Bewitched: A Paranormal Academy Romance

by Victoria Mercier

  “I may have a family here.”

  Ryder’s expression was hilarious. He snorted then his brain started figuring out why would a Moonless had a relative in the academy.

  “How?” he whispered after he took me aside.

  I almost told him. But I decided that a little mystery would make things more interesting. He didn’t press the matter, looking neither disappointed nor angry. He realized me and I joined the girls. One of the men put an oily drop on the inner side of my wrist.

  “It’s a Kin Revealer. If you’re about to … with your brother. It will tell you.”

  The men snickered, leaving a bad impression. Ryder for a change stood watching us, solemn and quiet. Stepping through the shimmering veil was the weirdest experience in my life. It felt as if something slimy covered my body. It lasted only a single second and once we stepped over to the other side our bodies were completely clean and free. Except our faces. These were hidden by white porcelain masks with different designs. I was about to say that it still didn’t guarantee total anonymity when the designs suddenly changed!

  “Holly molly!” Eureka shouted. “Shape-changing masks. I freaking wish I could be a Dominant Mage.”

  “Yeah,” Ava sighed enlivened. “These require more than a Dominant Mage.”

  More than a Dominant Mage? What was that supposed to mean?

  “By the way … why do I recognize your voices?”

  “It must be a companion rule,” Ashley said quietly. “Balls and parties conducted incognito require to ascertain that companions can recognize each other.”

  “Nice!” Eureka whispered. Behind us, more people crossed the veil and streamed forward not leaving a single glance on us. It made sense. I was no longer a red-headed freak to them. It seemed the color of our hair was also mixed up.

  “So, is the rumor true?” Ava asked. “You and the Goldfury brothers.”

  “Yes, tell us spicy details!” Eureka added enthusiastically. I gaped at them, which they couldn’t see. This was a question I knew was brewing in the air since we encountered Ryder in the atrium. What could I tell them? There were no spicy details to reveal.

  “It’s rather complex.”

  Although I couldn’t smell them or see their faces, I knew they were disappointed by my answer. Ava had her feet on the ground and urged us to move on. She was clearly curious about it. I didn’t blame her as I guessed that most of the girls in the academy were obsessed with the Goldfury brothers.

  The corridor had some decorations, flowers that looked like a bunch of grapes, but instead of fruits, the purple flowers were like miniature roses. These and other flowers were surrounded by shredded sheets painted in wild iridescent colors. A soft shimmering that came out of them must have been a work of magic. I’ve never heard of a shimmering material. Ava noticed my gaze and said, “Roses from Teravail as for the shimmering sheets … I see them for the first time,” Ava admitted surprised by her own unfamiliarity with the fancy stuff.

  “They’re called the Tears of the Sunfirst Trees,” Ashley chimed in with much more confidence than I’d seen from her before. She then started to weave a story about the ancient shifters battling the Sun Tribes. Legendary people who stood in opposition to shifters. I’d never heard about this. It looked like Ava and Eureka knew nothing as well.

  “I like books…” Ashley whispered in a way of explanation and her voice returned to her shy, fearful self. The girl needed a backbone.

  We left the hall and entered the banquet chamber. This place was totally awesome. So much food that the tables looked about to give in. Colorful fountains splashed wines instead of water. Pyramids made of blocks of chocolate reminded me of my childhood dreams and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book my father had read to me until I started demanding those fancy sweet inventions. Multiple chandeliers lit the room and still many recesses and alcoves remained bathed in shadow. This chamber wasn’t the only one. There were a couple of exits from the room and students—who looked alike to my naked eye—streamed in and out of them. This Bewitching Ball was a place of wonders but my mind soon lost interest in all of this. Somewhere here is Gabriel. I had a vivid mind and it conjured stupid vision, although the one vision I needed now the most remained elusive. I remembered that this night would change my life forever. But how? What would happen? This I didn’t know. Eureka darted toward the food so colorful it had to be magically enhanced. Ashley stayed by our side until she shied away as well. Where? I couldn’t say. Ava remained with me but I wasn’t in a state of mind to ask her why she wasn’t devouring those delicious-looking pastry or that juicy slices of ham. My thoughts tunneled toward Gabriel.

  How am I supposed to find him here? Every guy in the room looked alike, sharp tuxedo, large, dominating. Goldfury brothers are larger than other male shifters. I just need to focus on the size. It was easier said than done. The lights of the chandeliers messed up with my eyes and I couldn’t gauge physical attributes. Having no aim, I let the throng of students guide me around. Ava kept close until a shifter took her away for a dance. She had no time to scream. So there is a dance floor. I followed them into another room and found a soft beat that struck a chord inside me. Lovely but I don’t know how to dance. I turned away from them and got to the closest wine-flushing fountain. The wine had a color of golden apples mixed with fresh raspberries. And it tasted even better.

  “Be careful with that,” a male shifter said. I sniffed instinctively hoping and forgetting that our scents were magically changed. The guy noticed it and chuckled. Ryder? My eyes widened.

  “Who are you?”

  “Woah. Calm down, girl,” he replied, lifting a glass of wine. “This party is all about secrets.” This must be Ryder! He followed me. Now. Do as he says and calm down. Do not tickle his confidence.

  We emptied our glasses. The taste of the wine took me to surreal places, where golden autumns -smelled of harvest and the delicate warmth of the sun caressed my skin. I’ve never experienced such a wonder, although Edna had spoken of days spent on Shifter Island. They’ve left in my head and now the wine brought it to the surface.

  “Of course, silly me.” I turned away from him. If he was Ryder, he’d go after me. I managed to take two steps when another shifter appeared in front of me and without asking, got me off the floor and whispered.

  “Let’s go dancing.”

  I panicked. Not being able to dance, I was about to make an idiot out of myself. Sure, no one would know my identity but still…

  Suddenly, a force tore me out of the guy’s arms and I was caught before the floor met me.

  “Piss off.”

  The thrown shifter rose to his feet, his growls rumbled warningly. But before he made a mistake, two other shifters appeared by his side and escorted him away. So I was right!

  “Ryder,” I whispered.

  His nod was almost unperceivable.

  “What was that?”

  He shrugged, not offering me an explanation.

  “What gave me away?”

  “A secret.”

  “Ach.”

  We approached a table with wild and messed up-looking fruits. Ryder grabbed something resembling a walnut and ate it with a snap. Maybe it was a walnut? The magical masks allowed us to eat and drink without getting them off. I was against magic but its usefulness had never been more apparent.

  At least until later this night when my life took a turn toward the dangerous but beautiful future. But for now, I allowed myself to indulge in food, wine, and a good laugh.

  Chapter 22

  Too much wine was bad for you. Did you know? I didn’t know. My mind spun, with it spun the world. At that moment I hated wine. On the bright side, the ball turned out amazing. Ryder was such a great companion. Always ready with a quip and always at ease. Eureka and Ashley found us somehow later on. Ava went wild. Eureka joked that Ava had gone to taste stuff. Ryder laughed at this. He and Eureka commented on everything from food to decoration. He revealed that alpha king had been involved in the preparat
ion of the Bewitching Ball this year. It rarely happened as his father had a busy life schedule and ignored matters of the academy unless he had no choice but to attend a ceremony or something.

  We’d moved between rooms, all full of students, each time we’d stepped into a new one, I’ve felt my head grew a little bit heavier. The iridescent colors swam between my eyes. Ashley was caught by a historical dispute! And we lost her shortly after. All these people … it was getting hotter. Too hot. I need to find a way outside. There was a roof garden. Girls had mentioned it at some point. Not thinking straight, I simply left Eureka and Ryder. I meant to tell them, but the decision was made on the spur of the moment. My wolf howled, overwhelmed by all these shifters—she demanded to leave now. These chambers held more shifters, and many of them were alpha heirs, than I’d seen in my life.

  I remembered asking for a way to the garden. Some shifters were nice and helpful, others much drunker than me and barely responsive. Eventually, I reached a door opening into the roof garden.

  Closed … are you joking me? Finding another way out was out of the question. I stood only because I was too stubborn to give up. But there were limits to everything. Why is this happening to me? I thought as the stream of students dragged me away from the door. By chance or by fate’s dictation, I glanced back and noticed a man opening the freaking door! He wasn’t alone, although his companions didn’t enter with him. My first thoughts pictured Gabriel. Didn’t he have a hand in organizing the ball? Where is that bastard anyway? My thoughts resembled a drunken slur. I circled, getting back to the door where the large fellas asked me to fuck off. A fair warning and a chance to leave, which I didn’t take. Instead, I backed off, finding a bowl with powder sugar or something along the lines. As I returned my genius plan warped the space and time around. All I had to do was a distraction. One thing I didn’t take into account was me. They noticed me walking with a bowl of powder way before I reached them. Other shifters pointed their fingers and laughed. Being suddenly in the center of attention worked against my plan.

  “You! Stay back!”

  I meant to give him a witty answer, instead, I threw the bowl of powder at them. Too bad that one of the guys guarding the door was a Dominant Mage and he redirected the bowl to the side. Well … it caught a fair number of shifters who surged at the mage. I was short and nimble and stumbled out of the mess. The brawl started, dragging all the four guards into it. The incident sobered me up but taking a breath of fresh air was a must. I slipped outside, giggling like a child.

  My wolf almost got out so delicious was the fresh night air. I closed my eyes letting the breeze caress my skin. My red dress didn’t afford much in terms of thermal protection. I didn’t know how I’d convinced myself to wear it but I loved it.

  I didn’t notice the pressure of moons until I got to the center of the roof garden if I could call it a garden at all. Where the palace garden had well-maintained straight paths, those here snaked around boulders and trees and were made of many smaller flat stones. Trees and bushes grew without reason and rhythm. But my wolf instincts told me there was a deeper pattern to this place. I just couldn’t see it.

  A four-meter-tall waterfall brought me to a halt. Did opulence dictate someone to build a waterfall in the middle of a town at the academy’s roof? It barraged into a pond that grew smooth at its edges. Moons reflected in its surface acquired different hues and their shapes were distorted by a violent drop of water. One of the banks was higher as two massive flat stones pointed softly upwards. I climbed there hoping to see above the bushes and trees that surrounded the pond and the waterfall. But to my disappointment, I found the trees block most of the view. Only that hateful palace stood high at the hill’s top. I sat down on the edge and sighed. I got myself into a mess, father. Being hated, I can deal with that. But those freaking visions? And the Goldfury brothers… When the next time I meet Gabriel I’ll give him my answer. I wish—

  A sound behind me.

  I shot to my feet which in my state was a recipe for a disaster. I lost my balance immediately upon standing and fell forward … or I’d fall if not for an arm that snaked around my waist with astounding speed.

  “This place is off the limits.” I heard a voice say from behind. It was changed like everyone else’s. It may be Gabriel…

  “Yeah? Then what are you doing here?”

  He gently moved me away from the edge and only then released. I gasped, which he didn’t miss, at his sight. This must be Gabriel. He was larger than other shifters at the ball. His tuxedo seemed an inch from being shredding to pieces by the sheer awesomeness of his muscles.

  And it didn’t cover his description by half. His eyes reflected moonlight and I couldn’t pull my gaze away from them anymore. My body stopped responding to my commands. My wolf trashed and wailed, trapped inside me.

  We stood apart but staring at each other with the dangerous intensity of two lovers found after centuries of separation.

  “This is wrong.” His words were a whisper in the breeze. And for the first time, I sensed his wolf, powerful and … shocked. He couldn’t get his eyes off me too. His long fingers traced invisible lines alongside my forearm. I could not stop the shivers that broke free and sped up from my forearm to the rest of my body. If not for my clamped mouth, I’d let out moans. At that time, I didn’t care. My brain had gone haywire. We stood there, frozen in time, sculpted by the wind and moonlight, in the middle of the forbidden garden. What could go wrong?

  We kissed.

  The masks weren’t only shapeshifting and allowing us to eat and drink. Their lower sides puffed in clouds of white smoke. When his mouth touched mine… The world broke apart. At the back of my head, many threads of my future died and new ones were born. My universe shrunk until it encompassed the two of us. Nothing mattered anymore.

  If he was Gabriel, which I believed he was, then our clans would have to forgive us. I’d never let go of this man. What am I doing? I foolishly asked myself as something burned in my soul. I drunk his lips like the sweetest nectar on Earth and beyond. In his arms, problems ceased to matter, ceased to exist. He gasped as the same burning sensation bloomed in his soul, which for some twisted reason I felt too. He didn’t struggle but the pure shock was evident in his eyes.

  When the burning vanished, a distant rhythm reached us. Where it came from? Music so beautiful it made me weep. Our fingers played the beat on each other bodies, each tap sending agonizing pleasure into our cores. Was this love? It couldn’t be. I couldn’t fall in love with a masked man. Love didn’t work this way, right? So, why do I feel like I can and should trust him with my life?

  Our lips parted leaving a sense of longing. It was so strong it almost made me weep. I moved, involuntary, forward to seal our lips again but the stranger turned his face away! I felt no physical pain, but my soul screamed with rage. How. Did. He. Dare?! Two monstrous feelings crashed inside me. One wished to just claim him, here and now, the second one was ready to tear him apart if he left me like this.

  He let go of me, my hands fell off as well. Feeling the overpowering anger, I sniffed and turned away. I heard him walk to the edge of the massive boulder.

  “This is a mistake.”

  His words had so much strength that my body froze in the invisible grasp. He had me. Tears appeared, he didn’t see them. I couldn’t show my weakness to any other shifter. The feeling of apparent trust persisted, telling me I should be honest with this stranger. My gut feelings were always on point, I could rely on them, but today, I just couldn’t do it.

  “I agree,” I said against myself, feeling ill from uttering those two words. But I said them, I had to. Only being on equal footing provided some measure of control which I badly needed.

  I didn’t hear his gasp as an alien sensation stole my attention. A beautiful star entwined with vines appeared on my palm. It was painless but so strange that my mind crept close to blacking out. I heard his grunt and footsteps fading away. No point stopping him now.

  Only the
sound of the waterfall remained with me. For the first time since arriving in the town, I felt truly alone.

  Chapter 23

  If my mind had been in the right state, I’d have remembered that my mysterious kisser had arrived with bodyguards. All I’d have to do was to spy on them. But no, my brain was like a frozen pulp about to shatter into a million pieces. I slipped out of the garden and found four unmasked shifters cleaning up the mess. They were older and didn’t use magic. My arrival didn’t disturb them but they asked me to leave so they can tidy up the room. On my way out, I heard them complain about the person who had caused this mess. I believed they were talking about me, but no, they dropped a name which I misheard as the clamor from another room drowned all other sounds. I’d certainly return to ask about the culprit but more guards were posted by the door and upon my arrival, they told me to go away.

  I did so. Why should I care about the stranger? Because I had a mysterious mark on my palm? Because his kisses melted everything inside me? Were these good reasons? Maybe for a sane person. At that moment, I was propelled by madness. I got to the stand with wine and began my fall into oblivion. Or perhaps, it wasn’t madness but stupidity that pushed me beyond the point of caring. The wine had that amazing ability to make your feelings go away. I liked it when I kissed random strangers, tore my dress, and was called a slut by an angry female shifter. I totally didn’t care. At least, until the next day.

  The morning was the worst. Someone installed a pneumatic hammer in my head and left it on. The slightest motion hurt as if seven hells merged and decided to get revenge on me for not being bad enough. With the end of the day came a question. How the hell did I get into a bed? I didn’t want to ponder more dire complications of this fact but they hid at the periphery of my mind. Did I bed someone? I hoped not. It’d be an utter disaster.