《Unfamiliar (Unfamiliar Series #1)》


 Chapter 1

    The smooth, plastic disk sits quietly in the palm of my hand as I cradle it. The surface of it has already warmed to my touch from holding it for as long as I have. It''s no bigger than a half dollar coin and it''s just as heavy as I rub a thumb over the edge. I turn it over like I have so many times before, the blue, reflective paint flickering like a fish scale.


    Hold this disk and ask it what your familiar is going to be and receive your answer,is what a set of instructions say on the back of it in a delicate, black font.


    It''s instructions that I''ve read at least a hundred times.


    "It''ll be fun, I did it and it was right for me," my friend, Tessa, had told me when she had given it to me as a gift over the summer.


    I had asked the disk as soon as I had gotten home of course.


    But I didn''t get an answer.


    "It might be defective," Tessa had told me when I had explained to her what had happened.


    I look at the disk more closely now, the front of it decorated with sigils and tiny, silver outlines of animals as the disk is split up into triangular segments that number fifteen different animals.


    In the center of the disk there is a small, circular patch of silver paint that is supposed to tell me what my familiar is, much like how the window on a magic eight ball would give me an answer.


    "What is my familiar?" I ask it softly, though I don''t expect an answer now.


    The disk abruptly grows hot in my hand and I jolt. The plastic trinket clatters to the ground as I blink in surprise, not realizing that I had dropped it for a moment as I stare down at it.


    It didn''t do this before.


    I stoop to pick it up, my fingers gentle as I expect to feel heat but instead feel nothing but cool plastic. The paint in the center reveals nothing, instead, the sigils and animals flicker a bright shade of blue that glows in my hand.


    What the-?


    "Kara, it''s time to get up, we''re going to be late!" I can hear my mother call from downstairs.


    Her voice is muffled behind the closed door of my bedroom as I''m interrupted and I glance up at the door.


    When I look back down at the disk, the glow is gone.


    Huh, weird.


    In reality, I''ve been sitting by my bedroom door for the past three hours waiting for the sun to rise, though it hasn''t been because I''m excited, but rather I''ve been afraid of what the day will bring.


    I cast a longing look at my windows, where I''ve already opened the shades to let in the morning sunlight and debate if I should hide under the covers for the rest of the day. My mother calls for me again and I sigh as I get up and walk across my room. I set the disk on my dresser and study my reflection from the mirror for a moment.


    This is it, Greenwood Academy, here I come.


    I fidget with my dark hair and pull it away from my face to quickly braid it before I loop a hairband around the end.


    I take a breath to settle my heart, which has begun to pound as I open the door and head for the staircase. I don''t usually grab the railing, but today, I keep my hand firmly wrapped around it and drag my palm over the sigils that are carved into it. They are calming ones mainly, along with a few for protection as my palms read the divots that mar the wood''s surface.


    Protection, calming, reassurance,I list off the sigils and pause at a few of them to trace my fingers over the carvings to activate them.


    After I finish tracing the carvings, they glow blue and I am cleansed by the power they hold and relief courses through me. This will probably be the last time that I get to trace them for a long time, and the thought makes me instantly uneasy.


    I shudder and adjust my gray, pleated skirt and fidget with the silver buttons on my jacket to make sure that they''re buttoned in the right holes for the hundredth time this morning. I try not to look at myself again as I walk past the mirror hung on the wall at the end of the staircase, but I can''t help it and stop to check my reflection.


    The glimmering insignia for Greenwood Academy flashes back at me from its place over my heart in shiny silver thread as I readjust the tie for my uniform. The black length of fabric glistens like snake skin, like it isn''t quite sure if it wants to appear to be blue or black as I tighten it so it''s snug against the collar of my white dress-shirt.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I turn away and cringe as my black pumps tap against the hardwood floor in the hallway, I''ve never been one for making noise, but it''s something that I''m going to have to get used to now. I gnaw on the corner of my lip as I walk out into the tidy kitchen where my mother is pouring a bowl of cereal for me.


    "Here," she says as she lifts the bowl and I take it from her.


    I walk over to the eat-in bar, which is the only place in this house that is messy since it''s cluttered with papers that have sigils and gibberish scrawled across them in varying colors of pen. I move a few of the papers out of the way so I have a place to set my bowl before I hop up onto a barstool.


    A pile of newspapers moves suddenly as my mother''s familiar, Daisy the opossum, pokes her head out from beneath the newspapers that have been stacked around her. She blinks sleepily at me before her mouth opens into a yawn as her form shivers slightly like she''s not quite there. And she isn''t, not really, no familiar is solid all the time.


    I pluck a piece of cereal from my bowl and offer it to her as she grabs the treat and ducks back into her newspaper house.


    "So what''s the weather going to be like today?" I ask my mother as I try to interpret some of the gibberish written in purple ink on a nearby scrap of paper.


    She pauses mid-step from where she has started to walk in the direction of the front door as the click of her heels cease. Her head tilts to the side the way it always does when she''s predicting something, like someone is whispering in her ear as she listens intently to them. She has yet to tell me exactly how it feels like to be a Seer, which is her special ability as a witch. Though I''ve yet to find an interest in impulsively writing stuff down so I can rule out the fact that my ability is a Seer.


    I would find out soon enough at Greenwood though.


    "It''s going to be sunny, but cold," she tells me before she keeps walking toward my bags that are stacked by the door.


    My father comes in suddenly to grab one of my bags and turns to head back out to the car that he is likely loading. He stops when he sees me sitting at the bar and smiles.


    "Big day today huh?" he asks me as he abandons the bag and walks over to me.


    He plants a quick kiss on my forehead as he smoothes the hair on top of my head. His familiar, a sparrow he''s named Clark flits in through the open front door and flies over to me and lands on my shoulder.


    "You''ll do great sweetheart," he reassures me, "Indigo loves it there."


    I offer him a weak smile as I reach up and pat Clark on the head. Even though my father is optimistic, I still shudder at the memory of my sister, Indigo, calling me in tears to tell me that her familiar was a rabbit. Laughable familiars is all my family has ever gotten, every single one of them leading back for generations that make up a mixture of small, weak creatures that the Zen family is well known for.


    Now Indigo is a senior at Greenwood Academy and she''s top of her class, but she''s still taunted mercilessly for her familiar, which she''s named Melchizedek of all things. A noble sounding name for a weak creature that only made her bullying worse, but she''ll never tell mom or dad about it, and I won''t be the one to tell them either.


    She didn''t come home for the summer, opting to instead shadow one of the teacher''s in alchemy for the summer over in Salem.


    "I can''t wait to see her again," I tell him, and it''s the truth.


    He grins and pats me on the back, "That''s the Kara I know. Finish your breakfast and brush your teeth, I''ll have the car ready when you come back down."


    With a slight bounce in his step, he heads back out the front door with one of my bags in tow and shuts the door behind him. Even though I want to hold off going to Greenwood for as long as possible, I still finish my cereal in a timely manner and climb the stairs to brush my teeth.


    Clark flutters after me, his soft wing-beats soothing my rapidly fraying nerves as I head for the hallway bathroom. I can''t help the fact that my hands are shaking when I run my toothbrush over my teeth, but I try to remain calm and breathe evenly.


    This has already been put off as long as it possibly could be.


    I spit into the sink before I rinse my brush and put it away and step out into my room. My heart flutters as I cast a longing look at my bed, my moon patterned quilt perfectly smoothed from when I had made my bed early this morning. I already miss my room even though I''m still standing here and haven''t left yet.


    I quietly shut my door and start walking when I hear the front door open and close as I take a deep breath in the hall. Clark lands on my shoulder and stays there as I descend the stairs and stop in the entry hall.


    My parents glance up at me from where they stand waiting at the door and in that moment they couldn''t look any more different than one another. The both of them are opposites, my father having the same dark, straight hair as me, along with dark eyes that can look nearly black in low light. He''s also lanky and tall while my mother is shorter and stouter and keeps her light hair tied back in a loose bun.


    The only thing they have in common is their love of music and the fact that they both look pale with anxiety in the early morning sunlight that is streaming in through the window on the door.


    "Ready to go?" my mother asks as she steps over to stand in front of me.


    "Yes," I whisper as I stare down at the floor.


    She suddenly cups my chin in her hand and tilts my head so I''m looking into her eyes, which are framed by a set of silver-rimmed glasses. Her eyes are a bright shade of green that makes her look young, even with the wrinkles that line the corners of her eyes as she smiles at me in a way that makes me feel a surge of loneliness.


    I''m going to miss her.


    "It''s just for the school year and then you''ll be back for the summer," she reminds me, almost like she can read my mind.


    Being a Seer doesn''t let her read minds, but she can see some possibilities and futures of situations, maybe in one of them I admit to her that I''m going to miss her, or maybe she can just see it on my face. Either way, she draws me into a quick hug before she pulls away.


    "Come on, you''ve got a lot to look forward to," she promises me as my father opens the front door. "Connor! It''s time to go!" my mother calls over her shoulder.


    My mother frowns as she hears the hurried footsteps of my younger brother on the floor above us before he bolts down the staircase. His dark hair is sticking up in several patches and he''s in casual clothes that are rumpled as he skitters into the entry hall. He has a cereal bar clutched in one hand that he takes a bite out of and his Nintendo 3DS in the other as he runs past us and lunges off the stoop for the car.


    "I swear he''s never ready to go in the morning," my mother mutters.


    "I''m just glad he put on pants," my father counters as we step out onto the stoop and he shuts the door behind us.

 Chapter 2

    A thick fog has rolled in from the harbor as we drive towards Salem on Highland Avenue. Even though the air is cold with the beginnings of fall, the sun is filtering through the trees along the road and is casting irregular shadows that flicker and morph. I take note then that I''m lucky that we live nearby in Boston. The fact that it''s a short drive is the only thing that brings me comfort as I think of the other students who would have to travel here from nearby states and even overseas.


    I shift uncomfortably in my seat and smooth my skirt as I feel a rush of envy for my brother, who is fourteen and only here to say goodbye to me. He has yet to look up from his switch for the entirety of the trip as he plays some game and stares at the screen with a set of earbuds stuck in his ears. I eye his jeans, wishing that the places were switched and that I was the one in comfortable clothes and only had to say goodbye to my older sibling today.


    But I''ve only gotten to do it a few times and that was for Indigo.


    I roll my eyes and press my forehead against the cool glass of the window, wishing I could disappear as we pass by an intersection where there''s a gas station on the corner. I envy the people meandering about in their normal lives, completely unaware of the other side of this world. The roads here are narrow and covered in tar patches that make it look like someone has scribbled on the pavement with an enormous, black sharpie. So completely and painfully mortal.


    "Why can''t the mortals know about us, Mom?" I had asked once upon a time when I was very young.


    "Magic will always be taken advantage of," she had warned me, "just look at the way the mortals run their world, look at the way they have treated us in the past."


    I shiver when I look up and see that a green street sign with ''Salem'' printed on it is mounted on a telephone pole.


    We''re getting close and I can feel it this time, even though I''ve only recently turned sixteen, I can feel the presence of magic hovering beneath the fog and pollution that is clouding the early morning air. Connor would feel it in another two years, but until then, he''s the odd one out.


    The glass under my forehead suddenly shocks me and I yelp as I sit back and rub at the pain. My father glances up in the rearview mirror, his eyebrows drawing down with concern.


    "Are you okay?" he asks as we stop at a traffic light.


    "I''m fine," I mutter as I drop my hand away from my face.


    "The cloaking magic can hurt sometimes when it comes to new witches, you''ll get used to it," my father assures me.


    I nod and sit back in my seat as my mother suddenly looks back at me and fixes me with an intense stare. She''s ''Seeing'', though what she''s looking for, I''m not sure. Maybe she''s hoping that she can predict my familiar. I''ve gotten used to her staring at me at a very young age so it usually doesn''t affect me, but today is different, today she is looking for my future as a witch.


    She must not see anything because she quickly turns back around in her seat. There''s something that she probably can''t see past and the realization makes me all the more anxious as I think back to the familiar prediction disk Tessa had given me and how it hadn''t given me an answer this morning. I wonder again what could make it glow like it had but I quickly banish the thought from my mind.


    Just a fluke.


    "See anything?" I ask her anyways as we turn at an intersection where there''s an IHop on the corner.


    She shakes her head, "Nothing," she murmurs, "the academy likely has a block on powers around here to keep students under control."


    "They didn''t have one back in my day," my father says.


    "Things change," she reminds my father as we drive past a PetSmart.


    I can''t help but smile as we pass by the PetSmart and later a Home Depot, who knew that the entrance to Greenwood Academy would eventually be behind a shopping center?


    Certainly not the mortals.


    The stores quickly drop away and are replaced by trees as the road twists and winds through a forested area before my father slows the car down.


    The familiar cobblestone road that we''ve only taken a handful of times before catches my eye as my father turns off onto it. The tires rumble when we drive across it and it''s enough of a difference that Connor takes his earbuds out and sits up in his seat to look out the window.


    "We''re here," he murmurs.


    "Thank you for your observation, captain obvious," I tease him.


    He scowls at me and my mother makes a shushing noise, cutting us off from the chance to start bickering. We stop talking as we roll up to the towering, wrought-iron gates that bar the road as they loom above us. There''s a creaking noise before they swing inwards as we approach.


    No mortal can see this place of course, otherwise someone would definitely think that the place was magic, especially with it being located in the Salem Woods.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    The cr¨¨me colored, brick pillars that hold up the gate have a white, marble stag statue that stands on either side on the platforms that top the pillars. I can''t help but gaze up at them in awe, now they''re greeting me this year. Indigo had told me once that it''s the same familiar of one of the witches who had escaped the Salem witch trials and later established the academy as a safe haven for witches to get away from the human world.


    I feel a sudden surge of reassurance as we pass through the gates and I wonder then if there are some sigils carved into the pillars to soothe new students. The trees on either side of the cobblestone road abruptly drop away as we emerge onto the green lawn that sprawls around the massive lecture hall building that is the pinnacle of the academy.


    Greenwood Academy has always been massive to me, but this year it looks even bigger with its dozens of windows that glimmer in the early morning sun like watching eyes that stack five floors tall. Each of the windows have black shutters, but instead of the academy having a red brick fa?ade like last year, it''s the same, cream colored brick that make up the pillars out front.


    The best way I can describe the lecture hall is that it looks much like a mix of a country club and an older style, university building from the eighties. A brick tower housing a silver bell stands out front, the steeple roof rising like a fang to puncture the blue sky above it.


    "Ah, they''ve redecorated," my father murmurs, "I don''t like it."


    "They finally redecorated?" my mother asks in a tone that outlines that she''s been expecting it.


    "You saw that this was going to happen?" my father asks as he pulls up into the circle drive where a stag topiary stands tall and proud in the center of the grass.


    "I told you last year, honey," my mother retorts with a smile.


    "I forgot about that," he admits as he puts the car into park.


    The anxiety I had felt earlier comes back stronger than ever as I eye the long line of cars that are parked in front of us in the circle drive. New students and their parents are clustered around their cars as they embrace each other. Most of them wouldn''t be able to see their parents unless they visited them.


    Of course, I can visit my parents whenever I want to, Indigo had done so a couple of times before by using the academy''s taxi system. The realization is a tiny seedling of hope as I get out of the car and shut the door behind me.


    My mother and father get out, along with my brother as I walk around to the trunk and open it before I start to unload some of my bags. There are four in total, two enormous roller bags with my clothes in it along with a large duffel bag and a messenger bag with my laptop in it.


    I heft my messenger bag onto my shoulder and reach out to grab for my duffel bag before I shoulder it as well. My father helps me get my two roller bags out and sets them onto the cobblestone beside me.


    "Thanks," I murmur.


    "Do you want help with getting your bags to your room?" my mother asks.


    "I can help with that," a voice suddenly says behind me.


    We turn around in unison to see that a short, blonde-haired girl in an academy uniform is standing not too far away on the main sidewalk that leads up to the academy.


    "Indigo!" I gasp as I run over and fling my arms around her.


    "You''ve grown," she grunts as I collide with her and she hugs me back.


    "Well, you haven''t seen me in six months, remember?" I tell her as I pull away from the hug.


    The last time I had really seen her for longer than a day was mid-March, which was during her spring break. We''ve talked on the phone since then, but it''s not the same as seeing her face to face as I take in her features. Her light colored hair is pulled back in a messy bun that matches my mother''s, along with the same, light green eyes that crinkle at the edges as she smiles and shrugs.


    "Time flies, I''ve been busy learning," she says as she snaps her fingers.


    My roller bags abruptly begin to roll over to us on their own as they rumble up the sidewalk and stop a foot away. I sigh when I see this as relief courses through me.


    "Can you make them fly up the stairs too? Because that would be great," I say as I stack my duffle bag on top of one of them.


    "I would but there are elevators for that," she retorts.


    "Oh Indi, we''ve missed you, how have you been sweetheart?" my mother asks as she cups my sister''s chin in her hand.


    "I''ve been fine, mom," my sister says as she shrugs off my mother''s hand. "Hi, dad," she says as she walks over to my dad and hugs him.


    "How are you, Indi?" he asks as he hugs her back.


    "I''m good," she murmurs before she turns to Connor and ruffles his hair.


    "Agh! Cut it out!" Connor whines as he ducks away and Indi sticks her tongue out at him.


    "Here, I picked this up while I was helping Ms. Blackroot over the summer," Indi says as she reaches into a satchel hanging off her shoulder and places a small, round object into Connor''s hand. "Just place it on the window sill in your room and water it once a day, a single drop of water, for one week."


    "A wyvern egg?" Connor gasps as he stares at the tiny, silver sphere that is no bigger than a robin''s egg.


    "Yes, it shouldn''t get much bigger than Clark," my sister promises my mother when she sees her frown.


    "As long as you promise to take care of it, Connor," my mother warns.


    Connor continues to stare at the egg in awe as he mutters, "I will."


    "They''re very easy to care for, their main diet is flies and egg yolk, they''re also great for keeping bugs out of gardens, I figure it could help with your garden when you get it planted in the spring," Indigo suggests and my mother''s nods slowly at this.


    "I love you," my mother says to me before she leans forward and kisses me on the forehead.


    "I love you too," I tell her as my father gives me a quick hug.


    "Call us soon," he says as he smiles down at me.


    "I will," I assure him before I turn to my brother and open my arms.


    He gives me a brief hug before he bolts back to the car with his egg in tow, likely to retrieve his DS so he can continue to play his game. My mother rolls her eyes at me before she pulls a small, silk pouch from her purse.


    "I have a gift for you," she tells me in a low voice as she opens the tiny pouch and pulls something out.


    I cup my palm and she presses a tear-drop shaped stone into my hand.


    "Wear this," my mother says as she looks me in the eye, letting me know that not wearing it isn''t an option.


    The stone is a light shade of purple and it hangs on a long, silver chain. It''s likely amethyst with a twist of some sort of magic since it''s glowing slightly. The gem is warm and cold at the same time as I wrap my fingers around it while the chain remains cold.


    "It offers protection against other magic, I have no doubt that there are some students who will want to pull pranks on you," my mother warns me.


    "I''ll wear it," I promise her as I unclasp the necklace and hang it around my neck.


    The stone thuds against my collar bone, bringing with it a subtle coolness that calms me down.


    "Good, and wear it especially when you go to summon your familiar," she says as she points a finger at me and walks to the car.


    "I will."

 Chapter 3

    "So...how do you really like it here?" I ask Indigo after we''ve waved goodbye to our parents as they drove away.


    "It''s not terrible," she admits as we walk up the sidewalk toward the lecture hall, "there are a couple of girls that can be mean, but other than that, just focus on learning."


    "Oh," I murmur as I feel a rush of disappointment.


    I had almost hoped that maybe the bullying had stopped, that maybe there was a chance that she was accepted at the academy instead of shunned.


    I could always hope though.


    A few other students are walking past as they lug their bags along behind them. Like me, they have roller bags, but unlike me, they don''t have a sibling who knows enough magic to make the bags follow them. I know that such a spell she''s using is more advanced, as no one else is using anything similar as we walk past.


    The thought brings me a tiny swell of pride and I stand taller as we walk through the archway under the bell tower into an immaculate courtyard. There is a bronze statue of a stag in the center of the cobblestone courtyard and beneath it is a stone plaque. All around us are the wings of the lecture halls, which have windows that give a view into the courtyard.


    I can see the pale faces of a few students looking down at us, there''s no doubt that they''re watching the parade of new students entering the academy. My heart begins to beat faster as I realize that I''ve never ventured further than the bell tower before as we walk through the other archway that leads out of the courtyard.


    A wide grass lawn stretches out before us and is bordered by a row of neatly trimmed hedges on either side of the cobblestone sidewalk. On one side, there''s a track that has tall stadium seating that surrounds it on either side in the form of gleaming, silver bleachers. From here, I can scarcely see the bobbing of students running on the track while a couple of other students kick a soccer ball around on the field.


    On the opposing side of the sidewalk there are several students on horseback who are riding on a large, open field, their steeds glimmering like that of a familiar as their riders wield mallets and hit a white ball between them.


    They''re playing polo, I realize as I can''t help but stop and watch them for a moment.


    A few of the riders among them are on actual horses and tucked behind the field, I can see that there''s a long barn where someone has a horse tied outside as they brush it. I''m not the only one watching the polo riders as the horses thunder by and snort excitedly as they fly past a row of low benches where other students are sitting.


    "You can join the polo team if you want, I know how much you love horses," Indigo says in a quiet voice.


    "I''ll think about it," I murmur as I can''t help but stare as a gorgeous, gray filly gallops past.


    "You''ll have to get up early though, if you join the team, you''re responsible for taking care of the horse," she warns me.


    I smile, "Yeah, but it might be worth it, can we go look at the barn?"


    "Sure," she says as starts walking for a pathway that branches off and heads lengthwise along the polo field toward the stables.


    "Indi!" a voice calls from one of the benches and my sister looks up in the direction of the voice as I follow her gaze.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    A girl with shortly cropped, dark hair lifts a hand from where she''s seated on a bench along the polo field as she gives us a lazy wave and beckons to us. Seated next to her on either side are girls around her age, one of them having black hair while the other is a redhead. They look at us over sets of dark sunglasses and grin as Indigo leads me over to them.


    "Who''s this?" the girl with shortly cropped hair asks as she tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear and squints at me.


    "My sister, Kara," Indigo replies, her response clipped and wary.


    She knows these girls, I realize, and I wonder then if they''re some of her bullies.


    One of the horses out on the polo field, a real one, squeals suddenly as it rears and throws its rider as the attention briefly turns away from us and the girls look away in unison. I copy them as I wonder for a moment if the rider is okay as they lie in a crumpled heap on the field for a moment. They stir as a couple of students run over to them and help them sit up before I hear the low sound of laughter from across the field as the fallen rider waves them off and stands.


    The girls look back to me, their attention returning to us as the lead girl gives me a sly smile.


    "So what''s your familiar going to be? A mouse?" the girl grins, "You may have enough members to start your own coven, Indi, Of Mice and Men perhaps?"


    "Very funny, Ava," Indigo mutters, "we have places to go."


    With that said, she spins on her heel and starts to walk away.


    "Just be careful, I heard that they have mousetraps set up in some areas of the lecture halls, they''re not looking to add more pests," Ava calls in a taunting voice.


    "Ignore them," Indigo murmurs as she tugs me along behind her, "she doesn''t mean it."


    "Why do you let her say things like that?" I ask as I trail after her.


    She shakes her head, "Sometimes, it''s just better to let them say what they feel they need to say and walk away, saying anything back will only let them know that their words hurt."


    "You can''t let them treat you like that," I protest.


    "Look, she comes from a powerful family, she''s popular, I can''t touch her without having the wrath of her whole clique rain down on me," Indigo mutters as she side-eyes me. "They''re idiots and they hardly know any magic for themselves."


    "It''s still not right," I mutter as we walk through the breezeway into the barn.


    I let the topic drop as I take in the immaculate stable then, finding solace in the much needed distraction. Light-colored cobblestones make up the floor and wrought-iron framed, wood board panels make up the walls of the stalls and are rimmed in bars on the tops of the panels. Several students in casual clothes mill about as they either haul plastic buckets or lead horses in or out of the barn as they go about their business.


    I breathe in the scent of hay and horses as I try to forget about everything else and attempt to look at the bright side of things. A chestnut horse pokes its head over a nearby stall door and I walk over to pet it as it whickers at me and flicks up its ears. Its fur is silky under my hand as a voice suddenly shouts my name from somewhere near the entrance.


    "Kara!"


    I whirl around at the sound of the voice as I recognize its familiarity. Sure enough, a sable-skinned, short statured girl with dark eyes is walking towards me from not too far away. She''s in clean, gray riding clothes and has a black riding helmet firmly strapped onto her head.


    "Tessa!"


    She grins at her name being called as she jogs toward me with a black horse trotting along behind her as its hooves click on the cobblestones. She and I embrace quickly as she laughs into my ear.


    "Finally getting to go to the same school again, eh?" she inquires as she pulls away from the hug.


    "At last," I agree.


    We had gone to the same school several miles away from here, Tessa having been a year ahead of me as I had to attend my freshman year at the school alone when she got to come to Greenwood for her sophomore year.


    "Luke''s going to be happy to see you, he''s been lonely since he hasn''t had anyone to talk about video games with," she says as she tosses a lock of her frizzy hair out of her face.


    "Where is he?" I ask, suddenly anxious to see my other friend.


    "He''s probably in the alchemy lab, he''s been studying really hard," she informs me, "we''ll head that way soon." She glances over at my bags that are sitting not too far away, "Let''s get you settled in, but first, I need to put up Kashmir."


    The black horse nickers as she leads him into the stall next to the chestnut horse before she slides off his bridle and pats him. His saddle has already been removed as she slips past him to roll the door shut behind her and hangs the bridle on a hook mounted on the outside of the stall.


    "We can head for the dorms now," Tessa says as she turns around and giddily skips off, "come on!"

 Chapter 4

    "You''re going to like it here," Tessa assures me while she chatters nonstop and we walk up a narrow sidewalk to the dorms. "I already have a room so you can bunk with me. Each room has three bunks, so I don''t know who our other roommate is going to be, the other two girls I had last year already have a different room."


    I smile at her voice, letting her words wash over me. We had only managed to get together over the summer a handful of times because she was doing extra studying for cryptozoology. I didn''t mind, I still had Luke to play Forever Expedition with on our computers, a fantasy game of all things. But online chat rooms weren''t quite the same and my chest aches from missing him.


    The dorm building looms over us as we approach, the outside being made up of the same, cr¨¨me colored brick fa?ade as the other buildings. It''s maybe half the size of the lecture hall, but it''s six floors tall instead of five. Several windows are open and varying genres of music are pouring out from them as one girl sitting in a window looks down at us as we walk into the building beneath her.


    A set of double, black doors stand open as we pass through them into a tiled lobby that reminds me of what I would likely see in an upscale apartment complex. There are four doorways in the lobby, one in each corner that probably leads into a hall for the rooms on the ground floor. Staircases spider up the walls, extending up to the other five floors that rise above us as a few other people either ascend or descend them.


    "Come on, we''ll take the elevator," Tessa says as she grabs me by the arm and leads me over to an elevator hub.


    Indigo follows us and my bags rattle along behind me as we step into the elevator. Tessa pushes the button for the third floor and the elevator shudders to life as the doors roll shut. No music plays as the elevator glides upwards before it pauses on the third floor.


    As soon as the doors open, a shadowy wolf leaps at us as it clambers into the elevator and wags its tail as it slaps against my leg. A dog of some species, its fur also shimmering like a familiar''s barks as it chases after the wolf and joins it on the elevator before they run back out and head down another hallway.


    "Yo! Someone put a leash on your familiar, yeah?" Tessa calls as she steps into the hallway and motions for me to follow her.


    I glance back to see that Indigo hasn''t moved from her place in the elevator as my bags refuse to follow.


    "I''m going to head up to my own room, I''m supposed to be getting a new dorm-mate soon," she tells me when she sees that I''m puzzled.


    "Oh," I murmur as I step forward and give her a brief hug. "What floor are you on?"


    "The fifth, sometimes the service is a little spotty so I might not always get your texts, I''m in room 583," she says as she returns the hug, "I''ll meet you in the dining hall for dinner tonight. Your schedule is in the front office, you''ll need to pick it up and classes start tomorrow, so have as much fun as you can today."


    "I will," I promise her as I grab my duffel and messenger bag before I reach for one of the roller bags.


    Tessa grabs for the handle of the other roller bag and trots along in front of me as the wheels thud dully on the thin carpet in the hall. Some of the doors for the rooms are open as we pass by and the pull of magic is strong here.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I can smell several different varieties of herbs being burned, there''s no doubt that they''re being used in good fortune rituals for the coming semester. Papers with sigils drawn on them in black sharpie are already tacked on some of the corkboards that are mounted next to the doors, though I don''t recognize what many of them symbolize.


    Tessa finally stops at one of the rooms toward the end of the hall and pushes the door open. Three, twin-sized beds greet us, two of them being a bunk bed set on the left wall while the other bed is pushed against the right.


    The top bunk has already been claimed by Tessa as I realize that it has a dark purple quilt sprawled across it, along with a bag that has been opened and has its contents strewn over the quilt. A few band posters are tacked on the wall and ceiling around the top bunk and one of the three dressers has miscellaneous items scattered on it.


    A silver barred birdcage hangs in the window and perched on a swing within it is a shimmering, white dove that I recognize as Peace, Tessa''s familiar that she had introduced to me over the summer. There is no door on the cage, and I can only assume she chose the cage for a ''decorative'' flair.


    "Hey, Peace," Tessa croons as she sets my bag upright and strolls into the room as she makes a cooing noise at the dove.


    The dove stirs at her voice as it lifts its head and makes a low noise and ruffles its feathers.


    "Pick a dresser," Tessa says as she stops below the cage, her eyes focused on her familiar.


    I glance around the room, there are three, pine dressers and a closet, two of them are against the same wall as the window while the other one is tucked behind the door and maybe two steps away from the bottom bunk. I heft my messenger bag onto the bottom bunk before I walk over to the nearby dresser and begin to pull the drawers open.


    "No no, watch this," Tessa says as she makes a shooing motion for me to get out of the way.


    I step over to the other bed as she pulls out a short, red wand that looks like a chopstick from her riding boot.


    "Please don''t set my stuff on fire," I murmur when I see the wand.


    "Relax, I''m only using my wand because I''m a junior and I''m supposed to if I use spells," she says as she rolls her eyes and makes a gagging motion.


    She twirls her wand and flicks her wrist and the bags begin to unzip themselves as my clothes burst out of them and float about mid-air. The drawers on the dresser open as the clothes begin to fold themselves before they settle into the drawers as they close. When she''s finished, both of my roller bags are empty of clothes and the blue quilt I had packed along has neatly sprawled itself across my claimed bed.


    "There," Tessa says as everything settles into place and the last of the drawers close, "and no fires."


    "Thanks, you''re going to have to teach me that one," I tell her and she grins.


    "Believe me, it''s a lifesaver when they announce that they''re going to have room inspections," she says.


    "Yeah, so when do I get a wand?" I ask as I watch her tuck her wand back into her boot.


    "Next week, it''ll be in your general magic class," she informs me as she sets her riding helmet on her dresser. "You may want to put that up, the alchemy labs have rules against wearing jewelry," she warns me as she makes a motion toward my neck before she walks over to a small, black jewelry box that has roses painted on it and is sat on her dresser.


    I glance down at the amethyst necklace hanging around my neck before I reach up and unclasp it. The coolness that has inhabited my neckline drops away as I take off the necklace and place it on the red velvet cushioning within the box before Tessa closes it.


    "We can head to the lab now-," Tessa begins to say, but her eyes focus elsewhere as she looks over my shoulder, her mouth freezing mid-word.


    I turn around to see where she''s looking and I realize then that there''s a girl standing in the doorway of our room. She''s petite and has long, blonde hair that is almost white and is pulled back in a messy ponytail as she stands awkwardly, a heavy looking bag slung over her shoulder. Blue eyes meet mine as she freezes up from where she had been ready to step into the room.


    "Hi. Um...I think I''m your third bunkmate," the girl says in a low voice that has a hint of a British accent as she steps forward, "I''m Astrid Hallewell."

 Chapter 5

    "Hallewell?" Tessa drawls, like she''s testing a new word she''s never spoken before, but still knows.


    But it''s not like anyone here wouldn''t know the name Hallewell from what Indigo has told me.


    "You''re related to the headmaster?" Tessa says, not leaving Astrid the chance to deny it.


    Astrid nods as she studies the wall where Tessa''s posters have been pinned, "I''m his niece," she says casually, but she sounds formal with her British accent.


    As in, her uncle is Clayton Hallewell, the current headmaster of Greenwood Academy.


    Tessa makes a low whistling sound, "I almost thought that any of the Hallewell children were myths, I''ve yet to see your cousin in the flesh."


    Her cousin being the famed Eleanora Hallewell who is maybe around Indigo''s age and is the daughter of Clayton Hallewell.


    "Yes, she''s quite busy," Astrid says in a low voice, "what with her Coven of Midnight."


    She almost sounds bitter, but she quickly composes herself and Tessa lets it slide as she walks over to her dove''s cage and offers her hand to her familiar.


    "I''d almost expect you to be in a room of your own," Tessa muses as Peace perches on her finger.


    She laughs a short, brisk laugh, "Yeah, well, my mother set this up."


    "It sounds like you''re not happy about the arrangement," Tessa observes and I feel a prickle of unease at her directness.


    Tessa has always been blunt and it physically pains me to see her pick someone apart, especially with it being someone she''s just met and of all people, a Hallewell. But Astrid seems to take it in stride as she gives her a tight-lipped smile.


    "To be honest, no, I''m not, I didn''t even want to go to this stupid academy, but here I am," she says as she splays her hands sarcastically and walks over to drop a suitcase onto the other bed with a heavy thump.


    "Why''s that?" Tessa asks as she tilts her head, much like a bird and in that moment all I can think about is how perfect it is that she got a dove as her familiar.


    Peace swivels her head around, like she''s mimicking her master''s question as the dove makes a cooing sound.


    "I was transferred from an academy over in London, I wanted to go to a different one in Ireland but mother insisted I go to this one," Astrid says as she sits and flops back onto the mattress.


    "Why transfer?" Tessa inquires.


    "My mother wanted me to see the ''glory'' of the Hallewell clan," she says in a lazy voice that oozes with distaste. "But enough about me, I couldn''t help but hear something about the alchemy lab?"


    "Yes, we were planning on visiting our friend," I say as I suddenly find my voice.


    Astrid flashes me a dazzling smile, "Perfect, I''ll join you, I don''t care to be around in case Eleanora comes by to gloat."


    I glance over at Tessa, who shrugs as she transfers Peace back to her cage.


    "As long as you don''t attract any of the paparazzi," Tessa warns.


    Astrid snorts and stands to toss her hair over her shoulder as Tessa leads the way out of the room, "As if."


    "So what year are you in?" I ask as I let the others walk out ahead of me before I shut the door behind us.


    "I''m a junior," Astrid says over her shoulder as I catch up to them.


    "Where''s your familiar?" I inquire as we pass by a group of girls who are sitting on the floor in the hallway, their heads turning as they watch us walk by.


    I can guess that they might know who she is, since I can hear their conversation fall away into hushed whispers. I can''t tell if Astrid notices or cares, but she simply snaps her fingers and a lioness flickers into existence beside her.


    I jump back in surprise and stare at the familiar in awe as I take in its details. The lioness isn''t a full-sized one, instead, it''s maybe slightly larger than the wolf familiar I had seen earlier. Wide, golden eyes meet mine as the lioness peels back her lips to bare her teeth in what could almost resemble a smile as she makes a low growling sound that doesn''t appear to be a threat.


    "A lioness," I murmur and fall into step beside the familiar as she trails next to Astrid, "powerful."


    "Yes, she is," Astrid muses.


    "What''s her name?" I ask.


    "Nala," she replies as a smile pulls at the corner of her lip.


    "It''s fitting," Tessa says as we step into the elevator.


    We take the elevator down and cross the lobby without pause, though I can feel eyes following us as we walk. It''s a buzzing, electric feeling that won''t go away, no matter how hard I try to ignore them. We get past the polo field unscathed, but I look up at one time to see that Indigo''s bullies are openly staring at us from where they still sit on their bench.


    They know who she is. Everyone does.


    The realization should bring me comfort, but all I feel is dread, Astrid''s reputation may not be enough to keep me out of the crosshairs of the popular cliques and she might become a target herself. I sneak a glance at Astrid, but she walks with a breezy grace that is ignorant of the stares.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    When we finally get to the lecture hall, I breathe out the breath I had been holding as the staring eyes are left behind us when the door closes. The hallway we''ve entered is empty and I''m grateful as I walk across the polished, tile floor with Tessa and Astrid walking ahead of me.


    Nala hangs back to my surprise as the lioness brushes against my leg, her strange, flickering fur holding a hint of warmth as she makes a low noise in her throat before she trots ahead to return to her master''s side. Tessa veers to the right suddenly and shoves open a set of double, swinging doors with her palm before she strolls into the room on the other side.


    I pause in the doorway and take in the tall ceilings and back wall, which has floor to ceiling windows that provide a grand view of the academy grounds. There are a dozen lab tables that stand in rows on grey tiled floors while the counters of the tables are black slabs that gleam dully under the fluorescent lights hung above.


    There are four people in the lab, all of them distanced from each other as they wield tongs and glassware and squint through clear goggles that they have strapped to their faces. I spot Luke among them and feel a rush of happiness.


    "Hey, Luke," Tessa says as she bounds over to his lab table and perches on a nearby stool.


    He remains silent for a moment, his eyes glued on the test-tube that he''s holding in his latex gloved hand. The liquid inside is a light blue color and there''s a faint cloud of smoke that is gently billowing from it as he swirls it. He pours the test-tube''s contents into a beaker and the liquid inside turns a bright shade of green.


    "Hi, Tessa," he replies as he turns his full attention to her, his light colored eyes widening as they trail past her and land on me. "Kara," he grins as he says my name.


    I can hear excitement in the word as he suddenly reaches up and fidgets with his dark hair so some of the strands are lying flat.


    "It''s been awhile," I say.


    "Yes, it has, have you downloaded the new DLC for the Lunar Islands?"


    "No," I mutter as I remember that I had wanted to download it for Forever Expedition last month, but instead I was tasked with preparing for the academy by packing and shopping for supplies.


    "I heard it''s supposed to be good, but I haven''t had time," he admits wistfully as he turns back to his worktable and messes about with some of the ingredients spread out before him.


    I recognize some of them as miscellaneous gems while other items look more...organic, such as what may be a frog eyeball sitting on a metal tray. Luke doesn''t appear to be fazed by the morbidity of it and plucks up the eyeball and neatly drops it into the beaker before he picks it up and begins to swirl it as the mixture turns light green.


    Tessa makes a face as she laughs, "Nerds," she whispers.


    "I''d say we''re more like geeks," Luke counters as he gives her a lopsided smile before he turns his attention to Astrid. "And who may you be?"


    Astrid opens her mouth to reply, but she stops before she can say anything and tilts her head like something has caught her attention as her eyes narrow.


    There''s the sudden, rhythmic sound of a person running down the hall outside of the lab as the others look in the direction of the noise. I can tell that the footsteps are drawing nearer as Luke sets down the beaker he had been holding before the doors to the lab are flung open by a boy in a disheveled uniform.


    "The Draconic legion is here!" the boy shouts as he bursts into the lab.


    A sudden rumbling overhead shakes the building to its foundation as I reach out and grab the edge of Luke''s table. The sensation reminds me of what it feels like when a plane is flying low overhead into the Logan International airport and I look up at the ceiling as the hanging light fixtures sway.


    I glance at Tessa for answers as a slow smile spreads across her face.


    "The dragon flyers," she says before she runs over to the back wall where the windows are.


    A flood of several other students come in from the hallway to join her and they cluster at the glass, their necks straining as they crane their heads back toward the sky. There''s another, low rumbling that shakes me to my core and I can feel it in my bones and teeth.


    An enormous, dark shadow drops over the grass outside, like the sun has been blotted out by a cloud. I look to Luke and Astrid, only to see that Luke is tidying up his workstation while Astrid is sitting on Tessa''s abandoned stool picking at her nails like she''s bored.


    My attention returns to the windows when I hear a cheer rise up from the students that are standing at them. A massive, winged beast the size of a school bus soars over the polo field outside and I realize then that it''s a gold-skinned dragon as its scales gleam in the sunlight. The dragon circles toward the track as it drops into a low glide, its wings spread wide to cup the air to help it slow itself before it lands in the center of the field and disappears on the other side of the bleachers.


    Several other dragons fly after it, though they''re smaller than the gold dragon and their colors aren''t as bright. The sidewalks below are filling with students that are flocking towards the field as the people at the windows turn away and start to run out of the room. Tessa is among them as she darts past and grabs me by the wrist, a grin plastered on her face as she leads me out of the lab and down the hallway.


    I struggle to keep up with her in my heels, which have begun to rub blisters on my toes as I noisily clack after her and feel envious of her riding boots. I debate taking my heels off, but it doesn''t seem like Tessa is going to be slowing down anytime soon as we burst outside into a crowd of people.


    The blare of a horn makes me stop and cover my ears as Tessa does the same before the horn fades and she resumes in pulling me along behind her. Someone has a portable, Bose speaker propped on their shoulder, which is pumping out a White Stripes song as cheers rise from the procession of students heading toward the field.


    As we near the bleachers, Tessa quickly climbs over the railing of the lower level and sits down on the other side before I follow her. Students have already begun to pack the seats that are closest to the field where the dragon riders have dismounted.


    All of the riders are wearing black clothing, which reminds me of what a SWAT officer would wear as they march across the center field. There are seven riders in total and they stop on the track and spread out shoulder to shoulder as they cross their arms behind their backs.


    A hush settles over the milling students as they look toward the riders before they continue to work on finding a seat when the riders make no move to speak. Astrid and Luke join us after a minute as they sit in the spots that Tessa has been aggressively defending from other people.


    Static crackles over the speakers mounted on poles around the field, like someone has tapped a microphone. I look over at the riders to see that a man in a suit is standing among them with a microphone in his hand.


    The man is tall and older looking in comparison to most of the riders, his hair a bright shade of blonde that matches Astrid''s and I can assume then that he''s Headmaster Hallewell. Two of the riders are women and the tallest one among the riders is an ebony skinned man that stands at the end of the line. His hair is shaved to near baldness and his dark eyes watch the students with interest as his gaze meets mine for a second before he looks away.


    "I am happy to announce that three of our students here at Greenwood Academy have the potential of joining the Draconic legion and will be debuting their skills in order to be considered for a position among them today," Headmaster Hallewell says as he smiles up at the filled bleachers.


    Whoops and hollers rise from the watching students as some of them stomp their feet and others pump their fists. The row of riders turn away as they face the field where their dragons are as their beasts flicker out of existence before they turn to face the headmaster.


    "But first, I would like to ask all of our new students to report to the field to summon their familiars for the first time," Headmaster Hallewell announces.

 Chapter 6

    Icy fear grips me and I reach up to touch my neckline as I remember my mother''s warning to wear the necklace she had given me. I feel shame for having left it behind, but I can''t imagine asking to go and retrieve it now.


    There''s not enough time.


    The bleachers beneath me are trembling from people pounding their feet as I stand and head for the stairs, only to flinch in surprise as a barn swallow zips past my head and startles me as it twitters with annoyance. I nearly fall and just manage to catch myself as I look around and glance back to see that Ava is sitting not too far away with her friends.


    A smile curves her lips as she narrows her eyes at me and waves. Anger fizzles unexpectedly in my chest as I prepare a biting retort, but decide against it as a few people walk past me and head toward the field.


    I follow them down and walk across the field as students begin to form a line that numbers maybe thirty in total as we face the bleachers. I shiver at the chilly air that is blowing across the field as some of my hair comes loose from my braid and I wish then that I was wearing a jacket.


    "Candace Alistair, please summon your familiar," Headmaster Hallewell announces and I realize then that it''s going to go in alphabetical order as I watch her summon a phoenix of all things.


    Cheers and shouts go up as the bird flaps its regal, golden wings and flames ripple off of it as a target appears on the field. I feel a rush of envy as I eye her beautiful familiar, the powerful bird swooping up towards the sky as it does a small loop before it lands on the field.


    "Please have your familiar hit the target," Headmaster Hallewell says as Candace nods.


    The phoenix dives forward and immediately spouts fire to destroy the paper target as it chars to black and the students in the bleachers go wild with excitement. The remains of the target fall to the grass, a few stray embers fluttering in the wind before they flicker and go out. Candace smiles and waves at the watching students as the phoenix lands on her shoulder and makes a shrill noise that closely resembles a hawk.


    I gnaw on my lip as more familiars are summoned and names are called in order as cheers rise when the familiars hit their targets. I will likely be the last to go in my class because of my name and my heart is beating double-time.


    I feel sick and my legs are beginning to shake as I can only watch and wait as all sorts of familiars are conjured while I stand further back on the field. I haven''t tried to distance myself from the others, but they seem to have clustered away from me anyways.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    A glance around the field reveals that everyone else already has wolves, lions and a few small dragons the size of Rottweilers hovering next to them.


    One girl has even gotten a unicorn, one of the rarest ones there are as everyone is suddenly watching me with anticipation. My cheeks warm with a furious blush under all of their stares as I can sense that the people up in the bleachers are watching me curiously as a hush has settled over the field.


    "Kara Zen?" Headmaster Hallewell calls again since I hadn''t heard him the first time, his voice grating on my nerves as my hands begin to tremble.


    I take a deep breath, the fresh, morning air washing over me as I try to silence the whispering of the nearby students. I step forward across the grass and stop on one of the white lines painted on the field. I shut my eyes so I don''t see the other students leaning over to each other with their hands cupped in front of their mouths so I can''t read their lips.


    But their efforts aren''t enough, I can still hear some of the words.


    Useless, weak, these words wash over me as I open my eyes and begin the sacred chant, the one that will summon my familiar for the first time. The words are ugly and clumsy on my tongue as they are twisted by fear and I feel like my heart might explode before I even get to finish the chant.


    I remember how my mother had shown me how to do the ritual a few weeks ago as a sigil appears on the grass and glows blue. I close my eyes again, not wanting to see what I will get as I draw close to finishing the chant.


    At last, I speak the final words and open my eyes as the glow fades from the sigil.


    This can''t be right, I think to myself as I can only stare at the sigil in horror.


    It''s empty.


    There''s a long moment of silence before one of the other students in my class speaks.


    "Is it a bug?" they call out, their voice echoing across the field.


    This earns a few giggles from some of the others on the field and a rush of shame washes over me as my face warms.


    "Please have your familiar hit the target," Headmaster Hallewell''s voice rings out as I wince.


    I eye the target board across the field uneasily, how am I supposed to hit the target when it doesn''t look like I have a familiar?


    I struggle to remember a command as the red bulls-eye on the board watches me like a mocking bystander and I feel the eyes of the other students as they leer at me. I spit a simple command, one for the familiar to step forward as I focus on the sigil.


    What are you? I wonder as I stare at the sigil in hopes of glimpsing movement, even if my familiar really is just a bug.


    There''s a chorus of people gasping that distracts me as everyone on the field suddenly goes still and I look up.


    Every last familiar on the field has moved and their eyes are now turned to look at me. All of their eyes are glowing blue as they watch me, lions and leopards and deer alike as they seem to be watching me.


    It''s not possible, I assure myself as I focus on the target.


    I command my familiar to attack the target and the field is catapulted into pandemonium as every last familiar surges forward across the grass. Claws and teeth are bared as the ethereal creatures lunge to rip the target apart, even a nearby jaguar surges forward with a caterwaul that sends shivers down my spine as it joins the fray.


    I have heard of a certain type of witch once before, I had thought that they were only legends, the ones who have no familiars of their own.


    They are the only ones with the ability to conjure and control others.


    And I am one of them.


    I am Unfamiliar.

 Chapter 7

    Shouts of surprise fill the bleachers as the familiars finish off the target and turn to me for my next command as my mind falls blank from shock. Hundreds of pairs of eyes, human and familiar are suddenly focused on me as the breath freezes in my lungs.


    Oh god, they''re all staring at me, what do I do? Do I say something?


    The moment passes and the speakers for the headmaster''s microphone squawk to life.


    "Students! Please disperse your familiars and return to your seats! Return to your seats immediately!" Headmaster Hallewell calls out hastily as the familiars begin to flicker out of existence.


    The power that I didn''t know I was feeling begins to fade, like a caffeine high wearing off as I am left feeling slightly empty and hollow. A few students are staring at me as they start to jog for the bleachers, like they almost want to get away from me and I look around to realize that I am the only one left on the field.


    They''re afraid of me, I realize and anxiety burns hotly in my veins as I hurry off the field.


    I walk up the stairs for the bleachers and return to my seat where Tessa, Astrid, and Luke watch me with wide eyes. Several people sitting near us are speaking in hushed voices as Luke leans forward to say something.


    "What did you do?" he starts to ask but is quickly interrupted when Headmaster Hallewell makes an announcement.


    "Now that that is over with, I am pleased to introduce our students to the Draconic legion, Blaize Graeme, please report to center field and summon your familiar," Headmaster Hallewell says as he moves on quickly and I can''t help but feel irritated.


    I have an ability that was thought to be a myth, shouldn''t there be some sort of special announcement? I wonder silently to myself as Tessa side-eyes me like she can''t believe what just happened.


    A few, hesitant cheers rise from the students as someone stands up from several sections over. The boy is a few years older than me and his eyes are a brilliant shade of gold, which makes his tanned skin-tone look even darker. His hair is dark and tufted as he runs a hand over the top of his head and begins to descend the bleachers.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    A rumbling, pounding rhythm makes the bleachers shake as the students recover from their shock and start to stomp in unison, as does Tessa and Luke. Astrid is busy browsing through her phone as she gnaws on the corner of her lip and only glances up to look at Blaize once as he descends down the last set of stairs to jog for the center of the field.


    A hush settles over the crowd as the young man, as I could hardly call him a boy, claps his hands together once. Even from my place in the bleachers I can hear the clap as lightning sizzles across his palms and spouts off several feet in different directions. The bolts flicker between shades of light blue to purple, illuminating his face and eyes as he looks up at the crowd in the bleachers, gauging its reaction.


    He''s an Electrokinetic, a manipulator of lightning and he''s putting on a show.


    A roar fills the bleachers and the roar is matched by a bestial one as a large, light orange dragon the size of an SUV flickers to life behind Blaize. The beast stands on its muscled hind legs like it''s posing for a moment to reveal its white-scaled underbelly before it slams downwards to make the ground shake. The dragon scans the bleachers with wide, blue eyes and Astrid snorts as she looks up from her phone.


    "It looks like a charizard," she cackles and I can''t help but agree with her as I look at the dragon more closely.


    "Too bad his master''s name isn''t Ash," I retort and she shoots me a grin.


    "Finn Delacroix, please enter the field," Headmaster Hallewell announces and a slight, blonde-haired boy quickly heads down to the field.


    There''s a flash, like a camera has taken a picture, which is followed by a flicker of grey as a dusky scaled dragon appears from a puff of smoke. Its eyes are an unsettling shade of white as a forked tongue flickers from its mouth, like a snake testing the air. There are less cheers and I can sense that he may not be a favorite of the crowd. But this doesn''t seem to affect him because he stands up straighter, puffing out his chest as he gazes up at the crowd with a challenge in his eyes.


    "Violetta Grimsbane," the headmaster announces at last.


    A girl of Asian descent stands before she marches down to the field, her short hair swishing around her face. Her back is straight and her shoulders are drawn back as she heads out to the field where she summons a black dragon with wide, green eyes that shimmer in the sunlight. The dragon stretches its wings, the webbing gleaming a deep shade of sable as it shakes its head before it neatly folds its wings back into place.


    The three students face the crowd expectantly before the headmaster speaks again.


    "Riders, mount up," he booms, "and let the tournament begin."

 Chapter 8

    His announcement has hardly had the chance to fade as the three riders spring into action and quickly clamber onto their dragons backs. The air seems to shimmer before it becomes hazy, like a dome of thick glass is covering the field as it ripples and shudders like water before it stills and clears.


    The three riders urge their dragons to take flight and they circle the field within the dome, their dragons flying at an easy pace before they start to speed up. The dragons dive down and rise up randomly and I''m reminded of what air shows with planes look like as they soar with a gracefulness that takes my breath away.


    They look like gigantic kites with their own free will as they whip past the bleachers and do a lap around the field before they break off their formation and do swoops and dives that would be insane to do in an airplane. I''m queasy for a moment as I watch them and fear for their safety before I notice that they have harnesses on the dragons that attach to a harness for the rider via a strap that clips them in place.


    After a minute of air acrobatics there''s a horn that sounds, one that is deep and bass-like that throbs beneath my skin like a second heart. The riders circle around to the football goalposts where Violetta and Finn land their dragons next to one goal while Blaize''s dragon lands at the opposing one.


    A silence settles over the crowd like they''re waiting for something with held breath as I find myself pausing with them. It''s then that orbs of green light the size of beach balls begin to flicker and float in varying heights around the football field.


    "Riders, ready your weapons," Headmaster Hallewell commands as his voice echoes across the field.


    In unison, the riders summon ethereal looking bows that ripple like the flames of a fire. Each of the riders have a different colored bow, Blaize''s being a bright gold while Violetta''s is a dark shade of purple-blue and Finn''s is black as they hold them at the ready.


    "You may begin," Hallewell says.


    Their reaction is immediate as their dragons heave themselves toward the sky, their wings snapping open and flapping powerfully as they take flight and their riders take aim. I watch in awe as Violetta is the first to shoot, an arrow whistling from her bow as the arrow hits one of the floating orbs that is bobbing far away from her.


    The color of the orb changes from green to an iridescent, purplish hue, like paint has been dumped into the orb as it floats down toward the ground. She has another arrow notched and is aiming for her next target before she can pause to inspect her handiwork as she breezes past the cheering crowds on her dragon, a gale of wind blowing over us.


    Blaize has made quick work of two targets as they gleam with a golden hue while Finn has already shot one of the targets, the orb glittering like onyx. Violetta speeds along ahead of them, claiming target after target as a majority of them glow with a purple hue. She pulls ahead of Blaize''s score by one, the number of points for each target being projected on a scoreboard across the field.


    There is a fresh eruption of cheers for each target that is slain and I clap and cheer along with the other students. I can''t keep my eyes away from the tournament as I forget my previous, confused feelings.


    There are ten targets left and Violetta leans back as her dragon rockets skywards toward the other targets that are hovering higher over the field. She''s ahead by one point when Astrid sits up, like something has caught her attention as she watches Blaize with a sudden intensity. She wordlessly pulls out her phone and starts to take a video with it as I watch her with confusion.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Someone cries out then, a high pitched, panicked scream that makes me look back at the field.


    It takes me less than two seconds to realize that Violetta''s dragon is riderless.


    My heart leaps in my throat when I catch sight of her falling through the air a dozen feet below her dragon, her familiar oblivious to the fact that its master is no longer on its back. Gasps rise from the crowd, along with a couple of screams and shouts of terror as more people focus on Violetta. Some of the students stand, like they''re trying to cast spells to catch her, but the dome seems to prevent them from casting their magic through it as it ripples violently.


    Violetta plunges like a bird that has had its wings clipped, her arms and legs pin-wheeling uselessly. She just manages to flip herself over right as the dome disappears and a blue glow surrounds her, stopping her fall maybe ten feet above the ground.


    She remains frozen and stiff as she lies cradled in the glow, like she''s lying in a hammock and I can feel the tension release from the crowd as there are sighs of relief before some of the students launch into action as they head for the field. Astrid is among them and I get up to jog after her as we descend the stairs and run across the field where Violetta is gently lowered to the ground.


    There''s a low growl as her dragon lands beside her, its teeth bared and its wings spread wide to cover her like a canopy as the beast cautiously eyes the people approaching its master. One of the female riders of the Draconic legion is the first to reach her as the glow fades and it becomes obvious that she was the one who had saved her.


    The rider crouches next to her and they speak in low voices as Blaize and Finn land their dragons several dozen yards away before they dismount. Violetta shrugs off the rider and strides toward the other competitors, her chin held high.


    "My harnesses and straps were enchanted to prevent them from coming undone and the dome prevents all magic from coming through it," Violetta says in a surprisingly strong voice that echoes across the field, "which means that it could have only come from within."


    I can hear the accusation in it, along with the barely contained anger.


    The other students coming across the field stop walking except for Astrid, who continues to stroll across the field toward Blaize as I reluctantly follow her.


    "I saw him cast a disenchantment spell," Astrid says in a charming, matter-of-fact tone as she stops several feet away from him, "thought you were being sneaky were you?"


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," Blaize spits as he glares at her, his golden eyes gleaming dangerously.


    "Oh, really?" Astrid asks and holds up her phone to wag it tauntingly as she calls over her shoulder, "Care to have a look, Headmaster Hallewell?"


    The headmaster, who has just made it down to the field, steps over and takes the phone from her as the other riders of the Draconic legion cluster around him to see what''s on her phone. I can''t see what they''re looking at, but it doesn''t take long for them to look up at Blaize, disgust curling across their faces.


    "Cheating is forbidden," the headmaster says as he frowns deeply.


    Blaize clenches his jaw as he meets the headmaster''s eye for a long moment without blinking. The headmaster shakes his head slowly as his eyes darken with anger.


    "I wish you had taken the time to study and practice rather than figure out how to cheat and deceive by disenchanting others equipment mid-flight, you disappoint me, Blaize. I had high hopes for you," Hallewell says in a grave voice, "therefore, I am banning you from future dragon tournaments and you are hereby placed on academic expulsion. Return to your dorm to collect your items, you are expected to leave Greenwood Academy by tomorrow. We will speak later about any possible return."


    Blaize''s eyes drop and he looks down at the ground, unable to look the headmaster in the eye now as he nods, his lips setting into a firm line as his jaw clenches. His dragon disappears as he leaves and walks in the direction of the dormitory without looking back.


    "That being said, we still have a winner," Hallewell announces into the microphone that he still has in his hand, drawing the crowd''s attention away from the banned student as all eyes turn to him.


    "Violetta Grimsbane, you have proven your worth," the ebony skinned dragon rider says in a low voice as he steps forward and takes the microphone from the headmaster, "and we, the Draconic legion would be honored to have you among our ranks, do you accept?"


    Violetta stands taller as she meets his gaze with a stern look, "I do."

 Chapter 9

    "We need to pick up our schedules," I remind Tessa as we walk off the field and weave through the throngs of people who are leaving the bleachers.


    "Shoot, you''re right," she mutters and starts for the edge of the crowd where she manages to break free as I jog after her.


    I glance back to see that Astrid and Luke are trailing behind as they tag along before Luke catches up and walks by my side.


    "So how was your summer?" he asks as his long legs easily keep pace with my short ones.


    "It was good, just busy," I say as we follow a flagstone path around the side of the lecture hall.


    "Same, we need to hang out some time to catch up," Luke suggests and I can''t help but glance over at him in surprise.


    "Uh, we''ll have to see," I murmur as I focus on walking instead of the fact that my cheeks are suddenly warm.


    There are still a couple of stragglers that are being dropped off out front in the circle drive as they trek up the sidewalk while Tessa ducks through a door a couple of yards down from the bell tower. A small office is on the other side and a secretary sitting behind an old, gothic style desk glances up as we enter. She smiles kindly at us as we approach her, our footsteps making the ancient, scuffed wood floor creak in a few places.


    A placard with the name, ''Ms. Laroche'' is propped on the edge of the desk as the woman pushes back a few strands of her shiny, black hair and tucks it behind her ear. She has almond skin and her eyes are dark and warm as they focus on Tessa, who walks up to the desk first.


    "Hi, Anaya," Tessa chirps as she stops at the desk and casually leans against it like she''s comfortable being here, "just here for my schedule."


    "Of course, Tessa, just a moment," Ms. Laroche says as she taps away at a computer that is sat on her desk.


    A printer a few steps away whirs to life and prints out a sheet of paper that it spits into a tray below it. The woman swivels in her spinning chair and retrieves the paper before she passes it to Tessa.


    "There you go, I''m guessing these are some more friends?" the secretary asks as she looks past Tessa at Astrid and I.


    "Yes, Astrid Hallewell and Kara Zen, they need their schedules too, if you wouldn''t mind printing some extras," Tessa replies as she gives her a winning smile.


    "Ah, I see," Ms. Laroche nods as her printer begins to print out our schedules, "and I haven''t forgotten about you, Luke, though I assume that you''ve already printed out yours?" she asks as she raises an eyebrow at him.


    "Yes," Luke says and nods quickly.


    "Good," the woman smiles and picks up Astrid and I''s schedules and passes them to us.


    I eagerly take the paper from her, only to deflate when I see that, among the classes listed, there''s still a math class. Ms. Laroche must see my disappointment because she laughs and shakes her head.


    "The sophomores never learn, just because you''re going to a school for witches, doesn''t mean that math isn''t important anymore, no?" Ms. Laroche chides.


    I nod, even though I feel disappointed at the prospect of having to deal with advanced algebra, "Math is inescapable."


    "That it is, if you have any questions or need any help, please let me know, here''s a map, just in case," Ms. Laroche says as she passes me another sheet of paper that has the layout of the campus printed on it.


    "I will, thank you," I tell her before I follow the others as they leave.


    "Now what do you want to do?" Luke asks no one in particular as he follows us back out the door and onto the flagstone path.


    I''m glad that he''s chosen a mundane topic as I suddenly feel nervous about what I had done on the field and begin to doubt myself.


    Surely what happened was real...wasn''t it?


    I''d have to talk to the others later to make sure that I''m not going insane and that I am indeed an Unfamiliar.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "We can drop off our schedules and then we can head to the market store, I need to pick up some more crystals," Tessa says as she squints her eyes thoughtfully.


    "Market?" I ask.


    "Yeah, they have a little on-campus store that sells supplies and whatnot, it''s a gift shop too so they have a lot of cool stuff, mainly things for spells and casting," she notes, "they can be expensive sometimes, though."


    "They took my paycheck from last week just in alchemy supplies alone," Luke grumbles.


    "Well that''s because you''re a neerd who needs to relax on his alchemy lessons," Tessa teases him.


    "Geek," Luke corrects her.


    "Whatever," she mutters as we round the corner of the lecture hall, only to nearly collide with a group of girls walking in the opposite direction.


    The leader of the group, a girl that I immediately recognize as Ava, curls her lip as she glares at us. Even with Astrid among us, it doesn''t seem to deter the wrath of the duo of girls behind Ava as they sneer from their place behind her. I feel a flash of power and have the sudden urge to conjure, though I know I would probably be summoning their familiars instead as I can''t help but smile.


    This is such a strange feeling.


    Power, something I never thought I would be bestowed.


    "What do you know, it''s the new Zen girl, tell me, why even try to learn magic when you know that you''re not going to be very powerful?" Ava asks as she tilts her head to the side. "We know that you must have used some illusion spell, there''s no way that you can be an Unfamiliar."


    "Ava why do you even try to act like you''re a bad person? We all know that you''re a fake," Tessa retorts a she steps up to my side.


    "Oh look, weak witches standing up for others," Ava says as a wolf suddenly appears by her side, "how touching."


    The familiar is large and has black fur that is beginning to bristle as it pulls its lips back into a snarl. I can hear Astrid sigh from her place behind me before the wolf pins its ears back. I can only guess that Astrid has summoned her lioness.


    "I really hate to deal with drama, especially on my first day," Astrid says in a lazy tone.


    "You''re a Hallewell, why would you hang out with them anyways?" Ava asks as she juts her chin at us.


    "Because I don''t care to hang out with idiots who cause unnecessary drama like yourself," Astrid counters in a scathing tone that makes me smile. "Now get out of our way."


    Ava''s jaw twitches with unsaid words as she stares me down and I''m almost afraid that she''ll throw a punch. Something flickers in her gaze after a moment before she smirks and steps to the side.


    "Be my guest," she says as she makes a grand gesture like she''s rolled out a carpet for us to walk on.


    Tessa snorts and bustles past her. "Ignore them," she says to me in a loud enough voice that Ava can hear us, "they have nothing better to do than bully people."


    "Have they given you trouble too?" I ask her in a low voice as we walk around the building.


    "Ava gives everyone trouble," she replies in a sharp tone as she shakes her head.


    "That''s an understatement," Luke mutters, "I''m going to pick up some cash from my room, I''ll meet up with you in the lobby," he says as we walk up the sidewalk toward the dorms.


    "Planning on going broke this early?" Tessa inquires as she glances back at him.


    "Maybe," he says, his voice echoing in the lobby as we enter.


    "You need to learn to have more fun."


    "Alchemy is fun," he counters.


    "For the delusional or those who are training to become super villains," she says and shoots a wicked grin over her shoulder, "don''t go overboard."


    "I''ll try not to," he promises before he splits away from us.


    This time, we take the stairs and climb them quickly with our schedules in hand as Tessa talks the whole way, her voice echoing within the lobby before we enter the landing that leads into the hallway.


    "I saw a really cool lapis statuette in the gift shop, it was some Hindu goddess or something, the one who has a lot of arms-," Tessa trails off as she pauses and furrows her eyebrows.


    "Durga?" Astrid supplies.


    Tessa nods eagerly, "Yeah! My Gran is into Hinduism and she claims that it helps her magic, I wanted to give it a try for myself."


    "You can use my discount," Astrid says in a conspiratorial, hushed voice, "no one will care."


    "Thanks, I''ll be sure to, it''s expensive, but I think it''s worth it," she says as she pauses in front of our room. "I think it''ll be-..."


    Tessa stops talking as soon as she opens the door and her fingers clench around the doorknob as she pauses in the doorway.


    "You have got to be kidding me," she hisses.


    I crane my neck to look past her, only to wish that I hadn''t.


    White splatters of bird poop cover the room, most every surface has at least two to three spatters covering it, anywhere from the dressers to our beds as I stand in the doorway in dumbstruck horror. Our clothes have been dumped out of the drawers too and are carelessly tossed about as they cover the floor.


    "Someone raided our room, and they had crows," Astrid mutters as she walks into the room and kicks one of her sweaters as a few black feathers flutter up.


    "Some of Ava''s lackeys no doubt," Tessa spits as she shakes her head.


    She strides over to the birdcage where Peace is, the poor familiar ruffled and distressed as the bird quickly hops onto her master''s shoulder to bury her head into Tessa''s hair.


    "Oh, Peace," Tessa murmurs as she strokes the bird on her head. "I know a tidying spell, but nothing that can clean clothes," she says as she looks back at us.


    "Luckily, I do," Astrid replies and starts to make a hand motion, but stops when she sees something that makes her pause.


    I turn and look, but not before I can see her face drain of color. On the wall bordering Astrid''s bed there are words scrawled in black ink.


    ''Remember your place, we know what you did at Saint Augustine''s,'' is what they read, though I don''t get to observe them for long. Astrid casts a quick spell that makes them disappear as the room starts to clean itself and our clothes fold themselves before they float away into the dresser drawers.


    I turn to see that Tessa is still looking at the wall where the words were scrawled.


    She shares a silent look with me, one that frames the thought of, "We''ll have to talk about that later."

 Chapter 10

    I jerk awake to an alarm clock going off the next morning and I sit up to throw back the covers and rush to get dressed while Tessa silences the alarm. After pulling on a fresh uniform and tucking my schedule into my skirt pocket, I step over to Tessa''s jewelry box to retrieve the necklace my mother had given me, only to stop once I''ve opened the lid.


    It''s gone.


    Surely I must have tucked it under something, maybe it was jostled around after the raid, I think to myself as I paw through the contents of her jewelry box.


    "Everything okay?" Tessa suddenly mumbles from behind me.


    I glance over to see that she''s jumped down from her bunk as she sleepily rubs at her eyes, though her hair is still sticking up, untamed and fanned out around her head.


    "I can''t find my necklace," I say.


    "What?" she abruptly drops her hands away from her face as she fixes me with a stare.


    "My necklace," I repeat as my stomach twists at the loss of the trinket.


    "I know a finding spell, give me a minute," Tessa says as she steps past me and puts a hand to her temple.


    She reaches out her other hand and hovers it over the jewelry box as she closes her eyes. A faint glow envelopes the jewelry box and even Astrid pauses from where she''s readjusting the quilt for her bed. After several moments, Tessa shakes her head in disappointment.


    "I''m not sensing anything, whoever took it may have warded it so it can''t be found," Tessa murmurs as she drops her hand, "sorry, I can''t get through it, I don''t know how."


    "It''s okay, it''s not your fault that it was stolen," I mutter as I rub a palm across my forehead. "I''m going to head for the dining hall."


    "Can you get me scrambled eggs? The best food is served early," Tessa sighs as she pouts her lip and her eyes take on a dreamy look.


    "Of course."


    "Great! I''ll meet you down there," she says as she spins on her heel and heads for the attached bathroom.


    I reach up and touch the place where the necklace would be before I pull on my dress heels and head for the door. Astrid is sat cross-legged on the cover of her black quilt, which has a lime-green sigil printed on it. Her eyes remain closed and she doesn''t stir as I walk past and open the door.


    I step back in surprise when I see that Indigo is standing on the other side, her hand raised and curled into a fist like she had the intent of knocking on the door.


    "Where''s your necklace?" Indigo asks immediately, her eyes focusing on the spot where it would be.


    "Uh, I forgot to put it on," I mumble.


    I hadn''t told her about my room being raided at dinner last night and I have no idea how I can break it to her that the necklace has been stolen. I also hadn''t told her that I may be an Unfamiliar, the pure unbelievable fact making me hesitant as I had been reluctant to say anything. Though it''s likely the news has already traveled around campus.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    There''s just no way, maybe I did it wrong, I tell myself.


    "Well, go put it on," she says, her voice slightly sharper than before.


    "Okay, sorry," I mutter as I step back into the room and let the door fall shut behind me.


    Tessa glances up at me from where she''s exiting the bathroom that is connected to the room, "I thought that you were going to the dining hall?"


    "I need your help," I say in a low voice as I dart a look at the closed door to our room, "Indigo is asking where my necklace is and she''s probably going to freak if I tell her that it''s stolen."


    "I see," Tessa says, "I know an illusion spell that might help until we can maybe find it, just...hold still, and don''t breathe."


    She quickly retrieves her wand from where she''s tucked it into her hair as she twirls it a couple of times before she flicks her wrist. There''s a soft, electrical snap and I glance down to see that there''s now an exact copy of my necklace hanging around my neck. I reach down to touch it, only to have my fingers phase right through it.


    "Yeah, just don''t let her try to touch it, it''s only an illusion," she warns.


    "Thank you."


    "No problem, now hurry up or the good food will be gone," she reminds me as she pushes me toward the door.


    I relent and step back into the hall where Indigo is waiting for me. She glances at the necklace once, satisfied that it''s there before she turns and starts walking away from me at a brisk pace.


    She doesn''t say a word until we''re walking down the main sidewalk side-by-side.


    "I''m sorry for being short with you, I''m just...I''m just anxious," Indigo says as we approach the dining hall at a more leisurely pace, "how does your schedule look?"


    I pull out my schedule from my skirt pocket and unfold it, "I have Mr. Adams for Advanced Algebra for my first class, History of the Mortal and Magical World with Mrs. Wong, and Conjuration Basics with Mrs. Litt and then lunch-."


    "Mrs. Litt is nice," Indigo says as she seems to relax and revert to her normal, laidback self.


    "I just hope that I can make mom and dad proud," I murmur and look down at the sidewalk to follow her.


    "Kara, they already are proud of you, and they''re going to be proud of you no matter what your familiar is," she assures me.


    The words catch in my throat as the urge to not tell her about my Unfamiliarness rises unbidden.


    "What did you get anyways?" she asks and turns her head to look at me as she pushes open the door to the dining hall.


    A bird suddenly flies past, one that looks to be a cockatoo and makes a shrill cawing noise as it flies past. I take advantage of the distraction and dart into the hall to get away from Indigo and her question as I leave her behind.


    The hall is somewhat busy as I enter, now that I don''t have the Draconic tournament going on I take in a bit more of the details of the hall this morning. The walls are made up of white marble and there are carved pillars that frame the narrow, tall windows that rib the sides of the hall. It almost feels like a church cathedral, what with its tall, arched ceilings that have murals of animals of all species painted across the ceiling in bright colors.


    The floor is white marble too, which amplifies every tiny noise and whisper within the hall as I walk. There are white octagon tables that would usually be found in a mortal cafeteria scattered throughout the hall and each table has eight, blue plastic chairs sat at them.


    Indigo quickly chooses a table toward one corner while I head for the lunch-line on the far side of the hall. I can hear a few giggles as I pass by one of the tables and I glance up to see that Ava''s minions are sitting at it, their heads bent close together as they whisper to each other.


    I roll my eyes as I turn away from them, only to slip as the floor underneath me is slippery. My feet are swept out from beneath me and I fall backwards hard into a puddle of water that has suddenly appeared. My tailbone smarts painfully as it hits the tiles and my eyes clamp shut at the pain before I open them.


    Ava is standing a few feet in front of me, her face twisted up with contempt as she gazes down at me with the same look a cat would give a trapped mouse.


    "Watch it, Zen," she spits and strolls past me as a few laughs rise up from the tables around me.


    I want to reach out then for control of her familiar, the sensation burning inside of me for revenge. A hand suddenly lays itself on my shoulder and I startle and glance up at its owner. It''s Indigo and her cheeks are flushed red with anger as she glares after Ava.


    "Ignore her," she mutters.


    But in my heart, I know that I can''t ignore her for long.


    I would get back at her soon enough.

 Chapter 11

    My first two classes go by in a blur and, before I know it, I''m in the middle of my conjuring class and am standing in the gymnasium complex that is situated on the far side of the campus. I feel nervous at the prospect of getting to show my powers again as several of the students are eyeing me warily as they recognize me.


    What if I somehow cast an illusion spell?


    What if it wasn''t real?


    What if I don''t have the ability to conjure a familiar at all?


    I stand along the far wall with my back against the cold cinderblock as the others watch me in anticipation as the person before me finishes with conjuring their familiar.


    "Kara Zen?" Mrs. Litt calls and I push away from the wall.


    I take a deep breath, the musty odor of the gymnasium washing over me as my heart beats faster. I step forward across the basketball court and stop at the three point line, my heels tapping hollowly on the lacquered, wooden floor.


    I don''t have to chant this time, all I have to do is think it as I imagine the power I held when I was on the field. I can see glowing lines twining through the air, connecting the people to their familiars as I reach for them.


    Can everyone see this?


    I had never seen such a thing before.


    Mrs. Litt turns her attention back to me suddenly, she herself being an older woman with sable colored skin and bright, blue eyes, an unusual and beautiful combination that makes her look all the more like someone capable of magic.


    "Kara, go ahead and try to hit the target," she says as she eyes the empty basketball court warily.


    I feel a rush of nerves as I doubt myself and hesitate, am I really an Unfamiliar?


    I think up a command for my familiar to step forward and I can feel the attention focus on me as students pause in the middle of speaking to each other in order to watch me. Every familiar in the room has moved and their eyes are focused on me as I can''t help but bite down on the edge of my lip.


    It''s just not possible.


    Next to me, Mrs. Litt''s eyes have widened as her lips quiver with disbelief and shock.


    I command my familiar to attack the target and the gymnasium erupts into roars and howls that remind me of a summer thunderstorm that has finally broken loose. The ethereal creatures move forward as a wave, a vicious riptide to tear the target apart with a feverish frenzy as they move like a single unit. Deadly and wholly terrifying, even Mrs. Litt''s familiar, a silver wolf leaps for the target to join the fray.


    I am an Unfamiliar, I realize as I watch the carnage unfold, and I am to be feared.


    ****


    Unfamiliar, scary, myth, legend.


    These are the words I can hear being thrown around as I enter the dining hall. I can feel rather than see the heads turning in my direction, cupped hands flying to people''s mouths as they talk to one another, their eyes darting and their words jittery.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    They can''t believe it, and neither can I.


    I didn''t mess up, I am an Unfamiliar.


    I''m still in shock as I grab a granola bar, the only thing that is appealing to me right now, and walk over to sit with Astrid and Tessa, who eye me warily as I sit down. Luke is nowhere to be seen and I can only guess that he may still have a class.


    "You okay? You look sick," Tessa comments as I get situated.


    I open my mouth to say something, but her jaw drops and her eyes widen to focus on something over my shoulder. I turn around slowly in my seat to see that a girl with white-blonde hair is approaching our table from across the dining hall. I have to glance back at Astrid to make sure that she''s still there because the resemblance is uncanny, though Astrid''s hair is pulled up in a frazzled bun while the other girl has her hair down.


    They could be sisters.


    ...Or cousins.


    Three students flank the girl as they walk over to our table and stop a few feet away. There is a white tiger familiar that is following the lead girl, though the other students familiars are nowhere to be seen.


    "Kara Zen," the girl says and a hush settles over the cafeteria as every eye turns to me.


    The girl pauses, like she''s enjoying the attention as the corner of her lip twitches with the beginnings of a smile, but other than that, she keeps her composure. It takes less than a few moments for the last of the conversations to dwindle before she continues to speak.


    "I would like to formally introduce myself, I am Eleanora Hallewell," the girl states as she extends a hand that has nails tipped in glimmering, silver polish.


    A warm smile pulls at her lips as I stand and take her hand and shake it, though I''m surprised to feel something cold and metal press into my palm. I don''t get a chance to look at it though because Eleanora is suddenly speaking.


    "I''d like to invite you to join the Coven of Midnight," she says.


    I feel like I''ve been punched in the throat as I can only stare at her in shock. Eleanora seems to pick up on this because she smirks and lets go of my hand.


    "Think about it," she replies before she strolls off with her entourage of friends following her.


    There''s a brief moment where every eye in the cafeteria is still on me as the whispering increases in volume before it dies slightly as I sit down, my legs feeling abruptly weak. Tessa and Astrid are openly staring at me now, the both of them wearing twin expressions of disbelief.


    "What was that for?" Tessa rasps as her eyes continue to dart past me, like she''s still watching Eleanora leave.


    "She must really be an Unfamiliar," Astrid murmurs, seeming to have recovered from her initial shock as she glares in the direction of Eleanora, "since I haven''t been inducted to the coven."


    I can hear bitterness in her voice and for a moment, I feel guilty but she gives me a reassuring smile.


    "So it''s true?" she prods as she cracks open an energy drink and takes a healthy swig.


    I lower my voice as I see a couple of students look in our direction like they can hear us.


    "Yes, it''s true."


    "What do you mean?" Tessa squawks, like she can''t believe it.


    "Keep your voice down," I hiss as I see a few heads turn in our direction.


    "Sorry," she mouths as she looks down at the table.


    "I''m an Unfamiliar," I say, and the words feel right as I say them.


    "Kara, they don''t exist," Tessa argues, "you must have done it wrong or something," she says, but she doesn''t get to finish because I begin to picture her dove.


    It doesn''t take much to find the same power to conjure her familiar, like pulling a thread through the eye of a needle, and before I know it, Peace is sitting in the center of the table.


    Tessa blinks incomprehensively at her familiar for a moment before she looks up at me with wide eyes.


    "You weren''t joking," she whispers.


    "Of course she wasn''t," Astrid mutters as she rolls her darkly lined eyes and focuses on me, "what did my cousin give you? I saw her put something in your hand."


    I''m reminded then of the cold item in my grasp and I look down and open my clenched hand.


    In my palm there is a brushed nickel locket that is slightly larger than a quarter coin and it''s attached to a long, silver chain. On the face of the pendent there is a small, round moonstone that is encompassed by a black band that has the phases of the moon printed on it in silver.


    I open the locket to see that a tiny piece of paper is folded inside.


    Meet us at Midnight tomorrow night in the gymnasium, don''t be late.


    I can''t help but smile as I read the note before I look up as I feel like someone is staring at me. Tessa and Astrid are looking at me, but I don''t really notice as I see past them, catching eyes with Ava who is sitting a few tables away. She''s scowling at me and I feel a rush of power.


    She''s jealous of me.

 Chapter 12

    I''m awoken by a light, almost imperceptible tapping at the bedroom window sometime in the middle of the night. Squinting at Tessa''s Hello Kitty alarm clock reveals that it''s one in the morning.


    What woke me?


    For a moment, I lie there staring at the clock, believing that I''ve probably imagined the tapping until I see a hand lift up through the window and tap its pointer fingernail on the glass.


    I sit up quickly and carefully approach the window. I''m almost tempted to wake up Tessa or Astrid, but the fact that the person is quietly tapping on the window alerts me to the fact that whoever is on the other side only wants to wake one person up. Of the three people in the room, I''ve quickly figured out that I''m the lightest sleeper and the only person who would know that is...


    I glance down and sure enough, Indigo is looking up at me from her place on the other side of the window. I don''t know how she''s able to reach the window, since I''m on the third floor, but the expression on her face tells me that I need to hurry up and get downstairs to meet up with her without question.


    I freeze when I hear Tessa groan and roll over in her bunk behind me as I breathe lightly through my mouth. Even Peace shifts on her perch in her cage as the familiar fluffs up her feathers before she nestles her head under her wing.


    I step over to my dresser as quietly as I can and shrug on a jacket and tuck my cellphone into my pocket.


    On quiet feet, I tiptoe to the door before I pull on a pair of sneakers and slip out of the room into the hall as I shut the door behind me. I pause in the hallway, letting my eyes adjust to the dim lighting before I start down the hall.


    I don''t take the elevator, opting to instead take the stairs as I descend them in silence before I open the front door of the dormitory and step out into the early morning air.


    It''s cold and the air is biting as I gasp in a surprised, quiet breath and instantly wish that I had brought a thicker jacket. Frost is glimmering on the grass as I wrap my arms around myself to feebly protect against the chill. The moon is almost full above me, bathing everything in a silvery glow which makes the grass look like it''s coated in glitter.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    I jog around the building, sticking to the shadows as I head for the place that Indigo should be. I try to keep my breathing light as my breath clouds the air and my nose begins to burn from the cold that bitterly gnaws at it. I slow down once I''m around the corner, my eyes searching the darkness as I look within the long shadows cast by the coniferous bushes.


    "Pssst," a sudden hiss, rises from a cluster of shrubbery that rims the building.


    I jolt and glance over at it to see that Indigo is hiding among them and is crouched in the shadows. She smiles from within the depths between two bushes, her teeth white in the darkness as her eyes flash. She stands and steps over to me, emerging from the black like she belongs there.


    "I heard that you were inducted into the Coven of Midnight," she says as she smiles at me, "what was your familiar?"


    "I...well," I stutter, suddenly nervous to tell her the truth as my tongue manages to tie itself up while I try to find the right words to say.


    At last, I look down at the ground, unable to find any words to describe the miracle that has happened to me. I realize then that word hasn''t gotten around to her yet since she wasn''t at the tournament and couldn''t possibly know what happened during my conjuration class.


    "Kara, where''s the necklace that mom gave you?" Indigo asks as her face suddenly goes pale, the blood quickly draining from her cheekbones as her eyes widen.


    "It''s right here," I assure her as I motion to the illusioned necklace that is still around my throat, Tessa''s illusion holding in place from when she had cast it this morning and I hope then that Indigo still doesn''t see past it.


    "That isn''t the necklace," she retorts as she narrows her eyes and tilts her head, noticing something about it that she hadn''t seen this morning.


    She reaches forward and grabs the necklace to make a point and the gem quickly flickers out of existence once she touches it. Her green eyes remind me of the flames of a fire as she fixes me with an intense stare that makes my heart pause.


    "Kara."


    "I''m sorry, it was stolen," I murmur and swallow as I stare down at the grass beneath my shoes.


    "Oh this is bad...this is very bad," she whispers as she walks a few paces away from me and grips at her temples.


    There is a tension in her shoulders that I haven''t seen before and I shrink backwards, afraid for a moment that she might explode.


    "Indi, how is it bad?" I begin to say in a timid voice, "I''m an Unfamiliar, they were thought to be legends, how can you be mad?"


    She whirls around more quickly than I''ve ever seen her move before as her eyebrows draw down and her lips press into a thin line.


    "Because you weren''t supposed to reveal your power!" she snaps at me.

 Chapter 13

    It takes several, long moments for her words to reach my ears.


    It takes even longer for me to process them.


    "What?"


    It comes out as a croak, my voice weak as the air leaves my lungs.


    "Indigo, you...you knew that I was an Unfamiliar?"


    She sighs at this and nods as she pulls out her phone and texts on it, "Yes, now we need to get home to mom and dad, maybe they''ll know what to do about this mess that you''ve made."


    "But-, but the curfew!" I hiss in a soft voice as she turns and walks away from me.


    "Doesn''t matter," she replies, "we''re sneaking out."


    "You know how to sneak out?" I ask incredulously as I feel a rush of shock.


    She smirks over her shoulder at me, "Of course I do, now come on, my illusion spell won''t last long."


    I realize then that the air feels cooler and as I move, it ripples slightly like water. We''re invisible, I conclude as I jog after her. The moon is our only source of light as we run on silent feet, my eyes just barely being able to focus on Indigo''s rapidly disappearing form as her dark jacket billows behind her like a cape.


    Fear grips me tightly like a vise, every beat of my heart making it feel like it''s going to burst as it hammers uncomfortably in my chest. I can feel that the frost on the lawn is beginning to soak through the canvas material of my sneakers as it leeches through to my socks and numbs my toes as I run.


    At last, Indigo comes to a stop a few paces away from a wrought iron fence and motions for me to stay behind her. I pull up short, desperately gasping in a few breaths of air as my head spins. She makes a quick hand motion and the bars begin to glow a light blue before the light flickers out and she gestures for me to follow her.


    I don''t know if she''s expecting me to climb the fence or what, but I get my answer as she simply walks through the fence, the bars rippling in the process. I follow her more slowly, suddenly anxious as a flush of warmth crawls across my skin, like a summer breeze has blown through when I pass through the bars. I revel in the warmth for a moment before it is replaced with the autumn-like chill and disappointment gnaws at me.


    Indigo is standing a few feet away as she watches me impatiently, "Come on," she rasps.


    I pick up the pace to a light jog and follow her through the winding, creeping undergrowth. Brambles snag at my pant legs while low bearing branches claw at my face as I trip through the brush after her in the near darkness. I pull my phone out of my pocket after nearly falling and turn on its flashlight setting, only to have Indigo stop and spin around to face me.


    "Shut it off," she hisses, her face looking ghostly in the watery light of my flashlight.


    I resist the urge to roll my eyes as I comply and keep trudging after her, trusting that she knows the way. There''s a sudden flash of headlights through the brush as Indigo breaks out of the tree line and jogs toward the road where an Uber is already waiting for us.


    She gets in without a word and I clamber in after her before I shut the door behind me. The driver doesn''t say anything, instead, the dark vehicle jolts into motion onto the deserted road. Indigo makes no indication to start a conversation and with the driver in the front-seat, I''m sure that it''s best to keep quiet about my powers anyways as I settle into my seat. I don''t mind though, since I''ve rarely been out and about in the Boston area this early in the morning and the abandoned, quiet streets gives me something to marvel at.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Living in this city has always consisted of predicting traffic patterns and knowing the best time to move around to go grocery shopping on the weekends or to visit the malls on Friday. But not now. Right now, the world is empty and it feels like Indigo and I are the last people here in this strange, empty world that consists of traffic lights that signal for no one.


    With the roads being free of traffic, it doesn''t take us long to get to our house, which already feels foreign and alien to me as the driver pulls up to the curb. Indigo thanks him and nods at me to get out and I obey as I step out onto the sidewalk.


    A nearby streetlamp casts a golden puddle of light on the pavement as I step out and stand underneath it. A few moths are fluttering around the lamp as I gaze up at them, suddenly wanting to stand here until the sun rises.


    I want to do most anything to avoid my parents right now.


    I had let them down without knowing it and now I have to face them and hope that they can fix this.


    The door to the townhouse opens and my mother stands in the threshold wearing business casual to my surprise, but then again, she''s never been one to hang out in her bathrobe if she knows that she''s going to have guests soon. The sight of her makes my stomach twist as Indigo walks up the sidewalk and I follow behind her at a distance, already feeling like a stranger here.


    My mother waits until we''re both inside before she shuts and locks the door behind us. I open my mouth to say something, maybe an apology of some sort, but she gestures for me to stay quiet. I remember then that Connor is upstairs and probably hasn''t been informed about our family''s history of Unfamiliarness.


    Is mom one?


    I shake the thought away.


    We walk through the entryway in silence before my mother opens the door to the basement and motions for us to head downstairs, which is dimly lit by a single light that casts long shadows. I step down onto the stairs and turn to watch my mother close the door as she draws a silencing sigil on it with her wand and it glows a bright shade of blue and fades.


    I turn and descend the stairs after my sister, who has paused at the bottom of the steps to wait for me. The wooden boards that make up the staircase creak underneath me before I turn the sharp corner at the bottom and step into the next room.


    Most families have a game room in their basement, we have a scattered alchemy lab.


    The modern, townhouse exterior easily hides the medieval looking lab within, the concrete walls and floor not helping it look any less intimidating as I breathe in the damp air. Mom and dad are the only ones who really come down here, since my other siblings and myself have always been creeped out by it.


    Tonight is no exception to the fact as I glance at the ancient grimoires lining the bookshelves, their cracked and weathered spines gleaming in the silver light cast by a crystal ball that is sitting in the center of the room on a table. I''ve rarely seen the ball lit up before and the change doesn''t bring me any comfort.


    My father is sitting at the table that the ball is perched on, his eyes looking hollow and wide in the light cast by it as he nods and gestures for me to take the seat across from him. I obey and quietly sit on the chair, which is Victorian styled and has a red velvet cushion that I sink into.


    My mother sits on one side while Indigo takes the other. My face begins to burn, I''m not used to having all of the attention on me since I''m the middle child, but I bite my lip and focus on the subject at hand. Indigo had made it sound like I was in danger before we had snuck out.


    "I am an Unfamiliar," my mother admits in a soft voice, breaking the intense silence.


    "What about you?" I ask my father as I look to him expectantly over the crystal ball.


    "I''m not," he admits as he gives me a sheepish smile, "no special powers either."


    Some witches have special affinities, like my mother being a Seer, but some witches don''t and I''ve always wondered what my father''s was.


    "Being an Unfamiliar is dangerous, even within the witch community," my mother warns me as she pulls the attention back to my Unfamiliarness, "I had hoped to hide you."


    "Why''s that?" I inquire, wanting to know what had gotten Indigo all worked up.


    "We''re powerful, very powerful, we can turn the tides of wars, level whole countries, we''ve shaped mortal and witch history alike," my mother''s eyes dim, like she''s somewhere else entirely, "and it''s made us quite the target for hatred," she nods to the crystal ball, "see for yourself."


    I eye her curiously before I lean forward and stare into the depths of the crystal ball, which looks like it has clouds trapped within it as the clouds roil and change.


    One moment, I''m looking into the ball, a reflection of my eyes looking back at me.


    The next, I''m falling.

 Chapter 14

    I jolt awake on my back and stare up at a dark sky that is stretched out above me. There are more stars in the sky than I''ve ever seen before as I lie there for a long moment and gaze up in awe, the faint, cloudy traceries of the Milky Way laid out like a tapestry. There''s a chorus of crickets chirping, along with frogs croaking and I can guess that I may be in a marshy area judging by the soft ground under me. The sound is almost deafening, a low roar that drowns out everything, until it doesn''t.


    A sudden shout catches me off guard and I roll over so I''m on my stomach.


    Tall grass and cattails surround me, making it impossible for me to see much of what''s past the curtain of foliage. I can scarcely see a flicker of fire as I pick out the shapes of individual torches being carried by several people in the darkness.


    "She''s out here, I saw her run in this direction," one person, a woman says in a low voice as a dog follows her, the dog having the flickering skin of a familiar as it trots beside her.


    "Did you find her daughters?" a man asks, his familiar being that of an owl, which is perched on his shoulder.


    "No, I think she may have sent them out in a carriage heading west, we''ll find ''em," the woman assures the man.


    "Hush now, she''ll hear us," says the man leading the trio as the torches flicker out and they disappear from view.


    I freeze and breathe lightly as I hear their footsteps treading closer, but I can''t see them at all.


    Can they hear me? Are they going to find me?


    I shudder at the thought and there''s a sudden rustling sound beside me among the pond weeds that startles me. Bright green eyes peer out of them from several feet away to reveal a face that is illuminated in the light of the half-moon above us. The eyes look right through me, unseeing as they search the darkness.


    There''s a baying howl as a dog begins to bark, its paws slapping the muddy ground as it springs from the weeds suddenly, its teeth flashing in the dark as it lunges for the person crouched next to me.


    The person screams as they''re bowled over and the dog latches onto their arm as they try to fight the dog off, but to no avail.


    I flinch as the person is suddenly bathed in blue light, like several lights have been turned on at once as I crouch in the shadows. The three people from before step forward with balls of blue light glowing in their hands as the dog lets go of the struggling person.


    Hunched in the center of a patch of grass is a woman of breathtaking beauty who looks strangely familiar to me. Her long, light-colored hair falls down her back in a tangled braid as mud and sticks clot her hair, making her look desperate. She''s wearing a simple, red and brown dress, the bodice stained with mud as I notice that the fabric is torn in some places. The woman glares up at the others, a challenge flickering in her eyes that makes her look unbeatable.


    "Surprised that you can''t control my familiar, yeah?" the woman with the dog familiar sneers as she looks down at the woman sitting on the ground.


    "I am not untrustworthy, I did not side with the British-," the woman on the ground begins to say.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Silence!" the woman among the trio snaps.


    A heavy silence falls over us, even the crickets and the frogs fall silent as the woman''s angry voice hangs over us. The woman steps forward then, a knife in her hand. She places the tip of it against the soft spot of the familiar woman''s throat and I draw in a soft breath as I fear for the worst.


    "You''re going to come with us, Cecilia, you must be brought to justice," the woman with the dog familiar says.


    "I have no reason to, I am innocent," the woman on the ground, Cecilia, murmurs, her eyes suddenly looking past me. "I will not come with you."


    A smile graces Cecilia''s lips then, one that chills me to the bone as she makes direct eye contact with me. The woman with the familiar nods to the men and they haul her to her feet right as Cecilia lifts a finger to her lips and makes a shushing motion that is directed to me.


    "Have it your way," one of the men mutters to Cecilia.


    There''s the telltale click of a hammer on a pistol being pulled back as one of the men holds an ornate, silver pistol to Cecilia''s temple.


    Her lips form one word as her eyes focus on me.


    Run.


    ****


    My eyes open before the gun fires but I can still hear an echo of the gunshot.


    I don''t see her get shot as I am suddenly sitting in the basement in my house again.


    My head is spinning and the world around me is slightly blurry, like I have something stuck in my eye. I blink several times and shake my head to clear it as I breathe carefully through my nose.


    Hands are holding me around each wrist, grounding me in reality as I take a few calming breaths to settle my still racing heart. My mother and Indigo are holding my wrists while my father gazes at me, concern creasing his brow as he watches me from the other side of the crystal ball.


    "We''ve always been the scapegoats," my mother says in a low voice, breaking the silence, "if something ever went wrong involving familiars, we were the ones to blame," she swallows and her gaze hardens. "That was your great grandmother Cecilia, a hawk familiar was seen circling over a Patriot campsite during the Revolutionary War, they were attacked by the British at sundown," my mother pauses, unable to go on for a moment.


    There is anger in her gaze and I''d hate to ever be the person responsible for her frustration as she takes a deep breath.


    "Cecilia was well known for borrowing hawk familiars and they accused her of being a Loyalist that was spying on them," her voice drops, "they executed her out of rage, the man who shot her being the one who actually did commit the crime."


    "Her story is one of many," my father warns, "Unfamiliars are powerful and many people think that they''re too powerful, there''s a cult of witches who have strove to wipe them out."


    "Why wipe them...us out?" I ask as my voice wavers and I suddenly feel queasy.


    I had always thought that witches were supposed to be supportive of one another, yet there are people who wanted to kill me. But they don''t even know who I am personally, they just want to kill me for having certain powers.


    Weren''t the witch trials enough?


    My father gives me a wane smile, "Why does murder exist in the first place? Jealousy, fear, it all piles up into hatred and hatred leads to people wanting to get rid of what is making them uncomfortable, even if it''s another human being and even if it isn''t fair or just."


    I nod sadly at this, "Why didn''t you tell me that I''m an Unfamiliar before?"


    My mother winces, "I had hoped that you would keep the necklace I had given you on, by keeping it on, you would summon the familiar inside of it instead and you would be safely unaware of what you are."


    The others stand up from the table, my mother darting over to a shelf for a moment as she retrieves something before she walks over to me.


    "We can''t do anything but train you to protect yourself," my mother says in a low voice as she passes me a new, crystal necklace, this one having a blue stone, "this one is warded so it can''t be touched by anyone else but you and me, wear it a few times when you go to conjure a familiar and the familiar within will become yours, only Unfamiliars are capable of storing and conjuring familiars."


    "Okay," I say as I take it from her, "what kind of familiar is it?"


    She smiles softly at my question, "You''ll see, it should protect you well enough."


    I don''t know what else to say and apparently neither does she because she stands for a long moment, her eyes unfocused before she wraps her arms around me in a brief hug.


    "Be careful, Kara," she whispers as she reaches up and smoothes my hair.


    "I''ll try," I promise her.

 Chapter 15

    The ride back to the academy is quiet as Indigo and I sit side by side in another Uber. I want so badly to speak to her, but with the driver around, we can''t without sounding insane.


    Instead, I pull out my phone and text her.


    "How did you find out that you were an Unfamiliar?" I text.


    Her phone buzzes in her pocket a second later and she pulls it out and looks at the screen for a long moment before she shakes her head and texts me back.


    "Mom had finally told me this year, that''s why I stayed in Salem over the summer, I was being trained to control other people''s familiars without making it obvious."


    "Why control others at all?"


    "Because, if I''m found out, it''s helpful to know how to, that and controlling others can be beneficial to help out with finding other Unfamiliars."


    She pauses for a moment before her fingers type another message.


    "We have to stick together, mom is a part of a secret Unfamiliar coven that seeks out other Unfamiliars, you''d be surprised by how many orphans there are, or even how many children are abandoned by their parents when they''re found out," she frowns and stares at her cell-phone''s screen, "we have to keep other Unfamiliars safe."


    "I understand," I text her, and it''s the truth.


    "Good, I''ll tutor you in some defensive spells so you can learn to keep yourself safe, if people begin to act strange around you, let me know," she warns and I can feel the darkness of the subject in her text.


    "Can I be inducted into the coven that mom''s in?"


    She shrugs and texts me back, "Maybe sometime soon, you''ll have to talk to her about that."


    "Have you joined?"


    "No," she looks around. "We''re getting close," and then, "we''ll talk more about this later."


    I''m too uptight and sleep doesn''t appeal to me anymore as I squint at the time on my phone''s screen, it''s almost four in the morning.


    I head for the group-chat where Tessa and Luke''s numbers are. We had last texted each other a couple of days before I had come to Greenwood and the innocence and simplicity of what my life had been like before makes me shut my eyes against the tears that suddenly spring to them as a surge of fear grips my heart.


    I bite my lip, finding my courage as I send them a text, even though I know that it''s still too early for them to be awake. I needed to talk to them about this and tell them the truth.


    "Meet me at the IHop near campus at five," I chew on the inside of my cheek before I send another text, "Tessa, bring Astrid with you."The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I''ve come to trust my other roommate over the short time that I''ve known her and I figure that it''s best to have her in on the story rather than leave her out of the loop. Besides, she already knows that I''m an Unfamiliar to begin with.


    I get a response from Tessa a few minutes later, "Okay."


    ****


    "Why did we have to come to IHop at five in the morning?" Luke complains as he stares at the tabletop in front of him.


    He looks bedraggled and his hair is greasy-looking from where a few strands are sticking out from under the hood of his jacket. Next to him, Tessa places a hand over her mouth to cover it as she yawns.


    "I''m tired," she groans as she leans forward and lets her forehead slam on the table in front of her.


    "That''s why classes start at nine," Luke mutters.


    "Let''s just get this meeting over with," Astrid suggests as she looks to me.


    "After we order breakfast," I promise them in a low voice.


    I had had the Uber drop me off at the IHop and had told Indigo that Tessa and Astrid already knew about what I was and that I wanted to talk to them. She relented...eventually and headed back to campus without me. Now I''m sat in the corner booth in the back of the empty restaurant with my friends and a secret that has put me in danger.


    Being up all night has made me exhausted and my fingers are trembling as I pick up a menu and browse my choices as the others do the same. I''m not sure if Luke has been told about my ''Unfamiliar-ness'' but he hasn''t asked any questions or said anything so I can only guess that he probably doesn''t know for sure. A waitress eventually comes by and takes our orders before she leaves and I feel the others look to me expectantly.


    I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly as I try to think of exactly what to say.


    "So I''m an Unfamiliar," I begin as I look to Luke so I can judge his reaction.


    He gives me a long, wary look before he glances at the others, "You both knew?"


    Tessa and Astrid nod at this as they look unfazed.


    "I didn''t know if you were going to tell him yourself so I didn''t say anything to him," Tessa adds as she fidgets with the collar of her jacket.


    "I was planning on it," I tell her, grateful that she had chosen to leave the choice to me.


    "So you''re an Unfamiliar, that''s why you could control the other familiars on the field. I''ve heard that they''re powerful," Luke says and shrugs, "you''re acting like there''s more to it, though."


    Tessa looks to me then, her gaze narrowing as she realizes that he''s right. Even Astrid is watching me with renewed interest.


    "Because there is," I confirm.


    I want to say more, but our waitress returns suddenly and drops off our food. She''s a girl who probably isn''t much older than we are as she smiles before she leaves again. I''m distracted by my plate of pancakes as hunger gnaws at me and I debate the chance to take a few bites before I continue speaking, deciding not to.


    "Unfamiliars are...feared," I sum up for them as I swallow a lump in my throat and try to find the right words. "They''ve been blamed for centuries and there''s a cult out there who has been hunting Unfamiliars for centuries."


    Luke pauses, his mouth full of food as he gives me a long look, "Hunting and...?"


    "Killing them," I confirm, my voice dropping to a whisper, "my great grandmother was murdered because she was an Unfamiliar and they didn''t trust her."


    A heavy silence settles over us as the others stop eating and stare at me. Shock has contorted their features, it''s one thing to be feared by mortals, we are in Salem which has a reputation of witch hunting like no other.


    But they had been mortals killing witches.


    My situation is something else entirely and I''m still having difficulty wrapping my head around it.


    Witches shouldn''t kill witches.


    Luke is the first to speak as he clears his throat and gives me a determined look.


    "Kara, we''ll keep you safe," he says and he looks to the others as they nod in agreement.


    "They''re going to have to go through us first," Tessa agrees.


    "I''ll pledge my life," Astrid says in a bored tone as she grins, "besides, I like my new roommates and I''d hate to have to get new ones."

 Chapter 16

    It''s dark as I walk across campus alone after my classes for the day. Luckily nothing unusual happened and I got through my lectures with a minimum amount of people staring at me. I tried my best to stay awake and ignore the people who whispered about me when they thought I couldn''t hear them, though my eyes now feel swollen with exhaustion and all I want to do is go back to sleep.


    But I still have to meet with the coven and I already forced myself to wake up ten minutes ago to get dressed.


    The locket Eleanora had given me is tucked in my jean pocket and I pat it here and there to make sure that it''s still there and that all of this is real. I stick to the shadows as I make it over to the gymnasium complex, the full moon above casting me in its light and guiding my path. I hesitate at the doors before I reach for the handle and open it.


    The dusty air of the gym washes over me, bringing with it the too fresh memory of unleashing my conjuration powers and confirming what I am as I step inside and let the door fall shut behind me. I can still hear the sound of dozens of familiars working together to rip the target apart and I shudder at the animalistic noises that are engraved in my mind.


    The only lights on inside are the ones for the exit signs, a red one spelling out ''exit'' gleaming at me from across the gym and giving me a foreboding sense of warning.


    I shake my head to free myself of the thought.


    You''re safe here, you''re fine.


    "Welcome, Kara," a voice suddenly says and I pinpoint it to be somewhere in the middle of the gym floor.


    I suppress the urge to run as I remember my great grandmother''s fate and I stand up straighter, preparing myself for the possibility of a fight as I stare harder into the darkness of the gym. I can''t see anything at all, just the exit sign over the door on the far side and the tiny pool of red light that it''s casting.


    I don''t know exactly what to say, so I go with my best choice, "Hello."


    My voice echoes slightly within the rafters of the gym and reverberates into the darkness, like a stone that has been thrown into a pond. I can sense rather than see the other people who are walking across the gym towards me.


    A light flickers on, a blue orb that reminds me too much of the memory of Cecilia being hunted as every nerve and muscle within me becomes fraught with tension. This is just a coven of teenagers, they can''t possibly be hunting down Unfamiliars. I blink and focus on the face that is above the blue orb as I begin to make out the faint traceries of fingers cupping the orb.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    It''s Eleanora.


    Her mouth splits into a wide grin, one that is relaxed and full of welcome.


    "Kara Zen, you have been invited to join the Coven of Midnight, do you choose to accept?" she asks, her voice echoing hollowly around me and I almost feel like I''m surrounded.


    "I do," I say after I clear my throat.


    She dips her head, "Summon your familiar to prove your worth."


    A dozen other orbs flicker to life around the perimeter of the gym, each of them being held by cloaked figures that have black hoods drawn low over their faces so I can''t see who they are. The summoning sigil on the gym floor flashes to life, bathing the floor around it in azure hues.


    I think back to how I had summoned Tessa''s dove by merely thinking about it, but the only familiar that I know of in this room is Eleanora''s white tiger.


    But then again...


    I touch the new, crystal necklace hanging around my throat, curious as to what familiar my mother had given me.


    ''Wear it a few times when you go to conjure a familiar and the familiar will become yours.''


    I begin to conjure, pulling the thread of magic from deep within me as the chant swirls in my head. I don''t have to say it, I''ve already broken the barrier between never conjuring a familiar, I just have to think about it. The sigil reacts as a dark form flickers to life within the sigil and I hold my breath in anticipation.


    The creature stands, revealing strong, nimble legs. It shakes its head, its black fur rippling over its muscled body as it blinks at me with greenish-golden eyes.


    It''s a black panther.


    Tears suddenly well up unbidden in my eyes, I''ve been obsessed with black panthers ever since I was in the third grade and now my mother has gifted me with the ability to conjure one of my own.


    I can only watch in awe as the panther strides over to me, its paws silently padding across the wooden floor as its curved ears tilt in my direction, its gaze fixed fully on me. It''s a breathtakingly beautiful creature and I immediately try to think of a name that would befit such a creature.


    Bastet, the name of the Egyptian goddess who had the dual form of a black cat comes to mind and I settle on the name as I remember that she was also a symbol of protection and cats.


    Fitting for such a creature.


    I reach out a tentative hand as the panther comes closer to me and I carefully pet it on the head as its form solidifies. I can feel the faint prickle of fur under my hand, but the sensation is more like a memory than a fact, an unsettling and strange, in-between sensation.


    There but not quite there.


    Most beginners'' familiars aren''t quite solid and even with my power, it''s not an exception to this fact. Nonetheless, the familiar is still impressive and I can feel the eyes of the other people in the gymnasium watching the creature as it lets me pet it.


    "The Coven of Midnight is meant to unite, to uphold the laws of witchcraft and to protect witches, do you promise to uphold these laws?" Eleanora inquires.


    "I do," I promise her as a swell of strength surges through me, bolstered by the fact that I have a personal familiar to protect me.


    "Then you are henceforth a member of the Coven of Midnight, a protector of witches," Eleanora reaches back and flips her hood down as the people around me do the same as familiars of all types, but all still powerful, flicker to life beside their masters.


    I faintly recognize some of the other students standing around the perimeter as they raise their voices in unison.


    "Welcome, Kara Zen, to the Coven of Midnight," they say, their voices echoing within the rafters.


    Eleanora straightens as she looks me in the eye, "You are free to go, for now, we shall reconvene tomorrow night after lights out."

 Chapter 17

    I can''t help but feel relieved when I step outside of the gymnasium, the academy grounds still cloaked in darkness. I look up at the sky and watch as a cloud of my breath drift upwards toward the satellites that are flickering high above like strobing stars. Relief courses through me, the tension leaving my shoulders as I take a measured, even breath.


    In, out.


    I am powerful, I am not weak, I remind myself, even though I''ve let Bastet dissipate I still feel her power. I am a protector of witches.


    The realizations bring me a rush of happiness as I close my eyes and tilt my head up, letting the stress and fear drift away, like dead leaves buoyed on a river as they''re carried away, one by one. I''ve found a purpose, something I can pour myself into. I know then that my parents fear for me.


    But perhaps things can be different.


    It''s been many years since my great great grandmother''s murder, maybe things have changed.


    Witches can have the chance to all live in harmony, as equals. Maybe all everyone needs is to know that we exist in the first place, that we could be just another face in the crowd.


    A scream abruptly splits the air, cleaving the silence open and replacing it with ice that shoots up my spine and makes the hairs on my arms and neck stand up. Horror crawls, fresh and writhing under my skin.


    I''ve yet to hear someone scream in such a way in my life as my eyes snap open and look around.


    I can''t see where it came from, but it repeats, a horrific, choked peal of a screech. I run, my feet launching me forward on the concrete sidewalk. I sprint in the general direction of the scream and navigate the best that I can in the dark, a shadow casting on the sidewalk from the moon above me.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    I round the bend of the gymnasium, only to come to a skittering stop.


    A dark, human-shaped lump is lying in the middle of the sidewalk, its form illuminated by the silver moonlight. The limbs are sprawled around it in a way that is unnatural and I see the wrongness in it immediately.


    I hurry to their side, my heart in my throat as I drop to my knees beside the motionless form. My knees crack painfully against the cold concrete as I roll the form onto their back.


    Dark brown eyes stare skywards, unseeing and blank. I notice the light blonde eyebrows sit perched above them, their expression slack.


    I recognize the person, but I don''t initially know where from as I can only stare at the wet patch on their chest.


    I don''t process it as blood at first.


    I don''t process much at all at first.


    What...what happened to them?


    I shake them gently, expecting for a moment for their eyes to meet mine but they don''t. Their body is heavy, far heavier than normal as their head listlessly lolls against the concrete. The fabric of their shirt is torn away to reveal a gaping wound that is weeping blood as my limbs go cold.


    I press a finger against their neck to check for a pulse, hoping against all else that I will feel the steady thrum of blood pumping through their veins.


    I feel nothing.


    I sit back on my heels as nausea makes my throat tighten, threatening to drag me under as blackness begins to creep into the corners of my vision. My breath is coming out in gasps as I can only stare.


    I know him.


    My stomach heaves and I scramble to my feet and take a few steps back, my hands shaking violently when I realize that there''s blood on them from rolling him over. I turn and vomit on the grass lining the sidewalk, my throat stinging from the stomach acid that makes it burn. Tears run down my face as I empty my stomach until I''m left dry-heaving and weak.


    I scrub the tears away when I''m done and wipe my mouth with my sleeve before I dare to approach the body once more, my stomach churning as I look down at it in shock.


    Lying dead at my feet is Finn Delacroix.

 Chapter 18

    I don''t know how I end up in the headmaster''s office, but somehow, I do.


    I can''t remember...


    I can''t remember much of anything.


    There''s still blood on my hands and I clasp them together, palm to palm so I don''t have to look at the stains.


    I want to ask to wash my hands but I can''t seem to make my mouth move, that and I don''t have the strength to stand.


    All I want is to sit completely still.


    I feel out of place in his office as I look around, seeing but not feeling like I''m really here. A wall of windows, though hidden by heavy draperies, lines the small alcove where his walnut, claw-footed desk rests and he sits behind it in a leather, high-backed chair that is a delicate shade of reddish brown. A computer screen sits perched not too far away, a small, carved stag figurine caught in a mid-step pose standing on the desk with its head turned in my direction.


    There''s a clock on the fireplace that is ticking, the noise drilling into my brain as I sit in the seat across from the headmaster. A Persian rug sprawls across the dark, hardwood floor, the pattern immaculate and bright and feeling all too wrong beneath my dirty sneakers. The walls have a dark shade of russet wood-paneling covering them and I feel stifled in a room that is too dark, even with several lamps turned on.


    It''s only after a few minutes of sitting here that I realize that the headmaster is talking to me and I blink and focus on his face.


    "Kara, I know that what you witnessed must be traumatizing nonetheless, but there are some people who need to speak with you," he says and it''s the first time that I''ve really looked at him.


    He looks so much like Astrid and Eleanora, the same high cheekbones and sculpted, petite nose that is perfectly centered in his more masculine face. He has the same flawless skin though his is slightly unsettling with the way it gleams, like he''s been crafted from wax. A set of blue eyes that are lighter than Astrid''s watch me, waiting for a reply as he steeples his fingers in front of his mouth like he''s deep in thought.


    "O...okay," I murmur, finding my voice and realizing at the same time that my throat feels raw, though I don''t remember screaming.


    He smiles and his nearly silver-blonde eyebrows rise with relief, "I do apologize for the promptness, but it is imperative that you tell them everything that you witnessed, you never know what could help with this investigation."


    There is a short silence and, while he doesn''t move, the door to his office suddenly opens. His eyes flick past me and he stands, though I don''t know if I can do the same as I have the sudden sense to sink into the chair beneath me and wither away.


    But I don''t, instead, there''s a feminine-sounding throat clearing behind me and it finally piques my attention into looking in its direction.


    A woman in a police uniform stands in the center of the office, which consists of book cases and a fireplace along one wall while a couch and two chairs are sat in the center of the room. The woman is tall and her pale cheekbones are razor sharp, giving her a bird-like appearance as she stands with her hands clasped behind her back. She''s pretty and built much like a dancer is and her eyes are a light blue as pale lips draw back into a smile when I make eye contact with her.


    It''s too easy of a smile and that''s how I know that it''s fake. A boy has just been murdered and here''s a police officer smiling at me.


    Maybe it''s meant to soothe.


    Maybe she''s expecting one back, but I don''t return it, instead, I get to my feet and stand waiting across from her.


    "Officer Marshall, but you can call me Diana," the woman says as she offers her hand and I note then that she''s probably not too much older than Indigo.


    I eye her once more, looking for a reason not to trust her but her face is too kind at the moment and I can''t get a solid read. She looks innocent with her dark hair tied back in a neat bun, which is held in place at the nape of her neck.


    In that moment, I want to scream.


    To yell.


    Anything at all to let out the horrors that I''ve just witnessed.


    You don''t understand.


    You don''t understand, we''re supposed to be safe on this campus.


    It''s what Greenwood is for.


    But I can''t.


    And I don''t.


    I don''t take her hand, there''s still blood on them and the last thing I want to do is touch anything with my hands until they''re clean. Officer Marshall must see something in my gaze because her eyes flicker down to my hands. Her lips press into a thin line and it''s the first crack in her friendly demeanor.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    I am a witness.


    But bloodstained hands don''t help my case.


    She doesn''t take my hand to shake it as she inclines her head toward the door and clasps her hands.


    "If you''ll follow me, we''ll just head down to the station so I can file an official report," she says in a clipped, professional tone.


    I wonder then how much she knows since she''s human and we''re on Greenwood property and humans shouldn''t know such things.


    She glances back at me and smiles like she''s read my mind and for a moment, my tired mind is afraid that she has.


    "Don''t worry, you can tell me everything, I''m aware that Greenwood is meant for witches," she tells me and looks past me to Headmaster Hallewell.


    I nod and obediently follow her out of the office and down the quiet, dim hallways that are only lit up from the moon that is spilling silver light through the windows that line one side of the hall. Doors for classrooms and offices line the other side, every door shut as we pass them by in the eerie silence.


    Officer Marshall''s boots tap a solemn rhythm on the polished floors as she leads the way before we descend the staircase to the ground floor. She opens the door for me and gestures for me to walk out in front of her as I start down the sidewalk. I can see the faint silhouette of several vehicles parked in the circle drive, their lights off as she strides ahead of me and opens the passenger door on a police car.


    I don''t know what to say during the drive over, so I say nothing at all and look out the window as I watch the dark cityscape pass me by. Officer Marshall seems all too happy to not say anything either until we pull up to the police station. I get out when she shuts off the car and I trail behind her as we walk up the sidewalk and she opens the door for me.


    There''s a sleepy-eyed, older man at the front desk and he nods without looking at us as Officer Marshall ushers me down a hallway that splits off from the lobby and heads to a gray door that she opens.


    "I''ll be right back," she says as I eye the tiled room on the other side, which only has a metal table and two chairs.


    I nod as the door falls shut before I glance to the side to see that one wall has an enormous mirror mounted on it. Two-way glass, I think as I stare at the reflection looking back at me. I look out of place and seeing myself reflected back at me is strangely surreal as gooseflesh prickles along my arms. I sit down in the chair that is facing the mirror, remembering how interrogations are usually performed in the cop shows that I watched with my family on Saturdays.


    My throat tightens and I wonder if Indigo knows where I am or if she''s been told about what''s happened. I wish that she was here with me as my chest aches, but the door to the room opens and Officer Marshall steps inside with a few sheets of paper in her hands.


    "Alright Kara, your last name is Zen, correct?"


    "Yes," I murmur as she sits in the seat across from me.


    She writes something down with an ink pen that she brought with her before she sits up and folds her hands on the table in front of her.


    "I''m going to ask you a few questions in a moment, okay?"


    I don''t say anything as I look down at my hands, which are still stained with blood, "Can I...can I wash my hands first?"


    My stomach heaves against my will but I keep myself in check as I swallow a few times.


    She shakes her head, "No, we''re going to have to get a sample of it first, you can wash them as soon as they''re done collecting."


    She inclines her head slightly and the door to the room opens as a pale-faced man in business casual enters.


    He has a cotton swab and a clear, plastic vial held in his blue gloved hand as he gives me a hesitant smile that reminds me of my father with the way he does it.


    "Hello," he says in a low, casual voice, like swabbing my hand for blood is a normal thing for him to do.


    And maybe it is.


    I splay my hands and tilt them toward him, only to notice that they''re shaking as I hold them upright. He swabs one of my palms, the dried blood smearing because of a clear, cold liquid that is on the swab as it stains the cotton pink before he drops it into the vial and twists a plastic cap on it. He pulls out another vial and swabs my other palm before he drops the swab into the vial and caps it.


    He nods to Officer Marshall before he backs out of the room and shuts the door.


    "The bathroom is just down the hall, second door on the left," she informs me.


    "Okay," I say as my lips feel numb, like they''re floating off of my face and I''m no longer in control as the full force of the situation begins to hit me.


    I get up, the chair squawking awkwardly against the floor tiles as Officer Marshall opens the door for me. I start down the hall, relieved to see that the door for the bathroom is a push door. I shove a shoulder against the door and rush over to the sink. The faucet is automatic and the surprise of hot water splashing against my palms brings me back to the present. I start scrubbing until my skin is red and claw tracks mar my flesh.


    You are safe.


    For now.


    But what of it when I go back?


    What about Indi? Tessa?


    I want to throw up then, the bile rising too far in my throat.


    I spin away from the sink and vomit into the trash can for the paper towels. I keep my retching as quiet as I can, not wanting to alert anyone who may be lingering at the station. I wash up, a few sips of water from the faucet as I swish it around and spit it out in the sink. I try not to look at myself in the mirror, as seeing myself will only make all of this real.


    It''s not real, just a nightmare.


    I head back to the room and settle into the cold, uncomfortable chair across from Officer Marshall.


    "I understand that there''s a curfew in place, why were you out after curfew?" Officer Marshall asks me, her blue eyes watching me curiously.


    "I was invited to join the Coven of Midnight," I tell her as I pull out Eleanora''s locket and pass it to her.


    Officer Marshall takes it from me and opens it. She reads the slip of paper before she nods to herself and writes down a note on her paper.


    "And what did you do at this meeting?" she inquires.


    "I summoned my familiar and pledged myself to be an ally of the Coven of Midnight," the words stick in my throat as I think about my pledge, not even an hour old one and I had been unable to protect a fellow witch.


    "And what was the pledge?"


    "To protect fellow witches," I whisper and a rush of shame consumes me.


    "I see, and how did you find Finn Delacroix?" she asks as her eyes narrow thoughtfully.


    "I had come out of the gym after pledging and I...I," I swallow at the bitter memory of his scream, "I heard a scream and I followed it and...he was already gone when I found him, he was lying on the sidewalk."


    "Did you know Finn very well?"


    "No, I only knew him because he had competed to become a member of the Draconic legion," I answer her honestly, suddenly feeling uneasy.


    "Do you know anyone who had issues with Finn?" Officer Marshall asks as she leans forward and lifts a questioning eyebrow.


    "No," I shake my head, "I didn''t really know him."


    "Did you have issues with him?"


    I pause then, the unease hitting me in the gut.


    "No."


    I realize then that I''m not just a witness to her.


    I''m a suspect.

 Chapter 19

    Officer Marshall eventually drives me back to Greenwood when I manage to provide every last bit of information I can, for now, and by then I''m nearly delirious from lack of sleep.


    I collapse into my bed, Tessa and Astrid still asleep and the time unknown but the world still dark as I toss the covers over my head and fall into a dreamless sleep that closes over me like a fist.


    ****


    It feels like I''ve only just fallen asleep when I am suddenly shaken awake by a rough hand. I blink my eyes open and squint against the sunlight that is now pouring into the room. Tessa is standing beside my bunk, her eyes wide and the expression on her face making me snap into full awareness as I sit bolt upright.


    "What''s wrong?" I demand.


    She doesn''t say anything as she presses a finger to her lips, motioning for me to stay silent as she points a trembling finger in the direction of Astrid''s bed. I turn my head and freeze as the blood rushes out of my body.


    Astrid is lying on her bunk on her back, the covers torn away to reveal that she''s wearing a baggy t-shirt and plaid, fabric shorts. She''s lying unnaturally still, her eyes blank as they stare towards the window, unblinking and unseeing as my heart thuds in my chest.


    As I try to make sense of the situation, letters begin to scrawl across the wall in black ink.


    "Murderer," I whisper as the last letter writes itself out.


    The black letters turn a deep shade of red and begin to drip down the wall, making them almost look like...blood.


    "You killed her," Tessa says, her voice sounding strange, like the words have been programmed into her by someone else.


    Surely she didn''t think that I did this.


    "I didn''t," my voice trembles, not helping my case as I try to get out of my bunk, but it feels like I''ve been strapped into it.


    "You did," Tessa points down at my hands and I follow her gaze.


    A knife is clenched in my right hand, the blade stained with blood. I drop the knife immediately and it clatters to the bedroom floor as I stare at my bloody palms.


    "I...I didn''t," I whisper.


    Astrid suddenly turns her head and stares at me, her eyes glazed as a chill enters my veins.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "You''re dangerous," she hisses, "Unfamiliars are meant to be wiped out, you''re next."


    ****


    I jerk awake to find myself covered in sweat, my hair plastered to my forehead as I gasp in a ragged breath of air. Something flashes in the corner of my eye, followed by a thud and I whip my head to the side to track the movement.


    Tessa is crouched next to my bunk, her eyes rounded with concern.


    "Are you okay?" she asks me.


    I relax at her tone, she sounds like the same Tessa that I''ve always known as I wordlessly look past her at Astrid''s bunk. Astrid is perched on the edge of it, the bed neatly made as she sits in a crisscrossed fashion. She''s wearing the same clothes from my nightmare and I shudder at the sight of her as I look at the wall by her bed, almost expecting the word ''murderer'' to be printed there.


    "Kara-," Tessa begins to say and I blink a few times.


    "Yeah?"


    "You were nearly screaming your head off," she says as she reaches up and touches her wrists, which have dozens of bracelets encircling them.


    I can remember then how she would wear them to school when we would have tests, the bracelets a gift from her aunt who lives in New Orleans. The ones she''s wearing are the same ones, many of them having carved beads made out of bone as they are blessed with Cajun magic. Seeing her wearing them doesn''t bring me much comfort as the situation reminds me of a priest clutching a cross or a rosary as they performed an exorcism, I myself feeling like the possessed victim.


    I take a couple of breaths before I speak, "Finn Delacroix is dead."


    "What?" Astrid sits up straighter from her place on the bed as she unfolds her legs and rests her feet on the floor.


    "I...I went to the coven meeting last night," I say before I have to swallow against the lump in my throat and the tears that are rising in my eyes. "When I left the gymnasium, there was a scream and-, and he was..."


    Astrid''s eyes widen as she pushes off of her bed and walks over to me, "Kara-."


    "He was lying on the sidewalk," my voice catches painfully, "dead."


    "Dead as in...?" Tessa''s voice trails into silence, like she''s weighing the words.


    "Dead as in he didn''t have a pulse, I''m guessing," Astrid mutters softly.


    Tessa shoots her an irritated glare, "I know that! But dead as in, like...was he shot?"


    "Stabbed, I think," I whisper and shake my head, "I don''t know, there was blood coming out of his chest."


    They fall silent at this and Astrid crouches and sits back on her heels as she puts a hand to her forehead, like she doesn''t know what to think. I don''t even know what to think for myself, let alone for others. Tessa takes a few steps back so she''s able to lean against one of the dressers as she lets Peace out of her cage and pets her familiar as she hops onto her shoulder.


    "What happened after that?" Astrid asks as she looks back up at me.


    "I can''t really remember, I was suddenly in the headmaster''s office and he told me that some investigators wanted to ask me some questions and a police officer took me down to the station and questioned me," I shudder at the memory as I say it aloud.


    "So...the police officer knew about Greenwood being for witches?" Tessa inquires.


    I nod, "I think that they''re thinking...that I''m responsible for Finn''s..., for Finn''s murder."


    "Then we need to prove that you''re innocent," Astrid says in a low, determined voice as she stands, suddenly looking like a warrior about to go into battle even though she''s a teenage girl who''s still in her pajamas.


    "What do you suggest we do then?" Tessa asks as Peace swivels her head in Astrid''s direction.


    Astrid gnaws on her lip for a long moment as her eyes narrow thoughtfully. A rueful smile twists her lips, like she knows a secret but isn''t sure if she should tell it.


    "I''m going to bring Finn back from the dead," she says solemnly.

 Chapter 20

    "That''s...that''s forbidden," Tessa whispers, her voice holding notes of horror as Peace ruffles up on her shoulder, the bird matching her master''s terror.


    I blink at Astrid, still in shock myself that such a thing is possible. But Astrid looks unfazed, her gaze taking on a serene look.


    "What do you suggest we do? If we don''t do something, Kara''s going to be held responsible," Astrid argues in a low voice.


    "Astrid, it''s dangerous, I''ve heard about people going mad or being destroyed by necromancy spells," Tessa counters, "it''s illegal for a reason."


    "I know what I''m doing. Now are you two in or out?" Astrid asks as she looks each of us in the eye.


    I don''t know what to say and apparently, neither does Tessa, but Astrid takes our silence as agreement.


    "That''s what I thought, I have a small piece of black moonstone so it isn''t going to last long, the police station isn''t far from here, we''ll leave after lights out," Astrid continues to plot as she stands and paces, "I have the app to text an Uber driver so we can use an Uber to get over there-."


    "Hold up, you actually want to break into a police station''s morgue?" Tessa asks as she reaches up and touches the bracelets around her wrists, much like a Christian would touch a cross necklace around their throat as a way to comfort themselves.


    "Yes?" Astrid lifts an eyebrow at Tessa, "That''s usually where they keep bodies?"


    "I know, but how do you suppose that we''ll get in?" she inquires.


    "I have a few tricks up my sleeve, I''m going to need a few energy drinks, some bones-," she trails off as she walks over to her dresser and pulls out a small, black velvet bag from one of the drawers.


    She opens it and peers inside before she cinches it shut and nods to herself.


    "Scratch the bones, I have some," she turns to me as she tucks the bag away, "Kara, I really hate to ask, but that necklace that you''re wearing, does it have magical properties?"


    I reach up and touch the necklace around my throat, the trinket forgotten as I haven''t even changed out of my clothes from last night and I suppress a shudder at the realization.


    "Yes, but my mother has enchanted it so it can''t be touched by anyone else," I admit and Astrid frowns briefly.


    "I''ll have to find something else," Astrid murmurs as she gnaws on her lip.


    "What exactly do you need?" Tessa asks as she walks over to her jewelry box and begins to paw around inside.


    "Something that contains a trace of magic, I need a lot of it, I can store magic into an item and use it later-," Astrid explains.


    "Like a battery?" I wonder aloud.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Astrid nods, "Exactly, as long as the item has a trace of magic, it''ll continue to amplify the magic so it''s stronger."


    "I have an alligator tooth and chicken foot necklace from my Auntie," Tessa says as she pulls out a necklace and holds it up for us to see.


    Sure enough, it''s a twine necklace with several multicolored beads hanging off of it, including an alligator tooth and a pale, limp chicken foot that has its talons splayed. I squash the urge to cringe as Astrid touches the foot, her fingers glowing blue as she does so.


    She nods after a moment of inspecting it.


    "This will do, your Auntie did a good job of enchanting it," Astrid says and Tessa grins.


    "I never thought that it would come in handy," Tessa replies as she passes the gruesome necklace to Astrid.


    "Today is the day," Astrid assures her, "now come on, we''re going to be late for breakfast."


    I realize then that she''s right and quickly get out of bed and toss the covers away from me. Tessa snaps her fingers and the sheets on the three bunks begin to move as they remake themselves.


    I dash for the bathroom, needing a shower to help with washing away the memories of last night. The shower stall is slightly separated with its own wall and door so Astrid and Tessa can finish getting ready as I bathe quickly out of sight, letting the water run as hot as I can possibly bear.


    I scrub myself several times over, my hands stinging when I''m finally done due to the fact that I use my nails on them. Though I washed my hands last night before I left the police station, I can still feel the uncomfortable tightness of having dried blood on them as I dig at my palms until I give up.


    I dry off and slip on a fresh uniform, briefly touching the insignia of the twin stag heads over my heart before I step out of the bathroom to see that Tessa and Astrid are waiting for me.


    "Let''s go," Astrid mutters as she opens the door to our room and steps into the hall.


    Several other girls are milling about in the hallway as we pass them quickly. Some of them watch me for a second too long and I wonder then if word has gotten around yet. It was the middle of the night when everything happened, but there''s still no telling if anyone knows.


    Only time will tell when it comes down to it and whether or not anyone heard the full truth. I can feel more eyes on me as we enter the cafeteria and it doesn''t take long for Indigo to appear by my side.


    "What happened last night?" she hisses in a low voice.


    "Later," I promise her, exhaustion still making me sluggish as I grab for a scarce breakfast and move down the line at the serving counter.


    "Kara-," she protests, but I ignore her as I walk over to a table in the corner, needing to sit down.


    I can hear her footsteps follow me and I brace myself for a scolding as she approaches me.


    "Hi."


    I glance up in surprise to see that two girls are standing at the edge of the table with trays in their hands. They look hesitant, like they were told to sit with me and a glance around the cafeteria reveals the fact that Eleanora is sitting at a table on the other side of the hall, her gaze flicking to mine for a second before she looks away.


    "Uh, hi," I murmur as I look at them more closely.


    One of them is older and faintly familiar while the other has tanned skin and dark hair and eyes as she almost looks Hispanic. The older girl is of Asian descent and she smiles as she sits down in the seat next to me right as Astrid and Tessa walk up.


    "Grimsbane," Astrid says as she nods to her.


    "You two know each other?" I ask, slightly surprised as the girl, Violetta I realize now, smiles back at Astrid.


    "I competed in the UK a few times," Violetta says as the other girl sits next to her, "I''m Violetta and this is Sophia."


    "Hello," Sophia says in a shy voice.


    "We heard about what happened last night," Violetta murmurs in an apologetic tone. "We believe that you''re innocent, and we wanted to invite you to go horseback riding later, as a way to take your mind off of this troublesome time. Would you like to come?"


    I glance at the others before I nod, "Uh, sure, I could use some fresh air."


    "Great! It''ll be fun, I promise," Violetta assures me as Indigo suddenly sits at the table.


    She doesn''t meet my eyes and I vow then that I''ll tell her the truth as soon as I have time.


    Indi, I''m just confused and scared right now, I think silently to myself as I notice her frown, I''ll tell you the truth as soon as I can.