Page 47 of Spellcaster (Weatherstone College #1)
The dinner portion of the graduation ceremony was very reminiscent of our welcome ceremony. The tables were all pushed together
in long lines as family-style platters were whooshed in on the winds. My siblings sat with me and my friends tonight, along
with some of their friends who I knew in passing, creating a celebratory atmosphere.
“Jensen and I will be coming home for at least a month,” Trevor told me as he shoveled a huge spoon of Irish stew into his
mouth. “We want to be there when Jenna and Alice are inducted into the coven.”
The girls flashed huge grins. “I can’t believe we’re together and in our first choice,” Alice said with a sigh. “Simon will
be home with me, and I can finally settle into my new life.”
“ Our new life,” Jenna cheered. “Morris is going to love the forests, and I’ve got his collar ready.”
Our kind existed within the human world, and while they knew about witches, they believed them to be humans who studied our
ancient magic. Which, as one would expect, led to situations where the crossover of our worlds got us into trouble. Worse,
it was downright outlawed to induct humans into our way of life unless you married one and bound them with a secrecy spell.
That meant Jenna couldn’t take Morris down to the local mall and check out the shops with him. At least not in his bear form. Just the way the witch wine was disguised to look like normal wine, a bear could be disguised to look like a shaggy dog.
She’d been working on his collar all year, and I couldn’t wait to see how he looked in his cute puppy form.
“Cheers,” Belle said, raising her tea. “I think this deserves a celebratory drink.”
I picked up my lemon water, lifted it in the air, and we all cheered to the future. For this brief moment in time, there was
no worry about monsters, wonky magic, enemies who were sometimes lovers but mostly assholes, or finding an affinity.
Tonight, it was perfect.
When dinner was over, I hugged my family good-night, and we made plans to meet at the gate tomorrow morning. “Don’t be late,”
Trevor said to Jensen, our resident late riser.
He saluted with his middle finger. “I’ll do my best.”
Jenna shook her head. “One last winter at home. I love it. Okay, I’m off for a bear hug. See you in the morning.”
I walked with the girls back to our floor. “What should we do tonight?” Sara asked, her stroll casual, even with the flush
of excitement in her cheeks. We were all still riding those waves of the final blessing. “The blanket should come down any
moment, so we could head out to try and commune with the energy.”
“Yes!” Belle shouted. “I couldn’t sleep if my life depended on it, and this is our first All Hallows’ in Weatherstone.”
Glancing at my watch, I saw that it was almost 10:00 p.m. “Guys, I arranged to meet up with Logan near the graveyard.” I felt a fluttering of nerves in my stomach.
All three of them swung around and gaped at me, and I sought to explain.
“I need answers. I need to know if he was involved with my dad’s suspension, and what his father has planned next, and really .
. . what happened in the past to link us together. I can’t miss this chance.”
Haley grabbed my arm, slowing me. “Wait, is that safe? I know you somewhat trust Logan now, or at least trust he’s not actively
trying to kill you, and I know we haven’t had any monster attacks lately, but with the veil lifting, the risk will return,
right?”
I nodded. “Yes, there’s a risk. But I think with so many students around, I should be relatively safe. It’s my last chance.
I don’t even know if he’ll be back next year.”
He’d transferred in suddenly and could leave just as suddenly. His evil father already had a penchant for pulling him from
the school whenever he felt like it.
“I understand,” Belle said, her expression sobering. “It’ll ruin your entire winter break if you have more questions than
answers.”
She knew me well.
“Alrighty, then—” Sara got on board quickly “—let’s get you to the graveyard.”
We linked arms, hurrying down the steps, and as soon as my boots hit the grass, I felt a shimmer of magic wash over and through
us. We ground to a halt, along with every other witch and warlock in the vicinity. “Holy goddess,” Sara breathed, tilting
her head back, her breaths ragged. “Do you feel that power?”
I hadn’t realized the full extent of the blanket until this second, when the power in my chest was released. Free and fluttering.
Not like a swarm of butterflies but a murder of crows, wild and rapid, strong and drugging in its intensity.
“Fuuuuck.”
“That just about covers it,” Belle said with a snort.
There was no time for me to indulge in the power coating my skin, which was starting to glow in response.
I was late. The girls remained with me as we set off for the graveyard once more, dodging around the hundreds of students pouring from the college, ready to indulge in one last night of everything Weatherstone had to offer.
“Let’s hope they never drop a blanket over us again,” Sara trilled, waving her hands above her head, bringing the winds with
her. “Now I understand that I’ve been doing magic with one hand behind my back.”
“The assessors adjusted for that,” Haley piped in. “Our test scores will be elevated to match national standard. I checked
with them.”
Of course she had. If she wasn’t reading books, she studied magic, and already showed abilities far above freshman level for
a nature sprite. “Are you excited to find your familiar next year?” I asked her, as we rounded another corner and the graveyard
came into sight.
“I’ve dreamed about this my entire life,” she said with a sigh. “In my dreams, though, it was unicorns and dragons.” Her shrug
was cute, and I expected nothing less from a hardcore fantasy reader. “But any animal companion who will elevate my magic
and provide me with a friend for life is all I could ask for.”
“Jealous,” Belle said, her bottom lip popping out. “I think we should all get familiars. I’d choose a dolphin.” A dolphin
would work perfectly for the water elemental.
“An eagle for me,” Sara said, still drifting breezes across us as she exercised her air energy.
All three looked at me, and I smiled. “Is it weird that I’ve always wanted a cat?”
Belle’s lips twitched. “Girl, you can just get a cat. You know that, right? It’s a normal pet.”
A chuckle escaped. “Yes, I know. But it’s such a witch cliché.”
Haley’s laugh was unexpectedly light and airy. “I think it’s perfect. Your mission this winter is to get yourself a cat.”
The idea settled in my chest, and I let it sit there for a few minutes. “Maybe I will.”
My parents would no doubt have a lot to say about it, but I’d worry about that along with all the other “tomorrow problems.”
“There he is,” Sara said softly, and the three of them slowed their steps. “Call out if you need us, we’ll be nearby.”
Logan was propped against the fence of the graveyard, long legs out in front of him, his head tilted back to the energy. My
breath caught in my chest, bringing forth another stupid cliché, because I knew there was no literal way for air to get caught
in my body from the mere sight of a godlike warlock. And yet, what other explanation was there? Even my heart beat in a different
pattern. I hated the sensation that Logan was remaking fundamental parts of me.
Remaking me into what was still to be discovered.
“See you soon,” I whispered, sucking in a deep breath and hurrying over to the spellcaster.
He opened his eyes long before he heard me coming and met my gaze. In the moonlight, his features were shadowed, the handsome
planes hidden in the darkness, giving him an ethereal look. “How does your power feel?” he asked, that rumble of his accent
deeper than usual. I choked on a gasp as I felt the first crash of his power against mine. I’d forgotten the intensity.
I’d forgotten a lot, it would seem.
“It’s like electricity,” I said in awe. “Everything is buzzing.”
He nodded. “When your spellcaster abilities are fully unlocked, that’s how you’ll feel all the time. Like you’re plugged into
the world’s energy.”
It was scary in a way because plugged-in meant no limits. And no limits meant I had to always be careful with how I used my energy.
Logan pushed up from the wall, and before I could get started with my questions he strolled right into the graveyard. Hesitating,
I hovered at the junction of the gates, aware that with the return of the energy there was a return of that feeling of unease.
But I needed answers.
Not more than I needed to be alive, obviously, but Logan had never hurt me. If anything, I wouldn’t be standing here if he
hadn’t been with me multiple times, so there was no safer place in Weatherstone than by his side.
Sucking in a fortifying breath, I followed him into the darkness, the moon lighting a path between the stones. At first, I
couldn’t see Logan, but eventually I found him standing over a nondescript grave. It was just a flat stone, with flowers concealing
the name until I stood right above it.
“Kingston,” I whispered, desperate to reach down and shift the roses. “Your family?”
He didn’t look my way, staring down at the stone. “My great-great-grandfather. We are Weatherstone legacy.”
Legacy were those who contributed to making the college into what it is today. There were the two founding witches to start,
but plenty came after them.
“Why did you not go to school here as a freshman?”
His chuckle was dark. “Amusing that you think anything in my life is my choice. I’m the dutiful son. Born to tragedy, and
I’ll no doubt die the same way.”
That ominous feeling traced down my spine, less intense than usual, more like a drip, drip of fear. There was a metallic taste
in my mouth, and I worried I’d royally fucked up in trusting Logan. “What does your father want you to do with me?”
That got his attention, as he lifted that enigmatic gaze from the headstone and met mine. “Why, destroy you, Precious. You should know that.”