Urban Mystic Academy: Fourth Project (A Supernatural Academy Series Book 4)

by Jennifer Rose McMahon

  She rubbed her hands together and said, "The Wheel of the Year suggests we have until the next full moon. That will be our last and final chance."

  The next full moon?

  That would be our last chance to change the horrible outcome of the past?

  Ms. Kelly seemed to think so.

  And I had no intention of waiting that long.

  Chapter 6

  After allowing the candles to burn out in their own wax pools, Ms. Kelly, Dom, and I left the altar undisturbed, and each went our own ways for the evening.

  Ms. Kelly had made plans to see us in the secret chamber again the following day after school. But all I could do was count down the minutes to seeing the UMAs again in the morning.

  I had to get their opinion on waiting for the next full moon.

  Or not.

  The devil on my shoulder told me to leave Blake and Poorva out of the decision. They would just say to do whatever Ms. Kelly said, and frankly, as much as I hated to defy her, I felt compelled to act sooner than that.

  Courtney would be the one to talk to. She had the deepest connection to the Dark Witch of any of the UMAs and would be more than impatient to continue to try to change the fate of her sisters.

  And I already had Dom on my side. There was no doubt in my mind that he was ready to pounce. The energy that radiated off him needed to be directed somewhere, and waiting a couple of weeks for the next full moon would be enough to cause him to explode.

  I spent the night running through scenarios of how to get to Shane before it was too late, like before the portal closed for good. If there was any chance of changing the past, I had to take it. Waiting for the next full moon, the last opportunity to do something, was too risky.

  I needed more chances than just that one.

  Facing the Dark Witch seemed to be the answer. She had mastered the whole multi-dimensional thing, coming and going as she pleased, and there was so much to learn from her. Of course, her gifts used the powers of darkness to become so strong, and that was the one thing that kept gnawing at me.

  And it was Poorva and Blake who scratched at my conscience, reminding me that I was dabbling with ideas that were off limits. There was no way they would agree to participate in such an endeavor.

  Courtney and Dom, though—I was confident they would.

  And maybe that would be enough.

  But I couldn't ignore the most obvious connection to the Dark Witch.

  The one person who had already danced with the devil, selling her soul to the darkness, possibly without a choice.

  Family first.

  Laney.

  The walk to school took centuries, as each step lasted an eternity. Dragging my feet like they were caught in nightmare sludge made it impossible to move at any decent speed. I aimed in the direction of the school while the extra time with my thoughts tortured me.

  Maybe it would be best to bump into Poorva and Blake first. They would slap my deviant plans right out of my head. But if I saw Dom or Courtney first, that would only strengthen my resolve to act outside of the pact of our coven.

  As I moved up the steps to the front entrance of Lakefield High, guilt washed over me for even considering going against the ideals of my coven. My stomach soured, sending regret through my veins for spending a moment planning outside of my new family.

  I swallowed hard, pushing the sickness back down, and shook my head to clear it of all its defiance. It was time to pull myself together and do what was right.

  Pulling the door open, I stepped into the vast entryway of the school, and the energized rush of dashing students widened my eyes. I glanced at the clock above the Student of the Term plaque, and just as I noticed the time, the late bell rang.

  My muscles tensed as the final blur of running students faded in a blink, and I was left standing in an empty corridor. The sound of my exhale filled my ears as my attention narrowed down the English hallway. Maybe I'd beat Mr. Benson to the classroom and avoid having to go to the office for a late pass. It was worth a shot.

  I darted down the hall, annoyed that I'd missed the opportunity to see any of the UMAs before school started. Time had got away from me somehow, even though I'd planned perfectly and left my house early. It was infuriating.

  As the classroom came into view, I shot directly toward it, wondering if Dom was already inside, and praying Mr. Benson wasn't. Both options seemed bleak.

  With a bang, the door to the girl's bathroom sprang open, making me flinch. I watched as the blur of a figure jumped out in front of me, blocking my way.

  Then I stopped short, staring into her wild eyes.

  "Late to class?" Laney mocked.

  I huffed, blasting the unexpected shock of her out of my system.

  "And you as well?" I retorted.

  "What does it matter anyway," she said, pulling her hoodie up over her head. "The trivialities of public education are well beyond me. I'm only here for the diversion. Mother says I must keep the gossip to a minimum."

  My eyebrows lifted before I could stop them.

  "Oh, you hadn't heard?' she snarked. "Mother's been home for some time now. Her legal team is well worth the fortune they charge." She tucked her wavy hair behind her ear within the hood, and for the first time, I noticed her blonde locks weren't perfectly straightened. And come to think of it, her frumpy attire was far from her typical runway wardrobe.

  I shrugged, making it clear I didn't care about what was happening in Laney's life. But in all honesty, it was alarming to know that her mother was back in the fold. I preferred when she was distracted by her arrest for interfering with the law in the disappearance of a child, Tommy.

  But then, I had to remember the details of all the events that led to her arrest. They were mystical in nature and would be impossible to defend to a jury. So, of course she was let off—of course she was home. Rational explanations were likely enough to disguise the irrational truths.

  "Move," I said, dodging her disheveled blockade in the hall. "I need to get to class."

  She glanced behind her, checking to see if anyone was in the hall with us, then took a step closer, right into my personal space.

  "I don't think so, Douglas," she seethed. "You have something I want, and I'm not going to ask as nicely as before."

  My mind jumped to the missing pages of the spellbook that Courtney had brought to us from the last portal leap.

  Laney was right.

  The pages were valuable and held the link that I needed. And apparently, she needed it too.

  "What are you planning?" I asked her. "What do you need it for?"

  I made sure not to mention the pages specifically, in case I was mistaken.

  "The spells," she hissed. "I need the spells. Are you daft?"

  Her hands trembled, and I studied her face. The dark circles under her eyes set shadows on her face making her appear wicked. Her piercing gaze made it worse, penetrating my soul for answers.

  "Well, I need them too," I retorted with little emotion. "So it seems we may be at a stand-still."

  I needed the spells to save Shane.

  She needed them to abide by the Dark Witch's commands.

  I wanted to change the outcome for Shane. And Courtney. And her sisters. I wanted to help Gertie and Millie before the events had the chance to gnarl Millicent into the Dark Witch.

  But the Dark Witch had become something separate now, something sinister, and she had no intention of giving up her power, even to save her former self.

  "We have different goals, Laney," I added. "I just don't see how this will work."

  Her eyes narrowed as her face reddened. I stepped back as she squeezed her hands into tight fists. As soon as I prepared myself for her to take a swing, sparks crackled through her fingers.

  The crackling turned into pops of white energy, like the twisting lines that shoot off an electromagnet. Laney's loose hairs lifted out of her hood, standing on end with static electricity. Her eyes widened as she stared at her fists.

&nb
sp; Then she looked to me again, this time with her hands lifted directly at me.

  The white sparks of scattered energy bolts intensified as her head shook with intense focus.

  By instinct, I raised my own hands against her, and within an instant, a purple glow covered them. As my hand shook, I extended my fingers and violet flames shot from each of them, creating a haze of colored light around us.

  And then, with the intensity of a lightning bolt, she blasted me with searing pain from the energy in her hands.

  The flames in my palms grew higher, whirling into themselves, creating fireballs.

  "Don't make me hurt you, Laney," I warned, knowing the power I held.

  She reeled back, generating more crackling static from her hands and readied herself for another attack.

  Her clumsy conjuring proved she was just as surprised by her ability as I was, but that didn't stop me from having to defend myself.

  With a deep breath, I willed more energy into my hands, and the purple fireballs grew more intense.

  Holding them at the ready, I waited to see what she would do next, and then a deafening blast shook through me. I waved the flames off my hands and covered my ears from the blaring sound of the fire alarm.

  Classroom doors flew open, and a storm of students rushed into the hallway.

  In two seconds flat, Laney and I darted into the girl's bathroom to hide. Leaving a whirl of purple smoke behind us, we used its cover to remain undetected. We scrambled into the large stall at the back and locked the door behind us.

  Panting from the shock, we pressed against the far wall as the alarm continued to blare.

  "We should have just left the building with everyone else," I whispered.

  "We're trapped now," she huffed.

  We stood, trembling, in the handicap-accessible stall, wondering how the hell we got ourselves into this predicament.

  "Maybe we can sneak out now," I said. "Everyone's outside."

  "Benson will know we weren't in class," Laney murmured. "We're fucked."

  I dropped my head back. Talk about trying to fly under the radar and failing.

  I quietly unlatched the stall door.

  "What are you doing?" she spat.

  "I'm just going to see if anyone's out there," I whispered.

  She shook her head and then followed me.

  In slow motion, I pulled on the door and opened it to a small crack. Peering out, I gasped as my eyes landed on the bright orange vest on Principal Haney. The vest always came out in emergencies.

  She barreled down the hall with the new student resource officer and the deans behind her. Her head lifted as she sniffed the remains of smoke in the air.

  I slowly closed the door and pushed Laney back toward the farthest stall.

  "Quick. Hide," I warned. "They're coming this way!"

  We scurried to the big stall and locked ourselves in again.

  "Shit," Laney whined. "What do we do?"

  "Just stay quiet," I said. "Climb up on the toilet with me."

  We moved to the commode and grabbed the rails on either side. Stepping onto the back of the toilet, we struggled to find our balance. I placed one foot near the piping at the wall and the other on the seat, causing it to rattle.

  "Shhh," Laney hissed as she positioned her own foot on the edge of the seat opposite mine.

  Just as she put her weight on it, her foot slipped and splashed into the water in the bowl.

  I grabbed her shoulders to catch her balance as she pulled her sopping foot out of the toilet water. I stared into her face in complete shock, and her look of horror at the situation caused a huge laugh to rush out through my nose.

  Laney's vulnerability got the best of her, and she let out an equally huge, but stifled laugh.

  With tears rolling down our cheeks and water streaming from her sneaker, we balanced precariously off the sides of the toilet, praying we wouldn't be discovered.

  Wiping the moisture from her cheeks, Laney looked at me and whispered, "What the hell was that out there?" Her eyebrows pulled together. "I've never been able to do that before."

  I glanced at her hands and then at my own, trying to forget about her drenched foot.

  With a shrug, I said, "I'm not sure. We have some pretty crazy powers that we know very little about." I shook my head, wishing I could understand more about it all.

  "I want to know how to use it better," she said. "I'm sick of being a pawn in all of this. I just want to get my life back and make my own choices."

  My chin pulled back in shock.

  Had Laney just said something that made sense?

  I nodded. "Me too. I'm ready to figure all of this out and take back control of my life."

  It was weird, having a moment with Laney, the most evil girl in school. But then, it made sense as well. We were both very powerful in our own ways but having had little opportunity to develop our skills on our own. It was only natural that we'd get to the point of wanting to break free.

  The sound of adult voices penetrated the bathroom door, and we stifled.

  With eyes wide, we stared in the direction of the door, praying they wouldn't enter.

  "Don't move a muscle," I mouthed at Laney.

  She nodded in understanding, and the two of us held our breaths as the bathroom door pushed open.

  "It doesn't smell of smoke in here," a man's voice boomed against the tiled walls.

  "Check it anyway," Principal Haney's voice commanded. "Make sure no one's hiding in there."

  My heart plummeted to my feet, and I stared into Laney's terrified face.

  "What do we do?" she mouthed.

  Footsteps filled the echoing space, and the door to the first stall banged open.

  Then the man took a few steps closer.

  I lifted two fingers to my eyes and moved them from mine to hers.

  She followed my direction and held steady eye contact with me.

  With stealth focus, I willed myself to disappear—to somehow make us not exist in the moment.

  Laney concentrated, and I was sure she was converging on the same mind wave as me.

  The second stall door, right next to ours, smashed open.

  My heart rate dropped to a low steady thrum, instead of spiking to an all-time high.

  The man's footsteps moved back from the second stall as he likely inspected its empty walls.

  He cleared his throat and moved away.

  In a moment, we heard the bathroom door open, and his voice trailed out along with him.

  "It's all clear," he said to the principal, and their voices moved away down the hall.

  Laney and I let out our held breaths in a steady whoosh.

  "What the fuck was that?" she breathed.

  I stared into her disbelieving eyes, shocked beyond words.

  Laney and I had just conjured a spell together.

  With no spoken words. No prior planning. All within the intensity of the moment. Together, we had created something bigger than us.

  "I think we cast the cloaking spell," I murmured.

  Chapter 7

  Just after the bell rang, an announcement vibrated through the walls of the bathroom, stating, "All clear."

  The fire drill was over, so Laney and I stepped down from our perch on the toilet, and I unlocked the latch on the stall.

  "We need to give them a minute to come back into the school," I said. "Then, we can mix in with everyone and walk into class like nothing happened."

  "What if Mr. Benson knows we weren't there for attendance?" Laney worried.

  I turned to the mirrors at the sinks and approached my reflection. A yellow hue hinted at the tips of my hair, and I touched some strands for closer inspection. It was strange that I hadn't noticed the color change before. Maybe it was a result of the green dye fading or some other chemical reaction from my shampoo.

  Laney stepped closer to one of the mirrors and gazed into it.

  "Wow. I look like shit," she mumbled, tapping the dark circles under her ey
es.

  She blinked a few times to clear her vision and then peered into the mirror again. The dark circles had faded somewhat, just from her delicate touch. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, then she covered her face with her hands and held it for a few moments. When she gazed into the mirror again, her face was fresh and vibrant.

  "That's better," she beamed. "Whatever that static shit was, it helps rejuvenate the gruesome results of a sleepless night."

  I looked at my own hands, wondering if my purple flames might have a similar affect, but I wasn't crazy enough to give it a try.

  Then the rumble of students filling the halls jolted us to attention.

  "Now's our chance," I said.

  We moved to the door, and I pulled it open slightly. The hall had filled with chatting students, making their way to class. I tugged the heavy door farther open, and Laney and I joined the current of clueless underclassmen.

  Cutting through the flow, we crossed the hall and walked into Mr. Benson's classroom as if nothing unusual had happened. The moment we entered together, all eyes were on us. We had forgotten the detail that we were known as archenemies. So we quickly separated as if repulsed from our unexpected proximity.

  But one set of eyes didn't flinch.

  He was well aware that something was going on between us.

  As I passed his desk, he reached for my sleeve and tugged on it.

  "Hey, where were you?" Dom asked.

  My face burned from the sensory overload. First, I was beyond happy to see him in school finally. Second, it meant the UMAs were together, as much as possible, anyway. But third, his questioning meant our absence from class had been noticed, making us potential suspects in the fire alarm.

  "The bathroom," I murmured, continuing to move toward my seat.

  Liv stared at Laney and then moved her worried eyes to me. Her expression was that of a wounded puppy, wondering if her master had found a new pet.

  Laney brushed her off and quickly found her seat. Poor Liv's shoulders slumped like she'd been dumped and replaced.

  It was that obvious?