Page 3 of Wicked Chains (Serpentine Academy #2)

Two

Rose

I wake up to the morning light streaming through my room’s windows, and the memory of Ash's words in my head. My door is locked, and I know this because I spent half the night rattling the handle and trying to conjure up enough magic to blow it up, but no luck. Kinda ironic that I’m supposed to be so powerful that not just one, but two, evil covens want my magic.

And yet I can’t even break myself out of a locked room.

I understand now why my mother didn’t like magic, didn’t want me to have it.

Why she bound mine and hoped it would never break free. It really is a curse.

And now the Blood Moon Coven has taken over Serpentine Academy without firing a single shot, and I'm their prisoner.

Or a prize. Or whatever the hell Ash thinks I am.

All I know is that yesterday I watched my ancestor die centuries ago, and today I'm trapped in a dorm room wondering what’s going to happen next.

After Ash appeared and took out Lucien, Drake, and Soren like they were nothing more than annoying flies, he'd escorted me back to my room. And by escorted, I mean he perp-walked me downstairs and wouldn’t tell me anything else.

Ash's cold smile never wavered as we passed a group of black-clad strangers who nodded at him with respect, and not a little fear.

"Rest well, Rose," he'd said at my door, his fingers tracing the mark on my arm. It had tingled, responding to his touch. "Tomorrow begins a new era for you."

I roll over and press my face into my pillow, fighting the urge to scream. I keep seeing Lucien and Soren on the ground, one paralyzed and the other unconscious. And Drake. Just gone, erased like he was never there. I have no idea if he’ll be back, or if I’ll ever see him again.

My arm aches. When Abigail died, something changed. The mark remains, but it feels different, like it's sunk deeper into my flesh. What did Ash mean about taking back what was owed?

I drag myself out of bed and into the tiny attached bathroom, staring at my reflection. I look like shit, but I'm alive. Yesterday Wickersly was about to have my head on a platter, but it’s still firmly attached to my neck. For now.

I'm halfway through brushing my teeth when I hear a click from the direction of my door. I freeze, toothbrush hanging from my mouth, and listen. Nothing follows. I rinse quickly and go toward the door, turning the handle experimentally.

It opens.

I stand there for a solid thirty seconds, toothpaste foam at the corner of my mouth, waiting for the trap. But the hallway is empty and silent. Am I supposed to leave? Is this a test?

A loud chime echoes through the building, followed by an announcement in a voice I don't recognize: "All students and faculty are required to attend the assembly in the Great Hall in thirty minutes. Attendance is mandatory."

Well, that answers that question.

I shower quickly, scrubbing yesterday's insanity off my skin like I can wash it all away with enough soap. I pull on a clean pair of black jeans and a t-shirt, and pull my hair back in an attempt to make myself look like a person who has her shit together. Not sure it works, but, hey.

The door to my room remains unlocked, so I step into the hallway, half-expecting to find an armed guard, but it’s empty.

As I make my way toward the stairs, I pass others coming out of their rooms. They look sleepy but oddly normal. Not scared, not traumatized, just regular academy students heading to an assembly.

What the hell?

I descend the main staircase, my body tense. But the lobby is exactly as it always is. No blood on the walls. No battle damage. No guards. Just students milling about, some checking phones, others chatting in low morning voices.

Did I hallucinate yesterday? Am I losing my mind?

Then I spot two men in black suits standing by the entrance doors.

I’ve never seen them before, and they're not wearing anything to indicate who they are, but their posture screams security.

Their eyes track the students, and when their gaze lands on me, they both straighten slightly.

One murmurs something, and goes back to scanning the crowd.

Okay, not crazy then.

I follow the crowd, trying to notice everything I can. The academy looks completely untouched. But there are subtle differences, like a few unfamiliar faces and the absence of certain familiar ones. Professor Winn is nowhere to be seen. Neither is Doc Fennel.

The new people are all wearing black, with the same polite, bland expression. They look more like corporate executives than teachers.

It almost looks like the takeover by the Blood Moon Coven wasn't violent at all. It was a bloodless merger. A fucking acquisition.

The doors of the Great Hall stand open wide. Inside, rows of chairs have been placed in front of a podium on the stage, flanked by flowers and banners. The banners no longer have the silver symbol of the Crescent Moon Coven—instead, they bear a full blood-red moon.

Students file in, chatting and finding seats like this is just another day, another assembly.

A few give me looks. But no one seems particularly concerned that we've been overtaken by an enemy coven overnight. Not that the Crescent Moon Coven wasn’t my enemy.

It most definitely was. Everyone else had seemed to be happy with them, though.

Fucking hell. This is insane.

I scan the room, looking for familiar faces. My heart jumps to my throat when I spot a flash of dark hair in my peripheral vision, but it's just another student. No sign of Drake. Or Lucien. Or Soren. Or anyone from the Crescent Moon Coven, for that matter.

There's a small commotion at the side entrance, and a group of well-dressed adults enters. They look like board members arriving for a quarterly review, not witches. Some hold champagne flutes. A few are actually laughing.

I feel sick. This isn't what a coup is supposed to look like. There should be resistance, chaos, protests, not a champagne breakfast and corporate reorganization.

I take my seat, trying to make myself as small and invisible as possible.

Students around me are chatting about weekend plans and upcoming exams like we're not in the middle of a hostile takeover.

Either they're all idiots and have no idea what's happening, or they don’t care. I'm betting on the latter.

A hush falls over the crowd as the lights dim slightly and soft classical music begins to play. Are we at a school assembly or a product launch? The stage lighting shifts, creating a dramatic spotlight on the podium. Someone has clearly been watching too many TED Talks.

She appears from stage right, a tall, imposing woman with silver-streaked red hair and the kind of face that probably hasn't smiled genuinely in decades.

Her black dress is impeccably tailored to her slim figure, and she walks with the confidence of someone who's never had to apologize for taking up space.

"Helena Wickersly," murmurs a girl beside me, sounding impressed. "My mom knew her."

Wait. Wickersly? As in related to our previous headmistress?

The pieces click together in my head, and I remember the snippet in the student handbook that talked about the history of the Crescent Moon Coven and the academy.

That first day seems like it was a lifetime ago, and I can’t remember much other than that Helena is Headmistress Victoria Wickersly's sister.

The one who was ousted from her position. Apparently, she's found new friends.

Helena reaches the podium and surveys the room with cool authority. Her eyes briefly meet mine, and my blood goes cold. If I thought Victoria was bad, I’m guessing I’m not going to be thrilled with the rest of the family, either.

"Students, faculty and staff of Serpentine Academy," she begins. "I am Helena Wickersly, and it is my privilege to assume the role of Headmistress of this esteemed institution."

There's polite applause. I glance around, bewildered. No one looks confused or concerned. It's like she's announcing a routine change in administration, not completing a magical coup.

"In light of the recent restructuring, I have been appointed to guide this academy into a bright new future."

Restructuring? Is that what we're calling it when you forcibly disappear an entire magical organization?

"I assure you that your education will continue uninterrupted, with the same commitment to excellence that has always been the hallmark of Serpentine Academy."

Staff members in crisp suits move through the crowd, distributing champagne to the audience. This is insane. We're having a toast?

Then I notice the cameras positioned around the room, the equipment trained on Helena. Screens on either side of the stage show a livestream of the event, complete with a banner reading "SERPENTINE ACADEMY WELCOMES NEW LEADERSHIP."

On one screen, I catch glimpses of families watching from home, parents nodding approvingly, a few even raising their own glasses in response. To them, this is just a changing of the guard, a new CEO taking over a company. I wonder how many of them knew.

"I'd like to acknowledge our special guests today," Helena continues, gesturing to the row of people seated on the stage behind her. "The Blood Moon Coven, which will be overseeing Serpentine Academy as we progress into a new era."

I keep looking for any signs of resistance or distress among the faculty seated there. And then I see Lucien sitting at the end of the row, his expression perfectly blank. He's alive. He's unharmed. And he's sitting with them.

My stomach drops. Lucien's crimson eyes stare straight ahead, his posture rigid even by his standards. Is he under some kind of compulsion? Being controlled? Or has he switched sides? I can't tell from here, and his face gives nothing away.