Undercover Witch Academy Box Set

by Rachel Medhurst

  “I’ll take you to an ambulance to get checked over, you’ve probably inhaled a fair amount of smoke, even with those masks.”

  Trotting along behind him, I didn’t dare look at Isabel as we both coughed. We were going to get such a telling off. It wasn’t like we’d even done anything helpful. Dracian would get a medal of honour, if he survived. The idea of him dying made my heart clench, which was strange. He might have killed my parents, but I couldn’t wish death on anyone. Suffering, justice and revenge, I was down with that. But, death? No. After seeing my parents suffer in their memory, I couldn’t get on board with that.

  “Alishia!” Mrs Hinley barked as we made our way outside. “What were you doing back in there?”

  The fireman asked her to move aside so he could take us to the ambulance. She trotted along behind us, pestering me to tell her what had happened.

  “Alishia Jones, if you don’t tell me this instant, you’ll be expelled from the school for risking your life.”

  Spinning, I faced the teacher, catching her wrists when she went to stumble backwards. “We went to find Dracian. He was helping those in the infirmary.”

  “Are they okay? Where are they now?”

  “Madam,” the fireman interrupted. “I’ll give you an update, please leave the girls alone for now.”

  Nodding, Mrs Hinley patted my arm as I let her go. “Very well. I’m glad you’re okay.”

  Making our way to the ambulance, both Isabel and I climbed on board. They would assess us in the back of the vehicle, but we wouldn’t be rushed to hospital. They needed the ambulances for the students that had probably inhaled far too much smoke.

  “Isabel?” I asked my friend as the paramedic checked my breathing. “Do you think they’re all alive?”

  Licking her lips as she coughed, Isabel blinked away tears. “That girl,” she muttered. “Alishia, it didn’t look good.”

  My heart squeezed. I knew what she meant. Not only had the poor girl suffered from being drained of magic, she now had burns all over her body. Who would start a fire in the infirmary? It had to be the culprit who was responsible for casting the spell that incapacitated them. Somebody had tried to cover up their crimes, that much was clear.

  Chapter Two

  “I can’t believe Mrs Hinley came with the students,” Isabel said as we sat side by side.

  We had been taken to the hospital for precaution. Professor Seaton insisted that all students who had been involved were given a clean bill of health. A written report was needed for parents and the academy board.

  “I think it’s nice. She seemed genuinely concerned about our welfare.”

  Hearing Mrs Hinley’s high heels clicking against the lino floor before she even came around the corner and into the waiting room, we braced ourselves. She had promised to tell us how the others were doing. My nerves were on edge, my insides quivering as she approached.

  Clearing her throat, she plonked down on the seat next to me. “All students, except one, are stable.”

  “Except one?” Isabel squeaked.

  Nodding, Mrs Hinley looked down and fiddled with the strap of her bag. “One girl, Lucy, was badly burned. They’re unsure whether she’ll survive.”

  Gasps echoed from us as a hand flew to my mouth. It was the girl that Dracian had tried to save, the one whose nightdress had been scorched.

  “She’s in ICU right now. They’re doing everything they can, but…” A hiccupped sob interrupted the teacher’s words.

  Taking her hand, I squeezed it hard before letting go. She smiled briefly, a tiny show of thanks. I didn’t smile back, too shocked to conjure any emotion.

  “The fireman said that if you hadn’t have shown them where Dracian and Lucy were, they might have both died.”

  My muscles started to quake as my throat closed in on itself. I had only once experienced a traumatic event, and my therapist had said that it was a good job that I hadn’t witnessed it first-hand. Little did she know that I had seen my mother’s memory in the residue of her magic. That experience had scarred me for life, and somehow I knew, this one would too.

  “How did the fire start?” Isabel asked.

  Swallowing, Mrs Hinley shook her head. “You don’t need to concern yourself with that. Professor Seaton will take care of the investigation.”

  Dropping the subject, we both glanced down at our hands. I couldn’t just sit back and not find out how the fire had started. It seemed highly likely that whoever had stolen the students’ magic was trying to get rid of the evidence. Morbid, but true.

  “Can we see Dracian?” Isabel asked.

  Mrs Hinley took a quick breath before getting to her feet. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. I’ve got to update the professor. Don’t be long.”

  Surging from our seats, we rushed down the corridor.

  Isabel gripped my hand as she glanced at me. Her tanned skin was paler than usual, her eyes pinched in worry. I knew how she felt. Someone had tried to kill the students who had been drained of magic. If the firemen hadn't been right behind us, we might have been able to cast magic to put out the fire, but it had been too late. The damage had already been done.

  “When you're with Dracian, I'm going to try and speak to some of the other students. Maybe they saw who it was that started the fire.”

  Nodding, she guided me into the room that Mrs Hinley had indicated.

  Dracian's dark hair stood out against the white pillow as he turned to look at us. His cheeks were pale, the colour completely drained from them. At least his eyes were open, blinking slowly when his gaze landed on me. Was that a sharp intake of breath from him? Or was it me? Stupid, Alishia. Just because he looked vulnerable, didn't excuse his killer existence.

  ”I'm so glad you're okay!” Isabel rushed to the bed, throwing her arms around the male witch.

  He patted her back as he watched me over her shoulder. “Thank you,” he croaked.

  “What happened?” Sitting in a chair beside him, Isabel took his hand. “I thought you had… died.”

  Shaking his head, he coughed before he looked at her. “When I reached the infirmary, I cast a protection spell over the students who had managed to get out of their beds before I helped them to another room.”

  “The girl...?” I asked quietly, my throat squeezing when an image of her charred dress came into my mind.

  “She was too weak. I went back for her, but I was too late. Her nightdress was on fire. I used a spell to put it out, which worked. However, when I tried to grab her, the smoke overcame me. I... I couldn't do it.”

  As his eyes glazed over, I found it hard to stay in the room. Backtracking, I left without a word. How dare he show remorse when he had none for my parents? Seeking his revenge for his father's imprisonment, he'd callously come after them, killing them viciously.

  I couldn't help but clench my fists as I slowly walked down the corridor, towards another ward. Peeking in each door, I checked over my shoulder to make sure no one watched me. My heart was in my neck, the pounding of it vibrating in my ears. If I was caught, Mrs Hinley wouldn't be happy. There was only so many boundaries I could push.

  As I passed another ward, I paused. Several young people were hooked up to drips, their skin almost translucent, no matter their original colour. Thrusting inside as a nurse rounded the corner of the corridor, I hid behind the small wall. Several of the students turned to look at me, a frown crossing their face when they recognised my academy skirt.

  Going to the nearest girl who eyed me, I smiled broadly. “Hi, you don't know me, but-”

  “Yes, I do. You're the Illusionist witch.”

  Waving away her words, I tried not to clench my teeth. Apparently, I was becoming a well-known face in the academy. That wasn't a good sign. So much for my undercover plan to out Dracian Dread.

  “We're trying to find a link between you all. I know you've told the teachers everything, but is there something that might seem irrelevant. Have you met anyone new recently?”

  Frowning, the
girl looked at the pure white cover that rested over her. “Actually, I did go on a date a few nights before I got ill.”

  “Did you mention that to Professor Seaton?”

  Licking her lips, she got out her phone. “No, I didn't think it was relevant. Plus, my parents would go mad that I went out on a date. They want me to do well at the academy, made me promise not to get distracted.”

  “Okay, cool. Did the date go well?”

  Bringing up a picture on her phone, the student showed me the man she had gone out with. He was handsome, his long dark hair shaggy around his head. I didn't blame her for breaking her promise to her parents for him, I would too.

  “I thought it did, but he blew me out the next morning. Said he hadn't felt a spark, even though we'd kissed.”

  “Scumbag,” I muttered, my ire rising at the idea of a man using the poor girl. “Was there anything strange about him?”

  Pursing her lips, she blinked slowly. “Not at all. He was perfect.”

  Maybe that was the problem. In my, often right but humble, opinion, no one was perfect. So when someone came across as being immaculate, my suspicions were raised.

  “What was his name?”

  Flicking through a couple of pictures, she tutted when she tried to click on something. “He’s only gone and bloody blocked me! Damian, his name’s Damian.”

  Taking out my own phone, I noted his name. Damian Noble. Well, he sounded anything but noble. Not if the way he had treated the witch sitting in front of me was anything to go by.

  “Thank you. I'll keep you updated with our investigation.”

  “Are you working for Seaton? Surely, he wouldn't let a student do his dirty work?”

  Smiling, I moved away slowly. “He doesn't know I'm asking questions. You know what it's like with teachers, they don't have a clue.”

  Her eyes narrowed on me before she nodded. “That's true. Good luck.”

  It was nice to have her support instead of her accusatory stare.

  Treading carefully, I went over to a boy in the corner of the room. He was staring ahead, his eyes transfixed on another older lad across from him.

  “What do you want?” he barked when I approached.

  Okay, I hadn't expected quite such an adverse reaction from him, especially as it looked like he was completely zoned out. Holding my head high, I joined him.

  “Don't touch me, I know what your kind are like.”

  “Judgemental, much?” I muttered.

  Scoffing, he ordained to take his gaze away from the other boy and look at me. “Sorry, it's been a tough few days.”

  Part of me melted at his immediate apology. It must have been hard for those used to having magic to no longer possess it. I had been without it for such a long time, I knew what it felt like to live without it. Although, Professor Seaton hoped the students would be able to regain their power eventually, so there was some hope. They hadn't been complete drained, otherwise they'd be dead. At least the culprit had a tiny bit of decency in that regard.

  “Apology accepted. I-”

  “You probably know what this feels like,” he said, looking me in the eye. “I finally have some sympathy.”

  So, he was a little forthright and a whole lot arrogant, but I would stay calm. If I wanted to be an investigative agent, I had to always keep my cool, even if I was insulted at every turn.

  “This is a strange question, but have you been on any dates recently?”

  I wasn't sure what made me ask, but when his gaze shot to the other boy before looking at me again, I knew I'd hit the jackpot. Whether or not he was his boyfriend or someone he fancied, I didn't know or care. I just wanted the truth.

  “As a matter of fact, when I first arrived, I met up with a dude from the Witch.org dating app.”

  “There's a dating app?” I spluttered, regaining composure when he looked at me, amusement dancing in his eyes.

  Digging out his phone, he brought up the site and showed me the app. “Yes, here it is. I only went out with him once. Not long after, I fell ill.”

  “Ill? You think you're sick?”

  I wondered if he had been told that he was ill by the nurses in the infirmary. Or whether he had come to that conclusion himself. Either way, it was an interesting theory, one that wasn't correct. No illness had ever drained a witch of magic, why would it now?

  “Was the dude's name Damian by any chance?”

  His eyes widened as his lips formed an O. “How the hell did you know that?”

  Trying to wave away his question away, I stuttered a ridiculous answer. “I’m… psychic.”

  “You are?”

  Psychic? What the hell was I playing at? No one in their right mind would believe I’m psychic. Not that there weren’t people out there who were, there were many, but an Illusionist witch telling fortunes? It was beyond ironic, even for me.

  “Your friend,” I said, indicating the boy across the way. “Did he ever go on the app?”

  Shrugging, he quickly stopped staring at the object of his desire. I could feel the tension rolling off him, but the boy opposite was oblivious, too engrossed in his phone to pay us any attention.

  “Okay, thanks for your-”

  “Yes, he’s on the app,” he interrupted, his cheeks glowing bright red. “But he never matched with me.”

  Glancing between them, I felt a pang of something deep in my chest. I hadn’t spent much time worrying about boys, but there had been one in high school who had totally ignored me. I’d had the biggest crush on him, ever in the whole world. No one knew the pain that coursed through me when he walked by without even glancing in my direction. So, in a weird kind of way, I understood the longing the boy felt.

  “I’d better go, but thank you for your help.”

  Nodding, he turned on his side, facing away from me and his crush. I moved away slowly, wishing I could somehow help him with his pain. Instead, my insides were quivering with excitement. Two students had been out with this Damian fella. Surely, there was a link?

  “Hey.” The older boy opposite greeted me with a smile. “I saw you up in the halls, trying to help.”

  Smiling, I felt a weight lift off me as he patted the side of the bed, inviting me to sit with him. Usually, no one wanted to be near me, just in case I stole their magic, but there was no risk to him. He had hardly any left himself.

  “I didn’t do much,” I replied. “I’m just glad most of you got out okay.”

  Cringing, he nodded his head solemnly as I sat next to him. “I know, I really hope Lucy fights. We all became friends as we recovered.”

  My eyes stung as he cleared his throat and blinked ten thousand times. There was nothing like a man being vulnerable to get a woman’s heart going, even if he preferred boys to girls.

  “Can I ask you a strange question?” I broached the subject quickly, excited about the information I had managed to glean.

  When he waved at me to go on, a smile broke across his lips. I couldn’t help but return his kind gesture, pleased that someone was happy to see me. Tempted to reach out and squeeze his hand, just because he was so nice, I refrained just in time.

  “Are you on the academy’s dating app?”

  His demeanour shifted slightly, his throat clearing as he looked down at his phone. “Er, yes, but please, be quiet.”

  “Sorry,” I said, lowering my tone.

  The curtains between the students were mostly pulled, but they weren’t thick enough to cover our conversation.

  “It’s fine,” he said, his warm smile returning. “My parents don’t know anything about my sexuality. I’m going to tell them soon, but I wanted to make sure I was settled here first.”

  “That’s fair enough,” I replied, allowing myself to lean over and squeeze his hand. “I promise to be quiet.”

  Patting my hand with his free one, he frowned before he looked at me. “You must know what it’s like. Well, not quite the same, but…” As his sentence trailed off, I sat back in thought.

  In
a way, I was unusual from the norm. A witch with no magic rarely fitted in anywhere. We were outcasts, not accepted by the masses. We weren’t even allowed a coven, which sucked arse. It was good that gay people could mostly be free to be themselves, although they still had their own struggles. Maybe their progression was a sign that Illusionist witches could be accepted someday too.

  “What do you need to know about the app?” he asked quietly, distracting me from my musings.

  Shaking the thoughts away, I braced myself. “Have you ever been on a date with a guy named Damian?”

  A sad smile crossed his face before his gaze dropped to his hands in his lap. “Did he put you up to this?”

  “Huh?” My dumbfounded look made him laugh.

  “I suppose not. How do you know him?”

  It was quite clear to me that this Damian dude was the one who was draining the students of their magic. If I told them my suspicions, it might well cause a witch hunt. I wanted my own witch hunt. Not because I wanted to hog all the acclaim, although, I must admit, I wouldn’t say no to a medal or something if I caught the bastard. No, it wasn’t that. I just knew that luring him out would work best.

  “I can’t believe you’ve been out with him, he’s so cute.”

  Okay, so not my most inventive distraction, but I was running out of ideas. I wasn’t used to talking about dating, especially with strangers. It wasn’t that I had never been on dates. My three dates counted, okay?

  “When did you go out with him? Are you going out again? I can’t get much luck with the app.”

  Sitting up, he watched me closely, his eyes narrowing on my face. “We only went out the once, about a week ago. He said he loved going on different dates, so I told him I wasn’t interested. He seemed quite peed off when I ignored his texts, turned up at my door, kissed me and then left.”

  “Rude!” I barked, unable to believe the audacity of the man.

  It seemed that the secret to Damian’s magic draining was a kiss. Did he have a spell attached to his lips? I wouldn’t put it past him. Anyone cruel enough to steal magic was likely to use a horrible technique of requiring it.