Rosemary Johns - Rebel Academy - Curse

I jolted. This was Husband Management 101.

Hartley had been forced into those classes but she'd hated them. She'd defied them every time that she'd smuggled me out to ride her pony, played snow fights with me, or clasped my hand in hers to run through the gardens, when I was only meant to walk.

Let some of the sister who I'd once known still be in there, or it'd be like she'd died along with dad.

Finally, Emerick met her gaze. "I can care singlehandedly for magical woodland, survive outside in snowstorms, and I can rectally examine foxes."

I burst into laughter, and Snow's shoulders shook suspiciously.

I knew that I'd had a close escape from his medical attentions.

Hartley gaped at Emerick. Those skills weren't on the Approved List of Skills in the Husband Management Booklet. They should add them.

Damelza's feathers ruffled in outrage. "Do you know what happens to boys who misbehave at their matchings?"

"They don't have to marry witches who they don't love?" I snarled. "Come on, I've got it right this time, yeah?"

Fathered straps shot out of the seat. The straps bit into my thighs and upper arms, and I yelped.

Wind blasted through the theater. Magenta was pissed.

Hartley took a step towards me, and for a moment, I thought that her mask would break. "This match was arranged by mum years ago."

"Would you've allowed Mesilande to treat me like that?"

Hartley furrowed her brow. "I tried to make it clear at my party. It wasn’t fair for you to continue in your delusions. Mesilande wouldn't want you, brother, because you're a mage . There was no point you...still hoping...because no witch would touch you."

Emerick chuckled. "Well, you're in for a shock."

"Silence," Hartley snapped.

Hartley's eyes widened, as Emerick dropped his hands from his head and crossed them over his broad chest. "We're not married yet. I'm not in the mood to be dominated, in fact, that's not my dynamic at all ."

Juni attempted to hide her snicker in Snow's curls.

I shrugged. "Wow, look at that. He can think and talk like a real person. Don't you remember that I could?"

Damelza slammed down her teacup with a sharp crack . "Delightful as this reunion is, can we refocus on the deal—"

"You be silent too," Hartley hissed.

Damelza sank back into her throne in shock.

My prickles, that made everything worth it.

Almost.

How powerful had Hartley become? Her magic glittered off her, as she prowled towards me. I'd wanted her attention, right?

Be careful what you wish for.

Hartley reached to stroke my cheek. I hated myself for it, but I leaned into her touch. It'd been so long since she'd touched me gently. Since the Kitten Incident, when I'd first transformed in front of my family into a Birman cat, I'd craved this.

But as soon as the tips of her fingers had touched my skin, she'd pulled them back.

"You locked me up." This time, I didn't look away. The words crawled from my throat, each one more painful than the last. "You never visited me. You forgot me ."

Hartley’s hands clenched into fists.

Use them, hurt me, beat me because at least then you're seeing me...

Instead, she merely tossed her head like I was beneath her notice and began to turn away.

Desperation wailed through me, vibrating through my magic. I craved to prick her until she bled, at the same time as I wanted to snuggle in her arms, purring.

I needed her attention and I feared it.

Magenta's magic sparked around the room. Her rising fury rattled the teacups, and Damelza narrowed her eyes. Magenta’s outrage for Emerick and me battled against the oppressive magic of the Memory Theater.

There was one witch who fought the system and loved mages: Magenta .

"Why?" I whispered. When Hartley continued to turn away from me, I howled, "Why?"

She hesitated, but she didn't look at me. "You became a mage."

"I was still your brother. Wasn't it enough that your older brother had been thrown to the wolves? Did you regret that the same hadn't been done to me? Did you beg mum to throw me to the wolves as well?"

To my shock, Hartley let out a shocked sob, as her knees buckled. She lay her head on my lap.

What had I done?

Juni stared at her. "I shall send you on a Discipline Run every Sunday for the rest of term if you don't undo this ."

I wriggled in my straps. I couldn't even move my arms to comfort Hartley. Emerick marched over, however, to drop to his knee next to her and rub her shoulder.

He should've listed comforting the distressed to his skills because he was epic at that (to be fair, he was equally epic at terrifying threats ).

"I didn't know." Hartley's voice was soft and stripped of its steeliness. "Mum told me that Reed had died." My chest tightened. My older brother's name was Reed; no one had ever told me that before. I held it to me like it was more precious than any jewel that my House owned. I was shaking, and Hartley raised her head like she was surprised to feel it. Tears chased down her cheeks. Why was she crying for a mage? “Mum locked Reed away like you in the attic, but he was shackled all the time. I was so young, and I couldn’t bear it. Then mum told me that he’d died. I grieved. Don’t you get it? I lost two brothers to the evil of magic.”

“I’m not dead,” I snarled, blinking away tears. “I was alive and alone, and you chose to lose me.”

Hartley knelt up, and this time her hands rested on my cheeks and didn’t move away; her ice blue eyes that were twins of mine, didn’t flinch from my gaze. “I cried for Reed. He was my brother. I idolized him. He was perfect, and when he…when I thought that he died… I had you , and it was like we were all offered a second chance. I loved you so much: my beautiful little brother. I tried to make up for everything that’d been done to Reed and let you have what I wished he’d been allowed as a kid and would never have again.” My breaths were ragged, and my vision blurred. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep the sobs inside, even if I was being clawed to shreds. Stop speaking, for the love of Pan, enough… A tear escaped against my will, and Hartley wiped it away. She was too close, and yet, not close enough. Her face twisted, as she bunched her hands painfully in my lap. “And then you spoiled it all over again.”

Emerick gripped her tighter by the shoulder; his expression was grim. “Well, that was touching. How about we leave Fox alone now? You enjoyed stroking my chest. Have you felt my abs yet?”

Hartley shook Emerick off, leaning her cheek against mine. My eyes fluttered shut.

Why was I so desperate to hope even now?

“Why did you have to be a mage?” Her tears were wet against mine. “Why did you have to be taken away from me as well? Now even dad’s gone. You did that.”

My eyes snapped open, and I wrenched my head away from her. “Mum did that; I know that now.” Her eyes widened at my hard tone. Had I ever spoken to Hartley like that before? “Reed and I were born with our magic. It’s not bad. It’s natural and who we are, right? You and mum chose to abandon us. Witch society is screwed-up. Stop crying and make a stand to change it. If you loved us, you would.”

“The fox has balls.” Emerick pushed himself to his feet. “And he’s right.”

“Yeah, and one final thing,” I glanced up, as Magenta’s cold fingers clasped mine, “a witch does love me, and I love her.”

Instantly, a blizzard raged through the Memory Theater.

Juni screamed, huddling on the floor with Snow, while Damelza stood in the eye, as her eyes glittered with rage: a crow in the storm.