Shifter Academy- an Impish Christmas

by Angel Leya

  “Bído chúntór’beagha, mothil dhéarnamah, luna gréingo dí’irí gréinge.” The words felt strange and familiar on her tongue, the magic tingling through her veins. But the next part she knew well, thanks to the life spell she’d tried to create for Leif. “Croileathra, kruthitheoirha, goraih maigh—”

  “Kenzie?”

  “Agaht! I mean, scrioságha.” Kenzie put down the book and darted to Ms. Heather, who had taken an unsteady step back and was shaking her head. Kenzie scanned the harpy for any signs that the magic had affected her. “Are you okay?”

  “What was that?”

  Kenzie looked up to see Wes. She’d been so concerned about Ms. Heather that she hadn’t even noticed Wes was there, too.

  “I’m fine,” Ms. Heather said, patting Kenzie’s arm. “What are you working on?”

  Kenzie let out a nervous chuckle. “Oh, nothing, really. Wes, what’re you doing here?”

  Wes grinned. “I hated leaving things like that.”

  Ms. Heather nodded, smoothing out her shirt. Her head snapped toward some commotion. “Oh! Wait, hon. We need to—ooh.” She turned to Kenzie and Wes. “If you’ll excuse me.”

  They both nodded, and Ms. Heather rushed toward a student with her talons stuck in the wall.

  Wes chuckled. “Forgive me?” he asked Kenzie, batting his lashes as he gave her the full puppy dog—or maybe it should be kitty cat—eyes.

  Kenzie rolled her eyes and groaned. “Of course I forgive you.”

  He pulled her in for a hug, and Kenzie let out a sigh of relief. She couldn’t believe she’d accidentally finished the spell. But the cancellation spell must have worked. Which was good. She wanted to save the little helper spell for someone who was a little less . . . helpful. And she would’ve hated for one of the teachers to see her do it. Or worse, be a victim of an accidental spell.

  “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” Wes asked.

  Kenzie shrugged as she pulled away. “I was just hoping maybe you’d help me bake another batch of cookies?”

  Wes’s eyes narrowed for a moment, but he let out an amused huff. “Tomorrow?”

  Kenzie nodded. “Fine. But I’m holding you to it.”

  “Scout’s honor,” Wes said, holding up his palm.

  “Were you even a scout?” Kenzie asked, drawing him in for another hug.

  “Nah. But it sounds better than ‘hunter’s honor.’”

  Kenzie couldn’t argue with that. “Maybe it’s time you get rid of that tattoo.” It wasn’t the first time she’d suggested it, but every so often it seemed to come up. He hated how it made him different, but letting go of his past wasn’t easy.

  Wes rubbed one hand with the other, jostling Kenzie who was still wedged in the middle. “Soon.”

  Whatever. He could keep it for a few more weeks. It was Christmas, after all. And if he didn’t take care of it after that, she’d make a spell to get rid of the thing for him. Maybe.

  For now, she had more important magical scheming to do. Here’s to hoping nothing goes awry.

  Chapter 7

  After Defense Class—and a shower—she headed topside to do some shopping. It was easy to find cheap Christmas decorations. The thrift stores were full of stuff people had thrown out last season. But she made sure to stop by a regular store to pick up candy canes. She’d considered making another batch of cookies, but decided her time would be better used decorating.

  Some students milled about as she returned to the Dome, but most were tucked away in their dorms, or the common rooms. Despite the boundaries that had been broken by Myreen, the shifter students had readily settled back into their primes. Kenzie understood the division. It made sense, but it still sucked. Especially because she was stuck in the Oceanid wing with the mer. And only the mer. Ugh. Not that they were all bad, but the ones that were certainly were more outspoken than those who weren’t.

  She decided to stay away from her room for now and start by decorating the entrance to the Dining Hall. It was the one place every student went multiple times a day. And food! Who wouldn’t want a little Christmas cheer here? It was the perfect plan, if she did say so herself.

  She hummed as she put up the decorations, wishing she had a spell to make things go faster—or at least play some music. Her phone could probably do the job, but she’d forgotten it in her room—it wasn’t like she needed a phone when she could magically contact anyone she wanted whenever she needed. The only drawback was magical calls didn’t provide the time. Or deliver reminders. But at least it was easy to carry and hard to forget.

  She got so into her little jingles, though, that she found herself grooving to the beat in her head. And mumble-singing along. The decorations were going up slowly, but surely, and she was even enjoying herself.

  “Looking good.”

  Kenzie startled and spun around at the voice behind her. She hadn’t even heard anyone walk up. And worse, it was Trevor. Kenzie narrowed her eyes as he neared. “Excuse me?”

  “The decorations. They’re very . . .”

  Kenzie shook her head. “They’re gaudy, I know, but they’re glittery and Christmas-y and—”

  “They look good.” Trevor gave her a half-smile.

  Kenzie blinked a few times. “Thaaaanksss.” She tucked a strand behind her ear, though it promptly fell back out—it was barely a bob after cutting it so short last year, but she still seemed to forget that every so often. They stood in silence for what felt like an eternity, and Kenzie clasped her hands behind her back just so they had something to do.

  Trevor ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry to interrupt, but I thought maybe you could use a hand.”

  “Really?” She felt like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Where was the punch line? The gotcha moment? Trevor certainly seemed sincere, but he’d been on the wrong side for so long, she didn’t trust the switch. It was too sudden.

  Trevor’s smile stretched into a full grin. “Yeah. I kind of like Christmas. And I happen to be taller than you.”

  Kenzie brows scrunched.

  “To reach the top of the arch?”

  It wasn’t like anyone else was willing to help her. And she’d been avoiding doing the top of the arch because of her height disadvantage. Kenzie nodded. “Okay. But I have one request.”

  “What’s that?”

  “No making fun of my singing.”

  Trevor chuckled. “Maybe I’ll have to sing with you.”

  Kenzie gave him a curt nod. “There’s more garland in that bag.”

  Trevor picked the bag up and got to work. It took Kenzie a moment to shake herself out of her state of shock and get back to humming and stringing up garland. She briefly considered casting the helper spell on him, but decided against it. After all, he was already being helpful. Though if he pulled anything, she knew what to do.

  It only took another ten minutes to finish the arch, but Trevor didn’t seem ready to leave. They stayed there and talked, laughing at stupid jokes and sharing their favorite carols.

  It wasn’t until Trevor pulled his phone out of his pocket that she realized how much time must have passed—the arch of his eyebrows confirming that it was indeed late.

  “We better get back before curfew starts,” Trevor said, sliding the phone into his back pocket.

  “Yeah. I’ll just stay a moment and . . . clean up.”

  Trevor looked around. They’d already gathered the bags and packaging. The only thing that remained were the bits of tinsel that had come loose, and the remaining bags of candy and decorations she had to tote to her room, but it hardly seemed enough for two people. He raised his brows as he looked back at Kenzie.

  Kenzie felt the heat rise to her cheeks. “It’s just . . . you and me . . .”

  Trevor nodded. “Yeah, I know. You’ve got a boyfriend. I get it.”

  “That’s not what I’m saying.” Well, maybe it was kind of what she was saying, but the more important issue was that mer and selkies didn’t really . . . mingle. And th
ey were heading back to the same place. No need to stir the pod, as it were.

  Trevor pulled out his phone again, spinning it between his fingers. “But if you don’t mind, I’m okay with us being seen together. I wouldn’t have offered to help otherwise.”

  It was as if all the ease that had built between them melted away, leaving a puddle of awkward that Kenzie wasn’t sure how to navigate. “Okay. Yeah. That should be fine. Whatever.”

  She threw the trash in the bin as Trevor gathered the remaining bags, then they walked back to their wing together. There was no more conversation, and Kenzie found herself trying—and failing—to tuck her hair behind her ear again. She let her fingers graze the selkie statue on their way up the stairs and hoped the common room would be empty.

  Thankfully, it was. Kenzie grabbed the bags and nodded to Trevor, who nodded in return, an impish grin on his face. They went their separate ways, but Kenzie could practically feel the atmosphere in the room change as a couple of students emerged from the guys’ wing, conversation dying on their lips. She decided to ignore them. If Trevor wanted to tempt the rumor mill, so be it. Besides, there wasn’t anything to tell. Right?

  KENZIE GRABBED HER tote, filled with candy canes—which she’d painstakingly tied little bows on—and she donned her Santa hat—which was still a little damp from having to clean splattered gingerbread cookie off it—and practically sprinted out of her room. Okay, she wasn’t a morning person, so it was more like a half-peppy stumble. She might have had another lousy night of sleep, but project Make Christmas Great Again would go on, even if it killed her.

  Her steps slowed as she came to the top of the steps and found a crowd around the Dining Hall entrance, which happened to be directly under her feet. They love the decorations! was her first thought, but the looks on everyone’s faces . . . That didn’t exactly scream joy. Kenzie leaned over the railing, and the glint of scattered garland remains sent her blood pulsing and her feet moving. She was down the stairs and around the bend as Oberon came down the hall.

  “What’s this about?” the director asked.

  Students looked back and forth, a murmur moving through the crowd, but no one stepped forward.

  “I hung them up,” Kenzie said. “But when I left last night, they weren’t like this.”

  The murmurs of the gathered students rose, but Oberon raised and lowered his hands, effectively bringing the volume back down. “Does anyone know who vandalized the decorations?” he asked the crowd.

  Again, no one stepped forward. Kenzie’s face flushed, and her hands balled into fists at her sides. Who would do something like this? What kind of monster tears up Christmas decorations? It looked like something had tried to chew threw them, tattered remains everywhere.

  Oberon spoke again. “I’ve given Kenzie permission to decorate for Christmas, and anyone else who wants to join her is welcome to do so. If you have a problem with that, please come speak to me rather than vandalizing the decorations. If anyone has any information about who did this, or if the guilty party would like to step forward, I believe we can come to some sort of understanding. If the vandalization continues and I have to find out the hard way, punishment will be more rigorous. Does everyone understand?”

  There were bewildered nods all around, but a few crossed arms and pointed glares were directed at Kenzie. Like it was her fault! Kenzie returned a few of those stares with an icy one of her own. But there were three people conspicuously absent from this train wreck. If anyone had anything to do with it, she’d be her magical seal skin it was them.

  Oberon began waving his hands forward, as if he could push everyone into the Dining Hall. “Okay, everyone. Move along. I’ll get someone to clean this up.”

  Kenzie pushed her way past the crowd to where Oberon was retreating. “It was the mer,” she said, though she kept her voice low.

  Oberon stopped and spun around. “What makes you say that?”

  “I, uh, well Trevor helped me put the decorations up, but he’s part of the group that’s been harassing me.”

  Oberon’s brows drew together, his mouth twisting to the side. “Hmmm. I know he associates with Lenore and Helena, but he’s never directly done anything to you, has he?”

  Kenzie shook her head. “I’m not sure if he helped tear them down or if he just told the girls and they decided to do it, but it’s them. I’d put money on it.”

  “Do you have any proof?”

  Kenzie looked at the ground. “No.”

  “I’ll have Ren review the footage. Let’s keep our suspicions to ourselves for now.”

  Kenzie’s shoulders slumped, but she nodded.

  Oberon placed a hand on Kenzie’s shoulder. “Hey, we both knew this might be difficult, right? But I’ll do my best to keep you safe here. And if it does turn up that Helena, Lenore, and Trevor are the culprits, you can be sure I’ll deal with them accordingly.”

  Kenzie nodded once, giving Oberon what she hoped was a brave smile.

  “In the meantime, do you need protection? Should we move you?”

  Kenzie shook her head. She didn’t need to rock the boat any more than it had been. “I’ll be fine, I’m sure. Besides, I have my magic.”

  Oberon nodded, releasing her shoulder. “You know I’d prefer you use that only under staff supervision, but if it comes to that, I understand. Just make sure you don’t harm anyone with it. Or blow up the school.”

  “Duh.” She smirked.

  Oberon stared a moment longer, taking a deep breath. He gave another nod, seemingly satisfied. For now. “Well, I’m going to get a broom and fix this mess. I suggest you grab breakfast while you still have time.”

  “Thank you. I think I’ll do that.” Kenzie’s shoulders sagged as she turned to head back to the Dining Hall. Tinsel-y pieces of garland littered the floor, the sad remains of a Christmas monster’s breakfast. How the mer could manage that kind of damage, Kenzie had no idea, but she wouldn’t put it past them running the stuff through a shredder or grabbing one of Mr. Suzuki’s inventions to do the job. Whatever. She still had her Santa hat and candy canes. Project Make Christmas Great Again was still a go.

  Leya and June were waiting for Kenzie just inside the door, and they all hooked arms to go through the food line—or at least until Kenzie needed at least one hand to grab her food.

  “What the heck happened back there?” Leya quietly said as she picked up a breakfast burrito. Once the food was secure, she pushed her glasses up her nose.

  “Your magic didn’t do that, did it? June asked.

  Kenzie snorted. “No. Some idiot tore down what I put up. Or idiots.” She added under her breath, “Probably the mer, but whatever.”

  June waited until they were out of line before she spoke again, keeping her voice low. “Why do you think it was the mer?”

  “I may not be the most popular kid in school, but you all know who holds top spots in the anti-Kenzie club.” Kenzie plopped down at the table where Jesse already sat, finishing off his breakfast. Leya and June took their usual spots.

  Jesse put a fist over his mouth. “If that’s how you decorate for Christmas, I don’t want you anywhere near the were wing. It looks like Christmas barfed over there.”

  Kenzie screwed up her face into a mock smile, knocking the ball of her hat out of her face. “Just what I was going for. And thanks. I’ll definitely do your place first.” She winked, taking her own bite of breakfast burrito.

  Jesse laughed, and a piece of chewed up breakfast made it past his fist to land on his lap.

  “Gross,” June said, flipping back her hair, and the girls giggled.

  “You girls are just jealous it’s not you coming off my lips,” Jesse said, sending the girls into a fit of groans. “Where’s Wes?”

  Kenzie glanced around the Dining Hall, then shrugged. “Maybe he’s still struggling with Mastery Class.”

  “That was yesterday,” Leya said.

  Kenzie nodded. “Yeah, I guess he’s just struggling with the telepathy stuff. Says
it wears him out.”

  Leya frowned. June’s eyes widened, but she tried to mask it by taking a big bite of her breakfast.

  Jesse smirked. “Yeah. All the guys fail that class.”

  Kenzie’s gaze narrowed on the hound. “What’re you trying to say?”

  Jesse shrugged. “Just that if he’s a red-blooded male, there’s a good chance he can’t concentrate on ‘mastering’ much of anything.”

  Kenzie shook her head. “No. He marked me. Besides, he’s too granola to cheat.”

  “Hey, I’m not saying he’s cheating, just that he’s distracted. And just because he’s marked you, doesn’t mean he can’t recognize that another woman’s attractive.”

  Leya raised her brows. “How would you know?”

  Jesse raised his hands. “Hey, I know guys who’ve marked their mates, but it hasn’t blinded them. They still have celebrity crushes and stuff.”

  “I’d rather talk about Christmas,” Kenzie said, folding her hands in her lap. “Anyone wanna see if we can light this place up faster than anyone can tear it down?”

  Another chorus of groans rose, but as conversation carried on—away from Christmas, of course—Kenzie’s mind couldn’t stop spinning tales of Wes spending a little too much time with Ms. Vex.

  Chapter 8

  Kenzie sat in her first class—Shifter Bio, blech, and waited for the other students to arrive, her candy cane bag at the ready. Of course, her friends still weren’t willing to help. They all begged her to give up on project Make Christmas Great Again—or at least rename it—but Kenzie wasn’t backing down. In fact, she was even more determined to get things going. If someone thought that ruining one Christmas display would make her stop, they had another thing coming. She hadn’t gotten into this school by sitting on her backside and doing nothing.

  And she was definitely not thinking about Wes’s absence during breakfast and the ensuing conversation about his hot teacher. Nope. Definitely not thinking about any of that.