by Zara Zenia
Hexes and Havoc
Sleep Hollow Academy - Book 3
Zara Zenia
Illustrated by
Natasha Snow
Edited by
Elizabeth A Lance
Copyright © 2019 by Zara Zenia
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Natasha Snow Designs
Edited by Elizabeth A Lance
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the authors’ imagination.
Contents
VIP Reader Club
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Preview of Alien Prince Charming
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
About Zara Zenia
Also by Zara Zenia
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1
Marina
“Sorry that we have to trudge through all of this snow, Mom,” I called out over my shoulder to my mother who was trailing behind somewhat as I led her down the open crosswalk to my dorm building. It was just two weeks into the second semester, but Mom had missed me so much, she’d come up for a visit.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw her with her arms extended out to her sides in an effort to keep her balance. Her tongue was partially out of her mouth in concentration. It was a battle. Her, against the ice.
“It’s okay, dear,” my mother chimed out behind me, as if it wasn’t any big deal to walk in these perilous weather conditions. Winter was still trying to keep a firm grip over everyone in upstate New York. Although, the prospect of spring was just around the corner, giving everyone fresh hope.
My mom let out a little chuckle and a verbal afterthought. “I’m managing, don’t you worry.”
She gave me a sparkling smile with her wide brown eyes and pushed her closely cropped auburn hair behind her ear.
“Okay,” I said and noticed a wary tone to my voice. “Just be careful.”
I cringed a little as the midriff of her shirt raised slightly in response to her flailing and outstretched arms. My mother, bless her, was desperately clinging to what little youthful spirit she still had flaming inside of her. She wasn’t that old, but when you were eighteen like me, forty sure seemed a long way off.
“I’ll just have to warm up with a drink later.” My mom chuckled.
I tossed her a lecturing glance. “Not too early though, alright?”
Coraline Kendall looked a little sheepish as if she didn’t want to receive an appropriate behavior speech from her own teenage daughter. My mom had struggled with alcohol for years. In some ways, I felt like it was my job to keep tabs on her.
“I’ll do my best,” she said in a low voice.
I softened my smile. “I really appreciate you coming to visit me, Mom. I’m glad we got to go out to lunch, and I got to spend time with you.”
Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “It’s my pleasure, honey. It’s always nice to be wanted.”
Truth be told, I figured to a certain degree, my mom wanted to live spontaneously and vicariously through me. I was in my prime, enjoying life at Sleepy Hollow University just west of Kingston in upstate New York.
My mom had been divorced from my dad for quite a few years now. He was a gambling addict and we had nothing in common, nothing to bond over. So, much like my mother, I rarely ever talked to him.
I knew my mom was lonely and jumped at the chance to assist her witch daughter in readjusting into campus life. My mom was a human with no gifted magical abilities herself, but she had always been tremendously supportive of me and making sure I was happy and achieving my goals and dreams. She always put me first, and I had to respect her for that triumphant challenge.
“I wish we could use the underground tunnels,” I admitted, “but they will be clogged right now with all the students trying to get to their afternoon classes—”
My mom swiftly breezed up next to me with a hasty interruption. I stared at her with a little jolt of surprise.
“Geez Mom, what the heck—”
“Those tunnels,” my mom said and excitedly licked her lips. Her wide eyes became even more vibrant. “They are meant for the…vampires…right?”
She whispered the word vampire as if it was taboo yet fascinating.
I rolled my eyes. “Come on, Mom. You don’t have to whisper it. There are plenty of them roaming the campus. It’s not a big deal—”
“I just find them so intriguing.” My mom clapped her hands together with a dreamy look in her eyes.
I laughed. “Yeah, well…”
“Aren’t you dating one?” She playfully nudged my shoulder with her own.
“Mom!” I felt my cheeks grow hot and knew that they were probably shading a perfect crimson in response to my mom’s question.
“I’m sorry, honey.” My mom’s tone was sincerely apologetic. “I’m just curious.”
I cast her a warm smile. “I know, Mom. It’s okay.” I was still her child after all. She deserved a little scoop.
As we entered the building where my dorm was, we trekked a little way down the hallway. “I will tell you about it when we get inside, alright?”
“Sounds great, honey.” My mom always loved a little dish.
I knew that it would be safe to discuss my romantic life because my roommate, Laurie Brand, wasn’t due to return just yet. She’d had to go back home for some family event but was due back soon. I didn’t want to have that private conversation with her in the room, just because I was still trying to process how everything was going with the guys.
Laurie was an amazing roommate, don’t get me wrong, but with my tipsy loving, free spirited mother around, some things were just better left either not addressed at all, or said behind closed doors.
I pushed the door open and was instantly slammed with that familiar scent of comfort and coziness of the dorm room itself.
“Ahh.” I stood there and scanned the room, taking it all in, feeling happy to be here. “I know it’s not our home, but I always feel, I don’t know, warm and comfortable here.”
My mom chuckled and plopped down on the bed. She twisted the blinds open. “Let’s let some light in.” She had a big smile on her face.
“Mom, it’s getting ready to snow again,” I pointed out. “The sky is gray.”
“There is nothing wrong with a little natural light, sweetie.”
I snorted. “Tell that to the vampires.”
Then, I immediately regretted my statement because it opened the conversation back up to taking a lap around my romantic life.
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My mom crossed her legs and clasped her hands in her lap, but not before patting the empty space on my twin mattress first.
“Tell me everything about what’s been going on. What are you most excited about this semester? Do you like your classes so far? What about the boys? Any news there?”
Her energy buzzed around me and I felt it supercharge me. My mom’s zesty personality rubbed off on me on occasion, and sometimes I even let it in.
I exhaled with a brief chuckle. “Well…”
“Don’t be shy,” my mom pressed.
I met her gaze. “There’s nothing too serious. Just some innocent flirtatiousness and stuff...”
“Which guys are you interested in the most?” Mom quizzed, as if I hadn’t told her about the boys over Christmas break when I was home. “Have you decided which ones have the most potential?”
I pondered her question and glanced up at the ceiling and the dull florescent lights.
“Well, you know I really like Tom, even though he goes to Salem,” I said, referring to our rival school that was situated in a more urban part of town.
It also had a bigger campus, yet somehow the ranks of students at my school of Sleepy Hollow were significantly ahead of those at Salem University. It was something I enjoyed teasing Tom about because he was extremely competitive in nature.
“And?” my mom quizzed.
I laughed. She was relentless, but because she was my mother, it was somewhat charming.
“Of course, there are also Daniel and Vlad.” I counted them on my fingers. “And Colin.”
I felt myself blushing again. I looked at my mother after pausing for a few seconds. “Sorry, I know it probably seems weird…”
My mom inhaled deeply as if she was trying to formulate the most diplomatic response for me.
“It’s just something to get used to, the whole polyamory thing,” she admitted.
“I know.” I nodded. “For me as well. Although they all treat me wonderfully, so it doesn’t seem that unordinary, really.”
I smiled, remembering their handsome faces and how charismatic they were. I couldn’t wait to meet up with them later. We had already made plans to get together later that night at a party, after Mom was done visiting.
“That’s good.” My mom nodded and glanced at her knees.
“It’s just dating for right now,” I explained again with a reassuring smile, even though I was lying through my teeth. “Nothing too serious, like I said before when I was home, Mom.” There was no way I could tell her about my having sex with the four of them, that was just… too intimate to be shared.
My mom lifted her chin and her gaze was non-judgmental. She might enjoy the occasional prying into my life, but she was never confrontational to the point of being hypercritical of me in any fashion. Thank goodness!
“I think you are an exceptionally astute young woman with a good head on her shoulders and a bright future ahead of you.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Mom. That means a lot. It really does.”
“Well, I must express my relief that in order to attract such a following of men in your life who are interested in you, I must have done something right.” Mom grinned. “It makes me proud to know that you are so popular.”
I chuckled humbly and scratched the top of my head with a sigh. “I wouldn’t go that far. It’s not like I am all that popular.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, sweetheart.” My mom gave me a stern look, a rarity for her. As a single mother, she practiced being my friend more than being a parent.
“I won’t.”
“Besides, you are choosy.”
“Choosy? With me dating four guys?” I laughed and gave her a sideways look.
“Yes.” She nodded assertively. “You are selective in who out of the dating pool you’re willing to date, and I think that’s smart.”
“Good to know.” I gave her a little wink.
She patted my leg and stood up with a resigned deep breath. “Well, I guess I better go back to life with the other peasants and leave you to your luxurious lifestyle here at Sleepy Hollow.”
“Oh, Mom,” I said and erupted into laughter. “You’re so dramatic sometimes.”
I roped my arms around her and reeled her in for a bear hug, the kind that would envelop her in enough love to last her for the car ride back home.
“I’m going to miss you so much, I am so glad you came to see me,” I confessed.
She looked at me, sizing me up as if she wanted to take a mental picture of me to cherish forever.
“I’m going to miss you too, but I know that you’re going to have incredible amounts of fun this semester.”
“That’s the plan,” I said, and then quickly added, “also I plan to study hard.”
“Don’t you always?” She ran a hand lovingly through my hair. “My little bookworm.”
I walked her to the door and watched her exit down the hallway. “Bye, Mom!” I called out with an enthusiastic wave.
“Bye, darling! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” she called back.
I laughed. “That’s a long list, Mom.”
She gave me a playfully sour look and then was gone, darting around a corner.
I shook my head and chuckled internally. I was going to miss her, but I reminded myself that she was only a phone call away if I needed to hear her voice and feel the comfort that only a mother could bring.
A couple of hours later, there was a knock at the door of my dorm. I swung it open with animated excitement.
Just as I expected, Daniel, Colin, and Vlad were standing there giving me dashingly dapper smiles.
“Hello,” I said, welcoming them all in. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Vlad, the dragon shifter of my dating pool, snaked his arms around my waist and squeezed me affectionately before dropping a passionate kiss on my lips. Everything about Vlad screamed big, brave and boisterous.
“Are you ready to get this party started?” he asked a moment later without skipping a beat.
I laughed while Daniel rolled his eyes. “Such a party animal.” He pulled me into his arms and kissed me soundly too.
Vlad planted a brotherly slap on Daniel’s back once we’d parted. “It’s the weekend, man. Everyone is going to be throwing insane parties tonight.”
“But we will be at the best one,” Colin said, a twinkle in his gorgeous eyes as he moved smoothly to my side and gently pulled me into his arms, kissing me softly.
Colin was the key to the peace in my heart. He was a second-year art student and remarkably talented. His specialty was sculpture. I loved how he knew exactly what he wanted to get out of life. He was the quiet one of the group, but his gentle nature always lured me in.
“Well,” I said, feeling my cheeks flushed with excitement. There was a little bounce in my step as I grabbed my clutch purse. “I’m ready when you guys are.”
“You look stunning,” Daniel said, offering his hand.
I relished the way he eyed me up and down as if I was the most beautiful girl in the world. He kissed my hand with the softest lips and the most tender grace for a guy whose ultimate goal in life was to become an NYPD officer.
He had a lot of large shoes to fill, metaphorically speaking, being from a long line of cops. I was rooting for him all the way because he would be the first vampire in his family on the force.
I closed the door to my dorm room, ready for the social interactions and to let loose a little. It was time to release all the stress of the week and party with my guys. I was excited to have some fun and enjoy some quality attention from the three guys on campus that I adored the most.
2
Marina
The next morning, I moved about my dorm room sluggishly. I had stayed out with the guys
longer than I had intended. However, in my defense, the hours had slipped past me because I had been enjoying myself so tremendously. We had been having a fantastic time together, bonding and partying with the rest of the Sleepy Hol
low student body.
By the time they had finally returned me back safe and sound to my dorm room and tucked
me into the sheets with a glass of water beside my nightstand, I had been feeling exhausted and ready to welcome sleep.
Now, I was putting on my boots and getting ready to venture down to the vending machine
to see if I could find a honey bun or a granola bar to eat for breakfast. My legs felt like they had lead weights attached to them and I couldn’t shake the groggy fog in my mind.
“You just need a little energy boost with food, Marina,” I grumbled to myself and scooped
up some coins from my dresser. “Then you will feel replenished.”
I hadn’t really drunk that much the night before, to be honest. I had one beer, but my extended lethargy that particular morning was lingering obnoxiously.
I was looking for my room key when I heard the doorknob start to twist. My heart leapt
into my throat and my stomach did a somersault. I felt an enormous grin of anticipation because I knew this could only mean one thing.
My roommate, Laurie Brand, must be back in town and ready for action. She’d taken a week off school to go home to Nebraska for a cousin’s wedding. All my physical ailments of tiredness left my body at once and I was filled to the brim with new endorphins of elation.
I jogged over to the door so I would be able to greet her as soon as she swung the door
