I could barely remember much of last night. It was all a drunken blur. My head was throbbing and my mouth was dry and prickly. Thankfully, drunk me had remembered to put a giant glass of water on my side table. I downed in it two second flat before collapsing back into bed.
Shortly after that an alarm sounded over the school sound system. "Emergency meeting. All students are expected downstairs in 30 minutes. No exceptions."
I groaned and forced myself out of bed. It seemed that the Headmistress was back and ready to lay down the law. Too bad she'd never break through the memory spell that Mike had helped me cast on the teachers before we locked them up. That kid could do more than make a mean cocktail, he was one of the few warlocks I had respect for.
Knox knocked on my door and let himself in. "Did you hear that?" He asked.
I shrugged. "So what?"
"Headmistress Gertie is back. What if she finds out it was us?" Knox looked genuinely worried.
"Fuck her. She won't figure it out," I said. "And if she does I'll just pay her off as always."
Knox didn't seem convinced.
I stood and punched his shoulder gently. "Seriously, dude. It'll be fine." I added with a grin. "Fine, if we need to pay I'll cover your portion."
Knox rolled his eyes and shoved me away. "The entire thing was your idea, anyways."
Zane poked his head in the room. "And what an amazing idea it was!" He slapped Knox across the back.
It was in that moment that memories of the night came flooding back to me, coupled with seething jealousy and rage. "Hold up." I said, planting myself between my two best friends. "I just remembered something." I turned and slowly looked at each of them dead in the eye before continuing. "What the hell is going on with that little bitch witch?"
Knox looked away and Zane let out a short barking laugh. "Oh, right. I nearly forgot about that. She's not a good kisser," He added under his breath.
"What?" Knox flew forward. "Take that back!"
I pulled them apart. "Hold on, fuck! Stop talking!" I waited for them to back away from each other before continuing. "What is going on with Evie?" I demanded. "Are you guys fucking her?"
"I'm not," Zane said with a pointed look at Knox.
"It was only once! I felt bad for breaking her wand," Knox said and trailed off into silence.
I felt sick with emotion. Evie was off limits. She was not the girl for us. I had told myself that nearly every day since meeting her. "Mages are supposed to be with a woman who brings them closer together, not tear them apart. She's not the one for us."
"Give her a chance," Knox said.
I glared at him. "What was that? Do you really think we should do anything for her after how she embarrassed us. I'd kill her if she tried that again."
"She's not that bad," Zane said. "We were just having a little fun."
Knox looked as surprised as I did that Zane was defending her.
"Now is not the time for fun," I said as calmly as I could manage. "My father wants her parents dead, don't you understand? Even if she did turn out to be the best girl in the world, it wouldn't matter. She would never forgive us if she knew that."
"She doesn't know where her parents are," Knox argued. "She's innocent in all of this."
"No one in this place is innocent." I turned away from them. "And the sooner you learn that, the better."
~
I didn't listen to the Headmistress's guilt-trip speech. I kept my eyes on Evie. If there was one person in this place that would betray us, I knew it would be her.
Judging by her expression, she was fighting the urge to stare back at me. She made the fire inside me wild with mixed emotions. On one side, I wanted to strangle her and ever see her again, but the other side of me wanted to claim her and make her want me as much as I wanted her. I had never been so confused before in my life. Zane, Knox, and I had plenty of flings growing up but none of them were serious and none of them made us as wild as her. She was driving us apart and that was unforgivable. No one could breach the brotherly bond of mages. No one.
"You are all here because everyone deserves a second chance. We believe that young magic users can be rehabilitated. But this blatant abuse of trust cannot go unpunished. Everyone is to remain in their rooms until a proper decision can be made." The Headmistress dismissed us with a careless wave. Her exhaustion was obvious.
I chuckled. No one here deserved a second chance. I hated this false positivity. We were here because we were criminals and nothing would ever change that. I would take my place in the Sons of Hell and bring chaos wherever I went. This was all lip service for the government and nothing more. Woodlock's Home was nothing more than a poorly disguised prison where the rate of re-offense was one hundred percent.
I pushed off the wall and followed the crowd upstairs, brushing past Evie as I went. I was sure to send a scorching burn over her skin as a warning. Her suppressed yelp wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be.
A blue scroll was hovering at the door when we arrived. Zane tore it down and flipped it over. "It's addressed to you."
I tore it from his hands. I knew that shade of blue and that writing; it was from my father. I retreated to my bedroom to read it privately.
Dear Son,
I have been informed of a student uprising at Woodlock's. I hope to the gods that you didn't leave evidence if it was your friends who inspired this mutiny.
The community has grown tired of waiting for information on the witch and her parents. I will be sending someone to gather the information for me, seeing how you are unable to get a simple girl to talk.
Father.
I crumpled the paper in my hand and it turned to ash. Was more than a few days too much to ask? Why was he being so impatient? I let the ashes fall to the floor, watching them drift and curl in the air.
Now what? Did I find her and demand that she tell me what she knew before someone else got the information out of her or should I let her spill her secrets at the hands of someone trained to torture witches? My stomach turned at the thought. I couldn't let that happen to her, but why? Because my friends had bonded with her? Was that holding me back? No. It was something else. Something that I was not willing to admit to myself.
I wasn't actually falling for that little witch, was I?
SEVENTEEN
------------------------
EVIE
Another "school meeting" in less than a week? I would have been annoyed, but this was the first time I had been allowed out of the bounds of the third floor for days. Headmistress Gertie had made good on her promise. No one was allowed to classes, therapy, or the common areas until the culprit was found. I stayed stubbornly silent, if not for anything but saving my own skin.
The students in the sitting room waited in silence until Mr. Hobbs showed up. The Headmistress was not with him. He cleared his throat to get our attention. "Good afternoon students. I am pleased to announce we will be resuming normal activities tomorrow. We will strive to make sure that everyone is caught up to the best of their abilities." He glanced around nervously.
Lucy, who had made an excellent recovery and sat beside me, whispered. "Where's the Headmistress?"
I shrugged.
"However, I do have some unfortunate news," Mr. Hobbs went on. He didn't wait for questions. "Headmistress Gertie has been suspended from her duties until Woodlock's can prove its ability to control the students."
A collective gasp filled the room.
I glanced at the Sons of Hell who were at the back of the room. All three of them seemed uninterested in this new development. I wondered if their parents' money had anything to do with this.
"Our Headmistress understands that sometimes administration needs to change for the better. That is why, I am pleased to announce that Mr. Garth Hemingway will act as interim Headmaster for the foreseeable future."
A middle-aged man appeared in a flourish of purple smoke and dark light. He wore a perfectly fitted suit. His hair was black with streaks of sil
ver and his goatee was twisted into a point. He looked more like a Disney villain than a teacher.
Hobbs edged away as our new Headmaster greeted the students.
"Good afternoon," Mr. Hemingway said as he stepped onto the plush carpet. The air dropped several degrees in a matter of seconds. A chill ran through the room. "It is my pleasure to meet you all, albeit under less than happy circumstances. The administration has trusted me to reform you all into proper, law-abiding magical citizens and I will not disappoint them." He knitted his fingers together as he spoke. "It seems that the current staff has been too soft on you. I will not make that mistake."
Lucy whimpered beside me and clutched the edge of my sweater. Her shifting ordeal had turned her into a nervous wreck that even I felt bad for.
"Any questions?" The new Headmaster asked. The room was deafeningly silent in response. The man chuckled and tipped his head. "Alright, have it your way. Classes resume tomorrow. Do not be late." He vanished.
Mr. Hobbs took a moment to gather his wits before casting his gaze over us, the blame in his eyes was undeniable. "I suggest that you do not take his threat lightly, students," He said quietly.
~
I spent the evening in the empty library. Lucy joined me, but quickly fell asleep on a pile of anger management books. Studying was not her thing.
I wasn't here to study for any class. I wanted to know more about the mages. I had read nearly every book I could find in the library and still things weren't completely adding up. Mage culture was secretive, but I could find nothing to explain why Blake hated me so much and why his friends cared more about his opinion than their own feelings.
Memories of kissing Knox flooded my mind and I pushed them away. That day could never happen again, even if it was the best sex of my life. I was done with those boys. Beyond done. Especially now that the mage enforcer had shown up and had vowed to mold us into law abiding citizens.
The library door opened and shut quietly and I peeked around the corner to see who had decided to do some late-night studying in a place that had so far become my sanctuary. It was Blake. What was he doing in here?
I stepped back into the shadows and put my back against the bookcase. My instincts told me to run and that he was looking for me. Why else would he come in here? He was definitely not the reading type. I held my breath as he walked through the lines of shelves.
I hadn't noticed the pain of my nails digging into my palms until I had created four crescent-shaped cuts in my skin. I shook my hand and tried to ignore the burning. The spark of pain knocked me back to my senses. I was done hiding from this jerk.
I stepped out into the aisle way and looked him in the eye. "What are you doing here, Blake?"
Blake didn't bother lying. "I was looking for you."
"Why?" I demanded. "I'm so done with this little game of cat and mouse. Tell me what you want."
Blake closed the distance between us with quick strides, grabbed my shoulders, and kissed me. His arms kept me in place, smothered against him and his heat.
I didn't break away, lost in the taste of his lips and the smell of ashes and cloves that he wore like a personal cologne. I melted in his touch, unable to say no and not wanting to either.
When Blake broke away, his eyes were glowing red in the dimness of the library. "Evie. I think you've cast a spell on me."
"I swear I haven't," I said. "You know I can't do magic, thanks to you. Besides, love spells are so not my thing."
Blake chuckled, not releasing me from his arms. "I don't know what you've done to me, but I can't stand it. I wasn't here for this."
"So what where you actually here for?" I asked.
Blake frowned. "I need you to tell me the truth."
I rolled my eyes. "You do realize I owe you nothing, right? In fact, the only thing keeping me from kicking you in the junk right now is because I'd rather not get third degree burns." I stared back at Blake for a moment before sighing. "Ok fine, one question. Then let me go and get lost." My words coming from my mouth didn't match what I was feeling in my chest. Apparently, he wasn't the only one under a spell. Since when was I into fuck boy bullies? No thanks. Even if they were sexy as hell.
"I need to know," Blake said before lowering his voice. "Do you have any idea where your parents are?"
"No! Goddamn! Why is everyone asking me that?" I pushed him away.
Blake sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You swear?"
"Yes!" I hissed. I would have shouted if we were not in the library. "I swear, when my parents escaped and left me for dead I had no idea where they went. Do you think I'd be here if I did?" I threw up my arms in frustration. Talking in circles made me want to rip my hair out. "There, you happy?"
Blake nodded. "Fine. I tried my best." He brushed past me on his way to the door and then stopped. "Evie, I don't know why I'm telling you this, but here it goes: someone has beef with your parents and I'm pretty sure they'll stop at nothing to find them. So be careful." He left before I could ask what he meant by that.
My hands fell limply to my sides and the silence enveloped me.
~
"Good morning, students," Our interim Headmaster said with a smile. He strode into the dining room with a indescribable air of confidence. He walked with his fingertips pressed together and his hands just above his waist. In his dark green jacket, he reminded me of a college professor from a movie.
We looked up as one. Headmistress Gertie had barely ever left her office. We had grown accustom to never seeing any teachers outside of their usual teaching hours.
"I trust that you all enjoyed breakfast? I asked the staff to magic up something extra special for our first day." Mr. Hemingway said.
His smile made me uncomfortable. No one had been suspicious of the thick golden waffles until now. I pushed my plate away.
When no one spoke, Mr. Hemingway's smile got even brighter. "Well then, let's get to our classes and therapy. I have high goals for us all to meet." He walked off, leaving us looking around awkwardly.
"What was that?" Lucy whispered to me.
I shrugged. "No clue. But I don't trust that guy one bit."
Lucy nodded. The Headmaster's odd greeting hadn't impacted her appetite. She grabbed another waffle, sandwiched two sausages inside it and ate it taco-style. Shifter metabolism.
"See you later," I said.
"Don't you have therapy?" Lucy asked as I stood.
"No, the therapy lady is gone today. I'm going to catch up on law and ethics," I said with a smirk. "I have a feeling we're all going to need bonus points in the class."
As I turned into the hall I ran head first into a hard wall of muscle. Actually, three walls to be precise. I looked up at the Sons of Hell. "Watch where you're going!" I said in unison with Zane, who winked. I brushed past them.
"Whoa, hold up!" Blake said and grabbed my wrist.
I pulled away. "Hands off, caveman. I told you, I'm done with you." My eyes drifted to Knox and my chest tightened. "I'm done with all of you."
"What is going on here?" Our new Headmaster appeared before our eyes.
I stepped back in surprise. "Nothing sir," I said. I hated that I was afraid of him. I hated that he had that power over me.
"I do not tolerate fighting within my walls. You are here to reform, not to let your demons loose." Mr. Hemingway said.
The Sons of Hell stared back at him, speechless for once in their lives.
"Why aren't you in class?" Mr. Hemingway continued.
"Ms. Lowe is gone today. I don't have class until after lunch," I said.
"Are you arguing with me?" Mr. Hemingway's eyes shone violet.
"What? No!" I gasped.
Knox stepped forward. "Sir, it's true."
Our interim Headmaster shook his head. "Then why are you out of your rooms?" Was he looking for a fight? What the hell was wrong with this guy? A nerve twitched in his neck. "Well?" He boomed.
"Breakfast." I managed to squeak. His power began to radiated from him and the chill
was enough to make me wish I had just hidden in bed all day. Why was he being so irrational.
"I don't like your tone, little witch." He spat.
Knox put his hand on my shoulder. "We're sorry, sir. It won't happen again." He gave me a look that said SHUT UP.
"Don't think that I don't know about you and your friends, Knox Avery." He glanced at the others. "Blake Hood. Zane Wright." He crossed his arms. "I think you know better than to defend this witch." His eyes glittered with a warning.
Knox slowly released my shoulder, taking my last hopes with him.
"Evelyn Knight," The Headmaster said. "Do you know what happens to witches that cross me?"
I straightened my back. "No, sir."
"Well, you're going to find out." Mr. Hemingway said with a laugh.
"No, sir!" Knox and the others blurted out, before being silenced by his glowing glare. "I'm warning you boys. Your little mage tricks and money don't matter to me. Stand down and learn your place."
What was happening? Blake and the Sons of Hell didn't bow to anyone and yet they were acting like skittish dogs. Who the hell was this guy? Was this a part of mage politics that I didn't yet understand?
Mr. Hemingway snapped his fingers and a cage of purple light surrounded me. He muttered some words and the cage moved to the center of the lobby, taking me with it.
"What the hell? Let me go!" I screamed.
Students emerged from the dining room and the stairwell to see what was going on. Their eyes grew wide and their faces went pale. Lucy ran forward, but someone held her back.
The Headmaster chuckled and grinned at me through the magical bars. "This is what happens to witches who don't know their place," He said. "Mages are superior in all ways and you dare defy me? How can I operate this manor if I let a stupid witch get smart with me? What message will that send to the others."
"Let me out of here!" I shouted.
"Only once you repent." The Headmaster took a step back and addressed the small crowd of students. "Does anyone else want to challenge my authority."
Knox growled, tugging against Zane who was holding him by his arm.
"This isn't our fight." He hissed at his friend. "Don't fuck this up any more than it is." Zane looked at me and I swore I saw a shadow of an apology in his expression.
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