The City Witch

by Chandelle LaVaun

  Amelia frowned. “Yes? Am I in trouble already?”

  The woman chuckled and shook her head. “No, dear. Your cousin Deacon asked me to send you up to the front section so he can keep an eye on you.”

  Amelia sighed so hard she actually swayed. “Thank you. Can Caroline come too?”

  “Sure.” She turned to the side and pointed up a walkway. “Follow this down to the end and then grab a seat in the first row.”

  “Thanks!” Amelia pulled me with her. “Come on, Caroline!”

  I smiled and went with her. We found our seats in no time, then settled in to wait. Amelia pulled out her phone and started texting her friends in excitement. They were debating which of the four Suits they wanted to be in.

  Now that we were sitting and this was about to start, I couldn’t help thinking about Scarlet and Liam. It wasn’t fair that they weren’t here. They would’ve loved this. Since they’d passed, Olivia and Oliver had been pretty distant. Noah was around, but we both found it hard to talk to each other. Deacon was there, but he wasn’t the same guy he’d been a few months ago. At the beginning of the year, I’d had six great friends, and now I was alone. Out of all the witches in New York our age, we were the only ones who’d actually attended Edenburg—if even for a short period of time. It was the reason we became friends. I missed them. I couldn’t get Liam or Scarlet back—and Deacon was lost to The Coven—but that didn’t mean I had to lose the other three.

  I pulled out my phone and shot them a group text. Hey. Are you at SOMA?

  Oliver responded immediately. No. Olivia is having a hard time, so I took her away for a few days. Your father said we could join the school when we got back.

  I tried not to feel deflated. Olivia and Scarlet had been inseparable for years…and Olivia had realized far, far too late that she did in fact return the feelings Liam had for her. So, I couldn’t imagine how this was for her. My closest friend in the group had always been Deacon, and I’d lost him even though he was alive and well.

  My phone buzzed with a text from Noah, outside of the group chat. I’m here.

  Oh cool. Well…I’m sitting up at the front section on the left. If you want to join me?

  “Good morning, everyone.” A woman’s voice broke through the chaos of the auditorium.

  Everyone gasped and looked up to the stage. The woman who spoke stood at a podium in a black blazer exactly like ours—well, not exactly. The edges of her lapels and sleeve cuffs had hunter green bands on them. And on the front left side there was a matching green pentacle. I looked up at the woman herself and was shocked to find she seemed to be about my mother’s age. She had jet black hair pulled back in a tight, sleek ponytail. Her blue eyes were set in a round, pale face in a way that was somehow both stern and friendly. And she was tall.

  She cleared her throat then adjusted the microphone— No wait, wand. “Hello, everyone! I am Headmaster Muller. Welcome to the School of Magical Arts.”

  The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. I grinned and started to join in—and then Deacon and Emersyn walked out onto the stage behind the Headmaster. My heart sank and my stomach did flips. The blonde power couple looked strong and confident, and blissfully in love in the way they snuck little glances at each other. They looked great in their SOMA black blazers. Deacon was, of course, wearing all white under it because he loved being a rebel. Emersyn looked dangerous in all black.

  “Look, Caroline, Em is wearing the same boots as us!” Amelia giggled. “We’re triplets!”

  She was right. Emersyn was wearing the same thigh-high black boots as we were. Maybe that’ll be a good conversation starter today? I rolled my eyes at myself. Right, because that’s gonna fix how atrocious you were to her. And of course, my brain chose that moment to replay the night I tried to seduce Deacon into cheating on her with me.

  Bile rose up my throat, but I swallowed it down. That version of me was a stranger. I’d never done something like that, and I had no idea where it had come from. But it needed to go away forever.

  “This seat taken?” a warm, totally familiar voice said from behind me.

  I turned just as Noah slid into the seat next to us. I shook my head. “Glad you found me.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Noah

  The last—and only—time I got sorted into a Suit was when I was ten years old and starting at Edenburg. I’d only gone to the prestigious academy for one year, so I’d actually only seen the Sorting Ceremony the one time when I was being Sorted. But it was much different than this one.

  Well, maybe not different but shorter.

  Granted, at Edenburg there were only a few dozen kids joining the school each year, so there were only that many people to get Sorted. It went pretty quickly, even my year when there was about sixty of us. But this was a whole new ball game. The entire school was new, so everyone had to get Sorted. Well, Deacon had said if we’d been Sorted at Edenburg, that we could opt out and stick with the Suit we’d been given…but I wanted a fresh start.

  I wasn’t the same guy I was last month, let alone at ten.

  It’d been two hours, and we were finally almost to our section. They’d started on the opposite side from us and went row by row. Each one would get up and walk in a single-file line up to the stage and put their hand on the crystal ball. My row was finally next. We were also last, so that was fun. But I was trying to not be the impatient, self-important guy I’d grown to be. That hadn’t prevented Liam from being killed by a demon, so it wouldn’t save me.

  As Amelia and Caroline stood, my heart dropped. I didn’t know why I was so nervous. This wasn’t a big deal. I’d done it before, even. Yet my legs bounced and my hands twitched. I got to my feet and watched Caroline. Then again, I was always watching Caroline.

  She was breathtakingly beautiful. I’d never understood why Deacon and her weren’t a couple…and then I’d discovered Deacon had changed somewhere along the line and I hadn’t noticed. He was with Emersyn now, his soulmate, and I was happy for him. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy for me too. I’d always had a crush on Caroline Davenport. She was just a special kind of woman. Tender and kind, yet fierce and self-assured. She didn’t need anyone, and I loved that about her.

  I wasn’t into the damsel in distress… I liked the alpha woman.

  I liked Caroline.

  Liam had always tried to convince me to finally admit my feelings to her, but I’d always insisted it was a bad idea. Then he’d died, and I realized how wrong I was. I had nothing to lose. There was literally no harm in trying. I would be respectful and nice, not creepy and forceful. I’d just tell her how much I liked her and ask if she felt it too. If she didn’t, I’d accept it and remain her good friend—and try not to cry about it. But that was my problem, not hers.

  She glanced over her shoulder and looked at me with those gorgeous emerald green eyes. “Ready?”

  I grinned and nodded. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  I was ready to start this school. To learn real, useful magic. To fix my friendship with Deacon. To spend more time with my family. To kiss Emersyn’s ass until I made up for my behavior before…but mostly, I was ready to finally open up to Caroline.

  Caroline grinned. “You look nervous, Kincaid.”

  I’m shitting-my-pants nervous, but that’s not what you’re talking about.

  I chuckled. “Yeah, what if I’m a Sword now?”

  “Then you’ll have to protect me. Duh,” she said with a wink then turned around.

  My heart soared. Every wink, every smile, every laugh gave me hope that I wasn’t in this alone. But I’d be patient. I wasn’t going to bombard her with my feelings right away. It wasn’t like I could compete with Deacon—even if he wasn’t in the running.

  I was so lost in my head that I’d missed my line moving until the guy behind me poked me in the back. I cursed. “Sorry!”

  By the time I caught up to Caroline and Amelia in their matching plaid skirts, we were heading up the stairs to the stage. My pul
se quickened and my palms grew sweaty. My stomach was tight. I had the sudden urge to rush to the bathroom, but I knew it was just my nerves getting the best of me.

  Just touch the crystal, then it’s over. Stop freaking out over nothing, brain.

  Amelia was the first person in our line, and she practically ran to the crystal ball. When she got up to it, she pressed her little hand to the surface, and white light wrapped around her fingers. The ball filled with purple smoke, and then it swirled around her hand. Her black blazer suddenly had purple stripes on the cuff. She squealed in delight then skipped away, pausing only to give Deacon a high five before she hurried back down the stairs.

  White light flashed out of the corner of my eye. I turned just in time to see Caroline be Sorted into the Wand Suit just like Amelia. Her shoulders dropped, and I could practically feel the relief rolling off of her. After all, her own mother was Lead Page, and Caroline had always loved playing with Claudia’s wands. She pulled her hand back then glanced over her shoulder to me and winked. Then she stepped aside and headed toward the stairs at the far end of the stage.

  My turn. I licked my lips and took a deep breath as I walked up to the crystal ball. It was a weird form of déjà vu. I’d done this before, but it looked differently. The ball was smaller and I was bigger. Also, last time I’d wanted to be a Sword. I thought it would be cool. This time as I pressed my palm to the crystal, I prayed it was anything but a Sword. I’d now seen a demon battle firsthand, and I wasn’t foolish enough to think I was cut out for that.

  Honestly, I wanted to be a Wand. Both my parents were Wands. I’d already been a Wand. I had a Wand. I liked being a Wand, and the magic I could do with one… Also…Caroline was a Wand. Not that that was a deciding factor for which Suit to be in, but it could potentially lend to us spending more time together. One step at a time, Kincaid.

  Just as I was about to spiral into a panic, the crystal ball filled with purple smoke. I sighed and felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Wands. Thank the Goddess. With a satisfied smile, I pulled my hand back then stepped around the crystal ball to make way for the guy behind me before he poked me again. As I passed, Deacon gave me a thumbs-up and that troublemaker smile I’d always expected from him. His black blazer had the green details of the Pentacles Suit, which wasn’t surprising at all. I nodded and then turned my attention to Emersyn.

  I expected her to hate me outright, so the kind smile on her face was a shock. She pointed to the Wand symbol on the front of her blazer, and I laughed.

  Okay, so maybe there’s hope there.

  Chapter Twelve

  Caroline

  “You know what I just realized?”

  I looked over at Noah sitting in the seat beside me and arched one eyebrow. “The possibilities are endless.”

  He opened his mouth then shut it and shook his head. But he couldn’t hide the smirk on his face. “That’s cold, Neil Diamond.”

  “Neil Diamond?” I frowned. “What?”

  “Ya know, ‘Sweet Caroline?’” He full on grinned, then sang, “Touching me…touching you—”

  I pressed my hand to his mouth and laughed. “Good Lord, anything but that. Please.”

  He chuckled and leaned back in his seat. “It’s a good song and you know it.”

  “Sure I do.” I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. “Is that what you just realized?”

  He shook his head. “Nah, I’ve been waiting for the right moment to drop that one on you for ages.”

  “Oh, and this was the right time?”

  His smile turned crooked as he looked down at me through dark eyelashes. His green eyes were full of mischievous sparkle. “Well, it made you smile, didn’t it?”

  It did, but then again, Noah always made me smile. I was so relieved he’d answered my text and joined me at the ceremony. I’d missed him, and his easy demeanor and sense of humor were such a pleasure to be around. My jaw burned from smiling so hard.

  We were sitting in a massive lecture classroom with all the other high school-aged Wands students awaiting our schedules. This was apparently our homeroom, though I wasn’t quite sure what the point of it was or why we’d need it in the future. My private schools never had them.

  But I had Noah and seats in the very back of the room, so I was good.

  “What did you just realize, Mr. Kincaid?”

  He ran his hand through his dirty blond hair and shrugged, and the movement made his arm brush up against mine. “I realized that I don’t actually know a single useful spell. All the ones I know are for laziness. Like if you need to use your wand as a remote, I’m your guy. But if you need to cast a real spell? Don’t call me.”

  I pursed my lips and thought about it, only to realize I wasn’t any better. I bumped his arm with mine and grinned. “I can create a mean magical closet. And apply makeup. So…clearly that’s crucial shit.”

  “Man, we should combine forces and attack this city like the Avengers.”

  I opened my mouth to remind him the Avengers were the good guys, when the classroom door opened. Whoever it was must’ve paused outside the door because it hung open without someone entering. I was just going to ask what was going on when a wave of heat rushed over me…and then Emersyn Bishop strolled inside the room.

  Oh shit. I leaned forward and smoothed my hair down. Why? I had no idea.

  Emersyn walked to the middle of the room then turned to face the class. I had to admit, she looked fierce today in her all black. Her platinum blonde hair was wavy and wild, like she’d been at the beach all morning. Maybe that was just her look. It worked for her, whereas I’d look ridiculous.

  “Hello, my fellow Wands,” she said with a grin and pointed to the Wand symbol on her jacket. “I’m Emersyn Bishop, the Empress. I just need a few minutes of your time, and then I’ll be out of your way.”

  “When did you get Sorted?” some guy at the front of the room asked, but I couldn’t see his face.

  Emersyn blushed. “At Edenburg.”

  A girl raised her hand but didn’t wait to be called on. “Why are we in here?”

  “What do we do now?”

  “When do we get our schedules?”

  “Do we get our own wands?”

  Emersyn’s eyes widened as the class fired questions at her relentlessly. She opened her mouth then closed it. I knew she had a backbone, and I knew she was absolutely lethal…but I also knew she was nice. A genuinely nice person, who didn’t want to yell at anyone or upset anyone. She was the Empress, a compassionate mother to all. But this was bullshit.

  I jumped to my feet, slammed my fist on the desk, and shouted, “HEY!”

  The entire class jumped and turned to look at me with wide eyes.

  “STOP.” I glared at them all. “I don’t recall hearing her open the floor up for questions. Did you, Noah?”

  Noah crossed his arms over his chest. “Nope.”

  I turned back to the class and arched one eyebrow. “Quit behaving like idiots and let her speak.”

  I glared at them a few seconds longer then sat back down. When I looked back to Emersyn, I found her watching me with the strangest expression—like she was thankful but didn’t trust me one bit. Which I deserved.

  “Thank you, Caroline.” Emersyn cleared her throat. “I don’t know if any of you know how things work, so I’m going to explain as if we’re all new here, okay?”

  The class nodded and leaned forward in their seats.

  “Okay. So, as you noticed today, there are four Suits: Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands. The reason we sort everyone is so that we know what type of magic you’re designed for. At Edenburg, the Suits are kept pretty separate from each other—even in their dormitories. However, here at the School of Magical Arts, or SOMA as it’s been nicknamed already, we want everyone to feel united. Y’all live in the real world together, and we want to encourage that same unity. This means the only separation for dorms is by gender. You may find your roommate is a fellow Wand, but they most likely won’t
be.”

  For the first time, I questioned my decision to live at home.

  But Emersyn continued. “This here is your Wand homeroom, but you probably won’t be here often. But in a minute you’re going to meet your Wand Leader, Leila Wright. She will be your go-to person for anything you need, or questions, really…anything at all. Think of her as your mentor. She’s a Wand like you, and is also a professor here at the school. When she gets here, she will hand out your schedules along with your dorm assignments.”

  One of the girls in the front row raised her hand but kept quiet.

  Emersyn smiled. “Yes?”

  “What if we’re locals and chose to live at home…will we still have access to the dorm building?”

  “Ah, yes. Good question. We understand many of you”—Emersyn actually looked directly at me when she said this—“opted out of dorms, but we also know you may change your mind. Since the school is new, we’re allowing a grace period until December 31. If you decide you want to live on campus, just let Leila know. And even if you don’t, you’ll have access to the common room areas on the first level of each building.”

  Why did she look at me? Is it because she thinks I’d never leave my fancy house?

  “Now, one more thing.” Emersyn wrung her hands together, and little flames poked out from under her sleeves. “In a few months, two students are going to be selected as school Majors. One guy and one girl. These two students will serve as peer mentors, someone you can go to for help if you don’t feel comfortable going to your Leader.”

  “Two per Suit, right?” someone asked from off to the side.

  Emersyn shook her head. “Nope. Two total. This is a smaller school than Edenburg, but like I said before, this is a school about unity.”

  The door opened again, and I recognized the woman who walked in. She was one of my mother’s Pages, but I couldn’t recall her name. She was probably only in her early thirties, and I remembered she was quite nice.