by R L Medina
Ignoring the curious looks and downright sneers, I made my way through the crowded hall and past the room to my next class. The professor would just write me up and that was fine with me—I planned to see the headmaster sooner or later, anyway.
The library was nearly empty when I arrived. Most of the students were in class. I scanned the giant rows of books and locked eyes with one of the librarians. Averting my gaze, I randomly picked a rack to browse.
A fresh coffee roast mixed with the scent of old books filled my nostrils. I breathed it in and release a sigh, the noise echoing in the silence. It was a nice escape not to be stuck in the classroom with the others.
Alright. Focus.
I wasn’t sure where to start. My newfound magic ability? Trying to reach out to Gloria about Brady? Or would it be wiser to use my time to learn about shadow magic and the dark fairy princess we’d met? Mallory or Mal something.
The thought of her holding Grayson hostage made my skin crawl. I couldn’t stomach the idea of her torturing him. I had to get him back.
And Brady. Poor Brady.
Who knew what the witches were doing to him.
Dismissing the negative thoughts, I opened my tablet and ran the library app. I tried searching for shadow magic, but got a giant block up, stating I didn’t have clearance to check out those items and should seek assistance with a professor.
I rolled my eyes. Of course, they would censor our learning. God forbid, we actually figure things out for ourselves and not just blindly follow their doctrine.
Giving up on that idea, I tried another search term. Wizard and fae.
My eyes scanned the list of results and the highlighted map of the locations. Most of the resources, Shiloh and I had already scoured, but maybe another pass over, would yield something.
It was better than sitting in class worrying about everything.
Clicking on one promising tomb of a book, I held up the digital layout of the library to match its location. Upstairs.
I walked up, shoving the tablet back in my bag and adjusting it on my shoulder. The silence in the library was unnerving. The hairs on my neck bristled. What if Tío was still ‘tracking’ me? Did he have someone following me at campus?
After a quick glance around, I tried to block out that thought. I made my way to the correct aisle and grabbed one of the ladders. The book was bigger than it looked in the picture. Heavy too. I brushed my hand over the faded cover and tucked it into the crook of my arm as I stepped down.
Looking around for a place to read, my eyes fell on a small alcove on the far side of the room. I started for it but paused as voices caught my ear.
A girlish giggle followed by a whispering masculine voice came from one of the aisles. I tried to scurry past, but my eyes locked onto the familiar face.
Tyler.
He frowned at me. His companion spun to face me, eyes widening. She adjusted her shirt with a flustered look and pretended to browse the book spines.
I moved to walk past, but Tyler was at my side in an instant.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded.
My eyebrow arched at his hostile tone. “Studying. You?”
He grunted. “Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself.”
I couldn’t tell if he was threatening me or just being his usual jerk self. Regardless, I didn’t have time to stay and argue with him.
Before I could move past the aisle, he stepped in front of me to block me.
I glared at him. “I have work to do. If you don’t mind. Why don’t you go back to your… studying.”
My gaze flicked to the girl, who was definitely not his current girlfriend, I knew that much. She averted her eyes and pulled out a random book.
“I do mind, actually.” Tyler’s eyes narrowed.
There was more than just his typical disdain written on his face. My body immediately went into alert mode. Tyler was a bully, and my notorious past was the perfect excuse for him to act out the violence I sensed behind his stormy stare.
“It’s your fault Luna Negra is here. Your fault LA was attacked. My brother was there. He could have been killed and it’s your fault.” His voice was like steel.
The words struck me hard. LA was attacked? When? How?
Tyler pinned me with his glare.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I don’t know anything about an attack.”
He continued to stalk toward me, and I could read the hatred in his eyes. He wasn’t doing this out of some sort of loyalty to his brother. He wanted this. He wanted to hurt me.
My stomach turned to lead.
“Tyler. What are you doing?” the girl hissed.
He ignored her, eyes still on me. “They said you were on the witches’ hunting list. They want your blood for some sick ritual so if I kill you, I’d be saving everyone. They wouldn’t be able to use you for whatever it was they want.”
His words chilled me and surprised me. I wouldn’t have counted on it being Tyler to think up that strategy. Unless… it wasn’t him and he was just the pawn of someone else? The headmaster?
“Tyler. Please.” His companion sounded worried.
My eyes met hers and she looked away. She wasn’t going to step in, I realized. She was too scared.
The sound of my racing heart filled my ears and sweat coated my skin. The giant book in my hands grew heavier as I tracked Tyler’s movements. He was circling me like some kind of wild predator.
Though he was one hundred percent human, a chill spread though me. He was strong and fast, and worse, he was determined that I was the enemy. My throat turned dry. He would kill me and not feel one ounce of regret afterwards. No, I could see it now. He would proudly brag about it.
That he had killed the witch’s daughter. The traitor.
My eyes darted across the floor. Was there anyone else there with us? Should I yell for the librarian?
Holding the book up with both hands, I moved my feet into a defensive stance. “Get the Hell away from me.”
Red splotches dotted his face. I’d incensed him—poked the beast.
I raised my voice. “I’m sorry about your brother and the others. I am, but I am not the one who attacked them. You want someone to go after? Then go after Luna Negra. They’re the ones that need to be destroyed.”
Tyler didn’t look convinced. Though the sound of footsteps coming from the stairs made him hesitate. Relief filled me.
A librarian marched toward us, scowling. I’d never been so happy to see a pissed off, middle aged woman before.
Her eyes snapped from me to Tyler to the other girl. “This is a library. You want to make jokes and fool around, go outside. I won’t tell you again. The next time,” she wagged a finger at us, “I hear you horsing around up here, you will all be given marks. Do you understand me?”
I bit back a smile and nodded at her. Tyler’s eyes slid to me, a silent threat written there. Did he think I was going to rat him out? No. I wasn’t a snitch, but I wasn’t a coward either.
I held his stare. Now that, I’d seen his true colors, I would be on alert.
Turning back to the librarian, I gave her my most innocent look. “I’m sorry. I’ll leave. I just want to check out this.”
She squinted at the book I held up and nodded approvingly, “Yes. Yes. Bring it downstairs to the counter, please.”
I hurried to follow her, glancing back at Tyler. He watched me go, fists curled. A shudder went through me. Not only did I have to watch out for Luna Negra, now I had to watch my back at school too.
After checking out the book, I loaded it into my backpack and hurried to make it to my next class. The feeling of being watched put me on edge. Every step I took, I glanced over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t being followed.
Not wanting to run into Tyler again, I sat for the rest of my classes, but tried to sneak a peek at my book every chance I could.
My mind was stuffed to capacity with all the problems we were facing and as much as I tried to pretend Tyler’
s confrontation hadn’t affected me, it did.
It brought back all the bad memories of my time with Luna Negra. Worse, everyone was talking about the recent attack on the GRIMM office in the city, confirming what Tyler had told me.
The witches were close, and I was terrified. But not scared enough to stop looking for Brady or Grayson. They needed us more than ever.
Lunch time finally came, and I practically raced to the cafeteria to meet up with Shiloh and Javi. I didn’t want to be alone on campus.
Shiloh spotted me first and waved me over. I set my backpack down and slid down beside her with a relieved sigh.
“You heard about the attacks?” Javi’s eyes shone with concern.
I nodded glumly. “Everyone is talking about it. And there’s something else…”
His brow furrowed. I glanced around and spotted Tyler.
My insides turned to ice.
“That douche,” Javi muttered.
I whipped toward him. “Tyler? He told you?”
Confusion spread on Javi’s face. “Told me? Everyone knows.”
“Everyone?” My voice rose an octave in shock.
“About Tyler being house president? Yeah…”
I blinked in surprise. House president? I watched as the hulking creep chortled with his friends. Sensing my gaze, he glanced up and met my eyes. I expected a sneer or a glare. Instead, the dead eye stare he gave me was somehow much worse.
“I can’t believe everyone voted him in,” Javi continued, oblivious to my paralysis.
Shiloh grunted. “I can. He and his goons practically run the school.”
Javi scowled. “I am way more popular than him.”
“You were.” She kissed his cheek.
I winced. I was the reason he’d fallen from his high position. Ever since the news of my mother’s history and pledge to the coven, we’d been ostracized.
“Whatever. They’re all losers, anyway.” Javi swallowed the last of his coffee threw it in the trash can nearby.
The words formed on my tongue, but I swallowed them down. My cousin and Shiloh didn’t need anything else to worry about. I could handle Tyler on my own.
They had enough problems—problems caused by my presence.
Not wanting to move from my seat, I let Shiloh and Javi grab me a plate and drink. They returned with all of my favorites and sat down with me.
I barely had a chance to take my first bite when a loud whistle cut through the noise. Everyone fell silent and looked to the center of the room.
“What is it?” I whispered.
The headmaster along with some of the other staff stood in the middle, hands raised to silence everyone. I met Javi’s eyes. A trickle of fear ran through me.
“There’s been another attack. In New York, this time.” Headmaster Rutherford spoke first.
My heart sank. Another attack? So soon?
Tyler pinned me with a hateful glare and though I knew I wasn’t behind the attacks, guilt washed over me all the same.
The witches were on the move.
8
Surprised gasps and angry murmurs followed. The announcement rang through my ears.
Javi shot to his feet. “Attack? Who? When?”
“Who do you think?” Tyler snorted, also on his feet.
I ignored his glare and turned to the teachers.
“We’re still getting in all the reports, but it looks like several wolf packs banded together. They broke into a prison and released countless inmates.”
“And a GRIMM office was breached.”
Javi swore. “Another office? Was anything stolen?”
“We don’t know yet. Several teams from the biggest offices are going to help. The LA branch is sending some of our own, but we’re stretched thin with the recent attack on our own office.”
A dozen voices spoke all at once, clamoring over each other. The headmaster silenced them with another ear-piercing whistle blow. I winced at the sound.
Silence filled the room.
“We will be tightening security here as well as our LA offices. No leaving campus unless with direct permission from the headmaster.”
I glanced at Javi and Shiloh. Brady was out there. How were we supposed to go rescue him now? Though technically, I had already been banned from leaving campus for the foreseeable future.
“I can’t believe this.” Javi shook his head, a stunned look on his face. “This is the biggest thing that’s happened since—”
“The last wizard battle. Almost one hundred years ago. And even then, none of the prisons were successfully broken into,” Shiloh finished.
Even she looked worried. Their fear fed into my anxiety. How could the GRIMM have been so unprepared? Weren’t there protocols or guards set up for something like this? Were there more moles and double agents than they had realized?
My stomach felt sick with worry. I knew the witches were planning a war and I knew it was coming soon, but it still felt surreal to me. This was it.
We were at war.
The voices of the students and teachers were drowned out by my fears. I wrapped my arms around myself and tried to calm my breathing. They didn’t understand what we were up against. I had been with Luna Negra. Saw firsthand what they were capable of. Already the memories were flashing in my mind, making me shudder.
How was I going to face them again so soon? I wasn’t ready. We weren’t ready.
“Rose.” Shiloh shook my arm.
I blinked at her in confusion.
She nodded to the headmaster. I followed her gaze and realized he was heading our way. Javi stepped in front of me, squaring his shoulders back. As if he could stop what was about to come.
Poor, noble, naïve Javi. Even he couldn’t stop the witches from coming back for me.
The headmaster approached our table and I rose to meet his stare.
“Rose. I’ll see you in my office. Straight away.”
“What is this about?” Javi tensed.
He glanced at me, but I couldn’t speak. I was still reeling from the news of more attacks. Shiloh stood on the other side of me, squeezing my arm for support.
“This is a matter between me and your cousin,” the headmaster snapped.
Others were listening and watching us now. My face heated under their stares. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I turned to grab my things. Javi met my gaze, a worried look on his face.
Weariness filled me. I was so tired of the worried and anxious faces. Why couldn’t we have been normal kids dealing with normal things and not a supernatural war?
I forced a reassuring smile for him and Shiloh and followed the headmaster. My stomach rolled, making me glad I hadn’t finished lunch. I tried not to let the dark scenarios play out in my head as he led me outside of the building. A golf cart waited for us next to the sidewalk, a girl, an older student judging by her uniform, sitting in the driver’s seat.
The headmaster motioned me into the back. I bit back the words on the tip of my tongue. His majesty really needed a golf cart to wheel his lazy ass literally around the corner? How could this guy be the wizard?
“Is this about skipping class or is this about Brady?” I yelled over the noisy whirr of the cart.
He glanced back, shooting me a reproachful look. “We will discuss it in my office.”
If the girl was intrigued by our exchange, she didn’t show it. Instead, she zipped us quickly to the office building and parked next to the sidewalk between the palm trees. The headmaster stepped off first and waited for me to follow.
My stomach churned as I hopped off and trailed after him. What did he want with me? I couldn’t imagine it had to do with skipping class. Not when we were under attack. A chill filled me. How many more attacks were planned that we didn’t know about?
We made it to his office where he sank down behind his desk and folded his hands together atop of the dark wood. I stood before him, trying to read past the mask of calm on his face.
“What is this? Am I in trouble or
something?”
His eyes narrowed. “Why would you assume that? What have you done now?”
I bristled at his tone. “Nothing. Why am I here? Is it Brady? Did you find him? Grayson?”
“I told you Brady is… elsewhere.” His eyes darted past me to the closed door.
We were at war with Luna Negra, and he was worried about people knowing about Brady’s supposed drug problem?
“He’s not in rehab. Do you know where he is then?”
A flash of uncertainty crossed his features before the mask of superiority slipped back on.
“What are you talking about?”
He was masterful at playing his role, but I thought I could hear a hint of worry in his voice. Maybe he didn’t know.
“Brady. Your son. He’s been captured by Luna Negra.”
“Impossible.”
Still scoffing at me, he grabbed a key from thin air, and used it to open a drawer. He pulled out a small glass orb. I watched in awe as he swept a hand over the clear surface, chanting something.
Brady’s smirking face appeared in the center of the orb. I reeled at the image. Judging by the gold-plated stand and glittering jewels along the edge, it looked expensive. How had he been able to break the witches’ location barrier so easily when it had taken the whole coven plus Santi’s dismembered hand and eyeball to do it before? Was it because he shared a stronger connection to Brady being a blood relative?
He set the orb down on the desk and waved a hand toward it. “See? Same as I told your uncle. He’s safe at rehab.”
I stared at Brady in the glass. He was dressed in a silky purple robe, sitting in a fancy room, and eating what looked like rich people party food.
Was Gloria wrong? Had she lied? Or was Luna Negra somehow projecting a false scene? None of it made sense and I didn’t know what to believe.
“But did you talk to Gloria? And her coven?”
He scowled at me. “The witch? Who runs that shack? Why on earth would I talk to her?”
More confusion filled me. Did Tío not tell the headmaster about our adventure off campus? Then who had placed the ban on me leaving school property?
The headmaster shook his head at me and leaned back in his chair. “The reason you’re here is… well, I should wait for the others.”
