Gifted: The Winterwood Academy Book 1: A Young Adult Witch Novel

by Kate A. Fox

  "Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!" Keeya chimed sarcastically, "Of course it has something to do with your marks."

  "But I didn't ask for this!" I exclaimed, "I didn't ask for any special treatment. I want to be in first year classes."

  I remembered the way all the third year students had looked at me as though I was trespassing on their territory. I'd have given anything just to be a normal kid at this stupid school.

  "I don't think you get a choice." Luci said and she gazed at me with sympathy in her crystalline blue eyes, "Celestria puts us where she thinks we'll get the best education and clearly she thinks you are smarter than us."

  "I don't think that's it." Zoe shook her head and I offered her a grateful smile.

  Before I could come up with anything to say in my defense, the bell that sat above our heads in the tower began to ring, announcing the beginning of the next class.

  "We'll meet you in the dining hall for lunch." Zoe said as she grabbed her bag and stood up, dashing what was left of her apple at the nearest bin and scoring.

  "I…I can't." I stuttered as I suddenly remembered that I had to meet Booth.

  "What? Why?" Keeya was the first to scowl at me as though I had done yet another thing wrong.

  "I have to meet Booth." I sighed and when their eyes widened I quickly added, "Lecturer Merrin posted him as my tutor for Latin."

  "Ohh, learning the language of love with Prince Charming." Keeya swooned.

  Zoe rolled her eyes even as Luci pointed out, "French is the language of love."

  "French is for losers." Keeya scoffed.

  I wondered whether Lecturer Tomas would agree with her.

  "I thought you decided to stay away from Booth after what happened with Rhea?" Zoe asked even as we headed back into the main building for third period.

  "I did but that was before my mentor chose him as my tutor." I shrugged.

  I felt guilty for lying to them but what else was I supposed to do? Tell them that he had something to talk to me about that he thought I was the only one trustworthy enough to tell? I could imagine how upset that would make them all.

  CHAPTER 21

  I COULD BARELY CONCENTRATE THROUGH HISTORY CLASS. LUCKILY FOR me we were discussing the Salem witch trials and I could thankfully say that I had already learned about it in my human school.

  It was strange how I thought of it that way now, that I segregated the two schools in my mind, one human and one witch.

  Maybe I was already becoming one of them, one of the cult. But the fact was even if I was one of them I was pretty sure they were already having a hard time accepting me. Not only because of my strange marks but because I was the New Girl who had been put in third year classes even though I really didn't have a clue what I was doing here in the first place.

  When it came to meeting Booth I was glad that I remembered the way to the temple. It wasn't difficult. Just a quick walk between the main building and the Girl's dormitory and a wander down the God path and I was there.

  The moment I stepped around the back of the temple I was surprised to find that Booth was already waiting for me.

  He was leaning back against the stile with one boot raised against the wood, looking for all intents and purposes, like the big bad boy of the school.

  The way the breeze caught his hair and whipped it about his face made me want to run my fingers through it and brush it back from his face.

  "I was beginning to think you weren't coming." He said as he spun his head around to look at me and his blue eyes connected with mine.

  My breath caught in my throat and I felt my heart leap at the sight of him.

  "I'm here aren't I?" I scowled back at him, determined not to show him how pleased I was to see him, "What did you want to tell me?"

  "I guess tell wasn't exactly the right word." He sighed and pushed himself off the stile, "It's probably better if I show you."

  "Booth, are you playing games with me?" I demanded even as he offered me his hand to help me up over the stile.

  I could almost imagine him leading me out into the meadow just to be punked by a bunch of third formers or even a group of Rhea-bots led by the bitch herself.

  "I promise I'm not playing any games." He shook his head and his hair swept over his forehead, again making me want to touch it, "Please, just come with me. This is important."

  With a sigh, I ignored his hand and shoved past him to throw myself over the stile and into the meadow beyond.

  Booth jumped down beside me and began to walk down a path that followed the line of bushes.

  "Where are you taking me, Booth?"

  I struggled to keep up with his long legged, fast pace but he never once seemed to slow down.

  "The cemetery." He said simply and a wave of cold washed over my body.

  The academy had a cemetery?

  "You're kidding me right?" I demanded, "What could you possibly have to show me in a cemetery?"

  "You know the other night after Molly died and I went to see if Celestria could tell me anymore about what happened?" Booth said without once slowing his pace.

  "I remember." I puffed.

  It was instantly clear that becoming a witch didn't automatically make you physically fit.

  By the time we reached the iron gates of what could only be a cemetary, at the edge of the meadow, I was puffing for breath so hard I thought I might cough up a lung.

  "Well, I found Celestria but I didn't get a chance to speak to her. Instead I followed her here."

  "You followed her?" I scowled, "Jheez, are you sure you aren't a stalker?"

  "This isn't the time for jokes." He glared back at me.

  "Who's joking?" I asked and bit my lip to stop myself from laughing out loud.

  Booth glared at me for a moment longer before he began to push open the left gate. He gestured me inside and I fell silent as I slipped past him.

  "This way." He said as he closed the gate and began to walk around the edge of the cemetery, sticking to an old gravel path.

  I followed silently unable to stop myself from marvelling at the giant stone tombs that rose from the ground. Although it was day time and it was hot as hell there seemed to be a fog sticking to the ground that swept around our ankles as we walked. It was cold against my bare skin and it made me shiver uncontrollably.

  "We're almost there." He told me as we slipped between a gap in the stone wall that rimmed the entire cemetery.

  "What are you going to show…" I began and instantly fell silent when I saw the wooden crosses that sat at the head of three graves.

  One looked as though its soil was freshly turned while grass and wildflowers had begun to grow on the two earth mounds next to it.

  "What is this place?" I asked.

  "A graveyard." Booth shrugged, "If I had to guess, Celestria's personal graveyard."

  My entire body grew cold at the malice in his voice and when I turned to look at him, he was staring at the newest grave as though I no longer existed.

  "What are you talking about?" I asked in a whisper, suddenly fearful that I might wake the dead.

  "I followed Celestria out here on Saturday night." Booth said without looking at me, "She met two men I'd never seen before and together they buried Molly here."

  He pointed at the freshest of the graves.

  "That's impossible. Merrin said that Molly would be taken back to her parents so that they could arrange her funeral." I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing.

  "You'd think so wouldn't you?" Booth sighed as though he had struggled to believe it himself, "I didn't think Celestria was capable of something like this but I saw it and when I did I decided to snoop in her office. I have access due to all the arrangements I've been helping her make for the council's upcoming visit."

  "And what did you find?" I whispered, fearful to ask.

  "That's what was even more strange." Booth sighed and finally he turned to look at me, "Nothing."

  "Nothing?" I repeated.

&
nbsp; "Nothing. No record of Molly's death. No record of a call made to her parents. No record of a coroner booked to take her body out of here. Nothing."

  What Booth was saying didn't make any sense. His words caused me to tremble so hard I felt as though my knees might give way.

  As though he sensed it, he reached out and took hold of my arms.

  "I've got you." He said softly and I found myself leaning into him, craving his warmth.

  "Why me?" I whispered and when I turned my face up to his there was a question mark in his expression, "Why show me this?"

  "You are the newest kid in school." Booth shrugged, "That means you don't owe Celestria any loyalty and I have the feeling you wouldn't rat me out for showing you all of this."

  "Couldn't you take it to Merrin? I mean, your mum?" I suggested and Booth cringed.

  "She already thinks that I'm a loose cannon. What would she think if I accused our Grand Priestess of burying dead students in unblessed ground?" He pointed out and I had to admit he had a point.

  "Then what are we supposed to do?" I asked and finally I felt strong enough to stand on my own two feet again. I pulled away from him, barely catching the look of disappointment that swept across his face.

  "We have to find out why she had buried them here instead of telling their parents." He shrugged and turned his attention back to the graves, "I'd be willing to bet my God given gifts that is Zoe's roommate."

  He pointed at the grave beside the freshest and I cringed. Could he be right? Was Melanie down there?

  "Why would somebody do something like this?" I quivered even though the summer sun shone down on me so hard I was sure I was going to be burned by the time we made it back to the dining hall. Suddenly I wasn't so eager to eat.

  "That's what we have to find out."

  ***

  By the time we made it back to the stile I could hear the bell from the main building ringing to announce the commencement of fourth period. The class I'd been looking forward to for the last two hours suddenly didn't seem quite so exciting.

  I was careful to leave Booth as we made our way around the side of the temple. The last thing I needed was for one of Rhea's little minions to carry news to her that we had been seen together.

  "I can trust you with this, can't I?" Booth asked just as we stepped out onto the God path.

  My heart beat faster than I would have allowed it to had I had a choice when he gripped my wrist just as he had beneath the staircase earlier that morning.

  Again he pulled me into the shadows and I was relieved when I glanced around to see that there didn't seem to be anyone else around. Luckily for me the academy was much less busy than my old school.

  A minimum of ten students would have already seen us together by now at my old school.

  He pressed me back against the wall of the temple and I could feel his solid body pressing into me. The urge to reach up and put my hand on his chest made my fingertips itch. I could already imagine how hard his pecks must feel.

  Am I really turning into one of those girls who cares about that sort of thing? I scolded myself even as I thought about it. That wasn't mean at all. I'd never really been interested in guys. But this guy wasn't just any guy. In fact he was really more of a man than a boy and he made my heart race so wildly that I could barely keep up with it.

  "Isn't it a little late for that?" I tried my hardest to sound amused but my voice just came out strangled.

  I was disappointed when Booth eased off the pressure of his body on mine.

  The urge to pull him back to me made me shove my hands behind my back.

  "I guess you are right." He sighed after gazing into my eyes for what felt like an eternity, "I suppose I'll just have to hope that my gut feeling about you was right."

  I nodded, "Yes you will."

  I'll admit it felt good to have one over on the head boy in school. It was certainly more than Rhea could hold against him. I almost felt guilty for even thinking about it.

  Booth reached up and placed his hand beside my head on the wall. When he leaned into me I could smell the scent of bubblegum on his breath, "This is probably the part where I am supposed to threaten you with something but I don't think I have anything to hold over you."

  He shrugged and I suddenly felt the need to even the scales.

  "Maybe I could give you a show of trust?" I suggested, "Would that make you feel better about trusting me?"

  "No offense, new girl, but I don't think you have a secret that could match this one." He shrugged.

  "Are you willing to let me try?" I asked.

  He raised an eyebrow at me and nodded.

  "You'll have to stand back." I told him even as I lowered my bag from my shoulder to place it on the floor beside me.

  "Is this the part where you catch me off guard and run away screaming?" Booth raised an eyebrow.

  You might be the one who runs away screaming. I thought with a sigh even as I twisted around in the small space he offered me and began to untuck my blouse.

  "Whoa! Hey! I'm not up for seeing you naked!" Booth gasped, "At least, not yet."

  I glanced over my shoulder at him to see that he was smirking, a smirk that was quickly wiped from his face when I began to lift my blouse higher.

  Even out of the corner of my eye I could see his tanned skin begin to grow pale on his cheeks. The colour seemed to drain from his face the further my top travelled upwards.

  "Wow!" He gasped as he saw the true extent of my markings, "Now I understand why you've been put in third year classes."

  "Still think it doesn't add up to your secret?" I asked as I hurriedly shoved my blouse back into the top of my skirt and turned back to face him.

  "I guess it does." Booth shrugged, "But why would you want to hide something like that? It's beautiful."

  I could only take his word for it. I hadn't yet plucked up the courage to look at my back in the mirror although his reaction was making me want to.

  "I only found out a couple of days ago that I'm a witch." I shrugged, "From what everyone says I shouldn't even have one mark yet. I guess I'm just not ready for everyone to see me as a freak."

  "No offense, new girl, but you are a freak." Booth smirked back at me and before I could snap at him, he added, "We all are."

  I had to admit that he was right. We all had one thing in common here. The difference for me seemed to be that so far I was the queen of freak.

  Booth caught me by surprise then. He lifted his hand to my cheek and his fingertips knotted in the hair just above my ear, "You are a beautiful freak."

  His breath caressed my skin as he spoke and this time when I thought he might kiss me, he actually did.

  It wasn't just a peck on the cheek. It was a full on, on the lips, smacker of a kiss that left me breathless and clinging to the wall.

  My eyes fluttered shut as his soft lips connected with mine and I held my breath, hoping that it would last longer.

  When he pulled away and my eyes opened again, I found that he was gazing back at me, the corner of his lips twitching upwards in a half smile.

  "I've been wanting to do that ever since I saw you outside Celestria's office." He admitted in a voice that sounded like the contented purr of a tomcat who'd won his first battle.

  "Then maybe you should get another one in before someone sees." I said in a voice that didn't sound like my own.

  When he kissed me again I felt myself leaning into him, pressing my entire body back against his until we melded together like two pieces of metal melting over hot flames.

  My knees were so weak when he pulled away that I found myself clutching hold of his shirt, my fingers creasing the material.

  "As much as I would love to stand here all day, kissing you," Booth sighed, "We are late and Lecturer Stevenson hates tardiness."

  "Don't all teachers hate it when students are late to class?" I pointed out.

  "I guess you're right." Booth chuckled and I was more than a little surprised when he slipped his hand into m
ine, "Come on, new girl, I'll walk you to class."

  CHAPTER 22

  LUCKILY FOR ME IT SEEMED THAT ALL THE OTHER students had already made their way to class. The courtyard was practically deserted save for one dorky looking guy who was rushing around the fountain with his books pressed against his chest, looking like he'd just woken from a nap. His hair was mussed up all over his head and there was a look of dazed panic in his eyes as he passed us, hopefully too preoccupied with getting to class to notice that my hand was firmly gripped in Booth's.

  It wasn't until we'd climbed the stairs to class that Booth paused outside of the room and released my hand, "Do you think I could see you again tonight? Maybe we could grab that coffee we never got to have on Saturday?"

  I groaned as I thought of how I'd already ditched my friends once for him. They'd probably string me up if I did it again.

  "I promised the girls I'd have dinner with them." I lied, my cheeks beginning to blush guiltily as soon as I said the words.

  If he noticed he didn't call me out on it.

  "Maybe after dinner?" He suggested, "I'd hate to get between you and your friends."

  He gets it! The fact that he wasn't some self centred jerk who only thought about himself made me like him even more.

  "I could swing by the dorm afterwards?"

  "No!" I gasped all too quickly and Booth seemed stunned, if not a little hurt, by my reaction.

  "I mean, it’s probably best if we aren't seen together." I tried to remedy the situation with reason, "We don't want people to start asking questions."

  And I don't need Rhea on my back with everything else going on. I thought silently.

  "Good point." Booth sighed as though he wasn't too happy about it, "Maybe you could sneak out after your roommate falls asleep?"

  I thought about it for a moment. Where do you meet a guy on a campus where there seems to be eyes everywhere.

  "Meet me in the library?" I suggested even before I really knew what I was saying.

  "Perfect." Booth grinned, "I know the perfect makeout spot."