Witches Be Crazy (Not Your Basic Witch Book 3)

by A. J. Macey

  The screen shifted again, and a younger witch popped up, standing in front of a burned-out greenhouse.

  “I saved for years to own this place. I cultivated award-winning cooking herbs, but it was burned down last year. This is an image of the message left behind because I moved to a predominantly elemental area.” The screen faded to an image of the smoldering ashes, the sidewalk in the foreground painted with the words ‘Go home, Mixta.’

  My heart broke as the stories went on and on, the square in hushed silence as Indigo exposed the worst moments of our society. Tears coursed down my cheeks when it finally ended, and Indigo came back on the screen.

  “This… this is the Akasha that needs to change. No witch deserves to live in fear, and no one is a tool to be used. If you don’t think we need to change, then open your eyes and think again. All witches should have the right to go to their home academy, all witches should have the right to live where they want, and all witches should have access to a proper education. Did you know even Aether, the top academy for Mixtas, doesn’t have a program for every form of magic? We don’t have a healing program, an herbology program, or even the ones you wouldn’t expect, like baking, cooking, and magical crafting. We see five affinities who get to learn how to use their powers to the best of their abilities, but what about the rest of us? We learn from other witches outside of the academies who we’re forced to go to for schooling. Do you know the toll it takes on someone when they spend years of their lives, knowing they were unwanted? Our families teach us if they can, and we become apprentices if we can find someone who is willing to work with us, but if neither of those is an option, then what? I mean, where do you think your runes come from? Your Academy supplies? Your everyday magical items? We demand change! We demand a council that truly represents and supports their people.”

  When it ended, the square was silent for a few beats, everyone too stunned to speak. Pride swelled in my chest for Indigo and all she’d accomplished. It was a moving presentation for all of Akasha to see.

  “I am a Mixta,” someone said from the crowd, holding up their fist. Another joined… then another until nearly three-fourths of the crowd held a fist in the air with pride in their eyes.

  “You see, Prime Minister, we have a lot of support for a better Akasha. The next move is yours. This is a monumental moment, and how you proceed will reflect heavily on your support,” Torryn added matter-of-factly as he stepped up next to me, the guys looking a lot better now than they had when I first joined the chaos.

  “But as I said earlier, that’s not the only issue at hand,” I said pointedly, looking at Altermin, who was all but rolling his eyes at the show of support in the square.

  “This is ridiculous,” he started, but the Prime Minister held up his hand.

  “Don’t think this second issue of equality made me forget the first issue brought to light,” Gennady started, eyes narrowing at the council. “There were many heavy accusations thrown around, but at this point, it’s a ‘he said, she said’ situation, and that puts me in a very tough position.”

  “Well, if it’s proof you need, we can help with that.” Josephina’s voice rang out strong and clear as she strutted down the stairs behind the council, pausing and glaring until they moved out of her way. I didn’t think she had ever looked so strong and regal. I wanted to clap and cheer, but I stayed quiet and let her do her thing. Glancing to my side, I noticed Xan and his dad looking at her with matching looks of pride and love.

  “That would be lovely, Ms—” he trailed off, waiting for her to answer.

  “Hello, Prime Minister Gennady. I am Josephina Eideann, wife of former councilman Eideann and mother of Xanthius Eideann of the coven in question,” she said, her head held high and a stack of parchments and folders in her hand. “With the help of Lyra and Gabriel Tanan, I have procured written documentation of their plans.” She handed the stack of papers to the Prime Minister.

  His face was set in a grave frown as he took them, slowly flipping through the bunch. The further he got, the paler his face became until it turned red as he advanced from shock to anger. By the time he reached the last page, fury was written all over his face, the emotion so blatant, the councilmen should’ve been saying their prayers.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Eideann,” he said as he finished, his voice sounding strained before he turned to face the stricken council. Each and every one of them looked as if they were torn between bolting and throwing up. If they weren’t such hexing scoundrels, I might have felt a little bad. Like the world’s worst never-ending sideshow, it didn’t end there.

  “It’s a shame you would listen to a silly little girl with a penchant for trouble and her followers over your own prestigious council,” a voice stated haughtily. My entire world froze for a moment, and a shudder shook me to my very core. Tallis.

  When our attention turned his way, he gave me a creepy leer, and the woman next to him glared. Something about the woman bothered me, but I wasn’t sure if it was just the glare or if there was more under the surface. Sircey, I reminded myself, remembering that I had met her previously during my trip to Divus for Samhain.

  “These people who are trying to convince you they are righteous have spelled my brother, the headmaster of the prestigious Aether Academy of Crystals and Witchcraft. They refuse to let him speak of events that are in no way a bad reflection on him. My husband, Councilman Altermin, is also innocent of these ridiculous allegations.”

  “Oh, he’s spelled against speaking of it?” Torryn asked in mock surprise. “Let me undo it.”

  “No need,” Gennady said, giving Torryn a small, tight smile. “Now, you see, this is becoming quite the show, so let me take it one step further. A little-known fact about me is along with my affinity for Divination, I have a unique ability to read memories and project them. So, we can clear this up rather quickly. Headmaster, Aris, Councilman Altermin, and Mr. Eideann, can you please step up?”

  Edmund and I stepped forward with no hesitation, but you would have thought Tallis and Altermin were on a death march as they slowly walked forward.

  “You’ve always been my most levelheaded and trusted council member, so let’s start with you,” he said, watching Edmund’s perspective of events. At one point, he flinched and gave a side glance at Josephina, so I figured he must have seen the memory of her being hurt and us running. His face was impassive at this point, and I would assume he was in a state of numbness with the overload of information and disappointment he was witnessing. I doubted he had any inclination of how far the corruption had gone.

  After Edmund, he turned to me with an attempt at a smile, and an odd sensation of tingling magic overwhelmed my brain for a moment. It took a little longer than Edmund’s, and I used everything I had to not think of anything he shouldn’t see, like my alone time with the guys. When he finished, he took his hand away and gave me a wink.

  “Any girl who tames a full-sized alligator has my confidence. Here was what was seen between the two of them,” he announced to the crowd, making sure to glance at the Witches Glass Caspian still held.

  Snippets of memories, the most relevant ones, played out in the space before us, the motions being recorded by the Witches Glass. Lifesize projections of shimmering magic reenacted each scene in perfect detail, from Delilah’s attack at Samhain to overhearing snippets of the council’s plans to the multiple attacks we had endured over the last few weeks. The crowd whispered, eyes widening the more they watched, but the Prime Minister didn’t stop until we reached our present moment.

  “Headmaster?” Gennady prompted.

  Tallis paled but stepped forward, likely thinking his view of things would save him. I knew better and doubted someone with the Prime Minister’s abilities could be fooled. Memories aren’t subjective.

  It was mere moments before he snatched his hand away, his lip curling in a sneer, his skin turning a deep red as his eyes conveyed a look of pure hatred and disgust.

  “This man is a menace to the women of Akasha.
Guards, lock him up until a trial can be held.” The guards stepped forward and had him in the magical cuffs I remembered all too well before he could even react. Once the moment of shock passed, protests poured from his lips.

  “You can’t do this!” Sircey started, but he cut her off with a seething look.

  “Don’t even get me started on you, Mrs. Altermin. Your role in all this did not go unnoticed in my memory review.” She paled and backed off. When he turned to Councilman Altermin, he was already grabbing his wife’s hand and attempting to run.

  Oh, hell, no.

  Using my telekinesis, I lifted them and brought them right back to the Prime Minister. The moment their feet were under them, I used earth magic to encase them in stone, locking the hexholes in place.

  “You don’t get to escape your fate after what you’ve put me and my men through,” I growled, putting more venom in my voice than I ever had before. A strong hand rested on my shoulder, and I took a deep breath, lightning sparking in my hands from my anger.

  “Thank you, Miss Calisto,” Prime Minister Gennady said with a slight chuckle, stepping toward the encased witches.

  “Anytime,” I laughed, taking far too much satisfaction in the venom shooting from their glares. Stepping forward without fanfare, Gennady placed a hand on Sircey first, then Altermin, making his way around to the other council members who had been cuffed and secured while I dealt with Tallis, Altermin, and Sircey.

  Gennady walked back to the center of everything and turned slightly, Caspian shifting his Witches Glass to make sure the Prime Minister was facing the feeds. Somehow, they’d routed our feed through the crystal tower and back to the capital, so his face was on the holoscreens here as well as online.

  “Before I continue, I want you to see for yourselves what these witches have been up to, so you can truly see what Aris, her coven, and all those who have fallen victim to them have had to deal with. I don’t want to lie to you or sugarcoat the experiences of the Akasha people, so I feel it would be best for you to watch and listen for yourselves.”

  Watching what the council had planned play out was surreal. I wasn’t sure what to feel first—disgust they thought they could overthrow Gennady’s power and seize control of Akasha without the citizens knowing, or happiness it was finally coming to light. When conversations between Tallis, Sircey, and Altermin started, I smashed my lips together to keep from retching. After a while longer, the projected memories disappeared, and Gennady stepped up to address the crowd once more.

  “It saddens me a large portion of our society has had to suffer the way they have. In no way do the council or I approve of this behavior. Mixtas are not magicless or expendable; they are the very foundation of our world. Going forward, I will be working with Miss Calisto’s coven and hopefully, her friend, Indigo, to help improve our academies. We will be putting research and funds into opening new, more inclusive programs around Akasha.”

  The cheers rising from the crowd were so deafening, he had to pause and let them quiet before continuing. A tear streaked down my cheek at the impact of his words. So many lives would be changed, like mine was, by a more accepting society.

  “Now, we will be removing the current acting council from office. There is no way I can condone what they have done, and they deserve no say in the future of Akasha. Edmund, I’d love to ask you and Josephina to assist me in putting the council back together with new members and hopefully, a new outlook on the future as a whole. As for our current councilors? A trial shall be held, and until then, all standing members will remain in custody. Headmaster Tallis and his accomplice will stand trial as well, along with his sister for her involvement in council affairs and the kidnapping, false imprisonment, and torture of their victims.” Yet another wave of cheers erupted as he motioned the guards to take them away. I had to release the hold I had on them, waiting until they were in cuffs first.

  “This is huge,” Caspian whispered in awe.

  “It’s unprecedented. You don’t go simple, do you, Aris?” Edmund asked, no venom in his tone, only amusement.

  “No, sir, I do not.” I grinned, letting my guys pull me into a group hug.

  “We did it!”

  Celebration broke out in the crowd as the Prime Minister put out one last order for council forces to return to the council hall. It was all so much, I could barely process it. There would no doubt be backlash from those who were being forced to change their views, but change was never said to be easy, and we would put everything we had into making this a better Akasha. No witch deserved the kind of upbringing I had, and no witch should be ashamed of their goddess-given gifts.

  A new start for me, a new start for all of us, and with my coven and familiar by my side, life could be anything I wanted it to be.

  December 22nd

  Sunday Morning

  Torryn

  The cold wind whipped through the streets, flurries swirling around for the first time this season in Divus. It wasn’t until I was out walking the streets, able to stroll along with only a coat and hat instead of being bundled up with a scarf, gloves, and thick layers like we typically were in Aether, I really appreciated the muted weather patterns of the Akasha capital.

  Almost two weeks had gone by since the confrontation with the previous council members. The devastation wrought on the city had nearly been erased after construction and infrastructure witches tirelessly rebuilt the streets, homes, and shops. It was a nice change to meander the streets without fear, and we had been soaking up that opportunity since the Prime Minister put a stop to the council’s plans. Aris nearly skipped along the streets, her pink hair fluttering out behind her as she greeted or waved to everyone who called her name.

  She was so happy, the joy she radiated made me smile as I walked behind her more leisurely. The others were around, perusing various shops or visiting with Divus residents and friends who had come for the large, city-wide holiday celebration going on over the next few days.

  I, though, kept a portion of my attention on Aris to make sure she wasn’t overwhelmed with all the attention, while I scanned the different stalls for a Yule present for her. The others already had their gifts for her wrapped and hidden away back in our room in the council building, but I had yet to find something I felt would be perfect, and Aris deserved nothing less.

  “Tor!” Aris called out happily, her hand waving in the air to catch my attention. “I’m going to grab some pastries!”

  “Alright, Gorgeous,” I hollered back, giving her a soft smile as she beamed at me before turning to dart into Bernadette and Seamus’s bakery.

  “You two are so adorable,” a woman cooed, catching my attention. She was short and frail-looking, but something about her looked familiar. “Hello, Professor Callahan.”

  “Uh,” I started, but couldn’t think of what to say. Based on her teasing grin, she knew exactly what she was doing.

  “I’m Gertie, my daughter and I own a shop back in Crystal Burough,” she explained after letting me sweat a bit longer. “Aris loves to come into Gertie’s Trinkets. Where do you think she gets all her baubles?”

  “So, you’re the ones who supplied her with the Magic 8 Ball.” I laughed, recognizing her now. “Well, do you have anything new from Aureus? I’m actually looking for a Yule present for Aris, and I think something from your stand would be exactly what she would want.”

  “Of course, of course. I think I have the perfect thing.”

  She turned, walking farther into her small stall. Thankfully, the tent covered everything, giving me a slight reprieve from the increasing snowfall. I followed quietly, glancing around the square space packed with what seemed to be everything under the sun. There was a shelf of different-shaped teapots, something labeled Polaroids that took pictures, and different colored paints.

  “Ah, here we go!” she exclaimed excitedly. “It’s been altered by several techwitches to work in Akasha since traditional prong plugs like the ones on Aureus don’t work here.”

  I looked do
wn at it, my head tilting as I tried to figure out what it was. It was flat and square with a small metal handle attached to the top.

  “What is it?” I questioned when I couldn’t find anything identifying on it. She explained it quickly, pointing out the items that went with it. The longer she talked, the more I realized it was the perfect present for Aris.

  “So, does that sound good?”

  With a wide smile, I nodded. “I’ll take all of it.”

  Only the best for my girl.

  Xanthius

  “Everyone have everything they need for the party?” Sebastian questioned from the door. An echo of agreements went up, and Sebastian nodded quickly before exiting the room. Glancing down at the bed, my black tuxedo and bowtie were laid out, crisply cleaned and ironed from the tailor. The guys, along with Allain, had started changing without much fanfare, chatting about this and that, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t seem to make myself move faster than the pace of molasses.

  Everything had changed, and not just with society, but in my life too. Everything until Aris had revolved around the council and my father grooming me for it my entire life. I’d been living a shadow of the life I wanted.

  The moment my mother asked about my art and actually seemed excited to see it, my life took a turn I’d never expected. Aris had done the impossible, and here we were, living in the aftermath of a disbanded council and trying to change mindsets.

  Images of the duel between Aris and my dad popped into my mind, and I shook my head. He was the wild card in all of this. No matter how much we had to work through, he was still my dad and would continue to be a huge part of our lives. I’d seen him make strides, trying to be better for us, but there was still a ways to go, and I hoped we could find common ground. We had yet to talk about how the council would move forward from this, but I had a feeling my coven and my dad would both have some sort of roles.