WitchCraft Academy (The First Book)

As Axel's words pierce through the darkness, anger surges within me. "You followed me? What the fuck, Axel?" I hiss under my breath, my voice laced with a mixture of anger and betrayal. The flickering ball of fire casts an eerie glow on our faces, illuminating the tension between us.

His eyes never waver from mine as he takes another drag of his cigarette, seemingly unaffected by my anger. "Who is that guy? He looks like some kind of freak," Axel remarks, his voice tinged with judgment. “What are you doing in the middle of the woods with him?”

My anger intensifies and I cross my arms. "He's not a freak. You have no right to follow me," I defend Silas, my voice filled with defiance. I refuse to let Axel's intrusion go unnoticed. He literally followed me! What the fuck?

An undercurrent of frustration laces his voice as he speaks again. "Yeah, well, when someone with your luck sneaks out as often as you do, especially looking like that, I wanted to know you were safe," Axel explains, his words laced with concern. "And after I saw you today, I knew you had to be seeing someone. I wanted to know who."

My anger falters for a moment as I register the genuine hurt in Axel's eyes. His admission catches me off guard, and despite my anger, a sliver of guilt seeps in. "Well, you don't know him," I snap, my stubbornness battling with the empathy I feel for Axel.

He takes a moment to gather his thoughts, the smoke from his cigarette curling around us. "Obviously. But I saw him making love to you, and it hurt. For some reason, I always thought your first time would be with me," Axel confesses, his voice raw with vulnerability. The pain in his words cuts through my anger, leaving me momentarily speechless.

"You had no reason to think that. I have never led you on like that before," I argue, my voice filled with stubbornness. I refuse to let myself admit how deeply his words affect me. "Sorry if you wanted a virgin and didn't get one. I'm sure you'll find another one," I add, attempting to push past him and escape this suffocating confrontation. But he gently grasps my forearm, his touch stopping me in my tracks.

"It's not like that, Em, and you know it. I don't care about that. I'm in love with you for you," Axel whispers, his voice so quiet it's almost a breath of air. Goosebumps erupt across my skin as his words wash over me, shattering the barrier of anger I had built.

"Axel, please, save yourself from this," I whisper back to him, my voice filled with concern. "Just forget about me. Move on. I know you're a much better person than people give you credit for. Find love with someone else, like I did."

Silence hangs in the air as he trails behind me, following me through the tunnel. As we enter the main hallway through the secret entrance, we come face to face with Melody.

Fuck. This is a disaster. She's caught us, and now I'm at a loss for what to do. We'll be under watch for some time, and I won't be able to sneak out and see Silas anytime soon.

"Where have the two of you been?" Melody asks, her hands firmly planted on her hips. "Clearly up to no good," she adds, scanning my revealing dress.

"It's not what it seems," Axel attempts to explain.

Acting on instinct, I step in front of Melody, clenching my fist tightly and waving it in a circular motion while chanting, "Memoria Evanesco," repeatedly. It's the memory spell Silas taught me a couple of weeks ago.

"You never witnessed us here," I instruct her, and she nods in agreement, in a trance. Grabbing Axel's hand, I swiftly lead him up the stairs and into my room before Melody comprehends what just occurred.

"What the fuck was that, Ember?" Axel asks, his voice filled with astonishment as I close the door behind us.

"Um, it's a spell I learned. She won't remember seeing us tonight," I confess, feeling guilty.

"Where the fuck did you learn that?" Axel presses, his voice filled with concern.

I nervously bite my bottom lip, averting my gaze to the floor.

"That guy," he realizes. "Ember, something is off about him. That's not a spell we should know how to do for a reason. And have you seen the number of scars on him?"

"He's been through some tough shit, Axel. Some really difficult shit. He's not from our world. You're just saying these things out of jealousy!" I accuse, my voice rising.

"I'm not jealous! And what the hell do you mean he's not from our world? That doesn't make any fucking sense!" He raises his voice back at me in frustration.

Before I can respond, the door swings open, and Juniper rushes in, slamming it shut behind her, tears streaming down her face.

"June, what's wrong?" I ask, rushing to her side and wrapping my arms around her shoulders, immediately worried about her.

"Taylor... broke up with me," she sniffs, crying even harder. "Today... of all days..."

"That bitch. Do you want me to kick her ass?" I offer, pulling her in for a comforting hug.

"No, that would only get you into trouble," she replies, wiping her nose on her sleeve. Her gaze falls upon Axel's flask. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," he says, handing her the flask.

She takes a hefty swig and then passes it back to him. "Thanks. So, what's going on with you two?"

"Nothing," I respond simultaneously with Axel saying, "I saw her with some strange guy, having sex."

"You finally lost your virginity?" Juniper's eyes widen. "How was it?"

"It was... amazing. He told me he loves me," I share with Juniper, a smile spreading across my face.

"No way! I'm so happy for you guys. Silas is one lucky guy," she says, wiping away her tears but leaving smudged mascara around her eyes. “At least someone had a good night.”

"Silas? That's his name? You know him? What do you know about him?" Axel interrupts, his curiosity piqued.

"He's a warlock Prince from the eighteenth century in another realm," Juniper reveals casually, trying to wipe off more smeared makeup.

"June!" I scold her, feeling uneasy about sharing such information.

"Sorry," she murmurs, realizing her slip-up. “I'm crying so you can't be mad at me.”

"Are you kidding me?" Axel exclaims in disbelief.

"Nope, it's true. But you can't tell anyone about him," I caution.

"Why?" Axel questions, not understanding the secrecy behind it.

"That's a good question. I don't know. I don't think he wants to be brought here," I respond honestly. I just figured Silas doesn't want to be exposed and I respect his privacy.

"And that's not a red flag?" Axel raises an eyebrow, clearly still concerned for my well-being.

"No, it's not. I'm done with your petty jealousy. I'm going to sleep. Are you going to be okay?" I ask, turning to Juniper.

"Yep, I'll just drink all of Axel's booze to make myself feel better," Juniper replies cheerfully.

"You'll do what now?" Axel looks at her with a confused expression.

I smile at Juniper and give her a hug before drifting off into sleep, my mind filled with memories of my night with Silas.