The Coven Awakens (Hollow Hill Academy #1)

6. Ewan

Chapter 6

Ewan

T oday could be called a proper fecking disaster, and it looked like Caius was going to get what he wanted. Something he was real fecking smug about. I found him and Soren back in our room after Audrey had run from me. She acted like she was scared I was going to eat her or something, and it was not the first impression I’d been trying to make.

Paiste and I spent most of the morning arguing, as while he may not be able to speak English, he sure understood it. He’d heard what she said, and he kept telling me he’d been doing what I wanted, corralling her into a safer area. But she had been right, too. Fire was not the best way to go about it. So now Paiste was sulking, and I had an ache in my chest. I hated fighting with my familiar. It gave me indigestion, and nothing would ease my disquiet until we worked through our problems. Dragons were stubborn creatures at the best of times, though, so I needed to think of some way to make it up to him. Forgiveness was going to be expensive, and not for the first time, I wondered why I’d courted a dragon for my familiar. Those thoughts only sent me into a new spiral of guilt, as Paiste was an excellent familiar. Fighting with him was the worst feeling.

I waited in our apartment for Audrey to come back, ignoring Caius as he gloated about how he’d been right and how she clearly wasn’t a good fit for the coven. He wasn’t really talking to Soren or me, it almost sounded like he was trying to convince himself. Soren ignored him as well from where he’d set himself up on the couch, a bag spread flat on the coffee table. Pieces of bone and gemstone littered the leather, and he picked each one up seemingly at random, carving into them and shaping them. It was a project he’d worked on for as long as I’d known him, but he was never satisfied with. It was also a good gauge of how he felt, as he only ever pulled it out when he wanted to work through something in his mind and needed to busy his hands.

I waited in our room for as long as I could before I needed to leave for class, but Audrey still hadn’t come back. I was worried where she might have run off too, but I couldn’t be late. All I could do was hope she’d be in my shapeshifting class, and I could talk to her there and hopefully get her to listen to my apology.

After her Showing, she would have to be placed in the shapeshifting class.

Most shapeshifters experienced trouble shifting into their flying form, unless it was something which came naturally to their lineage. I took over three months to master my shift, and as a Scion of Cernunnos, shifting into an animal form was like second nature to me. Though the forms themselves were just so different from our own, with distinct mechanics.

Her great owl form had been beautiful. The gray feathers were sleek, and the wingspan impressive as she raced away from the Showing. It had me curious if it was the only form she possessed. But when she didn’t show up for class, I didn’t get answers to any of my questions. She didn’t appear in the dining hall for lunch either, though Soren shoveled his food down like always. If I hadn’t seen his workout routine, I would’ve wondered where it all went. And while my plate wasn’t as full as his, it wasn’t far behind. Shifting forms burned a lot of energy, and in class today those of us with multiple forms practiced moving from one form to the next without shifting to our human form in between. It was hard work, and if I didn’t have afternoon classes, I would have taken a nap.

Caius was reading, rather than eating, but that didn’t surprise me. Sometimes I wondered if he sustained himself on shadows and spite. He didn’t look up from his book as I sat down, not eager to engage us in conversation. He must have said everything he wanted to about Audrey that morning. I was sure he thought the matter was closed, but I would not let it go. With Henri part of the faculty now, we were a member down. While each of us was a strong warlock in our own right, there were many benefits to having a full coven. Especially with the coven games approaching. Not to mention if I was right, and she was a healer, it would be of enormous benefit. Healing magic wasn’t exactly rare; most Spring courtiers could heal, and a few attended the school. Most students were members of the Autumn court, who focused on their magic rather than fear. But both of those magics paled when compared to the power of a witch who possessed a natural affinity for healing. The ability I’d seen Audrey display was breath-taking. I’d been sure she would not walk away from the crash she’d had with the building. Bones had stuck out of her skin, and the grass absorbed much of her blood. But the pulse of light which had come from her chest had healed her completely in seconds.

A lot of students discussed her Showing over lunch. The quad was still filled with wildflowers and vines of ivy climbed the bordering buildings. Decades of growth were achieved in seconds, and now the entire area looked like something out of a fairy tale—like a ruin nature was reclaiming. Some students talked about how much more energy they had now, and how much better they felt. I hadn’t felt bad before I went out there this morning, and any extra energy I’d gained was burned off during the chase, so it wasn’t something I could confirm.

Henri sat at the faculty table, deep in conversation with one of the other teachers—a kitchen warlock, I was pretty sure. Though it wasn’t a type of magic I studied, so I couldn’t be certain. Henri must have felt my eyes on him, because he looked over at me and gave me a smile. I was saddened he wasn’t with us to help us with the Audrey issue. He had always been the most socially adept of the four of us, although Caius would argue it wasn’t true. Caius was an asshole, though.

Henri held up a finger, and a second later his voice whispered against my ear. “Why don’t you and the others meet me in my office after your last classes? We have a lot to discuss, I think.”

I didn’t answer him aloud, instead I gave a small nod, and he went back to his conversation. “Henri wants to see us in his office later.”

Soren didn’t even pause his eating at the news, just gave a grunt and kept putting away food at a rate which really should have made him sick. Caius looked over the top of his book at me, eyebrow raised in a question. Although I wasn’t sure why he thought I would have any answers for him.

“He didn’t say why, but it will be good to see him. He’s been so busy with classes. Besides, you’re the one who said we don’t need to fill the coven because Henri’s still at the school. We should talk to him about it.” My words were enough to satisfy Caius, and he went back to reading until it was time for our afternoon classes.

Unlike some covens, Soren, Caius, and I shared very few classes. It was up to the students how they formed their covens. Some were grouped by lineage, others were friends, or there were those with shared talents. We were all very different warlocks, each with unique skills. It had been Caius who had brought us together. Despite his prickly demeanor, he was quite good at giving impassioned speeches. I still remembered the way he’d spoken of each bringing different strengths to the coven to make it greater and more formidable overall.

The only class we were in together was Combat Magic. We all enjoyed it for different reasons, which was why we’d each continued it past the mandatory first year. I looked forward to the chance to work off some of the frustration from the day, and even Caius seemed to be in a better mood once he put his book down. The three of us had been working on adjusting our fighting styles to compensate for being without Henri. For even though we still considered him a part of our coven, as faculty, he wouldn’t be able to take part in the coven games with us. And we had a title to defend.

Caius wove darkness around us as we made our way through the gauntlet. Soren was in the front, axes in both his hands. He could see what was approaching and warn us. I was in the middle and shifted between different forms, depending on what was needed. Paiste would normally be with us, but I hadn’t seen him since this morning. I knew he was still on the school grounds, as he knew better than to go off into the woods on his own. I also knew I wouldn’t see him until I gave him a proper apology.

The class was a good way to work off the tension which had built since Audrey was placed in our apartment. When we fought, we had to concentrate on our surroundings, existing fully in the moment. None of us wanted to be responsible for the others getting hurt. By the end of the class, we were all slick with sweat and sported our share of bruises and nicks. The gauntlet was magically designed to adjust to us—it learned our skills and our weaknesses. It made things more difficult for us each time. And just when we thought we were winning, it would change, and we would have to adapt. It meant we were always learning, without just learning the pattern of the gauntlet. It forced us to think on our feet.

Caius complained we should have taken the time to clean up before we made our way to Henri’s office, but Soren and I outvoted him. I wanted to know what Henri wanted to talk to us about, and Soren enjoyed being dirty almost as much as he enjoyed fighting.

The door to Henri’s office was open when we reached it, and just like the first time I’d seen it, I was surprised at how much it looked exactly like his bedroom had before he moved. Except there was obviously no bed. Even the armchairs looked the same as the ones he’d had before. We’d spent a lot of nights in there, rather than in the living room, looking into the fire as we talked. There had been something comfortable about the space.

“It is good to see you all. I have been trying to get away—but teaching—you understand, I hope.” He gave each of us a hug, kissing our cheeks before we could find a seat. The familiar greeting further loosened the tension which had built in my chest through the day.

Soren stopped at the bar on the way to the seats. He made himself some coffee, then pulled an apple out of thin air. He was always eating, so it wasn’t surprising he would have food stashed in an astral pocket or something similar. Henri poured drinks for the rest of us, tea for himself and me, and coffee for Caius. Once everyone had their drinks and was settled, I took a moment to savor looking at the four of us sitting around the fire. It really was like old times, and like nothing had changed.

Caius spoke first, which wasn’t surprising. “Talk to Delvara for us. She let the new girl set up shop in your room. And no matter how much I insisted we don’t need a new coven-mate she won’t listen to us. She’s always had a soft spot for you, surely there is something you can do about it?”

He really wasn’t wasting any time. Caius wasn’t the sort to make small talk or worry about social niceties when something was on his mind. Luckily, Henri was well used to it and took it in his stride.

“I don’t think there are many people who can convince Tatiana to go against something she has set her mind to. That is more her area than mine, non?” If any of us had a chance of convincing Tati, it was Henri, though I wasn’t sure I wanted him to. Sure, the girl was mad at me now, but she couldn’t hold on to that anger forever. Besides, she was powerful, her Showing told us that much. I also couldn’t help but be curious about what all of it had meant. The crown, the ears—she looked like some sort of Elven queen. If she had been, though, I was sure I would have heard about it occurring. While my lineage wasn’t fae, there were so few elves left that finding a lost one would have been shouted from the rooftops. There would have been a ripple through the fae students at the school we all would have heard about.

Caius wasn’t content with that response and huffed to show his annoyance. “So you’re saying you won’t even try to help? You’re one of us, Henri. You know we don’t need anyone else. We have a perfect balance between the four of us and all she will do is mess everything up. I, for one, have no wish to play babysitter to some lost Scion with no clue who or what she is.”

Henri didn’t look bothered by Caius’s ranting, but he’d always possessed more patience for it than I. Soren ignored it, but he disregarded most things which didn’t directly affect him. Henri set down his teacup and leaned forward, his hands on the arms of the chair.

“You’re looking at it all wrong, mon frère. This is someone you can shape into whatever you need her to be. You saw the same thing I did at the Showing. She has power. Yes, the three of you have power, but you are a member down for both the coven games and your exams. You all know the rules—you pass together, or you fail together. And I do not think you would take failing well, hmm?”

Henri knew exactly which buttons to push with Caius. And I could tell he’d hit the mark by the sour look on my friend’s face as he swallowed a truth he didn’t like one bit. Covens didn’t have to comprise solely of students of the same age, but their exams were tallied together, rather than being assessed separately. Over the years, more than one coven had been held back because of a weak member.

“All the more reason not to take her on. She’s more likely to fail than she is to pass. We are already halfway through the semester and the games are soon. We can’t possibly prepare her in time.” Caius was being deliberately stubborn now, we all knew it, so I let Henri keep working his magic on him. Henri wasn’t an enchanter like Tati, but he might as well be for the power he wielded over Caius.

“I thought you could do anything you put your mind to. If you’re telling me one young woman is too much for you … well, I will be disappointed, but I will understand. I’d been so looking forward to watching you defend our title, but if you don’t think you can do it, so be it.” Henri picked up his teacup and took a sip, as if he’d dismissed the conversation.

Soren watched the two men, his eyes going back and forth. I was curious about what he was thinking, but I knew he wouldn’t share until he was ready. It was the problem with warlocks who specialized in divination. They always kept so many secrets to themselves. It was as if speaking of the possible futures would curse them into not coming true, or maybe the opposite. It wasn’t a skill I possessed, so I did not know.

Caius huffed, and it sounded of surrender. “Fine. She can stay. But you have to help us teach her, I have a heavy course load already. And if she turns out like Lydia, I am going to blame all of you.”

I wrinkled my nose as I remembered the way Lydia tried to worm her way into our coven. I’d been blinded by her blonde hair and pretty looks, but Caius had opened my eyes, and I would not be fooled again.

Now the largest problem facing us was taken care of, I could relax and plan how I was going to get both Paiste and Audrey to forgive me. I wasn’t sure which one was going to prove more difficult.