Moonstone Academy: Year One: A Mayhem of Magic World Story

by Nicole Zoltack

  She rolls her eyes. “I knew you overheard them.”

  “Princess of Sunshine?”

  “No.”

  “Rainbows?”

  “No, and if you say unicorns next, I’m going to use a claw to stab you as if it’s a horn.”

  “Princess of Enchantments.”

  Her mouth hangs open.

  “You like?” I ask smugly.

  “It’s better,” she admits. “Not quite right, though.”

  “I’ll come up with something.”

  “You should be more worried about how you’re going to make up missing class with Professor Rockhound.”

  “He isn’t on my radar. I’ll come up with the perfect nickname for you.”

  She glances off, staring into the distance. “Princess of Darkness might not be that far off,” she mumbles.

  “Light and dark,” I say softly, touching a few strands of her black and white hair.

  The look she gives me lacks a smile, but it's tender, too tender almost. She blinks and looks away, and the moment passes. A wave, and she teleports away.

  Somehow, someway, I find it in me to smile.

  Chapter 15

  Bellanore

  After such a large breakfast, I’m not hungry for lunch, which is almost over by the time I teleport to the castle that houses the professors’ offices. I duck inside, and I head to find the professor of the class I missed—compass sense.

  Professor Gremma is in her office, heading out as I approach. She eyes me, and she shakes her head.

  “I know you’re disappointed with me,” I blurt out, “but—”

  “You have a reason to excuse your absence?”

  “Of course I have a reason. It’s not one you’ll find satisfactory.”

  She snorts. “I don’t suppose I will.”

  I heave a sigh and then throw up my hands. “I don’t mean to insult you or the school by saying this, but compass sense… For me, it’s a waste of time.”

  “Is that so?” she asks dryly as she crosses her hands.

  I gulp. I’m digging myself a grave, but I can’t stop myself from nodding.

  "Very well. Come see me tonight north of the Pendes Wood. Stroke of midnight. I will transport you somewhere with you blindfolded and given wolfsbane. You will have to return to the campus within one hour without teleportation. If you can do that—"

  “I have to be tortured?” I blurt out.

  “If you can do that,” she repeats, “you will be given an A and can either take another course in its place or have time for independent study. Do we have an accord?”

  “We do.”

  We shake, and I nod to her solemnly before teleporting away so she wouldn’t see that I’m grinning like a fool.

  My next two classes are perfectly fine. Robb sits in the back, but the tilt of the head he gives me is more than enough to make me smile. Ellamaria drags me out of the classroom the moment class is finished, so I can’t talk to him any, and she drags me along to dinner.

  “Where were you this morning? You had me so worried! I couldn’t find you for breakfast, and then you skipped class! I know you’re a half-demon and all, but normally, you’re conscientious.”

  I just grin. “I was busy.”

  My best friend appraises me critically. “Busy?”

  “Yep!”

  “Doing what exactly?” she asks suspiciously.

  “Sometimes, we just have to… take life by the horns, you know? We have to be go-getters. We need to do whatever is necessary. I needed a recharge, and I got it.”

  "Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?"

  I laugh, and then I do something I haven’t done in a long time. I start to hum.

  I used to hum all the time when I was little. It used to give my dad headaches for whatever reason. Or maybe he just used the headaches as an excuse, but I stopped humming. But the reason behind the humming had always been because I was very, very happy.

  “I’m pleased you’re happy,” she says slowly, with just a hint of skepticism, “but why are you so happy? Don’t get me wrong. It really does make me happy that you’re happy, but…”

  “You want to know why I’m happy.”

  “Yes! Don’t keep secrets from me.”

  “Well… maybe I found a werewolf after all.”

  “Seriously? Who?”

  I bite my lower lip and glance around. I don’t see Robb anywhere, but I mean, we’ve only just started whatever this is. If I weren’t so pigheaded, we would’ve already gone out on a date this morning, but there will be a real one.

  My grin is slow to form, and my heart feels light. He told me the truth about his scar. Not that I thought he would lie to me. I also felt such an incredible sense of sadness and pain from him. Yes, he hangs out with a rough crowd, and yes, there’s a shadow of darkness that lingers over him, but he’s fighting some personal, emotional demons, and I want to help him. I think I can help him.

  If anyone knows how to fight against and prevail against the darkness, I do.

  “Robb.”

  “The new guy?” Ellamaria shrieks. “Did I tell you, or did I tell you?”

  “Harrumph!”

  The harsh noise captures my attention, and I glance over my shoulder.

  “Gayle, did I tell you that I broke up with Jett?” Mindy asks loudly. She’s purposely not looking in my direction, but I somehow get the feeling she’s directing this at me.

  “You did? Why? You were gone over him.”

  “Oh, well, he broke up with me, actually, and I need someone to help me feel better. Maybe Robb can help me out. What do you think? He’s so good-looking, striking, those amazing eyes…”

  I just smile and wave at Mindy, completely unfazed.

  The wave diverts Mindy’s attention to me. When we make eye contact, she narrows her eyes and looks around wildly. Suddenly, she stomps off, and I realize Robb is here after all. Mindy’s heading right for him, and—surprise, surprise—Robb is with the rough crowd.

  Even more amused to see how this will turn out, I stand to get a better view. Mindy shoves Jett aside, and she grabs Robb’s arm. He goes to shake her off, but Mindy’s not that easily broken. She tries to kiss him, but he smoothly sidesteps her and walks my way.

  Ellamaria heaves a dreamy sigh as Robb crosses over to me.

  “Want to leave this place?” he asks.

  “Hmm.” I tap a finger to my cheek. “Maybe. Do you trust me?”

  His eyes glow a bit brighter than normal. “Yes.”

  I hold out my hand, and he takes it without hesitation.

  Even though I’ve never teleported with another person before, I attempt to right now.

  It’s not nearly as easy to do this, but my body is humming from whatever was in the muffin. Definitely a kick to something, and maybe it’s a bit of a gamble to eat there because what if something doesn’t sit well with you? What if it doesn’t help but hurts someone? But then, you are taking a chance, right? That’s the whole point.

  Besides, how epic had that departure been? I just wish I could’ve seen Mindy’s face, but I’m sure Ellamaria will tell me all about it later.

  When we come out of the teleportation, we arrive in a tree. More specifically, in a treehouse. Even more specifically, a terribly unstable treehouse.

  A terribly unstable treehouse that breaks from our weight.

  We’ve only just teleported into the treehouse when we’re already falling.

  Robb lands on his feet, and he goes to catch me, but I land on my feet too.

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “Clearly.” He winks at me. “Not the jealous type, huh?”

  “Jealousy is for the insecure.”

  “You most definitely are not insecure. You’re too much of a badass for that.”

  "I don't know if I would call myself a badass, considering there are students who attend here who hate me no matter what I do or say. Then again, I don't really try to make nice with them either, so I guess I
'm encouraging their hatred."

  “If they have hate in their hearts, that’s on them.”

  “Yes, but that’s sort of a demonic thing, isn’t it? To foster hatred in other people’s hearts?”

  “Well, you aren’t fostering hatred in my heart.”

  “Hmm. Is that right?”

  “Yes. You know that.”

  “Do I?”

  “You should.”

  I bite my lower lip and then shake my head. “You do know why they can’t stand me, right?”

  “If you’re wondering if I know that your dad is a demon, yes, I do know that.”

  “And you don’t care? That doesn’t change your opinion of me?”

  “Let’s see. Do I want to date your dad or you?”

  “Me.”

  “So how does he enter the equation?”

  “Oh, if you’re serious about dating me, if we become serious, you will meet him, and you’ll need to be ready.”

  “Are you threatening me on behalf of your dad?”

  “Does that alarm you?”

  “No. If you’re trying to scare me off, you’re failing.”

  “I’m not sure my dad will like you.”

  “Again, if you’re trying to scare me off—”

  “I just want you to know what you’re getting into.”

  “You should be careful.”

  His warning makes me smile. It should frighten me. It should give me pause or even a chill down my spine, but I’m not worried at all, and I don’t know why.

  “I’m always careful,” I tell him.

  “Hmm. Why do I doubt that?”

  I give him a half-smile. “You should never doubt me.”

  “Oh, I’ll never underestimate you.”

  “Not the same thing and you know it.”

  “Your dad wouldn’t do anything to you, would he?”

  The question is highly personal, very intrusive, and this I do care about.

  “If you think my dad will do anything to put me at risk… you’re right, but it’s only because he wants to push me and train me.” I wait, watching carefully to see how he’ll react to the notion that I’m actively learning how to use my demonic abilities.

  “It must be wonderful to learn from your dad,” he says.

  And I don’t detect a hint of a lie.

  Tears prickle at my eyes. I’m not one to cry, but that simple sentence makes me remember that Robb has lost so many people in his life. His parents, a brother…

  “Do you want to talk about your parents? About your brother? What was his name? Was he older than you? Younger?”

  “I’ll tell you about them,” he promises, “but not right now. Right now, I want to know what else your dad has taught you because teleportation is a neat trick.”

  “Well, that’s one of the first abilities that I’ve mastered. Although, I can only just now say that I’ve mastered it.”

  He narrows his eyes. “You never teleported someone else with you before, have you?”

  “No. I have other objects in addition to my clothes of course.”

  He blinks a few times.

  “Yes,” I mumble, “if you must know, the first few times I attempted teleportation, I tried to go from my bedroom to my bathroom without any clothes on. It requires more attention, more focus, more magic to be able to teleport anything with you, and that includes clothes. Obviously, Dad wasn’t in either room at the time. He had to shout from downstairs to give me directions.”

  “I’m sure your mom loved that.”

  I hang my head.

  “What is it?”

  “Your mom… What was she like?”

  “Like you. Strong, brave, true. Why?”

  “Let’s just say that I wish your mom lived instead of mine.”

  Robb takes a step back.

  It’s a terrible statement, what I just said, but I can’t take it back, and I won’t either. My mom has abandoned me. She’s turned most of the pack against me. Most. Not all. I don’t feel like a lone wolf, and my body doesn’t entirely act as if I’m without a pack. Lone wolves aren’t long for the world.

  Robb might have lost his family, but he still has his pack. He’s not alone.

  I reach out my hand, and he takes it.

  “I’m sorry for your losses,” I murmur.

  “I’m sorry you don’t have a mom who respects you for who you are.”

  It’s such an honest moment between us, and I know I’m going to fall hard for Robb Aline if I let myself.

  And I just might let myself do exactly that.

  Chapter 16

  Robb

  I squeeze Bellanore’s hand. “You still haven’t said what else you can do. Like I said, teleportation is amazing.” I wag a finger at her with my free hand. “So long as you don’t push yourself too hard.”

  “You can always take me back to Cinnamon Chance afterward.” She lifts her chin, looking both proud and stubborn, so her question that follows surprises me. “Have you ever dated someone who wasn’t a werewolf?”

  “I haven’t been on a lot of dates, actually, and are you asking because of Rhonda? We’re just friends. We’ll only ever be friends. She’s too…”

  “Flighty?”

  “Exactly!”

  We both laugh.

  “So you aren’t jealous of Mindy, but you’re jealous of Rhonda?”

  “I’m not jealous,” she protests. “That’s for people who are insecure.”

  “You aren’t insecure.”

  “Not even a little bit. I know you like me.”

  “The whole asking you out thing gave that away, huh?”

  She gives me a half-smile that lights up her glowing eyes. I don’t know. I might like this half-smile more than her full one.

  “You are very easy to read, Robb Aline.”

  A shiver runs down my spine as she says my name. I don’t know why that affects me, but it does.

  “How about you prove how secure you are in our relationship by letting me kiss you?”

  Bellanore laughs and releases my hand. “I don’t think so. I won’t kiss without a real date, remember?”

  “You could just retract what you said, and Cinnamon Chance could count as our first date.” I flash a grin. “I’ll pay you back if that’s an issue.”

  “It is not an issue, and that wasn’t a date. That was a chance for us to get to know each other.”

  “So you took a chance on me at Chance?” My grin is even bigger now.

  “Yes.”

  “And you won.”

  “Or maybe you won,” she counters.

  Her fire is so fun.

  “We both won, wouldn’t you say?” I lean down, trying to steal a kiss, and she laughs, pushing me away.

  “Keep this up, Robb, and I’ll leave you here.”

  “You would abandon me?” My voice hitches slightly on abandon.

  For a second, she looks grief-stricken. “I’ll never abandon you, Robb, but don’t read too much into that. I’ll never abandon any of my friends. I won’t leave you.”

  Like your family left you.

  The unspoken words are so easy to read in her eyes, and I have to look away. She doesn’t know the true extent of my loss, but she knows the part that hurts me the most.

  “Rickard,” I mumble.

  “Hmm?”

  “Since you keep neglecting to tell me what else you can do, I’ll answer one of your questions. My brother’s name. Rickard.”

  “That’s a nice name,” she says softly.

  “He was younger than me by five years. My parents tried to have more pups, both before Rickard was born and after, but… Wasn’t meant to be.”

  “Robb…”

  I turn aside, wanting to turn my back to her. Somehow, we’re becoming too close too quickly, and she’s getting me to talk more than I ever intended to. Maybe demons have silver tongues, the art of persuasion, to compel people to answer questions, and I fought it until the magic overwhelmed me. I don't know, but how can she touch me
so deeply? This shouldn't be happening.

  “Can you change the subject now?” I ask bitterly. “Maybe answer my question?”

  “Of course,” she murmurs, her voice as soft as her touch. “Pain transference. I can transfer pain from one to another. If I'm hurting, I can give it to someone else. I can take your pain and give it to someone else. If someone chops down a tree's branch, I can transfer the tree's pain to a person. Any pain, too, not just physical pain."

  Bellanore walks around and lifts my chin, forcing me to look at her. “You’re hurting, and that hurts me, but I can take away some of your—”

  “No.” I take her hand by the wrist and lower it. “Thank you, but no.”

  “You’re a martyr?” she asks dryly. “You don’t have to be a badass with me. You can let down your guard. I’m sorry I forced you to tell me about your scar. As glad as I am that you let me in and told me, it wasn’t my place to ask that of you or to insinuate that I wouldn’t go out with you unless you told me. I just… I wanted us to be friends first, before we consider dating, and I thought you might share that knowledge with your friends, but you don’t, do you? You keep that tight to you, and maybe I shouldn’t have offered to take your pain away, and that martyr bit, that was cruel, and—”

  “And you do know how to breathe, don’t you?” I ask lightly with a small grin. “You asked about the scar. It was my choice whether or not to tell you. You didn’t force me too, and that martyr bit? Completely fine. You were teasing me, and I found it amusing, as you intended. Stop second-guessing yourself.”

  “I still shouldn’t have asked you in the first place.”

  “You shouldn’t feel as if you need to be careful with what you say to me. I don’t want there to be anything between us.”

  As soon as the words leave my mouth, I gape at her.

  I mean it. I meant every word.

  As much as I want her to trust me, though, as much as I want to trust her, I can’t tell her about the curse. Not now.

  But soon.

  Soon. Very soon. If not, I’ll never be able to tell her because I’ll be dead.

  “But if you feel guilty about your prying question and your forward offer, there is a way you can make it up to me.” I throw her a wink.

  She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. “You aren’t getting a kiss from me that easily.”