Bewitched: A Paranormal Academy Romance Page 11

  With that, she turned to go…

  “Mother died ten years ago.”

  It froze her faster than moonberries. I couldn’t judge her emotions from behind—and even her scent went strangely flat—but I knew that the news touched something inside her. Nonetheless, the headmaster proved to be a strong woman. She stifled her emotions and left me in the corridor. I remained there until an urge to go to a toilet got me. Upon returning to the room, I found Anaise Venturo on the verge of shifting.

  “…true? You’re her aunt? Why haven’t you been exiled as well?”

  “Thundersky clan has nothing to do with the Moonless.” It hurt to hear my aunt say it.

  “Now it is the Moonless?” Venturo bitch hissed like a little snake I expected her to shift into, instead of a wolf. “You presented her as the Diremoon!”

  The headmaster turned around lightning fast and slapped Anais in the face. The sound rang in the room. But neither Atarise nor Rocco seemed perturbed by this. Anais on the other hand was growing beetroot red. Wasn’t Anais someone important?

  “Since the ceremony, you are my subjects. I am not in a position to explain myself to any of you. If you are not happy with the way matters are conducted in the shifter academy, file a complaint. I’ll consider it.”

  “You’re so dead, woman,” Anais said.

  What in the moon’s name is going on here? I searched the faces of the other two shifters but they looked blank, of sorts.

  “I’ve heard such threats all my life,” the headmaster said with cool serenity. “I am still standing here, unharmed. Think about it, Venturo. Now, I’ll leave you to your devices. But I must warn you, killing each other will be punished.”

  Anais trembled with rage. I could see the fur on her neck and shoulders. She was a hair width from shifting and I didn’t think it’d end pretty. In the wolf form, our minds worked differently. Killing didn’t mean much to us. If she went ahead and shifted, propelled by wrath, only one outcome would emerge – a bloodbath. Rocco’s thoughts had to be similar to mine because he approached her, extended his arm but dropped it before his hand reached the angry shifter.

  “If you shift now, I’ll have no choice but to do the same. I’ll tear you apart.” I stood, perplexed by the coldness of his words. He said them as if Anais was nothing but a worm to him. While I disliked her, seeing Rocco’s like this made me hate him, although his body was of the divine sort.

  “Are you all blind?” she hissed. “The Moonless scum is among us. She’s already poisoning your minds. I heard that your brothers spend time with her! And the headmaster is her aunt!”

  Rocco glanced my way. A cool awareness flashed in his mesmerizing green eyes. I was glamoured by an enemy. Great. But this was not the time for fighting. I’d end up bashing my head against the wall. Strangely, he didn’t say anything, which wasn’t like him. In the car, he always had to have the last word.

  “Are we going to team up or struggle alone?” A silly question from a silly girl but maybe…

  “We will but not with you,” Atarise replied and seeing my total confusion added. “You’re going to be an easy prey while our trio will stay out of the fighting.”

  With that, they left me alone in the room. While I seethed at them for their cruelty, I also agreed, they were smart. They made a scapegoat out of me. But no, I am … Diremoon. The clan people of Shifter Island fear. It was evident in their reaction when my name was called out. We were feared.

  Having no choice I followed the trio. We emerged into the atrium and it seemed that the ceremony was almost over. That was quick.

  “There you are!” Eureka’s voice took an invisible pressure off me. I turned toward her and found Ava and Ashley trailing behind. Ashley looked timid as always but Ava’s face was pure rage. Thoughts of asking them about the rest of their group—the two girls that had disappeared when Eureka noticed me—fled. Why was she so pissed off?

  “Hey!”

  Eureka cut to the chase.

  “You’re the only High-Rank in the first year! The academy is buzzing.”

  I sensed the positive energy radiating from Eureka. She was like the sun … ekhm, I meant the moon. Bathing the world around in lightheartedness. Then why is Ava so pissed off? Wasn’t she the one to tell me to accept it with pride?

  “What’s up?” I asked Ava.

  She dropped her annoyed expression upon my question but displeasure remained.

  “I don’t know how, but my sister managed to become the only Low-Rank in the first year.” Oh, poor thing. It means… Well, what does it mean?

  “I am sorry,” Ashley muttered. I tried to not pity her.

  Eureka laughed at her, so maybe being a Low-Rank wasn’t that bad…

  “It’s not funny!” Ava snapped. “It means no hunting and no spellcraft. Two main sources of income. She’d have to get a normal job.” She said the word ‘normal’ with a shiver. Wait. If someone is a Low-Rank, does it mean they cannot shift into a wolf? I asked them because it seemed unreal. I knew those good with spells disliked to shift but they could do it no matter what.

  “Oh, she can shift. That’s not the problem. But hunting requires special skills only dominant shifters can learn,” Ava explained.

  Ach.

  “I don’t care about any of this as long as I can shift,” I told them, hoping to lift the mood. But it sounded hollow in my mouth so they looked at me slightly exasperated.

  “It is easy for you to say! You can do both.” Ava’s temper took the better of her, but as quickly as she boiled, she rapidly cooled too. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it this way.”

  I waved at her.

  “Don’t worry.”

  Eureka sighed, bored.

  “Finished? Because, you know, I won’t be the one to tell you but the Bewitching Ball is coming closer with each minute.”

  Chapter 20

  It wasn’t the jog back to my flat that got my heart racing. No. I hardly noticed it. Bewitching Ball loomed in my mind as something mystical and out of fantasy. Gabriel had promised to be there. And I should expect Ryder, Rocco, and Hunt, too. Although the last one was a bit of mystery. Eureka and Ava refused to even mention his name. For some reason, it only made his image burn brighter in my head – black velvet hair and intense golden eyes. I was hungry to see the Goldfury brothers again, minus Rocco. I had enough of him for one day.

  The girls had flats closer to the academy and had gone their separate ways but they’d promised to meet me in the atrium before the ball started. When I reached the flat, I smelled something pungent. Did someone break in? I checked the door and found no traces of the intrusion but someone had been here. I shivered thinking of a shifter stinking like this. Suddenly, the ball became only a minor detail in the background. I couldn’t forget where and who I was. Now, more than ever. If my aunt spoke the truth, it means the entire first year will be after me. I have to start paying attention.

  I pushed the door open and heard steps behind me. Whirling around, my wolf awoke, and if not for the familiar scent, I’d let her wild.

  “It was a close call,” Gabriel said with tightness in his voice. I nodded, angry and relieved at the same time. I wanted to see him so badly all these days. His excuse was work.

  Not going inside, I stayed on the threshold. Gabriel wore a tuxedo, looking smoking hot and sharp. I couldn’t peel my eyes off him, fuck, I barely could breathe in his presence. I’d never known a man to conquer my feelings.

  And yet I remained in the door.

  “I hoped you’d show up earlier.”

  It was his turn to nod.

  “Some responsibilities cannot be avoided. I am sorry, Cora.” I could judge by his voice and scent that there was way more he wished to say.

  And yet he didn’t.

  We were dancing around a very delicate subject. We knew it.

  “Are you going to the ball?” he asked eventually.

  “That’s the plan.”

  I was surprised that he was surprised. He and Ryder had been
the ones who had convinced me to go there and now he changed his mind? What? Why? I decided to be blunt here and asked him directly.

  “The rules of the ball were changed at the last moment. It will be a ball with masks and deeply altered appearances also the ball won’t take place in the town but inside the academy.” To think of this, Imperia mentioned something like this. What was so different then?

  “What does it mean? Weren’t previous balls like this?”

  “No. Previous balls had a rule. You could demand others to reveal their identity and many details weren’t masked. This rule is gone. Also, inside the academy, it’ll be crowded so it’ll be easy to get out with anything. It’s a dangerous change.” Don’t say, Gabriel. I had a feeling it’s your father’s doing. And you know it.

  “Are you going?”

  “I have to.”

  That settled the matter. If Gabriel went to the ball, he shouldn’t expect me to stay at home. Did he really believe that I’d be safer here? I’ve spent most of my life at the edge of the civilization, in frigid cold Alaska but even I understood how exposed it’d make me. Everyone’s eyes would be on the ball. A perfect opportunity…

  “I am sorry but I must decline. By the way, I won’t go alone.”

  I’d never seen Gabriel rattled to the bones like this, though it didn’t mean he hadn’t done that before. It wasn’t like him. He blinked, opened his mouth but found no words there. I smelled his overpowering … jealousy. Oh, blasted moon, he thinks…

  “I made friends with three female shifters, Gabriel. Is this something you forbid me as well? Having friends.”

  Many emotions rippled throughout his body then vanished without a warning. Gabriel Goldfury was himself again. Cool, calm and noble. A man the legendary painters would kill to paint. His aristocratic bearing didn’t grate on me though as it had with Atarise. Gabriel looked at me and I didn’t feel like a bug under his gaze.

  “Of course not. I misunderstood you. I am sorry. And I also, will not stop you from going to the party but being a High-Rank contender made you a target to all the first-year students. Many of them are simpletons and foolhardy idiots who believe that taking you down would make them famous.”

  I got the idea. I kind of came here with a target on my back. Hey look, Moonless is here… I understood it. Being a Top Four didn’t change a thing. I’d have to be twice as vigilant as before. Father made sure to hone my survival skills. Of course, he’d had no idea I’d be summoned to attend the academy, and even if, his lessons would’ve been ill-adjusted with all these new rules.

  “Did you see them when the headmaster called me by my true clan name?”

  “Is this what you desire? Being feared?”

  “I…” I don’t … know.

  Troubled, he turned to go. I wanted to scream! To tell him to wait, to stay … with me. But my voice failed me, like many times it has done so in dreams. I watched him go, trying to put the puzzles into places. This made no sense. Did we just break up? Before our relationship even started…

  Once more I stood in the darkness. A cave again. A flame danced in the middle of the space. When I made a step forward, it trembled with fear and shrunk. Out of nowhere, my instincts flared to life … instincts I should not have. A usually-slippery spell, now in my firm grasp, made me alive. As the power of magic coursed in my veins for the first time in my life, I desired it to never stop. I surged forward, subconsciously altering the pressure and temperature of the air ahead of me. The flame, whatever it was, noticed me too late.

  I touched it—

  How could I describe what happened next when it made no sense?

  Paths extended into the future, showing things to come. In some of them, Diremoon ruled, in others Shifter Island existed no more. In many, I died. Sometimes, a quick merciful death but more often I met my end on the battlefield or in a torture chamber. I lived in so few of them… Dear God, why am I cursed to go through this?

  People were after me. They wanted something I carried, something they feared and desired. No matter how hard I looked into the future to see what was they wanted so badly that it made them defy logic, honor, and rules. The vision blurred and broke apart.

  I returned without a warning. What was happening to me? Were these visions real or maybe someone poisoned me? I glanced up to the many moons in the sky and it felt like the answer was tied to their unnatural presence. If they managed to bring more moons to Shifter Island … what else is possible? I hoped that my visions of the future hadn’t been real. With trembling hands and unsteady feet, I entered the flat.

  *

  I was no longer excited about going to the ball. Worse, the visions seemed to cling to my mind like a leech. I put on a red sparkly dress that made me feel good. It was all that mattered. I didn’t need Goldfury to like me… Goldfury … Gabriel. Was this little thing between us over? Or was this some elaborate game on his part? I didn’t understand guys as much as I wanted to believe.

  The evening was warm. Or my life in Alaska just toughened my skin to the point where I no longer care? Either way, I strode toward the academy. Eureka, Ava, and Ashley had promised to wait for me there. Their friendship was so unexpected and instant it should have raised a red flag from the start. It didn’t. My instincts told me these three were genuine. Perhaps, I wanted to believe so badly it blinded me. Time would tell. In my freaking vision, they stood with me – Ashley and Eureka. I hadn’t see Ava in it. I didn’t give it much thought as I neared the academy. Shifter students were converging – hundreds of them. More than was in the ceremony. Laughs, conversations, and shouts rang all over.

  It, kind of, feels good to be here, I realized with a start. It wasn’t only about the ball, there was more to being around other shifters of my age. I couldn’t pinpoint or name the feeling but it energized me and that was amazing. With brimming energy, I entered the bursting with shifters atrium. Scents of every kind swirled and mixed in the air. Some were complex and rich, evoking strange analogies while others were simple but primal.

  Maybe it won’t be half as bad as I feared.

  “Och, so you came.”

  I shivered upon hearing it because the voice belonged to Ryder. He wore the same tuxedo as his brother Gabriel who—unfortunately—wasn’t here. With a wide smile, he extended his arms as if he wanted to swallow me. He obviously was a showman and did it to stir a fresh wave of rumors. His father was already pissed off about his behavior. I should tell him this, but when I got close he didn’t give me a chance to speak. He hugged me and kissed my cheek, leaving a burning spot there. Despite the buzz in the atrium, I could hear gasps. And then, silence fell on us with deafening intensity.

  “You shouldn’t have done it,” I whispered to Ryder and at the same time, I was glad that he did. Wasn’t this a sign of acceptance?

  “Believe me,” he replied with a wicked but passionate grin. “I had to.”

  “Did you see…” I stopped immediately realizing how weird it’d sound to ask about his brother at the moment like this. Nonetheless, Ryder wasn’t some trivial jester, he figured me out right away.

  “Gabriel is responsible for the safety of the ball and he’s already inside making sure that your pretty ass stays in one piece.”

  He winked and was gone before my brain could pick itself up from the ground. The spectacle created a ring around the two of us and so Eureka, Ava, and Ashley had no problem getting to me right after.

  “You’re insane, girl!” Eureka admitted with a grin that looked too much like Ryder’s. They’d make a good match. It wasn’t easy to accept such a possibility as Ryder was hot and a greedy part of my shifter’s nature wished to claim him as well. This was worrisome. Father had warned me about this aspect of shifter’s primal instinct. We were greedy and predatory at our core and it was paramount to get rid of those wants as soon as possible. In many stories, Ferals had multiple partners at the same time because they couldn’t satiate their sexual drive. Now, I finally started to see the wisdom in my father’s words. Sinc
e the journey with the four Goldfury brothers, my body began changing. Demanding stimulation, I had never needed.

  Simply put, I wanted to have sex and both, Ryder and Gabriel, seemed like perfect candidates. Strong, handsome, dominating in their own ways. But you cannot have them both. You must choose … I already did. I accepted Gabriel’s advances and expected him to be my first. But after his visit…

  “Hello? Are you there?”

  “Yes. Sorry, I zoned out.”

  “You look amazing in that red dress, Cora. But we should get going. This little stunt gathered a lot of attention. And you were named one of the Top Four. You must be careful.”

  “Stop fretting, Ava. We have her back.”

  Eureka. A strange name for a stranger girl. What is it that makes you say these words?

  The crowd slowly started to lose their interest in me. Ava didn’t wait. She cut through it toward the massive door where the Bewitching Ball was about to happen.

  And where my life would change forever.

  Chapter 21

  A dozen men in black tuxedos stood by the door. They were all looking good, but none could compete with Ryder. He smiled when we approached. The queue was massive. A shimmering veil blocked all the sounds and scents of what lay ahead. Only vibrant colors came through. Despite all my doubts, excitement exploded in me.

  “Do you know rules?” asked one of the guys.

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  They looked between themselves.

  “Stepping through the threshold places a spell on you, creating a mask, blocking your unique scent, and changing your voice so no one can recognize you.”

  “Nice,” Eureka said with dreaming eyes.

  “Any family in the academy?”

  Eureka had none. Ava and Ashley were the only ones from Frostbolt clan here. An issue with me was more delicate and complex. When my aunt revealed the truth, I realized that some of my cousins may live here. And now, with the masks on … well it didn’t matter if they were on or not, I wouldn’t know them anyway.