Magicorum Box Set (Books 1-5)

7. Chapter Seven

7

Chapter Seven

Bryar Rose

Elle and I slowly march up the steps to the brownstone. There are other kids all around, flowing past us in their rush to get to class. It’s like the pair of us are stones jutting out of a fast-moving river. Elle links her elbow with mine as we close in on the front door. Bands of worry tighten around my throat.

“Remember when we built that zip line over sixth avenue?” asks Elle.

“How could I forget?” Some of the tension loosens from my neck. Elle and I built that in the middle of the night. “We got three good runs in before someone called the cops on us.”

“Hey, what about the time we put hair remover in Alec’s shampoo bottle?”

“We got to call him Doctor Evil for two weeks before he figured out how to magic up a new hair. Good times.”

Elle bumps my hip with hers. “We own this town. And we’ll get this high school thing down next. You’ll see.”

I can’t help but smile. “Did you just guide us down memory lane to cheer me up?”

“I don’t know. Did it work?”

“As a matter of fact, it did. Totally.”

“Then yes, that was my master plan.”

“And that’s what makes you amazing.”

Elle winks. “I know.”

We reach the school’s main door, which is heavy, wooden, and propped open. Elle and I move past the threshold and into main reception area. It’s a long, oak-paneled room with three doors along the back wall: red, gold and silver. That’s for witch, were, and fairy. As kids pass through the door, there’s a flash of light and their appearances change.

No more uniforms. At least, not the ones that were present on the sidewalk.

As the other students go into their respective halls, the enchanted bracelet deactivates. The masquerade of looking like typical high school students ends. Witches and warlocks are in crimson robes. Shifters change into couture leather. The fae are in pastel shades with their long silver wings on display. I only catch a glimpse of each kid as they transform. It’s only a second or two before they speed down their respective hallways and into their own learning areas.

This is really happening.

Anxiety cinches around my chest. Here’s the moment I’ve been waiting for: starting a new school with actual classes, students, and teachers. The scent of sandalwood and musk washes over me. Knox is standing behind me. He sets his hand on my shoulder. I catch that scent of copper and smoke. Pain.

Reaching up, I grasp his hand where it rests on my shoulder. “How are you holding up?”

Knox leans in. “I’ll be fine.” He lifts his right brow. “Seriously.” In other words, my asking him if he’s okay every two seconds isn’t helping. Fair enough.

“So,” I say. “What’s your first class of the day?”

“History, I think.”

“You think? I’ve got fae art.”

“I’m not getting my hopes up. Az made me learn enough stuff for ten high schools.” Which is true. In my case, my home-schooling was actually pretty awesome until I hit the equivalent of freshman year. After that, my aunties downscaled all my learning into preparation for marrying Jules. I supplemented it with online classes, though, so I wouldn’t fall behind. Meanwhile, Az oversaw Knox’s schooling, and Az never let up for a second. When Knox wasn’t killing Denarii, Az was grilling him on everything from quantum physics to how to block a roundhouse.

I rub the back of Knox’s hand with my thumb. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” The scent grows stronger. “Alec is magic-ing me up a spell for the pain. It’ll all be better soon. Don’t worry.”

Even so, I do worry. We’ve covered this territory, though, and I know Knox. Talking about it right now won’t help. “Want me to walk you to your door?” I ask.

Leaning in, Knox presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Nah. I need to see you go in with Elle. My wolf won’t stand for anything else.”

With that, my wolf starts speaking inside my mind. “I don’t like leaving our mate,” she growls. “But I do want to scent all those delicious fairies. Let’s play!”

Here it comes. Again, my wolf sees the fae as magical chew toys. “No, we are not playing with the fae. They are murderous and cast curses, remember?”

My wolf sniffs. “We’ll play nicely with the yummy fairies.”

I pull at the golden shifter magic inside my soul, commanding my wolf to obey. “No playing with the fae.”

My golden power surrounds my wolf, quieting her soul. This is a new skill, by the way. Over the summer, Az has been showing me the ropes like a pro. Long story short, shifter magic has quickly become my go-to power. I know from watching Colonel Mallory that silver fae energy is chaotic. He’s warned me not to touch the stuff. And my witch magic? That’s still a great mystery. But that’s also why I’m here: to learn how to master all three.

Elle taps my shoulder. “Ready?” There’s a nervous warble in her voice.

Turning around, I give Knox a soft kiss on his bristled cheek. He cups my face in his firm hands, pulling me in for a gentle brush of our lips. “You be safe with those fae, yeah?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t let the big bad wolves get you down.”

Just beyond Knox, I see Abe and Hollywood. They’ve positioned themselves as guards for me and Knox. Basically, they push people along. Knox’s alpha energy makes everyone naturally stop in their tracks.

“Move along,” says Hollywood.

“Nothing to see here,” adds Abe. There are a few familiar faces in the crowd. For a moment, I think I see Scarlett and Avianna, two girls from my old Magicorum Teen Therapy Group with Madame. But they’re gone too quickly to be sure.

Knox runs his nose along the length of mine, breaking me out of my thoughts. Touch is very important to shifters. “My wolf says to kill anyone who is mean to you, by the way. But he’s kidding. I think.”

“I’ll remember that.” For the first time all morning, I smile. “You’re the best.”

“Yeah.” Knox winks. “Have fun with the fae.”

I roll my eyes. “I’ll try.” Squaring my shoulders, I turn to Elle. “Let’s do this.”

Walking side by side, Elle and I approach the silver door. Elle marches through. I walk forward and—SMACK—I hit an invisible barrier. Pulses of white light flash around me. I check to see if anyone noticed anything. Nope. This is a brightness that only I can see. My skin chills over as if I were dipped in arctic water. A rush of electricity runs through the air.

This is magic, and it feels both familiar and frightening.

A thought nags at the back of my head. I know what this magic is and who it’s from. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t access the memory.

Leaning forward, I push my hand against what feels like a glass wall. This is what prevents me from going in. I’d heard that the doorways automatically blocked anyone who wasn’t Magicorum, but I had fae power, didn’t I?

Shifting sideways, I shove against the invisible wall with my shoulder. Elle tries to help from the other side, but to her, there is no barrier. Soon, a small group of fae kids stand around me. Some are giggling. My face burns about three shades of red.

Knox steps up, grasps my hand, and guides me away. “Let’s hit the Wolf’s Den, yeah?”

I blink hard, trying to think through what’s happening. For some reason, I can’t pass through the doorway to the Silver Galleries, which is the fae part of the school. I look to Elle. “Cool if I go with Knox?”

Elle nods. “Sure. I’ll be fine.” A small group of fae kids wait around her, pulling at her wrists and encouraging her into the galleries. Even so, the glint of fear shines in Elle’s blue eyes. The fae may be acting nice now, but there’s no predicting what will happen next. Still, there’s nothing to be done about it. I’m definitely causing a scene here, and school starts in twenty minutes.

Knox guides me over to the second, golden door. All the weres stand aside as we walk along, partly because Abe and Hollywood are clearing a path for us by yelling, “Make way for our Alpha and his mate.”

“Guys,” growls Knox. “I’m not your Alpha. Officially.” Sure, there’s a thread of pack connection between me, Knox, Abe, and Hollywood, but we haven’t done the sacred rites that make us pack. Whatever those are.

Abe pulls the red door open. Hollywood gestures for everyone to hang back while Knox and I step through. I know they both mean well, but the way they’re acting? It’s making an even bigger scene than what happened at the fae door. Knox steps past the threshold. I step forward and—WHAM—I hit another invisible barrier. The same sensations roll over me.

White flashes that only I can see.

Bone-chilling cold.

Electrical energy from a foreign kind of magic.

And worst of all, that sense that part of me knows what this is. But I just can’t grasp the memory for some reason. Fury zings through my bloodstream. I kick at the wall in frustration.

“What is this?” asks Knox. “I know you’re a were.”

Jolts of panic run down my spine. A few minutes ago, I was nervous about making my dream of going to school a reality. Now? It seems like that might not be happening after all.

If the reception room were a movie, it would be like someone hit the Pause key. All the students have stopped to watch the drama. Elle waits along with the crowd. Acting on instinct, I rush over to the red door, yank on the handle, and pull it open. This time, I’m cautious. I reach forward slowly.

My fingertips hit another invisible barrier. Oh, no. This time, there are only the barest flashes of white light in my vision. But there’s no question that foreign magic is at work here.

Beside me, Abe and Hollywood drag two adults from the Wolf’s Den. They are a burly pair, a man and a woman. I’ve seen pictures of them in the West Lake Prep brochures. The entire school follows its own fairy tale life template. For West Lake Prep, that’s Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The principals for the shifter schools are were-bears named Mums and Pops. In other words, this adult shifter couple standing before me has the life template of Momma Bear and Poppa Bear from the Goldilocks legend.

“Here they are.” Abe gestures at me and Knox. “Our Alpha and his mate. Fix what’s wrong with the doors. Let our queen pass.”

The woman is the first to speak. “I’m Mums.” She hitches her thumb at the barrel-chested guy beside her. They’re pretty much identical—burly with brown hair, eyes, and matching jean overalls. The only difference is that Mums has long hair. Something to remember. “This here’s Pops.” She focuses her big brown eyes on me. “And you’re a queen?”

My face burns with the mother of all blushes. “That’s just something Abe and Hollywood say. What I am is trying to get into the Wolf’s Den. Or any of the three doors, really. They don’t seem to work for me.”

Like they’re watching a tennis match, everyone switches their gazes from me to the shifter principals.

Pops lets out a bellow of a growl. “Get back to school, you two.” He points at Abe and Hollywood before gesturing to Knox. “You, too.”

Knox lifts his chin. “Not until I know what you’re doing with Bry.”

“Bry can’t get in any doors.” Mums has a bellow of a voice, too. “So this here situation is bigger than me and Pops. We’ve got to take her to the office for all the principals—that means shifter, fae, and witches. Nothing bad’ll happen to her.”

The red door flies open, and out steps a tiny witch in flowing red robes. She has big brown eyes, cocoa skin, and a gentle voice. “I’m here.” I recognize her from the website, too. While Mom and Pops lead the shifter school, this is the principal for the Crimson Keep, the school for witches and warlocks. Clearly, she’s the baby bear in this fairy tale template. Plus, her name is Babs, so that’s a giveaway. Principal Babs has a plump face, rounded figure, and hair that’s braided into two ear-like buns atop her head.

Yes, that’s baby bear, all right.

Babs scans the lobby. Somehow, past the knot of students, she’s able to realize someone is missing. “Where’s Goldi?”

The silver door opens. A small fae flies out. She reminds me of Cindy Lou Who from the How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Only this version has curly blonde hair and slaps a swirly lollipop on her palm in a movement that reminds me of a gangster movie.

“What’s the problem here?” asks Goldi. Her voice is singsong sweet with an undercurrent of evil.

So. Fae.

“Problem student,” explains Babs. Everyone in the lobby gasps.

Kill me now.

Goldi smacks her lollipop against her palm. “Let’s take care of this.”

“Agreed.” Babs lifts her hand, gemstone in her palm. “Let’s go to my office and discuss.”

Red light glows between Bab’s tiny fingers, which is the sure sign a spell is about to begin. All at once, a hundred cords of red mist burst out from Bab’s palm to loop around me, Babs, Mums, Pops, and Goldi. Fast as lightning, I’m surrounded in a thin layer of red mist. The students and reception area all disappear under a haze of crimson. Only one thing from the outside world penetrates my magical cocoon: the sound of Knox’s voice.

“Bry! Bry!”

There’s no need for me to catch his scent; I know Knox is afraid and angry right now. With all my heart, I want to tell him I’m fine, but whenever I try to speak, the enchanted mist clogs my throat. Knox’s voice becomes fainter and then disappears altogether. My body gets that “going around the Ferris Wheel” feeling that means I’m being transported somewhere else by magic.

Now I know I’m a real student in one way. I’m getting sent to the principals’ office…and I hate it.