by c a king
Grave Digger Academy II
By
C. A. King
Cover Design:
LOGAN KEYS
Editor:
Karen Hrdlicka
If you believe this book is dedicated to you,
perhaps it is!
Look for other books by C.A. King, including:
The Portal Prophecies:
Book I – VI
Volume I & II
Tomoiya's Story:
Book I: Escape to Darkness
Book II: Collecting Tears
Book III: Stalked
Surviving the Sins:
Books I-VIII
Flower Shields: A Four Horsemen Novel
Drawing Strength From Words: A Four Horsemen Novel
Hitting The High Note: A Four Horsemen Novel
When the Paint Dries: A Four Horsemen Novel
When Leaves Fall: A Different Point of View Story
Peach Coloured Daisies: A Cursed by the Gods Story
Miracles Not Included
Do Not Open Until Halloween
Truly Unfortunate
Serendipity's Debt
Hope After Death
From Alice To Malice
Tails Always Wins
Hang On To Your Shirt Tails
Cupid's Connection
In A Heart Beat
Evil Sushi
Sashimi
And more...
This book is a work of fiction. Any historical references, real places, real events, or real persons names and/or persona are used fictitiously. All other events, places, names and happenings are from the author's imagination and any similarities, whatsoever, with events both past and present, or persons living or dead, are purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 by C.A. King
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author and/or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.
Cover Design: LOGAN KEYS
First Printing: September 2020
Kings Toe Publishing
[email protected]
Brantford, Ontario. Canada
Table of Contents
An Excerpt From Book One
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
An Excerpt From Book One
Spring had sprung sometime when Makayla wasn’t looking. Tweeting birds, buzzing bees, and buds on trees exploding into shades of green were only the beginning. For the first time in weeks, she’d slept soundly. A yawn and a stretch was all she needed to leap from bed. Her ordeal was over. She was going home.
While family life wasn’t perfect, it was better than the solitude she’d survived in since the incident with Professor Woolly. The instructor was still on the loose. That meant her allegations hadn’t been proven to be true or false. People always assumed the worst—it was in their glares—in their tone—in their actions. Being glanced at sideways and scrutinized as a criminal was tiring.
She tossed her nightgown into her backpack, neatly tucking it around Gargle. The rest of her belongings were sent ahead. They’d be waiting in her bedroom when she arrived. There was nothing to glance back at, nothing to miss. She’d already put in her grieving time over friendships lost.
To add salt to her wounds, the courtyard was abuzz with students saying their goodbyes and exchanging information. There’d be letters from pen pals and calls from besties until they met again. Each plan to get together she overheard tugged at heartstrings as she passed by.
“Hi,” Cali said, jumping directly in her path.
Makayla came to an abrupt stop. “Hi.” An awkward silence followed. There was so much to say and no way to express it.
“I wanted to tell you we’re sorry,” Cali blurted out.
Thomas popped out from behind Cali. “We didn’t know what to do. Leo couldn’t use the shovels and was all loonie. Frankie and fans disappeared.”
“We thought going for help was the best thing we could do,” Cali added. “No one would believe us, though.”
“You two went for help?” Makayla muttered. “That’s why Boris came to rescue me.”
“You didn’t know?” Thomas asked. “I guess Headmistress Meet left that part out. I swear we did, though.”
“Headmistress Meet left quite a few things out,” Makayla mumbled. “There was a cover-up. That’s why no one believed you.”
“So what happened?” Thomas asked. “Did you beat Frankie to town?”
“Not exactly.” Makayla tossed her backpack over her shoulder. “I took a wrong turn and was lost in the cemetery.”
“Whoa, that must have been spooky,” Thomas said, following. “It was all dark and dismal. How’d you find your way out?”
“I had some help,” Makayla admitted. Puffer flapped his wings in front of each of their faces before disappearing into her pocket.
“Why do I have the feeling you aren’t telling us everything?” Cali asked. “We know something weird happened. Frankie and her crew all disappeared and then turned up inside the academy. Then there was Leo.”
“Yeah!” Thomas exclaimed. “What was up with his story? Why did everyone lie about being there?”
“I’m sure they each had their own reasons,” Makayla replied.
“That’s why they separated us,” Cali suggested. “The headmistress didn’t want us to compare notes.”
“Probably,” Makayla agreed, coming to a stop to face the pair. “And they most likely have good reasons, too. It is part of their job to look out for the safety of the students, after all.”
“This all ties in to the headmistress’s speech, doesn’t it?” Cali shrieked. “You ran into necromancers in the cemetery, didn’t you?”
“No!” Thomas exclaimed, alternating glances between the two girls. “How are you even alive? A first-year can’t take on a grown witch. Were there any undead walking about?”
“There might have been one or two,” Makayla smirked. “I could have been eaten. Boris actually played a big part in saving me.”
“The bat?” Thomas’s nose and lip curled upward.
“I owe you two a thank you for that,” Makayla said.
“I suppose the headmistress did set the little guy free after we told her you were in desperate need of help.” Thomas pulled his pants up at the waist. “I don’t dare think what could have happened if we hadn’t been as brave as we were.”
The girls giggled in unison. “You were brave, all right. Those stairs were a real obstacle to overcome,” Cali blurted out.
“They were...” Thomas paused. “Hey.”
Makayla snorted. “I’ve missed you two. The past few weeks have been a nightmare.” She threw her arms around Cali’s neck.
“I’ve missed you too,” Cali cried.
“What about me?” Thomas asked,
circling the pair. “I missed you both, too. Don’t I get a hug? Hey! Come on, guys. There’s room for me.”
Makayla sniffed. “Can we keep in touch?” The three joined hands. “I know next year isn’t far off, but it would be nice to hear from you both.”
“I’ll write and call,” Cali agreed.
“That sounds boring,” Thomas mumbled. “Hey!” His voice perked up. “Maybe we could go out and grab something to eat sometime.”
“Sure we’ll all catch a plane,” Cali said, rolling her eyes. She smacked the back of his head with her palm. “We live on opposite sides of the continent. It isn’t as if we can simply walk outside and grab a soda somewhere.”
“It was just a suggestion, sheesh.” He took a few steps forward. “It would have been a lot easier if they had taught us portal magic. I’d love to grab a slice of authentic chocolate cake.”
“What did you say?” Makayla questioned.
“I’d love to grab an authentic piece of chocolate cake,” Thomas repeated. “There’s a really good bakery...”
“No,” Makayla interrupted, “the other part.”
“They could have taught us more magic.” Thomas replied.
”Portal magic,” Makayla mumbled.
“Yeah,” Thomas said. “My mom and dad use it all the time for grocery shopping and whatnot. They don’t drive. It lets them move from place to place as long as they are within a certain range. I don’t believe it’s a long distance, though, and you have to know where a portal starts and stops to use it.”
“But it might just be useful for say climbing a few flights of stairs?” Makayla questioned.
“Yeah,” Thomas agreed. His face lit up. “Oh! That’s how the headmistress gets into her office. There’s a portal somewhere that can be accessed. It makes sense. Why wouldn’t she tell us, though?”
“Because, I think we are supposed to figure out things like that for ourselves,” Makayla suggested.
“We still need to find the point of origin,” Cali said, “and then a way to open it. I don’t see how we are any further along now than we were before.”
“We have the whole break to do research,” Makayla said. “On portals and other things. By the time classes start again, we’ll have the answers we need.”
“I can find out about the portals,” Thomas offered. “Mom and Dad will be happy I am taking an interest.”
“I’m going to do some digging into our classmates’ pasts,” Cali announced. “I’ve already hacked into the academy’s records and downloaded a copy.”
“Brilliant!” Thomas exclaimed. “What about you? What will you do?”
“I need to look into my family history,” Makayla answered. “I think there are some secrets that need to be brought into the light of day.”
“Then we all have a plan,” Cali said, latching her arm around one of each of her friends. “Next year we’ll meet right here and trade notes.” Her voice cracked, tears threatening to fall. “I’m going to miss you both. We just reunited.”
Thomas placed both his hands on his hips. “Think of us as three knights off on separate quests,” he suggested. “Once completed we will come together to slay the...” Puffer popped his head out of Makayla’s pocket, aiming a stream of flames at his feet. “Hot!” He jumped from one side to the other. “I was going to say evil necromancer.”
Puffer shrugged, disappearing. “Sorry,” Makayla said. “He’s rather sensitive about the dragon thing.”
“You should really work on that,” Thomas replied, still shaking one hand that had gotten a bit toasty.
“Are they going home with you?” Cali asked. “Most students are leaving their helpers here. I know I am. They are a bit hard to explain.”
“We’re bonding,” Makayla answered. “I’ll figure something out.”
Thomas glanced around. “Did that seem shorter to you than the way in?” he asked, staring at the library steps. “I barely remember the walk at all.”
“Yeah, guess they want to get rid of us.” Cali inhaled deeply. “I guess this is goodbye. I’ll go first.” She embraced both of her friends, before taking the steps two at a time. Without even a glance back the library doors swung open and she disappeared inside.
“You next,” Makayla ordered.
“Why not together?” Thomas complained. “We do take the same bus.”
“The routes might be different on the way back,” Makayla suggested. “We don’t live anywhere near each other, remember?” Leaving together would have made it hard if a ride was waiting for her on the other side.
“Okay,” Thomas agreed, rolling his eyes, “but I bet we end up meeting out front at the bus stop.” He hopped up each stair on one foot. “See you in the real world.”
Just like that, she was alone again. Glancing back at the town, she memorized as many details as she could before taking each step up as if it were her last.
“Hey,” the boy she first met on her way into the academy said. “Guess it’s time to go, huh?”
“I don’t think we’ve actually met,” Makayla said, holding out her hand. “I’m Makayla.”
“Yeah,” he said, inhaling deeply, “I know.”
Makayla glanced around. “What’s your name?”
“It wouldn’t matter if I told you. I doubt you’d remember it by tomorrow,” he replied, heading up the stairs.
“Try me,” Makayla called after him. “I just might surprise you.”
He turned and shrugged, taking the remainder of the steps backward. “I already did, yesterday.”
“When? I don’t remember that,” Makayla scowled.
“Exactly,” the boy said, disappearing through the library doors.
It didn’t matter either way now that he was gone. Still she stood for a moment, contemplating if he was telling the truth before following him.
Once inside she checked the shelves for the book she’d left there when she first arrived. It was nowhere to be found. That wasn’t much of a surprise. Someone didn’t want anyone to know about necromancy for a reason, and it wasn’t for their own good.
The professor had laid it out: not knowing about something meant not being prepared for it happening. It was necromancers pulling the strings and the rest of the magical world responding as if they were puppets. Hopefully someone had it sorted before she returned.
The bookcase creaked open, allowing her to cross over. Passing through marked the end of one part of her life and the beginning of a new path. Where it led was anyone’s guess, but she was darn sure it wouldn’t be to a cemetery, at least not for a little while.
Chapter One
Bacon crunched between her teeth. It was overcooked, exactly the way her brothers liked it, and she hated it. Still, the break from the silence was a welcome one. Months of being ignored was taking its toll on her. Her family hadn’t even bothered to take the time to tell her why they were upset. It could have been because of the rules she broke during the school term, or the fact she had been assigned to Grave Digger Academy in the first place. Both weighed equally in the disappointment department.
There’d been no letters advising of a change from one academy to another, and under the circumstances, Makayla didn’t expect one, albeit, her mother might have. Hildabrew continued to search the mail everyday. That was a waste of time—all the woman had to do was ask. Headmistress Meet had made it quite clear she’d be returning, even if it were merely a precaution. Proper authorities wanted to keep an eye on her in case she took up her ancestor’s line of work.
The bacon clunked as it hit her plate. “When are you going to stop acting as if I don’t exist?” Makayla asked, glancing around the table. Her brothers wouldn’t even glimpse in her direction.
“Whatever are you going on about?” Hildabrew asked, busying herself with filling glasses with coffee and juices. “It’s almost time for the mail.”
“Mom,” Makayla blurted out. “Sit down, please. There isn’t going to be a letter for me. I’m not being transferred out of Grav
e Digger Academy. I’m sorry if it embarrasses everyone, but those are the facts.”
“Perhaps if you tried studying instead of gallivanting in places you have no business being, things would be different,” her father suggested, folding his newspaper in quarters and placing it beside his plate.
“It wouldn’t make a difference,” Makayla argued. “It doesn’t matter if I am the best student out of every academy. This was all predetermined, probably the moment I was born. They were never placing me anywhere else.”
“Really?” her father scoffed. “And why would that be?”
“As if you don’t know,” Makayla snapped.
“It’s beyond me as to why any daughter of mine would be sentenced to such a place,” her father replied.
“You mean Mom never told you?” Makayla questioned.
Her mother patted down the sides of her hair. “You know, I just remembered I have an appointment...”
“Sit down, Hilda,” Jed ordered. “Now explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain,” Hildabrew replied. “I have no idea what our daughter is going on about.”
“So you didn’t know my great-grandmother was a necromancer?” Makayla spat out. “And that the necklace you gave me helped her in her craft?”
“Hilda, is this true?” Jed questioned. “Why didn’t you tell me? You must have known how this would affect our family. We could all lose our jobs if it gets out. Why would you cover something like that up?”
Teeth grazed over Hildabrew’s top lip. “You act as if I had a choice. The mere mention of death magic sends people in a flurry, arms flailing as if the word alone held some great evil within it. Besides, when the woman was alive, necromancy was a valid form of magic. She broke no laws and was found guilty of nothing. There isn’t a witch alive who can say they have zero connection in their family tree to one necromancer or another.”
“I had a right to know,” Jed complained, “before I took my vows.”
“Would you have not married me, if I told you?” Hildabrew asked. “Would you have stopped loving me?”
