Winter's Awakening (Light Coven Chronicles Book 1)

by Alessandra Jay

  Slowing down, I retrieve the paper with my dorm information on it. It reads to drive to the south campus. But that can’t be right. The student guide says that all first and second year students stay in the main campus. I get the map and easily find my way to the south side. As I'm coming up the hill, my mouth falls open when I see the townhouses lined up next to each other. They're beautiful and secluded. It’s quiet over here, compared to the bustling and noisy main campus. Finding the main building for this area was easy. It is big and blue. Next to the rust-colored red brick you see on the townhouses, the blue really stands out. I park my car and decide to leave everything inside, aside from the letter stating this is where I will be living. I'm sure they're going to be sending me back to the main campus anyway. Quickly closing my door and taking long strides, I only get halfway there when a car comes screeching from around the corner. This is the norm at college, right?

  He quickly takes the parking spot right next to mine, but he doesn't get out. The person in the passenger side is the first to exit the white SUV. And suddenly my heart skips a beat. The world around me fades away. I see nothing else, only him. Breathless, I can’t tear my eyes away from admiring him. He’s incredibly tall, with natural olive skin and a deliciously built body. Chocolate brown curls that reach the nape of his neck bounce, as he walks to the trunk. I would love to be up close, so I could marvel at him from a shorter distance.

  Even without seeing his eyes, I’m already hooked. As soon as the thought leaves my mind, he turns his head in my direction, and every fiber of my being melts into a puddle of mush. The second his eyes lock on mine, I feel like the butterflies in my stomach have turned electric. A dizzying, lighting-like warmth begins at the top of my spine, rushing its way down to my toes. My body breaks out in goosebumps, as I shiver from the intensity of his stare. I lift my hands to cover my arms, as I rub them back to their smooth surface then I watch him as he mirrors the same movements.

  I don’t think I’ve blinked once. Afraid that if I do, he’ll disappear. His eyes are even more gorgeous than I could have ever imagined. From where I'm standing, they look like honey, nearly yellow. I can see his thick and long black eyelashes as he squints his big round puppy dog eyes, as if in deep thought. Then as his full and lush lips turn up into a mouthwatering smirk, I instantly get lost in a deep trance. One that I don’t want to get out of. I could look at him all day. “Hello? Do you need help, miss?” A raspy voice behind me asks. “Ma’am?” he tries again. This time slowly but surely succeeding in breaking the trance.

  “Huh?” I moan in a syrupy voice. Everything is gradually coming back into perspective. My thoughts are jumbled, and I can still feel the goosebumps on my arms. “Are you all right?” The stranger asks with concern. Shutting my eyes and shaking my head, I attempt to bring myself back from feeling so numb. When I reopen them, a short older man with a full head of gray hair stands before me, with suspicious and hooded eyes. “I'm okay, thanks. The long drive must have gotten to me,” I lie. With slightly shaky hands, I lift the paper to the gentleman. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I'm a freshman, and my program says to come here to the south campus.”

  He nods his head and instructs me to follow him inside, keeping an obvious close watch on me. Great. This is not the kind of attention I want to bring to myself, when I'm trying to start a new, happy, and caster-free life. I trail the old man to the front doors, but I can’t stop myself from attempting to get one last look at the gorgeous stranger. He’s leaning up against the front of the SUV, with his arms crossed in front of his chest. When I link eyes with him once more, I feel the electric warmth slowly crawling its way down my spine again, causing me to shiver anew. He notices and gives me the most lavish smile that I’ll be dreaming about for years. We get to the front door and I unexpectedly bump right into the old man’s back. He grunts and shakes his head disapprovingly.

  “Sorry,” I say sheepishly. Suddenly it felt like someone was breathing down my neck. Hot and murky breath disgustingly slivers down my back. I instantly bring my hand up to my neck, and it goes away. It was like nothing I’ve ever encountered before. But I stop myself from looking back to investigate what it was. The last thing I need is to be known as the weird new girl. Just before the door closes, I see the hot guy’s reflection on the glass door, and he’s now standing upright with obvious dismay all over his face. His shoulders are squared and the beautiful smile he had has turned into a sneering frown.

  What just happened? Why would he be so tense all of a sudden? My thoughts are back to being a scattered mess. Thankfully, when the door slams shut, it’s enough to bring me back to the here and now. The old man walks ahead of me, and I have to jog to catch up. We arrive at a long rectangular desk, to a woman that looks like she would rather be anywhere else but here.

  He tells her, “Holly, this young woman is a freshman, and her registration paper says she’s staying here. Can you help her?” She turns her vicious blue eyes on me, clearly sizing me up, as she pops her gum and rolls her eyes. “Name?” She rudely asks. The old man walks away, chuckling under his breath. “Um, Scarlet Winter.” I meekly nod my head at her. “Your information isn't wrong. It says here you've been placed in the south campus with two other freshmen. Lucky you. You get one of the three brand-new townhouses they built just this year,” she sarcastically says. I could swear I hear a hint of jealousy in her tone.

  What kind of first day is this? She prints two pieces of paper and hands them to me, along with a golden set of keys. Dramatically sitting back down, completely cutting me out and ignoring my presence, I awkwardly back away and leave. Hopefully I won’t be seeing too much of Holly here. Walking to exit the building, I notice the white SUV is there but the guy is not. Weirdly disappointed, I slowly make my way back to my car. As I'm getting in, I lift the papers to read them. The first page has my housing information, meal plans, bus schedule, and the vast list of facilities the south campus has to offer. The second page is a letter from Dad.

  Honey,

  You made it! I'm so proud of you and want you to be comfortable while you're here pursuing your dreams! I got you into this side of the campus. Just don't ask how. I hope you like it! Call me when you have time.

  Love you always,

  Dad

  ***

  Meet Evan

  I don’t know why I agreed to let my cousin Derek drive my SUV. His taste in music is not to my liking, and his lead foot is obnoxious. I'm thankful his brother Lucas is here with us. Although Derek is closer to my age, I always got along better with Lucas. Luke is much calmer and collected than his brother. It was his idea to come to Syracuse. Derek and I just followed him. That’s where we are headed to now. Derek is pretty much only tagging along for the college parties and the girls. That’s no surprise, though. I want to learn everything there is about the mortal world and how it differs from my world, the world of casters.

  Despite the fact that we’re casters and it has its unlimited benefits, sometimes Lucas and I think the mortals have it better. They don’t have to deal with demons, black magic, or Caster Matches. It appears that they have it easy. Even though I do appreciate the life that casters get to live, attending a mortal university is a break that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Because the caster world is intense. Albeit that as highly skilled demon hunters, we always have to follow our number one rule; Always kill the demon no matter where you are, what you're doing, or who you're with. If you see one, hunt it and send it back to its hell before a mortal is injured or killed. We belong to a group of the most notorious demon hunters our world has ever come by. It’s a great privilege and honor, but it’s also a lot of responsibility.

  After my parents suspiciously died, my mom’s sister, Rose, and her husband, Will, took me in. They raised me alongside their sons, who are more like my brothers than cousins. Uncle Will trained us to fight the following year that I began living with them. And I really enjoyed it because it distracted me from grieving over my parents. It wa
s a great way to get my frustrations out. He educated us in demon history as soon as we showed enough potential to be the fighters we are today.

  We learned about the nine levels of hell within a month. There is one type of demon in each layer. Demons have unnaturally human formed bodies. Some are gruesomely built, and some are so skinny that they look ill. They are classified by their horns. Each type has horns from the goat species. The further down, the stronger and smarter the demon. Each demon has a horrific smell to them. The higher up is more rancid and vulgar. The lower down, the duller and faint the smell. But you can still detect the vile stench of the inferno on them. They're constantly escaping and we’re having trouble trying to figure out how they're breaking out so easily.

  After learning about all of the repulsive things the demons can do to the innocent mortals, I vowed to kill each and every single one. My father would constantly speak about the joy he got from eradicating them from the realms. He felt it was his duty, his honor, to protect the non-magical. I looked up to him for that. Even more so now that I know how much it actually takes to hunt one. My dad was a Marked caster and demon hunter. Which means he was part of the elite group of casters chosen to assist the Elders in anything they or our world needed. The Marked ones are of great importance to the caster world, keeping it safe and protected. Evidently, I inherited the same mark as my father and the dedication to keep evil at bay. I’ve served the Sisters for 200 years now. Even before my mark appeared, I was always in Eden. I came with my dad every time he had a meeting with the Sisters.

  Mortals don't know of our world, so they have no knowledge of Eden. The children of casters who haven't received their casting power yet are not allowed to enter Eden, either. But I was the exception. My dad was so important to the Sisters that they allowed him to bring me to Eden, before I obtained my power. I knew their never-ending mansion very well. One of the many reasons why my dad was so important to them was because he was one of the first of six founders of the Villages that are around the world. Specifically, he owned and built the Village in New Orleans. And when he regrettably passed, I inherited all that my father worked so hard to accomplish. I was too young to do what they needed me to do, so I temporarily assigned my Uncle Will envoy and mentor until I was old enough to fulfill my obligations.

  I was the first of my cousins to receive power, so I was the first of the three to encounter a real demon. That meant I found myself in Eden a lot fighting the beasts instead of the props my uncle would train us with. Finally, when my cousins power came, the three of us became invincible to the demons. Casters would call us before calling anyone else. I genuinely enjoy hunting them, and the Village keeps me busy. But just recently, things started to feel repetitive and pointless. Like there was something more waiting for me in the unknown distance.

  One morning, Lucas came up with the suggestion of attending a mortal college. He probably would've went with or without us. But that would have left me alone with Derek in New Orleans. And I refuse to be Derek's party buddy or wingman. Secretly I'm pretty excited to be going to Syracuse. I’ve only ever lived in New Orleans because of the Village. And, although I love my city, living somewhere new was very intriguing. I couldn't say no to the idea.

  When I attempted to explain to the Sisters that I wanted to attend Syracuse with my cousins, it was nerve-wracking. Of course, they denied my request. But they offered me a compromise. I could attend Syracuse if I traded places with the founder of the Village here in New York. I quickly and willingly agreed. With this opportunity, I could bring some new ideas that would make it excel. At the same time, I could learn something new to bring back when I return to New Orleans, if I return to New Orleans.

  Chapter 4

  Dorm Miracle

  I bought a house right outside of the main campus. But since Luke and I wanted to play baseball, our coach made sure that we knew that on game days we would have to stay in the dorms. Derek refused to stay in the freshman dorms in the main campus. So we had to pull some strings with magic to get a townhouse in the south campus that’s saved for the upper-class students. It didn't take much, but it was no doubt a hassle.

  The guys and I landed in New York this morning. Luke and Derek casted their cars here yesterday, so they’re waiting at the new house. I bought a new one and had the dealership drop it off at the airport, so we could drive ourselves. We did a transporting cast on our luggage and furniture ahead of time, so right now all we had with us was a backpack full of necessities. I locate the white Range Rover right away and nod my head in that direction. Derek runs to it, grabbing the keys and starting the car. I silently curse to myself, knowing how reckless of a driver he is.

  “Before going to the new house, we have to check in at the dorms so we can get our keys.” I remind Derek. But instead of answering me, he turns up the rap music louder and annoyingly shouts along. I see the main building of the college to my left and know we’ll be pulling up to south campus any second. As much as I want to, it’s no use trying to turn the volume down, Derek will just put it louder. He sees my discomfort and laughs as he turns the corner, screeching in my brand-new tires. I demand, “Just park the car and let me out.”

  Thankfully, he listens and I eagerly let myself out as soon as the car is still. Then suddenly I feel like I’m being watched, so I stop in my tracks and look around. The second I find who it is, my heart flutters, and begins melting in my chest. The most beautiful mortal I have ever seen is standing only a few yards away from me. We’re still, like we’re frozen in time. She looks flustered, with curls like mine, but much thicker. And at the moment, a bit disheveled. It’s incredibly cute. Her hair is dark brown, but I can see it’s tinted red. Under the glowing sun, her hair looks like it’s on fire. She has a white headband over it to keep it out of her eyes. Her eyes, just…wow.

  I’ve never felt butterflies before and I always thought it was a myth. Something made up by teenage mortals. But right now, I feel them. They're making my stomach feel like it’s sinking. But what really has me breathless is the electric fire making its way down my spine. I see her shiver, and instantly I do, too. We mimic each other by bringing our hands up to rub the goose bumps off of our arms. What is happening right now? Is she a caster? But she can’t be. I would be able to feel her power. And I feel nothing. Yet, I feel everything.

  I can’t take my eyes off of hers. They are so gray that they look metallic. Her immensely dark eyelashes surround round slanted eyes. It really makes the color that much more prominent. She looks like a gorgeous delicate doll. Her taffy-colored pouty pink lips stand out against her pale porcelain skin. Her looks are pure and innocent. So petite, nearly half my size. She is stunning. Caught up in the moment, she doesn’t notice the man in uniform tapping on her shoulder. He says something to her, but she still doesn't make a move. He speaks again and finally gets her attention. I can’t help but watch her succulent lips move while she responds to the man. Leaning against the front of my SUV, I wait, hoping she’ll look back.

  Unlike Derek, I have never used my power on mortal women. But this girl has me so captivated, I'm almost ready to cast her to come over here. She turns back around and finds me once again. I give her a little smirk to let her know that I'm interested, and the heated electricity returns, crawling down my spine. We both unexpectedly shiver again, and I see her cheeks turn bright red. It is the most attractive thing I have ever seen. I want to see her blush more. She regrettably gets to the front door of the building and turns back around. Appearing behind her, a fresh-out-of-hell Chamois demon slithers up to her, seeming to be smelling her. I have the strongest urge to safeguard her. If she was a caster, she would be able to smell or see the demon. I can smell the wretched beast from over here. And demons typically stay far away from casters, afraid one of us will be prepared or trained in sending them back to their level of hell.

  Surprising me and the demon, she brings her hand up to the back of her neck. Did she just feel the Chamois? She couldn't have. I don’t feel any magic insid
e of her. The door closes behind her, and the demon rapidly turns around. Seeing me and realizing who I am, it speeds in the other direction. As much as I want to go and approach this girl, I have to kill the demon. And it seemed interested in her. That, I don’t like. I want to rip its head off, knowing it came so close to her. I mentally call to my cousins and immediately Lucas gets out of the car.

  Derek is on my side in the next second with his weapon in hand, an enchanted baseball bat that tases the predator upon contact. Derek has never liked to play baseball, but ironically his weapon of choice was this bat. Lucas favored an all-black athame that’s been passed down from ancestor to ancestor on their dad’s side of the family. One cut from it, and they’ll instantly be banished to their level of hell. As for me, fighting with my hands has always been my preferred choice of weapon. Neck kills are my specialty. My training allows me to move so fast that by the time the demon realizes I'm there, his neck is already being snapped in half. I always keep my enchanted dagger on me in case the demons are a higher and harder class. It has the same effect Lucas’ knife has.

  We locate the demon hiding in the bushes outside of someone’s townhouse. Lucas spotted it hunched over, digging a hole. He expertly throws his knife right in the back of the demon’s head. At once, it falls limply to the ground. The demon’s body begins to bubble and melt into a syrupy and thick black goo as it soaks into the soil. Lucas bends down to retrieve his blade and casts it clean as we head back to the main building. There is no sign of the beautiful muse and the slight yearning in my heart is causing my stomach to clench. I have an odd craving to be next to her. Next time I see her, I have to talk to her. If I don’t, I might go crazy.