God, how could she ask him for help when he was dealing with everything else? Besides, as much as her feelings for him were growing, and as much as she wanted to trust him with everything, Sydney was his best friend. He willingly chose to be friends with her, knowing exactly what kind of horrid person she was. Ainsley didn’t know the kind of history they had. Sydney might always come first with him.
What if he told Sydney her secrets? No. It was better to wait. She’d gone this far alone. She’d just have to keep going. She remembered all the secrets her dad had kept from her and her mom. She wondered if you ever really trust anyone completely.
Ainsley couldn’t live without knowing what had possessed her dad to jump. She was convinced more than ever that he hadn’t killed himself. The way he’d acted that night—the look on his face, the stiff staggering way that he’d walked and climbed the stairs, and most especially the pleading, desperate look in his eyes. Was it possible something had forced him to step over the edge? Now that she knew magic was real, anything seemed possible.
Chapter 3
Sydney
Langston hadn't tried to stop her once she’d started explaining everything—well, almost everything—to his aunt. Part of Sydney wished he had, but a bigger part of her was relieved to hand the problem off to the Elders. They could deal with this mess now.
She told Máthair Bello about the dead animals, the doubles of Max and Tiana, and the possibility that the entity was some kind of shapeshifter. She took full responsibility for it all, leaving Ainsley and Oswald out, and claiming no one else in the coven knew about it. She emphasized that she hadn’t realized how serious everything was. It was not going over well.
Máthair Bello remained seated on the edge of the sofa next to Langston, her face unreadable. It was far worse than when she’d been scowling, gritting her teeth, and breathing through flared nostrils. This woman was far more terrifying—like she was capable of anything. Sydney knew better than to ask what was going to happen to her a second time.
They sat in silence, the only sound Máthair Lautner rising to get Jake some ice water.
Máthair Bello lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. “I have no choice; I need to alert your mother. Stay put, every one of you. No one is leaving the Nest tonight.”
Syd reached out to grab the Máthair's sleeve, but the look of disgust in Máthair Bello’s eyes made her recoil. “Please,” she begged, “can’t you handle this without my mother knowing?”
Tears ran down Sydney’s cheeks. Of course, the Master would inform her mother. What had Sydney been thinking? How stupid! Desperate to share the weight of the situation, she’d unburdened herself—but at what cost?
Máthair Bello reeled back, her face twisted with fury. “You knew all of this for weeks and said nothing! You've endangered us all. That thing nearly killed my nephew and Jake tonight and put a half-dozen others at risk. It stripped these two of their magic,” she hissed through gritted teeth, her voice rising precipitously, “and I don’t know if they’ll ever get it back!”
“Please, Aunt Isme, that’s enough,” Langston said. “I’m tired. I can’t take anymore yelling.”
But Máthair Bello continued as though she hadn’t heard him. “You were careless, dangerous, and selfish!” With that, she smoothed her dress and walked out of the Hall, never looking back.
A pair of Lords moved Langston and Jake to the infirmary, and Jeremy went to the Armory to be with the other apprentices. Sydney wondered how much the other apprentices knew at this point.
Justin stayed behind with Sydney while she waited for her mother. She wanted to believe he remained for moral support, that he was stepping up as a show of loyalty. Part of her wondered if his aunt secretly tasked him with making sure Sydney didn’t go anywhere. It was a safe bet. If anyone was a flight risk right now, it was her.
Syd curled her legs into her chest and rested her head on top of them. A mass of tension wound through her, burning her neck and back. She looked to Justin, only to see despair on his face.
The surrounding trees, which were full of vibrant green leaves only hours ago, were now barren, leaving behind a dusting of withered brown mulch on the Hall floor. The stream, likewise, had changed from a peaceful trickling to choppy and agitated—both reflecting the changed mood in the room.
Sydney's eyes swept the remainder of the dimly lit room, ignoring the eerie shadows that formed beneath the flickering candlelight. Eventually, she settled her attention on the clock. It had been two hours since Máthair Bello had left. Where was her mother? What was going to happen to her? How long would she sit here, waiting for punishment?
Jax texted them to say that the rest of the apprentices would be sleeping inside the Nest while the Elders held an emergency meeting.
Khourtney and Ava tiptoed into the Main Hall with a few blankets and pillows. Syd glanced up but could barely face them.
“What’s happening?” Ava whispered as she passed a pillow to Sydney. “No one will tell us anything.”
Syd tried to appear like everything was under control. “The Elders are meeting." She straightened, keeping her chin high. “I told Máthair Bello about the shifter.”
Khourtney and Ava gasped.
“I took responsibility for all of it. I didn’t mention any of you.”
Justin slid next to her on the sofa, agreeing, “She protected us.”
Syd appreciated the gratitude in his voice.
The thundering of the heavy oak doors crashing open meant Sydney’s mother had arrived. She charged into the Main Hall, leaving Ava and Khourt to scurry past her toward the exit.
Her mother loomed in front of them. “Justin, go with the others. I need a word alone with my daughter.” She didn't have to tell Justin twice.
Sydney pulled herself up from her curled position on the sofa and wrapped her arms around her knees.
“Look at me,” her mother snarled.
Syd lifted her chin. She despised the hot tears filling her eyes—tears that would only enrage her mother more.
Her mother bent down until she was mere inches from Sydney. “Do you still have your magic?”
Syd’s throat constricted. “Y-yes.”
“Then why are you crying?” her mother shouted, her voice bouncing off the walls and ceiling of the cavernous room.
Sydney quivered, swallowing back her tears. “I’m sorry, Mother. I never meant—”
“You never mean to do anything. Are you so proud that you would risk the lives of everyone in this coven, not to mention those at Ashcroft, rather than come to me for help? How dare you be so reckless. You foolish, stupid girl!”
The dam inside Sydney burst, and she sobbed, rocking with her arms around herself, hardly breathing. “What can I do? Tell me what to do?”
“Get up,” her mother commanded. “You’re bringing me to that cavern in the woods.”
Sydney almost wished her mother would yell and harangue, belittle and threaten her during their trek through the forest. Her silence was worse, slicing through Sydney like a hot knife. But Andrea Lockwood wouldn’t lose control like that in front of her underlings, especially these underlings.
Ava’s mom, Máthair McKellen, as well as another Elder, Athair Elias, accompanied Syd and her mother for protection. Maybe their presence was a blessing, as her mother wouldn’t allow them to see that side of her, not even now. Not even with all that Sydney had done and failed to do. Not even this first time when her mother’s rage was truly justified.
Sydney scanned the surrounding forest. In the darkness, the trees loomed even more, which made her muscles tighten further. The forest looked as though it could swallow them into the blackness if it wanted.
The cold, early winter air chilled Syd to the point that her teeth ached from chattering, or perhaps it was from nerves. It was hard to tell. She felt detached from her body—like she was hovering above herself as she wove her way between the trees, over roots, and around rocks, trying to find the stupid hole that had started thi
s whole mess.
But everything looked the same, especially in the dead of night. It had been difficult enough finding the cavern for the second time in the light of day, but now, with her mother and two Elder witches in tow, it seemed impossible. If she couldn’t find it again, her mother would be livid, and Sydney had embarrassed herself enough for a lifetime. Surely she could do this one thing, right?
The trees cleared into a small opening, and her intuition told her she was close. She closed her eyes and allowed her senses to expand in the space. “It’s over there.” Sydney did a cursory glance around the area, praying the shifter wasn’t lurking nearby, lying in wait for another opportunity to attack.
By only the light of the moon, she led them the remainder of the way. She stopped and pointed past the ivy-covered mound. “It’s behind that. The ivy acts as camouflage. The hill dips down about twelve feet or so.” Her voice shook, and she fought to control it. She couldn’t show more self-doubt than she already had.
Máthair McKellen, Ava’s mother and a woman full of grace, put a gentle hand on Sydney’s shoulder. Tears threatened to spring again, so Sydney pulled herself away from the kind woman’s touch. She didn't deserve such warmth at the moment.
Her mother and the Elders slowly lowered themselves into the hole, dropping as though standing in a glass elevator. The gentle breeze of magic swept past Sydney as they descended.
Sydney couldn’t levitate yet and was about to climb down the rope she'd left behind when she was lifted off the ground and landed, albeit a bit roughly, at the bottom of the hole—courtesy of her mother’s magic.
Her mother stood before her, arms crossed. “Show me.”
Sydney didn’t have the emotional wherewithal to conjure light in front of them, so she resorted to pulling out her phone. She aimed her flashlight beam at the door, and her legs nearly gave out from underneath her.
“What is it?” Máthair McKellen asked, her hand reaching out to support Sydney.
“The binding symbol that was on the door—it’s gone!” Syd cried out, approaching the now smooth wood and running her hands along it. There was no trace that any carving had ever existed. It was the same wood, the same doorknob, the same color and construction, but it was now completely blank. “I don’t understand. It was here.”
Sydney turned the handle and pushed the door open, flashing her light from wall to wall and then from the dirt floor to earthen ceiling. Her mother stepped in, close on Sydney's heels. There was nothing etched into the dirt. The pentagram, the bones—it was all gone. “I don’t understand! It was here!” Sydney’s vision tunneled. What was happening? Was this some sick game?
The Elders stepped inside after them. Her mother conjured an illumination spell, and its bright orb hovered above their heads.
Sydney’s stomach rolled as she surveyed every inch of the room. Something had erased every magical symbol and rune on the floor and walls and removed the bones in the center of the pentagram. There was nothing left, no sign that any of it had ever existed. Her skin broke out in a fevered sweat.
Seething, her mother said, “Is this some sort of joke?”
“There were carvings all over here. I swear.” She bounced the light beam around the room again, praying that her eyes were playing tricks on her. “The bones lay in a pile there!”
“And your word is so trustworthy.” Her mother turned to their companions, “My apologies. It seems my daughter has led us on a wild goose chase.”
Sydney’s cheeks burned from the Elders’ shocked and pitying stares. “No, I didn’t. I'm not. Ancient magical symbols covered this place. Someone has gotten rid of them all.”
Athair Elias ran a hand along one of the walls. “There’s no sign that anything was here, although it is odd that a room like this even exists.”
“Perhaps someone did remove them,” Máthair McKellen said, the same care in her voice as before.
Her mother’s arm flung out, grabbing hold of Sydney’s arm and squeezing her fingers into the soft tissue. “Or they never existed, and you’re making up lies to cover your misdeeds. Perhaps you have no idea what happened to Langston and Jake, and you’re inserting yourself once again somewhere you don’t belong.” She shook her head, roughly releasing Syd from her grip and making a tsk-tsk sound. “Always needing to be the center of attention.” Her nostrils flared, her face frighteningly shadowed under the light orb. She turned to face the Elders. “I apologize for dragging you out here in the middle of the night.”
“But I’m not lying. I swear it!” Sydney rubbed the spot where her mother’s nails had dug in. She searched the Elder’s faces for any sign that they believed her. Máthair McKellen reached out to comfort Sydney, but her mother seized Sydney by the wrist, dragging her out of the room.
“Back to the Nest. Not another word from you.”
Sydney's mother, still furious, dropped her off in the Nest and left without a word. Syd had no idea where her mother was going, what she was about to do, and right now, she preferred not to know.
An uneasy suspicion took hold in Sydney’s brain and wouldn’t shake loose. Why hadn’t her mother tried to get inside her head, like she always did? Sydney still wasn't strong enough to keep her out, and her mother would have known with certainty that Sydney was telling the truth. Why had her mother restrained herself from prying this time?
It was nearly six in the morning and still pitch-black outside. Sydney’s bones ached, and her body buzzed from lack of sleep. She felt like she’d had five coffees, even though she could hardly keep her eyes open.
Sydney crept into the Armory, where the apprentices were sleeping. They all looked so peaceful and unencumbered. She wondered if the last time she would feel that way was already a memory, never to return. Scanning the floor of slumbering bodies, she saw Ava’s white-blonde hair next to a blanketed heap that she guessed was Khourtney.
She tiptoed toward them and lay down next to Ava, who stirred before opening her eyes.
“Where were you?” Ava whispered. “I was worried. Are you okay?”
Syd slid under the blanket and pulled it up to her neck, not bothering to take her jacket off. She was too freezing to even think of losing a layer of warmth. Every muscle in her body ached. “My mother brought me to the underground room.” The thickness in her throat returned. “The shifter must’ve been there. Every trace of Saskia’s spells is gone. So are the bones.”
“Why didn’t I take pictures of everything?” She moaned, picturing Langston doubled over and wailing. She had failed him, again. “How are we ever going to trap and bind it now?”
Then Sydney remembered that Ainsley had some photos on her phone. She’d transfer them to hers. She was determined not to show her mother though, not now, not after everything she’d insinuated tonight, but the photos would help her when they contacted Saskia.
Ava stifled a yawn. “What else happened? What did your mother say?”
Sydney grunted. “She accused me of being a liar.” She didn’t want to add the next part, but it was only a matter of time before Ava found out. “Your mother was there and Athair Elias, too.” She swallowed hard. “It was humiliating. She doesn’t believe me, and it’s not like I have anyone who can back me up now. I don’t want any of you involved, and nobody else can know about Ainsley.” She mouthed the name in case the witches surrounding them weren’t as asleep as they appeared.
Ava sat up, her face washed with concern. “How can she not believe you? It attacked Langston and Jake. Isn’t that evidence enough?”
Syd shrugged under the covers. “It doesn't matter. She’s not exactly keeping me in the loop.” Sydney snuggled closer to Ava, hoping it would ease the chill in her bones.
“I’ll talk to my mother.” Ava rested her head against Sydney’s. “I can talk to yours, too.”
“No.” Syd jerked up. The last thing she wanted was Ava coming to her rescue. Her mother already thought more of her friend than she did of her own daughter. “Leave it until she calms down.”
“Has anyone heard about Langston? How is he?” It was an idiotic question. The shifter had excruciatingly ripped his magic—his entire identity—from him. How could he be?
“Justin checked in on him a few hours ago. He said Langston wouldn’t talk; he just stared at the wall.”
Her stomach flipped as if she were on a swing, flying through the air. “This is all my fault. I have to fix this.”
Ava put her hand on Syd’s arm and looked around before whispering, “Well, Ainsley didn’t give you much of a choice. But now that our parents know, we have to let them take care of it. We have no idea what we’re dealing with, and things could get a lot worse. You can’t keep beating yourself up.”
Sydney slid her arm away. She didn’t deserve anyone’s comfort. “Who am I supposed to blame then? I could’ve tried harder to stop her.”
Ava tilted her head, her mouth a soft smile. “No, Syd. You couldn’t have known what was inside, and besides, she was going to open it with or without you. It was an innocent mistake.”
“Nice of you to say, but we both know that’s bullshit. The door had a magical warding on it. What other hint did I need? I could’ve done more to stop her.”
“You didn’t know it was housing something dangerous. I would’ve thought it was connected to the Nest somehow, like an off-site practice room or something like that. None of us would’ve predicted this type of entity.”
“We shouldn’t be talking about this, not here where anyone can overhear us.”
“Fine, but you’re exhausted. We’ll meet and plan tomorrow. We have the rest of the weekend to think. Try and get some rest.”
Sydney nodded and closed her eyes, seeing only the pulsating mist and hearing only the echo of Jake and Langston’s screams.
Wilde Abandon (Ashcroft Academy Book 3) Page 2
