“Obviously, this is a dangerous skill to have, so my father decided to experiment. We worked together to use electric and life force from normal living creatures.”
A gasp resounded around the room. A smile came to my lips as they started to whisper, their shocked faces almost making me laugh. The academy knew my story, and yet, they had still coveted me, just like all the other academies and the institute.
“Did you harm them?” Dracian called, his deep voice dripping with sweetness.
I half expected him to have a hand on his chest and the look of outrage scrawled across his features, but I was wrong. He looked fascinated, watching my every move, leaning forward on the desk and absorbing everything I said.
Shaking my head, I bit my lip hard. “No, of course not. We started with rats, just touching them gently. I realised quickly that I could do it, but I didn't like the idea of taking life force.”
Crap, why had I told them about the life force? I never used the skill anyway, preferring to stick to electrical energy to make magic. They were literally staring at me as if I was a teen serial killer, ready to drain animals, people and witches of their magic. Good job, Alishia, way to frighten every person in your class within five minutes of being enrolled in the academy.
“Erm, so we know you don't do that.” Mrs Hinley took a step back as she spoke, gesturing to the class. “Tell us why the academy personally invited you to attend.”
“Basically,” I said, getting rather frustrated at the bloody woman who had encouraged me to share my story. “I trained myself to touch electrical items to steal the magnetic pulse from them. That has helped me to gain magic without having to touch anyone. So, don't panic, I'm not about to creep into your room at night and...”
The frightened faces mixed with hard swallows made me panic, let alone them. Smiling, I laughed awkwardly when someone put their hand up and asked if they could be excused. Surely she wouldn't go and report me? I couldn't be chucked out on the first day, I had to avenge my parents and-
“No, we've only just started the class, you can wait until Alishia has finished.” Mrs Hinley wiggled her finger.
My palms were so slick, I fumbled with my phone when I dug it out of my pocket. Taking the small amount of energy before I could think, I breathed hard, my lungs working overtime to try and calm my nerves.
“Are you going to show us a picture of the animals you harmed?” someone asked.
Without waiting, I imagined the LED candles above us brightly aflame. The illusion appeared instantly, a spark crackling from the chandelier, catching everyone's attention. They gasped and screamed as flames burst from the candles, flickering high enough to lick the ceiling.
“Everyone, outside!” Mrs Hinley called. “Someone press the fire alarm!”
Students darted from their seats, staring up as they filtered out of the room, running to get away from the fire.
I ducked my head, following Isabel as she grabbed my hand and pulled me through the door.
“How did that happen?” a student asked Mrs Hinley.
Waving a hand towards me, another student screwed up his face. “It was probably a warning to stay away from her.”
The scowl that rose up my chest was audible when everyone turned to look at me, backing away slightly. Good, let them be scared. If they stayed away from me, I could get on with what I needed to do.
“You're all fools!” Dracian Dread said, a smirk on his face as he came to stand beside me. “I think our friend was giving us a demonstration of her power.”
“She was?” Mrs Hinley looked at me, a frown pulling her blonde eyebrows low. “Really, Alishia!”
The whining bell of the fire alarm resounded around us as the students stared at me, their mouths hanging open again.
Glancing at Dracian, I nodded.
“My name is Alishia Jones, and I'm an illusionist witch.”
Chapter Five
“I wrote the location down. It's a bar next to the grounds of the academy,” Isabel said, pulling out the map.
We were on the grass outside the front of the building.
Professor Seaton had asked Mrs Hinley what had occurred in the classroom, but she had said it was a false alarm, not going into detail. It showed a loyalty I didn't deserve, not when I had tricked her and the class. However, I would take it. And try to run with it. When I saw her next, I would thank her for covering for me.
“You were so lucky to get away with that,” Helissa said, spreading the map on the ground. “When Seaton stormed into the room after the alarm had been turned off, I almost crapped my pants for you.”
“I'm surprised none of the students piped up.” Taking a bite of my doughnut, I frowned when Isabel's face suddenly hovered close to mine. “Errr... yes?”
“That doughnut looks delicious. I'm trying not to gorge while I'm here, so I'm just going to sniff it if that's okay.”
Pushing her slowly and gently away, I shook my head. “I don't want your snot particles near my sweet, sweet, delicious doughnut, woman. Stop giving in to societies rules of what you can and can't eat.”
Her resolve lasted the whole of two seconds. Grabbing the doughnut out of my hand, she bit into the other side, closing her eyes and moaning rather embarrassingly loud.
“Sounds like you've found some food porn,” a deep voice said behind us.
Tingles shot down my spine as Dracian crouched next to me, his expression friendly as he smiled at Isabel. I stared at my friend, refusing to look at the boy who just wouldn’t leave us alone for one moment. We had promised Helissa that we would skip the afternoon class - it was only potions, which wasn't any of our speciality - to go and hunt out clues to find Toby.
“Doughnuts are much higher class than food porn,” Isabel told Dracian as she flicked her silky, dark hair behind her shoulder. “They're food royalty. A classic erotic story.”
“Wait, what? Are we...? I...”
Chuckling, Dracian put a hand on my shoulder, causing me to instantly tense up. “Don't worry, Vanilla Ice,” he said in my ear. “I'm sure there's an ice cream truck around here somewhere, selling your favourite flavour.”
“Don't be mean!” Helissa glared at the witch, who stood up, his hands held up in surrender.
“I'm only playing.” Glancing at me, he raised his eyebrows. “See you later, guys.”
Turning away, he joined two of his friends, who were standing nearby, looking bored.
My skin was literally itching, every part feeling the stench of his energy where he had touched me. Had he tried to intimidate me on purpose? Did he know my secret?
“Let's go.”
All of us surged from the ground, discarding the remainder of our lunch in biodegradable bags.
Isabel shoved our very healthy food packaging in the bin as we passed, tapping it with one finger to spell it to the green compost heap in the gardens behind the academy. That witch was all about keeping Mother Earth clean. In a way, I did everything I could to support our mother, even though she had denied me magic from her dirt. Obviously, stealing electric probably wasn't as green as some people would think. Hey, at least I wasn't harming people.
“I've circled a building on the map. It’s just over there,” Isabel said, pointing through the bars of the gate.
Squinting, I grabbed the map off her and checked. “That's the Rose and Crown, where I work.”
“You work there?” Isabel frowned at me. “How have you got a job in less than twenty four hours?”
“Girls!” Mrs Hinley's shout came from somewhere up high.
I could just imagine her blonde hair piled on top of her head as it hung out of one of the windows, her eyes glaring in our direction.
“Don't turn around,” Helissa hissed. “Run!”
Following her lead, we picked up our pace, laughing when our rushing footsteps made other students stare at us.
Okay, so bunking class on the first day of school wasn't the ideal situation, but Toby had to be found. Professor Seaton would have a he
art attack, well, maybe not, he was still pretty young, but anyway, he wouldn't be best pleased that we had started our own investigation.
The air rushed through my hair, flicking a blonde strand in front of my face. It went into my mouth as I opened it, ready to instruct the others on where to go. Almost choking, I laughed as I spat it out, suddenly feeling freer than I had for a very long time. My foster carers had kept me almost imprisoned the last five years, threatening to call the institute if I dared to do anything against their will.
“This way,” Isabel called, smiling at me as her long silky hair flew behind her.
Ducking around the entrance, we left the grounds of the academy and sprinted towards the bar.
It was strange that the location spell had taken us to the place where I had just got a job. It had been barely twenty four hours since I had been trained in how to pull a pint, and yet, I was returning.
Slowing down, I came to a stop, bending over to catch my breath.
Isabel jogged on the spot, her gaze tracing the area around the pub. It was fairly quiet, most people having gone back to work or the academy after lunch.
“You need to get to the gym,” my friend said, clapping me on the back.
Glancing at Helissa, I raised my eyebrows. The other witch shook her head, also struggling with her breath. Good, she could be my backup best friend for moments like this. Although, that was unkind, I shouldn't think of her as a backup. Plus, I barely knew her, she could actually be extremely annoying, even if she had clicked with us quickly. I hadn't even stopped to consider why I was going to so much effort to help her.
“Are you that type of person?” I pointed my thumb at Isabel.
“You've got to be kidding,” Helissa said, cringing as she stretched her back. “I read books, I play Fortnite religiously and then I sleep. A girl needs nothing more.”
“Fortnite?” Isabel got out her phone and snapped a selfie with us panting and huffing in the background.
“Let me guess,” I said, trying to snatch the phone out of her hand. “The caption will be.... Winning the race like...”
Laughter erupted from my friend as she flung her arm around me and pushed me at the same time. Indicating the pub, she tucked her phone away and clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Let's go and find Toby, losers.”
Helissa trailed behind, her face almost crumbling in on itself as she was reminded of why we were currently breaking all the rules of the academy. Was it really that heart-breaking to lose a familiar? My parents had let me have a cat, well, for a while, anyway. When they realised I could drain any living creature, not that I had ever completely drained anything, they gave the cat to Isabel. Boy, my parents were crueller than I had realised in that moment. A squeeze of my chest reminded me how painful that was. If it was bad enough for me, Helissa must have been feeling despair.
Moving away from Isabel, who got her phone out yet again, I went back to Helissa. “We will find him!” I told her, putting my hand on her shoulder.
Quickly pulling away, I apologised, my cheeks flaring red. Without saying anything, the witch with the famous name grabbed my hand and held tight before letting go.
“I'm not afraid of you.” Smiling, she followed Isabel through the door and into the bar.
A rush of weirdness ran over me. I had a job in this establishment, and yet, I had no idea how to approach my new boss who stood behind the bar reserved for humans.
“It's so frustrating that humans aren't allowed to know about us.” Isabel sighed as she stared at a boy who played pool with his friends. “I'd like to play pool with him.”
“Hello, Alishia,” Frankie greeted, waving me through. “You're keen!”
We ducked through the bar, following him through the door around the back and into the other bar. “You do know that you can use the magic entrance, don't you?”
“Ah, yeah,” I said, trying not to search the room with my gaze as he gestured for us to go around to the main area of the bar. “I know I don't officially start for a few days, but we're here for social reasons. Sort of.”
“Sort of?”
Pouring us Cokes when Helissa requested our drinks, he frowned at me, his bushy eyebrows pulled low over his grey eyes. His tummy protruded from his jeans, a slight overhang telling a story of lonely nights sipping on beer. Although, an image flashed through my mind of Frankie the barman, partying hard. Hhmmm... he didn't seem the type.
Isabel stared at me, her eyes stretched wide. “Oh, this is my new boss, Frankie. Frankie, these are my friends.”
The girls studied him, analysing the bar manager who stood with his hands on his hips. Something about his energy had warmed me to him straight away. Maybe his being an illusionist witch helped me to trust him. And yet, the others ducked their gaze before looking at me. Should I ask Frankie about the snake? Or was it safer to try and scope out the place ourselves?
“Nice to meet you,” the man said, bowing his head and pretending to doff his invisible hat... until a real top hat appeared, the black silk shining under the lamps above.
“What sort of clientele do you get in here?” Helissa asked, taking the decision out of my hands.
When the hat crumbled into nothing, Isabel sat forward. “You're an illusionist witch, too!”
Putting his finger to his mouth, he smiled as he shushed her. “Don't tell everyone. My punters would be distraught if they found out that I hadn't really seen the 1966 World Cup final.”
Pointing at a picture of him with the winning England squad, he wiggled his eyebrows.
I rolled my eyes, wondering why the hell he would use what little power he had to cast such an old-fashioned illusion. Anyone could photoshop the same image nowadays, it wasn't exactly hard.
“My clientele, as you so elegantly put it,” he said, wiping the waxed wooden bar absentmindedly, “…is usually students. A few witches from outside the academy wander in occasionally. Oh, and there's a group of warlocks who play pool on a Saturday night. Why do you ask?”
Watching the man go through the motions, I tried not to snatch the dirty cloth from his hand. Witches were reviled for doing menial jobs. Why waste their magic? However, illusionist witches were expected to be at the bottom of the cesspool of magical beings, considering they were classed as un-magical. I would never be like Frankie, wasting away in a bar.
A flash of guilt squeezed my chest as he glanced around his establishment, a satisfied smile coming to his lips. Just because I couldn't be cooped up in the same pub day in, day out, didn't mean he wasn't happy. It didn't make him less than a man. My parents had taught me to be kind, to not assume something about a person, and here I was, forgetting their lessons.
Helissa leant forward, her gaze searching his. “Have you heard anything about a snake in the last twenty four hours?”
Frowning, Frankie nodded slowly. “Yes. In fact...” Going over to the till to serve a straggly student who stood at the bar, he pointed towards the door. “... a young lad offered me a snake just two hours ago. Said I could have it for cheap.”
“What?” Helissa spat as the student watched us.
“A snake?” he said, his gaze skimming across my face and quickly dismissing me.
He could probably feel that I had no magic in me. All witches could feel magic from one another. When they came into contact with a warlock, their energy was different, so it was obvious what they were. A ton of people were confused as to the old tales of witches and warlocks. Back in the good old days, which felt like millennia to me, witches were female, warlocks were male. However, with the decline of warlocks and their evil ways, a new race was born. Male witches started to be born without the distinct magic of warlocks. They were not able to form physical magic, unlike their old male ancestors. They were suddenly able to cast spells as well as any female witch, using herbs, chants and tarot cards. They had always been able to do the witch magic to some degree, but with the loss of their physical magic, their power in witch magic increased.
“
What can I get you?” Frankie asked the student as Helissa and Isabel turned to me.
Lowering her voice, Helissa spoke urgently. “If he was in here two hours ago, he might still be close by. Maybe we could do another location spell and head straight there?”
“That might be a good idea. You go and start that, I'll get more info from Frankie.”
“Can you trust him?” Isabel said, twirling a strand of hair around the tip of her finger.
Glancing at the barman, I tilted my head to the side. “He gave me a job instantly, without knowing who I was. Plus, we have something in common.”
“You trust him because he's like you, but is that enough?” Helissa took my hand when I frowned. “Think like an investigator.”
Nodding, I gently pulled my hand away when my fingers tingled. She was consciously giving me her magic, but I didn't like it. Not one bit. It was kind that they weren't afraid to touch me. In fact, a lump swelled to my throat. Bloody hell, what was it with the kind witch of the west wing? The academy goody two shoes? The one who made me want to cry right this moment? Why couldn't she live up to the nastiness of her ancestors? Ugh, she was just a nice girl, and I had to get used to her being nice to me.
“I won't tell him why we're looking for a snake. I've got the perfect alibi.”
“Alibi?” Isabel said, her perfectly plucked eyebrows raised. “Do you know what that is?”
Shrugging, I indicated that they take the map to the corner booth. “Just... go and do it, I'll get my investigator head on.”
“Dudette...” Placing a hand on my arm, Isabel gave me a woeful look. “An alibi is when you have proof that you weren't in a particular place, at a particular time, usually doing a particular criminal activity. I don't think you've got one of those.”
Oh yeah, I knew that. And they allowed me into the academy, why?
Leaving me sitting at the bar, the others took their drinks and settled in the booth.
Frankie finished serving the student, who slowly took off his academy blazer and sat nearby, before coming back to me.
Undercover Witch Academy Box Set Page 5
