The Curse (H. Academy Series #1)

The main hall erupted in havoc. Questions came from every direction.

“What do you mean breached?”

“What does that mean?”

“Why are we still here? We should have been evacuated!”

“That’s right! Why haven’t you evacuated us?”

“What about our wards? Are they safe?”

My father took a step forward and every sound in the hall died out. His face remained expressionless; stoic. I watched the teachers behind him, all sitting at the edge of their seats, ready to jump out like cats and put an end to chaos. Only Thar’s head stayed bowed, and I squinted in his direction, noticing his finger twitching. Like he was writing something.

I looked around the table.

Amma clutched her notebook on her chest, like repetition and homework would keep her from harm. She wasn’t paying attention to it, her wide azure eyes glued to my father.

“Winston Academy’s wards were much weaker than Hunt Academy’s wards.” My father said, and some of the students sat back down in their seats. “Winston Academy had no black magic users to reinforce their wards.”

Another set of questions ensued, but I ignored them and reached for Amma’s notebook.

“Give me that.”

“What, why?” She held onto the little book like I asked for a piece of her soul.

“Just give it. I’ll tell you later.”

She handed the notebook, her expression suspicious.

I opened the beige leather cover, skipping Amma’s meticulous notes on magic and H. Academy, and finally reached the first blank page.

I need to talk to you. The words read loud and clear, written in cursive.

When I looked up, Thar’s gaze was focused on my father, not even a glance in my direction. I swallowed the sudden anxiety.

“Why haven’t you evacuated us?” Someone asked, pulling me right back into the moment.

“Because schools are warded.” My father answered readily. “You’d be easy pickings outside.”

The crowd settled into quiet murmurs, but the desperation grew louder.

His use of pronouns rubbed me the wrong way. We’d be easy pickings, not him. He simply did not fit into that category. I wondered if he thought white magic users were that much weaker than him.

“No one’s telling us anything about what attacked us! We deserve to know!” Someone shouted.

“What we know so far is that you’re the safest within school property.” My father answered in his diplomatic tone. “There is no reason to panic. Wards are secure. Nothing can breach through them.”

I took Amma’s green pen and scribbled words down in her notebook, hoping no one, especially my father, would pay attention to the small amount of magic needed to transfer the message. But before I managed to send it Thar’s way, words formed on the paper.

Meet me in the training room in half an hour.

Briefly, our eyes met from across the room. Part of me hoped he would want to talk to me about what the hell happened last night, but I knew this was about demons and whatnot.

“We simply ask of you to welcome new students into your school.” My father continued. “They lost their safe haven and need your support.”

“Has someone been attacked?” Morta’s voice rang through the room, pulling every gaze towards her, including mine.

Amma glanced at me, panic shining in her eyes. I shook my head briefly, letting her know I had no idea what she was doing. But Morta stared at my father, her hand relaxed on her hip, posture straight and tall.

His eyes were dangerously near me, and I covered the notebook in front of me with my hands, fearing he could somehow read the letters even at such a distance.

“No.” My father answered. “Fortunately, the teachers managed to keep the demonic entity at bay, and the students fled.”

“Lucky.” Morta almost cut him off. Almost.

“I’d say courageous.” Dereck Montgomery’s eyes remained locked on Morta. “Determined.”

“Lucky.” Morta repeated; causing a few sucked in breaths in the main hall.

My father took a step forward, his cool still kept, “Why do you say that, Morta Aquila?”

“Well,” Morta pouted, her eyes widening in a display of innocent, “You said they had no black magic users in the school, and we all saw how useless white magic was against the demonic entity.”

Sounds of relief spread through the main hall, almost like her sentence proved she wasn’t insinuating anything.

My father’s stance relaxed, and he took a step back, “Yes, you’re right. They have been very lucky. Fortunately, they’re coming here now, and we’re much better prepared for an attack.”

Amma grabbed Morta’s black tunic and forced her back into her seat. I glared at her, only to meet that same display of innocence she offered my father. When I turned my head, I found Thar’s frown facing Morta.

“If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll let you get back to your studies.” My father concluded his speech, his hands intertwining on his back.

“Let’s get out of here.” I hissed and gave Amma her notebook. “We have things to do.”

“What’s your problem?” Amma was too focused on Morta to pay attention to my hands on her shoulder, ushering her out of the main hall.

The rest of the students rushed out, too, almost like the main hall turned claustrophobic for them. I certainly felt claustrophobic, knowing we were stuck inside this school.

“What?” Morta feigned ignorance. “I just wanted to know if someone got hurt.”

“Like you care about the Winston Academy.” Amma clutched her notebook against her chest as we walked out of the main hall.

When they turned right towards our dorms, I grabbed both of their hands and turned them to the left.

“Hey!” Morta wiggled her hand out of my grasp.

“Shh.” I looked around, checking if my father was lurking somewhere in the crowd.

The only person my eyes found was Leon, leaning against the wall, Bella lingering on his arm. He was staring at me, without even a trace of his usual smugness or casualness. Bella looked concerned too, and the fact she had no makeup on concerned me. With her face clean, she looked younger and prettier. Her eyes followed Leon’s gaze and landed on me.

I opened my mouth, wanting to urge Morta and Amma to move along, but Leon was already walking towards me, dragging his girlfriend along.

“Oh, no.” Morta murmured. “Looks like the demons have breached the wards here as well.”

“Ha, ha.” Leon stopped in front of me, “You three know something.”

“What would we know?” Amma let out a high-pitched laugh, making Morta palm her face.

“We need to know if we’re safe here.” Bella nasal voice made me hate her that much more. “If the Winston Academy fell, do you think the same will happen to us?”

“Oh, spare me.” Morta put her hand on he hip. “You just don’t like the idea of someone from Winston Academy coming here.”

“I don’t mind the body count.” Leon shrugged, gaze lingering on me. “If the demons attack them, I’ll have time to run.”

I rolled my eyes, “So courageous. We need to go.”

“Come on.” Leon stood in front of me, blocking me. “If you know something, you have to share.”

“I don’t have to do anything.” I pushed past him. “Except get away from you.”

Leon chuckled, “That’s not the way to your room, Jade.”

Taking in a deep breath, I moved along, Morta and Amma behind me.

“Are you gonna tell me what happened last night?” Morta hissed in my ear.

“Or where we’re going now?” Amma added.

“He told me he hasn’t slept with anyone except Bella in the past two years.” I rushed through the crowded hallway, needing to escape the crowd and everything that happened last night. “And we’re going to the training room.”

“Oh, are we going to practice killing something?” Morta’s voice heightened. “I’ve always said there weren’t enough practical classes in this school. One can only read that many books.”

Once we reached the training room door, I side-eyed Morta, “Why did you ask my father if someone got hurt?”

She grabbed my hand and pulled the sleeve up, revealing the two filled points, “It’s confirmation. The demons attacked, but no one got hurt. No further points filled.”

She let my hand go.

“You could have asked someone else.” Amma said. “Why confront Jade’s father?”

“I don’t like this face.”

I laughed, “That’s something we can all agree on.”

“What are we doing here anyway?” Morta asked and leaned against the wall, taking in the plain wood-panelled hallway.

“Thar said to meet him here.” I answered.

Amma chewed her bottom lip, “You know, what Leon said upstairs-”

“No.” Morta shook her head.

“But-”

“No.” Morta repeated. “Nothing that has Leon’s name in it is valid.”

“They deserve to know.” Amma pushed. “Leon might be an asshole, but you wouldn’t let him die, would you?”

“Debatable.” Morta shrugged.

“You know, we don’t have to tell him everything.” I suggested. “But his insights might be worth something. After all, he’s the closest to a demon we’ve got.”

Morta eyed me, “You just wanna fuck him.”

I shrugged.

“We need more brains.” Amma said. “The three of us are all thinking the same way. We need someone unbiased.”

“Not Leon.” Morta pushed and eyed me pointedly again. “He’s a cheater and a liar.”

I raised my finger, “Technically-”

“No, Jade.”

“Oh, cut me some slack.” I grunted. “You’re all pumped up on the lust charm all the time, and I have hots for a teacher. Do you want me to listen to my body’s cravings and jump his bone, or do you want me to mess around with Leon every once in a while and keep myself under control?”

“Ugh, that’s a good point.” Morta sighed. “Still, we’re not bringing Leon into this.”

“Leon is bringing himself into this.” A voice came from the staircase, and Leon stepped into the light from behind the wall, alone.

“Oh, my fucking Goddess.” Morta cursed and bumped with her head against the wall.

I marched towards the staircase, anger pounding through me, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Listening to your conversation.” Leon fixed the collar of his beige polo shirt. “By the way, you’re being awfully indiscreet about your secrets.”

“What. Did. You. Hear?” I forced through my teeth.

He grinned, “All about how you wanna fuck me.”

I rolled my eyes.

The grin disappeared, and when he spoke, his voice awfully resembled the one I’ve heard last night.

“On the more serious note, I know that the three of you know something, and if you share it, I won’t tell anyone.”

Morta pushed herself off the wall, “How can we trust you?”

“Because I’m too handsome and charismatic to die.” Leon arched his eyebrow.

“Highly unlikely.” Morta murmured.

“It’s all you get.” Leon continued. “I’m not willing to die, and if there’s something I can do to stop it, I’ll do it. Bella and I are all in. Brains, foot soldiers, even a distraction.” He eyed me briefly. “We just want to know what the fuck is going on.”

I faced the girls again, trying to read their thoughts. Amma had her notebook clutched tightly to her chest, her lower lip sucked into her mouth, and Morta’s gaze was still cutting through Leon, she probably didn’t believe a word he said.

After a few seconds, Morta sighed, head bumping against the wall again, “Fine. Whatever.”

I looked back at Leon, “It’s gonna be dangerous.”

“More dangerous than a demonic entity immune to magic?”

“We don’t need you if you’re going to be a coward.”

Leon walked down the stairs and past me, “You don’t know me half as well as you think you do, Montgomery.”

He smelled like clover and smoke, and my mind raced back to last night for a brief moment. Let’s play a losing game, Jade, let’s fuck it all up.

“So, what are we doing here?” Leon stood between the three of us, his hands crossed on his chest.

“Waiting for-”

Thar cleared his throat, standing at the top of the staircase.