Untouchable Witch: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (School of Necessary Magic Raine Campbell Book 7)

by Judith Berens

  “I hope you get your sea legs sooner rather than later.” A wicked grin reappeared on Professor Powell’s face. “According to our friends from the Orono Academy for Arcane Studies, because of the dense forests, boats might be the best way to get around the island.”

  Cameron moaned and slumped miserably. His friends were polite enough not to laugh at him.

  Chapter Two

  The ferry slowed to a stop alongside a long wooden dock that edged the rocky beach. A half-dozen rowboats floated on the opposite side, tied to the dock. Scattered wooden cabins stood farther up the beach beyond an uneven wall of piled rock. They had arrived at New Firefly Island.

  “Just a reminder,” Professor Powell announced as the metal unloading ramp extended toward the dock with a loud grinding noise. “There’s no electricity here. The background interference is still being studied, so I hope none of you bothered to bring your phones or other gadgets. I know we told you not to, but we have also told you many things these last few years that you haven’t listened to.”

  The students all exchanged glances and a few shrugged. No one had brought their phones.

  “There are also no pixies here to provide your meals or towns to wander off to for a bite to eat,” he continued. “But there are ingredients available, and they’re preserved by spells from the OAAS professors. You’re all advanced students of magic, so this is a good time to test how much you can free yourself of your dependence on technology using your own skills. We’re not cleared to hunt here, but we are cleared to fish.” He smiled. “You have an entire summer where you won’t ever have to worry if you’re doing too much with magic.”

  Philip frowned. “And what about showers?” He pointed at a long stretch of green-brown kelp. “Besides being salty, that’s not exactly the place where I want to take a bath.”

  Professor Powell laughed. “Of course we don’t expect you to go without bathing for two months. There are appropriate sources of water. From what I’ve been told, there’s a well they dug using magic that will supply all our freshwater needs. It’s also filtered.” He looked at Professor Hudson, who gave him a slight nod in response. “We won’t simply drop you into the woods and tell you to survive. The purpose of this trip is to expose you to a different school and utilize the skills you’ve learned to help with this survey project. This isn’t a survival exercise.”

  Evie grimaced. “I would hope not.”

  Adrien looked slightly disappointed at the explanation.

  The ramp clanked against the deck and the entire ferry shuddered. Raine all but sprinted toward the ramp, dragging her suitcase behind her. The island research trip might not be hunting criminals or studying case files, but it would still reinforce attention to detail. That was a useful FBI agent skill regardless of the nature of the investigation.

  Cameron hurried after his girlfriend, chuckling and shaking his head. The other students filtered down the ramp, their faces communicating varying degrees of enthusiasm. No one looked worried or disappointed with the exception of Adrien. Professors Powell and Hudson brought up the rear.

  A large, broad-shouldered man in long khaki shorts with a matching twill short-sleeved work shirt waited at the end of a long pier, a black wand hanging from his belt. A wide-brim straw hat rested on his head, along with a huge smile on his face.

  “Welcome!” he all but shouted at the new arrivals, his arms spread wide. “Or should I say welcome to New Firefly Island.”

  He rushed toward Raine so quickly, she almost drew her wand on reflex. Professor Powell and Professor Hudson didn’t seem perturbed so she forced herself to relax.

  “Professor Basil Kaylis, Botany and Potions Professor, Orono Academy for the Arcane Studies. And you must be…” He squinted for a moment before he snapped his fingers. “Raine Campbell, I presume?” He thrust his hand out. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Raine. I’ve been told a lot about you.”

  She shook his hand and was pleased to note that he had a firm grip. “Yes, Professor. I’m Raine.” She nodded to Cameron as he stepped to her side. “This is Cameron.”

  Professor Kaylis gave Cameron a double-handed shake. “Ah, yes, great to meet you, my boy. We don’t have any shifters in our group. A little four-legged assistance might prove quite helpful. I don’t trust too many fancy transfigurations given the background environment we’ll work in, so it’s nice to have someone who can change without relying on complicated spells.”

  Cameron shrugged. “Uh, sure. Whatever I can do to be helpful.”

  “To be clear, Eleanor—excuse me, Professor Hudson—has told me all about you fine students.” The professor waved to the witch, who offered him a polite nod in response. “We used to work together a few decades back. Before everything magical became all boring and public.” He sighed.

  “I hope everything she said was good,” Raine said with a grin.

  “The FBI Trouble Squad, eh?” He grinned mischievously.

  Professor Hudson exhaled a quiet sigh.

  Raine laughed. “Some people call us that, yes, but don’t worry, we like it.”

  Cameron grumbled under his breath. Adrien frowned, as did William. Sara, Evie, and Philip smiled. Maybe Raine liked it more than the others.

  She shrugged. “We never look for trouble, but we also can’t ignore it when people need help. That’s why I think of it as a good thing.”

  Her friends’ expressions changed and pride filtered onto their faces.

  “Excellent.” Professor Kaylis nodded so hard his hat bounced. “That’s the kind of initiative and responsibility that makes you an excellent choice for this project. Our students are good, but I’m afraid they haven’t gone through as many adventures—or the same type, I suppose. They’ve had their fair share. I hope you don’t find them too boring.” He winked.

  “I’m sure I won’t, Professor.”

  He rushed from student to student, shook their hand, and greeted them before he finally reached Xander and did the same. “And a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Xander.”

  Professor Powell smiled. “Likewise, Basil.”

  The Maine professor gestured to the cabins. They were arranged in a rough circle around a central sandy area. A large rock firepit sprawled in the center and wooden benches surrounded it. A few wooden tables stood off to the side.

  “My students are out in the field right now, but we’ll all at least share dinner, of course. I’m eager to see you two groups mingle.” Professor Kaylis clapped his hands together. “I’m so looking forward to this.”

  Raine took a few deep breaths as she looked around. The intensity of magic she sensed had increased the closer they moved to the island, but now that she actually stood there, the magical pressure distracted her. The background magic at the school was always noticeable, but it usually felt more distant.

  “Do you have many spells up?” Raine asked. “I sense a considerable amount of magic. It’s like being near the gates of the school or in the kemana. In some ways, it’s almost…I don’t want to say worse, but it’s more noticeable.”

  A grin slid over Professor Kaylis’ face. “That high level of natural background magic is merely one of the many aspects of New Firefly Island that is being investigated, but our contribution to the Magical Multitudes Project doesn’t include that. We’re focused on a flora and fauna survey. Other teams will come—not during this summer, mind you—to contribute to our understanding. It’s much like a general magical dampener, in addition to its effects on electronics. They can do some satellite surveys, but those are limited.”

  She frowned in confusion. “Magical dampener? What do you mean?” She looked at Professor Powell. “I thought we’re supposed to use magic to compensate for other things—or the lack of them, I suppose.”

  “Yes, of course,” the Maine professor replied. “It’s not that the island is anti-magic, only that it’s difficult to use scrying spells, communications spells, and that kind of thing. Most spells that don’t have an immediate effect or aren’
t targeted right away are hard to accomplish.” He gestured grandly toward the cabins. “But we don’t need all that now, do we? We have what we need already, and it’s nothing a little extra effort and travel won’t solve.”

  Professor Powell pointed toward the dense line of trees that marked the end of their small slice of civilization. “I take it you haven’t found any evidence that this place was purposefully hidden?”

  Adrien narrowed his eyes and surveyed the trees as if he expected enemies or monsters to emerge at any moment. William and Evie also looked concerned. Sara looked more curious than anything else.

  Professor Kaylis let out a hearty guffaw. “Ah, yes. I’ve heard that theory, but even though this is my first trip to the island with students, it’s not my first trip here. And no, I’ve seen no evidence of that. Not every new discovery is a conspiracy, even when it comes to magic.”

  The students relaxed with the exception of Adrien, who cast a baleful glare into the forest.

  “Is it really such a funny idea?” Raine looked thoughtful. “It’s no sillier than hidden kemanas or some of the other secret islands and forests out there. I read a book last week that highlighted all the above-ground places where magicals were hidden even before the gates started opening. It’s weird to think there are entire places where normal people didn’t go for centuries, if not thousands of years.”

  The professor shook a finger cheerfully and smiled. “You’re right, Raine. It’s not inherently silly, but we have to be careful to distinguish between the mere possibility of something and the truth of it. That’s why we’re here doing an old-fashioned survey.” He rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Sometimes, it’s fun to get your hands dirty, too. Magic is fantastic, but it can make some people lazy.”

  Professor Hudson advanced toward him. “And is there anything we need to be made aware of? I believe that in your last communication, you mentioned an uptick in earthquakes?”

  “Woah,” Philip said. “Earthquakes?” He looked at Sara with concern, but she seemed more excited than worried. “No one said anything about earthquakes to me.”

  “It’s fine.” Professor Kaylis waved a hand dismissively. “Their strength is well within what has been recorded on the island. None of them are major, and they haven’t even damaged the cabins. I merely wanted you to be aware of them so as to not be surprised—at least any more surprised than you would otherwise be with a minor shake of the ground.”

  A cabin door creaked open, and a bald, stout blue-skinned woman with yellow eyes emerged from the structure. She wore a similar straw hat, khaki shorts, and shirt combo as Professor Kaylis, although she was several feet shorter. Her height made her taller than the typical gnome, but not by much.

  The woman sprinted toward the new arrivals, her short legs pumping. She skidded to a stop. “The people from the School of Unnecessary Magic!” she declared, a rough, low quality to her voice. “Welcome.”

  Professor Kaylis laughed. “That’s the School of Necessary Magic.”

  “That’s what I said, Basil.” The woman pointed at Raine and Cameron. “Evie and Philip? Correct?”

  Raine looked at Professor Kaylis for direction. He nodded.

  “I’m Raine. This is Cameron.”

  The other students all took turns to introduce themselves.

  The woman squinted and nodded. “Oh, yes. I’ll get it eventually.” She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. “I’m Professor Tarelli. I specialize in magical zoology.”

  “You mean cryptozoology,” Professor Kaylis with a smirk.

  The woman glared at him. “I hate that term. I don’t know why the headmaster insists on using it. I swear it’s simply to annoy me. It’s a biased term from the anti-magic times.” She raised her hand and the air shimmered for a moment. “Oh, that’s better. It’s so hot today.”

  Raine blinked. It was a beautiful day with a light breeze, the temperature probably in the low seventies at most. Not too hot, not too cold. Almost perfect. “Too hot?”

  Professor Kaylis cleared his throat. “Have any of you met a Nyran before?”

  The students shook their heads.

  Professor Tarelli’s mouth made an O. “I’m so used to my own students understanding. My people are from arctic regions on Oriceran. It’s been a challenge to adjust to such a hot place as Maine, but I’m sure that in a few more years, I’ll settle. Or I’ll finally go to Antarctica and a proper climate.” She shook a finger at them in a cheerful warning. “And I’ve heard a million jokes about my name sounding like pasta, so don’t bother making them.” She spun on her boot heel and headed back toward her cabin, throwing her hand up without looking back. “It’ll take me a while to learn your names. Please don’t be offended.”

  Professor Hudson smiled. “To be clear, Nyran only have one name. They consider multiple names too divisive among their own people. So, please refer to her as Professor Tarelli even though you’ll hear us call her Tarelli.”

  “True,” Professor Kaylis replied. “And she’s not always the best when it comes to social niceties, but she means well.” He pointed toward the cabins. “Why don’t we get you settled in? You can relax for a while until the other students return.”

  Raine’s smile widened as the diminutive professor entered her cabin. She’d been on the island for only a few minutes and had already expanded her knowledge. It would be a great summer.

  Chapter Three

  With a wide yawn, Raine stepped out of the cabin she shared with Evie and Sara. They were nothing special—four wooden chests and beds with wooden racks to hang a few clothes—but at least she wasn’t forced to sleep on the ground for two months. It might not be the School of Necessary Magic, but it was hardly roughing it either.

  Sara and Evie stepped out behind her. A ring of light orbs surrounded the cabins to push back the darkness that had crawled in with the retreat of the sun.

  She blinked a few times at the unfamiliar teens spread between a few tables around the firepit. A roaring fire now crackled in the center, and several long skewers of fish roasted over the blaze. No one had so much as knocked on her door to let her know the other students had returned.

  “It looks like the Orono students,” Sara said with a smile. “Let’s go say hello.”

  The Charlottesville girls approached the tables and Raine offered the students a wave and a soft smile.

  A tall, handsome dark-haired boy with pointed ears stood and bowed in a melodramatic fashion. “Good evening, ladies. Let me be the first to introduce myself. I’m Asher, a Wood Elf.” He gestured toward two girls who sat on either side of him. “Heidi and Kelly, both witches.”

  The Orono girls waved and offered a simultaneous, “Hey.”

  Raine waved back. “I’m Raine. I’m also a witch.” She waited for her friends.

  “Evie, also a witch. I’m really into potions.”

  An uncertain look passed over Sara’s face. “Sara, kitsune.”

  A little anxious, Raine flicked her gaze from her friend to the Orono group. More than a few students had insulted her friend in their freshmen year. Not every magical believed other magicals deserved the same high-quality education.

  “Kitsune?” Asher said with a wide grin. “Awesome. We don’t have any at our school. That’s real cool. I told everyone we were bound to meet some interesting students.”

  Relief erased the uncertainty on Sara’s face.

  Three other boys sat at another table.

  “I’m Milo,” explained a tall one. “I’m a wizard.”

  A muscular boy with light hair stood. “What’s up? I’m Finn. I’m on our Louper team, but I won’t hold that against you.” He grinned and shrugged. “We’re totally destroying you next year. Sorry.”

  Raine almost laughed, but she wasn’t sure if it would be rude.

  Finn nodded to another plain-looking boy, who looked as uncomfortable as Sara had a few moments before. “This is Silas. He’s also a wizard. He’s quiet and shy so don’t hold it against him. He’s a
cool guy when he decides to be.”

  A pretty girl with long brown hair stood from another table where she sat beside an Arpak girl. She squared her shoulders and raised her chain. A regal air hung about her. “I’m Josephine. I’m also a witch.”

  Her dark-skinned companion stood. Her feathered wings spread and an easy smile tilted her mouth. “Dnai. Nice to meet you all.”

  Evie looked at the students, a confused expression on her face. “Aren’t there supposed to be nine of you?” She made a quick count and mouthed the numbers under her breath. “Where’s the ninth student?”

  “Oh, there was a family emergency for them at the last minute,” Dnai said. She sighed and sat once more. “Too bad, too. But you know how it goes.”

  Raine nodded. “We lost a couple of people, to…uh, unexpected circumstances as well.”

  The Charlottesville boys appeared in the distance. They had taken a walk an hour before to explore the nearby beach. The rocky shoreline and churning water didn’t appeal to Raine’s sense of beach aesthetics, so she had turned them down.

  She smiled and gestured toward the boys. “Time to meet the rest of our friends.”

  Twenty minutes and several more introductions later, the students all sat interspersed among the tables and munched on roasted fish and carrots. The professors remained in the cabins, perhaps to give the younger people a better chance to get to know each other. Professor Kaylis had popped out once, said nothing, and retreated into his cabin.

  Raine swallowed a piece of fish. “This meal is a change of pace for us.”

  Asher, who sat beside her, offered her a dazzling smile. “So you don’t eat a lot of fish at your school? Maybe you have someone making the food who is part fish and doesn’t like the idea?”

  She shook her head. “No, but we have pixies who do all our cooking. We show up, put in what we want—within limits—and it appears.” She chuckled nervously. “It’s all rather fancy compared to what I’m used to at home, but it feels weird to be on a school trip and not have the pixies providing the food.”