Magicorum Box Set (Books 1-5)

6. Chapter Six

6

Chapter Six

Bryar Rose

The next morning, Knox and I stand on a wide stretch of sidewalk in front of a three-story brownstone. There’s a short flight of steps up to the front door. A small sign sits by the door, reading “West Lake Prep.” You’d think a big high school would be in a huge building, but this is Manhattan. We can fit half a skyscraper’s worth of stuff inside a utility closet. And that’s with IKEA, not magic.

I straighten the folds of my blue blazer and plaid skirt. The emblem on the pocket reads “West Lake Prep.” It’s all an illusion, though. All students receive a charm to hide their real clothes from the mortal world. If humans knew there were Magicorum kids at this school, they’d be camped outside, waiting for selfies.

In reality, I’m wearing a leather duster, cropped tank, black pants, and heavy boots. This outfit is something that Elle and I got from the fairies. It’s unshreddable, so even if I shift, the outfit will be whole when I turn back into my human form.

My inner animal grumbles inside me. “Why can’t we dress like we want to? That’s what Knox is doing.”

“We do dress the way we want, it’s just that humans can’t tell yet. It’s the glamour from this charm bracelet.”

“We should never hide. Our mate isn’t.”

Unlike me and every other kid waiting on the wide sidewalk outside West Lake, Knox left his charm bracelet at home. In other words, all the other boys are wearing a blue blazer and plaid pants. Not Knox.

I really don’t blame him though. Plaid pants are rough.

Instead, Knox wears regular uniform of black pants, dark T-shirt, and fitted leather jacket. It’s all couture—werewolves have a great sense of style, after all—but it’s most definitely not school standard, at least for the street.

Inside my soul, my wolf paces in frustration. “We shouldn’t have to hide anymore. I don’t want to hide.”

Now, I get where my wolf is going with this. After all, she was hidden most of her life. “Look, this is the first day of school. Let’s follow the rules for twenty-four hours and see how it goes.”

“But Knox does what he wants to now,” whines my wolf.

“True. But I don’t know how he always gets away with it.”

I have my suspicions, though. As the warden for all shifters, Knox is the alpha of alphas. Everyone senses it on some level.

As if on cue, a teacher steps over. She’s tall and lithe with long white hair. Probably Fae. “Are you a West Lake Prep student?” she asks. Her voice has a jingle to it, which is another sign that she might be fae. “I’m Lady Pinkalicious, one of the para-enforcers here. We’re here to make sure everyone follows the rules.”

Lady Pinkalicious? Oh, she’s definitely fae.

“Yeah, I’m a student,” says Knox.

“Then why aren’t you wearing the school uniform?” Lady Pinkalicious tilts her head in a way that says, You need to do this, you know.

“Nah,” Knox folds his arms over his chest. “No uniform for me.” His eyes flare golden with shifter power. Alpha energy rolls off him in waves. Knox really hates the idea of plaid pants. Sure, it isn’t real. But Knox says that if a human can still take a picture of him in plaid pants, then that’s real enough. I get it.

Inside my soul, my wolf yips with glee. “See? We should take off that enchanted bracelet now so we can be seen in our leathers, too.”

“It’s only for while we’re outside,” I reply. “Once we’re inside, the bracelet will deactivate.” Each school has its own dress code. Shifters definitely wear leather. Witches and Warlocks wear long robes. Fairies wear, well, whatever they want to. So my leather ensemble should be fine.

“That a problem?” asks Knox.

“Oh. No. You’re fine.” After that, Lady Pinkalicious keeps on starting at Knox. Sometimes Knox’s alpha power has this kind of hypnotic effect on members of the opposite s*x. Take Ty, for instance.

And now, it’s affecting Lady Pinkalicious, too.

Who is a teacher.

Gross.

Knox and I ignore her. Sometimes that helps. After a minute or two, Lady Pinkalicious should come to her senses and walk away.

While we wait, I watch the other kids mill about the sidewalk. Most walked here alone or with friends, which is good. I was dreading seeing too many parents around. Scanning the faces, I try to pick out which are possessed of what magic. The hefty linebacker types are probably shifters. The more lean and lithe could be either fae or witches. And then there are ones with no magic at all, who are still considered Magicorum. It’s weird, but it happens.

Why? Magical kids get born into non-magical families all the time. Now, suppose you’ve got magic and your fairy tale life template is the twelve dancing princesses…But you’re an only child. You’d think you’re off the hook for having eleven siblings, right?

Wrong.

When there aren’t enough magical relatives to fill out your template, then magic drags your non-magical human relations into the mix, such as aunts, cousins, and so on. As a result, regular humans can get subjected to our curses, evil stepmothers, and everything else. Dead or missing parents are especially common. When that happens, an otherwise normal person becomes an official member of the Magicorum. That’s why some of the kids here today are non-magical, but they’re still attending West Lake. They’re here to learn the ropes and build alliances. It’s only fair.

Lady Pinkalicious pokes Knox in the shoulder. The dazed look in her eyes says she’s still under Knox’s Alpha spell. “Hi. I’m still here. Lady Pinkalicious.”

“Yeah, I got that.” Knox loops his arm around my shoulders. “I’m Knox. This is my mate, Bry.”

“Do you need help with tutoring or anything?” Lady Pinkalicious is still staring at Knox and not getting the hint. I almost feel sorry for her.

“You know what?” I ask. The rest of my words become lost. A flash of white light appears in my mind’s eye. An ethereal cold crawls over my skin. Magic. A voice sounds in my head.

“Find the device.”

On reflex, I speak back. “No, I won’t translate another word.” And I might say that a little too loud for the sidewalk. A bunch of people stops chatting to turn around and stare.

Lady Pinkalicious shakes her head. My outburst seems to have snapped her out of whatever spell she was under. “What did you say?”

My face burns red. Did I just say that out loud? “I said, I think I saw someone breaking a rule over there.” I point in the general direction of the opposite area of the sidewalk.

“Um, okay.” Lady Pinkalicious narrows her eyes, looking at me like I’m nuts. But after all I’ve been through I won’t be intimidated by someone named Lady Pinkalicious. She winks at Knox. “Bye for now.”

“Let’s bite her,” says my wolf.

“No way. We’re not shifting and biting anyone.”

“You’re no fun.”

“True, but the last thing we need is to change into wolf form on the sidewalk. There’ll be a dozen humans here in heartbeat, and all of them will be asking for autographs and taking selfies. No way.”

“It still would be worth it. Just one little bite?”

“Not a chance.”

My inner wolf sniffs. “If you’re going to be boring, I’ll do something else for a while.”

For the record, the ability to shut each other out is a two-way street with my wolf. A heartbeat later, I can sense her going into her own version of stasis. It’s her way of saying she’s ticked.

Knox gives my shoulders a gentle squeeze. “Your wolf giving you trouble?”

“She’s gone into stasis.”

“Let me guess, she’s not happy that she can’t bite Lady Pinkalicious?”

“How’d you guess?”

“Because my wolf is howling about it.” Knox shakes his head. “I envy you and your wolf.” I know what he means. As far as I know, I’m the only werewolf who can shut out her wolf and vice-versa. Knox is stuck with his in his head 24-7.

I go on tiptoe. “Where are Elle and Alec, anyway?”

Knox is a head taller than me, so he has a better view of the crowded sidewalk. “About ten yards away, trying to get through the crowd and find us.”

“Trying?”

“All the wizards and witches want to talk to Alec.”

“And Elle can’t get past them, either?”

“Not exactly.” Knox frowns. “No, Elle’s surrounded by fae kids.”

My protective instincts kick in. “Are the fairies hurting her?”

“No.” Knox shakes his head. “They’re being…nice.”

“Huh. I guess the fae can be nice. I just didn’t expect it.” A mixture of surprise and concern battle it out inside my nervous system. Fae being nice. There just has to be a catch.

Knox turns so he’s facing me nose to nose. “What was all that before with Lady Pinkalicious? What did you mean, you won’t translate another word?”

I rub my temples, like the action will shove the needed thoughts back into my head. “I don’t remember.”

“Let me guess,” says Knox. “You feel pressured to keep translating the Book of Isis because you feel guilty about me and Alec.”

“I don’t think that’s it. Honestly.”

Knox eyes me for a long moment. “Okay. Just do what you want to do, not for me and Alec, yeah?”

“Yeah.” I go up on tiptoe again, but this time to give Knox a gentle kiss on the cheek. As I lean in I catch the barest scent from his skin.

Copper and smoke.

I know what that means.

Knox is in pain.

“What’s wrong?” I ask. “You’re hurting.”

Knox scrubs his hands over his face. “It’s been getting worse since I got to school. I think it’s because the equinox is getting closer.”

“But Alec said he wasn’t in pain because of that, only that his magic was getting weirder.”

“Alec isn’t a shifter.” The veins in Knox’s forehead throb. “Az will know what to do, you’ll see.”

“That’s right. We’ll see him after school today.” I try to slap on a smile, but the scent of Knox’s pain only grows stronger. Worry tightens up my neck and shoulders. Last night, Knox said he wasn’t feeling well, but I certainly didn’t scent any pain. There’s no avoiding it.

Knox is getting worse.

All of a sudden, it seems really selfish of me to refuse to translate any papyri. If I can translate the Book of Isis and help Knox find the fountain, then it might end Knox’s pain. If there’s even a chance I can help my mate, I should do it.

I stiffen my shoulders. “I want to help you, Knox.”

“When I’d get hurt on a mission, Az would always make me walk through what would happen next. So here today, everything starts once the teachers open the front door. After that, what happens next?”

I wince, not sure I want to do this. It feels a little silly. “Knox…”

“Take my mind off things.” He leans in and runs his nose along the length of mine. It makes my knees turn to jelly. The scent of pain disappears. “Work with me here, yeah?”

“Okay.” For the first time in what feels like hours, I exhale with relief. Talking through school. This is something I can do, and it doesn’t involve hieroglyphs. For whatever reason, that makes it a fine choice. “Once the teachers open the doors, we march up the steps and go inside the school. West Lake Prep is actually three schools, each with their own principal.”

“Shifters get two principals, though. Because we’re the best.” The vein in Knox’s forehead has stopped pounding, which is another improvement. Leave it to Az. That old were has a fix for everything.

“Of course, weres are the best,” I say with a wink. “Inside the school, there’s the Wolf’s Den for Shifters, the Silver Galleries for the fae, and the Crimson Keep for witches and wizards.”

“Good. And how do you get into your school?”

“After we pass the threshold, the first stop is a reception room with three doors, one each for the Crimson Keep, Silver Galleries, and Wolf’s Den.”

“And that last one is the best doorway,” says Knox while bobbing his brows. “In case you ever change your mind.”

Since I have all three kinds of magic inside me, I could theoretically go through any of the three doors. I’ve already decided to go with Elle, though. “It’s tempting, but you can use your alpha powers on other weres. Alec is the most powerful warlock around. Fairies are crazypants. No way am I letting Elle go in there on her own.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Knox kisses my temple. “You’re doing the right thing.”

At that moment, two of Knox’s were-buddies, Abe and Hollywood, rush up to us. Abe reminds me of a younger version of Abraham Lincoln, what with his lanky form, messy black hair, and big ears. He’s also terminally honest. Hollywood is tall and buff with amazing blond hair. This is an amazing genetic gift, considering how after we shift, werewolves normally look like they have a week’s worth of bedhead. Or at least, I do.

“Good morning, alpha,” gushes Abe.

Knox shakes his head. “I’m not your alpha.” There’s no anger in the words, though. Knox is slowly warming to the idea of Abe and Hollywood being pack.

Hollywood bows slightly to me. “Your Princessness.” This summer, Abe and Hollywood decided that since I was a Bryar Rose life template—and Bryar Rose is a princess—then they would be knights in my court. I think it’s their way of saying they are pack and not having Knox snarl at them.

Clever wolves.

I roll my eyes. “I am not your princess.” Even so, I can’t hide my grin. Abe and Hollywood are sweet.

I take a few steps away from our little not-a-pack. “I need to find Elle.”

Knox gives me one of his classic chin-nods. “Find me if you need me, yeah?”

I wink. “Yeah.”

There’s a knot of kids blocking the sidewalk, but I’m able to elbow my way through to Elle. I suppose in other places that would be rude. But in New York, if you can’t use your elbows to get around, you’ll spend your days huddled in a corner.

Stepping up to Elle, I wrap her in a huge hug. “You look awesome.” Most people look dumpling-esque in the little blue jacket and plaid skirt, but Elle makes the ensemble look fantastic. It’s one benefit of being a Cinderella life template, I guess. The negative side is the whole evil stepfamily thing. Yipes.

“You, too.”

“I can’t wait to get inside and no longer be in the glamoured-up outfit.” I lower my voice. “I can’t help but worry that if I somehow lose control and shift, this school uniform won’t be unshreddable, if you know what I mean.”

To Elle’s credit, she takes my somewhat unreasonable fear seriously. “They’ll be opening the doors any second now.”

The front doors swing open, and the mass of students starts to file up the stairs and into West Lake Prep. Side by side, Elle and I follow the crowd up the stairs. For years, I wanted nothing more than to walk inside this particular school. And now that the moment is here, a ton of emotions battle it out inside me.

Excitement.

Fear.

Worry.

I slap on a smile and march up the steps. Elle is beside me. My badass werewolf boyfriend waits nearby. And most of all, I’ve faced much worse. Like last summer, when Queen Nyxa tried to flay me. Or before that, when I had to take down the zombie Jules.

Whatever happens, I can handle this.

And if they ask me to assemble those dumb papyri? I’ll just brush them off. No one can make me translate the Book of Isis. No one.