Page 13 of Spellcaster (Weatherstone College #1)

Lunch was held in the dining hall, with a long buffet running right through the center of the tables. “This selection is amazing,”

Belle said, eyes alight like we’d just been given free shopping trips with a limitless credit card. “I’m a vegetarian, and

it’s usually so hard to find a decent selection.”

I tore my gaze from the mashed potatoes. “You ate a breakfast sandwich this morning.”

She shrugged. “What can I say, bacon is an evil mistress who won’t release me from her grasp. If bacon calls, I must come

running. I’m a vegetarian with mistresses.”

I snorted. “Well, I hope they don’t find out about each other.”

Belle smirked. “I’d never be that sloppy. I can keep my affairs in order.” I had no doubt she could.

I was momentarily distracted by a tray of my favorite food: “They’ve got salmon sushi,” I gasped, before noting the next section,

“and mixed fruit with yoghurt and honey. I’m in heaven.”

We made it to a table, plates overflowing, and since Jenna and Alice had the same lunch break, they found me soon after. “Has

Dad seen you yet?” Jenna asked after I’d introduced her to Belle. She reached out and stole a piece of my watermelon, shit-eating

grin on her face as I glared and tucked the bowl closer. Nasty witch.

“Not yet,” I admitted, side-eying Alice too, though she rarely stole my prec—food. Asshole had ruined that word for me as well. “I don’t know what he’s waiting for, but I hope this means they’ve decided to let me stay.”

Alice nursed her cup of coffee, taking a drink. She had to have at least three cups a day or she’d show her uncharacteristic

cranky witch side. “It’s got to mean that. There’s no way Dad would let you get established like this unless he was prepared to continue

it. I saw him before class earlier and he looked relaxed, so I’d guess Mom voted for you to stay.”

Mom always had my back, no matter what, and I made a note to call her this afternoon when classes were done.

“Okay, we’re off to see Simon and Morris,” Jenna said, eyeing the rest of my fruit, so I picked up my fork and wielded it

like a weapon. “You need to come meet them soon.”

“I will,” I promised, waving the fork as one last warning. “Give them hugs for me.”

Alice dropped a kiss on my cheek. “Will do,” she said, and then she dragged the evil twin away, leaving me to enjoy my lunch

in peace.

“Simon and Morris?” Belle asked. “You haven’t met their boyfriends yet?”

I cracked up, laughter spilling from me. “They’re nature sprites. Simon and Morris are their sheep and bear familiars. Neither

of them has a boyfriend.” Jenna had come out as gay to us a few years ago, and Alice had no interest in sex at all, preferring

to spend her time in nature. They channeled the fire of their magic into nature and the platonic love of their lives, Simon

and Morris.

Belle stared at me, her spoon of mac and cheese halfway to her mouth. “They called their familiars Simon and Morris?”

“Yep.” I slurp up another piece of delicious fruit. “They’re weirdos, but I love them.”

Belle’s expression softened. “You’re making me miss my sister, and she’s a real bitchy witch that one. Might call her tonight.”

Sibling relationships made no sense from the outside, but everyone understood the rules. We were allowed to make fun of and

beat up our siblings, but no one else better lay a fucking hand on them.

We were finished with lunch, so we dropped our trays into the pile near the trash cans. “Are you excited for our next class?”

Belle asked.

I shot her a look like she’d just asked me if I liked to stab myself in the hand with a pen. “Are you kidding me? The lake

looks freezing, and I have no water affinity.”

“I can’t fucking wait,” she said, cheeks pink with excitement. “Can we head there now?”

Since we had no choice, I forced some cheer into my response. “Yep, let’s do it.”

We stopped off in our dorms first. I threw my satchel on the desk, and changed into my school-provided, navy-blue one-piece

swimsuit, pulling on a pair of blue school sweats over the top.

Elemental Water 101 was a class where we’d be immersed in the water, in winter, because everyone here had a death wish.

I exited the room to find Belle waiting, dressed in the same blue sweats. “Did you grab your towel?” she said, holding up

a Weatherstone-branded, striped blue-and-white one.

“Crap, no!” I dashed back into the room and opened my wardrobe to grab one of the four towels neatly folded on the top shelf.

With it tucked under my arm, Belle and I hurried along the hall, and took a right turn that led to a set of doors that opened

to an external staircase. As we stepped outside, we were assaulted with an icy breeze, and a vast array of scents, including

pine, maple, and freshly cut grass.

“Welcome to the western perimeter of Weatherstone,” Belle said, as we started down the stairs.

Despite the thick fleece of my sweatshirt, the wind cut right through, and I shivered, but I was at least grateful that we

didn’t have any snow. Dad had said the weather was relatively mild this year, as Northeast winters went, and I would have

ditched this class if I saw even a sliver of ice on the lake.

A swift breeze sent my hair flying around my face, and I pulled it back into a ponytail, resting the towel against the railing.

As I stared out at the grounds, I noticed how green a lot of the lawn still was, along with a multitude of vibrant flower

gardens. “It must take a ton of magic to keep these flowers blooming all year,” I said, snapping the band in place around

my gathered hair.

Belle spared the gardens a quick glance and nodded. “Yeah, Kris, my sister, told me that they have earth elementals working

here all year.” Her focus returned to the lake, and I hurried with her to get to class.

“I almost can’t believe I’m finally here,” Belle breathed reverently. “Finally ready to step into the next stage of my life

and power.”

College was the final step before the rest of our lives began, and being here was a big deal. “The fact that I’m even at Weatherstone

is hard to believe,” I said with a derisive laugh. “My magic is hard to connect with, and I don’t show any exceptional skills.”

Belle shot me a glare. “If you’re here, it’s because you earned your spot. This was the right college for you, and I’ll kick

your ass if you keep talking bad about yourself.”

She was a fiercely protective friend, even against myself. And I was grateful to have stumbled into that bathroom at two in

the morning. “I’m embracing it,” I promised her, “just a little slower than others.”

Our gazes remained locked for a few seconds, before hers softened. “Okay, good. Slower is fine. So, what were your sisters talking about before?” Her ability to rapidly subject change was second to none. “About your father. Was that about how he yanked you out of the office yesterday?”

She was far too observant. “He wants me to defer for a couple of years. He tried to pull me out yesterday, but I fought back

enough that he was going to talk to Mom about it. I expected him this morning before class, but he hasn’t come by yet.”

Belle ground to a halt, clutching her towel closer, face wreathed in horror. “He wanted to pull you out of Weatherstone? This

college is the safest in the world, right? And the blood oath isn’t even between you and Logan.”

It was supposed to be safe here, but more importantly, it was the college every magical parent in America hoped their child

would attend. No one would pull their children out without evidence of an actual threat against them. “Dad believes Logan

is here to fulfil the oath, and that the Kingstons are too powerful to be worried by rules or Weatherstone security. There’s

a lot more to the story, and it’s... complicated.”

There were so many questions in Belle’s eyes; she just stared for a few seconds before schooling her face once more. “Tell

me when you’re ready, okay?”

“Yep, I promise to spill the entire story after class.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” She let it go, content to play witch-guide along the path.

“That zone is where the seniors do alchemy.” She pointed toward a set of three buildings with stone walls, no windows, and what looked like a single door for entry and exit.

“I’ve heard it can withstand an atomic bomb.

And these are the Barracks.” I’d already seen the long wood-lined building with Dad, but from this angle, it was even larger than I’d thought.

We could hear and smell the animals within, catching glimpses of white-fenced pens off the side with horses, bulls, bison, and even a giraffe.

“That’s the Dojo,” she continued, “where we take our attack and defense classes in sophomore year.” It was an open-sided building

with visible fight rings, octagons, and training equipment. “I’m super not looking forward to that,” she grumbled. “Being

tiny has its advantages, but not in fighting.”

“I’ve had a little training with my dad,” I said. “But certainly not enough to keep me from getting my ass kicked.”

We were past the bulk of the buildings now, heading down toward the icy-looking lake. A group was already milling around the

water’s edge, so we just stood near the back and waited for class to start. Half the students were still dressed in their

uniforms, and the other half in sweats like us.

The professor for this class didn’t arrive on the path. Instead, he popped up in the middle of the massive lake and zoomed

his way across to us. “Welcome, I’m Professor Mordock,” he said, marching onto the shoreline. He had an open, friendly face,

and I was reminded of Jensen telling me how great he was.

He pushed a hand through his slicked-back, shoulder-length brown hair. He wore only a pair of navy board shorts—nothing else—and

there was no sign he was cold. “I’m so happy to see you all down here by the lake.” His smile grew. “And I know it’s freezing,

but I promise that I can keep you comfortable in the water.” The crowd spread out, so we weren’t so bunched around him. “For

many of you who don’t have a strong affinity to water, it’s still important to find the smaller connections. That’s why every

first-year takes classes that deal in all the elements, despite many of you not calling it as a primary affinity.”

The well-rounded nature of our education here was a part of college life I loved—except when forced into a lake in the middle of winter. This class was much better suited to the summer months.

“Any questions?” he asked.

There was a beat of silence, and then a tall Black girl raised her hand. “Are there any creatures in this lake?”

Okay, excellent question. Thank you.

Professor Mordock’s smile never wavered. “Absolutely.”

No one laughed, because it was nearly impossible to tell if he was joking or not. I started to back away, until Belle caught

my arm and rolled her eyes at me. “Wimp,” she whispered.

The professor was the one to break the silence. “Okay, okay,” he said with a chuckle. “There’s absolutely nothing dangerous

in the lake. This is my second home, and I can keep you safe. Now, get into your suits and hit the water.”

Belle and I moved to the side, and I shivered harshly when my nice warm sweatshirt was sitting on my towel on the ground.

The wind was brutal for all of five seconds, then a warm breeze washed over us. Professor Mordock had been joined by Professor

Damone, and she stepped in to give the class a break from the arctic air.

“Told you I had your back,” Professor Mordock called out. “Now hurry up, the water is lonely without us.”

Belle’s face was wreathed in excitement, while I wondered if I could just drop this class completely. “I’m so freaking excited

for this,” she said, and I could feel her energy surging. It boosted my own witchy powers. They roiled in my chest, settling

again soon after.

This was the first time I’d stepped outside since arriving. The power was stronger here by the lake. Traces of energy traversed

my spine with force. With them came the slightest sense of unease, no doubt about entering this lake in winter.

Students were already strolling in, including Marcus and his friend Troy, who dove into that torture chamber like it was a heated swimming pool. With the professor’s help, maybe it was. “Come on, witch,” Belle called, all but running to dive in.

“Slow and steady,” I muttered back, warm water swishing around my ankles. It wasn’t bath temperature or anything, but it was

pleasant, especially with the air still heated around us.

The deeper I got, the cooler the water grew, and I figured that not even Professor Mordock could heat the whole lake. Still,

it wasn’t freezing, and I decided just to dunk under a couple of times, before sitting my ass in those shallows.

“Feel the water surrounding you,” Professor Mordock called. “Let it cover your skin and fill your energy. Try to touch the

individual elements of the hydrogen and oxygen particles, so you can control the way they move around you. Once you learn

how to draw those elements from the water, you will be able to breathe below. You can also use it to propel you through the

water.”

A skill he’d demonstrated quite successfully earlier. Almost everyone was submerged now, swimming around and moving farther

from the shore and into deeper water. I continued to step slowly until the water lapped at my waist, and I tried to ignore

that unnerving race of energy down my spine.

But it felt stronger.

Stronger and uncomfortable.

Was I reacting to the water? Could this be an indication of an element to call? I’d felt very little in class, but this was a much more immersive testing

grounds, and my energy was absolutely reacting to the power here.

Bolstered by a very slight possibility of finding my affinity, I shelved all my fears and dove into the lake, enjoying the

caress of water against my skin. When I surfaced, I turned to find the professor, but instead caught sight of a familiar figure

standing up on the hill near the buildings.

There was no mistaking who it was: Logan Kingston. He was huge, and even though I couldn’t feel his energy from this distance, my chest constricted the same way it had in our previous encounters.

What the Hel was he doing here though? He wasn’t in this class, that was for sure, so was he... stalking me?

Was Stalkcaster the one responsible for the shiver down my spine, and dread in my chest? It felt narcissistic of me to assume

his presence had anything to do with me, and with that in mind I decided to ignore him. Should be easy enough.

Provided my head remained under the water.

Better learn that breathing technique, stat , because I was going to need it.