Kitty backed away from my magic crawling out toward them. “Um, Headmaster Ridge, what do we do?”

  “Silence, child!” He looked on with wide-eyed wonder.

  My muscles tightened in my stomach and I swear my whole body caught on fire. Everything was burning. I clenched my teeth. They wouldn’t see me scream. No! I was stronger than this. Flames shot up from the pentacle, surrounding me.

  “Mr. Dustwick. Get control of the situation,” Ridge snapped.

  “You wanted this, now live with it.” He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Astrid, control it.”

  Kyle ran over to Beckett and tried to help yank him free. “What’s happening to her?”

  Yes, what is happening to me? I reached into the flames. They didn’t burn me. I curled my arms around my stomach and closed my eyes, praying it would stop. Waiting for the pain to stop from stabbing me in the legs and in my stomach. My gold magic twisted around me and up toward the sky like a tornado. The heat traveled from my legs and stomach up to my shoulder where the burning intensified. The very top point of the pentacle flared bright red, blinding me. The tornado of magic slowed and centered on the burning in my shoulder as well. It all drifted back into that one spot, filtering back into my body. And then everything stopped and the clearing fell silent.

  I lay in a ball on the ground, feeling like I’d just run a marathon without ever working out a day in my life. I rolled onto my knees. Whatever magic held Beckett in place broke and he was at my side, helping me to my feet. Everything hurt. Even my hair hurt. I held on to his arm and looked Ridge in the eye. “Happy?”

  My shoulder still burned, and I let the jacket drop down to my elbows. There on my left shoulder was a mark. No, not a mark, a branding. I had been burned! My skin was blistered in the shape of a crescent moon. It wasn’t pretty. It was like someone had placed a branding iron on my skin and left it there. Beckett didn’t dare touch it. He just stared at it with wide eyes. Everyone did. I wrinkled my nose at it. “What does it mean?”

  “Let’s get you home.” With one of his arms wrapped around my back and the other firmly holding my hand, he helped me to start walking. Every muscle I had was stiff and aching.

  Behind me I heard Kitty whisper to Ridge, “Did you see it?”

  “Indeed.” His voice was deep and sharp. “The council will hear about this.”

  I was too tired to wonder what they were all talking about as I limped through the woods. “Beck, can I ask you a question?”

  “Honestly I don’t know what it means. But I swear I’ll find out. I’ve only seen a couple marks like that, but they were birth marks not brandings. I mean, I guess anything is possible but—”

  “You’re rambling.”

  He snapped his mouth closed. I winced as I picked my leg up to clear a log. I was exhausted, injured, and bleeding. “I only want to know one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Does the medusa look cool on the back of my jacket?” A little chuckle escaped my lips, but I cut it off. It hurt too much to laugh.

  “Nah, Astrid, it looks badass.” He shook his head. “Enough of this.” He swept his hand under my legs and lifted me up in his arms.

  I huddled in closer to his chest. Badass, I like the sound of that.

  Chapter 14

  Astrid

  Dark Arts took on a whole new meaning at Warwick Academy. I pictured myself learning how to curse someone, do mind control, or even make a toxic poison. I did not expect to be sitting in an art class painting a still life of a nepenthes plant. A deadly meat-eating plant that the warlocks seemed to love. Leo sat next to me painting a perfect rendition of it. His had the deep upside-down bell shape of the flower perfectly colored green with red little flecks. At the top of the flower, there was an opening where the plant would suck its prey in and digest it. Long vines streamed out the top of it and a single leaf acted as a cover for the mouth of the plant.

  The easels were set up in a perfect circle around the plant that sat on a pedestal at the center of the room. Art supplies lined the room. Brushes stood in jars on the windowsill. But what surprised me the most about this classroom was that it wasn’t as dark as the others at Warwick. This one was light and airy, with oversized widows that overlooked the haunted forest. I dipped my paintbrush into the green paint and smeared it across the canvas. All the while I felt everyone’s eyes on me.

  I leaned in to whisper to Leo, “I mean, you should’ve seen me in summoning class this morning. We were supposed to summon a cat, a very simple thing apparently . . . for everyone else but me.”

  “Give yourself a break. I mean, you just got here. You’ll pick it all up.” He leaned back, admiring his painting while pressing the handle of the paintbrush over his lips.

  “Leo, I summoned catnip. Literally, an entire bush of the crap. Can you guess what happened after that?” I stabbed my paintbrush onto green paint and smeared it over the canvas.

  “That cats ate it?”

  “The cats freaking ate it!” I turned to face him. “Do you know what it’s like to have a classroom full of high cats? Because I can tell it wasn’t good.”

  A light chuckle burst from his lips. “I can only imagine.” He dabbed more red onto his flower.

  “It was so embarrassing.” I glanced up at the podium at the center of the room and noticed more than one set of eyes on me. I leaned in to whisper to him again, “Is it just me or is everyone looking at me?”

  “Girl, the whole school saw that gold magic tornado mess you caused.” He dipped his paintbrush into the red paint between us. “Plus, Kitty told everyone what a freak you are.”

  I bit my bottom lip. “Do you think I’m a freak?”

  He was my only friend, and although we’d only known each other for a short time, I felt so comfortable with him. He shook his head. “Psh, no. First, I always take the source into consideration. Second, Kitty is a bitch, and third, I think you’re crazy powerful and she’s jealous.”

  “Focus, Leo.” The professor, a slight woman with short curly blond hair, danced around the room. Wearing a flowing dress with panels of lace and black in it, each time she spun it fanned out around her legs. She flitted around the classroom like a fairy.

  “Now think on this for a moment.”

  I could listen to her British accent all day long.

  “Throughout the world there are dark objects, each one created by its maker for a specific purpose. Warlocks in particular are very good at bespelling objects of their own making.”

  Kyle, who sat on the other side of Leo, raised his hand. “Professor Netta, I’ve never heard of anyone using a painting for warlock powers before.”

  Leo rolled his eyes. “It’s called cracking a book.”

  The rest of the class chuckled.

  “Indeed, Leo.” Professor Netta grabbed up a feather from her desk at the front of the room. “Who can give me an example of a painting used for warlock magic?”

  I glanced around the room and waited for someone to raise their hand, but when no one did, I lifted my arm. “How about the legend of Dorian Gray?”

  “Everyone knows that’s only a story, Ashley.” Kitty sat up straight and preened.

  “It’s Astrid. And I thought in the world of Evermore all the legends were true. Or at least most of them.”

  Kitty threw her head back, chuckling. “Shows what you know.”

  Professor Netta’s eyebrows rose to her hairline. “On the contrary. Dorian Gray is an excellent example. Clearly some of your classmates haven’t heard the tale, so please share with us.”

  I cleared my throat. “Well, the legend goes that Dorian Gray had a portrait painted of himself and rather than him aging, the painting would age, giving Dorian the ability to remain young for as long as the painting lasted.”

  The professor beamed. “Very good.”

  “Oh, come on, that cannot be real.” Kitty sighed. “She’s making that up.”

  “I am not. You’re arguing because you know you’re wrong and don’t want to look like an idiot. Newsflash, you already do.”

  Kitty shot to her feet. “Oh really? Who’s the idiot here, the one who freaked out at their sorting and played the damsel in distress to get the attention of a guy or the one who grew up in this world?”

  Damsel in distress? Was she serious? I’d never felt pain like that, and yet I was still sitting here the next day. “The answer is still you.”

  Professor Netta stepped in between us and held her arms out. “Calm down.”

  Kitty flipped her hair and narrowed her brown eyes at me. “Why don’t you tell that to baby warlock over there?”

  I wanted to slap the smug smile from her face. “Why don’t you do everyone else a favor and pull your lip over your head and swallow!”

  What I wouldn’t give to see something swallow her whole. Heat bloomed in my palm and I relished the feel of it.

  Leo tapped my shoulder. “Um, Astrid.”

  I didn’t turn toward him. Instead, I kept my focus on Kitty. “You know what your problem is? You’re a freaking gold digger. That’s what we call girls like you back home. You see money and power, and you’re willing to drop your skirt for whoever has it, and Beckett doesn’t even know you’re alive. That’s what your problem is with me.”

  “Astrid!” Leo called my name again.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw something growing in the room, but I couldn’t take my focus off her.

  She scoffed. “Oh please, he knows I’m alive and once he sees that you are nothing but an imposter, he’s going to drop you.”

  “We are not a thing! I don’t care who he’s with,” I lied. “You are more than welcome to him.”

  “Astrid!” Leo stood and screamed in my ear.

  “What?” I turned away from Kitty to face Leo. He motioned to the other side of the room where my magic flowed around the plant, making it grow. I took a step back. “Oh crap.”

  “Reasons why you should not be allowed to stay in the school,” Kitty snapped.

  Two vines shot from the top of the flower and leashed around Kitty’s ankles. The plant yanked her legs out from under her and Kitty went down hard. She screamed and grabbed onto whatever was closest to her. Easels clattered to the ground along with all the paintings. The other students jumped out of the way. Kyle dove after her, grabbing onto her hands. But it didn’t slow the plant down. Instead, it dragged both of them toward the mouth of the flower.

  I pressed my hand to my mouth. “No, no, no. Shiiiitttttt.”

  The plant sucked them into the top and closed the leaf over it. Leo hunched over, cracking up.

  I shoved him in the shoulder. “This isn’t funny.”

  “It’s freaking hilarious.” He shrugged. “I say you leave them in there.”

  They screamed and banged on the inside of the flower. “Oh God, it’s filling up with some kind of goop.”

  Professor Netta threw her hands up. “Don’t worry, it’s only digestive fluid. We’ll have you out before then.”

  They screamed even louder.

  “What are we gonna do?” I looked at Leo.

  He shrugged. “Let’s get Audrey here some Rolaids. She’s gonna need it after that meal.”

  “This isn’t little shop of horrors! I can’t kill people with plants!”

  “Fine.” Leo reached into his bag and pulled out two daggers. He handed one over to me.

  I held it up, examining the golden hilt and shining blade. “Do you just walk around with these all day long?”

  “Helloooo, warlock.” He said this as if it was a normal thing to carry a weapon into school.

  I held the dagger above my head. “Stand back, we’re coming in, Kitty.”

  “I hate you!” Her voice was muffled through the thick leaves and the sound of sloshing liquid.

  “Ready . . . set . . . charge!”

  Chapter 15

  Beckett

  “I get it you’re pissed I took my family house back, but this is ridiculous.” I paced in front of Ridge’s desk.

  He sat with his fingers steepled under his chin. He rocked back and forth in his leather chair that creaked each time it moved. “This has nothing to do with the house.”

  Though it was a sunny November day and there was a light breeze drifting in through the widow, the office felt warm and stuffy. The plush carpet muffled my footsteps and kept everything in the room so quiet. My anger rose and I shoved it back down. I wanted to swipe my arm across his desk and knock everything to the floor. “Then explain to me why exactly you’re being so unreasonable.”

  “Honestly, Beckett, I’m offended after all the time we spent together in your formative years.” He pressed his hand to his chest. “I have no control over the demands of the warlock council.”

  “Interim council,” I corrected.

  “Nevertheless, you and your friends have no sway over them, and I fail to see how that’ll happen.” He waved his hand, dismissing the idea. “In any case, this Astrid—”

  “Lockwood.” I finished for him.

  He narrowed his eyes. “Must prove she is a Lockwood heir.”

  “How? It’s not like there’s a DNA tests to prove anything if she is the last one.” I dropped down into the chair opposite him. “You’ve seen her power and so have I. We both know she’s the one.”

  “Yes, I have.” He gave me a bored look. “She is powerful, there’s no denying it. But that doesn’t mean she’s a Lockwood heir. Let us not forget the entire line was extinguished.”

  “You mean murdered . . . brutally.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

  He continued as if I hadn’t said anything. “If she is the Lockwood heir, then where is her grimoire? Each of the five founding families has one. As the founding bloodline and the head bloodline of the warlock council, I do believe you still possess yours.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Where I originate from has nothing to do with her.”

  “Where you originate from has everything to do with her. You and I both know it. We all know you’re Beckett Dustwick of the Dustwick line. Your family was the very first warlock family to part from the witches.” He spread his arms wide. “This is your legacy. Your ancestors started all of it. You’re practically royalty.”

  Don’t remind me. “I fail to see what my heritage has to do with hers.”

  A low chuckle vibrated in his chest. “Let me be clear, without the four other supporting bloodlines backing you up, your council is incomplete, therefore irrelevant. So if she isn’t a Lockwood, then your return home is for nothing, your attempt to take over the council is for nothing, and you, the last of the Dustwick line, are nothing.”

  I tightened my grip on the arms of the chair and ground my teeth together. “You want the book as proof, I’ll get the book.”

  He snickered. “That book hasn’t been seen since Gregor Lockwood disappeared. Which I’m sure you know all about.”

  I rose to my feet and turned for the door. I’d had enough of this. As I walked out, I let my temper get the better of me. I flicked my wrist and the contents of his desk flew to the floor. “Mind the mess, won’t you?”

  Chapter 16

  Astrid

  I kicked the green goop off the toe of my boot and it flung across the courtyard, landed on a tree truck, and slid down. “That was awful.”

  Leo brushed his hand down his pants and flung a handful of green goop on top of the path of the courtyard. “It was hilarious. Did you see Kitty’s face when you cut that thing open and she was sprawled out on the floor in a puddle of slosh . . . priceless.”

  “I have got to learn how to control my powers.” I felt awful. While Kitty definitely got what was coming to her, I couldn’t let my emotions get the better of me or get the better of my magic. Major rookie mistakes were made all around. “Next time someone could really get hurt. Like you.”

  “The only thing I’m worried about is getting this out of my Versace cardigan.” He did a little spin and flashed me the siren on the back of his sweater. “This is an original, you know?”

  While everyone else wore their bomber jackets, Leo was his own warlock, which I liked about him. “Besides, did you see Kyle get dragged in with her? It was so worth the dry cleaning.”

  I tucked my hair behind my ear and hiked my backpack up on my shoulder. “I can’t believe you two actually dated. He doesn’t seem good enough for you at all.”

  His face softened for a moment and he gazed off toward the woods. “It was really unexpected but not all bad. He’s got a side to himself that he doesn’t show his sister.” He shrugged. “Just turns out he’s more her bitch than he was mine.”

  “I’m sorry.” I could tell by the tight set of his lips that he’d been hurt by Kyle even though he played it off.

  He pushed his glasses up his nose and forced a smile on his face. “It’s nothing.”

  I placed my hand on his arm. “It’s something, but we don’t have to talk about it.”

  “Thanks.” We started walking back toward Whitmore House. Which was just around the bend from council house where I stayed with Beckett and the others. He bumped me with his elbow. “So what is up with you and Beckett?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, come on, there’s a fire between the two of you. Why do you think Kitty is so jealous?” More students filtered out onto the walkways as classes let out. I was starting to get used to the staring now.

  I glanced around, making sure no one was listening. “More like he tries to control my every move and I can’t stand it. He’s more obsessed with making me the fifth warlock line than he is making sure I’m actually learning my magic. I’m not sure if he even cares about me at all. More like I’m a means to an end for him.”

  Leo pursed his lips. “I like your theory, but no.”

  I wrinkled my nose at him. “What do you mean no?”

 

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