“Like what?” he responded, following after her.
But Jaelle didn’t answer, continuing down the hall to their room. It had been a year since she had moved in with him, and they had started their life together in his place, and there had been plenty of changes.
First of all were the smaller cabins they had built to house Dannon, Micah, Javi, and a few other soldiers from the old crew who had come knocking. They were spread out over multiple miles, but close enough they it was like a little community, one where being an Abberant wasn’t a death sentence.
The rest of the world was quite different, however. After Jaelle had healed, they sent out scouts to see what the political sphere was like. Unfortunately, most of the Clan Leaders were involved in a stalemate, with some of them wanting to commit total Aberrant genocide, and others wanting to completely re-examine the laws regarding her kind.
Jaelle had had no choice at that point other than to step into the public and join the debate. It was risky, and there had been more than one attempt on her life, but she was fiercely protected by those on her side.
Which turned out to be a fearsome force, indeed. One by one, Aberrants began to come out of the woodwork, forming packs across the country as they searched for her. She had taken to traveling with a pack of her Hunter friends, trying to intercept these lost souls. And when she did find them, they came back with her to the community and build their own homes.
It was an intense battle, one that involved a lot of yelling, negotiating, and bigotry. But eventually, there was a break in the tension and things started to go her way. Several of the eldest leaders, who were the most vocal about maintain the old, anti-Aberrant way, passed away of natural causes, allowing younger and more progressive leaders to take their place.
It had happened suddenly. One moment, she was the leader of a resistance, constantly secretly traveling to different debates and forums, the next she was just another citizen. On September 14, exactly eleven months after she had killed Creed, Aberrancy was no longer considered a crime, all executions were permanently halted, and families who had suffered an Aberrant loss would receive restitution.
She had hardly believed it when she had heard the news. At first, she had thought she was dreaming. When she finally realized that it was reality, she didn’t know whether to laugh, scream, or just faint. But after long enough, it finally sunk in and they had a crazy celebration that lasted almost a week.
“See, I told you that you didn’t forget anything,” Bradley said, interrupting her reverie.
“I… I guess you’re right.” She took a deep breath and turned back to him. “Let’s go.”
“You sure?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t wanna have a third go-through your little checklist?”
“No. I’m sure it’s fine. If I don’t leave now, I never will.”
“All right.” He twirled his keys around his finger. “Let’s head out then.”
She nodded and followed him out to their already packed jeep. She paused for a moment, the desire to do another check hitting her again, but she ignored it and slid in.
“A little different from hunting a madman across the country, isn’t it?” Bradley asked, starting up his car.
“Yeah, it’s about a million times more terrifying.”
He laughed, rolling his eyes at her while he navigated to the main road. “Really? This is more terrifying than a chasing down a mass murderer?”
“Yup.”
“Well, we’ve got a four-hour drive where you can stew in that fear, so try not to piss yourself.”
“Gross,” she retorted.
But he just turned up the music and kept driving.
Jaelle turned her head to the window, watching the trees whip by. After so much fighting, she really and truly had a safe haven. Her existence wasn’t illegal, and neither was any other Aberrant’s.
Of course, the law had changed, but some people’s attitudes weren’t so quick to adjust. It was still dangerous to be a mutant, and quite possible to end up mobbed by a crowd eager to spill blood. Maybe one day her kind wouldn’t have to worry about such hate crimes, but she doubted that would be any time soon.
Her stomach flipped in knots as she thought about it. In fact, violence against those Aberrants and Aberrant-supporting families was exactly the reason they were on their way to the closest city. Although Jaelle’s fight with Creed had concluded, as had her struggle with the tenuous Shifter government structure, it still seemed that she had so much more to do.
Despite the growing nerves in her gut, the hours slipped by relatively quickly. They only stopped once for drinks and a bathroom break, both of them having lost their ability to drive forever after a year of living more ‘normal’ lives, and then they were pulling up to the school they wrote down on their directions.
“You ready?” Bradley asked, giving her one last look.
Jaelle took a deep breath. In all her years, she had gone through several life changes, and she was about to go through one again. She could only hope it went more smoothly than the rest of hers had gone.
“Yeah, I’m ready,” she murmured.
He offered his hand for a high-five and she slapped it before sliding out of the car. Lifting her sunglasses from her slight nose, she strode toward the back of the school with Bradley by her side.
There were two figures already waiting for them by the double doors, one an adult, and the other much smaller.
“You’re early,” the woman remarked, a warm but weary smile on her face.
“We missed all the traffic,” Bradley answered, pouring on the charm.
Jaelle knew that she should probably greet the woman, as well, but her eyes focused on the small figure beside her.
“Hey there,” she murmured, crouching so that she was face to face with the young girl. She had brilliant red hair in a frizzy halo around her head, skin just slightly darker than beechwood, and a broad nose that spoke to her mixed heritage. “You okay?”
The girl didn’t say anything, but nodded dully. She had a long cut down her face that looked like it was almost done healing, and a hollow look to her eyes.
“Patrisha,” the woman murmured, her voice soft and motherly. “Miss Jaelle here was an early bloomer, just like you. You know all those confusing things that have been happening when you wake up? Well, she can help you with those.”
“What happened to her family?” Bradley asked, verbalizing the question that Jaelle was almost too afraid to pose.
“Mother has cancer, and unfortunately the doctors don’t think she’ll make it. Patrisha’s stepfather had sole custody, and when he realized that she was displaying exceptional gifts, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Thankfully, the human police got involved and were able to extricate her from his custody. I called you immediately afterwards.”
“Thank you, really.” Jaelle said. “We have everything ready and waiting for her at home.”
Home. What a strange word to come out of her mouth. And yet, that was exactly what was happening. They were going to open their house up to this little girl until either her mother recovered, or… well, until forever. After so much time only watching out for herself, she was going to have a little girl.
A daughter.
“Here’s her file,” the woman continued. “You’re going to want to get out of here as quickly as possible. The stepfather has quite a large family, and we don’t know their views or their whereabouts.”
“Gotcha,” Jaelle said before turning back to Patrisha. “Hey there, you’re gonna stay with us for a while, but I promise it’s gonna be awesome. You’re gonna have your own room, and it’s in a really nice place in the woods where you don’t have to worry about anyone hurting you. Would that be okay with you?”
She nodded carefully, her lower lips sticking out, before cautiously offering her hand. Jaelle’s heart leapt for a moment, then she gingerly took her little fingers in her own.
“All right, Little Miss Patrisha,” Jaelle said,
gently squeezing her palm. “You ready to go on an adventure?”
“I… I think so.”
“Don’t worry,” Bradley said, coming up alongside of them and grabbing Jaelle’s free hand. “You’re going to have a great time.”
She didn’t say anything further, but nodded resolutely, as if she had made up her mind to be brave. Jaelle couldn’t help but be impressed, and she would have ruffled the girl’s thick hair if her hands weren’t occupied.
“Come on, let’s go home.” Jaelle said.
And with that, they walked back to the car.
Together.
The End
Witch Academy Box Set (1-5)
Sarah J. Stone
Book 1: The Missing Queen
Chapter 1
Desmond awoke with a start, his body tensing up. It took him a moment to figure out exactly what the problem was, his magic finding its way up to his brain.
He realized after a moment that it was a crash from his kitchen that had woken him. However, the presence that he sensed was not anything that would cause him harm. His dishes and food supply might be in danger, but he was not.
Running a hand over his face, he tried to pull the sleep from his eyes, glancing at the time piece. He was planning to get up now anyway; the alarm would beep after a moment or two. It was later than he normally got up, but he didn't have anywhere to be for another hour.
“Nathaniel,” he said as the door to his chambers whooshed open at his touch. “What are you doing?”
His former Tiro looked up at him, a piece of toast in his mouth.
“You're awake.”
Desmond raised an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe.
“You think I can't still sense when you are causing chaos? Eleven years of training you, Nathaniel. I promise that the bond is not broken yet.”
Nathaniel smirked as he searched for more bread, and Desmond decided it was a losing battle. Besides, he was meeting Mariah for breakfast anyway, so he didn't need food here.
He had trained Nathaniel for eleven years as his third Tiro, readying him as a full-fledged witch; the guardians of the galaxy. Magic was dangerous and destructive if not controlled and well trained, and those born with it often didn't survive it unless they were taken from their families and devoted their life to its control. Witches, who were taken to the academies around the galaxy and trained by Maestros, became warriors, guardians, peacemakers, and healers. They were well respected, strong, and completely devoted to keeping the galaxy safe.
It came at a price, of course. They rarely, if ever, saw their families again. They were not supposed to form attachments or have families of their own. They were completely devoted to their craft and their quests. When they were young, they were usually devoted to their Maestros. When they came of age, they were put through a series of rigorous tests that determined whether they could go off on their own and become a new generation of Maestros.
There were exceptions to every rule, of course. Tiros were supposed to be in the academy from the time they started walking, and they needed to be with a Maestro by the time they were thirteen if they wanted to be able to take the tests. Otherwise, they remained at school until eighteen and could work in a minor role. Any time after eighteen, they could take the tests and become a full-fledged witch.
Desmond knew that he and Nathaniel had broken almost every single one of those rules in their years together. It wasn't necessarily on purpose, because he didn't always believe in everything the Jurors dictated. But Nathaniel had been almost fourteen when Desmond finally took him on after a disastrous last Tiro. Nathaniel was stubborn, mouthy, and more interested in fun half the time. Desmond knew Nathaniel would never be the serious, quiet, thoughtful Witch that was expected. Nathaniel was twenty-four when he finally took the tests, passing with flying colors in everything except his attitude.
Now, nearly two years later, they remained at the academy. Nathaniel was teaching some of the classes, and Desmond sat on the Jurors part time, dealing with the intergalactic issues that came their way. Both of them were expected at some point soon to take on a Tiro. But after a bumpy eleven years, Nathaniel didn't seem quite ready to be self-sufficient
Desmond, despite being technically free of a Tiro, found it hard to find time for himself and Mariah – not that he publicly wished for it.
The first day Desmond saw Mariah was nearly thirty years ago. They had both been young witches on their first Tiros. They had locked eyes across the room, and Desmond knew that he was in trouble.
Neither of them had broken any rules, at least in public. But as they started to age toward retirement with a quiet life of advising only in their near future, he found it harder to make sure they were in line and not just existing in a grey area that the Jurors raised their eyebrows at.
He knew Nathaniel was aware of the fine line he walked and took it as challenge. No matter how much Desmond tried and scolded, Nathaniel had always had eyes for women. He wasn't discreet either, and more than once, he had been called in front of the Jurors for disobedience.
Desmond's only solace was that, as Nathaniel got older, he seemed to be settling down and focusing his attention on the one woman he came back to again, and again. A quest on Jeffro – a border planet – had introduced the fifteen-year-old Nathaniel to the seventeen-year-old orphaned ruler, Queen Eliza. She was just as head strong, stubborn, and in control of her emotions as he was. Desmond pretended to not hear the late-night hologram fights they had over the years, and pretended not to hear Nathaniel's thoughts when they were doing well. As long as he was focused on his duties, Desmond could turn a blind eye. And, he noticed, no matter how hard they fought, they always returned to each other. They fought in a way that acknowledged that ending their relationship was never an option.
It was admirable, in a way, except neither of them were supposed to be even thinking of romantic love.
This life was not an easy one, but it was worth it for the greater good. Despite being two of the most powerful warrior witches in the galaxy, they were still only human.
“Are you going to the showcase today?” Nathaniel asked. “I saw them setting up this morning.”
“I might,” Desmond answered, watching Nathaniel eat his way through half a loaf of bread. The showcases were bi-annual and meant to show off the skills of young witches who were hoping to find Maestros. They came from the various academies to go the headquarters, and it was usually impressive. Desmond wasn't quite sure he was interested in taking another one, though. If he was truthful, Nathaniel had been difficult at best. Desmond would technically age out before another Tiro came of age. He and Mariah had loose plans to not take another one, retiring together. Not that he could tell anyone of that, he knew.
Right now, his biggest concern was getting Nathaniel out of his kitchen. “Is there something wrong with the cafeteria? Or your own kitchen, perhaps? Your room is down the hall, Nathaniel. Surely your own kitchen is closer.”
“I have to teach in ten minutes,” Nathaniel protested. “There's no time to wait in the cafeteria or make my own food. You always have something ready.”
“In case I need to grab something swiftly,” Desmond replied. “I don't usually keep you in mind.”
“I love how prepared you are, Maestro,” Nathaniel grinned. “I didn't have time last night.”
“Why? You finished class at seven p.m.” Desmond raised an eyebrow. “What did you do with your evening?”
“Eliza called,” Nathaniel admitted. “It was a long call.”
“I'm sure it was,” Desmond said. “Go to class. If the professor is late, it says something.”
“See you.” Nathaniel finally finished chewing and took off, leaving Desmond to shake his head. Nathaniel's appetite had not changed since he was fifteen, nor had his energy or his attitude. It was amazing how different they were. Nathaniel's dream was to be on the Jurors, where Desmond couldn't think of a more boring way to live life. Although Nathaniel was successful and well respected, De
smond sometimes wondered where he went wrong as a Maestro.
He tied up the bread bag, putting the dishes in the sink before going to get dressed. He always got Mariah from her room if they were having a meal together, as the hallways were crowded. Mariah had been blinded nearly ten years ago, and although she was very proficient with her magic, using it to see rather than her eyes, he still worried about her. Her last Tiro, Nathaniel's childhood best friend, had graduated early, and Mariah had been working within the safety of the academy ever since. Desmond worried every day she took a minor quest, even though he knew she was just as strong as the first day.
His com-link buzzed as he was finishing getting dressed, and he saw it was Thomas, one of the permanent members.
“I'm not expected for another two hours,” he answered, finishing the buttons on his old shirt.
“I know,” Thomas replied. “I'm not calling because I don't know how to tell time.”
“Good to know,” Desmond answered. “What can I do for you?”
“There was a ship coming from a border planet that had some terrible turbulence. It was full of showcases attendees, and some were injured. Can you stop by the med bay to sign off on their participation? The professor is insistent that they participate, and I'm not sure he's taking their physical state into account.”
“These off-world professors,” Desmond said, shaking his head. “They count their success on the amount of Tiros that get trained, regardless of consequence.”
“I'm aware,” Thomas said. “Will you do it?”
“In an hour,” Desmond replied. “I have plans currently.”
“Doing what?”
“I have plans,” Desmond repeated. “But I will be there.”
Thomas sighed. “Fine,” he answered, not willing to fight. “I'll see you later.”
“You will,” Desmond said, and hung up. He knew that walking the grey areas of magic often landed him with tasks like this, but it was a small price to pay to mostly do as he pleased.
Mariah was ready when he came to the door, looking beautiful despite a plain outfit. Her hair was pulled back, and he was used to the scarring around her eyes that had caused the blindness. Once bright red, the scars were now pure white, crisscrossing her eyes and causing his heart to ache whenever he saw her. She was still beautiful, but he hated that he had not been there to help her.
The Aberrants Box Set (Books 1-5) Page 58
