was. She's an elemental witch as well, and she's connected to the school. I'm sure she felt my magic release just like headmaster did.

  "Miss Hawthorne." He greets me as I step into his office. "How lovely to see you again."

  "I'm sorry," I blurt out, stopping right in front of his desk. "I didn't mean to set off any alarms. I just really needed to let it go, my magic has been building and it's been difficult..."

  "Miss Hawthorne," he interrupts motioning to the chair. "Please take a seat."

  I sit immediately, worried and confused. I didn't exactly expect him to be so calm about the whole thing. I know how on edge everyone has been, especially the staff. It's not easy to be responsible for so many students and their safety.

  "You're not mad?" I finally ask, when Headmaster doesn't automatically get into it.

  "To tell you the truth, I am surprised it has taken you this long to practice your magic to this extent."

  "What?"

  "Miss Hawthorne, we both know you come from a very powerful family and are a powerful witch yourself." Headmaster Marković leans forward, linking his fingers in front of him. "The need to allow your magic to run free will grow, just as your powers will. We have been monitoring your magical signature since the day you returned to school. And every time we have met since then, I have watched and encouraged you. Maybe not as well as I hoped."

  "Oh." Well, that answers a lot of the questions I had. This is how they're watching for traitors too, I'm almost positive. But this means they also know when I'm in the library.

  "You've watched me this whole time?" I ask, putting emphasis on the word. Headmaster Marković gives me one of his rare smiles, before replying.

  "Yes. But your magic is not always discernible. Care to tell me about it?"

  "I would," I reply honestly. "But I also can't. I found something that may be of help, but it seems to have a protection spell over it, which causes me to keep it a secret." Even those words are difficult to utter, but Headmaster doesn't seem surprised.

  "There are places within these grounds that are unknown even to me. Magic has a way of choosing us, and when it does, we do not ask questions. We follow where it leads. If this... whatever it may be... has chosen you, you are accountable to it, and I hope you use it wisely."

  His words calm my fears and make me braver at the same time. If he believes in me enough to let me have this secret, I can't let him down. I can't let the school down. Which is what inspires my next words.

  "I need you to send my sisters a bit of information, and I need permission to be out of my room after dark."

  27

  The next few days, I do my best to avoid Aiden. And the rest of his pack. It's not as easy as it sounds considering our paths cross a lot more throughout the day than I originally anticipated. It's like they're everywhere. After receiving special permission from the headmaster to be out of my room at night, I've been spending a lot of time at the library. My sisters haven't gotten back to me about the ancestry, but they did praise my thinking. Bri mentioned there have been times when a witch can call on her ancestors at a time of need. It's a practiced skill, and an old one that hasn’t been used for generations. But they're doing their research while I continue mine.

  The more I learn about the Ancients, the more worried I become. There's no way of tracking them, no way to predict their next move. If they were truly the ones who took my dad, I have no way of finding them.

  At least I get a little break when I'm in my
witch classes. No shifters here, unless they share witch's blood. And there are only a few in the school like that. None of them is Natalie.

  "Maddie, wait up!" My luck runs out when I step out of my potions class and hear Ben calling my name. I turn to watch him jog up to me, a grin on his face. Since I'm not actually mad at him, I can't keep myself from responding.

  "What's up?"

  "I just wanted to make sure you knew there was training today." He looks very uncomfortable delivering the news, and I can't blame him. Aiden has deemed him the one to make these announcements to me, and Ben would have to be blind not to see how unsettling it has become between his alpha and me.

  "Sure. I thought so." I try on a smile, before turning to go. I have no intention of going, but I figured someone would tell me eventually.

  "I'm sorry." Ben's words stop me, and I glance over my shoulder. Jade moves away with the girls, leaving Ben and I by ourselves.

  "What do you have to be sorry about?"

  "Making this awkward for you." he rubs the back of his neck, stealing small glances at me, as if he's not sure of his reception. And I guess maybe this is awkward for him. We're new friends, and he's been put into a situation where he's literally the bearer of bad news.

  "Hey," I begin, placing a hand on his arm to stop his fidgeting. For big-bad-wolves, these boys really are just teenagers. I forget that sometimes. We're not that different after all. "You and me? We're solid. That's not going to change."

  He gives me a blinding smile, and I answer in kind. But just as quickly as it comes, it dies away when I hear a growl behind me. Ben hastily takes a step away, his eyes over my shoulder, and I don't need to turn to know who's behind me.

  "Ben." I address the guy once more and his eyes drop down to mine. "I'll see you later, okay?" Then, without another word, I pivot and leave them behind. I can't make myself look at Aiden, and so I don't. Technically, it's not his fault I had feelings he didn't reciprocate. But then again, I thought he did. And that makes me angry at myself. Angry enough not to be around him.

  "Are you going to keep ignoring me?" Aiden's voice reaches me as I step outside the school's front doors. I've been spending a lot of time outside lately, when I'm not in the library. Not that Aiden needs to know my routine to find me. He's never had any trouble with that.

  "I'm not ignoring you," I reply, moving down the stairs. "I'm busy."

  "Busy ignoring me." It's a statement not a question, so I don't bother replying. Of course, he follows me down the steps and onto the pathway.

  "What do you want?" I finally break the silence stopping to face him, because I know he'll just follow me around if I don't.

  "You haven't come to training." He's right. I've avoided training for two days now and was about to do it again.

  "And you've come to fetch me yourself? I thought you had people for that." I don't even bother to mask my annoyance as I glare at Aiden. He's not deterred though. I don't think I'll ever see him unsettled. At least, not in the way he makes me every time he's around.

  "I won't apologize for telling Ben to keep an eye on you, Duchess."

  "No, of course not. But it's okay. Ben and I are... friends now." I smile big as Aiden's eyes flash. Maybe I do get under his skin a little. "But I don't need a babysitter," I finish, folding my arms in front of me.

  "That wasn't—"

  "Don't you have your girlfriend to take care of?" I interrupt and watch his eyes narrow, but I'm not backing down.

  "Maddie…" He starts again after a small pause, but I can't deal with him anymore. I especially can't deal with him when he uses my name like that.

  "I need a break." I cut him off once more. There is absolutely no desire in me to know more about Natalie or his responsibility to her.

  He watches me for a long moment, and it's hard not to fidget under that gaze. I feel like he sees right into me. But I keep my expression as neutral as possible.

  "Okay, rest. We'll start again—"

  "When I'm ready."

  I walk away, leaving him standing behind, the distance between us more tangible than ever.

  I can't deny this anymore. I've already come to terms with the fact that I like him. But I also can't pretend I'm not angry at myself. How did I let myself get here?

  A part of me wants to turn and see him standing there, but I don't. Even so, I can feel his eyes on me as I continue moving past the trees and out of sight. When I know he's gone, I lean against the tree, taking a few deep breaths. For a moment, I think I'll cry. But I surprise myself when I don't. Instead, I give myself permission to feel everything. One of the greatest lessons my mom and sisters taught me is not to run from my emotions. Even though he doesn't feel the same, my feelings are still valid. I'm allowed to feel whatever I need to feel.

  However, the knowledge doesn't take the pain away. It doesn't make this any easier. It doesn't soothe the burn or help me breathe easier. Maybe one day I will be able to look at him and not feel hollowed out inside. But today is not that day. So, I square my shoulders and march down the avenue of limes. At least the water will be happy to see me.

  Maybe I've put too much pressure on myself, or maybe I'm not putting enough. But a week later, I finally seem to find a break. I've barely slept and it's starting to show, but my friends are letting me deal with this in my own way, and I'm thankful. Both Jade and Noel have been a little extra clingy, but I forgive them. It's not like it's a bad thing to be surrounded by people who have your back.

  Ben has become one of those people as well. Even Owen, although very stoic and one to keep to the background, has been watching out for me. Aiden must've realized just how badly I needed my space. Or maybe Natalie is keeping him so busy he doesn't have time to think about me. Either way, I'm trying to deal, so library and research have become my friend. Because without those books I wouldn't be able to survive. It's too easy to get lost in my head. I excel at overthinking.

  When I think it's another night of nothingness, I stumble onto a story. Since starting my research, I have learned the best place to find information about the Ancients is in human stories. It's as if the Ancients were so unconcerned with the mundane population, they didn't bother covering their tracks. Which helps me.

  The cover is old-timey, brown leather with intricate vine designs spreading out across the front and back. When I open the front page, the title is written in old English, an artwork all on its own. The letters are elaborate and fill up most of the space, Stories of Olde. The table of contents is full of story titles, most I've never heard of. As I browse through them, one catches my attention.

  Orcnéas fram se Niht.

  The words seem familiar, so I grab one of the many dictionaries on the table and start leafing through it. When that one doesn't yield results, I move to the next one. It's the third one that is finally old enough to give me a good translation.

  "Monsters of the Night," I mumble out loud, breaking the silence. My eyes fly up to glance around, as if my disturbing the peace may offend someone. But I've been coming here by myself for days. I have nothing to fear. Instead of dwelling on that fact or the feelings of loneliness it brings, I grab the old book once again and turn to the story.

  My heart squeezes in awareness as I try to make out the words. Dad taught me some of them, but he can read old English fluently and the pang grows more painful as I think of him.

  I wish he was here.

  I wish I could talk to him.

  I will never not miss him.

  Pushing the thoughts and emotions away, I focus back on the page in front of me. Grabbing one of my notebooks and the oldest dictionary, I get to work. It seems like hours before the words begin to take shape. My excitement reignites the more I translate and soon, I can't even sit still. This story is everything I've been looking for. A part of me wonders if others in this book may provide even more information. But for now, this may be enough.

  Because what is does is spark an idea. Something I may have learned from my sisters.

  The
re are plenty of spells in these books, more than enough information to create something greater still. With my family working on the ancestry aspect, I can work on perfecting my spell work.

  I've never been great at it. Harper is much better at words than I am. But what if I was able to create a spell like a story? What if I was able to pull the Ancients into the pages of a book?

  The story in front of me tells of the monsters that came in the night. They were feral creatures who roamed the forests and stole into the houses through the shadows. They preyed on human spirit and human flesh. Nothing could keep them out, not when they set their sights on their prey. Yet, some fought back. The humans found ways to protect themselves. They sang songs and they told stories and the creatures left, driven away by the imagination and the love in each spoken word.

  Sitting back, I let that information sink in. Harper has always loved books, just like our father. It's something they shared and some of that has been passed on to me. But I've never been the one for beautiful prose. Or even regular spell casting. I use what is already written or what I have already been told.

  But as I mull over these stories and the people who lived centuries ago, I feel inspiration knocking on the doors of my mind. It's like all of a sudden, I have to try, or I will go insane.

  Grabbing my notebook once more, I jot down a few words that rush into my mind. I don't stop to second guess myself but allow the words to flow, if only to help me understand this magic. It's as if I'm telling myself this story now, for the very first time.

  When I'm finished, I've only written a few sentences, but they speak to me on a higher level, and I wonder if there is magic on the page the way it used to be. There's no way I could story cast, but I did write something important. Of that I have no doubt. It's more than a feeling. It's a certainty deep within my veins. I know exactly what I need to do next.