“Our home is open to any magical person who needs a fresh start,” The Headmistress answered.
“This is considered kidnapping,” The warlock said. “The MCS has been lenient with you before, but this is unforgivable. For too long have you been running under the radar as an unregistered school. When that happens, there are going to be oversights.” His cold eyes wandered around the room.
I shrank back when he looked at me a little too long. Did he know?
“I’ll be back tomorrow with the MCS staff to enact these necessary changes,” The man said. “And I’ll be taking the girl.”
“No!” Gemma’s friends shouted.
Gemma fought against the magic that was keeping her feet rooted to the ground. “No! No please! Don’t make me go back. You don’t know what it’s like!” She cried. Her face was red, messy tears streaked down her cheeks. “Please!” She sobbed.
“Is there another way?” Headmistress Gertie tried to reason with the warlock but was cut off by a venomous glare.
“Don’t test me, Gertie,” He spat. “The MCS will be merciless. I’d get your shit in order before dawn.” With another flick of his wand and a muttered spell, Gemma went limp and was constricted by red energy. The man threw her limp body over his shoulder with ease.
One of Gemma’s friends let out a tortured sob. “What are they going to do with her?” She was immediately shushed.
The warlock left without another word, leaving the sitting room in silence. A horrible energy buzzed through the air.
Headmistress Gertie struggled to speak. “Everyone,” She said with a shaking voice. “To your rooms. Classes are hereby canceled until further notice.”
***
“The faerie queen is flexing her muscles,” The Headmistress said. “We are not safe.”
“We don’t know it was her,” Seth countered.
I watched the pack and the Headmistress go back and forth until I was dizzy.
Chase and Maddox were sorting through all the piles of paperwork that littered the floor. Jasper was writing letters to other MCS facilities to try to get more information. Seth was arguing with the Headmistress, seeing how he was the only one brave enough to do it.
“We cannot let MCS take us over,” Seth said.
“It’s too late. What that warlock said was true,” Headmistress Gertie grimaced as she spoke. “We have been cradled in their patience for far too long. All it took was one runaway to tip the scales.”
“She was being abused! She deserved sanctuary here!”
“Not according to the MCS. Pack rules are different that magical laws. There is a confusing hierarchy that not all magical people want to get involved with,” Gertie said. “Or have you forgotten.”
Seth swore under his breath and ran his fingers through his curly hair.
“There’s no proof that this is the faerie queen. It could be a coincidence,” Jasper said, setting down the letters.
“It was her,” I said without a doubt.
“If it was, why didn’t that warlock take her?” Jasper asked.
“Because we were given two days in the letter. Faeries don’t lie,” I said. “This was just to show us that she means business. They’ll be back tomorrow.” I shuddered. “That’s when they’ll take me.”
“They we get you the hell out of here!” Chase leapt to his feet, knocking over the pile of files he had just stacked.
Maddox growled at him.
“Sorry,” Chase laughed. “I mean, anyways, let’s just get out now!”
“And walk into the waiting faeries who have no doubt been posted outside the range of the iron spikes? Not a wise move,” The Headmistress said.
My stomach twisted as I spoke, knowing how dangerous my idea was. “Then let me go alone. You can’t leave this place. Woodlock’s needs you,” I said.
Seth met my eyes. “I told you that wasn’t happening. We’re not losing you. We’re not surrendering you to the faerie queen.”
“Everyone is in danger as long as I am here!” I protested.
“So, then we just need to find a way to get you out safely,” Seth said with a confident smirk. “Trust your pack leader, little morsel.”
***
“But you can’t leave Woodlock’s!” I protested. I was sitting on the couch, watching the shifters pace around the apartment. The Headmistress had banished us downstairs so she could think in peace.
Seth ruefully shook his head. “You need to understand something. We won’t be allowed to stay much longer as soon as MCS gets their dirty claws in here,” He said. “We’re here working for Gertie in order to pay it forward. Once MCS takes over, it’ll be the Magical Control Squad agents that bring people in. The Headmistress is the third generation to take care of this home… Now it will become a prison.”
I tasted bile. “A prison?”
“Pretty much, but they won’t call it that. Reform school is the word they like to use,” Seth said. “The students’ life won’t change much. Except for us. We’ll be evicted at dawn. There will be no need for us anymore.”
“So, what now?” Maddox asked, looking to his alpha for guidance. The pack was nervous but hiding it well.
Seth set his shoulders. “If we are going to protect everyone, we need to leave.”
“How does that help Woodlock’s?” Chase protested, quickly snapping his mouth shut. “Sorry.”
Seth dismissed the outburst. “We’ve had an awesome gig, but it looks like it’s time for a new chapter.” He looked at his pack and then to me. “I knew meeting you was fate, but wow, I couldn’t have expected this.” He sighed. “We’ve done a lot for this place and I know Gertie, she will uphold the care that we’re used to. MCS are a bunch of assholes, but that woman is as tough as nails.”
Maddox nodded. “And as soon as we’re gone, including Luna,” He shot me a glance. “The faerie queen will have no business here.”
“Exactly. Life will go back to normal for the Woodlock’s students. If we want to protect Luna, saying goodbye is our only option,” Seth said.
My chest ached. “I don’t deserve this,” I said with a trembling voice.
Seth exhaled and knelt in front of me. “Luna, remember what I said? You get the pack?” His eyes glittered. “That means you get us forever. You’re one of us, Luna, and the pack protects its own.”
I opened my mouth to protest.
Seth put a finger on my lips. “Not another word. No arguing. It’s final.”
Maddox shook his head and sighed. “Agreed, but what the hell are we going to do?”
“As my second-in-command you should know better,” Seth said with a grin. “I have a plan.”
NINETEEN
————————————
LUNA
Watching the minutes tick by was killing me.
I was sent back to my room with nothing to do but wait for the pack. I did everything I could to keep busy: packed my bag, counted my money, brushed my hair, changed out of my uniform, showered, the list was short, and I blew through it too fast.
I sat on my bed, looking out the window to the darkness of the night. I could see the forest in the distance. Everything was still. It looked the same as any other night but felt different some how.
“The faeries can’t reach you here,” I whispered to myself. The iron spikes would be enough to keep me safe for now, but what happened when we left the property? I hugged my arms tightly around myself.
I had never realized how tired I was of running until I wound up here. Woodlock’s had its drawbacks, sure, but it was way better than living in shelters and picking pockets. Woodlock’s was a house and the pack was what made it feel like home. I didn’t want to run anymore. I didn’t want to be separated from the boys.
A few hours past midnight, there was a knock at the door.
I jumped up from the bed with surprise. “Yes?”
It was Maddox. “Hey, Luna. You ready?” He whispered. He was dressed in black with a large duffel bag thrown over h
is shoulder.
I nodded. “Where are the others?”
“Chase and Seth are staying behind.” He read the panic on my face and continued. “They’ll meet up with us after. Jasper is waiting in the SUV.”
“Are they going to be ok?” I asked.
“Trust the alpha,” Maddox said, kissing me on the cheek. “He has a plan. As his second-in-command it’s my job to follow orders and make sure that my part goes off without a hitch.”
I held my backpack to my chest. I had forgotten how heavy my few belongings were.
Maddox held out his hand. “Trust me, it’s going to be ok.”
“What if there’s faerie hunters waiting for us?” I asked. My voice shook.
“Already accounted for,” Maddox said with such confidence that I had to believe him.
I took his hand. “Ok, let’s do this.”
I followed Maddox down the sides stairs that led to the kitchen. We took the back door, finding Jasper’s SUV waiting for us. The engine was running.
Jasper opened the back, where more belongings were stowed. They were packed with no intention of coming back.
I met his eyes, my heart pounding nervously.
“I know this isn’t ideal,” He said, pulling out a metal trunk with iron decorations. “But it’s the only way to keep you safe.”
I startled, staring at the chest which was big enough to hold me. “What is that?” I asked.
“Turns out that Gertie’s grandfather, the guy who founded this place, was extremely afraid of the fae,” Jasper chuckled. “That’s why there’s iron stakes on the perimeter.” He slapped the metal case. “The Headmistress donated this for us to transport you in. The faeries will have no idea you’re inside.”
I hesitated. It looked like a torture device. How could I stop myself from panicking in such a tight space? It was less than half the size of the damn elevator that set my claustrophobia into overdrive. I swallowed and licked my lips, doing nothing to ease the dryness in my mouth.
“It’s not airtight,” Maddox added. “You’ll be safe.”
I looked at each of them in turn. I had no choice but to trust them. “Alright,” I said.
The metal box was bigger inside than I thought. I laid down and tucked my knees to my chest. My backpack fit in with me. The feeling of claustrophobia began to creep in, nonetheless.
Maddox handed me a bottle of water. “It won’t be long, promise,” He said.
I double checked the air holes and nodded. “Ok. I’m trusting you guys.”
“Shifter’s honor!” Jasper grinned before closing the lid.
“If this doesn’t work, I’m never going to let any of you fuck me again!” I threatened from inside. My voice echoed. I could hear them chuckling. It wasn’t exactly a joke, if this didn’t work, I’d probably be dead.
A lock slid into place. Fear rose another notch.
“It’s ok, it’s ok,” I whispered to myself over and over. My voice echoed back with a metallic accent. Anxiety rattled through my body. I hugged my knees and closed my eyes.
From inside the iron box, I could hear other bags being loaded in and the trunk closing. Next, the SUV rocked as Jasper and Maddox got in. A moment later, everything lurched, and we were on our way. Where we would end up, I could only guess.
The rocking was soothing at first, until it made me start to feel sick. I took deep breaths, letting myself move with the SUV, feeling every turn, every stop, and every pothole, which there were many. If I had to guess, we were on a country road. The sound of stones kicking up on the back of the vehicle made an eerie song.
A few minutes later the ride became smooth. I felt the SUV accelerating. If I had to guess, we were on the highway.
I let out a sigh of relief. So, either there was no army of faeries waiting for us, or they hadn’t bothered attacking a SUV full of iron. We were safe for now, but I knew we wouldn’t be for long. I buried my head in my knees and hummed to myself, doing everything I could to forget that I was confined in this iron box.
By some miracle, the swaying of the SUV soothed me to sleep. I was chased by anxious dreams, which was very strange. I barely ever dreamed, but this, this felt like I was watching a movie unfold before my eyes.
I saw everything unfolding from above, with no noise.
I saw Woodlock’s. Students hadn’t returned to classes. There was a strange feeling in the air. An undeniable feeling of dread. Two unmarked cars were parked in the driveway. There were men in suits talking to Headmistress Gertie.
Seth and Chase were talking to some of the men. Chase’s teeth were exposed, the coyote in him was ready to pounce.
The MCS was at Woodlock’s. A team of men in overalls were digging up the iron spikes that surrounded the property. The home was being searched. Every room. Every closet. Anywhere that anyone could hide.
Seth and Chase were yelling at someone now. The Headmistress put herself between them and ordered them away.
The point of view shifted, and I saw students watching from inside the sitting room. Teachers were being questioned. Gemma’s friends were still in tears, reliving the stress of watching the shifter being torn away from them.
That giant bearded warlock was in the thick of it. Shouting orders with no remorse. It was a take over. The MCS was firing the teachers on sight. Few were spared. Then, the students were questioned mercilessly.
The scenes flicked by like a slide show, almost too fast to comprehend.
I couldn't stop anything from happening. This dream. This bizarre vision was haunting me, teasing me with all my biggest fears.
The SUV came to a stop and my head bumped against the metal box, knocking me from the dream.
I screamed, wiping tears from my eyes. “What was that?” I whispered. A vision or a dream? It all felt so real.
The trunk popped open and the lock scraped against the ironwork. The lid was lifted, sending fresh cool air into my lungs, which I breathed in greedily.
I gasped and I sat up. My body tingled and ached as blood began to flow properly. “Get me out of this thing!” I said to only myself, pushing past Jasper as he offered his hand to me. I stumbled out of the SUV, dropping my bag, and laying down on the pavement.
I didn’t know where we were, and I didn’t care. I never wanted to be inside that box again. I gulped in air, hot tears streaming down my face.
“Are you ok?” Jasper knelt beside me.
“No!” I shrieked. I coughed on my tears, wiping my nose on my sleeve. “Please, let’s never do that again.”
Jasper held my trembling body to him. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that,” He said. He didn’t let me go until my breathing returned to normal. Then, he helped me to my feet.
Everything had gone quiet. At least several hours had past since I last saw the outside world. The sky was tinged pink to the east where the sun would soon rise. From the looks of it, we were in the middle of nowhere. An old house stood before us, empty and worn down. The nearest house could barely be seen in the distance. Just past the driveway, there was a sign that read County Line 47.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“The safe house,” Maddox said.
“Safe house?” I repeated. “Why the hell would you need that?”
“For exactly this sort of reason,” Maddox said. “We pooled our money to buy this gods-forsaken place last year before we decided to stay at Woodlock’s. I was so pissed when I found out that the sale had gone through for nothing. Now I know it was a blessing.”
I tried not to wrinkle my nose at the worn-down house. Crows cawed in the trees that lined the driveway.
Jasper unloaded the rest of the bags. “Come on, we have a lot of work to get done before dawn,” He said. “Time to do some faerie-proofing.”
TWENTY
————————————
LUNA
Jasper wasn’t joking when he said faerie-proof. We spent the next few hours setting up faerie wards and nailing iron spikes around the property. T
hankfully, the ex-Headmaster of Woodlock’s was bizarrely afraid of faeries and had left countless iron charms behind when he died.
By the time we were done, the sun had risen, and a light fog drifted on the ground. It was calm and quiet; under better circumstances, I would have thought it was beautiful.
The safe house looked better on the inside than the outside. The clashing orange and brown hues were straight out of the seventies. It was furnished with antique chairs and sofas, but everything seemed clean and tidy.
“Estate sale,” Maddox said, catching my eye. “Came furnished. Poor old woman who died alone,” He added.
Normally, I would have cringed thinking about living in some dead lady’s house but being with the pack was enough to keep me from worrying about ghosts. “Did she,” My voice trailed off.
“She didn’t die here, no,” Maddox answered. His lips twitched as he suppressed a laugh. Apparently, the thought of a changeling who was afraid of ghosts was amusing.
Jasper was digging through the kitchen. “There isn’t much here. Seth stocked some non-perishables, but it all looks pretty bland.” He frowned. “Man, you know what would be great right now?” He looked over at us. “Pizza!”
Maddox groaned. “That would be great. Where are we going to get pizza at eight in the morning?”
Jasper deflated. “Right.”
I brushed past them. “I just want coffee. Caffeine comes first and then we’ll figure out food.” I found some instant coffee and began heating up some water. The boys watched me, neither of them speaking again until we all had a steaming cup of coffee in our hands.
Jasper took a long sip. “So now what?” He asked.
Maddox was in charge when Seth was not around, and he took the responsibility in stride. “Now, we wait.”
I was tired of waiting. It felt like I had been living my whole life waiting and running away. “I just want this to be over,” I admitted.
“Soon,” Maddox promised. “As soon as Seth gets here, we’ll plan our next steps.”
“Can our next steps be a new life in Hawaii?” Jasper asked. He was only half-joking.
Crooked Changeling Page 10
