Page 28 of Captive Witch

Lavender. Of course the shield to keep humans and wolves out of the academy’s territory smells like lavender—Celeste’s magic, the other high priestess with Batya.

Clearing my throat, I search ahead of us and see it—the slight shimmer to the sky, signaling the start of the academy’s property edge. We’re so close…

Focus,my wolf says.It won’t work if you’re worried about getting caught.

With a sigh, I shake my head and close my eyes. I picture my magic pooling at the tips of my fingers, feeling the warmth gather in my palms before diffusing further down. I inhale deeply through my nose, touching my hands to the dash and opening my eyes to see fuchsia sparks skip out from my fingers. The sparks coat the car, spreading and growing until the car has a slight pink hue all around.

I hold my breath when we reach the shield, the pressure of the high priestess’s magic like bricks on my chest. The car slows, as if driving through a sea of syrup, and I crush Gideon’s hand in mine. This will work, it’ll work—ithasto.

Another agonizing minute goes by, then the car lunges forward, my breath coming out in a huff. “It worked,” I whisper, a smile overtaking my face.

Gideon squeezes my fingers. “Of course it did. I never doubted you,mia fiamma.”

The road feeds into the gravel driveway of the academy, and after only having seen photos of the campus, nothing really prepared me for what it would actually look like.

Tan bricks and river stones meld together to form the largest building I’ve ever seen—the largestcastle. Curved turrets sit at each end, each the size of a small house, and two three-story windows sit between them, offering a view into the main area of the academy. Large oak trees line the road, and rose bushes intermittently replace them as we near the circular drive by the entrance.

Gideon drives the car to the front where two mahogany doors stand twenty feet tall, various creatures carved into the wood. Owls, ravens, raccoons, mice, even a moose join the intricate wood carvings, telling a story of all the high priestesses’ familiars over the course of our existence. Lifting my hand still wrapped in his, he presses a kiss to my knuckles and puts the car in park.

“Have a great time with your sister,” he says, but his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

My heart aches, and reaching over, I brush the hair from his forehead, my fingers lingering as they graze over his brow, down his cheek, and to his chin. “You aren’t coming in to meet her?”

“No, little witch. It isn’t safe for me to stay here for long. Maybe…” He runs a hand through his hair, mussing up the stands to fall back over his eyes. “Maybe we can invite her to our home for her holiday break… the solstice, right?”

Emotions lump together in my throat, and my voice comes out hoarse. “Really?”

He smiles, cupping my cheek in his hand. “Of course. I’ll buy a new bed for the guest room, and she can stay in there. Hell, I’ll buy two beds, and you can invite Wren too.” Leaning over, he places a gentle kiss on my lips. “Anything for you.”

Kaylus ruffles his feathers, then hops over and soars out the open window. A blush creeps over my face as Gideon chuckles.

“I’ll see you in two days,” Gideon says, kissing me once more.

I take a deep breath, grab my backpack, and step out of the car. I try not to look back at him as I walk up the steps to the large front doors, Kaylus coming down to settle on my shoulder. As I reach the top step, the doors creak and swing open.

My lips part, taking in the space before me. Candles line the walls, chandeliers hanging high above my head. Warm wood floors shine under the light, and lush, deep blue rugs are scattered throughout. I follow the one leading in from the doorway, past overstuffed couches arranged around a large fireplace and around a few cozy chairs where students play board games on the table between them. Tall, spiraling stairs to my left reach up to the next floor, and the large windows behind me let in the orange rays of the late afternoon sun. Reaching the front desk with the same shining wood as the floors, I glance from one end to the other.

“Maybe hit the bell?”Kaylus says, tapping his beak to the golden call bell.

Chewing on my lower lip, my hand hovers about the call bell, then taps it gently. The light tolling echoes around the room like morning birds, and a small girl appears behind the counter, making me jump back.

Her deep red hair flows in waves over her shoulders, and her misty blue eyes are clouded over. She stares at my forehead with a faint smile. “Hello,” she says, her voice chipper. “You must be… Kita.” She narrows her eyes slightly and tilts her head a bit to the side. “Hmm… no, I don’t think that’s your name.”

My grip on my backpack’s strap tightens, the material digging into my palm as my widened eyes find Kaylus. Panic sours my stomach, and I bite down on my lip, copper coating my tongue. “I, um, i-it—”

“That’s alright,” she says, whirling around to search a lower cabinet. “You’re meant to be here, whoever you are.”

Sweat trickles down my back, but she doesn’t seem to be fazed by anything she just said. I take a step back, getting ready to bolt out the front doors if she alerts the rest of the academy or the coven that I’m here.

“Here you are!” She pops back to her feet, and a startled yelp escapes me. “Sorry to frighten you. I found your visitor’s pass. It will grant you access to the dorm your cousin is in.” Her brows crease. “Your sister, I mean.” She smiles, nodding. “Yes, that’s it. Oh, it will also allow you access to the library and the dining space for meals. If you need anything else, my name is Ruya.” She holds a rectangular piece of white paper out to me with it resting in her palm, then waves her fingers over it until it glows a cyan blue.

I hold my breath as it floats in my direction before sticking to my shirt, right below my collar. “T-thank you,” I say, stepping toward the stairs as Kaylus comes back onto my shoulder.

“Up the stairs, take a left, and two halls down, you’ll find dorm 409. Have a great visit!” Ruya says.

I turn toward the stairs, climbing a few steps before looking back at the desk over my shoulder, but the strange girl is gone.

She means no harm,my wolf says, but the uneasiness of her knowing I didn’t use my real name and that I was here to see my sister, not a cousin like Gideon had said, lingers.

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