Resting Witch Face (Not Your Basic Witch Book 2) Read online

  The guys tensed, but Allain looked more annoyed than curious. Same, dude, same. Olive took a deep breath before tugging the cork out and tossing it to Xan. After the count of three, she took it like a shot, gagging at the taste.

  “Did you tell anyone what you saw at the party?” Caspian asked, but Kye cut him off.

  “No, be specific. Did you tell anyone about Aris having powers beyond simple Mixta magic?” His eyes cut from Caspian to Olive, who stood there with a confident smile.

  “Nope.” Everyone turned to Allain at her words, but he just shrugged, clearly confused.

  “I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” he said. “Now, are you done?”

  “No,” Drayce said, sitting forward, so his elbows rested on his knees. “Have you explained about Aris accidentally using her magic at the party by writing it down?”

  “No, I haven’t written, told, or even used any form of mental communication to tell anyone how Aris used magic she shouldn’t have at the party.”

  “Has Headmaster Tallis ever contacted you about Aris?” Xan asked.

  “No, he has not,” she said, her eyebrows pulling in confusion.

  “Has anyone asked you questions about Aris?” Drayce asked. She laughed then, a look of satisfaction on her face.

  “Yes,” she started with a dark chuckle. My heart clenched for a moment, afraid of the betrayal that might be coming my way. “Esmerelda did. She promised me a spot in her group if I spilled details on Aris. I told her that she could take her friends and go eat poisonous toadstools.”

  “Nice,” Caspian cheered, grinning and standing to give her a high five.

  “I have never told anyone or showed anyone what I saw. Aris is my friend, and I wouldn’t do that. She’s one of the few genuine witches I’ve met. I wouldn’t hurt her like that,” she said firmly. I hurled myself out of my seat and tackled her in a hug, tears of happiness falling freely. I had spent nearly all my life alone and unwanted, and now I was surrounded by the men who loved me and a new friend who accepted me exactly the way I was.

  I’m a lucky witch.

  Despite everything with Olive going precisely how I pictured, I couldn’t sleep. I knew in my gut, she wouldn’t have been the one who gave away any information about me to Tallis or anyone else, but the whole situation still had me on edge. My body and mind wouldn’t relax, running around in circles regarding what the guys and I had talked about.

  Imprisonment. Being used.

  Would it be too much to say I wish I was still just a Mixta who didn’t attract attention?

  “Mergh,” Drayce grumbled in his sleep, readjusting on the bed next to me. Still, sleep wouldn’t come, so I spent even more time trying to do anything to fall asleep, even counting bats. I slowly grew more and more on edge until finally, it felt as though my skin was crawling, and my breathing grew into sharp pants.

  Climbing out of bed, I slid on my slippers and grabbed the lantern. The cool air of the staircase and main building halls cooled my sweat-sheened face, helping settle the panicky sensation that rattled through me. Realizing I had left with no plan in mind, I stood invisible in the hall for a few moments. It was only when my stomach growled, I realized I had barely eaten the last few days and started toward the administration building, growing hopeful a sugary sweet treat would help settle the last bit of my anxiety.

  As I walked across the courtyard, I was finally able to take a deep breath for the first time in almost two weeks. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate what the guys were doing for me, willing to help keep me safe, but I hadn’t realized how smothered I had felt with no alone time. Hey, a witch has got needs, including singing ridiculously loud and dancing around the room when no one is around. But with this lantern, I was able to move about without too much worry of prying eyes, and it was a relief. Part of me worried how they’d react, but the rest of me just wanted to be alone and independent.

  The scent of the treats and baked goodies in the snack pantry made my stomach growl once more, my hunger finally returning in full force, and I practically skipped over to the shelves to peruse the food. Grabbing a couple of different items, I piled them in front of me on the counter. Right when I was about to leave, I spotted it—a bag of Hex Mix on the top shelf.

  Oh, yummy. Stretching up, I tried to grab it, but it was just barely out of reach. Huffing, I pushed up with my other hand, giving my reach just a tiny bit more, and finally, I felt the bag brush against the tips of my fingers.

  “Miss Calisto,” I heard murmured behind me. I froze, my breath catching when I realized the lantern had shifted out of my fingertips when I reached up. Holy hellsticks, I’m visible! Glancing over my shoulder, I came face to face with the one person I had been hiding from.

  Headmaster Tallis.

  “Let me,” he offered with a slimy grin. Waving his fingers slightly, he muttered an incantation, and the bag I had been reaching for fell into my pile of snacks. Glancing down at the pile, I realized with relief, the lantern had been concealed from view by the rest of my snacks. My relief was short-lived as he stepped closer.

  I couldn’t make my legs move, frozen in place as he stopped next to me, his burnt-orange tie brushing against my arm. Thoughts of what I could do right now flared in my mind, several of them trying to get him away from me, but the oppressive fear that iced my veins kept me from doing anything.

  “Don’t forget about our meeting on Monday, darling,” he whispered, and a whimper nearly escaped as his hand brushed down my back. Dipping my head, I mentally pleaded he’d take that as an ‘I understand’ and leave.

  Thank the Gods and Goddesses for listening because he turned without another word, snatching a packet of something from a different shelf before leaving. As soon as the door was closed, it was as if my body finally responded. My legs gave out, collapsing to the floor in a choked sob, the freedom and relief I had from my walk to the snack pantry gone in a flood of red-hot rage, disgust, and finally, blood-curdling fear.

  My hunger was forgotten, and I left the snacks on the counter where I had piled them. Shaking myself, I steeled my spine, grabbing the lantern, and running back to the safety of my room.

  “What…? What’s wrong?” Drayce murmured, shifting to his elbows when I slammed the door closed behind me. I opened my mouth a few times, but nothing would come out.

  “I fucked up,” I whispered, my throat closing as I finally explained what had happened in a rush of words. As I finished, Drayce sat up, now completely alert, before crawling off the bed and wrapping me in his arms.

  “Shh, it’s okay. Let’s send some airplanes to get the guys. We can talk it out,” he reassured softly, kissing my temple as I clung to his soft sleep shirt. Nodding, I stepped back just far enough, he could lean over my desk and jot down the notes, sending them off one by one.

  It didn’t take long for the guys to come bursting into my room in their various nightwear of sweats, shorts, or plaid pants. They looked wide awake, but the dark circles under their eyes had guilt building in my chest and a burn of an embarrassed flush coating my cheeks.

  “What happened?” Tor questioned as soon as he finished soundproofing the door. I stuttered and stumbled through my explanation, looking anywhere, but their hardening gazes.

  “You went out alone? After everything?” Kye emphasized slowly as if he couldn’t believe what I was saying. I nodded sullenly, hating the looks of disbelief and anger in their eyes. Torryn sighed, his hand coming to rub his eyes while his brother’s jaw hung open. Xan stood quietly, stoic as he waited to see what we would do next. Drayce was the only one who wasn’t visibly upset.

  “I needed some time by myself,” I countered. “I had the lantern, and everything was fine—”

  “Everything was not fine! Tallis was alone with you!” Kye and Caspian shouted similar sentiments at the same time, setting me more on edge. It was then I finally hit my breaking point, everything from the last two weeks flowing forward like it had when the Curse Crew cornered me.

&nbs
p; “Stop it!” I screamed, my hands curling into fists as tears streamed down my face. “I get it, okay? I fucked up, but I’m so damn tired of never getting two fucking seconds to myself! I went from being invisible to constantly surrounded by people. I love you guys, and I get what you’re doing. Hellsticks, I appreciate it so much, but I’m being smothered over here. I can’t even move two steps without one of you constantly questioning where I’m going or who I’m with. Hellsticks, I can’t even have friends without you using truth serum on them. I can’t keep doing this! I love and appreciate you guys, but you’re smothering me, and it’s driving me batty!”

  No one talked after my breakdown, Drayce’s hand rubbing my back in soothing circles before finally murmuring into the quiet room. “Have you been feeling like that for a while?”

  “Yes.” My answer was barely audible. “I didn’t want to seem ungrateful because I know we’re in a wicca’d situation, and I know you guys are trying to take care of me, but it seems like what I want isn’t a factor in anything.”

  “How can we know what you want when you don’t tell us?” Caspian muttered, his ocean eyes wide, hurt blatant in their blue depths. Sighing, I deflated.

  “We haven’t exactly been the most open to listening, though,” Xan said, glancing between the guys. “She’s right, she’s told us several times she didn’t like us being so overbearing, and we didn’t really talk about it, just continued because we thought it was safer.”

  “I didn’t exactly say anything very often or bring it up when it got to be too much, either,” I admitted quietly. The fault isn’t just one of ours, it’s all of us needing to talk and listen more.

  “Yeah, I think we all need to work on the communication bit.” Torryn chuckled, the sound tired and worn. “We’ll figure out what to do about Tallis, but tomorrow or Sunday, we need to get off campus and get some fresh air. We’ve all been cramped up here in the school, which certainly hasn’t helped when it feels like we’re all being constantly watched.”

  “I’m sorry,” Kye muttered, looking at his bare feet. “For yelling. I just… I can’t stand to see anything happen to you.” His dejected tone hurt my heart, all of their sad expressions, making me feel bad for not having brought it up sooner, but it didn't change how I felt.

  “I understand, and I’m sorry I didn’t talk about how I felt sooner. It’s hard to remember there are people who actually care. So, it seems like we have some relationship bumps to work out.” I giggled, a weight lifting from my shoulders as everyone grinned. “At least no one’s powers decided to go rogue, so that’s a plus.”

  At my laughter, the tension drained from the room, everyone converging into a group hug. Yeah, we might have some toads jumping out of the cauldron, but they were my witches, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

  November 17th

  Sunday Early Afternoon

  Aris

  “Come on, Muse,” Xan said, tugging me along the path until I was beside him. I couldn’t help but laugh as he wrapped my arm in his like a true gentleman.

  “Are we going to the market?” I asked excitedly, bouncing a bit as I walked. They were leading me toward the road to Crystal Borough, and I was already planning everything in my head. “I want to go to my favorite shop! Oh! And buy some lunch while we’re there! And sweets! Oh!! And I want to get my own Witches Glass! Then you all won’t have to bring yours every time!” I rambled on excitedly, not even realizing I was now dragging Xan along. I blushed and made myself calm down, mumbling an apology.

  “How is it possible for one witch to be so adorable?” Caspian teased, taking my other arm.

  “You tell me, Sprinkles,” Drayce coaxed, throwing an arm around us both. Kye groaned playfully behind us but walked up to stand next to us so we could all see each other. I got the familiar pang of sadness, not having Torryn with us, but I tried to brush it off.

  “He wishes he were here too,” Xan whispered in my ear. “Soon, Muse.”

  “Thanks, Xan.” I smiled, letting myself enjoy our outing. The walk stayed quiet, but once we entered Crystal Borough and made it to the market, my excitement bubbled up once more, and this time, I did nothing to push it back down. I let go of my escorts and hurried ahead, browsing the stalls and finding myself relaxing and smiling more than I had in a long time.

  “What do you think?” Kye asked as he stepped next to me, taking a wide-brimmed witch hat from the display and plopping it on his head. His scowl was in place, but it twitched as he fought to keep from laughing as I lost it, cracking up at the juxtaposition of the over-the-top hat and his scowl. He grinned, taking it off and popping it on my head before leaning down and capturing my lips that were still turned up in a grin.

  “There she is.”

  “What do you want to do while we’re here?” I asked, kissing him one more time before studying his eyes, loving how relaxed he looked.

  “See you smile. And maybe get some of that homemade Hex Mix,” he smirked, pointing out a stall and laughing at my jaw dropping.

  “That’s a thing?!”

  “Yeah, and they have different kinds. It’s not just the sweet honey one we like,” he said, intertwining our fingers and pulling me over to the stand in question. The display had over ten different options, a group of older witches using cast iron cauldrons to cook and season each one.

  “Which one do you want?” I asked, hoping he had some kind of insight.

  “I’ve tried the chocolate and peanut butter. It’s amazing. I’ve also tried the spiced cider one, and it’s like autumn in your mouth,” he said, pointing them out.

  “Oh my god, spicy Hex Mix? I haven’t had that since I was a kid!” Drayce groaned, already grabbing his stomach.

  “Coffee flavor!” Caspian gasped, pointing out the coffee mocha swirl.

  “Oh, man, I want to try that sweet and salty one,” Xan sighed.

  “Look, Sprinkles, this one has sprinkles!” Drayce pointed out, laughing at Caspian’s playful glare. The birthday cake Hex Mix did look delicious.

  “Clearly, we should have eaten first.” I snorted, turning to the witch manning the register. “Can I get a small of each flavor?”

  “All of them? Even the prank mix?” she clarified, pulling out a long box. It had different compartments for different flavors, a small amount of the Hex Mix in each spot with outlandish ones like spiced batwing, eye of toad, and dragon scales. I wasn’t sure what any of those tasted like, but I doubted they were delicious.

  “Maybe pass on that one?” Xan asked, looking a little green.

  “What?! Where is your sense of adventure?” Drayce asked, looking way too excited about the nasty flavors.

  “Alright, throw it in for this weirdo,” I laughed, waiting while she collected our bags and took the payment. The guys reached around me to grab the bags, making her smile and wink at me. A smile lit up my face, loving how sweet they could be.

  “Where to next?” Xan asked as we walked through the picnic tables set up in the middle.

  “Food,” Kye and I said together, grinning at each other and claiming one of the empty tables.

  “You bought snacks for later, so that means lunch is on me, Cupcake,” Caspian said, pulling me away from the group and pointing out a few things that sounded good.

  “Oh, look! It’s a pick your own soup stall! I want that!” I said, moving us closer to Spells and Soups, so I could read the menu. My stomach rumbled loudly as we stepped into line, the witch in front of us looking aghast that my body dared make noises in public. I just smiled and waved, but she turned around with a huff. Caspian was shaking with laughter, making me join in.

  “Such a rude witch, how dare you be hungry?” he whispered, full of faux haughtiness, earning us another glare.

  Not wanting to cause more of a scene, I scanned the menu board hanging overhead, listing the bases and ingredients. There were so many, I was already dreading picking something out.

  “You go first,” I whined to Caspian. He laughed and picked out a chili ba
se, adding in the ‘temporary spark’ potion option, then picked out a few toppings. It was getting chillier outside, so I chose the stew, adding in a warming potion and a roll on the side. They asked way too many questions about ingredients, which explained why the line moved so slow, but when they handed over two small, steaming cauldrons, I had no regrets. When we joined the others, the table was piled high with food. We fell into a comfortable silence as we ate, laughing when Caspian’s hands started sparking until he burped, and a small burst of sparks almost lit Xan’s hair on fire.

  “Oh, my broomsticks! Sorry, Xan!” he yelped, pushing his food away with wide eyes while everyone else fell into laughter, even Xan. It was one of those moments that warmed my heart, and not just from the potion moving through me. It was the relaxed playfulness and happy smiles on everyone’s faces. These moments made me realize we could make this work.

  “Uh oh, Sweets is getting sappy,” Kye teased, offering me some kind of spiced meat on a stick. I took it and rolled my eyes.

  “I can’t help it that I love you and find you all so adorable,” I pouted, taking a bite and moaning at the burst of sweet and savory spices that exploded on my tongue. “This is so good.”

  “You can’t do that to us in public, Angel,” Drayce said, squirming in his seat. I giggled, loving that something so simple got to them.

  “I’m assuming the same shop as always next?” Xan asked, trying to change the conversation. It worked.

  “Definitely! Gertie’s Trinkets always has something from Aureus, and you know I’m a sucker for human gadgets!” I whispered excitedly. I waited not so patiently while the guys finished up, looking longingly at the road that led to Gertie’s shop.

  “We’re going to go ahead of you guys,” Drayce laughed, standing and holding his hand out for me. I took it and squealed, giving him a quick hug before pulling him with me.

  Yes! This is what a witch needed—shopping and yummy snacks!