Rosemary Johns - Rebel Academy - Curse

I wasn’t the blackened and withered thing at the heart of this academy. The House of Crows always had been.

Damelza shoved me with her magic, as if she expected me to resist. The images spun faster and faster. I raised my palm to touch them like welcoming an old friend.

My best friend.

Behind me, Fox gasped.

Then I was falling onto my knees with a crack onto the hard, wooden floor of the Dreaming Space . I shook, drawing in a desperate breath.

Turn all my frogs into princes, I’d been a fool to believe that I didn’t have secrets.

The Dreaming Space had been my childhood refuge. For the brief minutes that I’d treasured up here in the most magical point of the castle, I’d allowed myself to dream that Robin and I were alone, that it was safe to reveal our hopes, and that nobody would discover our true selves.

Well, didn’t I now look like I should be the one wearing the Dunce mark, rather than Lysander?

Now I understood why this had broken Fox apart. My mind knew that I wasn’t truly back here, but my Soul sang that this was real .

My Blessedly Charmed magic connected to the academy’s. I’d transformed back to a teenager, and my body was warm in the way that it hadn’t been in over a hundred years.

I was fully alive again.

I jiggled my bosoms, which were disconcertingly small. How strange to be able to breathe easily in my corset. I glanced down at my hands, which were bunched on my lap.

Witching heavens, my dress was frilly and pink .

Now all my secrets truly were out.

All of a sudden, my mind became hazy, until nothing remained of the rebellious witch who’d become Wickedly Charmed, and I was my teenage self once again.

I glanced sideways at Robin, who knelt next to me. His red hair tumbled across his eyes. He’d grown so much taller this year. He used to be smaller than me; how strange it was to look up at him.

No doubt he’d become insufferable about winning our running races now. He’d always been better at climbing trees, even in his human form, although I was the stronger swimmer.

Why was everything changing so fast? Why couldn’t we just stay the same…like now…best friends forever?

Robin was carving his initial Rinto the wooden beam with a knife.

I smiled at the way his pink tongue poked out of his mouth, as he concentrated. I’d bet he didn’t even know that he had that habit.

Did he notice little things about me too?

Would he smile at me today?

I blushed, looking away. Why was I suddenly so hot?

I ran my hand through my hair, flicking cobwebs off it. I’d crawled up to this room with its low arches through the dusty passages. My dress was smeared with dirt.

I furrowed my brow. Would papa be blamed?

Henrietta had prowled into the Bird Turret this morning, snatching up my essay on The History of Hecate like I’d written it to personally disappoint her. Byron had rested his hand on my shoulder to comfort me, but his foot had tapped in his tell that I knew had meant he was more nervous than I was.

I hadn’t missed the significant glance that Henrietta had cast him and the way that his shoulders had slumped, before she’d tossed down the essay and swept out.

“Papa, tell her that my poor writing is my fault…” I’d gasped.

“Hush.” Byron had squeezed my shoulder. “You’ve done nothing wrong. You’re in charge of your own choices, but I won’t allow you to blame yourself for another’s actions. Why don’t you take the afternoon off and see your friend?”

Had he been making sure that I didn’t witness his whipping? When I noticed his bruises, he’d tell me that he deserved them because he was bad .

But he wasn’t. He was the kindness person I knew.

How could I save him? Why wasn’t I strong enough?

Papa, I’m sorry…

How could I’ve abandoned Byron to Henrietta’s mercy , even if I was taught that her treatment of him was Husband Management? Would I be expected to treat a husband of my own like that?

My chest ached at the thought. I squeezed shut my eyes, clawing my nails into my thighs.

Then a strong hand gripped my chin, and I opened my eyes to gaze into Robin’s concerned ones. They were as bright and green as emeralds and just as precious.

Warmth curled through me again, prickling my skin.

“Here,” Robin pressed the knife into my palm, “time to claim our room.”

He backed away, tracing his finger over the Rlike it was the start to a rite.

I dug the blade into the beam, carving an Min front of his R, sizzling my magic through the blade and entwining it to bind Robin and I together.

I’d make this a hidden rite.

“Best friends forever,” I whispered.

Yet Robin hesitated.

My heart pounded in my chest, and my hand shook.

Byron had given Robin to me. He was my most valuable possession.

Let him be mine…

Robin’s voice was low and vibrated with something that I didn’t understand, “Always, silly.”

I dropped the knife. “Did you hex the professors with a Trust Hex to allow you this blade?”

Robin chuckled. “I stole it at lunch.”

My eyes widened. “You…you… reckless …”

“…Brave mage?” Robin’s eyes twinkled. “I know that our friendship must be in secret, and publicly, you must treat me with as much contempt as the others, but I thought that this could be our secret promise.”

My expression gentled. “It’s perfect.”

Robin shrugged. “Anyway, if they had caught me, it’d only have given them another excuse to beat me. See it as me taking part in the academy spirit. Your mother gave a rousing speech about that this morning after breakfast. After all, imagine how happy beating me would’ve made the Princes.”

How could he joke about such things?

I loved him for it.

I blanched. Wait, I loved him as a friend…didn’t I?

Sweet Hecate, this heat inside me wasn’t friendship.

My magic thrummed, reaching out for Robin. I was desperate to smile, smile , and never stop, as long as I was with Robin.

I could’ve burst flowers from the wooden floor and ivy from the walls.

But if I let it show, then it’d destroy the only truly good thing in my life. Robin was my best friend, and I’d couldn’t risk that.

I’d die if I lost Robin.

Robin threw himself onto his back, pillowing his head on his arms. I didn’t miss his wince or the way that his forehead furrowed in pain. I settled next to him on my side, massaging his temples. He winced again.

“How’s your head?” I asked.

“Handsome,” he smirked.

When I nudged his shoulder, he flinched. My eyes became flinty. So, he’d been whipped, just like Byron.

I swallowed hard at the thought that the two men in my life who I loved had both been beaten and I couldn’t protect either of them .

“The Princes?” I demanded because we both knew what I meant.

“They’re just in a bad mood, since they lost their Privilege Points. In SHPthey were meant to be transfiguring a personal belonging into a paper ship. They almost got it right, but appear to have missed by a single letter.” When Robin’s lips quirked, I stared at him in confusion. “The stink as the shit rained down on them was appalling but hilarious. Unfortunately, I couldn’t help transforming into Mr Tailsy in my excitement and well, you know how impulsive I am in my squirrel form. Can I be blamed for climbing up the tall elf prince, when covered in that shit, he looked so much like a tree?”