by Emma Dean
“I don’t know,” Natalie said. “One minute we were dancing and the next she collapsed.”
“I thought you were a hunter,” Mika demanded. “Isn’t it your damn job to protect people?”
She didn’t bother waiting for a response. Mika ripped off her bracelet and bit her thumb hard enough to draw blood. A simple word as she waved her hand over Audrey’s head told her what it was.
“Mika!” Ethan sounded just as panicked as she felt as he shoved through the crowd toward her.
“I need jewelweed!” Mika begged Ethan with her eyes. “Please.” They didn’t have time for her to apologize and she didn’t know a spell she could do with blood magic or offensive magic that would heal Audrey. “Hurry.”
Ethan knelt down next to her without hesitation and pulled a long necklace out of his shirt. He opened the large locket and selected a plant. “This should be enough for whatever she ingested.”
Mika implored him without words, asking him to understand what she needed.
Ethan nodded and spoke the word that would turn the plant into a cure-all – as a natural antidote it had healing properties laced into its DNA. All it took was a little magic to make it more potent.
She held Audrey still so he could feed her the plant; Mika wrapped one leg around Audrey’s in a hold to keep her from thrashing free. The strain of keeping her still eased and Mika looked up to see Lucien holding Audrey’s legs.
The shifter nodded – all trace of games had disappeared from his face when she’d needed help.
Then Malachi was pushing back the crowd of people surrounding them, asking people to give them space, asking if anyone had seen anything, and generally calming people down.
Mika closed her eyes and said a quick prayer as she shoved the weed into Audrey’s mouth. She hoped they’d been fast enough.
Then she concentrated on keeping her magic under control. Because if she didn’t…Audrey could die a worse death than this.
Her dorm mate opened her eyes and gasped, back arching so far Mika was afraid it would snap.
“Hey, you’re okay,” Mika told her, brushing Audrey’s hair back from her face and checking her pupils again. “You’re okay. It was just a spell.”
Audrey turned and hugged Natalie – the hunter cried with relief as she held the witch.
This wasn’t over – Mika wasn’t done. “Who slipped her that spell?” she asked, making sure everyone could hear her.
Without the music there was utter silence. Mika glared at the ones still staring, trying to find a guilty face.
“Who poisoned her?” Mika demanded, standing up and taking a step toward the crowd. “A hallucinogenic spell like that can kill someone. This isn’t a fucking game.”
“She’s not a witch,” Crystal said, stepping out from the crowd. “She doesn’t belong here.”
“Mika, don’t,” Lucien warned. Somehow he already knew and was moving toward her, but rage made her faster than him just this once.
There were no sigils or runes to draw, no words to speak. Without her bracelet her power was there and ready. It blasted out of her just like it had in the greenhouse, but this time it was focused with her rage.
Crystal went flying across the yard.
The sound of her landing in the snow was loud in the silence and her pitiful cry of pain only made Mika want to hear her scream just like Audrey had.
Mika stalked toward Crystal, not finished with her yet. This mean girl who wanted to torture others deserved to suffer for what she’d done to Audrey – for everything poisoning her meant, and for the way too many witches were looking away from Mika in shame and guilt.
This had to stop.
Now.
“Hey, don’t,” Lucien warned, grabbing her. “You don’t want to get expelled.”
Mika whipped around and snarled at him. “I don’t care. Not if it keeps Crystal and others like her from doing that to anyone else ever again.”
“Be smart,” he hissed.
She was so furious all she could see was red. Mika swung and Lucien wasn’t expecting the physical attack. Her punch landed and his head whipped to the side. The look of shock on his face almost snapped her out of it.
“I’m bleeding,” he said in complete surprise, pressing a finger to his nose. “Holy shit, little witch. Nice job.”
“Looks like you gotta try out tomorrow,” Audrey croaked.
Mika turned to the only friend she had in the world and wrapped her arms around her, helping Audrey to her feet. The rest of her anger leaked away as she focused on Audrey. “You know it doesn’t count,” she grumbled, fixing her dark hair.
“A nose bleed is a nose bleed babe, and you caused it.” If she hadn’t almost died Mika would wipe that smirk right off Audrey’s face.
“Someone lock Crystal up before I do,” Mika said, taking some of Audrey’s weight. “We’ll be reporting her in the morning.”
Ethan handed her the bone bracelet with a pointed look and Mika took it with a quiet thank you. Just touching the silver had that weight settling over her like a blanket. Mika slipped on the bracelet as quickly as she could.
Each second Audrey was in skin to skin contact with her was a risk. Mika fumbled to put it on and still hold up the other witch.
“Let me help.” Malachi swept Audrey into his arms and cradled her against his chest. “I’ll help you get her back to your dorm.”
“And I’ll get a spell to restore her to full strength,” Ethan murmured, disappearing into the crowd like a phantom.
Then it was just Mika and everyone who was staring at her.
She couldn’t hide anymore. They’d all seen the power she could wield if she chose to.
So, what now?
“You smell like blood, little witch,” Lucien whispered, brushing his arm against her shoulder. This time though, his words were gentle.
Mika looked up at the hunter and even though his eyes weren’t glowing she knew they could. “Your eyes are so pretty, hunter. I’m almost jealous.”
That made Lucien smile. They both knew she could never get eyes like his.
Mika followed after Malachi and Audrey then, glancing back only once at Crystal. Natalie already had her cuffed and no doubt had her magic bound. The hunter hauled the snotty bitch to her feet and shoved her towards one of the buildings outside.
She didn’t want to know and she had no plans to ask. But as soon as the office was open, Mika was going to report the bitch for a hate crime. Hopefully it was enough to get her expelled.
All this was against everything she’d sworn not to do. Don’t get involved, don’t draw attention to herself – and don’t get attached. It was only the first week and she’d broken every single one of those rules.
Guess Mika couldn’t stand on the sidelines anymore.
23
Her favorite sun room was empty again. It helped it was smaller than some of the others which left room for only two tables, aside from the plants and a little sitting area. For a room meant to let in light it was grey and dark this early in the morning.
The cloud cover didn’t help either.
Mika couldn’t stop sneaking glances at Audrey as they ate in silence.
“If you don’t stop I’m going to stab you with my fork,” Audrey muttered, taking another bite of her breakfast burrito. She was one of those weirdos who ate burritos with forks.
“How are you feeling?” Mika asked, fiddling with her spoon. Reporting Crystal this morning had been as easy as filing a report. Now they had to wait and see what the school board would do.
“Other than tired, I’m doing great thanks to that tonic or whatever it was Ethan gave me.” Audrey gave her a pointed look. “I’ll be even better when I finish this energy drink.”
“I have no idea how you can drink that crap this early in the morning,” Mika muttered, sipping at her coffee.
They’d gone to bed late so they were both cranky. Mika had managed to refrain from saying ‘I told you so’ though, so she was counting that
as a personal win.
Malachi had hovered after carrying Audrey home, making sure she was tucked into bed and that the potion Ethan had given her worked. Mika had to give him props for not once hitting on her or flirting with her while he took care of Audrey.
Those two were actual friends who seemed closer than Mika had originally thought. Watching them had been like looking into an alternate world – but she assumed the fall semester was when they’d gotten close.
The captain of the Morgana Marauders was actually as nice as he seemed – a man who you could always count on, who would always have your back, and who would always drop everything to help his friends out – to help out anyone who was in a less advantageous situation.
Malachi would be a superhero if there was such a thing.
Then he’d sat there in the overstuffed velvet chair next to Audrey’s bed until she’d fallen asleep.
Mika took a bite of oatmeal as she remembered that hushed conversation with him while her friend snored.
The jock knew about the issues with the natural born witches versus the human ones and that was why he’d befriended Audrey at the beginning of her freshman year despite him being two years older.
Mika hadn’t said anything to that, but she was impressed and also…touched.
There were some good guys still out there. It was just that it never felt like there were enough of them.
The sun poked through the clouds and Mika looked up at the glass ceiling as the sunlight filled the room. Maybe it wouldn’t be a gloomy day after all.
“Could you tell Ethan thank you?” Audrey said for the hundredth time. She drained her energy drink and set the can on the table with a clink. “That potion did some serious magic on me.”
Mika nodded, not bothering to remind Audrey she’d already thanked Ethan about a dozen times in person the night before.
She flushed remembering the way he’d stuck around after giving Audrey the potion. Mika had been too flustered to tell him to leave, or to kick out Malachi – especially when that one hadn’t been there for Mika.
But Ethan saw too much. Even from day one he’d seen right through her. There was something about him that was just…perceptive as hell.
One look at Malachi and Ethan had given her a smirk.
Mika had no feelings for the captain, but she would never deny she was attracted to him.
Sighing, she drained her coffee and poured more from the French press that always stayed hot thanks to the enchantment on the silver.
Ethan had kissed her goodnight once Audrey had felt normal again and had left Oleander House – giving her the space she hadn’t even realized she’d needed. It never ceased to surprise her how attuned Ethan was to her.
He hadn’t deserved what she’d said to him at the party.
She knew she was a fucking mess. Mika spent most of her time and energy dealing with all the shit that had fallen into her lap three years ago. Finding a little extra to be pleasant to people was…exhausting.
So most of the time she didn’t even bother.
But for Ethan…he deserved an apology, and for her to try harder.
“Are you ready for tryouts?” Audrey asked, finishing her burrito. The other witch eyed the bone bracelet still on Mika’s hand suspiciously. “You’re not going to back out of the deal are you?”
Mika shook her head. “I never go back on my word.”
It still was the worst idea ever. If someone ended up hurt or dead…that would be on her – not Audrey.
“So…are you as excited as I am?” Audrey tapped the stone table over and over, adjusting the gear she’d bought last semester.
Mika just wore the outfit she wore to her hunter class since she hadn’t had time to buy anything. It wasn’t as protective, but that was fine. Audrey had spelled it with the same shit that was in the normal gear. But Mika wasn’t actually worried about getting hurt.
Audrey wanted to try out as a matching set. They were going to work as a team during tryouts.
Ironically Audrey had been the first one up after all that had happened the night before, making Mika get dressed so they could practice strategies as a duo.
It was only nine in the morning and she’d been up for hours.
She should have just pulled an all-nighter – can’t wake up tired if she never slept to begin with.
“I can see you’re so excited you can barely contain it,” Audrey said sarcastically. “Come on; let’s get over to the stadium. It’s going to be crowded and I don’t want to be late.”
“That many people huh?” Mika asked as she grabbed her dishes.
“Since this is the first time this year’s freshman students have had a chance to try out, uh yeah. Everyone and their mom is going to be there,” Audrey snorted. She followed after Mika with the French press and her empty plate.
Great, so practically the entire school was going to show up – and then whoever wanted to just watch since anyone could cheer on the intended hopefuls.
They would all be watching Mika and if she accidentally fucked up…
It would be fine. She was working with Audrey and that would help. Then her gear covered her from her neck down. Fingerless gloves would make it easier to cast magic while limiting the amount of skin exposed.
Mika washed her dishes and tried to convince herself this was going to be okay. It wasn’t going to go badly even though every tiny thing that could go wrong played in her head like a morbid picture wheel slathered in blood.
They went up to their room in silence. For once Audrey didn’t try to fill it with her chatter. She must be nervous as well then. Mika couldn’t remember the last time her dorm mate hadn’t talked just to talk.
Pushing open their door, Mika stopped dead when she saw who was standing in their room.
This day just kept getting better and better.
24
How the hell had he even gotten into their bedroom?
The fox was eyeing the makeup on their vanity, hands clasped behind his back.
“What are you doing here, Hunter?” Mika demanded.
Audrey shoved past Mika so she could see what was going on.
“I told you I’d be by,” he reminded her. “You should lock your windows.”
“It’s the third floor,” she snapped.
He just gave her a look that said ‘I got in here, didn’t I?’ and Mika wanted to rake it off his face with her nails.
“Definitely locking the window now,” Audrey muttered, crossing the room to her armoire. “I do not want to wake up with you hovering over me.”
“Kenzie, Selene, Finnick, and Ash are getting coffee and donuts,” Hunter said, ignoring Audrey’s whispered jab. “They’ll meet us at the stadium. I came here first to give you these.”
That’s when Mika noticed the stack of books on the vanity. They looked pretty new considering.
“What are those?” Mika asked, going to her armoire to find what she needed.
“Books on anything I thought you could use,” Hunter said quietly, watching as she grabbed her gloves and coat, eyes zeroing in on the bone bracelet she wore. “Something happened last night.”
Audrey stared at him in disbelief. “How could you possibly know that?”
“Foxes can sense pain,” Mika murmured, remembering what Hunter had told her. “It’s none of your business, Hunter. No one died.”
He smirked at that. “Unfortunate, but seeing as how death bothers you I’m grateful for your sake.”
Death didn’t really bother her, but when it was an innocent?
Mika contemplated that thought for a second and then yanked on her coat.
“I got you books on blood magic, on the university itself that not even the original University of Morgana possesses – since it was established before witches were neutral and they don’t like remembering that – books on battle magic no longer in circulation, and then just one that I found concerning magical blocks.”
Her scarf slipped from her fingers and Mika just gaped a
t Hunter. “I don’t understand.”
The way he shrugged like it was no big deal grated on her nerves. “Before witches were in charge of the lore and the archives, foxes were. There is a lot in our libraries that witches purged or tried to hide. But the fox libraries are hidden and protected. Don’t worry; these are copies and gifts from me to you. I advise that you enchant the covers like you did on the others though.”
Just like that he slipped his hands in his pockets and walked toward the door – not the window, thank the Fates.
“Wait…what?” For some reason Mika couldn’t process his words.
Hunter stopped and looked at her over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised. “It was a long time ago.”
There was so much in his simple statement that Mika couldn’t unpack at the moment. She shook her head and decided she’d have to ask him a thousand questions later. Wrapping her scarf around her neck she fell into step beside Audrey and picked up her pace.
Mika didn’t want to be late.
“So why bring books on the university?” Audrey asked. “Is there something about this place they don’t want us to know about?”
“There’s always something,” Hunter said, taking the stairs two at a time just ahead of them. “It would be best to know what that something is if you’re going to be living here for five years and hiding your specialty from them.”
Mika really didn’t like the sound of that.
As if she didn’t have enough homework, there were all those books too.
“Did you find anything useful on the other stuff?” Audrey asked carefully, linking her arm in Mika’s.
Hunter eyed the empty common rooms on the bottom floor and then opened the main door for them. “I did.”
Audrey rolled her eyes and Mika was tempted to do the same. Why did Hunter have to drag everything out all the time?
“So?” the other witch asked. “What did you find?”
“There have been specialties in this before,” Hunter said carefully, looking around to make sure no one could overhear them.
