The Mage-Blood Test: A YA Paranormal Romance (Arumrose Academy Book 1)

by Estefania Lezameta Mino

  She put her hands behind his head and pulled him forward until she felt his warm, hungry breath, and their lips sealed in a kiss. The electricity and connection was out of this world. They stayed in a trance, his hands around her waist possessively, to let her know that she was his, and Naya pressed her body against him to answer his statement. Emotion ran high and Naya felt like she was flying. Only cloud could be as soft as this. Ryan pressed his lips hard against hers, to end the kiss with the promise of her, and he smiled wide—

  “What! We’re flying! Naya!” His eyes widened with shock.

  She was brought out of the trance. The kiss was so intense she didn’t realize they were six feet above the ground, as if a magnetic force was holding them in the air, sparkling, brilliant lights circling them from the color of her own magic.

  The moment ended. “I don’t understand!”

  The lights disappeared, and they fell hard against the soft grass. Naya landed on top of Ryan, and they both lay stunned for a second, making sure neither was hurt, then she laughed out loud in nervous relief. She looked down at his brilliant eyes and saw a hunger she had never felt before. He rolled her over, kissing her again, and all the feelings came back, and they lifted up off the ground. Her hair floated up in the air, and he caressed it.

  “Careful!” he gasped, breaking off the kiss when they were four feet off the ground, so they fell less of a distance. She bit her lip. She wanted to kiss him more, but she was worried that he wouldn’t be able to stand being flattened by her over and over.

  “Wow…” he gasped out, his eyes confused.

  “Why…why were we floating?”

  “I don’t know, but I know the color of your magic. You’re doing this, Naya.”

  “It can’t be. Wizards can’t fly. Only…”

  His eyes went wide. “Only the great ones.”

  She pulled away from him. “I’m not a great one.” She lay on the grass, looking blankly ahead. “I can’t even get an A in class.”

  He sat next to her, sitting and holding her hand. “You are, Naya. I know you are.”

  Nervousness filled her. “Please, don’t tell anyone.” He nodded, and she knew her secret was safe with him.

  Naya stared off, thinking of the premonition she had overheard, that conversation when she hid behind the pillar. Everything felt so serious, and her face went hard. Ryan squeezed her waist, tickling her to distract her, and she laughed, happy with him and losing her stress. Everything made sense when she was with Ryan. Everything she was anxious and stressed about faded away when she was next to him.

  It was too soon to give him everything.

  The conflict of the past and present still weighed on her mind, and it was hard to turn hatred into love. She could barely believe she had feelings for him. Despite all the things he did to her in the past, the way he looked at her made her feel safe and secure.

  Take it slow, Naya. Let yourself enjoy it—but don’t trust him, yet.

  That week was the most incredible one of their lives. Finally, she told him that his plan worked.

  “You were right. I did end up wanting to go to the ball with you.”

  He got that smirk of his, cocky bordering on arrogant, and she raised an eyebrow before he could tell her “I told you so.” Instead, he just kissed her again by the river, their favorite spot.

  Sometimes when they were kissing she got a cold feeling, remembering the past, and she was grateful that he didn’t push her in those moments. He would pull back, or just give her a hug, letting her work through her feelings. It wasn’t easy caring about a guy who had bullied her relentlessly. She could remember the fear she felt every time she went to school, wondering what new cruel trick he would play on her.

  He could sense, without using his vampiric abilities, that she needed space.

  One day he had football practice and knew she had to study, so he left her detailed notes in the room to help study—along with a personal note expressing how magnificent she was as a person, a witch, and a vampire. She didn’t tell him, but she read that note every time she felt stressed and worried.

  Her heart melted from the way he cared for her, and she craved spending time with him. Soon, they were spending almost every moment together. One of her favorite memories with him was a picnic by the lake, enjoying a special blood cake from the cafeteria. They dueled lightly in the woods, practicing every subject secretly, and though he wasn’t her tutor anymore, she knew he wanted her to succeed.

  All it did was make her feelings more and more powerful. Even in days they didn’t meet, she would watch him practice football from afar using her vampiric vision that he had helped her develop. The conflicted feelings melted away.

  Her biggest worry now was what happened when they kissed. It was their little secret. She didn’t tell her best friends, worrying that the rumor could spread.

  It was out of her control. When they kissed and her brain turned off, sparks would fly around them and bring them into the air, and she had to be smart enough to pull back before they got seriously hurt. She didn’t trust herself to kiss him. When they kissed, something happened where she couldn’t think, and she knew Ryan felt the same. They would just give each other little pecks on the cheek, knowing what would happen if they gave in. What would have happened if they fell from twenty feet in the air? What about a hundred?

  This flying power had never been mentioned by any teacher, expect off-hand by Lukas. He had mentioned a few weeks ago that some wizards could fly, but that the spell was tattooed into their very flesh to allow them to use this powerful spell. The tattooing process was painful—and could even be deadly—and it had been banned. Only the offspring of those great witches and wizards could possibly use it.

  Lukas might have the answer. It was terrifying to go ask him, as much as she trusted him, because it would be another way she was different, but it was only a day before the Autumn Ball, and she ached to give Ryan a kiss to tell him she wanted to be his girlfriend. She hurried to his office, trying to convince herself that telling him her secret wasn’t a bad idea. On the plus side, Lukas wasn’t a regular teacher. He was young and eccentric, and she felt he would be a friend to her.

  “Come in!” Lukas yelled through the door when she raised her hand to knock—before she could rap her knuckles against the wood. She opened the door and went in.

  “Hi…”

  “I see the worry in your eyes, my child. What is troubling you?”

  Naya spilled it all out—confiding in him, going through Ryan and the kiss that made them float in the air. It had all been hidden in her head, the most private details kept away from her friends, and now she felt less anxious to spill it all out.

  “Oh wow.” He had both shock and amusement in his expression. “Which part do you want me to help you with—love or magic? I happen to be the expert on both,” he said, giving her a confidant’s wink.

  “I rambled a lot. I’m sorry.” She covered her face in desperation. “I don’t know what to do!” She looked up at him, making eye contact. “I don’t know anything about life. Everything feels like a huge dream that I can’t seem to wake up from and now…I can fly. It sounds delusional! I don’t want it—I need to learn how to control it, before I get hurt, or…or…I hurt Ryan.”

  He stared back at her with worry. He seemed to be going over some calculation in his mind, then finally, he came to a decision. He waved his hand and mumbled something under his breath, then from a hidden compartment in his desk he pulled out an ancient book with a dusty black cover.

  He brushed the dust away with veneration.

  The Ancient Art of Magic.

  The title sent chills through her.

  She had heard of this book before. It was one of the books forbidden to students, and she had thought all the copies had been burned. Hundreds of years ago it had been printed, and the secrets it held were ancient even centuries ago. There was darkness in it…

  And power.

  “Is that…” Fear gripped her as
she viewed the powerful book.

  “I know what you’re going through.” He took a deep breath in, then reached over the desk, touching her hand.

  Suddenly both of them rose in the air, magic lights flickering around them, and like that, it was over.

  “I’m like you, Naya. We both have those ancestors.”

  “What are you talking about? Is it like the enchantment, Levit?”

  “No, my dear. Levit does not allow you to fly or lift another person. It works only for items without life. Ever since the flight spell was banned, wizards and witches tried to recreate it to gain that power. They created only poor copies. Levit can make things fly in the air, but they cannot let you dart from place to place, dodging spells and appearing where your enemies least suspect it. This spell is a weapon, and weapons must be controlled…and used for good.”

  He lifted the book carefully, handing it to her. “This book contains many secrets, and it contains the most powerful weapon of all. Knowledge. Don’t say a word of this to anyone. Not even Ryan. Do you understand? I’m trusting you, Naya. I’m here for you, but this has to be our secret. Do you understand?”

  “Yes…I think so…” She could barely form the words. She had thought he would give her generic advice, but now he was giving her something not even adults were supposed to have.

  “We will meet here again tonight at nine p.m. and I will teach you more—but you have to go through the section that speaks of the Volar spell first. Learn it. Learn it like your life depends on it. Then come to meet me.”

  Naya gulped, and the book felt like it weighed a ton as she stood to leave.

  “Don’t forget. Be discreet.” He lifted his hand. “Coveraturm,” he whispered. “That will stop others from seeing it. Now you can go.”

  The book changed in her hand. The cover, that was as black and as deep as the night sky, faded to the common brown of a regular entry-level spells book from the library with a brown cover. Steps to Witchcraft 1.

  When she opened it, the book was filled with ancient writing in blackish ink that reminded her of dried blood—and she didn’t want to ask what it was written in. Some things you are better off not knowing.

  Maybe I can take a peek at what else is in this book…not just the section on Volar…

  Guilt filled her. She had gone to Lukas for help, and already she was thinking of abusing his good nature and the way he cared for her. No, she would only read the section that was needed for their meeting that night.

  There were so many questions in her mind as she walked, clutching the book like it was a winning lottery ticket on a windy day. She could use old wisdom. Books could be doorways to a universe of knowledge.

  It was already 3:30 and if she wanted to understand the book, she would have to read it in a hurry. There were over 500 pages, and if anyone looked closely, they might realize that the light brown book was somehow wrong—a little too thick, a little too heavy, the shape and illusion not quite matching the physical reality of it.

  She was no Grounder anymore.

  It was time to use her magic for a purpose.

  She ran to her room, knowing she could study in peace since it was Friday afternoon and Amy was always out with her boyfriend.

  When she entered her room, she found an unsettling image. Their small room’s empty space was packed with three tubs full of warm, bubbling water that must be heated by magical means. The tubs were tiny little clawfoot things, like miniature bathtubs you would find in some old manor, and a third one bubbled and steamed. Amy and Trevor were on the beds luxuriating, their feet covered in bubbles, their faces completely green with some sort of strange mixture. Their eyes were covered with cucumber slices.

  “Nay!” Amy could barely talk, mumbling around the green paste that must not taste very good. Naya clutched the heavy book, glad that they had their eyes covered so they wouldn’t ask questions. “Why are you so late? It’s beauty treatment time!”

  “Yes, our skin has to glow.” Trevor shrugged. “I’d help you apply it, but, well, looks like I’m all tied up,” he said with a laugh, leaning back in the bed and wiggling his toes. “Put away your things! This stuff is magic.”

  “Guys, I’m sorry. I thought you’d be out with boys, and I just needed to study.”

  Trevor groaned. “Ugh, boys. They’re all getting ready to watch the Vampires play against the Wizards for the chance to go to the main finals against the Shifters. I had to quit the damn team, it was getting too intense. Plus, training in the gym was giving me callouses. Yuck. Wait a second, why aren’t you watching Ryan play?”

  She didn’t have a good answer for that—she longed to watch him play, but she had other business, first. “I gotta go,” she said quickly, dismissing his question.

  “Wait!” Amy tried to stop her, but she darted out, clutching the book against her and closing the door. The room was more beauty spa than study place.

  She laughed at the image that cut through the tension, but it was still there, bubbling under the surface. She knew they wouldn’t come after her. Even if they could pull themselves out of their relaxing foot spa, they wouldn’t dare be seen with their faces covered in green. She knew she could get to a hidden study spot without being followed by the beauty police.

  The library and the dining room were no good. If she wanted to study, then she would have to open the book, revealing the secrets of it. Every room in the Academy made her vulnerable to being discovered.

  The day before the ball meant the main plaza was full of students looking for last-minute outfits—especially the mermaids, who tended to do everything at the last moment, and dramatically, too. The rest of the student body was obsessed with watching the football game. She could hear the cheers. The game was starting soon. She hoped Ryan would be able to throw well without her watching—she had often watched from far away, hating the feeling of being just one of his multitude of female fans—and he would probably think that she was using her vampire vision to monitor the game.

  The secret spot.

  It was the only possible answer. She could go to that place that only she and Ryan knew about.

  It was strange to go there alone. She had always been there with Ryan, and though it had many memories, there was something eerie about walking far away from the Academy alone. Maybe it was the weight of the book that was making her feel uncomfortable, and the secrets inside. She stood by the river, then pulled herself up in a tree, feeling safer above the ground. The birds chirped, drowning out her worries, and she took a deep breath, relaxing in the fall foliage.

  She held the book in front of her.

  She barely dared to open it, her heart beating, then she slowly pulled apart the pages.

  Her stomach roiled as she read about vampires preying on Grounders, and she was glad that the Academy was there to keep the dark urges prohibited. She wanted to read more, but she had a job to do, and a history lesson was not on the agenda.

  Still, she couldn’t help but glance at other sections. She read about how to defeat a shifter while they were in their disgusting nature form, and she wondered why this old book was filled with prejudice. They said Shifters who went into wolf form transformed into a “disgusting nature form”. It seemed to be written by a wizard who had contempt for vampires and shifters.

  She hated the way that the book spoke of vampires as blood-crazed beasts. The words in the books persecuted her vampire nature, even as vampires themselves called her a half-breed. No matter how good she was in classes, she heard the whispers of “two-kind” occasionally, under their breath. Now that her hearing was so much better, she had to learn to shrug off those whispered words as she walked through the Academy halls. It barely touched her anymore. She had her two good friends and Ryan, and she stopped caring what other people thought.

  Plus—she had never craved Grounder blood. She slept next to one, for God’s sake, and she had never even wanted to bite her.

  It could just be the shots and the animal blood they feed the vampires in th
e cafeteria…what if…what if I’d go crazy without the Academy’s help?

  She shuddered. She hated the idea of turning against her own friends in a fit of blood-lust.

  “Time to go to the flying section,” she told herself, feeling uncomfortable with the thoughts invading her brain.

  She found the section with the Volar spell. Every other section hinted at a dark, warlike past, when the three paranormal powers were at war with each other, hating each other.

  There was a whole new breed of spells she had never heard of. Wizards and witches, desperate for more power, had inked spells on their own bodies.

  Only the truly powerful could stand to use these spells.

  Most of them burned up, the tattoos turning to molten fire. They screamed as the power of the magic overtook them.

  Only two percent of wizards and witches who tried it survived.

  She swallowed, her mouth dry. How could anyone dare to take those odds? Only the most power-hungry and delusional could think they could survive the inking.

  From that small group, a lineage of power emanated, for some of the descendants would have the powers born into their bodies.

  She turned the page, and saw a picture of a shooting star, with seven ends. One of them was a trail, tracing the path.

  It was just like the small birthmark she and her mom shared on the middle of her back.

  She had been told it ran in the family, like an inherited mark. Her mom had told her the comment off-hand, and Naya wondered if she didn’t know the true meaning of the mark.

  She would have to talk to Lukas later about it. What if he shared a common ancestor with her? She had wanted to learn how to control the flying spell, but the more she read, the more she felt drawn into the pages, as if it was a huge hole opening up to suck her in.

  Flying was only the first step.

  It was the precursor, the first sign of power. There was so much more.

  She panted, closing the pages of the book, and the spell seemed to end. She couldn’t handle it—not right now. The things she had seen…images of fire and destruction on a huge scale.