A Curse of Magic Read online

  I scoffed in disbelief and turned back to the bathroom. The candlelit room was humid from the running water’s heat. I dropped in the sprigs of lavender and let the water continue to run as the earthy, floral aroma permeated the room, imbuing the steam with its properties of relaxation. I sipped at the warm tea and felt my mind loosen.

  I peeled my sweaty clothes off and stepped gingerly into the hot water with my mug of tea, letting out a deep, heavy sigh as I sunk down into the soothing warmth of the liquid embrace. I rested my head on the tub’s contoured rim, feeling all the day’s stress and tension leak out of my body. I nudged the handle with my toe to turn the water off and closed my eyes, letting the water do its work.

  As I drifted further into a state of deep relaxation, I thought more about the idea of staying here, at the Academy. I would miss Eric and Vicky, of course, but I wouldn’t be seeing all that much of them while we were at different schools anyway. And I could always go home to visit, especially once I acclimated to magical travel. My dad would have to cook for himself more often, but maybe that would be good for him. He might get a little lonely, but I couldn’t limit myself on his account. He wouldn’t want that any more than I did. I tried to think of a reason not to stay, but nothing came to mind.

  Seemed like that was it, then. I was going to be a student at Broken Wand Academy.

  A bizarre chill passed over my body, and the sound of rushing water filled my ears. My body felt light, as if I were floating, and the bathwater felt fizzy.

  What in the world did Leia put in this tea?

  Loud laughter came from all around me, and I snapped my eyes open, dropping my mug into the tub as I scrambled to cover my bare chest. Confusion knotted my stomach, and hot shame prickled up my neck. I was still in the tub, but I was no longer in the quiet, candlelit bathroom of our dorm room. I stared horrified from the still-churning water of my bathtub as the hundreds of students gathered for dinner in the dining hall pointed and cackled at me.

  Chapter 4

  “Oh no.” I stared down at the water to avoid the prying eyes all around me. I couldn’t move. Not only was I paralyzed by fear and humiliation, but I also couldn’t see any way to leave the tub without flashing what seemed to be the entire student body. “Oh no, oh no, oh no.” I couldn’t even cover my ears to shut out the laughter because my arms were busy preventing said flashing.

  This is not happening.

  I wanted to believe that I had fallen asleep in the tub, and this was just some terrible dream, but it felt all too real. I had no doubt that I really was in a tub in the middle of a dining hall, completely naked.

  How could this have happened? I looked in horror at the mug swaying on the bottom of the tub. Had Leia done this, as some kind of witch-hazing? She had seemed so genuine and kind, even if she was a little odd. I didn’t want to believe she could be capable of something like this, but, then again, what other explanation could there be? We had just met, what did she care about me? I didn’t know her. I didn’t know anyone in this place. Maybe witches thought this kind of thing was funny. Sitting in that tub, surrounded by all those laughing, mocking voices, I felt for the first time how very alone I was there.

  I sensed someone drawing near and hoped desperately that it would be a familiar face – Professor Wallace, or the Chancellor. Maybe Chancellor Singh could do that thing with her hand again and take away the burning embarrassment that was coursing through my body, stop the anxious nausea from rising in my stomach. I could feel it already. Vomiting into my own bathwater would be just about the only way this could get any worse.

  “Oh, honey. First time?” I glanced up and found a petite, prim girl with straight brown hair standing over me. A few girls and guys stood on either side of and slightly behind her. The ringleader, then. Her smile and tone were sweet, but her eyes were hard. I knew instantly she would not be a friend.

  “Poor thing.” She smiled at one of her sidekicks before returning her attention to me, her lips pouting in mock-pity. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you to control your powers?”

  I stared at her dumbfounded, all too aware of hundreds of eyes focused on me. There wasn’t much I could do. I considered the prospect of fleeing. Giving everyone a good look at my butt seemed a small price to pay if it took me away from this horror show. But I didn’t want to seem weak. I knew this girl’s type, and if she smelled weakness, it would be that much worse for me. I didn’t know what to do, but I didn’t want to run.

  “Mmm, an orphan, maybe? So sad. Poor little lonely witch.” She turned to the girl on her right again, apparently her second in command. “It’s cute that they try to help the wretched little things. I don’t know why the Academy bothers, though.” She turned her callous gaze back to me, appraising me as if I was up for auction. “They never seem to amount to anything, do they? It’s a terrible waste, really. And dangerous, too.” She turned back to her friend again, speaking as if I wasn’t sitting right there in front of them. “A witch running wild with no control over her powers? It’s unpredictable. Deadly, even. There’s no telling what she’ll do. I mean, it’s really a threat to all of us.” She turned back to me once more. “Of course, they’re most dangerous to themselves.” Her mask of sweetness was completely gone, her expression and tone explicitly vicious and threatening.

  I forgot myself for a moment, my shame and humiliation burned away by anger and resentment. “You sure about that? I’m pretty sure I don’t need any magic to be pretty damn dangerous to you.”

  She opened her mouth and drew her hand to the base of her throat in exaggerated shock. “Oh my.” She feigned fear, taking on a pleading tone. “Please, oh great tub-witch, please don’t send me into a toilet.” Her pleading tone disappeared, her overt bitterness returning. “I assume you can only do bathroom magic?” Her posse snickered along with her.

  “Oh, I don’t need magic to dunk your pretty little head in a toilet. It’s called a swirly – ever heard of it?” I was seething, aching to grab a fistful of her straightened brown hair and wash her stupid, overdone make-up off in the nearest toilet. But my hands were still busy clinging to what little dignity I had left.

  “Tough words, coming from the girl in the bathtub.” She let out a ridiculous cackle that was echoed by all her cronies.

  My anger subsided as I was reminded of my somewhat compromised position. My humiliation returned as I scanned around the crowded room, and I felt my rage-fueled boldness fade. I was shocked and disappointed when I saw that Dash was laughing along with my tormenter and her friends.

  “I’ve got a wonderful idea.” The terrible girl’s face brightened as she brought her raucous laughter under control. “How about we get you out of that tub and get a good look at you?” She flashed a wicked smile at her friends, and then closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  I watched with confusion as she widened her stance and bent her knees. She straightened her arms out to the side and swung them forward, opening her eyes as she clapped her palms together in front of her. She twisted her hands and brought them, still pressed together, back toward her chest, so that her elbows stuck out parallel to the ground. She twisted her hands again and dropped her elbows down to her abdomen, so her hands faced up, one on top of the other. Her face was set in concentration, her eyes narrowed. She wasn’t looking at me, exactly, but her focus was trained in my direction. Her fingers moved in a fluid, deliberate dance, like she was trying to coax something from the air.

  It was a mesmerizing performance, but I didn’t understand what was going on. Was this some sort of dance off? If the school’s top mean girl was trying to goad me from the tub with a dance challenge, this place was weirder than I thought.

  Then I remembered Dash’s finger movements that had produced the bolt of electricity that shot out of his wand and Leia’s gestures that had apparently lit the candles in the bathroom, and I realized with horror that she was performing some kind of magic. I panicked, thinking about the combination of electricity and my current bathtub situation. Wa
s this prissy girl really going to kill me? What kind of school was this?

  The water in the tub began to shimmer, and I realized that it was getting hotter. Much hotter. I peeked from the water to the girl, who was still waggling her fingers. Her face was still set in concentration, but her mouth was contorted in a crazed smile, her eyes wild and glinting with a mad joy.

  I winced as the temperature increased. If it got much hotter, I’d have to get out and expose myself to everyone. Either that, or be boiled alive. I felt a brief, dissociated amusement, in spite of everything, at the idea of an actual witch boiling someone alive. Of course, I was in a tub and not a cauldron, but it was still an absurd cliché.

  My terror returned as the temperature continued to rise. How could everyone else just stand around? I surveyed the crowded room for an ally. There were some cringes of disgust, some embarrassed expressions, but mostly what I saw was amusement. My stomach flipped. It was appalling, everyone watching like my suffering was just a big show. The Broken Wand Academy suddenly seemed to be a very cruel place, and I wanted nothing more than to leave and never come back.

  I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth against the pain, determined not to give in. I would hold out as long as humanly possible. I wouldn’t give this awful girl the satisfaction, not if I could help it.

  I sensed a rush of movement nearby, and a harsh male voice called out.

  “That’s enough, Serenity! Cut it out!”

  The water’s temperature continued to rise, rapidly approaching the threshold beyond which I would be able to withstand. I squeezed my eyes shut even harder and clenched every muscle in my body against the pain.

  “I said that’s enough!” the voice called out again, louder and more demanding. This time the command was accompanied by a swooshing sound followed shortly by a high-pitched whimper.

  The water temperature abruptly returned to normal, and I opened my eyes as the pain subsided. A thick fog hung in the air all around me, completely obscuring the dining hall and all the students from view. I squinted into the cloud, but I couldn’t make out any details.

  “Ah!” I let out a pathetic yelp as a figure emerged in front of me.

  He was fairly tall, with wide shoulders and short, tousled, light-brown hair. He had a prominent jawline that was covered by a short, sandy-colored beard. He pulled his white, long sleeve shirt over his head, revealing a hairy, well-muscled chest. I hoped that my blush was indistinguishable from the redness caused by the water’s intense heat.

  “Here, take it.” He held his shirt out to me and averted his gaze.

  I stared at him, frozen in shock. “What did you just do?”

  “What, you want a step-by-step breakdown or something? Come on, hurry up. Before our cover disappears.” His tone was harsh and impatient, and it quickly shattered any knight-in-shining-armor delusions I may have been harboring.

  “Fine.” I grabbed the shirt hesitantly, still covering my chest with my other arm. He appeared to be looking the other way, but I didn’t trust him not to try and sneak a peek when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. “Thanks.”

  He grunted in response as I twisted away from him and slipped the shirt over my head. I slowly rose from the water, pulling the shirt down over my butt as I stood. Luckily, it was long enough to cover everything. I was surprised and relieved to find that his head was still turned the other way. At least he seemed to have some sense of morality.

  “Okay, you can look now.”

  “Wonderful.” His tone was sarcastic, and he turned back to me with a scowl on his face.

  “Geez, you’re a grumpy one, aren’t you?” I cocked my head and raised my eyebrows at him. “I bet the ladies just swoon over your angsty, misunderstood-rebel vibe, don’t they?”

  He scoffed and narrowed his eyes. “Whatever. You’re on your own. Good luck.” He turned to leave.

  “Wow, fine.” I rolled my eyes. “Hey, don’t you want your shirt back?”

  “Keep it. Something to remember me by.” He smirked back over his shoulder as he disappeared into the cloud of steam.

  “Ooh, lucky me.” I rolled my eyes again, muttering quietly to myself. “Thanks, jerk.”

  I turned in a circle, trying to remember where the doors had been. I hadn’t gotten a good look at the room’s layout before the mysterious fog rolled in, what with being mortified and tortured and all. I thought I remembered having seen them behind me when I was in the tub, so I headed in that direction. I moved cautiously, not wanting to bump into anyone. In fact, I never wanted to see anyone from this academy ever again. Panicked voices called out in the fog, mixing with laughter and giddy shrieks. This place was nuts.

  I eventually found my way to a wall and felt along it, until I bumped into something and it grunted.

  “Ow.” A guy about my own height stood in front of me. He had a boyish face, devoid of any hint of a beard. His brown hair swept down over his ears and away from his head in a flourish, and he had soft, nervous eyes.

  “Ooh, sorry.” I smiled in apology.

  “No worries.” Recognition bloomed across his face. “Hey! You’re the girl from the tub.”

  I groaned. “Listen, I’ve had an incredibly long day, so don’t start with me.”

  He held up his hands in innocence. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m guessing you want to get out of here, right?”

  “Uh, yeah.” My eyes narrowed in suspicion.

  He grinned. “I figured. Follow me.”

  He stepped past me and led me along the wall back the way I had come. We eventually came to a set of large wooden doors. He held one open for me and followed me outside.

  The crisp, clear air was refreshing after the clammy closeness of the foggy dining hall, and I inhaled a deep, invigorating breath. I was suddenly very aware of my lack of pants, however, as a cool breeze rustled my oversized shirt. The quad lay before me, the sun making its hazy descent toward the horizon.

  “There you are!” Leia ran toward me from the direction of our building. She came to a halt in front of us, breathing heavily with her hands on her knees. She looked up at me through worried eyes and held a towel out toward me. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve been here sooner. It took me a while to notice you were gone, and then I had to dowse for your location. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, no thanks to you. What did you do?” I fixed her with a hard glare as I snatched the towel and wrapped it around my waist. “Did you do this on purpose?”

  “What?” Her eyes were wide. “You think I did this?”

  I raised my eyebrows and shrugged my shoulders sharply in accusation.

  She chuckled. “Oh, no. No, no, no. That was all you, lady.” She gave me an earnest, proud smile. “It was an awakening. A brilliant, beautiful, space-rendering awakening. You got some serious magic, girl.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Serious magic.”

  Chapter 5

  “So somehow I end up taking a bath in the middle of the dining hall, right after drinking some of your crazy-witch-tea, and you expect me to believe it was just a coincidence?” I scowled at Leia. I didn’t want to believe that she’d been responsible, but I couldn’t see any other explanation.

  “Of course not.” Her tone was calm and patient. “Like I said, the tea was meant to clear the way some, so you could unlock your latent magical potential. But it didn’t because whatever happened with the tub. You did that.”

  “It was really amazing, actually.” The boy who had led me from the foggy dining hall spoke softly, casting a furtive glance in my direction. I had forgotten he was even there. “Awakenings like that don’t happen to most people. It’s usually more subtle.”

  I turned my frustration on him, and he withered under my intense gaze. “And who are you, exactly?”

  Leia stepped toward him and put a hand on his shoulder. “This is Oliver. He’s a friend.” She waved a hand toward me in introduction. “Oliver, meet Meena Song, my roommate.”

  “Oh, wow.” His eyes lit up as he
extended his hand toward me. “So nice to meet you. You guys are roommates? That’s so cool. What a coincidence.”

  “Yeah, great.” I shook his hand reluctantly before turning back to Leia. “Hey, can we get back to the room before everyone comes stampeding from the dining hall? I’m still feeling pretty exposed here.” I tugged at the baggy shirt and towel covering me. Not my best look.

  “Yeah, yeah, of course.” Leia jerked her head in the direction she had come running from and I followed her toward our building.

  “Should I come?” Oliver called out from behind us.

  Leia and I stopped and turned around. “No,” I answered, at the same time that Leia said, “Of course.”

  I scowled at her as Oliver glanced back and forth between us like a confused puppy, unsure of who to obey.

  Leia looked at me pleadingly, and I rolled my eyes. “Fine, come on. Just hurry up.”

  Oliver scurried after us, and we beat a hasty, silent retreat back to Leia’s and my dorm.

  After she closed the door behind us, Leia wrapped me in another tight hug. At least this time she had on pants and an actual shirt, even If I didn’t. “I’m so happy you decided to stay. We’re going to have so much fun together. And don’t worry, this whole tub thing will blow over soon.”

  “What?” I pulled from the embrace and glared at her. “Are you nuts? I can’t stay here. Not after this.” I paced, throwing up my hands in frustration. “This place is insane! Everyone just laughing while that evil witch tried to boil me alive. It was like something out of a horrible fairy tale.”

  Leia quirked her brow at Oliver.

  He gave a slight nod of confirmation and sighed as he sat on the couch. “Serenity.”

  Leia rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue in disgust as she turned back to me. “You cannot judge the whole of witchkind based on her. Witches may not have the best reputations, but I promise you, she is exceptionally merciless, even by our standards.” She waved her hand dismissively. “If you’ve already had a run-in with her, you’ve seen the worst this place has to offer.”