Once Upon A Witch: A Dark Academy Reverse Harem Bully Romance (Everafter Academy Book 2)

by Tiegan Clyne

  “Nothing,” I say quietly, fluttering my lashes as I stroll over to him. “I’m going to be making a potion tonight. Want to help me, Daddy? It’ll be just like old times.”

  “You mean the times I tried to prevent you from setting fire to your grandma’s apothecary?”

  “Exactly! I even brought snacks.” I hold out my school bag to him, filled with fruit and chocolate. “Come on. Please? I’ll make it worth your time, Daddy.”

  Through our bond, I know what he’s hoping that will be.

  Great minds think alike. It’s precisely what I planned on doing.

  He lifts his chin, giving me an assessing once-over. I waste no time and drop to my knees, positioning myself between his legs. Looking up at him through my lashes, I gently untie his pants and pull out his hard cock. His scent wraps around me, like forest leaves bathed in morning dew.

  “What potion must you—make,” he gasps as I take him into my mouth. “Oh, fuck, Little Red.”

  I push my lips down the length of his shaft, never taking my eyes off him. His fingers twist through my hair and he holds me for a moment, making me gag, before loosening his grip. My eyes water. I’ve missed my Daddy’s cock.

  —I need to remove someone’s glamor.—

  “A demolio?” The words come out fast, and he moans, closing his eyes. “Those are difficult. Time-consuming.”

  I know that. While I can remove my own glamors with a snap of my fingers, removing another witch’s is a whole different kettle of fish.

  Broin gently bucks his hips. I flick my tongue over his slit and his grip on my hair tightens. The taste and smell of him consume my senses, clouding my head with lust. They’re all I have left of home. I will never get tired of the way his eyes dip lower, the little tinge of warmth that creeps into his cheeks, and the slight growl in his moans.

  “Why don’t you do a truth serum instead?”

  I pull my mouth away and wrap my hand around his cock. Stroking his length, and flicking my thumb over the tip the way that drives him wild, I straighten up a little to look at him.

  “Is that the potion Grandma used to find out who Red was secretly dating last year?”

  He nods, sucking a breath in through his teeth. “Yes. It’ll be done in half the time… and I even have the ingredients…”

  His breaths are turning shallow. I increase my pace on his cock and bring my lips to his mouth. He cradles my head with both hands, deepening our kiss as though he’s afraid I’m about to disappear. When he cums, he bites my bottom lip and I squeeze his cock hard, milking him of every last droplet.

  Broin lets me go and I pull back, licking my fingers clean. His pupils are blown and he’s a little breathless as he waves his hand, erasing the splash of cum on my leg. I put his cock back into his pants and fasten him. He lifts his lips into a half-smile.

  “Fuck, I’ve missed that sweet mouth of yours, babygirl.”

  I giggle, sitting down on his lap. “And I’ve missed this, Daddy. I wish we could spend more time with each other.”

  He rubs a hand up and down my back. “We will. Things won’t always be like this.”

  “I know that. It feels like yesterday we were watching the sunrise back home, huh?”

  Broin stiffens and his hand falls away. Guilt. Shame. Anger. So many negative emotions rise to the surface within him. Before they can take root, I nestle into his neck, looking up at him.

  “So, Daddy, will you help me with the potion?”

  “Yes,” he answers with a nod. “Go fetch your cauldron.”

  I hop off his lap and duck underneath the bed. Dragging out my small chest of belongings, I take out my cauldron and everything else needed to brew a potion. I hand Broin his satchel, which is enchanted to hold everything important to him, and then I clear a space on the floor.

  “What ingredients do we need?” I ask him, placing several short white candles in a circle with a black candle in the center. Once I’ve lit them, I put my cauldron on top of the black candle and use my wand to fill it up with unholy water.

  Broin shoves his whole arm into the bag. I can hear many things clinking, pots falling onto the floor, and for a second I think I hear a cat meowing. He drags out a dusty little potion box. It might look small but these portable containers are magical like his bag and probably contains over a hundred ingredients.

  “Write the target’s name down and put it into the water,” Broin instructs, setting the box down opposite the cauldron.

  I scribble her name down in my notebook, tear out the page, fold it in half and drop it into the water. At first, it floats on the surface. But when Broin holds a vial over the cauldron and tips in two droplets, the parchment sinks to the bottom. The water turns a deep inky black and I wonder if it’s squid ink.

  “Dragon blood,” he explains before I open my lips. “Two droplets. Next, two lacewing flies, crushed up.”

  He opens a jar packed with dead lacewings. Dropping two of them into a stone mortar, he hands me a pestle and motions for me to crush them. I do as instructed, then tip the bowl into the water. The ingredients sizzle together, the color going from black to bottle green.

  “We need two more things. One, a personal item belonging to them, and the other, something to put the potion in. Anything solid is preferred.”

  “Like food?”

  He nods. “Sweet dishes were a common delicacy witches used in older times. Pies. Pastries. Cakes and the like.”

  “I have just the thing!” I crawl over to my bed, excited to have taken Aaliyah’s band after all. I also grab one of the red apples I’d picked from the apple trees in the courtyard. “Will these do?”

  I take the items over to him. He smells the ribbon, nods, then laughs when he sees the apple.

  “Of course it would be an apple.” He takes one anyway and sets it beside him. “Put the band in, babygirl, and say her name.”

  So far, this process has been like every other potion I’ve made in the past. It’s easy and I’ll certainly be using this one again.

  I drop the band into the cauldron, stating clearly, “Aaliyah.”

  The second I utter her name, all the candles waver as if a light breeze has skated into the room. The potion bubbles and spits at us. Broin stirs the ingredients around with a long wooden spoon. He takes the apple and drops it inside. There’s a loud hissing noise, almost like a heavy sigh, then a cloud of smoke wraps around the cauldron. When it clears, we both lean forward to see if it’s worked. It must have. The potion has been absorbed into the apple.

  Broin turns it over with the side of his spoon. “How do you plan on getting her to eat it?”

  I grin over at him. “We’re going on a picnic, of course.”

  We rise early. Broin delivered my notes last night before bed, and after some inner deliberation, I decided to invite Christopher as well as Aaliyah. He’s waiting for us in the common area while Alice and I collect Aaliyah from her room in the tower. She’s dressed in practical hiking gear, with brown boots that lace up to her knees and a dark blue cloak. I can tell she’s a little nervous and shy.

  “I haven’t seen the woods around Everafter,” she says as we walk down the steps. “It looks like it’ll be beautiful.”

  “It’s autumn now.” Alice pulls her cloak more tightly around herself, her white hands ghostly against the black fabric. “It’ll be all color and falling leaves. Perfect for a picnic.”

  “You’ll love it,” I tell Aaliyah cheerily, “and hopefully you won’t find us too scary to hang out with again.”

  “No, not at all. I’m actually grateful for your invitation. It’s hard to make friends when you’re different.”

  “Truer words were never spoken,” Alice mutters, winking at me.

  “What Alice said. Don’t worry. You’re in good company.”

  I lead the way into the courtyard, my basket held tightly around my arm. I’m still a little tired from being up all night with Broin but it was worth it. The apple is in the basket, ready to be eaten. We’ll s
ee what this princess really is.

  Sirena is waiting for us with a tray of drinks held between her fluffy pink mittens. She hands me a cup and I sniff the lid. Nutmeg. Honeycomb. A lethal combination.

  “What’s that?” Aaliyah watches me take a sip.

  “Coffee,” I answer, offering her some. “Want to try it? It’s a mortal thing but it’s delicious.”

  She shakes her head. “Oh, no. I’m more of a mint tea kinda girl.”

  I’m surprised by that. Redera loved mint tea.

  “Are we good to go?” Christopher asks, his breath streaming through the chilly afternoon air. “I’ve brought Nutmeats.”

  I giggle at the name. Alice cocks her head at him. “What are Nutmeats?”

  “They’re a sort of protein bar from my home.”

  “You mean the Gilded Palace?”

  Christopher’s cheeks turn pink and it’s not from the cold. “Yes. These ones are made up of dried fruit and nuts but there are many different flavors. Reyna started manufacturing them for our warriors during the Silva War. One bar is equivalent to a full meal.”

  We start walking through the gate. A blanket of dead leaves cover the ground before the forest, and they crunch underneath our shoes.

  “Dried fruity nuts?” I say to Christopher. “I think I’ll pass.”

  “I have chocolate ones, too.”

  “And sold, to the prince in the shiny blue boots!”

  The girls laugh while Christopter digs through his leather satchel. I grab a banana from my basket and we make a trade. I sniff the strange oval-shaped treat before taking a cautious bite. The chewy, sticky, chocolatey substance melts on my tongue. Sweet Mother of Satan, where have these been all my life? I scarf the bar down in three large bites and it does what it says on the packet: my stomach is immediately full. What a clever creation.

  I catch Christopher grinning at me from the corner of my eye. I’m still unsure about trusting him, but there was something about the way his mother disregarded his existence that confirmed he’s not like the other royals. He has also defended me on more than one occasion. If I’m to find Rosso Lupa, I need all the allies I can get. Gideon isn’t an ally. Not yet, anyway. He’s more like a young pup in training. Once he stops pissing everywhere, then we’ll get down to business.

  We enter the forest. The cold wind rustling through the leaves lifts the hem of my cloak. Well, Esmeralda’s cloak. The material is thick yet light against my skin. It feels strange to be wearing something my ancestor wore. It feels even stranger to know she could still be alive.

  Should I be able to walk after next week’s punishment, I plan on using my time wisely in Draoich. I remember how brightly Nevermore had shone through the trees. I’m sure if I asked my Daddy nicely he’d take me there after church. I’m more powerful than I’ve ever been. Every moment with Lucifer only strengthens my magic. If we’re ambushed by wolves at the Black Ravine, I’ll just have to be ready for them.

  The wind howls again, carrying the scents of the forest. The one I can smell the most is burning leaves. Not literal burning leaves. It’s the smell that accompanies our altars and only Darkbloods can pick up on it. We’re getting close to the mysterious altar Lockwood found.

  I notice Aaliyah is strolling behind everyone. While the girls chat with Christopher, I fall into step with her. She looks at me and smiles, her nose and cheeks red from the cold.

  “I saw you with Erik yesterday,” I start, returning her smile. “Can I just say how freaking amazing that was to witness? He and his little posse think they own this school. It’s nice to see someone bringing him down a peg or two.”

  She giggles. “Hey, it was nothing compared to you vomiting all over his face.”

  I don’t remember seeing her in the common room when that happened. Then again, I don’t remember a lot of things from that night. “Thanks! I don’t suppose you saw the last part, did you?”

  “You mean giving Aurora a good ol’ bushwack to the face? Priceless.”

  We grin at each other, and I recall how good it felt to punch Aurora. Seeing her ugly swollen eye truly was priceless. I’m also surprised I was never reprimanded for it. Maybe the staff wanted me to give her a taste of her own medicine. I wouldn’t put it past them. No one likes a self-centered, spoiled rich kid.

  “So where are you from?” I probe subtly, ducking under the trees.

  Aaliyah follows suit. “Wysteria,” she tells me, “in the mountains. Near Crimson Peak.”

  “We’re almost at the lake,” Sirena calls over her shoulder. “I can’t wait to dip my feet into the water!”

  I watch her skip between the sun-dappled trees. Christopher and Alice are looking over an ancient-looking book. The smell of sea-salt lifts on the wind. I deliberately slow my steps so that Aaliyah will slow hers too.

  “Crimson Peak?” I repeat, trying hard to sound casual. She’s got to be from the Botuli Coven. There’s nothing at all white about this witch. “I’ve been there before. It’s beautiful.”

  “It is,” she agrees, looking up at the sun’s rays cutting through the leaves. The light bathes her skin in a golden hue and she closes her eyes, basking in its warmth. “But it’s not nearly as beautiful as this forest.”

  That’s a valid point. I mean, Crimson Peak got its name from one of the bloodiest battles in all of the Great Forest’s history. The mountain’s summit is permanently stained in blood. It was the perfect vacation spot for the Hemlock family.

  “Are there any genies in Wysteria?”

  Aaliyah opens her eyes, sliding me a fleeting glance. “There was a rumor of one being locked in the basement of the Red Rose Inn. It’s just an old ghost story though. I’ve yet to see one in real life.”

  Well, that’s a letdown. Aladdin will surely be disappointed by this news.

  I just manage to keep my own disappointment in check. “You never know. We’re only eighteen. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?”

  “You’re right.” She beams, her eyes crinkling at the sides. “That’s the exciting thing about being a student at Everafter. There’s always something unexpected happening.”

  Oh, if only she knew.

  Taking the enchanted apple from my basket, I hand it to her without saying anything, then I take an apple for myself and quickly bite into it. She holds the apple in her hand while I casually weave a path through the woods. A few heartbeats later, I hear her teeth sinking into the apple, and my stomach tightens.

  By now, Sirena, Alice, and Christopher should have reached the lake. I’ve deliberately taken a different route so I could get Aaliyah to the altar.

  I take her through the arch in the trees. The clearing is soaked in sunlight, and the deep engravings of my Dark Lord’s mark is still visible.

  “What is this place?” Aaliyah whispers, following me into the heart of the clearing. “There’s dark magic here. I think we should get away from it.”

  I walk right up to the altar. Aaliyah follows in my footsteps, albeit slowly.

  When she stops beside me, I ask calmly, “Do you know what this is, Aaliyah?”

  She gives a hesitant nod. “Yes. It’s an altar of some kind. A dark one.”

  I nod along with her. “It’s an altar that Darkbloods use to communicate with their Unholy Lord. Look at the burn marks. This has recently been used. Do you know who this could belong to?”

  “Yes,” she responds quickly, much to her distress. “Wait! I—I know who this altar doesn’t belong to.”

  She’s trying to cover up her tracks. Not going to happen.

  I take a step forward and harden my voice. “Do you know who’s using this atlar or not?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Who?”

  “Me.”

  “This is your altar?”

  “It—it is. I mean, umm—”

  “So you’re a Darkblood?”

  She looks down at the apple, then up at me, her eyes widening as realization dawns on her. “Yes, I’m a Darkblood. Why… Why did you trick me l
ike this?”

  There are tears in her eyes now—tears that should make me feel guilty. They don’t. We’re both Darkbloods, cut from the same cloth. I knew this from the moment I saw her in the courtyard. She could either be my best ally or my worst enemy.

  “Because I think you’re lying about where you come from,” I tell her, deliberately keeping my voice aggressive to make her crack. “Because I don’t think you’re a princess. Because I think you shouldn’t be at this school. Because I think you’re hiding something big and awful and that’s why you’re using a glamor to conceal yourself. Who are you, Aaliyah? Show me!”

  Under the truth spell, she has no other choice.

  It’s like the sun is peeling its shadow off her as the potion removes her glamor. Her hair transforms from her roots down, changing from ebony to snow white, and her olive complexion lightens into a creamy pale. Freckles blossom over her button nose and dimpled cheeks.

  I stumble back from her, unable to comprehend what I’m seeing.

  Who I’m seeing.

  “My name is Redera,” she answers softly, the apple rolling off her hand. “Redera Hemlock. Have you missed me?”

  TO BE CONTINUED…

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  Are you ready for more?

  Once Upon a Devil: Everafter Academy Book 3

  Coming December, Friday the 13th!

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  No rest for the damned.

  With the Festival of Light now over, Satanalia and the Church of Shadows are upon us.

  I’ve tried to avoid these for as long as possible.

  Now it’s time to face the music and my cruel covenmaster for a punishment that my leave me broken—if it leaves me alive at all.