Erin took it and nodded. “Yup.” She pressed the pendant the same way she did on mine. “Here.”
Doreen took the necklace back and our mother’s voice filled the cave again. “Dear Doreen,” it started.
I heard a couple more words of Doreen’s unique message, but I tuned hers out and focused on mine. Slowly, I walked to the mouth of the cave and replayed the message, absorbing my mother’s words, the softness of her voice, the love in it. I held my necklace close to my heart and smiled at the dark night in front of me.
My mother might have been gone from this world early, but she hadn’t left me. She said she would be proud of me no matter what path I chose … I had just chosen. Now, I knew exactly what path I wanted to follow.
I was going to be a hell of a demon hunter.
Chapter Nine
On Monday, I woke up earlier than usual and got ready for my first class of the day—martial arts. Then, I braced myself and knocked on Lyra’s door.
She opened the door and stared at me, her brows knitted together. “Hey,” she muttered.
I shifted my weight, suddenly a little nervous. Why was I nervous? I had known Lyra for almost two months now. I saw her almost every day. We had always sat together in our classes … that was until about a month ago when I became a jerk and joined the wrong crowd.
Now I knew I had been wrong, gone down the wrong path. I looked back at this past month and couldn’t believe what I had done. I didn’t condone Meg and the others. They weren’t bad people, even if their—our—mischief had caused a major problem for the academy and the demon hunters. But I knew that they had never meant any harm. They just wanted fun.
However, I now knew that despite liking to have fun, I wanted more from my life. At first, I was worried about not meeting my family’s expectations and being compared to the accomplishments of everyone in my family. Now, I couldn’t care less about that. All I wanted to do was to become a serious demon hunter and forge my own path. Becoming famous didn’t matter, because every demon hunter counted in the war against demons and evil, and if I could contribute one tiny bit, I would already be proud of myself.
I knew my mother would be proud of me.
So, I puffed out my chest and showed Lyra a small smile. “Hey. Want to go to class together?”
Lyra tilted her head, probably thinking I was pranking her or something. Finally, she said, “Sure. Just give me a minute to grab my stuff.”
She left her door open and I waited in the hallway while she shoved a few books and pens inside her backpack. Then, she stopped in front of the mirror, brushed her hair a handful of times, pulled it up in a ponytail, and finally met me again at the door.
“Ready?” I asked.
She nodded and stepped out of her bedroom.
At first, the silence between us as we walked down the stairs was awkward. But more awkward was to seeing Meg in the lobby, waiting for me. When she saw me beside Lyra, her brow furrowed and her posture went rigid.
“What are you doing with her?” she asked, almost like a bark.
I wanted to bark at her too, because I had been worried about her. I had texted her, I had gone to her bedroom, and she had ignored me for several days. Now that I was moving on, she seemed hurt by it.
I exhaled slowly, calming myself. “Lyra is my friend,” I said.
Meg’s mouth opened, as if she couldn’t believe what I was saying. With a huff, she whirled around and stomped away.
“What was that about?” Lyra asked.
I shrugged. “Nothing to worry about,” I muttered.
Deep down, I felt bad about dropping Meg and the others. It wasn’t that she wasn’t a good friend; I had just realized she might not be the best for me. I needed someone who encouraged and supported the good parts of me, not someone who took me down a dark path. I didn’t blame her, though. I had been too weak and hurt and frustrated to see where I was going. It was my fault.
No more. I was wide awake now, and my path wide open.
“So …” Lyra started as we stepped out of the building and headed to our first class of the day. “Are you okay? I heard you got hurt by the demon. I went to check on you Friday, but you had left with your sister.”
I inhaled deeply, taking in a lungful of crisp air. The day was still gray, but the clouds weren’t thick. It wouldn’t rain, not this morning, at least.
“I’m okay,” I told her, feeling that deep in my core. “I’m really okay now.”
She smiled at me. “Good.”
We were halfway to the Hyacinth building when someone else joined us. Sam stepped to my right and started walking with us.
“A little birdy told me Zhorgul was found and slayed on Saturday night,” he started, his gaze finding mine, “and that a student had a hand in it.”
Warmth spread over my cheeks.
“I heard that,” Lyra said. Then, she made a little O with her lips. “No way! You’re the student?” I showed her a sheepishly grin. “Oh my gosh, that was you!”
Sam tugged at my sleeve, bringing the both of us to a halt. Lyra took another two steps before stopping too.
“I’m proud of you,” he said, his blue eyes more alluring than it should be allowed. “What’s your last class of the afternoon?”
“Weapon Forging,” I answered. “It ends at four-thirty.”
“What do you think of meeting at the library and studying … together?” he suggested. I could swear that under his cool looks, he seemed a tiny bit nervous.
I bit down on my lip so I wouldn’t smile from ear to ear and ruin it all. “I would like that.”
One corner of his lips turned up, and he tugged at my sleeve again, the one he hadn’t let go of yet. “Good. See you later.”
Then, he simply turned and left, going to the Orchid building, where he had class. And I remained in my spot, staring at him in a complete daze.
Lyra walked to my side and nudged me with her elbow. “I knew he was in to you since the first day of school.”
I glanced at her. “Really?”
She nodded. “And now you have your first date!”
“It’s not a date!”
She shrugged. “Call it what you want …” She beckoned me, and we resumed walking to our class before we were too late.
Movement to our left caught our attention. We glanced that way and saw Professor Genevieve escorted an elegant woman with long copper hair from the underground garage toward the Aster building. She was dressed in a black gown and carried herself with such poise.
“Is that …”
“Yes, that’s a witch,” Lyra answered my unspoken question. “That’s Elisa, the right hand of Thea, the Queen of the Silverblood witches.”
I stared at Lyra. “How do you know?”
“Oh, I know all of the big names in the supernatural world,” she said. “And their faces. You will too once we get deeper into demon history.”
I shook my head but watched as Professor Genevieve opened the door of the building to the witch. “If she’s here, my guess is that she either has an important report to give to Headmaster Rey, or he requested her presence, so he could ask something of the witches.”
I frowned. “Either way, it’s probably not good.”
“Well, either way, it’s not our concern.” Lyra gestured to the entrance of our building. “We have class to worry about now.”
I rolled my eyes at her but didn’t object. Yes, I was curious about why the witch Elisa was here, but I also knew that to be in the in-crowd, to participate in the special missions, I had to first go through four years at the academy and do my best here.
Right now, I would focus on my studies and training—and maybe also on a handsome guy who seemed to be interested in me as much as I was in him.
For the first time in my life, I was excited about the future.
Thank you for reading The Hunter Path. If you want to read more books set in the Blackthorn Hunters Academy, check out The Demon Kiss, which is currently free at all vendors!
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About Juliana Haygert
While USA Today Bestselling Author Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. She resides in North Carolina and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.
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A Foretold Witch
Spellcasters Spy Academy Series
Ashley McLeo
Blurb
On a dark Samhain night, my world changed.
* * *
There’s the obvious—that I battled a demon for the first time. But that wasn’t the most pivotal event. Not even close. A girl in my class revealed a different side of herself. Little did I know that a break in her armor would shake up life as I know it.
-
A Foretold Witch is a short story from Ashley McLeo’s new adult urban fantasy series, Spellcasters Spy Academy. It’s told from Alex Wardwell’s point of view, and provides insight to one of the significant choices made in the series.
Chapter One
A stab of pain cut through my head, and I groaned as my eyes fluttered open. Immediately, my muscles stiffened. Smoke floated above me as the stench of brimstone flooded my nostrils. I tried to rise but fell back on the hardwood floor with a drawn-out moan.
What the hell happened?
“Hey, Wardwell! You okay?” A soft feminine voice filtered through my confusion and the sound of crackling flames.
Odette?
The name sent a shiver down my spine, even as it made me frown. The reaction was all too typical when my mind wanted to think about Odette Dane, and her influence over my body frustrated me to no end. A smart guy like me should know what was good for him. And what was just a distraction.
The smoking hot, but entitled, legacy student didn’t deserve my attention. She hadn’t earned it, just like she hadn’t earned her place at Spellcasters Spy Academy. That fact became more apparent with each passing day at the academy.
Usually, I wasn’t so judgmental, but I had experience with people like her. My cousin, Hunter, acted the same way. People like Hunter and Odette only cared about one thing. Themselves.
“Alex? Hello? Your eyes are open, but can you hear me?” Someone knelt beside me.
I moved through the pain and twisted to face the person. A sigh of relief gusted out of me. It wasn’t Odette. Instead, her friend and roommate Eva sat at my side, her hands covered in blood. Flames dotted a wooden floor behind the red-haired witch, explaining the smoke. My gaze scanned the room. In a rush what we were doing here, came back to me.
The Samhain Trial. My attention dipped once again to the blood on Eva’s hands. Way to pull your weight, Wardwell.
“What happened, exactly?” I asked.
“The ifrit knocked you out,” Eva explained “But don’t worry, I kicked its fiery ass. Are you okay? Can you stand up? We should call the warphole before this house burns to a crisp.”
She was right. We needed to move. The flames weren’t that large, but a couple of pieces of furniture covered in white sheets might catch at any moment. If that happened, we’d find ourselves in an inferno. “Okay, I'll get up. Just a sec—”
“Ahh, unwelcome visitors,” a voice growled, freezing my blood.
But if Eva already got rid of our demon, the trial should be over.
A figure moved in the doorway, catching my attention. It came closer, prowling like a predator.
With great effort, I pushed through the pounding of my head and shot to my feet. I wobbled and as if I needed more evidence that I should still be lying down, blood from my head wound poured down my neck and back.
It didn’t matter. I might have screwed up our first battle with the ifrit, but I wouldn’t leave Eva to fight this woman alone.
With creamy, pale skin, long black hair, ruby red lips, and an hourglass figure, the creature was one of the loveliest beings I’d ever seen. Well, except for her garnet flashing eyes, which screamed of her evil nature. And power. Sheer, raw, demonic power.
But is she a human possessed by a demon? Or a corporeal demon?
She smiled beatifically. Suddenly, a lightness and joy washed over me. I inhaled and something drew me to the woman. She smelled amazing. I wanted to rush up and kiss her. To make love to her. To . . .
Make love to her?!
Her true nature smacked me in the face, and with great effort, I reeled myself back. My hand flailed to catch my partner’s attention. “Eva, call the warphole. It’s a—”
“Succubus,” she hissed, cutting me off as her fingers twirled a lock of raven hair. “And to clarify, greater demons like myself, prefer the term ‘generals of Hell’.”
“But, how did you . . .” Eva started.
Her words died on her tongue as the succubus lifted her arms to the ceiling. Red manicured nails grew into black claws, from which a poisonous green substance dripped.
“No time for questions, witchlings,” her gaze wavered between my trial partner and me. “Now let’s see. Which one of you was I sent here for?” A stream of chartreuse shot toward us. Without a moments’ hesitation, Eva lunged forward, engaging the succubus in battle.
Shit!
My fingers flew to the pin on my shirt that would call the warphole and get us to safety. Even if we hadn’t passed the trial, we needed to leave. Succubi were greater demons, and we were only first-year students. To pit us against a demon of her power was unreasonable.
Something’s wrong here.
That point hammered its way home when I pressed the pin, whispered a plea for help, and the magical portal did not appear at my side. Nothing should have stopped that from happening.
The professors should be watching our every move—assessing us. In fact, they should have already sent a rescue party.
“Too late, handsome,” the succubus sang as a stream of green magic swirled out of her hands to coat the perimeters of the room. All the while, Eva flung spells at the succubus like her life depended on it. The demon deflected each blow with ease. “Your getaway portal won’t be arriving. I’ve warded this house, and I promise, your portal will not break through my wards.”
My mouth dried up. We had no choice. We had to fight the succubus, and we had to win.
I leapt into the fray. I was slower than usual, a side effect of hitting my head. Thankfully, I had excellent training to fall back on, and I did so with ease. Crimson magic shot from my fingertips to join Eva’s yellow power as we took on the self-proclaimed General of Hell, never slowing, rotating our attacks like we were born to fight.
But soon enough one thing became clear. No matter how skilled we were, it wasn’t enough. Our adversary was stronger, and after a few minutes of fighting, she made a move that changed everything.
The devil opened her mouth wide, and poisonous green fumes spewed out. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I darted backward to avoid the fumes. Succubi had the ability to poison your insides and make your skin bubble with the gases they spewed. I knew of no spell to stop it, and if we were to survive, we needed to avoid injury.
I covered my nose, but a bit of the poison seeped in, making me cough and want to pass out. Eva retreated from her attack too, her eyes watering even with her sleeve over her mouth. We were pinned between poison and ever-growing flames.
This was bad. We might have to fight one-handed. And I doubted that my partner had learned the sacred incantation to k
ill a greater demon.
Law forbade witches below a certain level of education to learn any sacred incantations. But my parents didn’t always follow the rules. They’d taught me the incantation before I arrived at Spellcasters, just in case.
Eva and I were in dire straits, and yet I hesitated.
Did the warphole work like a one-way mirror? Could those who watched the trials in Merlin Amphitheater still see us, even though my partner and I could not call the warphole to our aid? That was how it was supposed to work, but with the succubus’s wards up, I was no longer sure.
The threat of watchful professors’ eyes gave me pause.
I might be at the top of our class, but my enrollment at Spellcasters was precarious. If I used a sacred incantation would they kick me out? Imprison me? Both actions would be within their rights.
Better to knock her out than to kill her . . .
“See little witchlings, you’re no match for me,” the demon’s voice dripped with seduction. “Whoever sent you here should have done their homework.”
I stiffened. She knew that we were students, not random witches out looking for trouble on Samhain night. Things had just gotten a million times worse.
“Who told you we’d be here?” Eva shouted.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” The succubus smiled dangerously as her glittering red eyes slid to me. “All I’ll say is that they have excellent sources.”
I stiffened. Someone sent her for me.
Indecision over what to do, whether to kill the demon or try to get more information from her, rolled through me. But the next moment, I forgot everything because Eva pushed through the poisonous gas and attacked again.
My trial partner moved fast, too fast. She was also strategic, taking the lead because of my head injury. Although I yearned to help, I was still wobbly. If I approached, I would only get in her way, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t have Eva’s back. I called my magic to my hands and watched as the two women battled. Eva landed a few blows and darted out of the path of the green magic every time the demon attacked. With every close call, I tensed.
Starlight & Shadows: A Limited Edition Academy Collection by Laura Greenwood, Arizona Tape, Juliana Haygert, Kat Parrish, Ashley McLeo, L.C. Mawson, Leigh Kelsey, Bre Lockhart, Zelda Knight Page 14
