Infernal

by Cara E Holt

  “You know, I wouldn’t get too comfy here at the academy. Witches like you don’t belong here.” He warns me coldly, his pale eyes boring into mine.

  I step into his personal space, and fold my arms across my chest. “Oh well do tell, where does a witch like me belong?”

  He glowers, looking down at me, and I hate that he has a good height advantage over me. “This academy is for those of good breeding, letting the likes of you attend will sully its reputation.”

  I scoff, could you believe this jumped up prick?! I pick up the bottom of his tie and flick it with my fingers up into his face. “Well you need to learn to get over it ice man, because I am here to stay.”

  His jaw tics in irritations as he straightens his tie down. “We’ll see about that little raven.” He turns and gives me his back and knocks forcibly on a door from behind which, loud music could be heard.

  The door flings open and reveals a girl with black and purple hair. “What?”

  Ice man gestures with his head to where I am stood. “Your new room-mate. Don’t get too used to her though, she won’t be staying long.” He shoulders past me, glaring at me as he goes.

  “Arsehole.” I mutter out loud, and I figure he must hear me, as his steps falter for a second before he continues on out of sight.

  The girl lets out a long whistle. “So, you managed to piss off one of the most powerful witches at the academy.”

  “Who ice man?” I gesture with my thumb down the corridor where he just left.

  “Ice man?” She laughs. “Quite an apt nickname.” She holds the door open wider. “Well come in roomy.”

  The dorm room is a lot bigger than I expected with double beds on either side of the room. There’s even room in here for a small red sofa. One large window looks out across the back of the academy towards the woods.

  “That’s your bed over there.” She points to a neatly made bed with grey covers and pillows as she flings herself down on her bed and watches me take in the room.

  “So, you look like a Megan? Or maybe a Chloe?”

  “Elara Latimer.” I inform her. I place my bag down on my bed and using my magic start to empty it. My books float across the room and onto an empty shelf over my bed.

  “Well Elara Latimer, cool name by the way, I am Norah De Meath.” My brows rise in recognition of the name and she nods. “Yes, I’m a De Meath. Daddy dearest sits on the Wiccan council, and yes I know I look nothing like a Norah. Poor Dad, he was hoping for a quiet, bright studious daughter with a name like Norah, but instead he got me.” She stands and comes over to look at the photo I have just placed on the bedside table. “Your parents? Your Dad looks a fox. So, Latimer huh?”

  I chuckle. “Never heard of us then?”

  She chews on her lip ring. “Nope, but then as Dad dearest likes to remind me often, I am somewhat ignorant of who is who.”

  I sit on my bed and shake off my shoes, curling my legs up beside me. “We are a coven very low down on the pecking order.”

  Norah grins. “Interesting. So how did Elara Latimer end up here then?”

  I shrug my shoulders. “Anonymous application made on my behalf.”

  “Ooh now that is interesting. In fact, you are getting more interesting by the minute. First off, tell me how did you manage to piss off Black?”

  I blink and look up at her. “Black?”

  She nods. “Yup Black. Ice man, as you like to call him is otherwise known as Drayce Black of the Black coven. One of the oldest and most powerful covens of our history. He also rules this place and is clearly none too happy that you are here.”

  I snort in response. “Well that explains the arrogant, conceited attitude. That guy is a first class dick.”

  Norah laughs. “Dick he may be, but he is the most jaw-droppingly, juicy guy in this place and he has the lady witches queuing up to sample the Black goods.”

  I roll my eyes. “Well I won’t be joining that queue anytime soon. The guy is a snob.”

  Norah chews on her lip ring again. “I have to warn you, he is not good to have as an enemy. He has a lot of influence here.”

  I sigh. “I can handle Black. Now what is there to do for fun around here?”

  Norah grins. “Oh girl, you and I are going to get along famously.”

  Guys like him do not Worry Me.

  My alarm sounds at seven thirty the next morning and I open my eyes and it takes me a minute to remember where I am. My first official day at Thorne Shadow academy. I stretch out and run my hands through my long dark hair that feels a tangled mess. Norah’s bed is already empty and I can hear the sound of the shower. I didn’t have her down as an early riser. I make my way over to the small kitchenette area and pour water into a cup “Calor.” I order, and the water heats up instantly and I add in two sugars and one spoon of coffee.

  “Morning roomy.” Norah greets cheerfully as she steps out from the bathroom in her academy uniform.

  I hated that we had to wear a uniform; I mean we were adults; this was the witch equivalent of human university. And although we may be adults in human terms, in the Wiccan world we were not classed as fully matured witches until we were twenty-one. As children we were home schooled within our covens. The humans viewed us as some kind of weird pagan cult and pretty much left us to ourselves. Most covens lived within a gated community, away from the prying eyes of humans. I was always fascinated with humans growing up and their complete ignorance of the supernatural world that existed around them.

  “Hurry up and get ready then we can head down for food. I could eat a stale horses arse I am that hungry.” She takes the coffee from my hand and takes a sip. “Urgh, that needs more sugar.”

  Watching her walk off with my coffee, I head to the bathroom and have a quick shower and dress. When I head back into our room Norah whistles.

  “Damn girl you really work that uniform. If I didn’t love dick so much you could sure turn me to the other side.”

  I look down at my grey pleated skirt, white blouse edged in red piping. Somehow overnight the Orange fire elemental badge has been sewn onto my blouse. My look is finished off grey knee length socks. I have swept my long hair up into a messy bun on my head.

  I follow Norah down to breakfast as she chatters away about who arranges the best parties around here. The dining hall is huge and a hive of activity when we reach its doors. Norah takes me over to a counter that has every possible breakfast option you could imagine. She piles her plate with food. I have no idea where she puts it all as she is as thin as a pin. I help myself to some eggs and toast and orange juice and follow her over to a table.

  “Hey bitches! I want you all to meet Elara, my new roomy and potential soul-sister.” She plonks herself down beside a guy with curly afro hair and skin the colour of chocolate. “Sit.” She commands gesturing at the seat opposite her which sits between two girls, one who has a bleach blonde pixie cut and nose and eyebrow piercings and on the other side of me a girl with thick black glasses and her blonde hair is styled into tight plaits. “This is Caspian, but everyone calls him Cas. Glasses here is Ayla, and that is Selene.”

  Caspian smiles and gives me a salute as he tucks into his food. Selene winks and raises her glass and Ayla just offers me a shy smile.

  “Where’s Xan?” Norah asks scanning the hall.

  Caspian chuckles. “He’s getting in some extra-curricular time in the library.”

  By the way he grins, I can tell he doesn’t mean of the studying type. Norah rolls her eyes. “Xan is an utter man-whore, and I’m beginning to think a sex addict.”

  “Good for Xan.” I mutter as I tuck into my food. I look at the group sat around me. Cas is a fire like myself and Norah, Ayla an air and Selene earth.

  I don’t know what pulls my gaze over to the left side of the room, but my eyes find ice man glaring at me from where he sits eating. “Jeez, he really has a problem with me.”

  Norah follows my eyes and clocks Blacks angry stare. “Yep, he definitely doesn’t like you.”
<
br />   Cas sniggers. “Good luck then girl. No one wants Black as an enemy.”

  I meet Drayce Blacks stare full on and purse my lips and blow him a kiss.

  Selene whistles. “Girl, you have a death wish.”

  I shrug as I pull my eyes away from his and concentrate on my food. “Guys like Drayce Black don’t worry me.”

  After breakfast, I head to my first lecture which is Wiccan history. I loved history, the past was such an important part of who we are today, and it fascinated me. I enter the room and slide along a bank of seats until I’m seated at the far end. The room starts to fill up and a guy slides along the bench and sits beside me. He pulls out his books and then starts rooting around in the bottom of his bag, muttering to himself.

  “Hey do you have a spare magic pen?” My eyes find his face and I am met with deep green eyes. He was the earth principes.

  Nodding, I reach down into my bag and give him my spare one that has a chewed lid. He looks at the lid and grins at me. “Did you get hungry?”

  I laugh. “Yeah, kind of a bad habit of mine.”

  “I’m Kavan.” He offers me his hand.

  “Elara.” I tell him taking his hand and shaking it.

  “Elara, you were almost in my house right?” He leans back in his seat, and his t-shirt lifts slightly and reveals a hint of his muscular stomach.

  “Yes, the font couldn’t seem to make its mind up.”

  “Shame, instead you ended up in black’s house.” When he says black’s name he sneers.

  “You don’t like Black?”

  He smiles. “You could say that. I’m a Bennett.”

  “Oh.” I reply. That explained everything. The Blacks and the Bennett’s hated each other. Centuries ago a female Bennett witch had been betrothed to a Black witch, only she was already in love with a vampire. The Black coven found out and had her vampire lover staked, and her punishment was that she was burned at the stake. She was sentenced to death even though she carried her unborn lover’s child in her belly. Legend has it that as the flames reached her, she had cursed the Black family that all female black witches would be born barren, and therefore unmarriageable. Carsten Black counter-cursed the Bennett coven cursing all Bennett born females would meet their deaths before their twenty-first birthday. They were both coven power houses who often married and strengthened their coven powers and from there on they became complete enemies. Both curses held true too. All Bennett females born thereafter died before they reached maturity, and all Black females were born barren and unable to continue to Black line. Both covens used magic to stop the births of any more females in their covens. The Bennett’s couldn’t take seeing anymore of their females perish, and the blacks had no use for female witches that were barren and could not forge links with other covens, and birth the next generation of witches. Two curses, that destroyed two covens and all because a witch dared to love someone that was not chosen for her.

  “Well it looks like we have something in common.” I tell him and he quirks his brow in curiosity. “Turns out Black doesn’t like the likes of a witch such as me from the lowly Latimer coven attending this academy.”

  Kavan grins and leans into me. “Welcome to the club.”

  The professor enters and ends our conversation. Kavan seemed like a decent guy, he was also hot too and I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was something familiar about him.

  As the lecture draws to an end and I’m packing up my bag I have to ask him.

  “Hey, have we met before? I feel like I know you from somewhere?”

  Kavan grins at me again as he stands and throws his bag over his shoulder. “I don’t think so, but I’m looking forward to getting to know you.” With that he gives me a sexy half-smile before heads off out the room. Was it hot in here? I fan my face.

  The morning passes uneventfully, and I make my way to lunch seeking out Norah. There is an extra body at their table who I can only presume is Xan.

  I take my seat next to Norah and feel Xan’s eyes scan me from my head down.

  “Xan, this is Elara.”

  He snakes out his hand and winks at me. He has a buzz cut and deep hazel eyes that twinkle with mischievousness.

  “Hey Xan.” I place my hand in his and he pulls it towards him and kisses it.

  “Hello beautiful.” He looks to Norah. “You didn’t tell me she was hot?”

  Norah shrugs. “Well now you know.” She turns her attention to me. “Be warned, he’s relentless when he gets you in his sights.”

  “Oh she is definitely in my sights.” He licks his lips as he looks me over again and I fidget uncomfortably in my seat. “Is there a witch waiting for you at home beautiful?”

  I scoff. “No. I like to dabble with other supernaturals.”

  Selene grins. “Let me guess werewolves? Man, they are so charged with testosterone and stamina.”

  “I’m more of a vampire kind of girl.”

  Norah laughs. “I’m more of a demon kind of girl.”

  Xan shakes his head looking around the table at us all. “Girls, girls, when are you going to realise that witches do it better.”

  Cas chuckles. “I don’t know man, that vampire I pulled that night last summer she gave me a night to remember.”

  That was one thing about witches, we were very sexual creatures. Being married off at twenty-one also made us desperate to experiment beforehand. Sex in the supernatural world was enjoyed freely and not as taboo a subject as it was in the human world. It was incredibly rare for a witch to reach twenty-one and still be a virgin. I lost my virginity at fifteen to a male witch from my coven in a utility room at a party. My second experience had been with a vampire in a toilet cubicle in a club and discovering the double effect of being fed on whilst having sex was like a drug, it gave a double rush. For the last six months Dagen had been the one who had fed my appetite. It wasn’t a relationship, more like friends with benefits. I knew he slept with other supernaturals, he knew I did, and we had both been okay with that.

  Xan leans into my ear. “I can bite your neck and suck your blood if that’s what you need beautiful.”

  I laugh and drop a kiss on his cheek. “Let’s try friends first.”

  He grins, his eyes sparkling with devilment. “Friends who get naked, I’m thinking.”

  “See what I mean? Insatiable.” Norah tells me as she throws a chunk of bread at Xan’s head.

  You Have got to be Kidding Me?

  My first lecture after lunch is physical defence, where we learned to fight and defend ourselves. The supernatural races liked to intermingle when it came to sex, but that didn’t mean that there hadn’t been many a war between the different species. I also wanted to become a guardian and help maintain the Wiccan law of our people. I changed into the standard school black leggings and vest top and tied my hair into a high ponytail on my head. I was a natural with daggers and had been training with them since I was little. I enter the training arena and take my seat next to a small girl with blonde wavy hair and big blue eyes.

  “Hi I’m Loralei.”

  “Elara.”

  Lorelai fidgets with her hands as if anxious. “Are you nervous?” I ask her.

  She laughs. “Nervous and excited. I mean HE is training us, that means we get to see him in action.” She mock fans herself.

  “Who is he?”

  “Okay everyone on their feet.” A deep voice demands, that has my eyes widening in horror.

  You have got to be kidding me? There stood before us in the arena is Drayce Black. Stood in black cargo pants and a muscle vest, he oozes sex appeal. His forehead is marred with a deep frown as his eyes scan over us all. To his right is a female with long red hair that is tied up in pigtails, she too looks fierce and a force to be reckoned with. Next to her is a guy with hair the ame colour red as the girl and I realise they must be twins. He like Drayce, is nothing but solid muscle.

  “Okay here you will learn basic defence moves before we go on to the more in-depth stuff. You will l
isten to our instruction and do as you are told.”

  I roll my eyes. “Dickwad.”

  I must say that louder than I intended as several shocked eyes fall upon me.

  “You have something to say about my rules Latimer?” Black’s eyes bore into mine and he clenches his jaw in irritation. “Let’s have you down here first then shall we?”

  The room is deathly silent and everyone looks at me like I have a death wish. Lorelai gives me a sympathetic smile. With my head held high, I make my way down the steps to the front.

  Drayce points to a wall. “Choose your poison Latimer.”

  I walk over to the wall and immediately spot two daggers and smile as I take them in my hands and get a feel for them.

  “Stop dallying Latimer.” He barks, and I turn to find him armed and ready with an axe. He stands in a fighting position, and looks every inch the deadly male that he is.

  He waits for me to make the first move, which I do spinning and bringing my daggers round from over my shoulders. He immediately blocks me with his axe and kicks a leg out and knocks me to the floor. I quickly jump back onto my feet and hold my daggers in front of me. His eyes flash with challenge at me and then he somersaults and lands behind me. Acting quickly I roll forward and put distance between us. I charge at him and he moves towards me and slides down and hits my legs just bellow my knees bringing me down. Before I can so much as blink, he is on top of me and has me pinned down. His hands hold my hands and daggers captive above my head. He grins smugly and leans down into my ear.

  “Where you belong little raven, on the floor, underneath those who are better than you.”

  He jumps to his feet and addresses the students. “Okay, a lesson for you all. Don’t come in here thinking you know it all. You don’t. Listen and learn. Okay Thorin and Meara will split you into pairs, and we will work on defence stances today.” He turns his attention back to me and takes the daggers from my hands. “You Raven. Twenty laps around the arena.”