When she reached me, I pulled the trigger of the gun. A bullet flew, lodging straight into her chest. She gasped as she tumbled forward, almost falling into me. I wasn’t any ordinary Illusionist witch, I could make pain feel real. No, she wasn’t actually shot, but she didn’t know that.
“Bloody hell,” the man shouted as he raised his empty bow.
An arrow appeared, poised on the string for a second before he let it loose. It flew towards me, the speed unlike anything I had ever seen. Diving to the side, I felt the fletching graze my calf as I landed on the ground.
“Shit,” I muttered, rubbing the sting on my leg as my friends urged me to get up.
I hadn’t taken the professor seriously when he had suggested that we participate in sports. He had encouraged all students to train our hearts to be able to face combat with endurance. Right now, as I managed to get to my feet, my breath was puffing in and out, desperately trying to keep my heart pumping.
“I will hurt you!” the man shouted as he drew nearer.
He still hesitated, even though his bow was reloaded. If he was under strict instructions not to kill me, he wouldn’t take the risk.
Although, he was pissed. His mouth distorted as I readied myself, his teeth elongating. Wait, did he have vampire in him? But he was a witch, wasn’t he?
His knees bent as he launched, dropping his weapon in mid-air.
I held up my hands, pulling on a fire spell. “Not before I hurt you!” I cried, ducking when a blast of fire escaped my hands.
He managed to twist out of the way, landing on the hard ground next to me. I yelped as he turned slowly, his eyes turning red for a split second before they went back to normal. What the Mother Earth was that? I had never seen such a thing. Did that mean he was malevolent?
“Alishia!” my friends shouted.
Oh, yeah, he was about to kill me. And I couldn’t stop him. My magic was depleting and so was my energy. I had no idea what I was doing, I was no match for the institute, I was just a girl.
Time seemed to slow down as the man extended his arm towards me. Jumping back, I tripped, my legs almost cartwheeling out from under me.
A howl echoed through the air when a crack resounded across the park. Before I knew what was happening, the man fell to his butt as both of his legs distorted under him at weird angles.
Scrambling to my feet, I backtracked, only stopping when arms came around me. I tried to fight them, but Dracian’s soothing voice made me slump against him.
Frankie appeared from nowhere, instantly going over to the enemy. As soon as he reached him, he pulled out a knife and plunged it into the man’s chest.
I buried my head in Dracian’s shirt as the gurgle of blood rising up the man’s throat reached my ears. Dracian’s arms held me tightly, his breath soft on my cheek as he lowered his head and kissed my skin briefly.
“It’s okay, they’re all gone.”
His whispered words made me take a deep breath.
He was wrong. They weren’t all gone, there were hundreds of them. Probably.
The institute wasn’t going to take me lying down, but boy, they would do everything in their power to get me. I couldn’t let them take me, I had to somehow, someway, take them down first.
“Is everyone okay?” Frankie called.
The girls were huddled together near the lake, their eyes wide and their almost naked bodies pale in the shadows. James stood on guard in front of them.
They glanced around, checking to see if anyone else would attack. When they were sure it was safe, they spelled themselves dressed and hurried over.
“How did you know to come here?” I muttered to Frankie, who wiped the blood on his knife with a piece of cloth that appeared from nowhere.
Dracian let me go when I gently disentangled myself. A smile passed between us as I brushed his fingers with my own. It was about time I thanked him properly. But later. Much later. When it was dark. Well, darker.
Shaking my head of my crazy thoughts, I faced Frankie, waiting for an answer. His expression was cool and calm, which didn’t match my own. Considering he had just killed a person, he was acting like nothing had happened. My own body was quaking like a washing machine.
“There’s something you don’t know about me.” Pursing his lips, he cleared his throat as he shuffled on his feet.
His cool demeanour faded when the others gathered behind me, waiting to hear what he had to say. My eyes traced past him to the three dead bodies on the floor.
Frankie had been able to find me, even without normal magic. That wasn’t usual for an Illusionist witch. Was there something more to the bartender? Something that I hadn’t ever questioned?
“What is it?” I asked, my gaze coming back to him. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Tucking his knife in his jacket, he straightened his spine. My heart pounded in my ears, even though I had no idea what he was about to say.
“Alishia, I’m an undercover cop for the human government. We’re trying to trace the institute, and we need your help.”
Ah, crap. And there went my semi peaceful evening in the arms of Dracian Dread. It seemed a war was about to erupt, and I was in the middle of it.
Undercover Witch Academy: Third Year
By Rachel Medhurst
Copyright 2019 © Rachel Medhurst
Please note that the author is English so spelling is in British English.
Chapter One
My nerves jangled as I traipsed down the corridor, the lights ahead flashing occasionally. Anyone would think I was in a horror film, the viewers waiting for a scary creature to jump out at me. And yet, I was probably in one of the least scary places in the world.
“We’ve invited you in to explain what’s going on,” Frankie said as he led us to a dingy office.
The glass door was frosted with some random detective’s name on it. It was so stereotypical, I almost laughed. Almost.
It had been a week since the police had cleaned up my mess. Three dead bodies had to be hidden quickly, especially from the institute. Frankie had been worried about the institute’s penchant for finding people, so he assured me that they would make the bodies disappear forever.
“Are you up for this?” Mrs Hinley asked as we filtered into the room.
Nodding, I studied the stark stained white walls and the cork board covered in pictures I couldn’t quite decipher. The smell of coffee surrounded me as I sat in a standard cushioned chair near the desk.
Professor Seaton and Dracian followed us in, standing awkwardly in the corner of the room, watching as a man I had never met before came in and sat behind the desk.
Glancing up at Seaton, the detective nodded. The jowls hanging from his chin wobbled as he gestured for Frankie to close the door.
“Welcome, welcome. My name is Detective Rollings. This is a little unorthodox, considering we’re human…” Looking up when Frankie tutted, he rolled his eyes. “… Well, mostly… and you’re paranormals.”
“Can you please fill us in?” Professor Seaton crossed his arms over his Kiss T-shirt as he leant against the wall. “Frankie told me what happened with the institute that night, but I’m still in the dark about your involvement.”
“Of course,” the detective said, pushing his mousey brown mop out of his eyes.
He was the same age as the head teacher but with a much bigger beer belly and squinty eyes. I wasn’t usually a judgemental person, not when I could help it. However, as my gaze traced the box of cakes on the nearby table, I couldn’t help but shake my head. Although, I could murder a jam doughnut, to be fair.
“We’re working for the government to track the institute.” Turning in his seat, he gestured to the cork board behind him. “As you can see, it’s a little complicated. They’re a clever institution and no one knows anything about them, not even the government.”
“I thought the government had to authorise all paranormal authorities,” Dracian interrupted.
His dark hair was brushed back f
rom his forehead, revealing his mysterious eyes. Eyes that had gazed into mine numerous times over the last week. We had tried to get on with our lives, but I hadn’t been left alone. I was always chaperoned by at least one of my friends.
Inclining his head, the detective pursed his lips. “Yes, you’re right, my boy. However, the institute have cropped up out of nowhere. Paranormals started going missing six months ago. We don’t even know the real name of the institution. Nor does the government.”
“Naturally,” Frankie butted in. “…We’re concerned.”
Frowning, I looked at my new friend. “How did you come to be involved with the human police?”
His cheeks blossomed pink as he glanced between me and his boss. “Illusionist witches sometimes help humans to investigate paranormal crimes. Mostly, the government leaves it to the agencies, but occasionally, we’re called in to aid when the government-”
Clearing his throat loudly, Detective Rollings interrupted Frankie. My friend quickly shut his mouth, ducking his head to show submission. Huh, was Frankie really going to let the brute of a man dictate to him? He was human. Although, that was kind of human-ist, so I had to keep my thoughts under control.
“Several students at your academy have had parents or relatives go missing. It’s not surprising, considering only the most intelligent witches get to attend, so their parents usually have money or skills.”
“Except mine,” I muttered under my breath.
The room went quiet. Ah, it seemed I had spoken a little louder than I’d anticipated. Oops.
Shuffles of feet and uncomfortable coughs made me squirm in my seat. Should I tell a joke, just to direct the attention away from me?
“You’re at the academy on your own merit,” Professor Seaton said, running a hand through his shaggy greying hair. “Never forget that.”
His gaze was penetrating, forcing me to look away. It was as if he was willing me to believe him, which I kinda did… but it would be a long time until I could be persuaded that I was really and truly kickass. Even if I might pretend now and then.
“I was placed in the bar to keep an eye on academy students.” Frankie smiled when I narrowed my gaze on him.
“Did you know who I was when you hired me?” I asked.
He shook his head, a sad smile crossing his face. “No. When you turned up, I did a search on your history. Mainly to check for the job, but I had access to the record about your parents so I found out then.”
Dropping my eyes, I muttered under my breath. “Bonus for you.”
“Alishia,” Mrs Hinley warned. “Please don’t be rude.”
“It’s okay.” Frankie held a hand to his chest. “I’ve come to know Alishia. Not only that, she reminds me a lot of how I used to be.”
Swallowing, I bit the side of my cheek to stop myself from being an immature child. The man had no idea who I was or what I had been through. Just because he was an Illusionist witch, didn’t mean we were the same. At all.
“Alishia has been through hell,” Dracian chimed in. “I’m not sure many of us have found our parents the same way she did. Have we?”
Heads ducked as throats were cleared. A warmth enveloped me as I threw a thank you smile across to my… er, friend? I wasn’t quite sure what we were at the moment, but he winked in return.
Detective Rollings coughed, drawing our attention back to him. “We had no idea the institute wanted Alishia. It wasn’t until Frankie rang in with the body count last week that we realised that they might have been trying to get to Alishia all along. Not her parents.”
“Hello?” I said, waving a hand at the detective. “I’m right here.”
He had been speaking to Professor Seaton, ignoring almost everyone else in the room. Why was patriarchy still a thing? It should’ve been illegal a long time ago.
Deigning to look at me, Detective Rollings blinked several times. “We’re not sure why they want you, so we’d like to question both you and Mr Dread about your parents. Is there any obvious reason you think they might be after you?”
My gaze skipped to Dracian’s and back before I shook my head. “No, I have no idea.”
If the humans weren’t aware of my skill, I wasn’t about to tell them all about it. Frankie hadn’t believed me when I’d tried to show him what I could do. Even now, he shuffled on his feet, avoiding my gaze. A sign of relief resounded inside me at his ignorance. If he had realised my gift, he might have come straight back to the police and told them. Maybe my cocksure idea of helping other Illusionist witches had to be buried. For my own protection.
“From what we’ve managed to research so far, parents who have gone missing have clever witch skills or could be seen as a threat to paranormal society.”
“Like Damian’s parents?” I asked, shrugging when Mrs Hinley hissed in my direction.
Oh dear, Damian was in the custody of the Hunted Witch Agency. Maybe my slip of the tongue would affect their investigation and bring even more attention to what had been happening at the academy.
“We know about Mr Future’s parents. He came to us, asking for assistance. We’re looking into all cases.” Rollings took out a cigarette, offering it to Frankie.
“Which means you won’t bother doing much about it,” Dracian murmured.
Mrs Hinley tutted and stepped in front of the desk, her heels clicking for the two paces she had to walk to get there. “I apologise on behalf of our students. They’ve both been through a terrible ordeal.”
Inclining his head as he took out a cigarette for himself, Rollings mustered a smile for the pretty teacher. His jowls jangled as he puffed before replying.
“Of course, Mrs Hinley. We know the human police don’t have the best reputation in the investigative field, but I’ve got top detectives on this case.”
Leaning on the desk, Mrs Hinley tapped his hand where it rested on the surface. “And can you tell me how safe the academy is from the institute right now?”
His eyebrows pulled low as he opened his mouth. Clearly struggling, he wrestled with something as he glanced at Frankie.
“Please stop, Mrs Hinley” the professor interrupted. “I’m sure if we had asked nicely, the detective would’ve told us the truth.”
Stepping back, Mrs Hinley huffed as she placed her hands on her hips. The glance she threw over her shoulder was hard, almost accusing.
“We want to help,” Frankie butt in before Mrs Hinley could go banshee crazy on her husband. “There’s no need for magic in here.”
Ah, for a second there, I had been baffled, assuming that the detective had gained such a hard on for the teacher, he couldn’t speak. Apparently, I had been way off.
“Your academy is safe for the moment, but we don’t know for how long.” Frankie came closer to Mrs Hinley, warning her with his presence.
Dropping her spell to gain the truth from the detective, she moved back to stand beside her husband, who didn’t bother to glance in her direction. Instead, he kept his attention on Frankie, apparently respecting the witch more than the human.
“What information do you have on the institute? We have to know what we’re up against so we can defend ourselves.”
Shuffling to his feet, the detective waved at Frankie to deal with it. Going to the corner of the room, the man lit his cigarette, apparently not caring about our wellbeing as smoke rose into the air. We were just witches after all.
Leaning against the desk, Frankie crossed his legs at the ankles. “The institute is an organisation that seems to have popped up out of nowhere. As you know, witches are disappearing or dying rapidly. Each one of them has a skill or they’re a threat.”
“Hence my father being put in prison,” Dracian said, kicking the corner of the chair in front of him. “He was a genius, able to mix magic and science. They obviously felt threatened.”
Nodding in response, Frankie leant behind him and picked up a file with Dracian’s father’s name on it. “Yes, he was taken away, your father. He wrote to you to inform you that he was
in prison. We’ve only just started our investigation into your family, so we hope to have more information for you soon.”
Clearing my throat, I wrung my hands together in my lap. “You’re going to keep us up to date?”
“Of course we are,” the detective barked from across the room. “That’s our job.”
“The name of the organisation is actually a nickname. We don’t know what term these people use to describe themselves.” Frankie picked up another file with my family name on it. “We have interviewed your foster parents.”
My skin popped, the hairs raising on the goose bumps that erupted. The thought of those people made my stomach roll. They had been horrible to me, but they did have information on the institute. I had heard them whisper that they had been offered a lot of money to give me up to them. The people in black suits who chased me the day I turned eighteen had been the obvious giveaway that they’d accepted the deal.
“I’ve known about the institute for years,” I said. “My parents mentioned them, which means they’ve been around for a long time. And you still don’t know what they’re actually called?”
I was expecting a tut or reprimand from Mrs Hinley, but when I glanced at her, she was watching Frankie closely, waiting for the same answer.
“The government have had a couple of other agencies working on the case.”
“Paranormal ones?” Seaton asked.
Looking over to the detective, Frankie raised his eyebrows. With a sigh, the detective nodded as smoke blew out of his mouth. The cloud started to gather above our heads, making me cough.
With a wave of a hand, Dracian chanted a spell and the smoke disappeared. No one blinked, not even the human.
“Yes. Paranormal MI5 were the main guys, but the government don’t trust them. Don’t forget that the government have strict laws for paranormals in order to allow the human race to survive.”
A groan left Dracian’s lips, but I understood why the government were so harsh. I had seen the power that witches, shifters, vampires and other creatures had. Youtube had a secret section for paranormals and the shit we got up to put our race to shame.
Undercover Witch Academy Box Set Page 25
