CHAPTER 19: MAGIC SCHOOL I
2533 Words
VALENTINA
“It’s a good fifteen-minute walk,” Amadeo says. “We’re late, and this is the fastest way to the west wing.”
These heels aren’t made for the pace he’s setting.
“And whose fault is that?”
“Yours.” He doesn’t turn to look at me, but I can hear the amusement in his voice.
“Sure, blame me for your lack of control.” I huff, trailing behind him down the three flights of stairs.
I know dragons have a high s*x drive, but knowing that and experiencing it are two different things. He slows down on the landing and turns to look at me, grinning from ear to ear.
Goddess, I love those dimples. Seeing them makes me ache in all the right places.
“You’re very distracting. Did you know that?” Amadeo steps forward and tugs the collar of my coat, pulling me into his embrace. “I’d take you right here and now if Amira wasn’t waiting.” One of our phones buzzes faintly, and he pats his pocket. “I’m betting that’s her.”
He was supposed to bring me to her magic school yesterday, but we got carried away.
What began in the kitchen turned into a full day in the bedroom, where we barely came up for air. When we did, he fed me and massaged my body with oils. He bathed me and even brushed my hair, and it was wonderful. Amadeo is utterly domineering during s*x and tender and attentive in my aftercare. The dichotomy in personality kept me in a constant state of bliss and adoration throughout it all.
I was falling in love with him. I knew it, and it felt right in a way that nothing ever had before. He was both soft and strong, and for someone like myself who was self-reliant for so long, his devotion along with his strength soothed something deep inside my soul.
“Is there anything I should know about her? Or the school?”
I hate being unprepared, and I’m noticing Amadeo has a way of keeping things from me. I’m unsure if it’s intentional on his part or if he simply doesn’t think I need to know certain things. Whatever the reason, I don’t like it.
We head through a door and make our way across a long tunnel.
“Well, the school is within the castle.” He pauses and clears his throat. “The west wing is quite separate from the rest of the palace, and my mother always had it open to the public. When I was a child, it was a hospital. After that, it’s been a research facility, a marketplace, and now it’s a magic school,” he explains casually.
I don’t hide my surprise. I thought, with the exception of Manuel and Inés, we were alone here.
“Anything else you want to share?”
“Nothing I can think of at the moment.”
“Well, think harder.” I’m a bit miffed, but he shrugs off my half-attempt at being snarky and grins. I want nothing more than to wipe that smug look off of his face.
Off-kilter. That’s it. That’s the best way to describe how I have felt since I met him. Half-truths, surprises, and crazy information about the Tribunal leave me uneasy, and as much as I’m enjoying myself, the unease remains constantly under the surface.
“Maybe there’s one other thing.”
Great.
“My family lives with me.” His eyes search mine warily. “Vivi and her mom, Aria, are in the north wing. That’s the main part of the castle where we stayed when my parents were alive. Elena and Amira live in the east wing, and our wing is known as the south wing.”
Our wing. His voice drops slightly, but it’s still smooth like velvet, and a slight shiver passes over me.
“I should’ve told you sooner.” Amadeo slides his hand in mine. “But we’ve been busy. Forgive me?” He brings my hand up to his lips and kisses my knuckles.
He’s damn right. He should’ve told me sooner. Maybe I wouldn’t have been practically naked meeting his sister for the first time if he had. I pull my hand back to my side and push past him. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to remain upset with him, and in this instant, I want to stay upset.
The winter wind whirls my hair across my face as I stalk across the empty courtyard, only to realize the door on the opposite end has a keypad. He’s beside me in seconds, punching in a passcode, and when the door opens, Dame Amira greets us alongside two bulky men with matching buzz cuts and uniforms.
“Valentina!” She takes one step forward, prepared to hug me, but thankfully she stops herself and clasps her hands in front of her instead. “I’m so happy you finally made it. I was beginning to think he was going to keep you locked away in his tower forever.” She gives Amadeo a wry smile, and tiny laugh lines materialize on her otherwise smooth melanin-rich skin.
“I should have with how much you and Elena have been pestering me.”
So his sister did know I was here. Interesting.
Her smile broadens. “Can you blame us? You’re selfishly keeping her all to yourself.” She turns to me. “We wanted to plan a dinner, but he said no because we would all get to see you at the dinner with the Witch Council.”
More news for me. I thought I was meeting with the five members.
He groans.
“Oh, you didn’t know it was a full-on family affair?” She laughs at Amadeo. “You’re in trouble now, Skyscraper.”
When I met Dame Amira, she trained my Circle, and we spoke strictly about magic and enhancing our abilities. I admired her gift of mimicry and told her so, but her playful banter with Amadeo hints at their good relationship, and I love that even more. A wonderful warmth spreads in my chest when I think about how everyone likes him. Even everyone back home is rooting for him. So, I decide not to give him hell just yet, even though he deserves it.
“Are you staying with us?” she asks him. Originally from London, her accent is barely recognizable. When I’m not around, I wonder if they speak in Spanish.
It’s obvious Amadeo had no intention of leaving me, but she has already turned her back and walked away. I face him and wave, trying to give a reassuring smile.
“Call me when you’re done?” He shouts, and I nod.
“I know you’ll appreciate getting straight to business, so I’ll let you know a bit about the school, and then we can visit some classes.” With her braids pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck and her tailored whiskey-brown pantsuit, she looks sharp and every bit the part of a headmistress. I’m glad I decided to go with my black knee-length dress today.
“Sounds good.”
“The school is in its fifth year with about 120 students. Tuition is rather costly, and in the past, we have been very selective with who we admit.”
The layout looks similar to what I’ve seen of the castle already, but the hallways are mainly bare with wooden benches and trophy cases. There’s a lot of creams, greys, and some blues mixed in, but no lockers in sight.
“How old are the students?”
“Between the ages of 13 and 18.”
“And what courses do you offer?” I wouldn’t think this was a magic school. The rooms look like regular classrooms.
“All core subjects are taught along with physical education according to their age, and then their magic courses are broken down by ability. All of the courses are in English, but they also have to take Spanish and French.”
“I heard you were looking to expand and possibly open your door to more students in the future.”
“You heard correctly. We are one of three magic schools in Europe. The others are in Vienna and Moscow. We’re hoping to open our doors to younger students next year because there has been some interest. If I can be honest, that’s where I hope you come in.” She lowers her voice as two students pass us. “Our council is looking for powerful and like-minded witches who not only can assist us in battle against the Rebellion but can support us in other avenues as well, like education.”
“And you think I can be of help?”
“Absolutely. I think your entire Circle can be, but we’d like to start with you. The dinner with everyone is really so you can meet the other members, but they’ve already been made aware of your abilities.”
“Then what?”
“Well, then we see where you would fit. Sandrine has hopes of retiring, and I’d like you here. You could do both like I do if you want. It would be convenient for you to teach at the school. You’d be pretty much working from home.”
This is surreal. A member of the Witch Council believes I have a chance at a highly coveted position within the Tribunal.
“Dame Amira–”
“I’m simply Amira. We’re going to be family and hopefully colleagues soon.”
The tips of my ears feel hot. “Amadeo and I haven’t discussed what we’re doing past this week.”
“Of course, of course.” Her smile is sly. “But you have to admit, this all worked out perfectly.”
A little too perfectly. Eager to change the subject, I gesture towards a room. “What’s going on in there?”
“Those students are seniors. My guess is they’re making an ointment or salve. This room has every plant, herb, and flower imaginable. Would you like to take a look?”
I nod. “Who collects all of the ingredients?”
“Mainly myself and some of the staff.”
Dame Amira, there is an incident in the cafeteria. You are needed immediately. A voice breaks out of a speaker close to us. She pulls a walkie-talkie device I hadn’t noticed from her belt and raises a finger to me to wait.
“I’ll be right there,” she responds. She opens the door. “Ms. Ooi, this is Miss Dragone. She’s observing for the day. Can you fill her in on what you and the students are working on?”
Ms. Ooi nods fervently. She’s a short woman in her mid-forties with medium-length black hair and thick glasses.
“I’m terribly sorry, but I have to see what’s going on quickly. I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Amira is out the door before I can even respond.
It’s not often I’m surrounded by a group of teenage witches. Their magic sizzles and pops in a way that is different from adults'. It has me feeling excited in an unusual way.
“Miss Dragone, I’d like to introduce you to the class. What is your magical gift?”
I hesitate whenever this question is asked. It’s not necessary, but she seems so eager and enthusiastic, and there’s no actual harm in sharing a bit with them.
“I’m a seer,” I say quietly, but not quietly enough. Several students closest to us snap their heads my way. “Everyone!” she pauses. “Everyone! A moment of your time, please. We have Miss Dragone here with us today. She’s a seer who would like to observe.”
She turns back to me. “They’re working on healing salves. Feel free to look around.”
I immediately make my way to the ingredients. This room is my idea of a witch’s paradise. Amira was right when she said it was fully stocked. I have a spare bedroom in my home that my grandmother converted into a workspace, and I keep up with her garden in the warmer months to grow my own herbs and flowers, but my supply is nowhere near as extensive as this. I’m jealous. I should accept the job solely for access to this room alone.
Most of the students work in groups. Each one has calendula blossoms on their workspace, which makes sense because the flower can be used for skin products to treat burns and minor cuts, and calendula extract has anti-inflammatory properties.
As I circulate I see a girl with long red hair in a French braid working on her own. Her station is filled with plantain leaves, pine needles, baby oak leaves, and dried lavender, amongst other things that I can’t make out. I walk behind her to get a better look.
“What are you grinding?”
She jumps and whips her head around.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I was curious as to what those are.” I point to the contents of the bowl.
“Green walnut hulls and horse-chestnuts.” She keeps her head down while talking.
“And wild sarsaparilla?”
“It’s good for infections,” she responds quietly.
“Yes, it is. Do you have something specific in mind that this salve will treat?”
She looks up at me, and she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Mine will be for burns, scrapes, and sunburns, amongst other things.”
“This looks promising.” I nod a few times, looking over the other ingredients. “Do you mind if I watch your process?”
She shakes her head and continues to work. I move around the table, and a group of boys behind her becomes increasingly loud. She shrinks at the sound but doesn’t look up, and Ms. Ooi doesn’t do anything to quiet them down.
The poor girl looks extremely uncomfortable, and I’m guessing it’s because of them. I’m about to ask her name when I see a boy behind her whipping something at her. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to see what it was exactly, but I react quickly, using my power of telekinesis to prevent it from hitting her.
Whatever it is, crashes to the ground and breaks at her feet, and then panic fills me as I watch the timid girl in front of me let out an agonizing scream.
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A/N:
Hello everyone! What are your thoughts on this chapter? What do you think happened to the young girl? Comment below!
***Updates for this month will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays (11pm EST). I will do my best to be on time with these updates but sometimes life has other plans. I have a full-time job and two young children at home. I hope you all understand. Follow Gianna Coppola Books on sss or @_gcoppola_ on IG for updates and information about my stories and characters. xo ***
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