Basics of Spellcraft (Ember Academy for Young Witches Book 1)

by L. C. Mawson

“I look forward to it too.”

  Her smile widened once more. “Well, I should get going. I’ll be making you late for dinner. See you later?”

  “Yeah, I’ll see you.”

  She turned and left as I headed back to grab my handbag and head downstairs for food.

  I ARRIVED AT THE DINING hall to see Natalie, Charlotte, and Lena grabbing some paella, and I eagerly joined them.

  “Hi,” Natalie said as I approached. “How was your afternoon?”

  I gave a sheepish shrug before grabbing a plate and making myself a hefty portion of the vegetarian bowl. “It was okay. Though I might have gotten bored and decided to see if I could join in on the magical classes. I mean, if I’m older than everyone else just starting out, shouldn’t I try to get ahead?”

  “How did it go?”

  I sighed. “I ran into Mr Stiles before I could get anywhere and... Well, he kind of weirded me out, so I didn’t want to ask him.”

  Natalie frowned. “Weirded you out? How? He seemed nice in History of Magic this afternoon.”

  I shrugged once more as I grabbed a glass before we headed to a table. “I’m not sure. I just felt... It was like a chill down my spine.”

  Charlotte gave me a sympathetic look. “That will likely pass once you come into your magic. He’s a Demon, and a powerful one at that. It’s probably just an instinctual reaction.”

  Lena frowned at me as we sat down at the table. “But you said that you met Caroline Raven?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Well, she’s a Demon, and a powerful one. She used to be Lady Caroline of House Raven before she was exiled, along with Queen Persephone and her brothers.”

  “Yeah, you said she was exiled before. Do you know why?”

  Lena smirked. “She was involved in an anarchist group trying to take down the monarchy, and apparently Queen Persephone and her younger brother, Lord Gregor, knew and were also in on it from the inside.”

  “So... Why would my auntie be friends with her? And why...” I stopped myself before I blurted out that she had suggested that I go to the Underworld for protection. That would lead to questions about why I needed protection. “She didn’t seem to hate the Underworld.”

  Lena’s smirk only widened. “I think the real question is why was she only exiled and not executed for treason.”

  I shrugged. “Okay, so why is that?”

  Charlotte sighed. “It’s just a conspiracy theory, and one that Lena shouldn’t be feeding you when you’re still new to magic. The more important point I think she was originally trying to make was that if Mr Stiles is unsettling you, Caroline probably should have unsettled you as well.”

  I frowned at my food as I stabbed my fork into it, pushing the rice from side to side. It wasn’t as if I was thinking clearly when I met Caroline, so maybe she would have had this effect on me.

  But I didn’t want to tell my new friends that.

  “I only saw her briefly, and she was mostly there to talk to my auntie. I don’t think there was time for me to be unsettled.”

  “Then you probably were just unsettled by him being a Demon. Like I said, it will pass when you come into your magic.”

  I nodded, though I wasn’t sure that I bought the explanation.

  “So,” Natalie said, thankfully changing the subject, “what did you do for the rest of the afternoon?”

  I shrugged, not wanting to admit that I’d been slacking off, but also not wanting to add more lies to the necessary ones. “I was playing Civ.”

  Natalie gave a small smile. “You like Civ? Me too. I’ll add you on Steam and we can play multiplayer some time.”

  I smiled. “Yeah, I’d like that.” I shrugged. “I actually might have forgotten to come down to eat, but Ms Maltere stopped by my room. She’d seen me approaching her class and wanted to ask why. I told her about getting a head start on my studies, and she gave me a book and suggested I get a study partner to go over it with.”

  “I’d be happy to help, if you want,” Natalie said. “I was supposed to have Potions all afternoon tomorrow, but we’re working on individual projects and I need a full week for my ingredients to dry, so I have a free lesson. I could go with you to the library and help you out.”

  “Yeah, that sounds great.”

  Chapter Nine

  I clambered over the broken branches and rocks littering the forest floor, propelling myself from tree to tree with my arms, trying to get there as quick as I could.

  I had no idea where ‘there’ was, I just knew that I had to get there before...

  Before it was too late.

  I eventually stumbled out of the trees and into a clearing, only to see Natalie standing in the middle, wearing a white dress that almost glowed in the white moonlight.

  “Natalie!” I yelled as I saw a shadowy figure behind her, but I was too late.

  A sword burst from her chest, and red blossomed out over the white of her dress until she was dripping with crimson.

  I ran over as she dropped to the ground, and the shadowy figure disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a silver pin with the school badge on it.

  Just like the teachers wore.

  “Natalie...” I managed as I kneeled down next to her, willing her to wake up.

  But she didn’t so much as stir.

  “Amy.”

  I glanced up at the familiar voice to see a pale woman looking at me, with wild green eyes and jet-black hair.

  “You have to wake up, Amy.”

  I BOLTED UPRIGHT IN my bed, the disturbing dream refusing to leave my thoughts.

  I grabbed the blanket from the foot of my bed and wrapped it tight around me before taking my phone and checking the time.

  Half five.

  Well, I knew I wasn’t going to get back to sleep, so I risked texting my auntie.

  She probably wouldn’t be up, but...

  Well, I wanted to talk to someone.

  You up?

  Thankfully, she responded almost instantaneously.

  Yeah. Need to come over?

  Yes.

  I’ll put the kettle on.

  I didn’t bother getting changed out of my pyjamas, instead just putting on my boots and long black duffle coat before heading out to her house, my phone still in my hand.

  I made my way there in just a few minutes, and as soon as my auntie opened the door, she wrapped her arms around me.

  Shit, how bad did I look?

  “Bad dreams?”

  I just nodded.

  “Come on in.” She closed the door behind me as I headed through to the kitchen. “Do you want something to help you get back to sleep?”

  “There’s no point. I need to be up for classes in a few hours.”

  “You could call in sick this morning. Gail would understand.”

  I shook my head. “I get nightmares all the time. I’ll be fine.”

  “I know, but... Amy, you should give yourself some time. After the attack, and what happened with your mum, no one’s expecting you to be okay right now.”

  “I’m expecting it. And I don’t want to fall behind.”

  “If you do, you don’t have to do your exams right away. You can delay a year and do your ASs and A-Levels at the same time.”

  I frowned. “That would be double the work.”

  “Or you could take a year to focus on your magic.”

  “And go to university a year older than everyone else?”

  Auntie Jess shrugged as she went over to the kettle and the two mugs next to it. “Just think of it as having a gap year. Plenty of students have them.”

  I folded my arms tight across my chest. The idea of waiting an extra year for university did not sit well with me.

  “I’m just saying, you shouldn’t feel pressured, Amy. You have other options.”

  I nodded, but it was mostly to get off the topic, not because I believed her.

  Auntie Jess sighed and I got the impression that she knew that. “So, what will it be? Something to sleep or coff
ee?”

  “Coffee.”

  She nodded before getting out the jar of instant. “So, do you want to talk about your nightmare?”

  “I... Not really. But I think I have to. It’s like Gail said when I came here, I’ve been dreaming of things that I’ve noticed but been ignoring. I saw Natalie being attacked by a shadowy figure. I couldn’t make them out, but they had a teacher’s pin.”

  Auntie Jess frowned. “Natalie?”

  “One of my new friends.”

  She nodded. “Well, if you saw her being hurt by a teacher... That’s not good. Did you see anything else to identify them?”

  “No, but...”

  Auntie Jess passed me my coffee, waiting patiently for me to finish.

  “I ran into Mr Stiles today. And I don’t know what it was, but... He felt weird.”

  “He probably felt like a Demon, and given the last time you saw Demons...”

  “The last time I saw a Demon, it was Caroline, and I didn’t have this reaction to her.”

  Auntie Jess nodded. “All right. I’ll go and talk to Gail about him. See where he came from.”

  I stared at her. “You believe me?”

  “I believe that you’re perceptive, Amy. And no small part of that is your magic. You might not always know what to do with what you perceive, and so end up ignoring it, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t see it. I’m not about to get Mr Stiles locked away for potentially hurting a student, but I don’t see the harm in asking some questions.”

  I smiled with relief. I’d expected her to tell me that I was imagining things. “And there was something else. When I was talking to him, I saw something. His appearance changed.”

  “Well, that I was aware of. He wears a glamour. It’s impressive that you saw through it, though. It’s a strong one. Strong enough that most magical beings would have to strain to see past it.”

  “So, everyone already knows?”

  “Most of the teachers can sense it. I’m not sure about the students, though.”

  “And you’re not worried that he’s hiding his appearance?”

  “Well, it’s not uncommon. And it’s rude to peer through a glamour that strong. They’re usually for covering up scars bad enough to resist healing magic.”

  “His just seemed to change his hair colour. He had a white streak. And he had a tattoo on his wrist.”

  Auntie Jess smiled. “Then I don’t think you have anything to worry about. His hair was likely just to look more professional. I know I thought about glamouring mine for this job. And the tattoo is how Demons show their marriages. Some do glamour them just for privacy. They can sometimes be used to identify exactly who they’re married to.”

  “So, that’s normal?”

  “Pretty normal, yeah. But don’t worry, I’ll still ask Gail about him.” She took a sip of her coffee as she regarded me carefully. “Was there anything else?”

  “Yes. In the dream, after Natalie was hurt, I looked up to see a pale woman with dark hair and wild green eyes. She told me to wake up.”

  “Was she tall? Built like a brick house?”

  “Yeah. I think her biceps were the size of my thighs.”

  Auntie Jess gave a bittersweet smile. “It’s just a sign that you’re fighting the block.”

  “Who is she? Do I know her?”

  “I can’t tell you. Not without risking weakening the block.”

  “Would that really be so bad? Wouldn’t I come into my magic faster if you did?”

  “No. I talked to Gail about it, and she thinks it’s a bad idea to try to weaken the block. The best course of action is to let you gently chip away at it yourself. If you try to force it, it could have nasty consequences.”

  I nodded, but I wasn’t exactly happy with the answer.

  Chapter Ten

  I had History again first lesson, and I was determined to pay attention this time.

  I’d had a filling breakfast and I had a glass of apple juice with me, along with my tablet and keyboard.

  Only, instead of the teacher from yesterday, Mr Stiles entered the room.

  “Hello everyone,” he said with a smile as he walked up to the front of the class. “Most of you will recognise me from your History of Magic classes, but for those of you who don’t, I’m Mr Stiles. I’ll be filling in for Ms Wilson today.”

  He looked around the room. “Now, I’m going to be tying the lesson into some magical history for those of you who want to brush up on both. Mostly because I don’t know why you would keep it all separate in the first place. Specifically, I’ll be relating any dates to which Demon monarch was on the throne at the time. So, to get us started,” he turned to me, “Amelia, I know you’re new, so we’ll keep this simple, and don’t feel bad if you can’t answer. Who is the current Demon monarch?”

  “Um, it’s Queen...” I frowned. Lena had mentioned this yesterday, I was sure. Had she mentioned the Queen’s name?

  Mr Stiles smiled. “That’s a good start. You’re right, the current monarch is a Queen.” He turned to the rest of the room. “Can anyone else tell me her name?”

  I flushed red at my inability to answer the simple question. If Mr Stiles thought that he was being nice by loudly pointing out my inexperience to the room, he was dead wrong. It felt more like condescension that everyone was witness to.

  “Yes, Victoria.”

  I cringed. I hadn’t even realised that she was in my History class.

  “Everyone knows that the current Demon monarch is Queen Freya.”

  I wanted to punch her smug face for her biting tone, but I was distracted by another headache.

  It felt like someone had hit me square between the eyes with a mallet.

  I took my paracetamol from my bag before focusing on the rest of the lesson, determined not to miss anything this time.

  I FOUND THE OTHERS at the library at break, sitting in the corner on a selection on comfy chairs.

  “Amelia,” Natalie greeted with a smile as I approached. “How has your morning been?”

  I sighed as I sat down next to her. “Mr Stiles replaced my History teacher this morning and was asking questions about magic. He asked me questions...”

  “That you couldn’t answer?”

  I nodded.

  Natalie placed her hand on my arm and I almost jumped at the move, though I didn’t object to it.

  No, I was just surprised.

  Surprised and startled, as her touch brought back memories of my dream.

  Of her dying in my arms.

  Natalie smiled once more. “Meet me here again this afternoon. We can go over whatever it is that you need to brush up on.”

  I nodded, having almost forgotten about our arrangement. “Okay. I’ll be there.”

  Chapter Eleven

  After lunch, I headed to my room to grab the book Ms Maltere had given me before heading back down to the library.

  I found Natalie already there, sitting in the same corner as she had at break, already reading. Though it wasn’t a textbook she had in her hands, it was a thick fantasy book.

  One that I recognised.

  “Which bit are you up to?” I asked as I approached.

  Natalie’s gaze flickered up to me before she closed the book. “The part where the Prince realises that he’s a Prince. I’ve read it before, though. Have you?”

  “Yes. Well... I’ve listened to the audiobook.”

  “That still counts,” she assured me as I sat down next to her.

  I smiled. “Thick fantasy books aren’t always easy to pay attention to. And my attention wanders. But I promise, I have every intention of paying attention here. You don’t need to worry.”

  “I wasn’t worried.”

  I failed to stifle a nervous laugh as I placed my book on the table in front of us, but then I cleared my throat, determined to focus. “This is the book Ms Maltere gave me.”

  Natalie frowned at it as she examined the cover before opening the first few pages and reading through. “Really? T
his book?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “Because this is an original Maria Brown text.”

  My blood chilled as I recognised the name.

  The ancient Witch who had escaped her tomb and sent those Demons after me.

  The Demons who had cursed my mother.

  Natalie continued, apparently oblivious to my thoughts. “Look,” she pointed to a page in the front of the book, “there’s no editor listed.”

  “And there usually is?”

  “For Maria Brown’s books? Always. She’s considered the mother of modern spellcraft, but... Well, some of her approaches aren’t considered acceptable teaching material. The books they give us are always edited. I suppose Ms Maltere disagrees with that practice. Some Witches do – they don’t think it’s right to censor things when you can teach them in context – but I didn’t think anyone in the school would risk it.”

  “Are you still okay to read it with me?”

  She hesitated for a moment, but then shrugged. “Well, you were given it by a teacher. Just don’t let anyone else know that you have it.”

  I nodded.

  “And we probably don’t want to start here today.”

  I frowned. If this book was written by Maria Brown, it might have a hint to the curse she’d put my mum under.

  But I couldn’t tell Natalie that.

  “I’m assuming Mr Stiles wasn’t asking about Maria Brown when you were tripped up this morning.”

  I sighed, having to admit that she was right. “No, he wasn’t. He asked who the Demon monarch was.”

  “Then we should start with the magical hierarchies.”

  “But then we can go back to the book?”

  She nodded. “Of course. I’m actually curious to read it myself. But you wanted to avoid being caught out again.”

  I took the book and reluctantly placed it back in my bag. “Okay, so... Magical hierarchies?”

  She leaned over to her own bag and brought out a pad of A4 paper. She turned it on its side before drawing a circle at the very top of the page, in the centre.

  “It’s probably best to start at the top and work our way down. So, at the very top, you’ve got the Creator.” She wrote ‘Creator’ in the circle she’d drawn.