Thumping hard on it, he called out my father’s name. His heart pounded as no one answered. Moving to the window near the door, he froze as his gaze landed on my father stumbling to my mother, collapsing as blood ran from his eyes. Just as he choked on his last breath, my mother looked straight at me – no, Dracian – and then fell against the sofa herself.
Backtracking, Dracian hyperventilated, his whole being vibrating from fear. As he grabbed out his phone, he spun and ran.
“It’s too late, Dad,” he cried. “They’ve killed them.”
His father’s intake of breath sent a chill all over me. “I’m going to give myself up. Otherwise, they’ll do the same to me.”
The memory jerked, and I thrust away from Dracian. Tears poured down both our cheeks as we knelt on the dewy grass. The sobs erupted from me as I rocked forward, hugging myself tightly. For so long, I’d known it was Dracian. I had based my revenge, my life, on solely him. Now, I knew the truth, it left me broken.
“I’m so sorry, I tried to get there in time to warn them. My dad couldn’t call in advance because they tapped his phone.”
His arms were around me, holding me tight. I didn’t have the strength to push him away, instead I found myself clinging to him. He had tried to save my parents. All this time, he had been innocent.
“Alishia, I’m sorry you thought it was me. I would never do such a thing, I promise. It was the institute.”
Nodding, I rubbed my snotty nose over the arm of his shirt. The embarrassment I would usually feel had completely vanished, leaving nothing but grief in its place.
“Thank you for trying,” I forced out through sobs.
He shushed me as he stroked my hair, uttering soothing sounds as I released the pent up sorrow that had festered inside me for five years. After a few moments, I calmed, the torrent subsiding enough for me to sit up.
“I can’t believe you thought it was me all along.” Dracian shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair. “Does that mean you were lying about why you were in my room?”
My cheeks blazed with heat as I wiped them. Dropping my gaze to the ground, I couldn’t help but squirm at my antics.
His hand came to my chin, tilting it ever so gently so I was forced to look into his eyes. When our gazes met, I sucked in a breath, unable to control the explosion of attraction that zipped through me. He bit his lip as he leaned closer, bringing his face to mine.
“Please don’t,” I whispered as his breath cooled my face.
My arms shook as I gently pushed him away.
He sighed, backing off instantly and getting to his feet. “I’m sorry.” His muttered words were loud in the silence of the night around us.
Offering his hand, he helped me up. I was about to speak when he put a finger to my lips and shook his head.
“It’s okay. I’ll leave you alone now.”
Before I could respond, he turned and started to run. Oh great, the witch who had just shown me one of the biggest revelations in my life was leaving me high and dry in the middle of the night.
It was okay. It was fine. I didn’t want him to stay anyway, I was ready to let go of my vengeance against him now that I knew the truth. Plus, my attraction was probably down to that whole taboo – shouldn’t want him because he’s my mortal enemy – so, I was grateful he had buggered off without so much as a goodbye.
Chapter Seven
“He's just asked me to meet,” I said to Isabel as Helissa passed me the bottle of newt eyes.
Yep, apparently witches still used eye of newt in spells. Who knew?
Isabel gripped my wrist, letting go when my skin heated where she touched it. I had been a little distracted, unable to control my ability to draw magic when people touched me.
When I had returned to my room the night before, Isabel had been with Helissa, apparently she couldn't' sleep either. I had broken down and told them everything, even about my plan to out Dracian. They had soothed me and made me a cup of tea, telling me that they would help to find my parents killer. My heart squeezed at the memory of my friends making me feel safe.
“When does he want to meet?” Isabel took out a small eyeball with a pair of tweezers and put it on the dish in front of her. “This is so gross.”
Helissa took the tray from her and sprinkled an array of herbs on the eye. I had been way too busy messaging Damian to hear Mrs Hinley’s instructions. We had been texting for only two days, but he had been quick to ask me plenty of questions about magic. I had played into it, allowing him to believe that I was taken in by his flattery.
“At lunchtime.”
“What?” Helissa hissed. “That's in an hour!”
Shrugging, I smiled for the first time that day. “Might as well get on with it.”
The girls looked between themselves before agreeing with a nod. Helissa waved her hand above the eyeball, whispering a spell. A thick sludge substance appeared, the dark brown colour reminiscent of something I'd much rather not see in the classroom. In fact, Isabel almost gagged at the sight of it.
“You're going to see a lot more blood and gore than that,” Helissa quipped as scooped up some of the elixir on her finger.
Isabel almost screamed when she brought the substance towards her. “Get that away from me!”
“It's a healing balm for burns, it will literally transform the skin instantly.”
Gagging, Isabel thrust up from her chair. “I don't care, I don't have burns!”
“What's going on, girls?” Mrs Hinley called as the bell rang.
Students surged from their seats, ready for lunch. We followed suit, not bothering to clear up the disgusting poultice that had miraculous healing properties. I would never be a healer, unlike Helissa. Both Isabel and I would specialise in something else entirely. Although what exactly, we hadn’t quite decided.
Holding back, we waited for the rest of the students to leave. Dracian hadn't turned up to class, which had given me a huge sense of relief. I hadn't wanted to face him after last night. Although, I did owe him an apology for crying snot all over his shirt.
“Any progress?” Mrs Hinley asked as we approached her desk.
Taking out my phone, I found the message from Damian and handed it to her. Her eyes widened at the same time as my heart started to thump. Was it wise of me to go into this when I'd almost had an emotional breakdown the night before? Who knew what would happen when Damian found out I didn't have real magic? I did plan to make sure I was full of it before I went, but what if he clocked on?
“I'm not sure this is such a good idea, we have no time to prepare.”
“What is there to prepare?” I asked, allowing my reckless side to take over. “You just need an invisibility spell, and I just need to press the button on my inducer, and we're good to go.”
Mrs Hinley sat down at her desk, re-reading the message again. Her cheeks paled as she shook her head and bit her lip. “This is our only chance to get him. We should’ve called the agency.”
Maybe they should have, but I understood why they hadn’t. The academy’s reputation would be at risk, even though it was technically a government issue. The Hunted Witch Agency dealt with criminal witches. They should have been automatically called, but the professor had wanted to deal with it on his own.
Going to the desk, Isabel wrung her hands as she stood in front of it. “Just think, Mrs Hinley, we could have his hair within a couple of hours. We'll all be on standby, and with your protection, he won't stand a chance.”
Slapping the desk hard, Mrs Hinley nodded vigorously. “You're right. We can do this. Although, I have no idea how you persuaded me to be in on it.”
“Er,” I said quietly, clamping my mouth shut when Helissa widened her eyes at me.
Helissa was right, there was no point in reminding the teacher that she had insisted that she come along.
It amazed me how older people tended to forget things. They said that the memory got worse as people aged, but seeing evidence of it gave me hope. Maybe it would be
a good excuse for me to forget all the stupid things I had agreed to in the past.
“Let's go.” Picking up her bag, Mrs Hinley fiddled with her hair before marching towards the classroom door.
“Are you going to let Seaton know?” Helissa piped up as we followed her, almost having to run to catch up.
Nodding, Mrs Hinley took out her phone. “I'll message him now so he's on alert. He won't be happy that we haven't planned it properly. Where is it we're meeting this Damian?” Her gaze was direct as she stared at me.
I dug out my phone and checked the name of the cafe. It wasn't too far from the academy. He'd mentioned that he was aware that the academy was shut down, but hoped I could sneak out. Which meant he couldn't get inside.
He was a clever man to be able to get onto the dating app considering he didn’t attend the academy. I had asked him how he'd done it, and he'd confessed that he was an ex-student.
“A cafe called Magic Beans.”
“Ironic,” Mrs Hinley said, tutting as she strode through the entrance hall and dialled someone. “Please come and collect me.”
As we bustled out onto the front steps, a car pulled up on the gravel. We glanced at one another, our eyebrows raising when a young handsome driver got out. He was a witch, his energy very strong. Who would've thought that Mrs Hinley had a driver, let alone one who could melt all three of us with a look?
“This is Jet.” Mrs Hinley waited for him to open the door for her. “He'll take us to the cafe.”
We weren't going to complain about a sweet ride with a sweet male. We would welcome anything to sooth our nerves on the way to meet a psycho witch.
Waiting for her to get into the front seat, we giggled when he opened the back door and bowed slightly, giving us a wink as we climbed inside. He probably got all the girls giddy. It instantly put me off him as he stood straight and grinned to himself. He was apparently used to the attention.
“Jet is a very powerful witch. He's one of our very good friends.” Mrs Hinley waited for him to climb into the driver's seat. “He'll help shield us from anyone in the cafe.” Looking back at me, she pursed her lips. “It really will be as if you're the only one in there. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Nodding harshly, I glanced at Jet's eyes in the rear-view mirror. The twinkle in them made me relax. Maybe he had been told about our goal, but even if he didn't know, surely Mrs Hinley would make sure he stayed away. I didn't trust anyone, let alone a too handsome driver who had a shit-ton of magic. Why would a witch drive around academy teachers when he could clearly do so much more?
“Yes, I'll be fine. Plus, it's a date, that's all.”
Frowning, Mrs Hinley faced the front and asked Jet to take us to our destination. When he pressed his foot on the accelerator, my stomach plummeted to my feet. The car drove around the entrance drive and went through the gates. As soon as we were past the iron spires, the scenery around us changed and the busy streets of London encapsulated the car. We had literally just jumped into the middle of the city.
“It's just up ahead, shall I park outside?”
“No!” we all barked at the same time.
A chuckle escaped him as he pulled into a side road and parked up.
My hands shook as I tucked my hair behind my ear. I had assumed that I would have a little time to get used to the idea of trying to trick someone. Was I a good actress? Well, some people would say I played cold extremely professionally, but others just thought I didn't have a kind word for anyone naturally. Some days, I was one, some days, the other.
“Now,” Mrs Hinley said, turning to look back at us. “You girls stay here. I only brought you along so you didn't get into trouble at the academy. Couldn’t have you up to no good.”
Isabel and Helissa tried to look innocent, but the teacher wasn't stupid. They would've probably hatched a plan of some sort to try and help us. She was right to bring them along, they were involved in the investigation. Plus, I needed my best friends' support.
“Jet, please help me with an invisibility spell. There's a very powerful witch in that cafe, and I don't want to risk him seeing me.”
She was being sensible. If a witch could drain another witch with a kiss, it meant they were indeed extremely powerful. We didn't want him to guess that I was onto him. We had to keep him in the dark as much as possible.
“Alishia,” Mrs Hinley started. “You go through the door first, I’ll follow right behind you. If there’s a table nearby, I’ll sit at it, if not, I’ll stand. You won’t be able to see me, so just trust that I’ll be there.”
“Be careful!” Isabel grabbed my arm and squeezed gently.
A warmth of power filtered from her and into me. I tried to shrug her off, but she held tight.
Helissa reached over and clamped a hand on my shoulder, also giving me her magic. I took a deep breath as they both stared at me, insisting that I take some of their power. It was a kind gesture, but surely they understood that I didn’t need it? Electricity could literally fill me with magic completely. Still, I whispered a thank you as they let go.
“It’s time,” Mrs Hinley announced as Jet swiped his hand over her.
She instantly disappeared from sight. Woah, it was trippy to see our own teacher use an invisibility spell. I was tempted to ask Jet to teach me how to do it. I had never mastered the spell before, although I could pull an illusion to make it look like I wasn’t there, but it didn’t last long.
“Don’t forget…” Mrs Hinley’s voice came from thin air. “…I’m right behind you. If there’s any threat, I’ll deal with it.”
My head suddenly felt heavy on my neck as the front passenger door opened. Not saying goodbye, or even looking at my friends, I dove out of my side and started to march around the corner. Mrs Hinley might be invisible, but I could still hear her high heels tapping.
“Oh, wait!” she said from behind me. “I’ll take these off.”
I had to smile to myself as I paused to check my phone. The café was up ahead, the windows reflecting the lunchtime sunlight. My hands visibly shook as I waited for Mrs Hinley to let me know she was ready. What the Mother Earth were we doing? This was crazy.
Once I had the signal from my invisible teacher, I shook my head and strode off again, laughing when she moaned about the gravelly pavement.
All sorts of fears rushed through my mind, but instead of letting them get to me, I clenched my teeth.
Okay, this was it. Tucking my phone away, I sped up. I wasn't going to prolong the suspense, it was killing me. I wanted to get this over and done with. Being an agent was all good in principal, but this was the most dangerous thing I had ever done. And quite frankly, it scared the crap out of me. Cock-sure Alishia Jones was trembling like a little witch.
Approaching the cafe door, I tried to look through the windows to see if Damian was already there. My heart skipped ten times faster when I opened the door and almost walked straight into him.
“Sorry!” we both laughed, looking awkwardly at one another.
Damian tucked his long brown hair behind his ear. I had never been attracted to guys who grew their hair out, but the shoulder length strands were so luscious, I was tempted to reach out a hand to stroke them. Luckily, I stopped myself before I made a right idiot of myself.
“Damian?” I asked, looking up at him from under my eyelashes.
Isabel had tried to teach me some seduction techniques. I had been so focused on bringing Dracian Dread to justice, I hadn’t thought twice about boys. Apparently, if I fluttered my eyelashes, I would appear demure. I almost choked as he grinned and guided me to a seat.
Obviously, I didn’t think to question why he would be walking out of the café until I’d sat down, and he had called over the waitress.
“Where you going to blow me out?”
He narrowed his eyes on me as I laughed prettily – I say prettily, it probably sounded like an awkward pre-teen when her crush said hello.
“I was actually coming to open the door for you. I
saw you approach, so I thought I’d be chivalrous.”
His own laugh was much more masculine and instantly put me on edge. He was lying through his perfectly white teeth. His eyes were guarded, not very open, and his energy radiated a strong magical current. It was almost tempting to drain him before he could do it to anyone else.
“That’s very kind, thank you.” My coy smile made him grin as our order was brought over.
Inclining his head, he sat back in his seat and appraised me. “What’s it like being a student at the academy? I do miss it.”
Nursing my tea, I copied his movements – just like Isabel taught me – and looked down into the cup. “As you know, I’ve not been there long, but I’m enjoying it. Except for my teacher’s high heels, the noise drives me mad.”
Trying not to snigger, I bit my lip. Mrs Hinley would be close by. She might not have heard what I said, but it was fun to play with her.
“Ah! Mrs Hinley, I remember. She was always a favourite of mine.” Leaning closer, he whispered as if he was telling me a secret conspiracy. “To be honest, I had a huge crush on her.”
Huh. Okay, then. Not only was the bloke mentally unhinged, which he had to be to be draining people of their magic, but he was a pervert too. Mrs Hinley was twice his age. Although, in this generation, age was just a number. Which, to be fair, I agreed with. However, Mrs Hinley and Damian? Ew. No.
“Not sure if that’s the right way to approach a date,” I said, raising my eyebrows.
Chuckling, he relaxed and took a swig of his chai tea. Yep, he was that kind of guy. Nothing wrong with looking after yourself, but I could already tell he was a pompous arse.
“I apologise,” he muttered, sitting forward again.
Apparently, he couldn’t keep still for long. Was that the anticipation of draining me or something else entirely?
“Apology accepted. So, what are you on the app for? Some fun? Something serious?”
My direct question had him frowning, which made me quiver inside. Was it too much? The slightest thing could ruin our date, including my terrible flirting skills. It hadn’t occurred to me that agents would be required to play a character. I had just assumed that I’d rock up in my awesomeness and entice him to spill his whole being to me. How wrong was I? I couldn’t even charm a beetle, let alone a powerful witch.
Undercover Witch Academy Box Set Page 19
