Academy of Magic Collection

by Angelique S Anderson et al.

  “I’m Kyra Deeds and we were both supposed to be recruited. Feel free to come back when you have your orders right. I’m sure the headmaster wouldn’t take kindly to your mistake.”

  “There has been no mistake. You have not been extended an invitation to attend the academy.”

  “Kyra stop embarrassing yourself. You do not have any power,” said Mom.

  “When I went to my bedroom, something happened and I woke up on the floor. I was going to tell you but you were fussing over Ari. I get to go too since I have powers.”

  “Kyra that is not how this works. It does not matter if you have powers or not. The headmaster does not make mistakes and he did not extend an invitation to you. I’m sorry but everybody with magical abilities do not automatically get into the academy,” said Sylvia.

  “You can go on with the life you planned,” said Dorothy. She rolled her eyes at Kyra.

  “What does it take to be accepted in the academy if it isn’t magical ability,” asked Kyra. She pulled a stick of gum out of her pocket and placed it in her mouth.

  “It requires many different factors, and I don’t have all night to educate you. I’m going to nip this in the bud now,” said Sylvia. She pulled out her cell phone and punched in the number.

  “Who are you dialing?” asked Kyra? She stood up.

  “Good. It’s after twelve-thirty. She can verify your admission and take Ari to the school, and I can make my shift on time.”

  “What about me, mom?” Kyra’s hands fisted at her side as she stood near the sofa. When mom picked up the house keys off the table, she turned to me.

  “Ari, do something.” Kyra bit her lower lip while her right leg started shaking.

  “What do you want me to do? The headmaster can verify that you have powers and reconsider admitting you to the academy so just be patient.”

  “Yes. Kyra Deeds. She is adamant that you have made a mistake,” said Sylvia.

  “I didn’t say he made a mistake, I said you made a mistake. Don’t try to get him to deny me because of your mistake.” Kyra walked toward Sylvia but mom grabbed her around the waist and covered her mouth with her hand.

  “Shut up for once in your life,” said Mom. Her eyes narrowed at Kyra before she removed her hand from her mouth.

  This night was crazy. I’m not surprised that Kyra is making a fuss and trying to get her way. She has been doing this her whole life. Just this once, I wish she’d just do the right thing. I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life and now that I’m here I don’t know what to do.

  Kyra backed up from her but grimaced when mom jerked her back to her side.

  “Ari, go to your room and pack. You don’t have time to sit here. You don’t want to keep Sylvia waiting.”

  “Thanks, mom.” I stood up. Placing a kiss on her cheek I headed to my room.

  My legs were still weak and I wasn’t sure that I could make it to my room without falling flat on my face. Who cares? Kyra was embarrassing the family enough and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop the disrespect and disdain she’s shown Sylvia tonight.

  Closing the door, I leaned up against it for strength. Looking around the room at my side, I appreciated how immaculate I kept my things. It makes packing much easier when your things are organized. Grabbing my bookbag and my duffle bag off the top shelf I folded my things neatly inside. Sinking to the bed, I placed my last pair of shoes in the bag. I’m going to miss my room.

  Glancing at Kyra’s messy side, I grabbed her bag out of the closet. Her dirty clothes were mixed with the clean clothes so there was no way I could help her pack. I’m not sure if she’s being admitted to the academy but if she is admitted she may appreciate it. Creeping to the door, I placed my ear to it. Dang. I couldn’t hear anything, so I went into the kitchen. Pouring myself some water, I watched as mom stood against the front door. Mom was ready to run out of the door and head to work. She wasn’t going to say goodbye to me.

  “Yes, I will let her know. I’ll be there right away,” said Sylvia. She slid the phone in her pocket and turned to me.

  “Headmaster, Mr. Moretti, stated that there was no mistake and that the invitation is for Arianna Deeds, but he wants to see you so you will come and speak with him directly.”

  Wow. Kyra has managed to get a chance to talk to the headmaster himself at the academy. I’m not surprised that she has done this. If there is anyone that can sweet-talk their way into the academy it’s her.

  “Let’s go finish your packing. I started it for you.” I smiled at Kyra who was shocked speechless. I was waving her over, but she stopped in the middle of the living floor staring at mom.

  “Has this happened before? Is it normal for the headmaster to request to speak with a student that was not extended an invitation?” asked mom. She looked from Sylvia to Kyra then to me.

  “No. I have never seen this situation happen before, and I have been with the academy since its inception.”

  “He probably wants to admit me to the academy himself. I’ll take his apology and join the academy after I get a feel for the place,” said Kyra. She smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

  “The headmaster has requested that I return to the academy at once, and I will be back to pick both of you up in half an hour so be ready.” Sylvia headed toward the door.

  I rushed back to my room. The beginning of our lives was just starting, and I wanted to make sure I had everything packed. An hour was just enough time for me to calm down and relax before she came back to get us. I’m nervous for Kyra, but she isn’t nervous. Opening her third dresser drawer I discovered a silver notebook under a red tee shirt. What is this? Biting my lip, I quickly thumbed through the journal. Kyra has a diary. The floorboards creaked. I closed the journal and tossed some clothes over it.

  I carried a handful of clothes out and folded them in the bag. The bedroom door opened and Kyra walked inside.

  “What took you so long to get in here? I would’ve rushed in here the moment she said I could go.” Kyra stood at the door lost in her thoughts.

  Maybe she was worried about what the headmaster had to say to her. I’m not sure I would be excited to meet him.

  “Sylvia handed mom a package when you came upstairs. Mom slid it inside of her jacket, but I saw it.”

  “So what. It was probably some information on how mom can reach us while we’re away at the academy.”

  “Ari don’t be stupid. Mom is glad to get rid of us. Well not you. You would’ve worked that job giving her all of your money until you died but not me.” Kyra threw up her hands and sat on her bed.

  Fumbling in my bag I pulled out my small mirror. My new hair color was bold for my skin color, but I guess that’s ok. I worried about mom and how she would make ends meet while we were at the academy. The house expenses should go down but she would still struggle. I would rather not argue with Kyra over mom. She must be upset that mom put a stop to her excuses.

  “Ari we’re going to the academy. Can you believe it?” Kyra looked at Joe’s cage on the desk and frowned. She walked over to the pile of dirty clothes on the floor and tossed them on her bed.

  “I started packing for you but I don’t know what clothes are clean and which are dirty. You can’t take dirty clothes with you.” I missed Joe, but what could we do. Once we left this area and went to the academy, we would never see him again.

  Kyra sniffed a paisley shirt before tossing it on her bed. “I’m taking all my stuff. There must be a way I can wash them once I get there.”

  “The room will stink.” I looked around the room. The room was cramped and bland, but it was home. Time was flying and soon we would be at the academy. I hope that Kyra won’t make trouble for us while we’re there.

  “I’m taking all my clothes. So, deal with it.” Kyra looked at her third drawer open and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Did you go through my stuff?”

  “Nope. I grabbed some clothes and folded them in your bag. I was trying to help you
pack, but you have stuff everywhere.” I opened my book bag to make sure I had the photos of mom and dad. My memories were the most precious thing to me and they were priceless.

  “Good. Don’t go through my stuff.” Kyra bent down and picked up all the clothes that were tossed haphazardly underneath her bed.

  “Is there something in there I can’t see?”

  We were going to the academy and I didn’t know what awaited us there. I know that Kyra has changed but I’m glad that she has an opportunity to see the academy. Dad said miracles happened every day and I think what I witnessed tonight was certainly a miracle.

  Once she sorted through the clothes on the bed, the room smelled like corn chips and stinky feet. If she and I are going to be sharing a room, I was guaranteed to smell her sweaty stinky feet.

  Her phone rang. Kyra dove off the bed sliding on a pile of her dirty clothes to answer the phone. Frowning, I looked at the clock. It was two in the morning. Who is calling her this late?

  “What? Are you serious?” Kyra jumped to her feet waving her hands in the air. She grabbed her coat and walked out of the bedroom.

  “You can’t leave.” Following her down the hall I yanked her to me.

  I bit my lip. What could she be so excited about that she would rush out of the house? My muscles tensed. Kyra does not listen and when she is determined to do things her way, she will.

  “I’ll meet you there in fifteen minutes.” Kyra slid the phone in her pocket. Glancing around the room she tossed her stuff on the desk before looking at me.

  “That was Trevor. He found Joe.” Kyra smiled she clasped a hand over her heart and closed her eyes.

  Tilting my head toward the ceiling I shook my head. “He didn’t find Joe.”

  “He did!” Kyra’s nostrils flared as she stomped out of the room slamming the door behind her.

  We looked everywhere for Joe. It is two in the morning. A flare of adrenaline made my heart flutter. Running out of the room, I caught Kyra down the hallway.

  “Sylvia will be here in an hour and you still need to pack.” I looked past Kyra to the clock on the wall in the hallway. Time wasn’t on our side and too much had happened for her to take a chance on not being here when Sylvia came back.

  Kyra stepped into my personal space and lifted her chin. “I’m going to get Joe. I’ll be back before Sylvia comes to get us.”

  “I’m going with you. You can’t meet him late at night alone.” I don’t like Trevor and I doubt that he has Joe. My sister’s going to be mad when she gets there and he doesn’t have Joe. She’s going to be devastated. What kind of big sister would I be if I let her go out there alone?

  “Ari, you need to stay. If I’m a little late you can stall her until I get here.” Kyra flushed and grabbed her house keys off the coffee table and slid them in her pockets

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I gasped. Slowly shaking my head, I stepped back at a loss for words. Turning around I headed for my room. I needed the rest of my energy to deal with heading to the academy. I need to have all my wits about me.

  “I need you to pack my stuff for me.” Kyra rushed out of the door slamming it in my face.

  Muttering under my breath, I locked the front door. Once in my room, I sorted her dirty clothes by color and placed them in the washing machine.

  Chapter Nine

  Cade

  “There must be some mistake.” Nathaniel Cohen was Derrick Grand’s son. How could my sister deal with that slime ball? I leaned against the wall for support. All my strength left my muscles and my legs couldn’t support my body weight.

  “I know you blame Maximus for her rape but now you know the truth,” said Liam.

  What the hell is going on? “I don’t know what is going on. How do we know the baby wasn’t Maximus’?”

  “I walked in on Derrick raping Letoya. I thought she had lied to me that day and she had. I went to a council meeting first and when the meeting was out, it was too late.”

  “He sleeps around. Why would he want her?” I closed my eyes. I didn’t pay enough attention to her. I was so focused on showing Liam that I could handle more responsibilities here at the academy.

  “He had already raped her. I almost killed him that day but Letoya didn’t want my death on her hands.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me? I don’t understand why everyone thinks Maximus raped her.”

  “Bethanny Holland found out that Letoya was pregnant. She told the whole academy that Letoya was a nasty girl who didn’t know how to prevent pregnancy.”

  Frowning, I did recall hearing Tim and the guys in the bathroom talking about her but after I knocked four of his front teeth out, he never repeated that mess again. Bethanny was not a nice girl and I’m willing to bet that she’s slept with half the guys here.

  “Maximus had asked me for Letoya’s hand in marriage, and I approved.”

  “What! How could you agree to marry her off to a werewolf? He’s a man whore.” I paced back and forth. My stomach muscles clenched and I regretted coming in here to confront him. I’m not sure I can handle the truth. Letoya and I were close, or so I thought. She never told me she loved Maximus or that she had been raped.

  “Letoya told me that she loved him more than life itself. She tried to kill herself once by not drinking blood. I believed her when she told me her hiking pack was stolen and she was knocked unconscious on Dead Man’s trail.”

  “She has never lied to you. Why do you think she did then? Dead Man’s trail has gotten more dangerous over the years.”

  “She lied. Maximus followed her recording her and when he saw that she deliberately wasn’t drinking blood he thought she was fasting until the days carried on. He is the reason she lived. He made her drink and brought her home.” He opened his safe and pulled out an old phone. Once he found the video, he handed it to me.

  “Maximus isn’t the hero. If he hadn’t paid attention to Letoya maybe Derrick wouldn’t have raped her.”

  “I asked Maximus to wait two years so that she could learn her powers before becoming a mate to a werewolf and he agreed. It was the worst mistake of my life. If I hadn’t asked him that, Derrick would not have had the chance to rape her.”

  I looked at him but he pointed to the screen. One minute passed and then I saw Letoya, hiking on the trail. The camera lingered on her butt, so I’m assuming Maximus was recording the footage. He flipped the screen and showed his face. In his pocket he pulled out an engagement ring. The same ring I saw on my sister’s finger when he buried her body.

  Blinking I wiped the tears from my cheek so that I could see my sister. Each night she poured the blood out over the mountain and went back inside. The sixth day, the video shows Maximus and a small party heading toward the cave where Letoya was asleep. Someone recorded Maximus openly weeping over Letoya’s body. He slit his wrist and poured his blood in her mouth. Letoya came to life-sucking on his wrist then she fell backwards and convulsed. After thirty minutes my sister became a werewolf and a bat. I couldn’t believe what I saw. I replayed the video again.

  “Why does everyone think Maximus raped her?”

  “He heard the rumor that Bethanny spread and spread one of his own. He said he raped her to get back at me and the vampires and werewolves were feuding.”

  “I don’t understand why he would say that.”

  “When everyone realized that Letoya sacrificed blood for her family’s honor she was vindicated, and nobody judged her.”

  “Why did she kill herself if everyone stopped judging her?”

  “Letoya couldn’t marry Maximus now that he said he had raped her, and she was doomed by the lie he spoke to save her reputation. She did not want to live if she couldn’t have Maximus.”

  “So, she killed herself.”

  “She tried. If she had been just a vampire she would have died, but Maximus’s blood runs through her veins, therefore on the seventh day she rose from the grave. Her casket is empty.”

  “What are you saying? My sister’s
been alive this whole time and you let me think she was dead.”

  “Everyone thinks she is dead. She is safer that way. She is not the same person since the transformation, and now with so many things going on it’s safer for her.”

  “There has to be another way. I can’t believe you turned your back on her.”

  “Derrick wanted to take their child and raise it to be a super soldier for his father’s political gain. What do you think he would do to Letoya?”

  “I went to Pratt Labs. Derrick was there with Walter Higgins. Derrick has made some tainted blood for vampires, and he intends to wipe us out.”

  “Did you get a sample of the poison? Please tell me you did not come back here empty-handed.” Liam ran his hands through his hair.

  “No sample. Derrick destroyed the sample that was at the lab but he said Claire Sands is the microbiologist over it, so I’ll get her.”

  “No. I’ll have Maximus do that. She will be more willing if she meets him than you, and if she gives him some trouble, he will know what to do.”

  “I can do it. You don’t have to have Maximus do that.” I pulled out my phone and showed him the picture.

  Liam shook his head at me. “Women tend to lose their heads over Maximus. It won’t be any trouble for him to gain this woman’s trust and steal the poison from her.”

  “Great I’ll put eyes on Mr. Higgins. Now let’s talk about Leonardo Romano.”

  Oh no. What has Leo done now? “Leonardo?”

  Liam walked over to his desk and poured himself a glass of blood from his private decanter that he kept locked up. “He has left the academy grounds and is not safe. I know you probably know where he is, so bring him back. Make it clear that leaving school grounds is not permitted.”

  “Sure.” There were several places Leonardo could be right now. Normally my best friend didn’t get on my nerves with his sneaking off campus, but now wasn’t the time to be defiant.

  My hand was on the doorknob when his voice broke through my thoughts.

  “I will find her if it’s the last thing I do. We will be a family again.”