The Fairer Hex: A Paranormal Academy Series (A Witch Among Warlocks Book 1)

by Lidiya Foxglove

  “Hey!” I ran toward the fence, grabbed the bar and vaulted over it.

  Yeah, this was definitely the source of the musk. But by the time I got there, I didn’t see any sign of anything. I kept sniffing, even though I felt stupid, like the drug sniffing dog I saw at the airport during my fateful trip.

  “Who are you?” I growled. “Were you watching me?”

  My vampire senses were churning and impatient. This monster inside me wanted to find whatever it was and kill it. This feeling was the opposite of how I was taught to conduct myself as a warlock—measured, gentlemanly, remembering one’s training.

  It seemed like it was gone, whatever it was, but the scent lingered.

  Something had been out here. Not just an ordinary animal. Well, quite possibly not an animal at all. Something magical. A sinistral?

  I wanted to ask my familiar what she thought, but she was gone.

  When I died, my familiar had died with me, perhaps in an attempt to save me. When I came back from the dead…she didn’t return. My mistake had killed her. That was something I had barely even talked about with anyone. The relationship between a warlock and his familiar was supposed to be a private matter. Even in death.

  Of course, Charlotte and Firian didn’t have that. I knew it would get them in trouble, and Charlotte didn’t even seem aware of what a taboo she was breaking.

  I huffed, kicking the autumn leaves, shoving back the pain of losing my familiar. Rosa had been a good familiar, who took the form of a badger.

  I’d lost a lot this summer, but I was determined not to show it to anyone. I wasn’t the richest or the most powerful warlock at Merlin College by a long shot. I didn’t have room to mess up twice.

  “Whoever you are,” I declared, “if you’re here to mess with Charlotte, you’ll have to get through me first.”

  No answer.

  It was gone, whatever it was, but it would be back. I’d bet money on that. There was something strange afoot. As far as I knew, Charlotte was the only witch to ever be admitted to a warlock university, and I had a feeling there was more to that story.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Charlotte

  I walked into the classroom for my orientation. Master Blair was waiting for me, along with a nondescript middle aged warlock in a wrinkled shirt and tie with glasses and a mustache. And by mustache, I don’t mean like a rugged mustache or a steampunk mustache or anything like that. This was like a middle management mustache circa 1985.

  “Hello, Charlotte. Thank you for being a mere fifteen minutes late,” Master Blair said.

  “Oh…sorry. Montague was giving me a tour.”

  “We’re going to give you some tests today, ask some questions. This is Professor Jablonsky, he’ll be supervising with me today.”

  “Hello, Charlotte.” Professor Jablonsky shook my head. “You can just call me Stuart. Just so you know, there are no wrong answers. Just the facts.”

  He seemed nice, but…very out of place. “Oh good, I guess not all witches and warlocks are cool.”

  Dean Blair looked up from a clipboard with a severely raised eyebrow. “What are you saying, Charlotte? Stu is the coolest warlock I know.”

  I laughed. His face turned from incredulous to angry.

  “I mean—you’re—oh—you’re serious?”

  “Of course I’m serious. Nobody tears up the dance floor like Stu, I tell ya,” Master Blair muttered. He wrote something down, still frowning at me. I wasn’t off to a great start, but at least Professor Stuart Jablonsky didn’t look very offended.

  “I guess I’m too old to be cool at this point,” he said with a shrug.

  “But we’re the same age. Am I not cool? Stu, you are extremely cool. Don’t listen to her.”

  “Well, you’re from the New York magical community,” Stuart said. “I’m from Kansas.”

  Master Blair scoffed.

  “Does it matter where you come from?” I asked.

  “You know why the midwest has a reputation for being nice? It’s because the demons don’t hang out there,” Stuart said. “So not that many witches or warlocks either. Not much to do. Demons like the southeast. That’s why Floridians have a reputation for being crazy. Florida has a lot of hot spots. ‘Florida man’ is often a demon.”

  “Ohh. That explains so much,” I said, although it also sounded optimistic. Pretty sure Florida man was just a normal weirdo, in most cases.

  “Let’s see. We’re going to give you some tests to see where to place you, Charlotte. Obviously, I know you haven’t had any training, so it might take you time to get up to snuff, but our training is very specialized here. Lots of personal attention is lavished on our students.” He paused. “I hope that didn’t sound like sexual harassment. I am not used to female students.”

  “Only if you meant it that way,” I said. “I mean, not that I want you to mean it that way. I don’t.”

  “If you were getting a tour from Montague Xarra, you probably have been harassed enough already,” Stuart said. “Maybe I should submit a report to the council.”

  Firian cleared his throat. “Let’s just get started.”

  “Yes. We’re going to start with a simple elemental test,” Master Blair said. “Not insultingly simple, I hope. I’m sure you have lit plenty of candles in your day, at least.”

  “I’ve never done any magic,” I said. “I didn’t know about any of this.”

  “You’ve never just lit a candle with your mind by accident?” Stuart asked. “Maybe you forgot.”

  “If I had accidentally lit a candle, I would have freaked out and never forgotten. I thought I was a normal human.”

  “Right,” Stuart said. “You’re going to have a very exciting year. I, for one, am excited for you.”

  Master Blair produced a candle and snapped his fingers. “Well, now you know, Charlotte, and I am sure you can light this candle. It is the simplest test of wills.”

  “Sure thing,” I said. I was not at all sure. Lighting a candle with my mind? It seemed like if I was able to do that, I would have done it as a kid during a pretend game or something. I glanced at Firian.

  “He’s right,” Firian said. “This is easy. If you have trouble, just imagine you’re in the game.”

  I looked at the candle and mustered all my determination. I didn’t know what to do, really. It felt like I should say some spell words or wave my hands. But no one had given me instructions like that, so I guess it was just a brain to candle kind of thing. Just me and an unlit candle. And three guys watching me intently. No pressure or anything. Just a very human-y witch at warlock school, gritting her teeth and tensing her muscles…

  “Relax,” Master Blair said. “You have to let go.”

  “What am I letting go of?”

  “Your fear that you won’t be able to light the candle,” Stuart said.

  Yeah, okay, that was obvious.

  “Your fear that you’ll disappoint us,” he continued.

  Oh, we’re still going.

  “Your fear that you won’t fit in here at warlock school,” he said. He paused. “But, then, sometimes you have to go deeper still. What are you the most afraid of?”

  “Wasps.”

  “Wrong!” Master Blair said. “No one’s worst fear is wasps. Or spiders or public speaking or anything so simple. Your worst fears are demons that lurk in your mind and whisper of the things that have haunted mortals since the dawn of time. Death, loss, sorrow, humiliation…these emotions are what leave us prey to actual demons.”

  I shivered. “I mean…I—I don’t know.”

  Firian looked at the ground. He was no help.

  “I’m afraid of hurting my dad,” I said. “Disappointing him. Losing him. I—I guess I always knew something bad happened with him and my mom, and it wasn’t just the usual. I know—he didn’t want this for me. If anything happens to me, it’ll wreck him. I want my dad to be happy.”

  “And yet…,” Master Blair said.

  I swallowed. “And yet, I wa
nted to come here. I want to know more about magic, and my mother, and Samuel Caruthers, and witches… I want to know what it feels like to have some real power.”

  “Light the candle,” Master Blair said.

  I threw that feeling at the candle. That was how it felt. I pushed at it with my hands. I felt a strong force of heat leave my skin as I shut my eyes. Light, candle! Light! When I open my eyes, you will be—

  I was thrown back. Firian caught me. My eyes flew open and everything was on fire. The candle had exploded into wax all over the desk. My face sort of hurt. Curtains were on fire. Papers on fire on the desk. Master Blair’s jacket. Everything that could catch fire was on fire and it was spreading fast. Flames licked up wallpaper and smoldered in the chair. “Damn!” Master Blair exclaimed. “Charlotte, get out of here!”

  Firian grabbed my hand and tried to tug me toward the door. I heard Master Blair and shouting spell words behind me.

  “The books, the books!” Master Blair said in a panic. “And we were almost done with the redecorating!”

  Stuart started throwing antique books out the window, three stories down, cringing the whole time.

  I wouldn’t let Firian drag me out. “Firian, no! This is my fault, isn’t it! I have to stop it somehow!” I tried to focus my will on the fire. I tried to draw it down, to bring it back inside me since it had come from, apparently, my repressed emotions.

  It wasn’t working. The smoke was getting thicker and that terrifying smell of paper and fabric charring and turning to ash was getting worse despite Master Blair’s efforts. I heard shouts outside as other people noticed.

  “Charlotte, we can’t do anything about this,” Firian said. “It’s easier to start a fire than it is to stop one. Just get to safety.”

  I made one final effort, spreading my hands. I created this fire. I own this fire. I can control it. I can end it. I’m not afraid.

  “Stop!” I shouted.

  All the force of the magic came at me in a rush that punched me like a hurricane force wind back at Firian. I slammed into him and we both were blown halfway up the wall, and then I fell. I saw stars, my body hit the ground hard, and…

  Next thing I knew, I was waking up in an infirmary with bandages on my arm and head. It was an airy room that looked like a World War 1 hospital in a movie: my bed was an iron frame with white sheets and a tall old window was behind me, while curtains gave us some privacy. Firian was sitting in a chair next to me with some scratches and bruises.

  “What happened? Is everyone okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah, everyone’s okay,” Firian said. “Does your arm hurt?”

  “I feel pretty bruised, but…”

  “Good. They don’t think you broke anything.” His brows furrowed. “Where did you get that kind of power?”

  “You tell me!”

  “I don’t understand it,” he said. “That wasn’t normal.”

  “And you don’t know anything about it? Aren’t you supposed to be my support in all this?”

  “I don’t know everything!” he said. “Not if someone made a bargain, or— Well, I don’t know.” He cut himself off quickly.

  “What do you mean, a bargain? Like a deal with the devil? Does this have something to do with my mom turning bad?”

  “I don’t like to say ‘bad’,” Master Blair said, walking past the privacy curtains. So much for privacy curtains. He could have knocked first. When he looked at me, I saw a little glimmer of excitement in his eyes that made me nervous.

  “But it is a little bit bad,” Stuart added. “Not your mother, that is, but the situation. We’ve just gotten a message—”

  Master Blair waved his pessimism off. “Charlotte,” he interrupted, sweeping over to me in his fresh, un-burnt, freshly pressed black suit. “That power you displayed was simply amazing. You are destined for great things. I know it. As long as we keep you on the right side of history, that is. I’m glad you’re here with me and not the witches. You have the sort of power that is not meant for a witch’s subtlety, but for raw force.” He spoke with such excitement that I was afraid he’d get saliva on me while I was trapped in bed.

  “But also, Samuel Caruthers is dead,” Stuart said.

  I sat up straight so fast that my arm throbbed with pain. “What?”

  “It’s true,” Master Blair said, immediately sobering. “He died during his trip to Australia. We just heard.”

  “Ohh—I—I hoped I would get to meet him and ask him why I’m here…” I turned away from Master Blair, who had a vaguely manic gleam in his eyes. “Am I in danger? How did he die?”

  “We’ll let you know when we know,” Stuart said.

  “I put in an immediate request to the council for his personal affects to be sent to the school when they’re returned to the country,” Master Blair said. “Charlotte, I think these two events may be connected. I think that your esteemed relative set up a channel to you. When he died, it is possible that you inherited his powers. He was powerful enough to do that. The effort to do so might have weakened him and led to his death. Maybe he wanted it that way. We need to see if he left anything behind for you.”

  “I’ve never even met him!”

  “It doesn’t matter. The great Caruthers family is in danger of dying out. You’re his blood. He saw something in you. That’s my theory, but we shall see. Maybe you are meant to be a sans pareil, and if so, you’re in the right place.”

  I saw my dad’s worried face when I left for Merlin College instead of a normal university. My arm throbbed. But I think what scared me most was the look in Master Blair’s eyes.

  “I think that Charlotte needs to be alone right now,” Firian said, in a low, serious voice. “She’s hurt. She’s inhaled a lot of smoke. And all of this is new to her. Come back later.”

  Master Blair looked at him. “It isn’t your place.”

  “If you rush her, what will that drive her to?” Firian said, not backing down.

  “Ignatius, I’m going to start cleaning the office,” Stuart said, opening a closet and taking out a mop bucket.

  A male nurse walked over and opened the curtains wide. He had a cart with some medicines and stuff. “You can check on Charlotte later,” he said. “She is still a female. She needs her rest.”

  Master Blair nodded and rose, although I wasn’t sure I liked the turn this had taken. As they were leaving, Montague came striding in with some flowers in a vase. Wow, word spread fast and I couldn’t help but feel excited that a guy was bringing me flowers already. He ran into Master Blair and Stuart in the middle of the room.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Xarra,” Master Blair said. “Charlotte needs her rest, I think.”

  “Good afternoon to you, sir. I hope she’ll rest well, and that’s why I brought her some flowers to soothe her sleep,” Montague said, smooth on the surface but with underlying tension.

  “Oh, she won’t be staying in the infirmary,” Stuart said. “She’s fine. Nothing broken, just a little sprain.”

  “Then, she can bring the flowers to her room,” Montague said. Hmm. He didn’t like Master Blair. I was starting to wonder if I could trust the head of the school.

  Montague nodded at Firian in the most cursory way, probably because Firian was glaring at him, and put the flowers on my bedside table while the nurse was mixing some medicine into a cup. The nurse kept an eye on Montague the entire time. Montague looked at my forehead. The nurse immediately wiped my forehead off with a cloth. “You shouldn’t be in this place, vampire.”

  Ohhh. Right. Blood. No wonder everyone seemed upset that he’d come here.

  “I am a warlock, not a monster,” Montague said, but his mouth suddenly had these very glaring fangs. “Charlotte, I came as soon as I heard.”

  “Thanks. It sounds like everything’s okay except the books Professor Jablonsky threw out the window.” I tried to make light of it, because as it turns out, setting things on fire in real life is not as much fun as it is in Fortune’s Favor.

  The nurse g
ave me some nasty smelling medicine. “Drink this and you can go,” he said. He steered the cart away toward the hall, still looking back at Montague. I suddenly considered just how many beds this infirmary had. I felt like there might be more down the hall. Half the population of the school could sleep here. Hmm.

  “I think someone’s watching you,” Montague whispered. “From the woods.”

  “Watching me? Oh, of course…pile it on. Did you hear that Samuel Caruthers is dead?”

  “No.”

  “You’ve only been here for twenty-four hours. This doesn’t bode well,” Firian said. “Why do you think someone’s watching her?”

  “I caught a rustle and a scent in the woods. Right after I sent you off to orientation,” Montague said. “It could be a demon. And here I thought you were here just to drive us to madness with your charm, Charlotte.” He gave me a wicked twist of a smile.

  I wasn’t sure I should take Montague seriously, but he was the only person looking out for me right now, besides my familiar. It sounded like I needed all the help I could get. He was also undeniably attractive, even with fangs. Especially with fangs, even. And I didn’t think I was that kind of girl. But I guess there was something primal in the idea of a guy wanting to drink the life out of me. No one had ever looked at me the way he did, and even if I knew it wasn’t personal, it wasn’t without a certain charm either. My eyes trailed down to his sleeve, rolled up to show his forearms, his skin a light warm brown that seemed too healthy to belong to a vampire.

  Still, I knew how cold his skin was.

  “So who is this demon?” I asked.

  “If I knew, I would tell you. But—I’ll find out. I just want you and your familiar on your guard. Don’t leave her side,” he told Firian.

  “I was definitely not planning on leaving her side. I hear there are vampires at this school,” Firian shot back.

  “Still…am I right to be nervous?” I looked at them both. “Master Blair looked way too excited that I set his office on fire. He said Samuel might have left his powers to me. Like maybe he planned his death? But what if…he didn’t, and whoever killed him is coming for me next?”