WitchCraft Academy (The First Book)

"What the fuck, Ember?" Axel growls, frustration etched on his face as he struggles to clear the blocked entrance, moving rocks and boulders but it doesn't budge. "I specifically warned you not to trust that guy! I knew something was off about him from the beginning, and now people are dead! We'll be lucky if the entire school isn't wiped out by the time we escape from here. Damn it!" He abruptly stops his angry tirade as he notices the tears streaming down my face and the tremors racking my body.

"Shit," he mutters, running his fingers through his disheveled brown hair. "I'm sorry, Em. I didn't mean to put all the blame on you. I know you didn't have a clue."

I remain silent, my sobs intensifying. How could Silas do this? It's all so wrong! I trusted him, believed in him! He wouldn't betray me. He wouldn't kill people for no reason! It feels like the air is being sucked out of my lungs, threatening to engulf me entirely. I told everyone he was innocent. I was willing to put my life on it. It's my fault everyone has died.

Suddenly, Axel's strong arms envelop me, holding me tightly as I cry into his shoulder, repeatedly apologizing while he tries to console me.

"What do we do now?" I hiccup, wiping away the snot from my nose with my sleeve."I fucked up so bad..."

"First, we need to warn everyone. I'll tell Ethan, and you can reach out to Juniper through astral projection," he instructs. "But before we do that, you need to calm down. You can't astral project in this state of mind." He hands me his flask, and I gulp down the cheap rum, feeling its warmth spread through me. Then he lights a cigarette, passing it to me before lighting his own.

We sit in silence, the smoke from our cigarettes swirling around us as we pass the flask back and forth. My mind is still reeling from the betrayal, grappling with unanswered questions. Why would Silas do this? Did he know his uncle was here all along? Was he the one who possessed me at night, not Magnus? Was everything a lie? The uncertainty gnaws at me, and I attempt to quiet my thoughts, seeking a higher vibration and a sense of peace. But it's hopeless.

"I can't do this! I can't stop thinking about him!" I exclaim, standing up in frustration and impulsively punching the solid rock. Pain shoots through my hand, and I pull away, my fingers already bleeding and bruised. "Ouch! Fuck! That hurts!"

"I'm guessing you've never punched a wall before?" Axel sighs, rising to inspect my injured hand. He tears a strip of fabric from the bottom of his t-shirt and gently wraps it around my knuckles, trying to stem the bleeding. "You probably shouldn't start with solid rock, you know. Maybe try drywall next time."

"I just feel so stupid," I confess, closing my eyes and leaning against the fallen rocks, trying not to wince as he tightens the makeshift bandage.

"You're not stupid. You're just too trusting. You always believe in the goodness of others, and that's not a bad thing," he reassures me softly. "But we still need to warn everyone to be prepared. The entire school has to be ready to fight back if anything happens to The Sisters. It's the entire school against two warlocks, and they won't stand a chance unless they are blindsided."

"You're right. We have to warn them," I agree, determined to push aside thoughts of Silas, at least for now. I can't lose Juniper, Ethan or Andrew. I have to protect them, to keep them safe. They are like family to me. I take deep breaths, gradually clearing my mind enough to prepare for astral travel. "I think I'm ready."

"Okay. Come sit with me, we'll do it together," Axel offers, settling back on the ground and patting the dirt beside him.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I ask cautiously, taking a seat next to him. "This is all my fault."

"No, it's not," he argues. "You didn't kill anyone, he did. And his creepy ass uncle. He used you. That's not your fault."

"I refuse to believe his feelings were fake," I say boldly, surprising him with my conviction.

"Even if they were real, he killed people, classmates we've known for years, Em," he reminds me.

"I know," I sigh. "I can't think about this right now. We have to warn Ethan and June."

"I agree," he says, and we sit in silence, side by side, breathing deeply and focusing on raising our vibrations. I imagine my soul climbing up a rope and out of my body, and when I succeed, I immediately project myself to our dorm room, hoping Juniper is there. Thankfully, she is, pacing anxiously. Startled, she jumps into the wall in shock when she sees me.

"Shhh!" I whisper quietly, trying to calm her. "You have to be quiet. Have you seen Silas?"

"Yes, he came to tell me that he can't find you anywhere and wanted to know if I've seen you," she whispers back. "Where are you? Why are you astral projecting?"

"That asshole knows exactly where I am," I mutter. "Axel and I are trapped in some secret tunnels by the library. The rocks collapsed and caved us in. Silas and his uncle are behind all of the murders. They want to take over this realm for his Uncle Magnus to rule."

"What?" she gasps, grabbing onto her dresser for support.

"They have The Sisters, but I don't know if they're dead or alive. You can't trust them if Silas is still walking free. Axel is talking to Ethan right now too. You both need to discreetly warn the students and prepare them for a fight. Go to Mr. Grimshaw and Miss Reed. They'll help with physical and magical combat," I whisper, trying to convey everything as quickly as possible.

"Shit... Okay. We'll do what we can," she promises.

"You have to pretend like everything is normal if that's what Silas is doing," I tell her.

"I'll try my best... Are you okay?" she asks gently, attempting to touch my arm but her hand goes right through me.

"No... I'm not. But we don't have time for that. Axel and I need to try and get out of here," I tell her. "Please be safe."

She nods, and I pull myself back to my body. Axel still appears to be astral projecting, so I get up and start attempting to move some of the smaller rocks, hoping that shifting them might help to dislodge the bigger ones.

Axel makes a noise, and I look over to see him standing up.

"How did it go with Ethan?" I ask anxiously.

"He's prepared. He's going to warn as many people as he can. What about Juniper?" he asks.

"About the same," I reply.

"Well, all we can do now is try and get out of here," he says as he walks over to help me clear the rocks.