Cursed Magic: A Paranormal Academy Romance (Daughter of Nyx Series Book 1)

by Charlie Daniels

A large hand pokes my side, and I tilt my head to the side to see Dane poke me from his place next to Rory, his aura rippling with amusement.

  Our exchange doesn’t go unnoticed as Nyx glances between us and then to the other members of my team, Her eyes widening before they darken when they land on Declan. I wonder what She sees in him…

  Poseidon stands in front of Rory, his eyes flicking between the two of us. “I know you, but you,” he says as his eyes settle on me, his eyebrows pulling together. His frown grows the longer I remain silent. “You, I don’t know. I would have remembered seeing you, surely.”

  I grin and give him the formal bow Nyx taught me from a young age—fist to the heart, bowed head—before glancing back up to his surprised and impressed eyes. Yeah buddy, I know the bow that one god gives to another.

  The others remain silent, confusion rippling around the room, and my lips twitch as I wait for him to react. But his eyes glaze over, and a crackle of electricity erupts between Nyx and Poseidon. He glances between the two of us, and after a few silent moments, his hand moves to his chest before he returns my bow, earning a gasp from my friends. I glare at Nyx over his shoulder; She simply smiles.

  I curse internally. I thought I would have at least pissed him off enough to get the hell out of here. What did She say to him?

  “Ah, Serena. Nyx has told me a lot of about you. I didn’t realize you were here, or I would have come to see you sooner,” he replies, his eyes roaming over me with a newfound respect. One that I haven’t earned—not yet. And probably never would after tonight.

  “Thank you, but Pax has been keeping me company. He’s had some interesting stories to share about you,” I reply, and Pax’s face goes completely white. He shakes his head slightly.

  Poseidon turns to me with a smile, and his gaze flicks between Paxton and me. “Oh? All good things, I hope?”

  “Of course, sir,” Paxton replies, giving me a quick glare, and Dane pulls me around the waist and to his side. My back twinges, making me inhale sharply. Nyx’s eyes draw to me, and they narrow on the blood still staining my hand.

  “Behave, Serena,” Dane whispers in my ear. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but we are going to be having a long chat when all of this is over, starting with why you call Nyx your mother.”

  My eyes widen, and his lips pull into a small smile. “Paxton was projecting quite loudly. But don’t worry, I won’t and haven’t mentioned it to anyone.”

  I don’t want to, but I nod, and his lips brush against my hair, earning me a wide-eyed look from Nyx, but I push aside Her motherly concern.

  “Are you okay, Mistress?” Lore asks, and I want to say yes, but I’m not. I’m tired of fighting, I’m tired of hurting, I’m tired of doing what everyone else wants me to do.

  “I will be,” I whisper, and a large meow rings through the room, drawing everyone’s eyes—all except mine; that little lynx is a menace.

  Keaira struts across the marble chamber, heading straight for Nyx, who scoops her up in Her arms and cuddles her close, murmuring soft words I can’t hear.

  “Right! Now that we’ve had our introductions, let us sit and eat,” Poseidon exclaims and walks toward the table behind him, quickly followed by Rory, Zeus, Declan, and Paxton. Nyx, Dane, and I remain.

  Nyx strokes Keaira’s head as She walks toward us, and I don’t know whether I’m thankful that Keaira is here, or if I’m jealous that she is receiving all of Mother’s attention. It’s selfish, I know.

  “She has grown strong and beautiful. You have done well, Serena,” Nyx says so softly I almost don’t hear her for the pounding of blood rushing through my ears.

  She holds out Keaira, and I take her in my trembling arms as something slips into my hand. When I glance up, I gasp as I stare into Her eyes and see the longing written within them and feel the soft caress against the wall surrounding my mind, keeping her out.

  My throat tightens, and I have to close my eyes or else I’m going to do or say something I may regret. Nyx nods and heads toward the others as if nothing happened. Dane’s arm tightens around me, making me groan again. He loosens his grip.

  “Sorry. Are you okay?” he whispers, and I shake my head.

  How can I be okay when the only mother I can remember is in the same room as me, and we can’t admit it? Or more truthfully, I can’t. Because that would mean letting everyone in on my secrets, and I don’t think I could survive them knowing everything about me.

  I scrunch the paper in my fist before smoothing it out it to read the words scribbled on it:

  You were wonderful today, Serena, and I am so proud of you. Please meet me in the temple at nightfall. I need to speak with you.

  Looking up, my eyes meet Nyx’s, and I nod without thinking. The smile She gives me makes me feel like everything will be okay. Even if it’s just for a little while.

  Rory’s face turns beat red, and he throws the trident at Dane, who catches it easily with a smirk. “You guys suck,” he mutters, looking away from the rest of us laughing at his peril. Who knew that little Rory had slept with a night light until he was eighteen?

  I snicker behind my glass of cold, celebratory soda as Dane twirls the trident around in his hand. The light bounces off the golden prongs, sending glittering beams across the living room. My back is still aching, but after a trip to the medic, I’m stitched up, bandaged, and fit to make a full recovery. It’s still hard to believe that we were able to pull this off. We got the freaking Trident of Truth. I grin as Dane points it to me, waggling his eyebrows.

  “Truth or dare, Serena?”

  “Truth.” I wiggle on the couch, sinking further into the cushions, and crook a beckoning finger at him. “Bring it, Dane.”

  He holds out the trident, and I wrap my hand around the hilt. “If you had all of the godly relics, what would you do with them?”

  “Give them to Master Rostova,” I reply immediately.

  The guys stare, and I rip my hand from the trident and laugh, but it comes out obviously forced. “I’m just kidding. I would use them to achieve world peace; save the children, feed the hungry, and whatnot.”

  But the guys don’t laugh with me. Instead, they share a look, and before I can flinch away, Dane grabs my hand and presses it to the trident, asking again, “What would you do with all of the relics, Serena?”

  “I’d give them to Rostova.” I reply again, and this time, four sets of eyes narrow on me.

  I draw in a sharp breath. Oh fuck.

  Lore and Keaira turn to me, both with wide eyes. “Mistress, I think it’s time to—”

  “Yep!” I shout. With my hand still under Dane’s on the trident, I wrap my fingers around it tightly and pull. It slips easily from his unsuspecting grasp.

  I vault over the back of the sofa, ignoring the pulling sensation at my back, and leap toward the door. The guys call out, but I don’t stop as I rip it open and cross the threshold. Four sets of stomping feet follow me, but before they reach the door, I conjure a curse in my hand and throw it behind me as I jump down the front steps.

  “No one inside this house may leave.”

  I glance over my shoulder and skid to a stop to watch the guys pound angrily on the green barrier rising as a dome around the house, preventing them coming after me. But it’s the two black creatures trying to escape that pull my attention.

  “We can’t leave, Mistress. Please go on without us,” Lore urges and I’m torn between breaking the curse and leaving them behind.

  The trident burns in my hands, a reminder of what I have to do and to whom it needs to be given. Staring into each of the guy’s eyes, I grip the hilt so tightly that my palm aches and my fingers tremble.

  “Those four boys of yours might get caught in the crossfire…”

  I won’t let them get hurt or die because of Rostova. They’ll be safe here. I hope. Spinning around, I ignore their cries and pleas, and head toward the temple where I’d agreed to meet Nyx.

  The cool night’s air brushes against my skin, h
elping to ease the panic burning in my chest as I enter the temple. My eyes immediately draw to the statue of Poseidon, and I clutch the trident tighter in my fist.

  “I’m surprised you came, Serena,” Her voice echoes around the temple, and a tightness fills my chest as She steps from within the shadows falling across the marbled floor.

  I shrug as I hold up the note, and a small smile forms on my lips the closer I get. “I kind of had to. Apparently, it’s a great honor to be summoned by a goddess.”

  Nyx laughs; the sound tinkles through the air like music in the wind. “I have missed you, daughter, more than you can possibly know.”

  I swallow the lump in my throat, and I nod, not willing to speak the words I know She wants to hear. Not yet.

  “How have you been, my goddess?” I ask instead, and I’m proud of how steady my voice sounds.

  Giving me a long look, She nods in understanding as She moves through the shadows until She is before me. Her eyes roam over my face. “I am well, thank you. And how is your back? I saw you were injured quite severely.”

  I wave my hand. “I’m fine. The medics fixed me up. I’ve… endured worse.”

  She sighs and reaches out to cup my cheek. “I am so sorry my child,” She whispers into my mind. She filters through everything that has happened to me, and I allow her to. I want her to know the pain She caused me. Now She is here, She can see, feel, and experience everything… and that makes me feel somewhat better and worse.

  “What are you going to do with the trident, Serena?” She asks, and I open my eyes to stare into her emerald green ones.

  After all, we’ve been through, the guys have been the best friends I’ve ever had. I can’t betray them like I’m going to. I would rather die than give Rostova the trident. But I know that if I don’t…

  “I don’t know how to win this battle, Mother. It seems that at every turn, there is something I’m missing,” I say back. “If I don’t hand over the trident, Rostova promised to kill my men, but if I hand the trident over, they will never forgive me.”

  Nyx stares into my eyes, and I can see the inky blackness raging inside them, sparking with black lightning. “Where are the boys now?”

  My jaw clenches, and my gaze sinks to the floor. “I locked them inside our house. They would have tried to stop me, and I…” I shake my head, my mouth falling open as I mouth words but can’t see to find the right ones. “Lore and Keaira are with them.”

  “Serena, I wish I could help, you know I do. But I cannot meddle in the affairs of mortals.”

  When I look at Her again, She looks pained, Her eyes squinted and Her mouth turned down. “Are those boys worth throwing everything away for?” She asks. “Are they worth giving up your life and your secrets for?”

  Are they worth betraying?

  Each of their faces fills my thoughts, but after a moment, I nod. There’s no way I could live without them now. Absolutely none. It would be like giving up my heart. I may betray them when I leave this temple, but it is with the best possible intentions.

  Nyx smiles as if hearing my thoughts. “Are you dating all of them? I don’t have to remind you of how the birds and bees work, do I?”

  A blush stains my cheek, and I scrunch my nose. “No. You really do not have to do something that awful ever again.”

  She throws her head back and wipes non-existent sweat from her head. “That’s a relief, because that was the most uncomfortable talk we’ve ever had.”

  I snicker; it really had been. We share a small smile, and She pulls me in for a hug, squeezing me tightly to Her chest. “They seem like good men, Serena, and one day, I would like a proper introduction.

  She pulls back, and Her eyes tighten as She glances over my shoulder but holds me tightly and stops me from doing the same. “It’s time. You need to leave. Be careful, my daughter.” She gives me a small nod as She steps away. “I am proud to have chosen you, Serena. You have pleased me today.”

  “Thank you, my goddess. I look forward to seeing you again soon,” I reply, and She disappears into the shadows, but not before sending me a warning that chills my sore spine.

  “They’re here, Serena. Be careful.”

  I straighten my back and head out of the temple. I walk toward the path that would normally lead home, walking parallel to the forest, but the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, so I stop and run my fingers through my hair with the cocky attitude I once had.

  “If you’re going to follow me, at least try to hide your presence,” I say, and a chorus of chuckles rings out from the forest’s edge as three forms step forward. I swallow at the face of the man I despise with every fiber of my being.

  “Hello, Serena. It’s good to see you,” he says as he draws close, and my heart races so fast in my chest that it hurts.

  “Hello, Master Rostova.”

  Two brutish men flank him, coming to stand either side of me as they approach. Hands tighten around my arms, and as they do, it’s like a cold blanket falls over me. My senses are numbed, and I’m led into the forest, my feet practically dragging across the ground.

  “I’m surprised, Serena,” Master Rostova begins, as he leads us through the trees. I close my eyes and try to still my rapidly beating heart. “My reports suggested you were turning against me.”

  I laugh dryly. “Why would I do that? You have such an amazing personality. It’s no wonder you have so many friends.”

  He barks out a laugh, and a tree branch smacks me in the face. I wince when it scrapes over my flesh. “Ah, Serena. You have always been delightful, and I hope what you are saying is true, because I really would hate to have to kill you tonight.”

  The fingers wrapped around my arms dig in tightly, and I bite my lip to stop myself from crying out in pain. I open my eyes and breathe a sigh of relief, as we have left the forest and entered the clearing. At the center, a hooded figure is working magic I’ve never seen before, conjuring what looks like a portal out of thin air.

  Master Rostova laughs at the shock on my face. “Oh yes, we have figured out how to create these darling portals, but unfortunately they are unable to get through the barrier around the vault beneath the school. Such a shame, really,” he tuts and turns his evil eyes my way. “Now, the trident?” he whispers.

  Trying to conceal my reluctance, I hold it up nonchalantly, as if it means nothing to me. He reaches out to take it, and I have to force myself to let go as he pulls it back to him.

  “I see I have nothing to be worried about,” he says, running his fingers along its golden length, “and I guess my source was wrong about you.”

  “I’m a good actor,” I say darkly. “You would do well to remember that next time.”

  “And your little charade on the phone; that was all acting too, yes?”

  I freeze at that, and Rostova hums, tilting his head back to look at me down his nose. “Keep playing your part here, Serena, and you just might survive.”

  He glances to the hooded figure and nods as if they’re having a silent conversation. “We need to leave, but first,” he says, his eyes filling with dark intent, “you will need to be beaten to within an inch of your life.”

  My heart drops to my stomach, and I immediately struggle against the fingers wrapped around my arms. I try to call to my powers, but they’re not coming forward—the cold blanket keeps them muffled and beyond my reach.

  “Be quick,” Master Rostova whispers harshly before turning on his heel and heading toward the portal.

  I try to summon my powers again, but the blanket constricts my senses, submerging me in a phantom pain I’ve never felt before. I scream as it sears through my veins as if it’s burning me alive.

  “The more you try to use your powers, the more this will hurt,” one of the men whispers, and the other chuckles.

  “What do you think we should do to her?” he asks. I close my eyes and brace for the pain I know is coming.

  And I wasn’t wrong. A fist slams into my stomach, knocking the wind from my chest. I
double over, and they let me drop to the floor. I curl in on myself as a foot lands on my kidney. But without their touch, I feel my power sneaking back. It’s not enough to conjure anything new, but there is one thing I can do.

  I reach far away from me, farther than I’ve had to reach before, and pull. A moment later, a green ball comes surging through the forest and lands square in my chest.

  Over and over again the blows keep coming until I can barely breathe. I see the world in flashes of darkness, my body growing limp. My arm falls to the ground beside me, and a moment later, a boot comes down on it, hard. I barely hear the crack over my own scream. Beneath it all, a voice urges at me to hold on.

  “Lore?” I whisper.

  Shouts ring out, and the two men swear before my whole body goes flying. I don’t even have the strength left in me to scream before I smack against a tree and everything goes black.

  Pain floods my system, and I let out a whimper as I open my eyes. Dane’s worried ones stare back at me. “Serena, don’t move okay. You’re in a really bad shape,” he whispers.

  “Really?” I choke out. “I never would have guessed.”

  Relief fills his eyes, and he rests his forehead against mine. “Still a smart ass, I see.”

  “You know it,” I whisper and draw in a shaky breath, but Declan’s dark eyes meet mine, and the pained smile on my lips falls away.

  “What the fuck happened, Serena? And I want the truth,” he growls, and Dane’s eyes darken at the threat coming from his friend. But I give him a small smile and shake my head and my eyes move around the group. My eyes widen when I spot Nyx standing behind the crowd. A strand from Her dark hair flicks up at the breeze blowing in the night air, rustling Her black, lace gown.

  I shake my head and cough. The pain erupting through my chest has me gasping, but I wave Dane away and stare into the eyes of my teammates, their worry solidifying my decision.

  “I was sent here for a mission,” I whisper, and Declan’s eyes darken.

  “What kind of mission?” he takes a step forward, but Dane shoves him back.