WitchCraft Academy (The First Book)

(Left: Silas, Right: Ember)

The holiday season has come and gone, and I couldn't be more relieved that it's finally over this year. Don't get me wrong, it was nice to spend Christmas Day with Jackson, Aurora, and Cecelia here at the academy but it's a hard time of year for my family. Juniper also spends every holiday with us since she doesn't have a family. Let me tell you, the whole experience is quite unique.

Our school is located so deep within the mountain and far away from civilization. It's so isolated that our families have to travel to a tiny town in Montana called Ismay. Now, Ismay may be small, but it's not your typical town. It consists of a post office, a church, and a population of about twenty people. Oh, and did I mention that these twenty people are actually a coven of witches? Yeah, it's pretty wild.

To make our journey from Ismay to the school, our families use a magical portal located in the Ismay Church. It's like stepping into a whole new world, especially for those who aren't accustomed to magic. I have to admit, it's pretty cool. It was sad to watch my family step back into the portal to return home though. I wish they could just live here to get away from out father for good.

As I make my way to the staircase leading to the girls' dorm, Axel suddenly appears in front of me, blocking my path. Great, just what I need right now.

"Can I talk to you?" he asks, his voice filled with hesitation.

"You've been avoiding me for weeks, and now you want to talk? What the fuck, Axel?" I reply, my irritation evident in my tone. I'm supposed to meet Silas in a couple of hours, and I'm not in the mood for Axel's drama. Plus, I'm dealing with my period and it's not a pleasant experience.

"I'm sorry. I thought we both needed some time after everything that's happened. And I didn't want people to get suspicious," he whispers, cautious of our surroundings.

"There's nothing for people to be suspicious about because there's nothing going on," I state firmly, avoiding his gaze. I just want this conversation to be over.

"You're a smart one, my Snow Witch," he says, winking at me. I roll my eyes, pretending to be annoyed as I continue up the stairs. Once I'm out of his sight, a small smile creeps onto my lips. I didn't realize how much I missed his playful flirting. But it doesn't matter now, because I've been sneaking off to see Silas almost every other night. We spend our time watching movies and making out under warm blankets, often staying up until the early hours of the morning before he walks me back to the school.

After a quick shower and getting dressed in cozy sweats and snow boots, I'm stopped by Juniper on my way out the door. She looks at me with a knowing expression.

"Where do you keep disappearing to?" She demands, her hands on her hips.

"Um..." I hesitate, unsure of how to respond. "Just to have some alone time, I guess?"

"I don't buy that for a second," she declares, her tone firm. "I'm your best friend, you can tell me anything."

I bite my lip and nervously look down, gathering the courage to share my secret with Juniper. "I'm seeing someone," I finally admit.

"Who? Axel?" Juniper asks, her tone lacking surprise.

"No, definitely not Axel. He's not from the Academy. His name is Silas, and he's an 18th-century warlock from another dimension," I blurt out quickly, relieved to finally share the truth about Silas. I've been keeping him a secret for nearly a month now. Usually, I tell Juniper everything, except for the vision of The Sisters bathing in the blood of newborn babies. I decided to keep that particular vision to myself for obvious reasons.

Juniper bursts into laughter, but her laughter fades when she realizes I'm being serious. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Yep," I say awkwardly.

"What's he like?" She asks, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"He's... hot. No, 'sexy' is a better word. He has a dark sense of humor, kind of like you. He's also really peculiar because he's not accustomed to our world. And he's intense, passionate, and rough..." I trail off, my voice filled with a mixture of emotions.

"Wow, you've got it bad, huh?" She remarks.

"I really like him," I admit, a smile spreading across my face as I think about Silas and the way he makes me feel.

"Like 'lose your virginity to him' kind of like him?" She wiggles her eyebrows and gives me a goofy grin, revealing the slight gap between her teeth.

"I think so, yeah," I reply honestly. "I haven't known him for long, but I can't imagine being with anyone else in that way at this point."

"Can I meet him?" She asks, excitement evident in her voice.

"Sure, although I don't plan on losing my virginity to him while I'm bleeding out my vagina," I joke, grabbing my bag.

"Hey, you never know. You're going to bleed anyway if he pops your cherry, so who would even notice?" She jokes back, grabbing her bag as well.

"June, ew, that's not something I want to think about," I respond, making a sour face. "It's supposed to be romantic. Or at least hot and passionate."

"It's a valid point. And that rarely exists anymore," she defends, following me out of the dorms and towards the secret tunnel. “At least according to my therapist. She says I have unrealistic expectations in love.”

"I can't believe you've been sneaking through the woods alone at night, especially after what happened to Nico," Juniper shudders as we walk through the tunnel, following the floating ball of fire for warmth and light.

"Well, Silas will be there to meet us. He doesn't like it when I walk alone at night," I inform her as we approach the end of the tunnel.

"Ooo, he's protective too," she swoons dramatically. "I've been kind of seeing someone too."

"Who?" I exclaim in disbelief.

"Taylor Lawson," she reveals, catching me completely off guard. Taylor is our age, a pretty little Latina girl, and happens to be pretty close friends with Phoenix, whom I can't stand. I've never really talked to Taylor before though.

We emerge from the tunnel and find Silas patiently waiting for me under the moonlight in his usual spot. His eyes widen in surprise as he spots Juniper by my side.

"Who is this?" He inquires with curiosity, planting a quick kiss on my lips.

"This is my best friend, Juniper. She was dying to meet you, so I let her come along," I explain.

Silas grins and gently takes Juniper's hand, pressing a kiss to it. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, milady," he says in that seductive accent that's a delightful blend of French and Scottish.

Juniper looks at me, sporting a smile and raising her eyebrows. "I don't think I've ever been called 'milady' before. I like you."

Silas wraps his arm around my waist, and we follow him back to the cabin. As we make our way, we suddenly hear a rustling noise coming from the trees.

"Hush," Silas whispers, scanning the surroundings and keeping his arm protectively in front of me.

The three of us fall into silence as a massive mountain lion emerges from the shadows.