Lore hoots. “Of course I know where we’re going. I’ve got the map of the academy memorized.”
She flies ahead and leads me down a cobbled path and through an archway into the forest. Goosebumps prickle my skin, slick with sweat, as a gust of wind breezes over me. I look up and around me, wary of the shadows and what might lurk in them.
I feel like I’m alone, but I know I’m not. They move between the shadows with the agility of a cat, but the deadliness of a puma. A tingle crawls up my spine. I turn around.
Keaira huffs, drawing me back to the present as we trek through the overgrown path, farther into the forest. I focus on her warm body sat next to my ear until my shoulders drop when a greenhouse comes in view. Lore’s told you so comes through our bond, loud and clear. I wince. “Sorry, Lore.”
She harrumphs as I step into the open field around the greenhouse, coming to rest on my free shoulder as I continue toward it. Heads bob inside, and I hurry along the path. “How did they get here so fast?!”
“I, er… may have taken us the scenic route.”
I raise my eyebrow at the owl next to my head. “You got lost, didn’t you?”
“Apparently their maps are out of date. How was I supposed to know this?”
I sigh. “Well, we know now.”
I open the glass door, and the smell of life flows out, caressing my skin before moving into the world around us. It reminds me of Her but also of another—the one who taught me everything I know about plants. The one who was like a grandmother to me.
As I enter, a plump, middle-aged woman with mahogany hair streaked with gray turns to welcome me, her aura a peculiar mix—one that I knew very well a long time ago—that draws my attention. What on Earth is one of her kind doing here? Her eyes narrow on my smile, and I can practically hear what she’s thinking.
“Basil, Cilantro, and Orchids; they help me feel relaxed, but it’s the Pestilent Bloodwart that helps soothe my evil little soul,” I say, scanning the room until I find the ugly flower in the back of the building, its pink, bulbous warts emitting a unique smell that overpowers the rest.
She glances at the plant, then back to me, an inquisitive smile on her face. She gestures around the room as she says, “Welcome to Advance Healing, Miss…”
“Serena Stollmeyer. And you are?”
“She is not human,” Lore warns, and I grin, having already come to that conclusion.
“Professor Ariella,” the woman says. Her aura wavers and tendrils of forest-green float toward me. They brush against my own aura, testing its strength. I raise my eyebrows in a satisfied? Look, and she looks away sheepishly, pulling the tendrils back.
Noting the empty seats at the back of the room, I head toward them, ignoring the lingering glances of my classmates.
“You should be more careful, Mistress,” Lore warns again as she flutters down onto the table. Her eyes draw up to mine, and I shrug, rubbing the stone in my necklace.
“You know if she wants to see mine, she needs to show me hers,” I whisper, but the boy in front of me spins in his seat, sending me the most disgusted look I’ve ever received.
I can only assume what he thought I meant, so I do the only thing I can do. “Sorry, you had to hear that. I enjoy the company of women—especially the more… mature kind.”
I wink, leaning back in my chair and watch the myriad of thoughts cross his face before he turns back to the front, giving me a lovely view of the back of his head. It’s the shadow that stretches over me that draw my attention next.
“Really, Serena? And here I thought you enjoyed the company of men… and their abs.” He juts his lower lip out in a ridiculous pout as he takes the seat next to me.
“I try not to discriminate. Life’s too short for that.” Dane and I share a grin as the guy in front’s ears grow bright red, and I resist the urge to laugh.
Dane sobers first, nudging his shoulder against mine before giving me a solemn look. “I know you weren’t trying to kill Paxton, Serena. And despite the guys being jackasses, they know too, deep down.” He gives me a small smile, and I look away, unable to handle the softness in his eyes and face.
“I can sense your emotions, Serena, and I’m learning to read you better than you probably want. You’re scared, and you feel rejected. You don’t want to be hurt so you shut yourself off from everything and everyone. I know you wouldn’t hurt us because you do like us. More than you want to admit.” I send him a hard glare at that, but he goes on.
“I trust you, Serena. And so do the guys after they got an earful from me.” He huffs out a laugh, his eyes twinkling as he stares forward. “But the best part is when the guys wouldn’t listen, Pax actually told them to quit being assholes.”
My jaw drops, and I turn to see the sad look in Dane’s eyes. “Pax spoke?”
“Paxton… has issues, Serena,” Dane says. “It’s hard for him to talk; he’s still learning and doesn’t want to mess up—but he did talk for you. And he laughed—you saw that for yourself. Please don’t take that lightly.” His hand finds mine on top of the desk and gives it a quick squeeze before our attention is drawn to the front of the room.
“Welcome to Advanced Healing and Potion Arts, or as it’s more commonly known, First Aid.” Professor Ariella’s gaze roams over the class. “Today, we are having a pop quiz!” Groans echo around the room, and a few students bury their heads in their hands. “You are going to be tested on your knowledge of plants and their various healing or poisoning properties,” the professor shouts over the raucous. Her cheeky grin implies she takes a small amount of pleasure from everyone’s displeasure, and I can’t help but like her for that.
She heaves a heavy box up from under one of the benches and drops it on the front table; the students sat there jump back at the loud bang. “We will not be using paper in this class. All of you should have electronic devices, but as I’m sure most of you didn’t bring them today, you are welcome to use these. The exam can be found under the folder ‘Pop Quiz.’ You have the next two hours to complete it.”
Professor Ariella picks up a few of the tablets and helps to disperse them down the rows; the students in front of Dane and me dutifully hand back a tablet to each of us.
“Are you ready for this?” Dane asks as he powers on the tablet, and I give him a rueful smile as I wake up my own.
“Piece of cake,” I say absently. Lifting my eyes, I focus on the teacher who I’m going to be having a very long chat with later, then glance down at my Docs and purse my lips. Let’s hope she wants to talk because I really have no desire to spill blood over my boots—they’re new.
Chapter 7
I tap in my final period and save the quiz document with a satisfied nod. Beside me, Dane sits in absolute silence, a frown marring his forehead and his fingers fiddling with his chin. When I push my chair back, his eyes flick to me and widen.
“You’re done?” he mouths.
I nod my reply and head to the front of the class to hand my tablet back to Professor Ariella who takes it with both hands and an impressed smirk. But I don’t let go as she goes to pull it back.
“I’d like to speak with you after class,” I say quietly.
She nods without hesitation, and I head back to my seat to wait out the final half-hour, which I spend admiring the plants around the walls and hanging from the ceiling. I recognize all of them, if I’m not mistaken, but my eyes continuously fall back to the bulbous warts of the Pestilent Bloodwart.
Struck by sudden inspiration, I reach into my bag and pull out my History notebook, then flip through the first few pages until I find what I’m looking for.
The Trident of Truth, my messy scrawl reads. The Trident is said to be the first weapon created by Poseidon and holds some of his essence. It also has the ability to bring forth the truth from someone, as well as bring the truth from the wielder.
Lore cranes her neck to read the notes over my shoulder. “A powerful tool for quick interrogations,” she says, and I dip my head almost impe
rceptibly, wary that Dane is watching me curiously.
I tilt my head to look at him and mouth, “Just catching up,” to which he shrugs and resumes nibbling on his knuckle as he taps a new answer onto his tablet, one-handed.
There were originally ten Godly Relics, each with their own divine powers. However, over time, these relics have been used to ward against the evil that has plagued the world.
I snort, earning a curious stare from Dane.
“I can’t believe how quickly you finished that test,” Dane whispers as the professor calls an end to the quiz. While most pack away without protest, some hastily tap away at their tablets to get in a futile few extra points. I look sideways at Dane as I pick up my bag, his expression one of awe. I shrug, uncomfortable with his praise, and round the desk to approach Professor Ariella.
“I had a lot of great teachers,” I say, glancing back at him. “I may be Dark, but I do like learning.”
Dane nods as he shrugs his backpack onto his shoulders, the size of it ridiculously small in comparison to his broad back. “I’m gonna head back. You coming?”
I shake my head, my eyes flicking between him and Professor Ariella. “I actually wanted to talk to the professor to see if I can get some more advanced books. That test was a little too easy,” I laugh, a quiver flitting through my stomach as his magic intermingles with mine.
He nods, but I can tell he doesn’t fully believe me. I appreciate he doesn’t pry, however, when he says, “Fine. But tonight, we’re going to be having a nice meal together as a team, and we’re going to be bonding.”
My lips curl in disgust. “You Light students are gross.”
But he simply laughs as he heads toward the door, throwing me a wry grin over his shoulder. “Don’t be late. And yes, it is compulsory.”
I wait for the door to close firmly behind him before shuffling toward the front desk. Pulling a seat from one of the benches, I plop myself down on it, watching Professor Ariella curiously as she arranges the tablets back into the box. I notice mine still sits on her desk.
She breaks the silence after a moment. “I must say, your scores are impressive, Serena. You have quite a talent for this kind of thing, it seems.”
I nod politely, but I’m not here for small talk. “So, what is one of your kind doing here, Ariella? I thought dryads hated being Earth-side with all of the different seasons and harsh climates?”
Ariella’s eyes widen for half a second before she conceals her surprise with a look of complacency. She takes her time moving the box back to its position under the bench, then turns to me. “I was assigned here. Much like your lynx there,” she says nodding to the loyal cat on the table by my side.
I look sideways at her, and she looks right back at me, her intelligent emerald eyes searching my own. “She’s a lynx? I just thought she was a regular cat… but with powers.”
“Technically, she is a shadow lynx… and also a kitten,” Ariella says pointedly.
“Well, does she come with a user manual, because she can turn into a staff. It would have been nice to have a little warning.”
“This lynx is special; she was molded from darkness and chaos to be the perfect companion to you. She is both your shield and your sword,” she says. “But she will not always be this size, Serena. She will grow to be a very large beast and will gain the ability to shift when it’s time. So make sure you’re ready for that, because in their true form, shadow lynxes are fearsome animals.”
“I told you we should have got rid of her,” Lore mutters.
I roll my eyes and move my attention back to the reason I came here. I eye the woman before me, noticing up close the slight haze around her body. “Did you really have to pick a middle-aged cat lady? You could have gone for anything.”
She laughs, her eyes twinkling. A bright emerald glow fills the space around her, distorting her body. My breath catches as the glow diminishes, her true form amazingly beautiful, like all of her kind. Her dark-brown skin has the look of bark but moves when she does like skin as soft as ours. Her hair is a stunning emerald green, with vines interweaving between each strand. But it’s the eyes of the dryads that always draw me in with their deep-amethyst color.
I nod appreciatively. “Now that we’ve got that sorted, what are you doing here?” I ask, watching as she braids the vines through her hair.
“Your goddess asked for me to watch over you,” she says. “And I agreed because, like many of us, I was curious about the only child She has ever gifted Her mark too.”
I nod as the scene from earlier finally makes sense. “That’s why you were feeling for my aura. You needed to be sure.”
She hums in agreement as her eyes land on Keaira. “She also wanted to make sure that the lynx made it here successfully.”
I chew on the inside of my cheek, looking back down at Keaira and the crescent moon on her forehead. Considering how absent Nyx has been throughout my life, the sudden presence of two protective companions sent by Her makes my stomach twist in a far from reassuring way. “God only knows what’s going to happen in the next few months…” I mutter out loud.
As if sensing my inner turmoil, Ariella’s brow lowers. She looks through the glass windows to the dying afternoon light as she says, “She requested I ask you to be wary of those you work for.”
I tense, shifting guiltily on my chair. “I don’t know what she means…” I say quietly, drawing Ariella’s eyes back to me. Of course, Nyx knows what I was sent here to do; She saw to it that I would be the one to do it. So why now tell me to be distrustful of Master Rostova? It doesn’t make sense, and I frown.
“She is a goddess, Serena,” Ariella says, reading my expression. “They aren’t meant to interfere with the affairs of humans. You know this.” She eyes me critically, and I push from my chair. Sure, they’re not meant to, but She did—once.
Faces draw from the shadows; familiar faces, but also not. They taunt me, threaten me. These aren’t the friends I know. Greed has transformed them. The prospect of power has led them astray.
A sharp pinch on my wrist draws me out of my mind, and I silently thank Lore who hops off my arm and back onto the table. Ariella seems not to have noticed my momentary absence as she pats my hand, the bark of her skin both hard and smooth.
“She wishes She could be here instead of me, Serena. But you know that She can’t be. It would draw too much attention to you, and that’s the last thing your goddess wants,” she reassures me, then pauses for a moment before adding, “Sometime, I would like to hear your story… if you’re willing to tell it.” Curiosity fills her eyes, but a mask falls over my mind, shutting down any memories that might leak out in my moment of vulnerability.
Instead, I pick up my backpack. “Thanks for the talk. I should be getting back,” I say and wait for Lore to perch on my shoulder before heading out of the building. My mind remains a blank haze as the lynx takes her place on my free shoulder. Lore’s feathers ruffle against my ear as she hisses at the creature. I ignore both of them.
After a few minutes, Lore says, “I know you probably don’t want to hear this right now, but you should talk to someone, Serena. I worry about you.”
A soft, furry head nudges my cheek, her soft purrs filling my ears—or one ear specifically. I’m thankful to have two companions who accept me for who I am, but I can’t escape the fact they weren’t given a choice in the matter.
As I reach our street, I spot our house in the distance, along with the other three houses filled with the top two teams from each year. The houses look identical with their little porches, picket fences, and beds of flowers. They even all had expansive back yards. When I’d asked about that, Declan said they were enchanted so we could practice our magic freely without having to go to the training rooms or the arena.
I glance up, surprised to see I’ve caught up with the guys. I watch them joke around with each other as they enter the house. I smirk when Dane forces an elbow into Declan’s shoulder, sending him tumbling down the porch steps
and back onto the path. He shouts various profanities that I’m sure our neighbors must hear.
What would it be like to have friends again? People who I can trust, rely on?
Pale skin. So pale—too pale.
Lore squeezes on my shoulder, and I shake off the image, focusing on counting the street lamps I pass. It’s better to be alone than to let anyone in and have them hurt you. They all leave eventually—of their own accord, or not. It’s not worth the pain.
Just as I make a right turn onto the path leading to our front door, the handle turns, and Dane pops his head out. His eyes land on me, and my steps slow as he takes in my aura with an air of concern. “We were about to send a search party out to look for you, but I felt you coming,” he says.
“And that’s not creepy at all…” I mutter as I close the distance between us and step around him. Conversation in the common area dies to silence when I step inside; three sets of eyes land on me.
I drop my bag on the end of the couch and take a seat next to it, eyeing the two non-believers sitting on their bean bags before turning to Paxton who grins. I see his smile, but I focus on the scratches covering his face.
“Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you, Paxton.”
He shrugs in a way that says, I’m fine, I had fun.
Dane sits down in the corner of the couch, kicking his feet up onto the cushions. “He said he wants you as his sparring partner, and if anyone has a problem with that, they have to go through him—or they can try.” He sends a pointed look to Declan and Rory, who look away sheepishly.
Declan’s eyes lift to mine, and I can see the guilt in them as they move between myself and Paxton. “I’m sorry for doubting you, Serena. I shouldn’t have.” He scratches his neck. “The thing is, Paxton is like a brother to me, and if anything were to happen to him…”
“Did you guys grow up together, or something?” I ask, and they share a look. Paxton shakes his head before looking away, his cheeks flushing.
Cursed Magic: A Paranormal Academy Romance (Daughter of Nyx Series Book 1) Page 7
