Witches Be Crazy (Not Your Basic Witch Book 3)

by A. J. Macey

  “Just know you have more support here than they do,” he said quietly. “You call on me if you ever need me.”

  “Thank you, Professor Thane,” I said, giving him a bright smile. “I’m confident we will clear up this... misunderstanding soon.”

  “Well, I’ll leave you to your goodbyes, but know she’s in good hands while you’re away,” he promised, giving my shoulder a squeeze before opening a nearby cupboard, the insides stacked with bags of marshmallows. He threw me a wink before walking away, leaving me and my dropped jaw behind.

  “Well, Lulu, I think you’re set,” I teased, giving her one last pat goodbye and setting off for my room. The courtyard was busier than it had been when I’d walked here, but I kept my head down and rushed past, hoping they wouldn’t see me. I heard my name a few times but refused to look up.

  The moment I made it to my room, I closed the door and let out a sigh of relief. Mr. Stripes lifted his head lazily from his perch before dropping back down and falling into an easy sleep. I smiled at my adorable familiar before grabbing my bag and starting to pack. I’d managed to avoid it to this point, but we would be leaving in a few hours whether I liked it or not.

  As I slowly circled my room, I had a twinge of sadness at all the stuff I’d be leaving behind again, but if it kept my guys safe, and if I could help give Mixtas a fighting chance, it would be worth it in the end. The thought of no one having to be the black sheep or forgotten child like I had been was enough motivation on its own.

  After making sure I had fresh clothes and any other supplies I’d need, not worrying about taking too much since Torryn had a spelled bag, I took a shower and changed into travel clothes. Tutus and thick leggings are cute but hardly travel-worthy.

  Picking up my magic eight ball, I sat down on my bed with a sigh.

  “Alright, magic eight ball, tell me, will this all end well?” When the words ‘try again later’ popped up, I let out a bark of laughter. The answer was about as clear as our future.

  “Are you asking that silly ball questions again?” Torryn’s voice rang out, startling me. I had been working so hard at distracting myself, I hadn’t heard the guys come in. Looking up at them, the shadows lifted from my thoughts; my guys were all smiling at me and looking amused, exactly what I needed. Dropping the toy on my bed, I rushed forward and pulled them in for a group hug.

  “Yes, I was. I needed a distraction, but you guys are a better one.”

  “Too long alone to think?” Caspian asked with a small smile. “That’s what I was just dealing with when they got to my room.”

  “Yeah, something like that,” I said, reaching out and giving his hand a squeeze.

  “I have a bad feeling so the sooner we leave, the better. Is this what you’re taking, Sweets?” Kye asked, stepping out of our huddle and gesturing to the bags I’d packed. This time I’d taken more, just making sure if we couldn’t come back, I wouldn’t have regrets about leaving anything behind.

  “Yup.” I put a cheery smile on my face and hurried over to help him. “Everyone else good to go?”

  “Aris?” Torryn said, waiting for me to look up. “It’s going to be alright.” He pulled me in for a hug, his warm embrace calming some of my inner panic.

  “It will be,” I agreed, my voice thick with relief and appreciation. They meant so much to me, and having them see my worry without me having to confirm it made me feel they really saw me. That was something I’d always wished for but never got, and now, I had a whole coven of men who loved me for me, not for what I could or couldn’t do.

  “Come on, Angel. Let’s do this.” Drayce offered his hand. I took it and let him lead me outside. It was still only midday and not between classes, so the grounds were quiet again, save for the random student or professor running behind.

  It almost felt too easy as we reached the main gates without anyone stopping us. Olive made sure her Technomages had spelled a program for us to communicate safely, so staying in touch wasn’t a problem. If she had stuck around for goodbyes, it would expose our departure, and we didn’t need anyone finding out we were leaving or which way we walked. We already ran the risk of running into Tallis and Bellario.

  “Oh, good, our dear friend Aris is back.” The voice sent ice down my spine, and I looked up to see the curse crew stalking our way, Esmerelda leading them, her signature snotty sneer in place.

  “Just leaving, actually,” I said stiffly, Drayce’s hand tightening in mine.

  “Oh, I’m so sad to hear that!” Amber said in a fake voice that had me rolling my eyes. You’d think they would have learned last time that I was way stronger than them.

  “So, tell me, how is the life of a fugitive? I guess not lonely since you selfishly pulled these men down with you,” Tasha added, stalking closer and leaning in to stage whisper. “Let me guess. You spelled them to like you, didn’t you?”

  “Oh, it all makes so much more sense now,” Esmerelda added, laughing wildly as my face reddened.

  “Are you quite finished?” Torryn barked, all three girls startling so much they dropped their armloads of bags. “Now, I was a teacher, so I tolerated your nasty behavior unless it got out of hand. You were honestly just lucky no one put you in your place before Aris. I suggest you three take your fake intimidation tactics and false sense of popularity and march yourselves into Aether and away from us, or I’ll be forced to make you.”

  His words echoed in the silence, punctuated by all five of the guys holding up their hands, ready to cast a spell. My heart swelled at their protection—them standing up for me and by my side never got old. I held my breath as Torryn took a step forward, the girls visibly shaking now.

  “Because we all know how trustworthy you are, I plan to spell you to never be able to speak about seeing us, what was said, or anything hinting at it. So, there’s no fame to be gained by turning us in,” he said firmly. They gasped, which seemed pretty over the top for just spelling them into silence. I looked at the guys, not understanding the deeper meaning of what was happening.

  “It’s considered a darker form of magic to spell someone into compliance, taking their rights away. It’s a necessary one, but still frowned upon all the same,” Drayce explained. Well, that makes sense now.

  Torryn muttered a few words, and a small tendril of magic shot from him and slithered across all three girls’ mouths before dissipating. He didn’t say anything else as they stared at him in shock and horror.

  “I hate that you would risk another’s life enough that I’d have to resort to this, but it is what it is. I’ll remove it when and if I see you next. Now, get to campus,” Torryn ordered. The Curse Crew grabbed their bags and glared daggers at us but ran back to the dorm with their tails tucked between their legs.

  “Anyone know any disguise spells? I have a feeling they won’t be our only obstacle. Our faces are literally blasted everywhere,” Kye said, looking between Torryn and Xan.

  “Actually, yes,” Torryn said. He thought for a moment before mumbling under his breath and waving a hand over us. My jaw dropped as my coven morphed in front of my eyes, turning from handsome to haggard and old in seconds. From the looks in their eyes, I must have appeared the similarly, but thankfully, I felt as young as ever.

  “This is freaky,” Caspian mumbled, visibly shivering.

  “But effective,” Drayce laughed, stepping closer and studying me before dissolving into wheezing laughter.

  “Look at yourself,” Caspian offered, holding up his Witches Glass. My reflection was clear on the blank screen, and I was momentarily speechless. My pink hair now looked dingy and grey, the tresses once shiny now stringy and thin, and wrinkles lined my face until I was unrecognizable, no hint of my normal self left behind.

  “On that beautiful note,” I joked, bursting into laughter. “Let’s get back to the museum.”

  Here’s hoping there’s no one wanting to disrupt our journey.

  December 6th

  Friday Late Night

  Kyelerian


  We all sighed when we crossed the threshold of the museum, tired and ready to collapse into the beds in the hidden apartment area of the building. Aris gave me a soft smile when I gave her a kiss and a quick explanation why I wasn’t following. Pulling away, I broke off from the rest of the group. My steps were hushed, only the slightest of thuds sounding from my boots against the stone flooring as I walked through the museum in search of my parents.

  “Ma? Dad?” I called out, sticking my head around the corner when I heard voices coming from the dining room.

  “There you are!” my mom exclaimed, relief thick in her voice as she jumped up from the chair and ran over to me. She didn’t slow down as she barreled into me, wrapping her arms around my waist tightly. Hugging her back, I tried to keep the watery wall that had formed in front of my eyes from falling.

  “I’m okay. We’re all okay,” I murmured as she squeezed even harder.

  “Where’s everyone else? Headed to bed?” my dad asked, coming over to us and hugging me briefly when my mom stepped away.

  “Yeah, everyone’s really tired, but it was a successful trip, so there’s that,” I explained, walking over to the table and taking a seat with them.

  “That’s good! What happened?” Mom questioned, her eyes bright with curiosity.

  I spent the next little while going over what had happened during our trip to Aether, who we saw, the basics of our plan, and any other information I thought they’d like to know. I knew we were going to go over it tomorrow with Xan’s parents, but for some reason, it seemed much easier to talk about everything with just my parents. I was able to free the bone-deep fear that had been settling over me for the last few days and not feel judged. We were on the precipice of something revolutionary, and as much as I knew it needed to happen, I couldn’t stop worrying, and my parents seemed to realize that.

  “What’s wrong, Kye?” Mom whispered, her lips curling down slightly.

  “Just... everything,” was all I could come up with.

  “We’re proud of you, you know,” Dad told me with a smile, his hand coming to grab my shoulder. “Not only are you standing by Aris and your fellow witches, you’re doing what’s right, even though it’s hard. This is going to be difficult, no doubt, but we’re here for you.”

  “And Aris as well as the others,” my mother tacked on. “We’re in this together. Now, tell us more about Aris.” The question confused me, the transition abrupt, but with my dad’s knowing smile, I knew they had planned to ask for a while.

  “What about her? You’ve met her.” My brows drew down. Embracing my fear around them was one thing, talking about my romantic relationship was a whole other issue I wasn’t sure I wanted to tackle with my parents.

  What are you two up to?

  “Yes, but what about after all of this?”

  “I hadn’t thought that far ahead. We don’t even know if everything we’re planning will work.”

  “No, we don’t, but why would that stop you from looking forward to the future? From enjoying the possibilities and having hope?”

  My mother’s words radiated through me, the deepness of her questions combating some of the fear and worry I had been plagued with. I sat there in silence, truly thinking. She was right, and until now, I hadn’t even considered there’d be a future.

  “I don’t know for sure,” I told her finally. “But whatever it is, I know I want to be with Aris and the others. Whether that means going back to Aether to finish school or finding a place to settle down, I’m all in. Hells bells and tarot tells, if she wanted little baby witchlings, that’s what we’ll do. All I know is she makes me happy, my coven makes me happy, and I never thought I could be a part of something with so many people.”

  “And what about you? What do you want to do, after school, I mean?” my father asked, both of them sporting warm smiles at my explanation.

  “I don’t know for sure, maybe... maybe you can show me some technorune stuff? That seems really interesting, and I think I could do something with that. Especially after talking to Olive and her team about how they run the vlog,” I explained. Neither of them said anything, glancing at each other with knowing smiles. “What?”

  “We haven’t seen you this happy or motivated in years, son, and we’re excited to see it. I would love to teach you what I know about technorunes, then when this is all over, we can find someone to teach you more,” my father said proudly.

  “Now, let’s all go to sleep,” my mother exclaimed, all of us standing at her soft command. “Just remember, Kye, even in the hard times, there’s always a sunrise after a long night.”

  A sense of purpose and hope filled me, and I went to bed knowing one thing for certain.

  When this was over, no one was going to stop us from living our lives—together.

  December 7th

  Saturday Midday

  Aris

  Ugh, so hungry, I whined silently as my stomach growled. After sleeping well into the day without much of a dinner except for a few handfuls of granola and Hex Mix, I was starving. Unable to think about anything else, I was trying my best to hurry to the kitchen in search of something—anything—edible.

  Thankfully, I remembered where the kitchen was, so I crossed the threshold within a few minutes, instead of getting lost and wandering aimlessly through the halls. Beelining for the cabinets, I yanked open the first set of doors. Aha! I nearly cheered out loud as I found a can of soup. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a pot to cook it in, so after I got the container open and dumped into the bowl, I focused my power into my hands.

  The heat worked through the bowl and into the food, bringing the chicken noodle soup to steaming hot perfection in only a few minutes. As soon as it had cooled enough, I spooned as much of it into my mouth as quickly as I could.

  “Oh, I didn’t realize anyone was in here,” Edmund said when he came into the room as I finished my final bite. Stepping over to the sink, I rinsed and washed the dish, using the task as an excuse to respond and not look at him.

  “Yeah, needed some food after sleeping in,” I explained as he looked into the cabinets. It was an awkward silence filled with tension, so as soon as my bowl and spoon were clean, I set them onto the drying rack and turned to make my way out of the room.

  “Aris, wait,” Edmund called out as I reached the door. Biting the inside of my cheek, I held back the sigh I desperately wanted to release. “I just wanted to apologize for, basically everything; the way I’ve treated you since we first met at Samhain, the Rixa, and believing you weren’t good enough for my son when I think you are one of the best things to have ever happened to him.” He rambled slightly, his nerves blatantly obvious as he fiddled with the front of his shirt and glanced at the floor. It was awkward and stilted, but I appreciated that he was putting in the effort.

  “I accept your apology,” I told him softly, giving him a small smile to help him feel less out of place. There was a contagious discomfort about the whole situation—the more awkward he felt, the more awkward I was starting to feel.

  “Thank you. I know I don’t deserve it, and if you would allow me, I would like to... get to know you and your tethers. I want to be the father Xanthius deserves, and I know you all mean a lot to him.”

  “I would like that.” While it wasn’t necessarily a lie, it wasn’t totally true either. I would much rather not spend time in awkward conversations with a former council member, who had a tendency to stick his foot in his mouth, but I knew I had to do it for Xan.

  I’ll do anything for my guys.

  “We can wait until after everything is handled, though, Aris,” Josephina stated happily from behind me, startling me since I hadn’t heard her come in. “You go along now. I believe Xan and the others are coming down for lunch shortly if you wanted to find them.”

  Giving her a grateful smile, I escaped with the opening she gave me. It may have been weird, but I was happy to see Edmund trying.

  Now let’s just hope it stays that way.

  “Din
ner’s ready!” Lyra’s holler reached us from further down the hall, and we all groaned, not wanting to move after a few hours of relaxing our sore muscles and playing Battle Brooms.

  “Come on, Muse.” Xan nudged me off the bench where we had taken a seat after wandering the museum like real visitors. Popping up, I walked with the others to the dining room, a pep in my step from the last few days’ success still filtering through my system. “I’m so happy to see you’re feeling better.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, my head tilting. “I wasn’t sick or anything, well, except for my wrists, which thankfully healed up pretty well. I don’t even notice it or the bandages anymore. It’s just itchy.”

  “No, I didn’t mean physically. I meant with everything going on,” Xan explained, curling me under his arm as we walked, the others giving us some semblance of privacy as they hung back. “You’ve been so worried, and there’s been so much going on. It’s just nice to see your smile back.”

  “You’re so sweet, Xan,” I murmured, my smile growing wider as I looked at him. Stretching up, I pressed a quick kiss to his lips before we entered the dining room. As we stepped in, I felt my eyes widen. It seemed like everything under the sun was spread out on the table.

  “What’s with the feast?” Caspian asked, echoing my thoughts.

  “We have good news and figured we could use a celebration!” Josephina exclaimed excitedly, her arms coming up in a brief jig. “Come on now, sit, sit.”

  We made our way to the chairs and sank down, my stomach growling from the delicious smell of the food. As everything was dished out, no one talked, too focused on spooning out and passing the different items around. By the time we were all served, I had roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, fruit, and a pile of pastries.

  “So, what’s the good news?” Kye was the only one who hadn’t started to devour the feast. Honestly, I was surprised Tor hadn’t started questioning the celebration, but it was definitely like our grumpy Kye to not take good news at face value.