“Aww, just give him a chance to get to know how awesome you are,” I say, handing him a ball. “He’ll be eating out of your hand in no time.”
The feedback whine of a microphone cuts through the Great Hall, and we all turn to see Headmaster Orville standing at a podium. Professor Darius stands to his left, and another professor stands to his right.
“Excuse me,” Dr. Orville says. “I know you’re all here to have a good time, and we don’t want to cut into that any more than we have to. For all of you returning students, welcome back to the Academy of Sorcery for the spring term. We hope you’ve gotten settled and are ready to tackle the challenges ahead.”
Polite applause greets his words. The Bellas, who are standing beside us, give me haughty looks. “That’s my great uncle,” Black-Haired Bella brags.
“Wow,” I say sarcastically. “That makes you so special. Do you need a gold star?”
“We all have important family. What do you have?” Blonde Bella asks. “A loony dad who’s not even magic?”
“I’ll tell you what I have,” I say. “Self-respect, for starters. A weapon that’s so badass you thought you’d steal it.”
Brunette Bella curls her lip in a sneer. “Whatever.”
“That’s the best comeback you’ve got?” I ask, rolling my eyes. “Wow, that one hurt.”
“We just have a couple new introductions,” Dr. Orville goes on. “You might have seen them around campus. This is Mr. Topher Stephens, a graduate assistant in the House of Necromancy, and Hattie Clearwater, a new elementals teacher in the House of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please welcome them both.”
Asher sighs when Mr. Stephens steps up to the podium and waves before melting back into the gathering. Ms. Clearwater waves as well, and then Dr. Orville continues.
“Before you get back to festivities, we’d like to recognize a very special student,” he says. “Every semester, we like to give an award to an outstanding student who demonstrated exceptional progress in mastering the skills required for their magical designation. During the first semester, this student showed patience and perseverance in the face of every challenge. She overcame extreme hardships at the school and showed grace and empathy for everyone around her, even those who did not show her the same courtesy.”
Dread grips my stomach, and I glance sideways at Asher. “They give this to an upperclassman, right?” I whisper. “A senior or something?”
“I don’t know,” he says, looking doubtful.
“This student dealt with exceptional magic that we were unable to properly train, and despite being without her weapon for a large part of the first semester, she managed to not only pass her finals with flying colors, but she overcame an attack by the queen of the spirit world herself during her final trial of the semester, banishing her back where she came.”
“No no no no no,” I whisper, trying to shrink behind Asher.
“I’d like you all to give a round of applause to Jade Silva, and may you all show such strength and poise in the face of adversity.”
Everyone starts clapping, and I wonder if my magic could open a hole into the spirit world and suck me in like Lilith, because that’s really freaking tempting right now.
“Come on up and accept this award, Jade,” Professor Darius says.
I don’t want an award, and I sure as fuck don’t want to accept it with the entire Academy of Sorcery staring at me and being reminded that I have magic that causes spontaneous orgies among them. But if I don’t go up, they’ll stare at me even more, and gossip about me later, so I force my legs to move. Rocco is grinning his fool head off and still clapping when I pass him. I give him a withering glare, but he only grins wider, though it seems impossible.
I make it to the podium and try to graciously accept the award, thanking Dr. Orville and shaking his hand. “You really are an exceptional young woman,” he says, his gnarled hand holding mine with strength that belies his age. “It truly is an honor to have your magic on my campus.”
“Thanks,” I say, sure I’ve never blushed so hard in my life.
“How are you faring with your guards?” he asks.
Shit. Is he telepathic? Does he know I have the hots for all of them?
“Um, good,” I mumble.
“Do you feel unsafe without them?”
“No,” I say. “I can take care of myself.”
Between Cleo being more cooperative since returning to me, and the knife I still keep in my boot, I’m more than able to kick ass when the situation calls for it.
“Would you like a bit more freedom?” Orville asks, his shrewd gaze taking me in. “Your professor mentioned that you’d like to feel more like a normal witch.”
“You mean I could lose my guard?” I ask, way too excited by the prospect. I mean, I’ve gotten used to my guards, but it would be nice to be able to have privacy when I want it.
“I’ll speak with them about lessening their watch,” he says with a smile. “But only while we’re on campus. When you have outings, it would be wise to take at least one with you.”
“That would be great,” I say, feeling the absurd urge to hug the old man. I’m not much of a hugger, but I give him a quick squeeze before he finally lets me leave the podium. I turn to Darius while the headmaster says a few more words to the students.
“You knew this was going to happen?” I hiss at Professor Darius.
“Congratulations,” he says, shaking my hand.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“And miss the look on your face?” he asks with a grin. “Never.”
“I didn’t even defeat Lilith. You did.”
“The award is for more than that one incident,” he says. “And you’re more than deserving. Your determination in mastering a sword even in the absence of your own is what got you through that final. And the kindness and clemency you showed Bella spoke volumes about your character.”
I snort. “And yet every single person in this place is just thinking, Hey, look, the sex girl got an award. Wonder who she’s sleeping with.”
Darius smiles and turns me toward the room, nudging me to join my friends. Before I walk away, he lowers his voice and gives me one more piece of advice. “You’re very talented, Jade. Don’t let your magic define you.”
Chapter Five
We settle into our classes over the next month. I have two classes with Asher again, which is nice. I also have Intermediate Magic, taught by Professor Darius, who I refuse to look at after he didn’t warn me about the award. Speaking of, if I built up any delusions over the break that people would have forgotten who I was, or think my magic was not a big deal, they’re gone already.
People stare and whisper, some of them shooting me nasty looks and others—mostly guys—positively leering as I walk by. Needless to say, I’m relieved to take my place next to Asher in Spells and Charms every morning. It’s nice to work with a partner who isn’t either afraid to touch me because he thinks he’ll go sex crazy or ogling my tits and asking if I can give him a private demonstration of my magic later. The funny thing is, they all seem to think that being a priestess makes me somehow dynamite in the sack, which is sadly not the case, since I have no sack to put all that dynamite in.
I guess Thorn’s right, though. I could have lots of guys on campus. The problem is, I don’t want a random guy in one of my classes to deflower me to see what it’s like. I want it to be special. I mean, yeah, that’s cheesy and stupid and whatever, but I don’t care. It’s my first time. I don’t want it to be with a guy who just wants to see if his dick will gain magical powers after being inside me.
“Would it, though?” Asher asks when I voice my woes to Asher and Elowen as we picnic under a tree on Saturday. It’s a cool, moist late February day, and we escaped the cafeteria to eat by ourselves today, since we don’t have to rush to class afterwards.
“Would your dick gain magical powers?” I ask. “Kinda doubt it.”
“But it might,” Asher muses. “Hm, maybe I could try
it out and see.”
“You’re gross,” I say, swatting his arm. “I’m not going to lose my virginity to anyone who would ask that question. Even my best friend.”
“You know ninety-percent of guys on this campus are wondering,” he says. “So that rules out a whole lot. I mean, what guy doesn’t want to be endowed with a magical dick? If dipping it in your inkwell would get me there, I’d even take one for the team.”
“I’m sure you don’t need any magical enhancements,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“I don’t need them,” he agrees. “But it might be nice. Everyone wants that extra edge.”
“Anyone in particular you need it for?” I tease.
“Just a certain sexy ginger with a bubble butt and the most intense eyes I’ve ever seen.”
“If by intense you mean creepy,” I say with a shudder.
“Hey,” Asher says, looking offended. “I don’t make fun of your guys. Any one of them. Or the fact that you’ve got three of them. Lay off my lover, okay?”
“Okay, sorry,” I say. “I just got a weird vibe off him.”
“I don’t think you can call him your lover if you’re not sleeping with him,” Elowen says.
Asher turns to her. “Are you?”
“What? No,” she says, her cheeks reddening as she looks down at her sandwich. “Of course not. I know you like him.”
“You knew Jade was looking for her spork last semester,” he points out.
An awkward silence falls between us. At the end of last semester, Elowen told me she’d taken Cleo and kept her for the Bellas, who had threatened to get her kicked out if she didn’t do what they wanted. I got Cleo back just in time to ace my finals, but then the semester ended, and I’d gone home for the holidays. When we arrived back, Elowen sat with us, and we’d let her. But we’d never really talked about what happened.
Now seemed a better time than letting it hang between us the whole semester.
“About that,” I say. “I had a lot of time to think about it over the break, and I forgive you. But I swear, Elowen, if you ever pull shady shit like that again, I will use Cleo on you.”
“I won’t,” she says, her lip trembling. “I’m so sorry, Jade. I was just so scared.”
“And you could have come to me and told me what Bella asked you to do,” I say. “I thought we were friends. Friends tell each other when they’re being threatened.”
“I’m sorry,” she says, a tear trickling down her cheek. “I was just so scared of losing you. Asher’s the only friend I ever had, and now you. I thought if I didn’t get them the spork, they’d hurt you instead. I mean, you can make more magic. Your spork can’t.”
I hadn’t thought of that, but now I do. The students here aren’t experienced enough to siphon magic from another student, but there are powerful people in the supernatural community who can. If someone held me hostage and forced me to make magic for them…
I shake the thought away. That’s what Silas is basically going to do to me anyway, unless I can find a way out of my mom’s contract. I even took Supernatural Law last year, but I couldn’t find a single loophole. Maybe a more advanced class will yield answers. In the meantime, I have to think up some way to protect my dad, pass my classes, and decide whether I can trust Elowen. And that’s saying nothing of the mess of feelings I have for my guards.
I feel better now that I’ve cleared the air with Elowen, too. She did a shitty thing, but we all make mistakes. And yeah, she was weak and self-serving in that moment, but she meant me no harm. In truth, I got off lucky. The boys are the ones who really paid for her misdeed.
“Speak of the devil,” Asher mutters, nodding toward the building. As if I’ve summoned them, the Bellas come strolling along the pathway that runs along the edge of the lawn where we sit.
“They better keep walking,” I say. “I’m not in any mood to take their shit today. And they owe me now.”
“You better think of something good,” Asher says. “Because they’ve got some serious paying up to do.”
“Oh, look,” says Black-Haired Bella. “It’s the fag hag and her two puppets.”
Before Asher can be the angel on my shoulder, I’m up and halfway across the lawn.
“Such a waste,” says Brunette Bella. “All that sexy magic and all she can attract is a grave digger and a guy who won’t even fuck her.”
I step into the path in front of them. “Say it to my face, bitch,” I say, yanking Cleo from my belt.
“Don’t,” Blonde Bella says to her friend, grabbing her arm. “It’s not worth it.”
“It’s really fucking not,” I agree. “If it weren’t for me, you’d be out on your asses. Now that I know what sick fucks you really are, I regret saving your asses. I should have let you rot in jail like the rapists you are.”
“Oh, trust me, there was no need to rape anyone,” Black-Haired Bella purrs, flicking the ends of her razor-straight hair back.
“Because you drugged them with my magic,” I growl.
Suddenly, the spork in my hand changes shape—into a gun.
What the fuck, Cleo. I’m not shooting anyone.
I feel a little sag of disappointment in my trigger finger, and I know she’s disappointed that I won’t be using her to kill. Jeez. I hate the Bellas with all my heart, but I’m not going to go around murdering people like a psychopath.
Cleo makes no such promises.
“If the only reason they wanted us was for your magic, then how come Ryker’s still in love with me?” Black-Haired Bella asks, swiveling her chin like the snake she is.
“Love?” I choke out. “Are you serious? You told him he could fuck you in the ass while you pretended to be me. If you think that’s love, you’re even more fucked up than I thought.”
“It worked, didn’t it?” she says. “Maybe that’s how it started, but if that’s all he wanted, we wouldn’t still be dating.”
My heart flips in my chest, sending a sickening lurch to my belly. “You’re not.”
“Then how come we’re going out tonight?”
“No way.”
She shrugs, a smug smirk on her lips. “I know it’s hard for you to believe that anyone could get a guy without hypnotizing them with sex magic, but believe it or not, you’re the only one who really needs that to get a guy.”
“You’re one to talk,” I seethe. “Considering you stole it.”
“More like borrowed,” she says. “But I don’t need it anymore. I’ve got everything Ryker wants. He’s got everything I want, too—and an inch more.”
She flips her hair back, smacking it right across my cheek as she flounces off. Fury burns behind my eyes so bright I see red, and Cleo hums in my hand, urging me to end that smug bitch once and for all.
“Damn,” Asher says behind me. “I’m sorry, Jade.”
I take a slow breath, trying to calm myself. I don’t know when my friends joined me, but they’re both standing there. I’m glad they have my back, but I wish they hadn’t heard all that.
“It’s fine,” I say, shoving Cleo into my belt and planting my hands on my hips. “I may not have known Ryker was still dating Bella, but it’s not like we’re going to be together. He already offered, and I said no.”
“But you like him,” Asher points out. “Why would you say no?”
“I don’t like Ryker,” I say. “I mean, he’s hot, sure. I’m attracted to him. I’m sure he’d blow my damn mind in bed. But we hate each other. It would never work.”
Elowen gives me a doubtful look. “It sounds like you like him.”
“No,” I say. “There’s a difference between liking someone and wanting to sleep with them. It’s probably just my magic, anyway.”
“If you say so,” Asher says, clearly not buying it. If only I could believe my own lies, they’d come out a lot more convincing.
“You don’t think she somehow still has some of your magic, do you?” Elowen asks.
Unfortunately, I don’t. Ryker’s making that mistake al
l on his own. Oh, well. I don’t have time to worry about his love life. I need to take care of my family, and an idea has just snuck into my head.
“Hey, you went to high school with the Bellas, right?” I ask. “Any chance one of them has a car?”
“Uh, yeah,” Asher says. “Their families are all stupid rich.”
“From the unscrupulous use of magic,” Elowen mutters darkly.
“Excellent,” I say. “I guess I’m calling in one of my favors, then.”
“Oh no,” Asher says. “Why do I get the feeling we’re about to do something illegal?”
“Not illegal,” I say. “Though maybe against Academy rules. Anyone up for a field trip?”
Chapter Six
“If I get kicked out of school because of you, I swear to Lady Claudia I will hunt you down and end you,” Bella Goodwin snivels as her fancy pink sports car slides silently into a spot outside Silas’s manor.
“Lady Claudia is a fashion icon, not a god,” Asher says.
“And she’ll never know my name if I get kicked out of the academy,” Bella moans. “It’s my last chance to catch Thorn’s eye.”
Rocco snorts in the back seat. I didn’t want to make any of my guards share space with a Bella, but Rocco insisted I couldn’t leave campus alone. Judging by the last few times I left campus, I grudgingly agreed that I needed at least one guard. Since Rocco was the one who overheard my crazy scheme and insisted on coming, he’s the one breaking the rules with us today. I know he’d be in just as much trouble as the rest of us if we get caught. Which is why we cannot get caught this time.
“How is landing Thorn going to get you in with your style idol?” I ask, distracting myself from the nerves fluttering in my belly.
All four of my companions stare at me with open mouths. “She can’t be serious,” Bella says after a second, turning to Asher and Elowen. “Tell me she’s not serious.”
“You do know who Lady Claudia is, right?” Elowen asks.
“Well, yeah,” I say. “She’s basically the First Lady of Supernaturals. Even I know that.”
Academy of Sorcery: Term 2: Fallen Master Page 4
