by LJ Swallow
"Nobody finds out, normally."
He doesn't move, as if frozen into the moment with me. One palm rests on the table beside the book still, but he's angled more towards me.
"And you'd know this because...?" I arch a brow.
He lowers his voice. "Are you suggesting I've made out with girls down here?"
Oh hell, this gets worse. I'm digging myself into a Jamie-sized hole and if he doesn't move away from me, I’ll fall into it.
"You?" I say with a light laugh. "I can't imagine you'd do anything but read the books."
Hastily, I stand, in a desperate attempt to break away from the spell we’ve involuntarily created, our physical attraction winding around and pulling us together.
“Maeve,” he says hesitantly and his eyes fill with more than affection.
This spell isn't breaking any time soon.
"Don't say anything else, Jamie," I whisper. “I don’t want to be the cliché couple making out down here.”
“Couple?”
“You know what I mean.”
Touching him and giving in to the moment would be so easy, but in the midst of the confusion swirling around our lives, this wouldn’t be sensible.
I could kiss him. All I'd need to do is move until the small space between us disappears. Jamie looks at me as if I'm precious to him, and I could never doubt how close we could become if I let him.
I shake away the direction my imagination is leading and dip my head. "I'm sorry."
"Why apologise?" he asks as he drops his hand. "That's my thing."
I look up from beneath my lashes at his wry smile, but there's disappointment in his eyes. "I care about you, Jamie, but I'm confused. By life. The academy—"
"Ash?" The smile disappears. "It's okay, I get it."
"No. Yes. Both of you." And Andrei. The words jump into my mind and I'm shocked at my subconscious's betrayal.
"No need to look so horrified, I might take that personally." Jamie laughs and steps back.
"I'm not horrified by you and me. I was thinking about something else?"
"A vision?"
"No.” I reach out for the parchment with my badly copied words on, trying to control my breathing. "Should I practice this?"
Jamie moves back and looks down at the spell, blinking as if he'd forgotten that's why we're here. "Sure. You might need to practice a few more times before the incantation works, but we can try."
He walks to the drawers that hold the vellum and pulls out long matchsticks and a white candle. He then takes a candlestick from the top and pushes the candle inside. “You need to read the spell. Then you need to burn the scroll."
I frown as he lights the candle. "Isn’t that a fire risk in a room filled with dusty books?"
He shakes the flame from the match. "You're a pragmatic girl, Maeve.”
"I once saw a house fire in a vision," I blurt. "I never managed to stop the blaze happening because the vision was one of the first I ever had. I’ve never forgotten.”
“I’m sorry.” Concern fills his eyes. “But you’re right. Paper and uncontrolled fire don't go well together. You use this.” He points at a silver bowl, similar to the one Sofia uses, but smaller and etched with writing that looks the same language as in the book. "The flames can't leave the bowl."
I chew a nail. “How will we know the spell worked?"
He scans the words I wrote. "This is a barrier spell. If you don't want somebody to touch you, they won't be able to."
“Ever?” I ask.
"No. Just once—this is weak magic. Normally we test whether we can feel something by dropping hot wax on our skin. The advanced version of the spell creates a psychic barrier that protects from physical attacks, and only the strongest magic can penetrate."
"We should learn that one." Jamie casts his eyes down at my suggestion. "Oh. Right. Strong magic is dangerous if not performed correctly."
Looking up, he rubs his chin and I catch something in his eye. Why isn't he agreeing with me?
"Read the vellum."
"But what if I don't pronounce the words properly?" I'm genuinely concerned that if I mess up, I'll summon a demon. That’s ridiculous, Maeve. The likely outcome is nothing happens.
"Then we practice again. The spell is four lines long. I bet we succeed by the end of the hour."
I'm doubtful, but Jamie's confidence spurs me on. Clearing my throat, I focus on the words and begin to read. Jamie listens with his lips pursed in concentration.
"Anything?" he asks.
"I don't feel anything. Should I?"
"Your skin would tingle. Did it?"
"No. Okay, again." I stumble over the incantation and jump in alarm as Jamie shouts at me to stop.
"What?" My hand shakes.
"Wrong pronunciation. I don't want you turning me into a toad."
My stomach lurches. "Could I?" Again, a sly smile crosses his lips. "Jamie!"
"Seriously though, a few wrong words and you could conjure a completely different result.”
I drop the vellum onto the table. "I can't do this.”
Jamie picks it up and thrusts it at me. "You can. I believe in you. Don’t stress.”
A witch stands in front of me and tells me to cast a spell and not stress about the outcome? Right.
I take the vellum, clear my throat, and begin my third attempt. I avoid Jamie's eyes and focus harder, feeling weird like the times I had to read aloud in French class.
As I stumble over the final word, my hands tingle as if filled with pins and needles and I drop the vellum. "I think it worked," I whisper.
He blinks. "Tear the vellum. Burn it. Quick"
I do as he says, with the same urgency. He looks between the flames and my face, eyes bright. “Did you sense something?"
I nod. "Definitely. Test me.”
Instead of taking the candle, Jamie wrinkles his nose and holds out a hand. With two fingers beneath my chin, he tips my face and his eyes search mine. I moisten my lips, scared that we're back to the moments from before, convinced he's about to kiss me.
This time, I’m sorely tempted. He traces a finger along my cheek and sighs. "The spell didn't work, then?"
"What?" I scramble to pull myself away from my daydreams.
"The protection spell. You didn't want me to touch you earlier, so I shouldn’t be able to touch you now.” Jamie steps back and digs his hands into his back pockets. "Never mind. We can try again next time."
"Interesting way to check," I say in a hoarse voice as he turns away to pack his belongings.
"I guess I wanted to be sure,” he says softly.
Should I tell Jamie the spell didn’t fail, because I was happy for him to touch me? I take a deep breath and place my hand over his. “Jamie."
A loud noise roars through the hallway outside, and we're snapped away from the moment. A girl screams and something crashes, like bulldozed stone, and the ground shakes. Jamie grabs my arm and steadies himself on the wall. Seconds later, everything stills and the shaking drops away as quickly as it started.
"What was that?" I say and dash to the door.
Jamie moves in front of me and I can't see past his figure. Pushing by, I step into the dimly lit hallway and adjust my eyes. Dane and Kailey stand outside the room they snuck off to, staring in confusion. He buckles his belt and she buttons her shirt.
The hallway is clear with no change to the walls or floors since we last passed. The noise sounded like a wall had crashed down, and I worried I'd step out into a collapsed roof. But there’s no damage anywhere.
"What happened?" asks Dane. "Did a spell backfire?" I'm annoyed when he looks at me in blame.
"We haven't cast any spell that could misfire." Jamie strides towards the end of the hallway in the opposite direction to the steps we walked down. "Where did the noise come from? Further along here?"
"I thought the rumbling came from underneath us," says Kailey.
"There isn't anything underneath us." Jamie chews his lip. "I know the whol
e campus and there's no level lower than this in the building. Was it you guys?"
"Us? No. We weren't incanting spells,” retorts Dane.
I laugh softly. That’s evident.
We all drop into silence. Jamie feels his way along the exposed brick wall and presses his hand in places, head tipped to one side. He looks into the room Dane and Kailey walked out of too, then returns to us.
Dragging both hands through his hair, Jamie stands with his arms above his head, elbows at right angles. "I don't like this. We leave."
I hadn't worried too much until Jamie's confidence cracked. Now, I want out of here. Quickly.
"Good plan," says Dane and strides towards the steps.
Jamie ducks into the study room and emerges a minute later with our bags. As we rush up the steps, I glance back expecting to see someone or something in the hallway below.
There's nothing but the glow from the lanterns casting patterns across the walls and floors. The witches' sanctum is still and quiet.
Chapter Five
MAEVE
Jamie persuades the other two witches not to say anything to Professor Kendal because he wants to talk to Sofia first. They agree. I’m due to meet Sofia after magic class, and Jamie insists he joins me at her office.
I’m wary—unsure if Tobias has spoken to Sofia about us. There’s no hint she knows in her usual warm smile, as she gestures for us to enter. Her hair shines along with her jewellery, adding an extra brightness to the room. Today she wears a tight black dress that wraps around her curves and stops just above the knee, which is odd considering she’s usually in flowing skirts.
The door clicks as she pushes it closed. "Please, sit."
Sofia gestures at the sofa and armchairs that me and Jamie occupy when attending for extra practice or meetings. We sit on the sofa and Sofia in an armchair. Does she know something but is lulling us?
“I was only expecting Maeve today,” Sofia says and peers at Jamie. “Is something the matter?” She switches her focus to me. “Another vision?”
“No. I hoped we could work on one today. We’re keen to find more about Jamie’s future.”
He clenches a fist on his knee and Sofia’s eyes widen in surprise as I give his hand a gentle squeeze. “Did something happen over half-term?” she asks.
My heart skips. “What do you mean?”
“The pair of you look closer.”
“Oh!” I move my hand away. “No. Not really. We had a quiet half-term.”
Sofia picks up a half-empty teacup and saucer, then sips. Although she smiles, I swear she knows something more.
Jamie shifts and clears his throat. "Maeve and I were in the witches' sanctum this afternoon and we heard something we can't explain. Because of recent issues with the Dominion, I decided it was best to talk to you about this, as the Walcott head professor.”
She sets the cup and saucer down and her brow creases. "I don't understand. What did you hear? People?"
"No. There was a crash as if someone hit the side of the building, and the floor shook."
“And you were alone?”
“Two other witches from our magic class were with us,” I put in. “They were studying in a different room to us. “
“Then, perhaps this was a prank?"
"No. This was real, Sofia,” urges Jamie. “Something doesn't feel right. I know there's nothing beneath that part of the academy, but I’ve always had a weird feeling when I go into the sanctum.”
Sofia taps her lips and I watch the crystals above her head as they catch the light and throw soft colours around the room. "Perhaps this was a ghost."
“I knew it,” I exclaim. “The academy is haunted.”
She and Jamie laugh as if I’d suggested the queen had visited, and the tension breaks. I grit my teeth. Okay. Not a ghost.
"This isn't funny," I say cautiously. "Have you any idea what the sound could be? Is there something beneath that part of the building we don’t know about?”
“I’ve worked here for a number of years and never heard of such an event. I’m unaware of anything—secret or otherwise—below there.” She waves a hand. “I'll ask the faculty if anybody else experienced events such as this in the past, and I’ll inform Theodora, but I’m sure it’s nothing."
"You're not suspicious of anything?" I ask Sofia. “What if this is Dominion related?"
She snaps her head back. "Dear girl, the academy is locked down with wards tighter than ever and all staff are screened. I don't know of any who could burrow beneath the academy and make strange noises." I dip my head. I need to watch my tongue. "The academy is extremely old—water pipes run beneath the building, and I suspect this is what you heard."
Jamie sucks his lips together. He wants to say more too, but sensibly doesn't.
Sofia’s lack of concern about the incident puts things into perspective. This was one strange noise with no injury or damage to the building. Did we overreact?
“I’d hoped to speak to Maeve alone today.” Sofia stands and stares down at Jamie.
He takes her unsubtle hint and gets to his feet. “Is something wrong?”
“No.”
I share a panicked look with him. Does Sofia know something?
She picks up a leather-bound diary from her desk. Licking a finger, she then flicks over a page. “I’d like to see you both anther time. How about before classes start tomorrow? Say, 4:00 p.m.?"
“Is something wrong?”
“For a practice session. Why? Do you think there’s something wrong?”
Crap. I sit on my hands and shake my head.
“I’ll wait for you outside,” Jamie tells me.
Sofia watches Jamie closely and doesn’t speak. The door thuds closed, and she snaps out of her thoughts to re-focus on me. “He’s such a sweet boy, don’t you think?”
“He’s helped me a lot since I arrived.”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
Usually when I visit Sofia, she has items lain on the table for practice—sometimes the different shaped stones, at other times cards or crystals. Today, the table is clear of everything but her cup and saucer. Not even a scrying bowl.
“I wanted to chat to you about your first few weeks,” she says. “I understand from speaking to other staff members that you’ve struggled to settle.”
Is she about to give me a dressing down too? She’s my house head and it would be her role. “I’ve made mistakes, yes.”
“Nobody at the academy has encountered this situation before—a witch who thinks she’s human accepted into the academy. It’s unfair of people to expect you to accept and trust us immediately.” I look away. “But we’re disappointed in your aunt’s behaviour.”
I snap my head back around. “Why? What did she do?”
Sofia sighs. “Nothing. That is the whole point. The first we heard about you was when she contacted us two weeks before you arrived.”
“I don’t think she was aware of my gifts until recently. My mother and her are estranged.”
“Hmm.” Sofia smoothes her dress. “Marie made things difficult for us all. Now she’s disappeared again precisely when we need her.”
“Disappeared? Do you think she’s alright?” I don’t know my aunt but have more than enough reasons to want to meet her.
Sofia rolls her eyes. “Marie travels a lot, alone. Refuses to carry a phone or use email. I suspect this is to deliberately keep others from bothering her.”
My stomach leadens. I’ve waited for Sofia or Theodora to tell me my aunt will visit, to explain everything and help me understand what my gift truly means. “Oh.”
Bracelets jingle as Sofia places a hand on my arm. “I’m positive she’ll visit soon.”
“I thought she’d want to see me,” I mumble.
“Oh, I’m sure she does. Marie gets a little distracted by things. I’m positive we’ll hear from her soon.”
But why would she? Sofia’s right, the woman never bothered with me before now.
“Is the
re another future-sighted witch I could speak to instead?” I ask flatly.
“The witches council are keen to meet you; I’m sure something will be arranged.”
My chest constricts with fear. A council? “And is one of them future-sighted?”
Sofia pulls a sympathetic face. “No. But they could explain more than myself or others at the academy can. I’m a professor here, but not important enough to be on the council.”
There’s a bitter hint to her tone, which surprises me because she’s rarely anything but upbeat and accepting. “Are the council coming here?”
She gives a tight smile. “I don’t know. They will no doubt speak to Theodora and not me.”
Okay. Definitely some tension there.
“Don’t look so concerned, Maeve. They have your best interests at heart. I’m positive the council can help you.”
I swipe a hand down my cheek. Another day filled with challenges. “Can we leave tonight’s practice until tomorrow? I’m tired.”
She pats my arm. “Of course. We should try working with Jamie again, as it seems you’ve worked out some of your differences.”
Somebody raps on the door and startles me. Sofia glides over and opens the door.
Tobias stands outside and my heart stutters. Partly because I’m constantly worried he’ll tell another professor about our excursion, and partly because... Tobias. He’s in his more formal professor clothes today, the dark suit pants and shirt neatly pressed and hair swept from his beautiful face. I blink and he rubs his chin, eyes widening for a moment.
"Ah, Tobias. On time as always."
"Is there a problem?" he asks.
"No. What sort of problem?” Sofia’s words are spoken sweetly but there's suspicion as she looks between us.
I pull my face into a neutral expression. Why is Tobias here? With a nod, he sweeps past us and into the room. The door almost slams in my face.
“Weird, don’t you think?” asks Jamie. He sits on a small bench between Sofia and another professor’s room with his bag by his feet. "Do you think he's here to tell Sofia about us?"
"I don't know. Maybe." I chew on my lip and move back to the door.
