Blood and Snow: Snow White Reimagined with Vampires and Magic (Seven Magics Academy Book 1)

by RaShelle Workman

  Blood and Snow

  Seven Magics Academy Book One

  RaShelle Workman

  Polished Pen Press, llc

  Copyright @ 2019 Blood and Snow: Seven Magics Academy Book One by RaShelle Workman

  All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the creation of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design by: Luminescence Covers

  Edited by: Jen Hendricks & Debbie Davis

  Website: www.rashelleworkman.org

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Also by RaShelle Workman

  About the Author

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  “I’ve had several scorching hot daydreams about the new guy. Have you seen him?” Cindy fanned her face with her hand while she spoke.

  “Cin, too much information. Seriously. I don’t need to hear about your boy crazy fantasies.” We forced our way down one of Salem Academy’s busy hallways as we spoke. Directly in our line of sight appeared Jesse, a guy from the football team. He was handsome, except for the fact that I’d known him since elementary school and knew he was a walking turd. He winked and I blanched, thinking for a split second that he’d winked at me.

  “Cindy. Babe. Looking good.” He made of point of checking her out.

  “Don’t you know it,” Cindy said, giving him a coy smile.

  He hadn’t been winking at me, but at Cindy. I wasn’t wink worthy. Whatever. I was fine with that. I had plenty to deal with and worrying about what guys thought of me wasn’t one of them. Except that wasn’t totally true.

  We exited the throng of bodies to my locker. I turned my combination and lifted the latch, letting my backpack fall off my shoulder in the process. Most of my books were online, which saved me from shoulder and back pain, but occasionally there were assignments that required a good old-fashioned book. I unzipped my backpack and took my social studies book as well as my chemistry book and jammed them into my bag before slamming the door.

  “You can never get too much information about hot guys and let me just say, wow!” Cindy rested her petite frame against the locker next to mine. Her radiant baby blues twinkled in anticipation.

  I hefted my backpack onto my shoulder. “Apparently, he’s… cute?” I asked, closing my locker.

  She snorted. “Cute? No! He isn’t a kitten. He’s dazzling. I’m talking completely gorgeous and he has a voice that could melt chocolate.”

  “Sounds delicious,” I said, laughing. We wound our way back into the throng of students, on our way toward the gym.

  Cindy had a way with words. It’d been like that since kindergarten. We met on our first day. She traded me her cream cake for my apple. “I don’t think you should eat the apple, Snow White.” We’d been friends more than ten years.

  She was different than me in every way, except our eye color. She was the epitome of a waif, while I towered over her at five foot eight. She had blond hair that hung to her hips and was always perfectly styled. My hair was coffee brown and stopped just below my ears. Her clothes looked like they’d come straight out of her latest fashion magazines. It was the same with her nails, makeup, and jewelry, including the heart shaped stud in her belly button. Me? Well, let’s just say I didn’t own any makeup, and my clothes consisted of baggy jeans and large old tee shirts thanks to my seven best friends and their hand-me-downs. My nails were stubby, and my ears weren’t even pierced. Honestly, I wondered if Cin found me embarrassing sometimes.

  It could’ve been because she felt sorry for me. The same year she and I met, I jumped out of a swing, cutting my arm on something on the ground. At the hospital, it was determined I had hemophilia, a rare blood disorder. Which basically means my blood doesn’t clot like other people’s. After that trauma, most school activities and recess became out of the question. Thankfully, my hemophilia was one of the milder cases.

  A girl walking by, bumped into my shoulder. I glanced at her, but she just kept walking. Some people’s kids. I shook my head, noticing that Cindy was looking at me. “What?” Then remembered the guy. “He sounds nice.” I shrugged. What did she want from me?

  “Snow!” Cindy stomped her foot. “Nice isn’t even a proper word. It’s in the same arena as fine, good, okay, and pure.” She shuddered, clinging to her sparkly blue notebook with even more fervor.

  “What’s wrong with pure?” I asked, unable to help laughing at her indignation as we turned a corner before heading down a set of stairs.

  She jogged down the steps to keep up. “Nothing if you’re Snow White.” A look of amused disgust sat on her face.

  I pulled the locker room door open. An immediate whiff of steamed perfume smacked my nose. It was extra hot in there as well as muggy.

  Cindy followed me in and sat on a bench while I changed into my workout clothes. I would’ve been self-conscious had it been anyone else since I tended to bruise easily and there was always at least one or two on my body. They looked worse than they were.

  I was thankful for my body because I knew I could do more than a lot of people. Growing up, my mom hadn’t coddled me per say, but she had been extra cautious. Once my mom died and my dad remarried my stepmother, all caution went out the window. She thought I needed to be whipped into shape, which was why I was currently dressing for track practice.

  “I can’t believe your dad and stepmother are still forcing you to participate in this nonsense. Haven’t they seen you run? You’re an accident waiting to happen and you don’t have to wait long.” She tenderly touched a more recent bruise above my knee.

  I huffed. “Rude!” But it was the truth. I ran like a herd of super klutzy elephants, or a drunken rhino. Hence, the bruises. I wasn’t graceful or fast. It was just sad. Still, my dad and stepmother had agreed to buy me a laptop if I participated. I think they hoped I’d get some rhythm or become less bumbling if the coach gave me some pointers.

  Both Coach Sorensen and I knew there wasn’t a snowball’s chance I’d become more agile anytime soon, but he understood why I tried so hard. “For the sake of a laptop I’ll let you stay on the team,” he’d said. “But I couldn’t let you participate even if I wanted to. Not with your… issues.”

  T
hat was fine by me. With our mutual understanding, I went to every practice and every meet, holding up my end of the stupid deal. I knew my dad thought the idea of me running track was crazy, but he kowtowed to my stepmother, and I didn’t want to make waves.

  Sadly, my disgraceful running behavior had made me the brunt of several jokes.

  “Hide the dust bunnies, Snow’s on the loose. We don’t want her to fall.” That one had been making its way around school lately. But there were others that popped up every so often. “What’s the difference between Snow and a tree?” they’d ask. Answer: “A tree sways, Snow falls.” Another: “What do a leaf and Snow have in common?” Answer: “They both fall.” And the lamest: “Why’d the chicken cross the road?” Answer: “Because he was afraid Snow would fall on him.” The jokes weren’t really funny or even that creative, but they were shared within my earshot on a regular basis.

  “Want to hear the latest joke?” Cindy asked, as though reading my mind.

  I gave her a look I hoped said, no freaking way!

  “It’s actually kind of fun-ny,” she said in her sing-song voice.

  I plopped down next to her and slid on my shoes. “Do I have a choice?”

  “Snow? C’mon.” She smacked me playfully on my super white knee. I couldn’t help but notice how sun-kissed and perfectly shaved her legs were compared to mine. I’d missed a spot or two—or three—in the shower this morning.

  Sighing, I nodded reluctantly and pulled up my tube socks.

  “What’s the only thing that runs slower than Snow White?”

  I double-knotted my shoelaces, waiting.

  “Come on, ask.”

  “Fine.” I grimaced, leaning my elbows on my thighs. “What?”

  A strangled snicker escaped her glossed lips. “A snowman,” she said, laughing hysterically. “Get it? Snow man.”

  I forced a smile. “Yeah, that’s funny.” Standing, I slammed my locker with more oomph than intended. The noise reverberated through the locker room. I wasn’t angry. No point. It was true. Running and me were like oil and water, or rocks and battery acid; we didn’t mix. Still, I didn’t enjoy hearing the jokes very much.

  “I’ll see you later.” I stood, clutching my fists at my sides.

  “Hey, we still watching a movie tonight?” She took hold of my wrist, her voice pouty, and I knew I’d hurt her feelings.

  That wasn’t my intention. She hadn’t come up with the joke, after all. Without a doubt, I knew she wouldn’t do that. “Of course. Want to meet at the regular spot around nine?”

  A brilliant smile lit her up. “Yep, I’ll see you after my shift at Bertilini’s. Invite the guys if you want.”

  The guys she referred to were my next-door neighbors. They were also my best friends. Their names were Bart, Sebastian, Daniel, Dorian, Gabriel, Heathcliff, and Salvatore. They lived in a mansion with an old professor by the name of Adam Henry. I called him Professor Pops because that’s what the guys called him. He wasn’t their real father as far as genetics went, but I’d never seen a man love his sons more than Professor Pops loved his adopted boys. Sometimes I got a little jealous since my dad and stepmother were gone a lot—like right now. They were in St. Bart’s doing what, I had no idea. Staying away from me, probably.

  “Cool. See ya.” I raised a hand in farewell and pushed open the door that led out onto the field behind the school.

  “Au revoir,” she returned, waving.

  I smiled to myself as I went outside. It seemed French was the latest foreign language Cindy decided to study in her free time. She’d already tried to learn Italian, Chinese, and Spanish.

  Chewing a nail, I headed down the stairs. One of my steps was too big and I started to fall forward. Stretching out my arms, I braced for the inevitable, closing my eyes out of habit. Skinned hands and bruised knees along with imbedded pavement rock would be a part of my very near future along with a possible a trip to the ER.

  The fall never came though. I realized someone held me. He or she smelled like sweat and spicy cologne: oranges and cinnamon, maybe. The chest felt taut and the hands seemed large. I was betting a guy had caught me.

  Slowly I peered through my lashes. Dazzling hazel eyes watched me. His lips turned up in a half smirk.

  “You should be more careful. That fall would’ve hurt.”

  “You’re singing to the choir, buddy,” I said, blushing as I flopped around like a dying fish. Then made matters worse by trying to stand and smacked him in the mouth with my forehead. A drop of rosy red blood immediately formed on his bottom lip.

  He helped me onto my feet, amusement dancing in his eyes. I was shocked he didn’t immediately run away. All guys did.

  “Sorry about that,” I said, studying his handsome features. His hair was a sandy blond and he was tanned. I absently noticed that he was at least six inches taller than me, which made my heart do an excited pitter, skippity-skip, pat since most guys were either shorter or as tall. I’d always had a thing for taller guys, not that it mattered. I’d never had a real boyfriend and I was pushing sixteen.

  “It’s okay,” he said, a strange look on his face. I couldn’t figure it out, but guessed it fell somewhere between abhorrence and shock.

  I touched his lip with my thumb and wiped the blood on my shorts. Yeah, not the most enchanting of moves. “No, it isn’t. Really, is there anything I can do? Help you find the nurse? Get you an ice pack?” I guessed since I hadn’t seen him around before that he must be the new guy all the girls had been gossiping about. Not that I could blame them. Salem Massachusetts wasn’t very big and most of the families had lived here for generations, so a new student propelled the school into frenzy the way blood excited sharks.

  “Nah, I’ll be fine.” I noticed his black shorts hung low on his hips and, if it wasn’t for the white tank, I might’ve seen more than I’d bargained for. As it was, I was able to see a lot. Muscles rippled down his arms. He had a trim waist and great-looking legs.

  I blushed brighter, guessing both cheeks were now the color of radishes.

  “Okay.” I glanced at his running shoes. “Are you on the track team?”

  “I hope so. Coach is having me try out.”

  Oh, no. If he didn’t do well, it’d be my fault. “Good luck,” I said, looking up.

  “Thanks, but I don’t need luck.” He smiled showing two straight rows of white teeth. Reminded me of a toothpaste commercial. “You wanna watch me?”

  “Yes, sure.” I couldn’t help but smile back. He didn’t seem upset or hurt. His lip didn’t even look swollen.

  “I’m Chace Charming,” he said as we headed toward the field.

  I snickered and he gave me a sideways look. “It’s nice to meet you, Charming. My name is Snow White.”

  One glance was all it took to know he understood what was so funny. “What were our parents thinking?” he asked. “I’ve considered having my last name changed. But if you can deal with yours, I guess I can deal with mine.” He bumped into my side. I would’ve gone flying, except faster than I thought possible, he grabbed hold of my arm and held me vertical.

  “I know, right?” I couldn’t help the punch of excitement running through my veins. I was glad Chace and I walked together because I tripped two more times before he led me to a bench, where I gave the coach a thumbs-up and happily sat for the duration of practice.

  Chapter 2

  I didn’t have my driver’s license yet. Two more months and then it was look out world, figuratively and literally. What I did have was an old purple Schwinn, which was what I rode to meet up with Cindy. The night air was clammy—the kind that made me wonder why I bothered to shower that day—and the sky sparkled with crisp stars and a full moon.

  The perfect night for magic, I thought only half wistfully and snorted. But I did live in Salem, after all. If magic were going to happen anywhere, it’d be in our town.

  Our regular spot was a movie rental place called Warehouse Video. Classic movie posters were plastered on the windows a
nd a neon sign hung along the top. It actually said AREHOUSE VID thanks to several missing light bulbs, but I liked it that way. It was “our house.”

  The place probably would’ve closed up a long time ago, but the owner’s son got the brilliant idea to add a coffee shop. The inside reminded me of what I thought a seventies disco would look like, and it smelled like stale popcorn and frothy coffee.

  It was fantastic. At least I thought so. The adults? Not so much, which is probably why I loved it. Cindy and I had been coming here since we were thirteen.

  Carefully getting off my bike I grabbed the bike chain, stuck it in between two spokes of my front tire, and locked the other end to a chipped green concrete post. The parking lot was full of cars and teens. I searched for Cindy or her blue Altima but couldn’t see either.

  Gabe, one of my seven besties, was there though, leaning against his silver CRX. A flock of girls surrounded him. He must’ve said something funny because they all laughed. I smiled and shook my head. His eyes found mine and I sucked in a breath, stumbling backward. My hands and butt hit the pavement about the same time. Gabe pushed through the girls and rushed over.

  “Jeez, Snowflake, if you wanted my attention all you had to do was wave. This falling all over yourself for me is unnecessary.” He stood there with his hands on his hips, smiling at me, looking stunning. He knew about my blood disorder, but he also knew not to fuss over me because I didn’t like it. He leaned down. “I mean seriously.” He gorgeous green eyes were filled with humor.