by A. J. Macey
“Oh, Miss Calisto, it’s wonderful to see you’re alright—” Bellario cooed, but I spun to face her, my finger poking her in the sternum.
“Don’t you even dare,” I hissed, noting Olive had spelled my voice to be heard throughout the courtyard. As I spoke, I realized the Witches Glass she originally used to film her vlog was no longer held up, but at her side, telling me what I was about to say was just between the school and me. “I know very well you were the reason the council found out about me being a conduit, that you leaked it to the rest of the school and let us fall so easily into this entire situation, so don’t you dare stand there and pretend to have my best interest at heart.”
The crowd cheered again, my hand falling to the wayside as I looked over the courtyard. It seemed every student was there, their faces full of eager excitement as they yelled out their encouragement. It was nice having so much support from my peers, but it was also weird. I was too used to being the black sheep. As I looked around nervously, I noticed it wasn’t just students, but teachers, too. They were all joining together in the celebration, and I was struggling not to cower at the attention. Before I could truly panic, my eyes flickered to the guys and their encouraging smiles, which helped calm me enough to take a deep breath. The crowd silenced slowly, attentive gazes falling on me.
“We are all witches,” I started, letting my mouth run away from me. I knew if I didn’t, I would start to question everything I was saying. “We all have powers unique to each and every one of us. None of those are better or superior to another. There’s no ‘Big Five.’ A Potions Brewer is just as powerful as a Spell Caster or an Herbologist, an Elemental, or hellsticks, even a witch who can do nothing except move things with her mind. Mixtas aren’t less than. We aren’t weak, we’re witches, and Akasha is only as powerful as its magic... magic that flows through all of us.” Taking another steadying breath, I continued.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat anything. I’m not going to lie. Anything I say, we have witnessed firsthand. If you choose to listen to what we have to tell you, we’re grateful. Change is coming, and we’re going to need help.
“The council is corrupt,” I stated, keeping my tone level. Now wasn’t the time to let my anger blind me with my own thirst for revenge. This was about the hard truths the rest of the world needed to know about and what was at stake. “They’re plotting and planning to abuse their positions. They are using witches to do their bidding. I went from being a Mixta who never could do anything worthwhile to a weapon, a tool for them to use. Remember Delilah? She was our classmate, a sick witch who turned to blood and dark magicks. Remember how we were told she was taken care of?” A humming of agreement filled the space. “She’s another tool, one which I’ve had to defend myself against several times over the weeks we’ve been gone. What they’re planning, I don’t know yet, but they’re up to something, and whatever it is, it’s not for the good of anyone.
“My question for all of you is, when is enough, enough? How far will the council have to go before we finally decide our lives are worth more than what a few men who wear fancy robes say?” My voice was slowly growing louder, more powerful.
“This is our time, where every witch in Akasha is treated equally and with respect, where no one can use us for what we can do or hide us away for what we can’t. A time when we can all be happy and proud to be who we are, instead of ashamed. Who here wants that version of Akasha?”
I didn’t have to say anything else; the students’ and teachers’ boisterous shouting, clapping, and whistling was my answer. We had our allies. Now, we just needed to figure out the next step of the plan... before the council found us again.
Oh, joy.
Torryn
She was magnificent. Beautiful, strong, and well-spoken, every word she said filtered through the courtyard, capturing the attention of everyone in her wake, including me. Before much else could be said, a certain dead witch walking appeared with the sleaziest of smiles curling his lips.
“Yes, yes, we are all very proud of Miss Calisto,” Headmaster Tallis exclaimed in the fakest voice possible. But before I could punch him in the face as I wanted to, Aris did something... something surprising.
She kicked him where the sun don’t shine.
“You can just shut your damn mouth, Tallis,” she shouted.
She was no longer the well-spoken, elegant witch from only a moment ago. Aris was pure fire and rage, her silver-gray eyes nearly glowing as she glared at the headmaster who was collapsed on his knees, whimpering. She stared down at him, almost as if gathering her thoughts, the magic billowing around her, pink curls whipping around like an avenging angel.
“Why don’t you just tell the rest of the student body and your faculty exactly how you choose to run your school? How you’re willing to blackmail students into a sexual relationship with you, so you’ll stay quiet about any and all potential dirty little secrets, or how about the way you offered me up on a silver platter to the council in exchange for me to be your plaything? Nothing to say, you pathetic excuse of a witch?”
“He did the same to me,” a small voice filtered amidst the gasping crowd. Glancing around, I found who it came from, another female student who was small, curling into herself at the attention. If I remembered correctly, she was a third-year potion brewer. “I was failing a class, and if I wanted to pass, then well...” She trailed off with a shrug. Acid burned my throat, bile quickly rising as fury swirled in my chest.
“There were lots of times he would look me over and make me uncomfortable,” another student said, but I couldn’t find who before more confessions came to light.
“... wandering hands...”
“... bursting in when I was changing...”
It continued, more voices exposing just how vile the headmaster had been in his years. It wasn’t only from students, either; professors and other faculty members came forward too. I lost track of how much had been going on until I finally couldn’t hold my anger in anymore, and a rumbling crack appeared around Tallis.
“I might only be a professor, or at this point, not anything here at Aether,” I ground out, glaring at the pitiful man. “But I’m pretty sure you’re no longer the headmaster. Therefore, I don’t think anyone here would have an issue if you were escorted off the grounds, along with Bellario, seeing as how she’s your right-hand witch in all of this.”
Fury pulsed, revulsion fueling my surging power. The crowd stumbled apart as the ground wrapped around the two witches, holding them hostage within its grasp. Xan and I stepped up to each witch, Xan, in front of Bellario and me in front of Tallis. I couldn’t look away, my hate too strong to release me as I muttered the mind binding spell. When it was complete, neither Tallis nor Bellario would be able to mutter anything to do with us, the school, or Aris until we released them.
“You’re going to regret this!” Tallis shouted as I finished the spell. “I have friends in high places, and the lot of you will rue everything you’d ever done—”
Before he could finish his sentence, my anger boiled over. Yanking an arm back, I punched him as hard as I could, square in the face. The satisfying sensation of his nose crunching under the force of my fist had me smiling, my gaze never leaving his, not that he could see through the watery wall of his tears.
“You should be grateful that is all I’m doing to you because if we had it my way,” I whispered, stepping closer until he could see everything I was feeling etched onto my face, “you wouldn’t see the light of day again.”
“Right here, right now,” Aris called out to the school as the solid dirt cages holding Tallis and Bellario captive moved to the front gates. As soon as they were free of the outskirts, Xan called out one final incantation, a ward to keep the two of them out, glimmering around the school. “This is our life and our Akasha.”
Now and forever.
December 4th
Wednesday Evening
Aris
Olive had instructed everyone in the courtyard that we s
hould celebrate, so while the guys and I hung back, the rest of the school filtered into the dining hall. When it was clear, we took the familiars to Torryn’s locked office for some peaceful time to themselves. It took a while, but my trembling hands had finally settled. Once we felt more grounded, we made our way to get food, but the moment we walked through the door, applause exploded again. Clutching my chest, I looked around at nearly all the student body on their feet, applauding wildly. It was shocking the first time, but now, I just felt overwhelmed.
Looking past the standing students, I realized the barrier between them and the professors was missing. Every one of my teachers, except for the currently exiled one, was standing with the students. The barrier being down felt like such a huge step toward making a united school.
“Let’s go get some food, Cupcake,” Caspian said, holding his arm out for me before leading me through the food line.
“Aris, you’re such an inspiration!”
“You really used to be a Mixta?”
“How did you escape the council?”
“Is the council as corrupt as you say?”
What should have been a quick walkthrough turned into nearly thirty minutes of awkward smiles, small talk, and protesting that I wasn’t a hero. I started at full capacity, but each conversation slowly drained my mental charge.
With so many people crowding around, I was glad we’d opted to leave our familiars in Torryn’s office. He had gone to the kitchens and grabbed food for them while I continued to deal with all the witches wanting to talk to me. At least they’re getting some peace and quiet. Their lives had been just as crazy as ours, and the poor babies needed time alone to recover. Honestly, I was a little jealous of their quiet time and definitely wouldn’t be upset if we got some space from the masses after dinner.
“Alright, give her some breathing room!” Olive yelled, bursting through the converging crowd with Allain at her side. She flashed me a cheeky smile as she and the guys created a circle around me, leading us back to our usual table. Even Torryn stuck by our sides, simply nodding at his colleagues before taking a seat.
Well, everything’s out in the open now.
As I sat down, I got hit with a wave of nostalgia. This cafeteria was the place where I’d changed our lives forever. Even after everything we’d dealt with, I couldn’t say I was sorry. Honestly, I was glad we were exposed. Now, there was no more hiding what we were, and I had a real chance to give Mixtas the attention they deserved. As I pushed my food around on my plate, my brain continued to be loud, going over possible scenarios until I felt like I was losing my mind.
“You alright, Sweets?” Kye asked, putting his palm over my knee to soothe its anxious shaking.
“Yeah, it’s just a lot, you know? I feel like such an imposter. I’m just this sheltered girl from Ignis, who somehow caught the attention of five ultra-hot guys, made a bubbly friend, and has all this attention, both negative and positive. And now I’m the face of a possible revolution? It doesn’t make sense.”
“None of that.” Olive leaned forward and flicked me playfully on the nose. “You’re a fucking queen, not a Mixta, and they are lucky witches to land a girl like you. You guys bonding wasn’t an accident, it was fate. The goddess chose you because you’re worthy. You just need to see yourself the way we all see you.”
“She’s right, Gorgeous,” Torryn agreed, giving me a soft smile. “You are literally the most beautiful woman in the world, but it’s not just your looks. You have this way of bringing out the best in people, turning them into the best version of themselves. You’re insanely inspiring. Take a look at us. Xan would still be miserable and council-driven, but you taught him how to really live for himself. Or take Kye. He would probably still be grumpy, but he’d also be alone.” Kye laughed and threw a fry at Torryn, who just grinned.
“Tor and I haven’t gotten along in years, and look at us now. That’s your influence, Cupcake,” Caspian added.
“And not just them. You should see the real extent of your followers around Akasha. You’ve had a taste, but just you wait,” Olive said excitedly, clapping her hands and doing a little wiggle dance in her chair.
My chest warmed, and I took a deep breath, smiling to myself. I didn’t set out to do any of this, but the irony wasn’t lost on me. My parents thought I was useless, a stupid little Mixta who would never be anything but an embarrassment, and now, I was helping make permanent changes in our world.
With my appetite renewed, I dug in, devouring everything on my tray as if I hadn’t eaten in years. With all the hexing fugitive nonsense, we hadn’t been eating the best meals. The Aether cafeteria food was exactly what I needed.
In the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but feel as if the council would show up at any moment and rip it all away from us. We’d spent so much time running from them, with this elusive threat over us, I wasn’t sure how to move past it. At this point, I wanted to disband the council, one by one. Expose them for all of their corruption and vile acts. Show them that every witch is worthy, no matter where their abilities lie, and that we all deserved respect... not just who they decided. Their judgment no longer mattered the moment they dragged Delilah into the mix.
When everyone at the table started talking about random things, my brain just went offline. I was an odd mix of numb and overwhelmed and needed a recharge in the worst way. Both Kye and Cas were facing away from me, so I caught Olive’s attention and mouthed a quick ‘be right back’ before slipping away.
The moment I passed the pantry, I knew where to go. After stopping in for a bag of marshmallows, I started the trek to my old friend, Lulu. Tucking the bag of treats inside my coat, I pulled it tight around my body and stepped into the winter air. Small snowflakes fell as I hurried across campus, the crisp air refreshing, even if it was bitterly cold.
When I tugged the barn door open, a rush of warmth hit me, and I sighed in relief. Peeling off my extra layers, I tossed them on the front bench and went to Lulu’s corner of the world. Calm settled over me as I sat next to her pond, tossing a marshmallow in and sitting back to wait. Coming out from behind her favorite rock and making her way to the edge where I was, her snout poked out and snatched it off the surface, spreading a smile across my face. Her squat body moved fast for her size, rushing to my side and digging her snout into my leg, making me laugh. Running my fingers over her scaly skin, I could have sworn she smiled.
“Hey, Lulu. I missed you, too. You wouldn’t believe the weeks I’ve had lately,” I said, talking into the quiet of the barn. “I don’t want to, but I may have to leave again soon. I’d take you with me if I could, but I know you’re loved here.”
Pulling out more marshmallows, I tossed her a few, watching as she snatched them gently out of the air. Aether had really become my home this year, and I loved it here. This was the first place I’d really had a chance to be myself, to finally accept and love myself for what I could do, despite how different it was. I was happier and more whole than I’d ever been. The thought of leaving it behind, possibly forever, was hard to think about.
Here I was, only eighteen and having to deal with things most adults wouldn’t have to. It’s as if I went from awkward teenager to helping lead a rebellion and becoming the main focus of the council’s ire, practically overnight. It could all be ripped away, and regardless of what support I had, there was still a huge, council-sized hurdle in our path.
I decided it was time to finally push all the negativity away, knowing it wouldn’t help anything. Instead, I tossed marshmallows at Lulu and just enjoyed the quiet silence with my scaly friend.
“There you are, Cupcake,” Caspian said in relief, settling on the floor next to us and giving Lulu a cautious pat on her head before backing out of reach a bit. “We were worried.”
“I was just overwhelmed and needed a second, so I thought I’d come visit my old bestie,” I said, grinning as she caught another treat.
“I bet she’s happy to have you back. Nobody spoils her like you do,”
he joked.
“It’s weird, huh, being the center of the school’s attention?” I mused, looking at him. He nodded, letting out a long sigh.
“Definitely. But it’s also not surprising. After the huge show of support on the blog, I expected attention.”
“What do you think will happen now?” I asked quietly. He scooted in behind me and stretched his legs out around mine, circling his arms around my stomach, and rested his chin on my shoulder. The softness of his touch had my mind quieting even more. His breath fanned over my cheek as he spoke, sending a shiver down my spine.
“I think it’s going to be crazy for a while but worth it. After all this blows over, there will be a whole new Akasha. Change has been banging at the door for a long time, and it will be exciting to watch it happen. After that, who knows? We go back to school, I guess. Those who graduate will find jobs, and we’ll make our mark on the world. We’re tethered together, the six of us. So, where you go, we go. Don’t doubt our little coven. We’re lucky to have such support.”
“We are,” I agreed. After the treats were gone and Lulu was snoring at our sides, I finally stood and yawned. “It’s been a long day. Bedtime?”
“Yeah, hang on one sec.” Jumping to his feet, he hurried to the front desk. I said goodbye to Lulu and followed him. He folded a paper before tossing it into the air, the tiny airplane rushing through the windows of the loft.
“What was that?”
“Your door was spelled, so I sent a note to Torryn to meet us there,” he explained, pulling on his coat before holding mine for me to slip on.
“Oh yeah, I forgot about the spell. Wasn’t it supposed to make people’s hair pink?” I asked.
“Yeah, but it was only a temporary thing. It would have used too much energy to keep it permanent. We can always ask Olive if there were any witches with suspicious pink hair over the previous weeks.”
