Rosemary Johns - Rebel Academy - Curse

They wouldn't tear him in half, surely?

"Come on now, don't fight. There's enough of my foxy cuteness to go around," Fox panted.

Damelza brushed her fingers over her shawl, and the feathers ruffled up. Black sparks shot out, stinging Bask. With a yelp, he let go of Fox and stumbled back into Sleipnir's arms.

With a satisfied smile, Damelza shook Fox by the curls. "What admirable academy spirit. I delight to see such enthusiasm in my students, even if it is over a whipping boy who failed on his very first mission." Fox pinked. "Do you know what disappoints me the most?"

"That you don't own an army of flying monkeys?" Fox smirked.

I expected Damelza to scowl, but instead, her smile became even more smug (which shouldn't have been possible), " Mages . Especially shimages who are just as disappointing as their mother always told me."

Fox hunched his shoulders, dropping his gaze.

Cursed toads, Damelza’s smugness was the limit. She could make us endure dangerous trials and deadly missions but not smugness.

Damelza had been on a fox hunt from the moment that the new mage had walked down the long road of the academy to the castle. I'd sensed it from Hecate's Tree: the danger that the new student would be in because he was the first mage to enter the academy since Robin. Damelza had only been waiting for the moment that she could tear him apart bloody.

Now, because we hadn't brought Marcus back with us, she had her chance.

When she tightened her fingers in Fox's hair, tugging out several strands, my lips curled back. "I'd insist that you not harm a hair on his head, but it appears that I'm too late for that. As I'm Prefect, our failure on the mission is my fault. Why not be original and shut me up, instead?"

" No ," chorused from my lovers.

Even Lysander started towards me like he'd pin my arms down, while Sleipnir held onto my legs to stop me moving any closer to Damelza.

Damelza cocked her head. "An interesting proposition."

" Mother ..." Juni hissed. She glanced at me in shock, bouncing on the balls of her feet like she couldn't decide whether to stand with the Principal or by my side. "The Wickedly Charmed girl is clearly not thinking straight. She has a crush on this mage."

Damelza snorted. "Well, thank Hecate I have you here to point out the obvious." Juni reddened. "Just like you have a crush on your fae prince."

Juni's mouth gaped, as her gaze shot to Lysander, who straightened like he was on parade. His expression became shuttered.

Lysander and Juni were lovers? Yuck, yuck , and... Why did my heart feel like it was shrinking in my aching chest? When my shoulders drooped, I forced myself to hitch them up again.

Lysander had never been mine. But how hard would it be to win him from Juni?

"I d-don't... I-t's not the s-same," Juni spluttered.

Damelza waved her hand. "Of course not. You haven't acted on the childish urges because if you had...well, Titus is our patron, and I'd rather that he didn't close us down and make it his life’s work to destroy us in the most intimately painful ways possible."

Juni looked like she was about to vomit. Excellent.

"On Hecate, I swear that I shall never tarnish our name," Juni insisted.

Damelza arched her brow. "I'm glad that I don't need to add be ritualistically executed by our patron to the schedule because this is already such a busy start to term. Plus, I have my own execution to perform."

She hauled Fox towards the mirror, where my portrait had once hung. And where Robin had been walled up alive.

Not again, not again, not…

I prowled towards her. "If you do this, I shall curse the academy and—"

Damelza pretended to yawn. "So much for your originality." She fiddled with the feather in her hair. "Don’t you remember that the first rule of this academy is that you can't fight the professors because of the charms we wear? But please do try, it'll be amusing for me, and a good lesson for you. The spell that is about to be performed is an ancient punishment for captured prisoners in our war with the mages: to be walled up alive in the walls of the castle. Quite effective."

My breaths came fast and short; my heartbeat raced.

This was going to happen...

"Well, let's get this done, I don't have all day." Damelza glanced at the smashed window, before calling, "Ezekiel!"

She wanted our Addict Angel Professor of Dueling and Strategy to witness this too? Would she call in each of our professors like this was a carnival?

Ezekiel swooped through the window. His beautiful purple wings glowed, and his matching violet eyes glowed. Yet even though he landed with a commanding thump , he immediately wrapped his wings around his bronzed chest. Ezekiel was powerful, and the dazed fear that he was attempting to hide, made me want to wrap my arms around him like he was one of my Immortals.

Plus, I adored his tangy citrus cream scent. I could lose myself in the safety of his wings.

Yet my magic smarted with the sense that he wasn't safe.

"You're late," Damelza snapped.

Ezekiel marched to stand next to the mirror. "It would never do to be late to my own execution."

Bask's horrified gasp was mirrored by my own.

"My guardian shall never accept this… brutality ," Lysander's sharp voice cut through my own shock. "Professor Ezekiel has long proved his worth as a professor. He’s communicated with my uncle for many years—"

" Your uncle was eager that I make a statement to both professors and students that once a Rebel, always a Rebel,” Damelza snapped. Ezekiel's eyes closed, and he flinched. "Teaching posts are offered as a great honor to those who survive their time as students, but they’re also a privilege, which can be taken away. I must maintain standards. Ezekiel trained you as assassins, but you couldn’t even bring me back a single escaped beast! If a professor’s students fail, then they’re to blame. They must face the consequences."

"Like docked salary? Extra duties? A demotion?" I tilted my head. "How dreadfully stupid of me, of course execution is the obvious choice."

"Of course," Damelza replied, coolly. "Shall I add Professor Ambrose and that brat of his, who I know he's been allowing you to see, despite the fact that it’s breaking my rules?" My eyes widened. I remembered Ty playing in the snow and the fae professor singing songs to his son. Don't let them be hurt because of me. "There are some delightful witches who could take up their positions instead."

Juni's eyes flashed. "An Immortal is one thing, mother, but a Seelie fae Prince...? A child ...? This is enough ."

For the first time, Damelza shifted uncomfortably. "It appears that my daughter has spoken. I hope that this is a useful learning experience for you all. It's interesting how it's your own Blessedly Charmed magic that now works against you in this castle, while the wards stand. So, storm and tantrum as much as you like, your cold no longer has any bite."

"You're a warrior," Sleipnir hissed at Ezekiel, "kick her ass."

Ezekiel's lips pinched; his expression was tight. He raised his hand to show the same Ibranded on it as was on Sleipnir's.

"Should I let Ambrose or his son take my place?" Ezekiel demanded.

"That's the spirit." Damelza patted him on the shoulder.

Then the wall opened, yawning into darkness, and Damelza shoved Ezekiel inside.

It was happening all over again like it had with Robin.

Fox's anguished gaze met mine. "Breathe for me."

A single tear chased down his cheek, even as his lips curled into a smile.