“True.” The shadows flipped into Asher’s face and he grinned before the camouflage returned. “Sometimes, I don’t like going there because it’s small. I wish I attended some huge normal non-magical high school or a place like yours.”
“For more clubs?” she asked.
“More girls. If you and your friends are typical, I would really love to be in Charlottesville right now.”
She might not be able to see Asher, but she could all but hear his grin.
“Um, okay.” She coughed. “That’s…uh, interesting.”
“I’m not saying anything bad about the girls at my school or the ones on this trip, but at this point, they’re more like my sisters than anything else.” He chuckled. “And even they aren’t as interesting as you are. You’ll be an FBI agent in a couple of years. Or did I misunderstand what you said at dinner?”
“No, that’s how it’ll work out.” She rubbed the back of her neck and glanced over her shoulder, half-hopeful that one of the hunter pairs would burst through the trees. There was little hope of that, by the looks of things. Even though she spoke quietly with Asher, other than the fox, they hadn’t been disturbed at all.
Raine sighed heavily.
“What’s wrong?” Asher asked.
“Look, Asher, I want to be clear with you.” She stared at the tree where he remained camouflaged, an invisible girl talking to a concealed boy. “I’m in a relationship.”
He groaned. “Let me guess. You’re with Cameron?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I thought so. You had that vibe, but I also hoped I was wrong. Oh well. It doesn’t hurt to ask, right?” His tone remained upbeat, to her surprise. “Forget I even mentioned anything. We still have a game to win, and I’m very competitive.”
“That sounds good. Out of curiosity, is anyone in your group dating?”
The elf laughed. “Nope. I half-wonder if Professor Kaylis picked people who weren’t together on purpose because he thought we would be too distracted by it. Wait.” He barked out a laugh loud enough to send a nearby owl flying away from a tree in the distance. “Oops, sorry. Let me guess, everyone in your FBI Trouble Squad is together with someone?”
“Basically. Adrien’s girlfriend’s not on the trip. She’s a senior.”
“That guy has a girlfriend?”
Raine frowned. “He’s a little stiff, but he’s a good friend and a good person. He’s like Silas. You simply have to get him to open up.”
“Sorry.” Asher’s quiet snicker suggested he was not as sorry as he could be. “But he’s really uptight. It’s like that movie, Manic Human Dream Girl. Did you see that one?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, and I’ll admit the movie did come up in discussion when Adrien first started dating his girlfriend.”
A branch crackled in the distance and they both froze.
Asher blew out a quiet breath. “We should probably move,” he whispered. “I’ll switch to an invisibility spell instead of using my Wood Elf camo. We can have better mobility that way, even if both of us using spells might stand out more.”
“Let’s go.” She licked her lips. He wasn’t the only one who was competitive.
Chapter Five
Raine and Asher crept through the trees. The deeper into the forest they traveled, the more unusual the plants and animals became. Patches of glowing flowers provided muted illumination that allowed them to avoid using light orbs someone might notice from afar. A few plants twitched and shook in place, which made her question the distinction between a plant and an animal.
Owls, foxes, and mice patrolled the forest and four-legged birds with reflective eyes flew from branch to branch and emitted an occasional quiet squawk. She grimaced as a beetle the size of a rabbit scuttled in front of a glowing shrub. The soft light from the plant highlighted the metallic blue of its carapace.
“Ugh.” She made a gagging sound. “That’s disgusting.”
“Oh, don’t worry about those,” her companion reassured her with a laugh. “We call them scuttlers, but according to Professor Tarelli, they’re really helpful for aerating the soil and breaking down plant material. They mostly live underground. They only come out at night to eat.”
She shuddered. “Are you telling me there are hungry giant beetles waiting under the ground?”
“Sure, but they won’t go anywhere near a person. It’s no big deal.”
At a low growl nearby, the scuttler rushed away and disappeared into the darkened undergrowth.
Raine froze in place and pointed her wand into the forest. “Is this where you tell me you have big animals called growlers that don’t bother people?”
“There’s nothing dangerous this close to camp,” Asher replied. “At least that we’ve seen.” He sighed and dropped his invisibility, raised his hands, and squinted into the darkness. “And the professors let us wander into the woods without worrying too much, but I’ll admit we haven’t been out much farther than we are now.”
She released her spell and cast a hasty shield. Being invisible might not be enough to stop an animal with acute hearing, and a creature on an island filled with unusual levels of magic might even be able to sense magic. It was important that she be able to see Asher if they had to fight together. She summoned a light orb.
The plants rustled in the distance and Raine’s heart rate kicked up a notch. She reminded herself that it had to be safe and that Asher was right. There was no way the professors would let the students wander the island if it was dangerous. At least, that’s how things would be managed at the School of Necessary Magic. But perhaps Professors Powell and Hudson had a different idea about testing people, and everything she’d learned about Orono suggested they might think challenging the students wasn’t such a bad idea.
“Don’t hurt it,” the elf whispered. “No matter what it is, it might be endangered or even unique. We’re here to catalog species, not kill them.”
“I’ve had decent practice with restraining magic,” she murmured in response.
The growling beast charged in the darkness. Raine pointed her wand, her jaw tight, ready to release a spell while she desperately hoped the creature wouldn’t prove immune.
A familiar wolf burst from the undergrowth.
Raine threw her arm in front of Asher. “It’s okay. I know him.”
The Wood Elf raised an eyebrow and lowered his hands. “Oh, I see.”
Cameron shifted into human form, a slight smirk on his face. “That was too easy.”
She frowned at him but spun as she sensed magic behind her.
Josephine shimmered into existence, a soft smile on her face. “You were right, Cameron.”
Asher threw his head back and groaned. “What happened? Did we talk too loudly?” He pointed at Josephine. “Or did you actually manage a tracking spell? If anyone could do it, it’d be you, Jo.”
The witch shook her head lightly and nodded at Cameron. “He’s the sole reason for our victory tonight. I would be lying if I claimed otherwise.”
Raine twirled her wand in her fingers. “All that magic and it didn’t help? Is he right? Did you hear us? I didn’t want to sit there in silence in the dark for a half-hour.” She gestured into the woods. “Especially with weird plants and giant beetles.”
The other witch smiled. “The scuttlers are adorable in their own way.”
“If you say so.”
Cameron pointed at his nose. “I think I know my own girlfriend’s scent by now.”
Asher laughed. “Of course.” He tapped his forehead. “That’s me not thinking. I was so obsessed with merely hiding from everyone, I never even thought to try to hide my scent.” He immediately looked thoughtful. “I don’t even know a good spell for that, now that I think of it.”
Raine shrugged. “I have a few ideas, but it’s not something I’ve practiced.”
The grin grew on her boyfriend’s face. “This ended up as one of those lessons in flexibility that Professor Powell always talks abo
ut.”
Something rushed through the undergrowth and flashes of red light cut through the shadows. Whatever or whoever the source of the noise and light seemed only about a dozen yards away.
The four students exchanged looks.
A grin grew on Asher’s face. “We might as well help you find the next group.”
Cameron frowned. “Maybe we should head back. I saw a lot of weird things on the way here.”
“Stranger than a shifter, an elf, and two witches?”
He scoffed. “I’m only saying that the point of our trip is to catalog stuff, and from what I heard, you guys didn’t do any night surveys in the last few days.”
“Yet.” The elf shrugged. “But whatever. That has nothing to do with this.” He summoned a light orb and rushed after the source of the noise. “What’s life without a little adventure?” he shouted.
Raine jogged quickly to catch up to him.
“I think I’ve had enough adventure over the last few years.” The shifter frowned and hurried after her.
Josephine laughed quietly before she fell in behind them.
The red lights dashed away from the group and their source disturbed the shrubs in its path.
Raine doubted that they were in pursuit of any students, but the dense foliage made it difficult to discern anything but shadows and red light.
“Spread out,” Asher shouted. “Let’s box them in!” He changed direction, as did Josephine.
The elf circled while Raine maintained her trajectory directly toward their quarry. Josephine pointed her wand down and chanted a spell. She hurtled forward with a pop and narrowly missed a tree before she spun her body and landed on her feet, her wand still at the ready.
The red lights stopped as Raine, Cameron, and Asher approached from different angles. They weren’t a single diffuse source of illumination but two long, narrow crimson beams that cut through the darkness like headlights from a tiny car.
“I don’t think that’s from a student,” Raine murmured and raised her wand.
The bushes shook, and a small form stepped out. The soft incandescence of the light orbs revealed a small rabbit—or at least what appeared to be a small rabbit, albeit not the normal kind. The creature’s fur was dark red and its eyes were the source of the two red beams.
“That’s definitely not a student,” she said and lowered her wand. It was hard to be intimidated by a rabbit, even if it did have glowing beams for eyes.
“Nope.” Asher grinned and moved aside to create an opening for the animal to escape. “I think it might be some kind of pooka relative.”
The creature sprinted past the Wood Elf into the darkened forest and its lights receded.
“From what I’ve read about pooka, they are a little more mischievous and can change shapes,” Raine said. “Even if the beam eyes are similar.”
Cameron stared in the direction of the dwindling red lights. “It could be a pooka, a pooka relative, or something else entirely. That’s why we’re here—to figure out everything that’s on this island.”
Josephine seemed pleased. “It’s always wonderful to find something new.”
“We should get back.” Raine gestured in the direction of the camp, at least as far she could remember. If Asher and Josephine didn’t know the way back, Cameron could follow the scent trail. “I think we’re close to the time limit.”
She spared one last glance in the direction of the retreating red rabbit. When they had arrived, the normal-looking trees made her doubt how exotic the research trip would be, but the last few hours had changed everything. Beam-eyed rabbits, glowing plants, and other wonders awaited. Maybe the outer layer of trees served as camouflage for the more fantastic interior.
Asher yawned and moved past her. “It was fun getting to know you.” He glanced at Cameron, who frowned. “And I look forward to getting to know you better, Raine.”
Chapter Six
Unaccountably restless, Raine turned on her side in bed. Complete darkness smothered the cabin, along with a stillness she rarely experienced in her room at the School of Necessary Magic, even when her roommates weren’t there. There was always some small distant noise to remind her that she was surrounded by people at the school, unlike New Firefly Island and the current tiny population.
“Are you still awake, Raine?” Sara asked. “It sounds like you’re moving.”
“You know what my moving in bed sounds like?” She laughed.
Her friend sat up. A small, dim light orb appeared in her palm and highlighted her face. “I’ve been your roommate for a while. So, yes, I know.”
Evie sat up and stretched. “What’s going on?” she murmured, sleepiness slurring her words.
“Nothing,” Raine said with a sigh. “I didn’t mean to wake anyone up, especially with how late it already is.”
“It’s no big deal.” The kitsune raised her arm and the orb drifted upward until it floated near the roof of the windowless cabin. “They said they would let us rest tomorrow anyway. It doesn’t matter if we stay up late. We might be on a research trip, but this is also the summer. We’re spending it together, so we should make some summer memories.”
Raine brushed a few rogue strands of hair out of her eyes. “What do you think of the Orono students?”
“They are definitely interesting.” Sara lay back and tucked her hands beneath her head. “And different, too. I don’t know. It’s weird. It’s not like I never meet other magicals who aren’t from our school, but interacting with a group of magical students from another school is strange.”
“I know what you mean. We’ve spent three years at the School of Necessary Magic. In my case, I had very little contact with magicals before I found out about my powers, so to me, the school, students, and professors are what magic is.”
Evie mumbled something, but her eyes were already closed. Raine smiled softly over at her sleepy friend.
“Kelly seems cool,” the kitsune said, her brow puckered. “But she’s really competitive. That wasn’t a problem since I can be competitive too, but she was obsessed with winning the game.”
Raine snorted quietly. “I think Asher was less interested in the game than me.”
Her friend’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“He…um, expressed interest. Romantic or whatever you want to call it.” She smiled a little shyly. “I wouldn’t put it past him to have suggested the pairings so he could end up with me. From what he told me, their group are all friends but none of them are dating.”
“Kelly would have to relax for five seconds to date someone from what I saw tonight.” Sara grinned. “Does Cameron know?”
“I didn’t tell him directly, but I did make it clear to Asher that I wasn’t interested. I also let him know we’re all with someone so he wouldn’t bother anyone else.”
The other girl snickered. “Is he that desperate?”
“I don’t know if I’d say he’s desperate. He took it well. Our school’s a lot bigger than his, so there are more options for him, I guess. I—” Her breath caught as a powerful pulse of magic surged and seemed to travel past her. “Did you feel that?”
Sara frowned and nodded. “Yes, I did. I wonder what it was.”
The ground shook and the cabin with it. Raine gritted her teeth at the odd sensation and her stomach churned in response to the shuddering movement. A book on the history of organized crime she had brought fell from the wooden chest at the foot of her bed. Her robe hung on a rack along the wall fell next. A fallen book and robe didn’t represent mass destruction, but that didn’t help her stomach to settle.
Evie’s eyes flickered open, and she sat up with a yelp. “What’s going on?”
“Another earthquake,” the kitsune told her.
Raine scrambled down her bed toward the chest. She needed her wand. All the magic in the world was useless if you couldn’t cast a spell.
The tremor stopped.
She took a few quick breaths before she snatched the robe and her wand fr
om the chest and headed toward the door. Evie and Sara hopped out of bed, although the witch left her wand on her chest and the kitsune didn’t take any of her pouches.
The three girls emerged from the cabin to find the Orono girls already outside, a few light orbs above them and deep scowls on their faces. The boys from both schools emerged next, and the professors joined them seconds later.
Professor Tarelli arrived last and a frosty mist wafted out of her open cabin. Ice coated the inside of the door.
“Is anyone hurt?” Professor Powell surveyed the students with a look of deep concern.
They shook their heads, although everyone seemed a little shaken.
“Did you feel it?” Raine asked.
Professor Tarelli nodded. “It was hard not to feel the earthquake, Evie.”
Raine sighed, more disappointed than annoyed. How long would it take for the Nyran to remember who she was? “I’m Raine, and no, not the quake, the magic right before it. There was definitely a pulse of magic.”
The professor frowned. “I was asleep.” She looked at the other three professors, who shrugged.
Sara gestured toward their nearby cabin. “I felt a big pulse of magic too.”
“As did I.” Josephine nodded firmly as if to emphasize her agreement.
Finn grunted. The Louper player looked annoyed. “Some big magic, yeah. I was about to fall asleep, too.”
Professor Kaylis cleared his throat and stepped forward. “That only adds more support to the theory that the underlying cause of the tremors is magical in nature. We’ve not sensed that kind of magic before, but we might not if the actual magical source emitted in the wrong direction or is oscillating or something of that nature. We should take note of it for future geological teams, but it’s beyond the scope of our particular expedition to identify the exact cause. That said, if we happen to stumble upon the cause, it’s not like we can’t claim credit for it.”
“And you’re not worried?” Professor Powell asked, a skeptical look on his face.
Untouchable Witch: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (School of Necessary Magic Raine Campbell Book 7) Page 4
