Rosemary Johns - Rebel Academy - Curse

Our footsteps crunched on the snow, as we rounded the yew hedges at the back of the Groundskeepers Cottage. The high oak gate hid the secret garden behind it. Emerick cast me an inscrutable look, before shoving past me to slip a rusty key into the gate, which squeaked open.

He gestured after you like he was inviting me in for coffee, followed by screwing, rather than...okay, could I just pretend that it was screwing?

Dick now was not the time to perk up and show interest.

I squared my shoulders, before swaggering into the garden because going home alone with groundskeepers who catch you wanking was what they taught at schools, right?

That was definitely not the take home message from this.

Emerick snorted, before following me into the garden, which was simply a wave of snow that lapped at the cottage. The thatched cottage was ancient and leaned tiredly to the side. Yet the ice sculptures that played around the garden struck me as more beautiful under the moonlight than they had, when I'd seen them before under the sun. They sparkled like they'd been encrusted by diamonds. An ice elf climbed the branches of a tree, a vampire waved at him, and an elephant blew water at a snarling tiger.

My breath caught. What did I know about genius? I could draw an epic cartoon doodle of a hedgehog. But I hadn't been able to draw a fox without making the tail look like a dick. Don't imagine it or you'll be scarred for life like me. These ice sculptures, however, sang truth with a pure and perfect violin note that made my chest tighten.

Emerick's expression gentled, and he wandered to the tree sculpture, stroking his hand along the elf's thigh. "I'm never alone with these creations. Willoughby's talent is more than magic or a gift. He was meant to use his skill to create his legacy as a king, but instead, he creates a family for me. He's lost as much as I have, but still, he can share such beauty. Creativity like this is a blessing. Yet he believes what his bastard brother says about him. He can only see his mistakes." Emerick's gaze hardened. "Do you remember that I promised you were safe with me as long as you didn't trick or lie to Willoughby?"

I shifted from foot to foot. "Wow, great chat. Looks like I'm safe then because no lying to Willoughby here."

Says the lying foxy.

Emerick stalked towards me, and I backed away. "So, you do think that I'm a fool?"

"Is there any way to answer that, which doesn't end in my furry ass getting kicked?"

I dodged behind the ice elephant.

I didn't want to fight him. He was Snow and Willoughby's friend. I couldn't truly trust him because he was Damelza's son, but I wouldn't hurt him either.

Okay, I was the one who'd be hurt. But I could pretend for my pride, right?

Emerick prowled after me. "I told you that if you wrecked Willoughby, then I'd wreck you. Willoughby’s brother has been punishing him for hours. I know everything that goes on in this academy. It's the only way that I survive. Do you think I don't know that you Immortals have been messing with him? Then it's time that I bring down the power of my family on your tail because I fight for my family."

When he dived for me with a growl, I threw myself to the side, transforming in a shower of blue glitter into my Arctic fox form. I landed hard in a snowbank with an oomph , and my paws scrabbled at the snow.

My senses were suddenly enhanced, and I lowered my head, overwhelmed by the scents of the yew trees and the thrumming magic.

He wouldn't attack an adorable little fox, right?

When Emerick loomed over me, I lowered my ears and whined. Then I flashed him my cutest please don't hurt me expression that I could.

"Your tricks won't work on me, Fox." Emerick glared at me. "Transform back."

I shook my head, shaking my tail at him for good measure.

Emerick tried to snatch me by the neck, and I dodged through his open legs. He hissed in frustration, as I skidded around the snarling tiger. He chased me, as I wove underneath the ice elephant, who now seemed as large as a giant. My heart beat against my ribcage; my pulse pounded. The garden was no longer a playground but a terrifying Land of the Giants . I slunk around the sleeping dragon, who circled the entire garden, as Emerick hunted me.

When I reached the family of ice wolf cubs playing on the dragon's tail, I hunkered down to join them. My cream fur was camouflaged by the snow.

I covered my head with my paws.

If I couldn't see him, he couldn't see me, right?

A shadow covered me. His heavy boot tapped next to my head.

Tap — tap — tap.

"You're caught." Emerick's calmness should have been comforting. It wasn't. "I protect my friends. You'll learn that today."

Perfect. Another unique learning opportunity from Rebel Academy.

"Aye, I protect my friends too, and moon knows, I'd do anything for my wee brother," Snow's Scottish voice thrummed with protective dominance.

His calling me wee brother shook me with an intense emotion that had me pulling my paws away from my head and gekkering wildly.

Snow smiled down at me. His arms were wrapped around Emerick's waist.

Snow was Juni's werewolf because witches had claimed Omegas after the witch and wolf war. He was also the twin of the werewolf who'd been raised with me, Glow. I owed Glow as much as I did dad or Aquilo for keeping me sane in the long years of my exile in the attic, but even before that, Glow had protected me, treating me like a brother. I loved him as much as I did Hartley, my sister. The difference was that he hadn't abandoned me as soon as I'd come into my magic.

He hadn't called me a monster.

Snow was gorgeous with bronzed muscles and strawberry blond curls. He was also naked.

Did Juni never allow him clothes, even in this freezing academy?

I leaped up, bouncing on the spot.

Snow laughed. "Calm down, wee fox. What trouble have you got yourself into now?" Then he shot an accusing glance at Emerick, before swiping his ass with a crisp smack . Emerick flushed. "Fur and fangs, no threatening students."

Emerick rolled his eyes.

I smirked. Even in fox form I pulled that off. It was a gift.

Snow fixed me with a stern glare that had my little balls climbing back inside me. "And there'll be the same for your furry behind if you upset my friends." I wrapped my tail around my ass like that could protect it. Snow pulled Emerick closer. "I'm sorry, but Juni sent me to fetch you. There's a gathering in the Memory Theater. They have it all laid out for a..."

" Matching ," Emerick said, dully. I knew what that meant. I'd been trained for it, just like Hartley had been taught Husband Management, since I'd been able to talk. I'd hoped that I’d be matched with the French witch Mesilande, who’d been my first crush, but then, all hopes of love or marriage had ended, when I'd been shamed as a mage. "Which House?"

"Nay, we'll find a way..."

" Which house? " Emerick insisted.

Why was he shaking? Didn't he want to be married?

Matching was the greatest day of your life (until your marriage day), or at least that’s what mum had told me. Wasn’t that true? It had to be because it was what I’d grieved for all those years, after it’d been stolen from me.

I’d lost the chance of a normal life because of my magic.

Snow massaged Emerick's lower back. "You know which House; the same one as has been after you for years. The House of Jewels."

Emerick paled, but not as much as I would've done if I hadn't been in fox form. Now I got why Emerick wanted to kick my furry ass and had never trusted me.