She halted her steps but didn’t turn around to face me. “Why would anyone have a vendetta against us? It’s our magic that’s made our realms safe, peaceful, and fruitful. We have the respect of all supernaturals.”
“There’s darkness in every form of life. Don’t think for a moment that every supernatural is full of light and goodwill.”
She turned back to look my way, rolling her eyes. “Even dark practitioners hold us in high esteem. The only threat we face is from humans. They tried to wipe us out centuries ago. Don’t allow them to do it again.”
“But what if I’m right, Emma? Can’t you consider that possibility, even for a moment?”
Her eyes trailed up and down my body once again, then they narrowed on my face. “Show me proof and I’ll consider it. Until then, stay away from the human realm. Oh, and one last thing. If anything happens to Rose or Natasha, you can be sure I will make sure you pay for it.”
7
The only light in my room was from the full moon outside my window. I sat in my chair with my cheek resting on my bent knees. I’d failed Rose and Natasha. I’d exhausted every spell I could find and none brought me any closer to locating my friends.
Even the ancestors had given up and were no longer speaking to me. All was silent from them, no matter how much I begged.
At least my guardians and boyfriends hadn’t given up. They were still out searching. The only problem was, the one place where we’d found a lead was the one place we couldn’t access. Not without the council’s help.
A soft knock sounded at my door. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Emma again. I’d avoided her since our encounter yesterday. Classes kept me busy, but not enough to make me forget my friends were gone.
I felt the brush of magic over my skin, followed by my door opening and closing. I couldn’t believe she would have the balls to enter my room uninvited.
I sprang from the chair, ready to blast her out of my room, only to find it wasn’t Emma. It was Draven.
I crossed the room and threw myself at him. The tension in his body eased as he wrapped his arms around me. He released a relieved breath as he buried his face in the curve of my shoulder. I hadn’t talked to him since the day we’d searched Rose’s room.
We should never have parted angrily. I knew he was in a difficult position, what with his mother being the high priestess and his girlfriend currently on her most wanted list. I should have realized that my negative behavior affected him too. He constantly had to defend me to his mother, and I hated that he had to be stuck in the middle of my drama.
He was trying to look at their disappearance from all angles and I’d let my emotions interfere. I should have heard him out. At this point, what did I have to lose?
Draven carried me to the chair I’d just vacated. Adjusting me in his arms, he sat and cradled me in his lap. We stayed like this for what seemed like forever. His heartbeat pounded a steady rhythm beneath my palm.
“I’m sorry,” he said, breaking the silence. “I haven’t been able to sleep since the other night.”
I leaned back and cradled his cheek. My heart ached at the depth of regret I saw in his eyes. “I’m the one who should be apologizing.”
When he opened his mouth to speak, I pressed my lips over his. What I meant to be a quick kiss turned into something more. My tongue swept into his mouth, and each swirl had me clenching my thighs. Draven was a lover who liked to take it slow. To savor each kiss and touch.
Not today. It was as if he sensed how much I missed him. He gripped my hips and lifted me until I straddled him. He devoured me like I was the last sip of water on a desert island. I responded by pouring all of my love for him into that kiss.
I increased the tempo, our tongues tangling in a frenzy of desire. He was mine, and I was his.
We were both breathing hard when we finally pulled apart.
“What was that for?” Draven asked as he pressed his forehead to mine. “Not that I’m complaining.”
I pressed my lips to his again, only this time I didn’t let them linger. “I needed that connection with you again. I felt like we were drifting apart and I wouldn’t survive losing you too.”
Draven leaned back, his eyes searching mine. “You’ll never lose me. I promise. I’m yours forever.”
My gaze fell to where my hands clutched his shirt. “Why is it that everyone I care about is disappearing?”
“Look at me.” He placed his finger below my chin and tipped my head up. “I’m not going anywhere. Zander isn’t going anywhere. That hairy beast might annoy me, but I know that he loves you. I can’t speak for Thomas since I’ve never met him, but he would have to be crazy to let you out of his life. Before we got distracted, I came here with a possible way to find the girls.”
I sucked in a breath, afraid to get my hopes up. “Are you serious?”
“I won’t know if it works until we try it, but yeah. I think we might have a chance.”
“Did you find something in your Tome?”
He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. “I went to find my mother in her office on campus today. I wanted to check with her and see how the search was going.”
If anyone could get information from Rayna, it was Draven. I would never use our relationship as leverage with his mother. She’d encouraged him to date a witch from another academy. Draven dating me would make the other witches claim she showed favoritism toward me. But there was never an issue with favoritism. Every student knew they never gave me special treatment. Not for my status at the academy and definitely not for dating the high priestess’s son.
“So your mother found out what happened to them?” I asked.
“I wish that were true, but they still haven’t found anything. My mother has been seeking counsel with the other covens. She has spent every waking hour looking for them. That was the first time I’d seen her in days.”
“I’m confused. If your mother doesn’t know where they are, how can we find them?”
“After I left her office, I literally ran into the Grand Arch-Mage of Thornton Academy.”
His excitement over this revelation transferred to me. The Grand Arch-Mage of Thornton Academy had unparalleled powers. His reputation was well known amongst all the covens. Thornton Academy was the reason Draven had been studying so hard to pass his trials. If he scored high enough, he would become an Arch Mage. Only the top of his class would be accepted to Thornton Academy.
“What was he doing here?”
“I assume he was meeting with my mother about the missing girls. He remembered me from my trials and said that my performance was impressive. I couldn’t believe that the Grand Arch-Mage was complimenting me. I might actually have a chance of getting accepted to his academy.”
I knew how important this was for Draven, but I needed him to get to the point. My nerves were shredded, and if he didn’t tell me what he found out soon, I might explode. I didn’t want to destroy the bond we had just healed, so I forced a smile to my face and patiently listened.
“That’s amazing, Draven. I know how hard you’ve worked for this.”
Cupping my face, his smile widened. “That’s not all. He asked how my finals were coming and if I had chosen my creation spell. I told him I had been working on a way to temporarily amplify a mage’s powers.”
“I thought you were working on a supernatural translator.” When supernaturals from across the realms meet, not all of them speak the same language, especially on the rare occasions when demons enter the realm. There are twelve dialects amongst the demons alone. Translators were difficult to find due to the abundance of languages. His spell would allow everyone to understand the speaker in their chosen language.
“I finished that spell weeks ago. This is a new one I’ve been working on.”
Reality dawned, sending warmth flooding through my veins. My magic prickled under my skin in response. He was doing this for me.
“You think by amplifying my powers, that it would expand the
reach of the spell?”
He nodded before responding, “Yes. I didn’t tell the Grand Arch Mage what I was attempting with the spell. I was worried that he would tell my mother. So I kept the scenario as vague as possible.”
I turned in his arms so my legs stretched across his lap and over the arm of the chair. “So how does this work?”
“He suggested a binding spell. It would allow you to draw on my energy whenever you need it.” His brows drew together when he frowned. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that myself. There would have to be alterations made to it. Due to your status in the coven, I wouldn’t be able to amplify mine. If I could draw on your magic, the coven may sense it and it could jeopardize your position.”
“I don’t know, Draven. That’s a huge risk. What if something went wrong? It’s one thing to use old magic. It’s another to use that magic to bind myself to you. Your mother is the high priestess. How would we ever keep this from her? I can’t ask you to do that.”
“I want to do this. It kills me to see you hurting. It’s like you’re already grieving them. I trust you, Samara, and if your gut is telling you that something is wrong, then how can I not do everything in my power to help?”
“Give me time to think about it, okay? Maybe there is something else that we haven’t thought of.”
What I was going to tell Draven would drag him in deeper with me. I hated to do this to him, but lying to him would be worse.
“I need to tell you something.” I hoped confiding in him wouldn’t jeopardize our relationship. Taking a deep breath, I continued, “Before I say anything, I have to let you know that it’s something that could get me stripped of my position if I’m caught. Are you okay with knowing the details? If not, I completely understand. I just don’t want any secrets between us.”
Draven linked his fingers with mine and brought my hand to his lips. “I don’t always agree with my mother. She’s so set in the old traditions that she’s blind to the fact that the world is changing. So if you’re asking if I’m good with keeping your secret, then yeah. You can tell me anything.”
I knew Draven was my soulmate, but his words locked the final piece in place. My heart was so full it felt like it would burst.
I stared at our joined hands for a moment before lifting my gaze to his. I prayed that I wouldn’t see disappointment there after what I revealed to him. “I’ve been using old magic to strengthen my powers. I found a spell in my Book of Shadows but haven’t been able to make it work.”
“How is that different from what I was willing to do for you? You really thought this would upset me? We all take drastic risks to tap into our hidden powers. It’s how we elevate through the ranks.”
My mouth suddenly became dry. I knew the risk of using old magic. I watched Jax battle the darkness inside of him, a result of having a dark mage as a father. “But old magic is forbidden. They say that if you don’t do it properly, you can accidentally call on dark magic. Once it consumes you, you’re lost forever.”
“It’s one spell. How much harm can it do? Especially if it’s in your Book of Shadows.”
After my conversation with my guardians, I knew that I could no longer ignore the voices in my head. Draven already worried about my safety. Now he would join forces with my guardians to protect me. “Something did happen. The ancestors began to speak to me.”
Draven flinched, his hand tightening around mine. “What did they say?”
“None of it makes sense. I talked to Slade and the rest of my guardians about it. It’s a warning. We aren’t sure what it’s directed at.”
His hands cupped my face as his forehead creased with worry. “If the ancestors are warning you, then maybe we need to take a step back for now. Forget about the binding. Let the council handle the search.”
“I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”
“I would die if anything happened to you. The few days we weren’t talking left a hollow feeling in my chest. Can you imagine what a lifetime of that would do to me?”
I knew exactly how he felt. The ache in my chest from losing my friends was hard enough. But to lose my soulmate? Moisture flooded my eyes just thinking about it.
“Give me a few days to figure something else out,” he said. “I can poke around and see what I can find out about the restricted wing. I can use the excuse that I’m looking for my mother. Sometimes being the high priestess’s son has its perks.”
This was exactly what I was afraid of. I should have told him that the ancestors stopped me from breaking the ward on the faculty wing. With everything I just laid on him, I didn’t want him to have to worry about my safety too. I had my guardians for that.
There were so many unanswered questions swirling in my head. What if the council knew what was going on and they were covering it up? What if they were investigating a staff member and our interference ruined the investigation? Why couldn’t the ancestors quit with the vague messages and tell me what the hell was really going on?
“Draven, I don’t know if you should be doing that. If you get caught, your mother will never let us see each other again.”
He shrugged his shoulders, his gaze never leaving mine. “I’m an adult. She has no say in what I do anymore. Can she make my life a living hell? Yes. Can she tell me how to live my life? No.”
“Draven…”
His lips covered mine, preventing my protest from escaping. My body relaxed against him, letting him comfort me in the way that I needed him. I trusted Draven with my life. I knew he would do whatever it took to find my friends. I just hoped it didn’t jeopardize his relationship with his mother.
Now it was my turn to make a sacrifice. To protect my coven, I needed to end my relationship with Thomas.
8
I only had a small window of opportunity to enter the human realm, meet up with Thomas, then sneak back to my room before my guardians figured out I was gone. The meeting the council set up with them and some of the other guardians in the realm came at a perfect time. I just hoped they were truly discussing search efforts for Rose and Natasha. I had no doubt they’d come to check on me after the meeting was over.
The spell I used to trick my guardians into thinking I was still on campus would only last a short amount of time. I rubbed my fingers over my tattoo to confirm the spell was still active. If they ever found out that I manipulated our bond, they would no longer be my guardians—they would become my wardens, never letting me out of their sight.
Standing outside the door to Thomas’s house, I contemplated what I was going to say. I couldn’t help but think about the things my guardians had said to me, the same thing Emma, Zander, and Draven questioned. Was my having a human boyfriend putting the coven, as well as the Pararealm, in danger?
Releasing the breath I held, I formed a loose fist and knocked on the door. Within a matter of seconds, I heard footsteps on the other side. The lock disengaged just before the knob twisted. Rich, brown eyes stared back at me as a smile crept over Thomas’s face.
“Samara? What are you doing here?”
“I was in the area and wanted to see you before I head back to my dorm.”
The lie passed over my lips with ease. A portal had brought me to the area. I had been nowhere near this place.
No matter how much I hated lying to him, I couldn’t tell him the truth. He had no clue other realms existed, or that I was responsible for keeping the protective barrier around the realms. And if I didn’t make changes to the council or the Pararealm rules, he’d never know the truth.
Once he shut the door behind me, I followed him to the den at the back of the house. He sat down on the sofa and patted the seat beside him.
When I lowered myself to the cushion, all the butterflies in my stomach fluttered to life. Dressed in a simple white t-shirt and a pair of gray sweats, he took my breath away. How could I cut him out of my life?
“So,” he said as he adjusted his position and faced me, “how did I get lucky enough to see you tonight?”
>
“I’m on an errand for one of my classes. And honestly, I didn’t like the way we left things the other night, so I thought I’d come to see you.”
He averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t like the way we ended the other night either. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure if I’d hear from you again.”
If my guardians hadn’t followed me to the bar and interrupted us, things may have ended differently. Letting him leave that night thinking I was disappointed in him for not sleeping with me couldn’t have been farther from the truth. It was my own insecurities that had me questioning our relationship.
His words made my chest constrict. “I’m sorry for being so rash. I’ve had a lot on my mind and took my frustrations out on you.”
“It’s okay, Samara. I know you’re busy. I remember what it was like to be in college. It’s only been two years since I graduated.”
College life for humans and academy life for witches held no comparison. Our programs were more grueling, but I didn’t mention the difference. I couldn’t.
It sure as hell wasn't by choice. He was oblivious to my world and the strenuous training we underwent from a young age. If given the chance, I felt like he would not only accept that I was a witch but also the fact that I protected a supernatural world.
Thomas loved what humans referred to as fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction. Some of his favorite shows and books focused on those subjects. How could he not accept supernaturals?
“You zone out on me, girl?” Thomas teased as he ran his fingers down my arm. He laced them with mine and offered me a warm smile.
“Guess I still have a lot on my mind.”
His brow tightened. “It’s nothing bad, is it?”
I shrugged, fearing my voice would betray me if I spoke. Uncertainty spiraled through me, along with guilt. I didn’t want to lose him, but …
His fingers tightened around mine. “Your silence is scaring me.”
I forced myself to smile. “There’s another reason I came to see you tonight.”
Paranormal Academy Page 89
