Wayward Witch

by Samantha Bell

  The clock on the wall chimed and the sound echoed though the quiet hallway. Lunch was surely over now. I guessed I'd have to go to the library to bide my time until dinner.

  The library was familiar to me. I had only been there twice, and it was beginning to feel like an old friend.

  I set my bag down on a table and sent a sigil to search for the book I read last time. The library was so large that I couldn't quite remember where I found it. The light hovered over the heavy tome which I pulled off the shelf and carried back to the table where I let it fall with a dusty thud.

  The library was empty again. Some students had classes Friday afternoon, the poor souls. So I was alone with the troves of knowledge and peace of mind that no one would bother me in here.

  I sat down and began flipping through pages until I found the section on mages. I stopped and ran my finger along the heading as I read to myself. ELEMENTAL MAGE MAGIC.

  "Whatcha got there?" A voice said from above me. A shadow came over the book.

  I looked up.

  It was Blake-fucking-Hood.

  SEVEN

  ------------------------

  EVIE

  I tried to snap the book shut, but he planted his hand down on top it, splaying his fingers across the yellowing pages.

  "Now I don't think this is homework, is it?" He said, his voice was dark and thick.

  I leaned back in my chair so I could look at him properly. The dim lights cast a shadow over his face. "I don't remember asking your opinion." I snapped back.

  Blake chuckled and shook his head. "You don't get it do you? Do you really think that you could ever do anything to the Sons of Hell?"

  "I don't want anything to do with you." I shot back. "You or your little friends. You guys can screw off for all I care. I'm not here to play games. I'm here to get the hell out and have my life back."

  Blake raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Oh, I see. You're going to be the good girl now? All reformed and model-citizen-like?" He laughed. Outright laughed at me. "That's cute."

  I glared back at him. "Better than whatever you're doing. Paying off the headmistress, bullying people."

  Blake cut me off. "All I tried to do was show you the ropes, little blue. And how did you repay me? Punching me in the face."

  He leaned in close enough for me to smell his cologne. It was a soft scent of musk and cloves. A spicy, hot scent that fit him perfectly. I ignored those thoughts. "I told you not to grab me."

  Blake chuckled again. "And what if I do it now?" He challenged, his eyes glittering red.

  I hesitated, swallowing hard. I was all alone here. I was positive I could out-hex him any day, but when it came to brute strength, I knew who had the advantage and it sure as hell wasn't me. "You wouldn't dare," I said.

  Blake grabbed me by my arms and shoved me against the wall.

  My breath came out in a gasp.

  "Little witches like you who don't learn their place end up in a lot of trouble," Blake said.

  "Let me go!" I struggled against him, but he grabbed my forearms and held me against the wall. My wand slipped out of my sleeve and hit the floor with a clatter.

  "I don't think so." Blake's fingertips dug into my flesh. "No one makes a fool out of me and gets away with it. Nobody. Why do you think I'm in this place to begin with? Would they seriously want to reform someone who hadn't fucked up a few lives?" He leaned in closer. "Just like I'm going to do to you."

  I shivered as his breath tickled my neck. The chill warped into a warm feeling that threatened to burst from me. Now was not the time to get turned on, come on girl! I struggled as the heat rose. It took only a moment to realize the heat wasn't coming from me; it was coming from Blake.

  Blake's eyes glowed red and he smirked. "I guess you didn't get far enough in your research to find out what my elemental talent is, did you?" He pressed his body against mine; the heat scorched my skin. "Why don't you find out, little witch?"

  "Let me go, please," I begged. I had never begged in my life before. Sweat trickled down my neck and between my breasts. I felt as if I were on fire, but there was not a single flame to be seen. Blake was in my head, his powers made me feel the invisible heat.

  Blake didn't listen. He kept me pinned between his hard body and the wall. His hands trailed up my waist, and he grabbed and touched whatever he desired. "Tell me again what you do to guys who touch you without consent?" He sneered.

  "Fuck off." I wheezed. My mouth was dry and my tongue stuck to my teeth as I tried to speak.

  His hardness pressed against my thigh. He held me higher until my feet dangled freely, unable to touch the ground. "You do realize I can do anything I want to you, right?"

  I struggled in vain as he slipped his hand up my skirt. "Stop! Stop!" I prayed that someone would hear me. "Please. Stop." I was powerless without my wand. I could not conjure a hex without a tool, whereas he could do whatever he pleased with the elements around him.

  "I wonder if you're a naughty girl who gets turned on by this sort of stuff?" Blake mused as his fingers came dangerously close to the edge of my panties.

  I felt him touch my sensitive folds and send a burst of heat through my body. I gasped and moaned involuntarily as the nerves shot pleasure through my core.

  Blake shook his head and dropped me. "Typical." He looked down at me. "Disgusting. Witches like you are all the same. Rude, nasty, annoying sluts." He kicked my wand across the room. It rolled to a stop near the door.

  Unable to ignore the shame, I avoided his glare.

  The heat released me and he turned to the book. "Consider this to be your last and only warning." Blake ripped a handful of pages from the book and incinerated the paper in his hand. Ashes swirled in the air and fell down like snow. He left without looking back.

  I sat trembling on the floor until I knew he was gone. Then, I crawled over to the door to retrieve my wand, grateful that there was no one to witness my lowest point ever.

  Despite my better judgment, I used a sigil to find other books about mages, concealed them with an invisibility spell and ran up to my room as fast as I could. I avoided the glances of other students, my cheeks burning as if the world could see the shame that had just befallen me.

  Once I was back in my room with the door locked behind me, I let out a furious yell, throwing the books down on my bed and watching them reappear as the spell shattered. I would not cry. I was not the crying type, but if there was a time I wanted to, this was it.

  I stripped down and changed into a heavy sweater and leggings, pulled my hair into a ponytail and retreated to my bed for the rest of the day.

  The books smelled like smoke.

  ~

  Self defense was not going to cut it with these jerks. I tried, I really did. I tried to be the bigger person. I tried to ignore them. I tried to defend against their hexes and spells. Now it was time to take matters into my own hands.

  My parents barely raised me, but when they did occasionally try to be decent parents, they sure didn't raise a weakling. Ok, Blake caught me off-guard and wand-less, but that wouldn't happen again. I could not be defenseless against mage magic.

  I spent the entire night reading up on mages and how their magic worked. For the first time in forever, I was actually learning something useful at a school; the thought made me laugh. Blake might have destroyed some important pages, but he underestimated my resourcefulness. Now all I had to do was come up with a plan.

  In order to get my revenge and live to tell about it, I had to make sure I left no evidence. I wouldn't be in the same room with Blake until Tuesday's law and ethics class, and as tempting as it was to release my hexes on him then and there, it would be too obvious.

  On Monday, I rejoined the other students, acting as normal as possible. I ate breakfast quietly, using this time to listen in on conversations and get some dirt of the Sons of Hell. The problem was, no one ever seemed to talk about them. The trio didn't even eat with us at mealtimes. Those rich assholes probably had a personal ch
ef or something.

  That was when it dawned on me. They didn't eat with us. In fact, I barely saw them outside of class time at all. It was obvious that the trio felt above the common witch, shifter, or mage, but this reform school actually let them get away with it too.

  That would be how I got my revenge.

  "Can I sit here?" A voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

  I looked up to see another girl with blond hair and green eyes that looked almost too big for her face. She was cute in an alien-doll type way. "Sure." I gestured to the space on the bench beside me. "Knock yourself out."

  The girl was probably my age, eighteen, and tall with pale skin. She smiled at me and sat down, filling her plate high. To my surprise, she ate more than the shifter boys. I couldn't help being impressed.

  I felt a strange pull to talk to her, but I had no intention of getting close to her. I was not here to make friends or get close to anyone. I glanced over at her as she added more eggs to her plate and slathered jam on a slice of bread.

  She must have noticed me watching because she glanced over and smiled. She had sharp canine teeth. "Shifter metabolism, am I right?" She giggled.

  Ah, so that explained it. Her energy was hard to read. She definitely wasn't and wolf or bear shifter. I forced a smile. "I guess so."

  "I'm Lucy," She said. "New here. I'm a lioness shifter, in case you were wondering."

  "Evie," I replied.

  "How long have you been at Woodlock's?" She asked.

  "Less than a week." I kept my answers short. Maybe she'd get the hint that I didn't want to make friends.

  Lucy didn't take the hint. "Oh, that's cool. I guess I'm the new new girl." She laughed. Her personality was so bubbly and sweet, how the hell did she end up in this place? I decided I didn't want to find out.

  "Yeah, I have to get going. Time for therapy." I stood and forced a smile. "See you around."

  "Bye!" Lucy sang and then dug her fangs into a slice of bacon.

  My plan began in group therapy. I showed up late in order to grab a seat close to Knox; the air was frigid around him so he usually had at least one free seat beside him.

  I sat through the meaningless self reflection questions, speaking only when spoken to. I learned that I needed to answer correctly, not honestly, if I wanted to make a good impression on Ms. Lowe. So far, it was working.

  Just before the two hours was over, I used my wand behind my back to make a tiny tracking sigil and attach it to the back of Knox's navy blue blazer. This simple little spell would allow me to find out where he went during mealtimes. It was weak, but I didn't want the energy to tip him off, so it'd have to do.

  I let Knox leave first before going to the hallway. Students flowed around me as they headed to lunch like a group of animals, no offense to the shifters.

  With a quiet murmur I activated the sigil and closed my eyes.

  In my mind, I could see him walking down the hall. He took a left and then upstairs to the third floor. The image was grainy and dark, but strong enough for me to figure out his destination: a room at the end of the hall at the opposite end of the manor from my modest dorm room. Knox opened the magical lock and the door swung open to reveal a room that looked more like an upscale apartment than a dormitory. Blake and Zane were sprawled on couches, watching something on a huge television. Blake said something, but I couldn't make it out. This sigil wasn't strong enough for that.

  I cut the connection and let the sigil fade away before someone noticed it.

  So, those rich boys had way more than I thought. A private apartment? What the actual fuck! The crooked Headmistress' favoritism and weakness to cash knew no bounds, but what did I expect in a home full of criminals?

  My next task would be to hit them where it hurt the most. (No, not balls, but that was tempting as hell.) I'd destroy their little hideaway and not leave a trace of evidence for them to track back to me. After all, I could easily play dumb and say I had no idea which room was theirs, after all the door was identical to everyone else's.

  I walked off in the opposite direction, smiling to myself as my plan began to become a reality.

  ~

  That night, I snuck out of my room and marked myself with an invisibility sigil. It wasn't a foolproof disguise, as my footsteps would show on the plush carpet and any attentive person would notice my breathing, but it was good enough for sneaking around in the middle of the night.

  I padded down the hall, checking my surroundings like a paranoid bird. I stopped every few steps to make sure no one was around. It was well past midnight, but that didn't mean anything in a home full of supernatural people.

  Just as I was approaching the door at the end of the hallway, I heard a meow.

  It was the giant fluffy cat I saw in the sitting room. As much as I wanted to pet it, I stood still and let it stare back at me. Invisibility sigils didn't work against cats, which was why normal people were often confused when their precious pets would stare at nothing. They were more magical than mundane; witches and mages alike adored them.

  The calico cat purred and sniffed in my direction before walking away, its tail twitching as it went.

  I let out a sigh of relief and refocused my energy on the task at hand. The trio's door was locked with magic, but aside from that it looked normal, innocent even. Whatever magic lock was placed over it, I just hoped that the muted abilities of my wand could over come it.

  Clutching my wand tightly, I drew a sigil that would allow my hex to pass through the keyhole without having to unlock the magic seal. It was a clever trick that I learned to sneak into my parents' liquor cabinet when I was sixteen and I thought under-aged binge drinking with non-magical humans made me cool.

  I said the magical words to activate my hex and envisioned the dark magic swirling into the keyhole and filling their room. I smiled to myself and backed away. Soon these rich boys would regret everything they did to me.

  EIGHT

  ------------------------

  BLAKE

  Sunlight streamed through the tiny gap between my curtains. I groaned and rolled over to avoid the glare. I was not a morning person and my early-morning therapy sessions were the exact opposite of a reason to get up.

  I rubbed my eyes and sat up, stretching out my shoulders and arms; they were stiff from my workout yesterday. I may have been stuck in this place but that was no excuse to let my physical fitness go to waste. I could imagine the disappointment on my father's face if I let any aspect of my life fall to the wayside. This was temporary, just like everything in life. Once I was released I would rejoin my father in the Sons of Hell and the bullshit would start all over again.

  I didn't mind being the son of a criminal, because my father was the sort of criminal who had enough cash to get out of almost anything. Almost. They sent me to Woodlock's as a last attempt to reform me before I became a legal adult (by magical world standards) at the age of twenty-one. After that, the magical justice system would sink its fangs into me and I'd be done for.

  When I asked my father why he didn't pay for a way out, he said he was trying to keep up appearances. We had to at least look like we were remorseful for what had happened. I shook my head at the memory. Zane and Knox were in the same boat, because we had all been there that night that changed our lives. Instead of bailing us out, our families covered the costs for an exclusive room and any incidentals that might arise. A generous donation to the Woodlock family was enough to cover up anything that happened within these walls.

  I downed the lukewarm glass of water that sat by my bed before forcing myself to get up. I pulled on some lounge pants and zombie-walked over to the washroom that connected to my room. Yes, I had my own private shower and yes, my exclusive dorm apartment was nicer than most people's houses. A little enchantment could go a long way.

  I let my mind wander as I let the hot water wash over my body. Suddenly, a mental image of that slutty witch entered my mind, and I shook my head to banish her. Evie. I couldn't deny how beautiful and
sexy she was, even if she was a pathetic witch. The way her terrified eyes had locked onto me that night in the library was enough to drive me crazy with desire. I had power over her and she knew it. I'd love to take my powers even further, claim her and show her what a mage could do. My body reacted to the thought and I spun the water to cold to clear my head.

  "She's not the girl for you, Blake." I said to myself.

  I shut off the water, shook the droplets from my hair, and stepped out of the shower. The water had a strange rusty smell that I couldn't place. I shrugged it off and wrapped a towel around my waist.

  After drying off and getting into the stupid school uniform, I walked out of my room to find Knox and Zane already up. The weird smell followed me, even though I was dried. "Do you guys smell something?"

  Zane wrinkled his nose. "Yeah it smells like eggs."

  "Worms."

  "Rust," I said over the other two. "Wait, what?" I shook my head. "No, it smells like old metal or a rusty pipe."

  "I definitely smell worms." Knox countered.

  Zane waved his hand in front of his face. "Nope, eggs."

  Something was wrong. We could each smell three distinctly different smells so much so that it was overpowering. All of us couldn't be right. "Ok, something weird is going on," I said. I brushed past them and walked over to the kitchen. The smell was strongest in here. "Did one of you guys leave food out or something?"

  Knox shook his head. "I was going to ask you."

  I threw open the fridge and gagged. Every piece of food was oozing and covered with mold. I slammed the door shut and stumbled back. "What the fuck?"

  Zane sprang to his feet and threw open the cabinets. Everything inside, even food that should be nonperishable, had gone rotten. He gagged and threw himself over the sick. As he flipped on the water, the smell got worse.

  A stinking wave of fish and rust hit me; the water was thick and brown. "Fuck," I held my shirt collar over my nose. "What the hell is this? Someone call housekeeping!"