Enchanted Academy Box Set

by L. C. Mortimer

  I didn’t want to think about the fact that we’d almost lost our friend.

  Almost.

  Our world had been so close to shattering, but it hadn’t, and now everything was going to be just fine. We’d move on from this experience, just as we had from all of our other ones, but we had something different this time.

  I couldn’t quite put into words, but I could feel it. The air around us felt different than it used to, as though it was pulling us all together. I wasn’t sure if I believed in fate or not, but I definitely believed that my friends and I had found each other for a reason.

  There were going to be other hard things ahead. We’d have other struggles and problems that we had to face, but as long as we had each other, we’d be able to fight our way through everything.

  We’d be able to move forward even when there was incredible darkness.

  Because we were together.

  Epilogue

  Jillian Hook stared at Enchanted Academy.

  For years, she had loved this school. It had been the first place she really felt at home. In fact, after her parents died, Jillian never thought she’d ever find a place of her own again. She had been the daughter of thieves: of people who used their magic for darkness, and her parents had taught her well.

  They’d taught her not to trust anyone at all. Even the people who promised they could be trusted would betray you. That was something she’d had to learn the hard way. She’d grown up on-the-move. Her parents had been drifters who lived on houseboats and old ships and who moved from town to town in order to avoid detection. When they’d died, she thought she’d finally find a way to make her life her own.

  Apparently, that wasn’t going to happen.

  Enchanted Objects was a class where anything could happen, and Hook was quickly learning that she had to pay attention because Mr. Bailey was very fast and quick-witted. He’d throw in curveballs at every chance just to see if his students were actually listening.

  “Today we’re going to be looking at orbs,” he said. “Who can tell me about them?”

  Hook kept her hands in her lap and she kept her face turned down. She wasn’t about to answer a question, but she was listening carefully. She kept her face emotionless and bored-looking.

  The less people knew about her, the better.

  “I can,” Heather raised her hand.

  “I can,” Hook said in a mocking tone. She had a reputation to uphold after all. Besides, Heather was annoying. She was a total suck-up and only after one thing: big fat A’s. It wasn’t like she was going to magical college after this. Hook didn’t know why Heather tried so damn hard to make everything all about her.

  Mr. Bailey turned his attention to Hook.

  Crap.

  Apparently, her endeavors had backfired, if only just a little.

  “Jillian,” he said. “Do you have any idea?”

  This was it.

  This was her chance to show just how much she didn’t care, but the problem was that she did. Oh, she didn’t mind if she got a perfect grade, but she wasn’t about to let anyone think she was an idiot. They could think she was a bad girl or a mean girl or any other type of girl, but a stupid girl?

  No.

  Nobody was allowed to think that about Jillian Hook.

  “Orbs are important because they’re often viewed as portals,” she said.

  Mr. Bailey looked surprised for a minute. Okay, so apparently, he hadn’t expected her to actually pay attention in class. Great.

  “All right,” he said slowly. Mr. Bailey was a short, round man with a big beard and long blue hair. It extended almost to his waist, and he kept it pulled back neatly in a ponytail. He was the type of man who was used to people thinking he was strange, but he was also very old and very kind. He was a gentle sort of teacher.

  Hook probably should have spoken up more in his class.

  “Why are they viewed as portals?” He asked, still looking at her.

  Hook pointed to herself, as if to find out whether he was actually asking her. He never asked Hook questions. Nobody ever did. At Enchanted Academy, Hook was simply someone who was stared at: not spoken to.

  At least, not unless someone needed anything.

  This year had been a little different for Hook and she’d made some friends.

  Sort-of.

  But the teachers still didn’t like her much, and she wasn’t really sure whether Mr. Bailey was the type of man who changed his mind about a person once he’d formed an impression.

  “Yes, you.”

  He nodded, waiting for her. The entire class seemed to turn and look at Hook. Luckily, Enchanted Objects was a very small class. There were only a dozen students in the class and most of them were very smart. They were always happy to answer questions, which meant Hook could skate by without having to give up too much of herself.

  That was something she simply couldn’t do.

  Not in good conscious, anyway.

  “Well, there are a few reasons. The first is that some orbs allow you to see a certain place. Twin orbs are designed to work sort of like hidden cameras. If you place one somewhere and you have the second orb, you can see back and forth in them.”

  “Very good,” Mr. Bailey nodded in approval. “Twin orbs are often considered to be one of the most dangerous enchanted objects. Why?”

  Again, he looked at her.

  Luckily, she’d kept up with the readings and she knew this answer.

  “Because they can be very small,” she said. “Which means they’re easy to hide undetected. In fact, some orbs are as small as a marble.”

  “And where do twin orbs originate from?”

  She felt hot and a little sweaty. Was it hot in the classroom? Or was Hook just not used to being put on the spot? Maybe she just wasn’t used to it.

  “From a witch,” she said.

  “A very powerful witch,” Mr. Bailey pointed out.

  Hook gulped.

  Not a lot was known about the Darling Witches, but she knew that they were very fierce, and very strong, and that the most powerful of them were able to enchant twin orbs. It took a very powerful spell and an extraordinary amount of strength.

  It was strength she’d never be able to wield herself.

  In fact, as she looked down at her empty hands, she wondered if she’d ever be able to wield any power ever again.

  The world was very different than it used to be, and Hook didn’t have the one thing she’d always been able to count on.

  She didn’t have her energy balls.

  She didn’t have her powers.

  She didn’t have anything.

  Hook’s story continues in THE HOOK by L.C. Mortimer.

  The Hook

  Enchanted Academy

  L.C. Mortimer

  Story copyright by L.C. Mortimer

  Once upon a time...

  To taking chances.

  Boarding schools aren't for the faint of heart.

  Neither are fairy tales.

  A lot can go wrong in a fairy tale.

  You can have your prince stolen, your eyes poked out, or your parents murdered.

  High School is kind of the same way.

  Anything can happen, and usually the things that do won't lead to a happy ending.

  Hi.

  I'm Jessica.

  I'm the only non-magical student at Enchanted Academy, and I'm kind-of crazy about the school bully. I shouldn't be, but I am. That's high school, right? My school has a lot going for it, but there's also a lot going wrong. For example, my roommate's life is totally going up in flames. See, Wolf loves this guy, Red. She's totally fallen for him. She's like completely, absolutely, over-the-top crazy about him. This story is all about Wolf and whether she finally gets the nerve to make a move on Red. After all, high school is all about taking chances and chasing your dreams, right?

  There's just one problem.

  He doesn't know she exists.

  Prologue

  Epilogue

  Ji
llian Hook stared at Enchanted Academy.

  For years, she had loved this school. It had been the first place she really felt at home. In fact, after her parents died, Jillian never thought she’d ever find a place of her own again. She had been the daughter of thieves: of people who used their magic for darkness, and her parents had taught her well.

  They’d taught her not to trust anyone at all. Even the people who promised they could be trusted would betray you. That was something she’d had to learn the hard way. She’d grown up on-the-move. Her parents had been drifters who lived on houseboats and old ships and who moved from town to town in order to avoid detection. When they’d died, she thought she’d finally find a way to make her life her own.

  Apparently, that wasn’t going to happen.

  Enchanted Objects was a class where anything could happen, and Hook was quickly learning that she had to pay attention because Mr. Bailey was very fast and quick-witted. He’d throw in curveballs at every chance just to see if his students were actually listening.

  “Today we’re going to be looking at orbs,” he said. “Who can tell me about them?”

  Hook kept her hands in her lap and she kept her face turned down. She wasn’t about to answer a question, but she was listening carefully. She kept her face emotionless and bored-looking.

  The less people knew about her, the better.

  “I can,” Heather raised her hand.

  “I can,” Hook said in a mocking tone. She had a reputation to uphold after all. Besides, Heather was annoying. She was a total suck-up and only after one thing: big fat A’s. It wasn’t like she was going to magical college after this. Hook didn’t know why Heather tried so damn hard to make everything all about her.

  Mr. Bailey turned his attention to Hook.

  Crap.

  Apparently, her endeavors had backfired, if only just a little.

  “Jillian,” he said. “Do you have any idea?”

  This was it.

  This was her chance to show just how much she didn’t care, but the problem was that she did. Oh, she didn’t mind if she got a perfect grade, but she wasn’t about to let anyone think she was an idiot. They could think she was a bad girl or a mean girl or any other type of girl, but a stupid girl?

  No.

  Nobody was allowed to think that about Jillian Hook.

  “Orbs are important because they’re often viewed as portals,” she said.

  Mr. Bailey looked surprised for a minute. Okay, so apparently, he hadn’t expected her to actually pay attention in class. Great.

  “All right,” he said slowly. Mr. Bailey was a short, round man with a big beard and long blue hair. It extended almost to his waist, and he kept it pulled back neatly in a ponytail. He was the type of man who was used to people thinking he was strange, but he was also very old and very kind. He was a gentle sort of teacher.

  Hook probably should have spoken up more in his class.

  “Why are they viewed as portals?” He asked, still looking at her.

  Hook pointed to herself, as if to find out whether he was actually asking her. He never asked Hook questions. Nobody ever did. At Enchanted Academy, Hook was simply someone who was stared at: not spoken to.

  At least, not unless someone needed anything.

  This year had been a little different for Hook and she’d made some friends.

  Sort-of.

  But the teachers still didn’t like her much, and she wasn’t really sure whether Mr. Bailey was the type of man who changed his mind about a person once he’d formed an impression.

  “Yes, you.”

  He nodded, waiting for her. The entire class seemed to turn and look at Hook. Luckily, Enchanted Objects was a very small class. There were only a dozen students in the class and most of them were very smart. They were always happy to answer questions, which meant Hook could skate by without having to give up too much of herself.

  That was something she simply couldn’t do.

  Not in good conscious, anyway.

  “Well, there are a few reasons. The first is that some orbs allow you to see a certain place. Twin orbs are designed to work sort of like hidden cameras. If you place one somewhere and you have the second orb, you can see back and forth in them.”

  “Very good,” Mr. Bailey nodded in approval. “Twin orbs are often considered to be one of the most dangerous enchanted objects. Why?”

  Again, he looked at her.

  Luckily, she’d kept up with the readings and she knew this answer.

  “Because they can be very small,” she said. “Which means they’re easy to hide undetected. In fact, some orbs are as small as a marble.”

  “And where do twin orbs originate from?”

  She felt hot and a little sweaty. Was it hot in the classroom? Or was Hook just not used to being put on the spot? Maybe she just wasn’t used to it.

  “From a witch,” she said.

  “A very powerful witch,” Mr. Bailey pointed out.

  Hook gulped.

  Not a lot was known about the Darling Witches, but she knew that they were very fierce, and very strong, and that the most powerful of them were able to enchant twin orbs. It took a very powerful spell and an extraordinary amount of strength.

  It was strength she’d never be able to wield herself.

  In fact, as she looked down at her empty hands, she wondered if she’d ever be able to wield any power ever again.

  The world was very different than it used to be, and Hook didn’t have the one thing she’d always been able to count on.

  She didn’t have her energy balls.

  She didn’t have her powers.

  She didn’t have anything.

  Chapter 1

  Jillian Hook stared at the stack of books in front of her. There were too many, and they were all so terribly boring. It wasn’t enough to simply study literature at this school, she thought. You had to somehow become a part of the story, and she hated that.

  Hook was no one but herself.

  She couldn’t be anything else, not even if she tried.

  She looked at the books and then at her gloved hand. Until recently, she didn’t think anything of it. So she was a not-so-normal kid. She was able to make little balls of energy that she could control. She had power.

  Strength.

  Magic.

  A few weeks ago, that had all changed, and now she had nothing. No power. No magic. Just nothing. An old enemy had resurfaced: Allison Gator was the person Hook hated most in the world. She knew far too much about Hook. They’d been raised almost as sisters, so Allison understood exactly what Hook’s greatest weaknesses were.

  She understood how to hurt her.

  While trying to rescue her friend Peter Pan, Hook had gotten too close to Allison. The result was that Allie damaged Hook’s wrist and thus, her hand. Would she ever get her powers back? She hated not being able to create energy from nothing. She hated the fact that her personal skills had completely disappeared.

  What was she without her powers?

  Nothing.

  She was just...nothing.

  She turned back to the books and she sighed. She didn’t want to be doing this – any of this.

  She knew what she wanted, and it certainly wasn’t standing around looking at books and homework.

  “Hey,” her roommate popped her head in the room. “I’m heading to the dining hall. You want anything?”

  “I’m fine,” she said coldly. She didn’t want anything that Milly might bring back. Not that there was anything wrong with the curvy blonde she shared a suite with, but, well...No, there was something wrong with Milly. Hook didn’t like her, and she didn’t think she ever would.

  “Suit yourself.”

  Once Milly was gone, Hook went to her bedroom door and made sure it was tightly closed. She locked the door carefully, cast a locking spell on it for extra protection, and then turned back to her books. Finally, she could be alone.

  Finally, she could sit and just...be.

&nbs
p; It had been a rough year and an even rougher life. She didn’t like to think about how she’d come to be at Enchanted Academy or about how her life had been the epitome of tragic. She’d lost everything that was important to her and then she’d lost a little bit more. She’d lost herself. She’d lost her joy. To Hook, that was the real tragedy.

  Once upon a time, she had loved to dance.

  Not anymore.

  Now, when she looked at her dancing shoes, she felt nothing but sadness. Still, she put her music on, and she laced up her shoes. No one was in the bedroom. No one was here to see her private pain or her quiet sorrows.

  There was nobody here but her.

  Nobody but her and the music.

  So Hook turned up the radio, and she danced.

  When she was dancing, she didn’t worry about anything else. She wasn’t afraid of never getting her powers back. She wasn’t worried about her classes. She didn’t feel scared that everyone would realize what a fraud she was in just about every aspect of her life.

  Nope.

  When she danced, she danced, and that was enough for her.

  She twirled in the room and allowed herself to get lost in the music. This was the only time she could be herself. Enchanted Academy was a fierce school to attend. She’d been here since her parents died three years ago, and she couldn’t imagine life anywhere else. Helena Hex was a wonderful headmistress, but she also left Hook alone.

  She let her worry about herself.

  She didn’t bug her or make her talk about her feelings.

  She didn’t ask her how she was doing.

  Good.

  Hook turned in front of the full-length mirror in her room. She watched herself to make sure she got every movement just so. She hadn’t spent years dancing only to lose her skills now. She probably shouldn’t be dancing now because sometimes, she just didn’t feel it, but sometimes, it was the only thing that kept her going.

  And so she danced.

  And danced.

  And danced.