I paused, nearly gagging from my canned response as a wave of revelation hit me.
It was my time to rise.
My time to conquer all of my weaknesses and doubts.
I was ready to face it all.
And then I added, "But I can't promise it won't get messy."
Chapter 6
We were a motley crew, to say the least.
Pulling together in preparation for the trials, we'd formed our own mystic coven.
Noah and Piper, Hattie and Asher, Clayton, and me.
The six of us worked as a tight unit to put our best foot forward for the Fire Festival trials. Someone was to be named ambassador, the marshall of the event, and that was a coveted title that stuck for life. And of course, being the Fire Festival, it was particularly coveted by me.
The rest of my makeshift coven knew the importance of the role for me. It would be my one chance to clear my name and become stronger with my fire element—a coming of age, so to speak. And they were all willing to help get me there, even Clayton.
I was a little surprised at first that Clayton wasn't planning to compete for the position, but his current disdain for Josie might have had something to do with it. He just wanted to be sure she didn't get it.
And truth be known, with him out, she was now my biggest competition.
And she played dirty.
Her primary element was air, and her control over her gifts was exemplary—wind, breath, air temperature, super hearing ability, and empathic precognition. Some said she could create air bubbles for traveling underwater. But it was her premonitions that gave her the greatest power. And that power was knowledge.
But at the same time, the air element gave strength to the fire element, which would help me immensely. I just needed to figure out how to harness that energy, and consume it, which was easier said than done.
"So, with only a few days left until the trials, what's the plan?" Piper's tone didn't hide her waning faith.
We'd spent the past couple days experimenting with possible scenarios that we might encounter at the trials, but each practice ended worse than the previous.
"We need to stop being so boring," Asher blurted. "We're not going to win anything if we stay here in this dingy library weeding through old books. We're following every little rule, and it's getting annoying." He pushed the metal ladder along its track, and it rumbled past the high shelves of magical guides.
I stared at him in humbled disbelief. I had literally been thinking the exact same thing but would never in my life have expressed it. The resources in the library were incredible, but overwhelming at the same time. We were just confusing ourselves with new spells and theories of the supernatural.
Clayton stood tall as if the invisible book had returned to its balancing act on top of his head. "It may seem boring, but we need to stick to Hazeldene expectations and the core values," he said, taking a cautious side-glance at Hattie.
He was extremely protective of Hattie's experiences, making sure she didn't have another episode on his watch.
As I focused on Hattie, noting her renewed energy and strength, she looked back at me at the same time. Our eyes met, and she sent me a message of willingness to explore and try new things, an eagerness to take a chance. I nodded in understanding, and then she shot me one more piece of information—a piece I didn't grasp fully. Its message held longing and an urgency to find something. The familiar feeling shook me deep in my bones as it awakened my own curiosities.
I turned my attention back to Asher with a grin.
"I agree with Asher. And Hattie is stronger now and can handle more intensity in our training."
Clayton shot a look of surprise at us. "No way. I'm her mentor, and I say not a chance."
"But Clayton," Hattie whined. "I'm ready. Nothing bad will happen. If I faint, it's okay. Graney Greta says it's just my response to sensory overload. It's not like I'm gonna die or anything."
Clayton shook his head in frustration and threw an evil side-glance at me. It was like good cop, bad cop, and he was the bad cop.
"Baby steps," Piper interjected. "Let's just do little bits at a time."
"Baby steps will become the march to our demise," Noah groaned. "But I guess it's true. There's no other way to get ahead."
Asher grinned from ear to ear. "Cool," he chimed, stepping closer to me with lifted eyebrows. "So, what now then?"
I glanced across the leather-bound books, some with pentagrams on their spines and others with the elemental symbols for earth, fire, water, and air. We'd educated ourselves with as much knowledge as we could find in the short time we had, and now it was time to put it to use.
"We get out of here," I replied. "It's time to leave the security of the academy and play with our elements."
Piper took a deep breath, filling her lungs to capacity, and it appeared as if she might float. Her primary element was air, just like Josie's, but instead of using it to control those around her, Piper used it to access mystical wisdom and had even dabbled in connecting to the realm of the spirit world.
"I know just the place," Piper said, blowing her breath out in a steady stream. "Follow moi."
Slamming books shut and shoving them back onto shelves, we cleaned up our research trail to be sure no one else saw our planning strategies—the most critical being the spells and incantations for harnessing my fire power.
Noah and Piper had shown me an old, tattered book, more like a memoir of a fire-starter. I'd never seen it before, and it held similar stories to my own experiences with attempting to tame my flames. What they really wanted me to see in the manuscript was the pictures of the fire-starter using their flames as defense. None of us had considered that level of mastery before, having assumed my element was smaller in scope. But judging by the images within the loose, worn pages, my gift might be more significant than I’d realized.
As we piled out of the library, following Piper to who-knows-where, we slowed at the massive door to the study as hushed voices trailed out through the heavy mahogany. I stopped and strained to hear what was going on, and just as I recognized the voices, Asher bumped into me. He hadn't noticed I'd stopped, and the force of his aimless pace knocked him backward into the door with a thud.
Our eyes shot wide as the voices went silent.
"Keep moving," I whispered, waving my hand for the others to follow.
But it was too late.
Footsteps moved inside the study, and within the span of one breath, the door flew open.
"Cheating?" Josie spat. "Hoping to hear our plans?"
"Just passing by," I retorted. "No one's interested in your plans."
She nodded with a cynical smirk. "Mhmm." Then she reached her arm toward Clayton and locked elbows with him. "We've been looking for you. You can't spend all your time with your mentee, you know. Not when the trials are right around the corner. We need you."
She yanked him toward the door of the study where Lauren waiting within. Two other students sat at a round table with her, and I dropped my gaze in disappointment of their choice to join forces with The Big Three.
Troy and Liam were strong supers but had always been loners in a way. It made sense that Josie would recruit them to strengthen her numbers, particularly while questioning Clayton's loyalty.
Clayton pulled his arm from hers.
"Hattie's still new here. I need to stay with her."
Josie's eyes narrowed on him. "Things are shifting," she said. "It doesn't take fine-tuned precognition to know that something is coming, something unpleasant."
"What are you talking about?" He shifted in his place.
She shrugged. "You'll just have to wait and see, I guess. Unless of course, you come with us now. Then I'll enlighten you."
Clayton's lips pressed together.
"Oh," Josie added, grimacing at me, then looking back at him. "And you should think about staying away from her. She's the target of the looming unpleasantries."
Walking away from Josie was the
easy part.
Leaving her words behind was proving to be more difficult.
I hated how masterful she was in her manipulation of the people around her. It was her gift, and she abused it at every opportunity.
"Forget about her," Noah grumbled next to me. "She's only trying to derail you. She's full of shit, and you know it."
I nodded with a forced smile.
He was probably right, but I couldn't chance it. I had to keep my guard up at all times.
As we moved out of the house onto the porch, Piper leaned on the railing and stared out across the sprawling lawn.
"They're setting up bleachers along one side," she said, pointing across the open field. "The games will happen there. I saw a bunch of construction materials at the side of the manor. It looks like they'll be building an obstacle course of some kind."
We followed her gaze across the lawn, imagining what the trials would look like. They always kept the details of such events a secret until the last minute, but that never stopped any of us from snooping.
"So, we need to find an open field similar in size to this one, so we can train with the same surroundings." Piper looked to us for any ideas.
My thumb shot to my mouth, and I chewed the nail.
There was one open space that could work. It was private and secluded. No one ever went there, so it would be perfect.
But there was one glitch.
It was off-limits.
Forbidden.
"What about the secret garden?" I murmured, keeping my eyes down.
Holding my breath, I waited for the verbal assaults telling me I was crazy, going rogue, reckless.
But there was only silence.
I glanced up and found everyone with lifted brows, lips pressed to the side, and nodding.
They were considering it.
I let out the breath I'd been holding.
Finally, I wasn't the only one willing to take some risk around here.
"So, just checking," Noah said. "You mean the garden that we're not supposed to go to. Ever."
I nodded once.
"The one that hasn't been seen in years," Clayton added.
Piper's hand covered her mouth as she thought aloud.
"The sacred space of the original owner of this property. The centuries-old garden of the lady of the house," Piper said, rubbing her chin.
Asher pulled closer, with Hattie by his side.
"Executed for harboring witches," I added, recalling the details of the old legend.
The lady of the house, and her husband, had suffered grisly fates for protecting accused witches from being burned at the stake. They'd become the focus of the twisted mobs who were already envious of their fortune, and the frenzied hysteria took them down in their prime.
"Sounds perfect!" Asher gushed.
Clayton ran his hands down his face and then glanced at Hattie. Her eager expression proved she was intrigued, but I sensed more than that off of her.
I closed my eyes, clearing my mind of all the sensory information that came through, and I focused on Hattie. When I opened them, I met her gaze straight on. It was as if she felt me reaching out to her. She lifted her palms, looked at them, then squeezed her fists shut as she glanced back at me. With a nod, she assured me that going to the secret garden was the right call.
"So, are we doing this?" I said.
Everyone nodded in agreement, all but Clayton.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the others.
My spine stiffened as I prepared for his lecture. But then, at the same time, my muscles relaxed from the feel of his touch. A warm sensation ran up my arm, lighting up my insides, and I worried he might notice. But I couldn't help it. Imagining his hands roaming on me was enough to make my knees give out.
What was it about him? Something about his do-good nature and squeaky-clean reputation actually attracted me to him. I thought I was the bad-boy type, always on the lookout for brooding guys with a boatload of issues. It just seemed natural for me to go for the troubled dudes. I supposed it ensured my chances of them liking me back.
My eyes widened at the sudden revelation.
And so that was it. I was afraid that someone good wouldn't want me in return.
Made sense. Because in fact, that was precisely what I was terrified of with Clayton. The thought of him rejecting me was too much to handle right now. The last thing I should do was to give in to this new attraction I felt for him. I needed to walk away.
He turned to face me directly. I had to bend my neck to look up into his face. His warm, dark eyes studied me intensely.
"I feel strangely protective of you right now," he whispered. "I don't know where it's coming from, but I can't fight it." He glanced over to be sure the others were still at a distance. "I agree that going to the secret garden makes sense for our team. We're preparing for more than a game. We're prepping for setting things right."
I swallowed hard, disbelieving what I was hearing.
He went on. "If we get caught, I'll figure out a way to explain ourselves. I just want us to have the opportunity to straighten things out around here."
I couldn't believe it. For the first time ever, Clayton Xavier James, III was going to break a rule. And maybe more than one.
But it was for a just cause, and that would be how he could live with the decision.
"Okay. Thank you," I muttered, overwhelmed by his admission of feeling protective.
He nodded and then glanced back at Hattie. At the exact same moment, my attention was drawn to her as well.
She shot her gaze back at us and held a look of alarm in her eyes.
As I peered deeper into her stare, I was drawn into a spiraling maze of twists and turns—one that seemed to pull both of us toward its center.
Blinking to clear my vision, I looked one more time to confirm what I was seeing in her gaze.
And it was still there, enticing us to follow its path.
The labyrinth.
Clayton jolted from the strange look in Hattie's glazed eyes.
"What's wrong with her?" he whispered to me.
"She sees something, like a vision," I murmured as I walked toward her.
Clayton stayed by my side as we moved to Hattie.
Gazing into her eyes, I leaned down to her level. "What do you see?"
She blinked, and then her eyes widened. "A strange maze. Spiraling. Pulling me to its center," she murmured. "There's something there. Something calling to me."
Then she moved her face closer to mine and gazed into the depths of my eyes.
"You see it too," she said with confidence. "Do you know what it is?"
I fought the urge to pull away from her stare.
"Yes." I nodded. "It's the lost labyrinth. Hidden deep within the secret garden."
She blinked and looked away.
"Are we going there?" she asked with a hint of fear in her voice.
I hesitated, not wanting to overload her senses. But I had to be honest.
"Yes. I think so," I said. "But I'm beginning to think there's more there than I realized."
She looked up again. "Like something familiar between us?"
I froze from the sound of her words, because they were the exact same as those that floated around in my head. She and I were connected somehow, and the labyrinth seemed to hold the answers.
I nodded in silence.
"Ready to go?" Noah called over. "Day's not getting any longer."
Asher scrambled over to us. "Which way?"
And at the exact same time, Hattie and I turned toward the same direction of the grounds where a thicket of pines lined the edge.
Without hesitation, we headed toward the perimeter of the grounds. Looking back with guilty glances, I made sure no one watched as we disappeared into the cover of trees.
"Do you know which way to go?" Clayton asked.
"Yes. I was just there the other...." I froze, catching myself from exposing my prev
ious visit to the forbidden location.
He huffed. "Figures."
I held back the playful punch that readied itself in my fist, not wanting to be too obvious about my interest in him. For Noah's sake.
Piper caught a glimpse of my smirk and widened her eyes at me. She didn't miss a trick.
Rolling my eyes back at her to shut her up, I returned my attention to the narrow path that led us further into the trees. Before too long, we stumbled upon the overgrown stonewall and broken, rusted remains of the heavy iron gate. An enormous pine shot up from the middle of the entryway to the garden, standing tall like a sentry.
"This is it," I said. "Most of the garden is overgrown. You can hardly tell where the paths were, but there's a fountain at the center, so once we find that, I'll know which way to go for the clearing."
"This is so cooooool," Asher gushed. "Look, there's an old statue hiding under those vines." He pointed to the remains of what might have been a young boy, but erosion and the pressure of time had nearly made it unrecognizable.
"I have to admit," Clayton added, "this is pretty cool." He glanced all around at the ruins of what was once a glorious garden filled with prized rose bushes and topiary carved by the finest craftsmen. "It's like it's holding a million secrets, stories from long ago."
Piper took a huge breath of air. "I feel it too. This place holds a mystery that spans hundreds of years. No wonder it's off-limits and forbidden. It's protecting something and doesn't want to give it up."
A chill shuddered through me. As if the garden had consciousness, it kept its secrets just out of reach.
"Look! There's another statue," Asher yelped. "This one's huge and in the middle of a pool thing."
I hurried over to him.
"It's the fountain. This part was the pond, and its water flowed out of her tipped jug." I pointed to the remains of the statue.
"What jug? Is that even a woman?" Asher stepped closer to examine the ruins.
He was right. There was nothing identifiable about it, only eroded stone and broken bits. But in my mind, I could see the woman in her toga, with her jug flowing water from its spout.
Rubbing my chin, I turned to Hattie and Clayton with a confused gaze, wondering if they could see the form of the fountain woman. And in that exact moment, Hattie began to shudder.
Mystic Coven: Fire Festival (Supernatural Academy Graduates Book 1) Page 7
