A Class of Conjuring Read online

  “Thank you,” I said and ran my hand along his cheek, his face turning red, his lips turning into a smile.

  Over by the door, Kyler began clapping. “Well done, Oliver,” he said. “Our brainiac is becoming a man.”

  Oliver kissed me again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Cassandra

  “Thank you,” I said and returned Oliver’s kisses. “I really enjoyed that.” I waited a second to see if he would do it again, feeling both his and Kyler’s anticipation. I glanced at Kyler, and he rolled his eyes. He wanted to stay and watch the fun. I shook my head.

  “I’ll wait outside,” Kyler said and left before Oliver could stop him, though I was certain Kyler would have his ear pinned against the door to listen. For a moment I wondered how Kyler felt about being the lone guy of the four yet to kiss me. He didn’t seemed bothered in the least, and I hoped it would remain that way. But this also made the mysterious Kyler even more interesting. I wondered if I were saving the best for last.

  “I want to,” Oliver said shyly. “I really do. Lord knows I’ve dreamed about it ever since you stepped foot on campus. And you wouldn’t believe some of the dreams.” He caught my gaze. “Dreams about you I’m embarrassed to admit to.”

  “Actually, I would believe your dreams,” I said and sensed his relief. "I've had dreams about you guys. And believe me, mine are probably a lot more graphic than yours.” It was my turn to blush.

  “About me by myself too?” he asked, surprised but pleased. “I didn’t think girls thought of me like that.”

  I shrugged. “I do. I have ever since I got here,” I said and put my hand on his arm. “I think we’re supposed to be together in that way.”

  “Yeah.” He glanced around the room and chuckled. “I know this isn’t the place to do anything. Aurelius wouldn’t approve. Plus, it’s not very romantic. We could maybe go to dinner in one of the villages and then see a movie.”

  I giggled and moved back his hair again. “It’s not the right place. We’ll know when it’s time.”

  “I need a haircut,” he said nervously. “Sorry, I’m a little nervous.”

  “It’s okay, Oliver,” I said. “You just need to loosen up a little. Maybe a little less time on your computer and a little more time with me.” I looked away to make him feel better, hoping to take some of the pressure off what was probably his most awkward moment in life. “You know, your intelligence is a very nice quality to have. The other guys aren’t smart like you.”

  His eyes grew wide, and he nodded emphatically. “I agree one-hundred-percent,” he said, and we both laughed.

  I couldn’t help but have the same longing to do exactly what he wanted to do. But getting it on, on top of Aurelius’ desk seemed like the wrong thing to do. We could have used the floor, but the way things were going at the moment a crisis could occur at any moment. I didn’t think either of us wanted to be in the throes of passion and then have to stop or have Kyler and Aurelius walk in. That was something I wasn’t sure Oliver could ever recover from. We still needed to find Dash and Braeden. Having sex with Oliver while we were trying to figure out where they were was just wrong. We both owed them our undivided attention.

  “You and I want the same thing,” I said and touched his face. “We both know the time will come. It’ll be more private, and we won’t have Kyler listening at the door.” Oliver laughed and his entire body relaxed. “But I think we have time for one more kiss.”

  Oliver tried to kiss me again but stopped when Kyler and Aurelius entered the office. He laid the computer over his bulge, but it balanced unevenly. He glanced up at me, and I winked.

  “Slow down, lover boy,” Kyler said. “We’ve got work to do.”

  Aurelius rolled his eyes and made his way to his desk. He sat and rested his arms atop the desk. “What’s your computer thing telling you now?” he asked Oliver. “Are they any closer?”

  Oliver shook his head. “I think they’re stationary now.” He pointed at the screen. “There hasn’t been much movement at all. But at least we still see their glow.” He looked up grimly. None of us wanted to even consider the alternative.

  “You’re not going to beat Challis with one of those things,” Aurelius said. “It’s going to take guts and determination.” We all glanced at each other. Aurelius was about to give us a pep talk. “Remember to concentrate. It’s not all about the element. It’s about the concentration.” He stood. “Challis will be looking for any kink in your armor. She’ll study your mannerisms during battle. She’ll seek out your weaknesses!”

  The computer chimed, and Oliver grabbed the small device. “They’re moving,” he said and pointed at the screen. “Slowly, but they are.”

  Aurelius and Kyler joined us, and the four of us watched the screen, though I let my attention waft to Oliver for a moment. The kiss had been clunky but incredibly kind. I imagined sex with him would be the same way. I didn’t necessarily like Kyler making fun of him, but I figured that was what kept them friends. Given the opportunity, I was sure Oliver would do the same to Kyler. I missed Dash and Braeden. I missed Dash’s tough guy act and Braeden's protective concern. I also missed what they were able to do in bed. If I closed my eyes and let my imagination run, I could feel Braeden’s tongue lapping between my legs. It made me wet just thinking about those two guys.

  “So all I have to do is follow these two glows?” I asked and pointed at the screen. As soon as Oliver nodded, I slipped the screen from his hands.

  “Hey, wait, what’re you doing?” He tried to grab the screen back, but I jerked it away.

  I looked at everyone in the room. “I’m going after them.” I took a step back and glanced at the door. Kyler crossed his arms and smiled.

  “It’s not happening,” he said.

  “I’ll turn you into a frog.”

  “Funny, but you’re not leaving here alone,” he said.

  “You guys are being difficult. I’m leaving.”

  “Not alone you’re not,” Oliver said. He stood, his bulge gone, and his face became stern.

  Kyler put his hand on my arm. “You’re not going anywhere alone, Cassandra,” he said and nodded at Oliver. “Give him back the computer.” Aurelius nodded in agreement with Kyler. He noticed my hesitation. “I’m serious. You’re not going out there alone. Besides it being a dumb idea, Dash and Braeden would kill us if you showed up alone.” He motioned at Oliver. “We’re not dying because you like solo.”

  “You’re right,” I said. I handed the computer back to Oliver, and for a moment I thought he might come back at me with his lips. I smiled at the thought, and he turned away. “Time’s wasting, guys.”

  We started toward the door, and Aurelius stopped us with his gruff voice. “Though I wish I could go and help, I’m afraid my ass is too old to tussle with a bunch of young folks,” he said. “He reached into his robe pocket. “I do have some help for each of you.” He opened his hand. Five rings rested in his palm. “The rings will prevent anyone from stealing your powers.” We each took a ring and slid them on. He handed me the two extra rings. “Those are for Braeden and Dash. They’ll need those as soon as possible. The sooner the better. The rings will also assist in getting their powers back.”

  “I’ll make sure they get them,” I said. “I’m glad you’ve been around to help us. We couldn’t do this without your help.”

  “We’ll make sure,” Kyler added. He raised his eyebrows at me and then winked. I admired him for waiting back while Braeden and Dash made their moves. I liked his patience. I imagined it would be the same way in bed. Ruby had been right. I did have the option of all four men. The anticipation was killing me.

  “Cassandra,” Oliver said, bringing me back to reality. He studied the computer screen.

  “Sorry, let’s go,” I said, and we started toward the door before Aurelius called us back again.

  “You love drama,” Kyler said to Aurelius. I could tell the two had really become close as mentor and student. “You should go into
acting. Be a big movie star.”

  Aurelius laughed. “True that,” he said. “I’d do better than that sponge and starfish.” He reached into his other robe pocket and pulled out a white wand. “It was forged from the horn of a magical unicorn,” he said and handed me the wand. It had no weight. “As long as you have the white wand your magical powers will have a boost sure to challenge Challis.” He placed his hand over his heart and raised his other hand. “Bring her head back and show Headmaster Eliphas that you, Cassandra Clarke, are the greatest witch of all!”

  “Wow,” Kyler said.

  “Thank you, Aurelius,” I said.

  “I’ve rounded up another dozen students who are willing to go and fight by your side,” Aurelius said, but I shook my head.

  “We have to do this on our own,” I replied and looked at Kyler and Oliver. They agreed. I kissed Aurelius on the cheek and hugged him, not knowing if we would ever see him again.

  We left Aurelius' office and snuck from campus, the three of us taking one look back before heading into the forest toward the two glowing dots on Oliver’s computer. I also looked at the stronger glowing dot next to them. Challis. She knew I would come.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Cassandra

  I didn’t think any of us were surprised when the road ended and the castle began. It wasn’t like Challis would have lived in a single-story home with three bedrooms, one and a half baths, and a small backyard with a dog name Fluffy. A castle made perfect sense. If one of the other guys had been with me, we may have looked like the start of The Wizard of OZ.

  The castle stood at least four stories tall and sat toward the back of the property within the walls. The large square blocks that made up the castle walls were old, dirty, and some were home to wild plants and moss. The windows in the two front turrets were empty. There were no guest houses or stables outside the castle. A thin white mist wafted through the trees and pressed against the castle walls. Add the dark, looming clouds and the night sky and we were in the middle of a gothic novel. It seemed a lonely existence to live in such a place by yourself. Maybe that was why Challis wanted Dash and Braeden to herself.

  “Should we knock?” Kyler asked and chuckled. He didn’t seem one bit worried. In fact, all he talked about on the way was battling Challis and sending her back to whatever rock she crawled out from under. None of us were surprised to hear the stories about him and Dash, and eventually him and Dash and Oliver.

  Kyler said the first time Dash saved his life was while they were ridding New York of the Sarchi. Kyler had taken a wrong turn and ended up in the subway where the Sarchi were spawning. Kyler managed to hold them off for nearly thirty-minutes but then things got tiresome. Forty of the creatures surrounded him, and he could barely raise his arms. When they charged, Dash came out of nowhere and destroyed the entire lot. He helped Kyler walk out of the subway and promised he would never let him die on his watch. According to Kyler, that day sealed their friendship. Time for Kyler to repay the favor if he hadn’t already.

  Oliver tugged on the gates, and neither budged. “We can climb over,” he said. I really couldn’t imagine him doing that as he was nowhere near in the shape of Dash, Braeden, or Kyler. He wasn’t overweight or flabby, but his muscles were smaller, and the climb just didn’t look possible for him. I also didn’t want Kyler laughing at him for trying.

  “Or we can use magic and force them open,” Kyler said. “Do I always have to be the brains of this outfit?” Oliver gave him the evil eye, and Kyler elbowed him in the ribs. They seemed to know Braeden and Dash well enough to have confidence they were still safe. Though I knew them both in ways neither Kyler nor Oliver did, I still worried. But maybe worrying was part of the connection. Things would not always be kisses and orgasms. I was sure, at some point, one or all four would eventually disappoint me and themselves. Our relationship had to grow strong enough to avoid problems from tearing us apart.

  “I’m game,” I said, referring to the use of magic to get in. “Stand back.”

  The two guys looked at each other in horror. “Are you sure?” Kyler asked. “I mean, we can try something if you want?”

  “Let her be,” Oliver said. “She knows what she’s doing.”

  “Thank you, Oliver.” I kissed him on the cheek and was sure he’d be full of compliments from that point forward. I rolled my hands together and created a small fireball in my left hand. It was a little smaller than a ping pong ball but not quite as small as the sphere Headmaster Eliphas helped me create in class. I approached the gate and shoved the ball into the lock. The lock glowed and then, right before our eyes it melted, the fireball cooled, and the gate’s lock fell to the ground. I’d done something right. “Work smarter, not harder,” I said with a huge smile. They looked at one another and shrugged. I pushed the gates open and felt my entire body tense. “They’re here,” I said. “I can feel their power.”

  “So can I,” Kyler said. “It’s even stronger than it was at the academy.”

  Oliver nodded. “It’s because they’re in trouble.”

  I held up my hand and showed them the ring glowing on my finger, the glow pulsing like a heartbeat. “It’s amazing,” I said. “The connection the five of us have.”

  “It’ll always be there,” Oliver said, and I thought he was about to get sentimental again. Luckily, he didn’t. We didn’t have time to rehash our feelings.

  “Cassandra, what’s wrong?” Kyler asked. He moved closer and then backed away.

  I raised my hands and showed them the red glow. I turned them palms up and then down. I’d never had such a feeling with my magic. “It’s all back,” I said. “All of my power.” I started to toss a fireball across the ground, but then thought better of it. Playtime was over. The only way to defeat Challis was for me to be at full strength.

  “The rings,” Oliver said. “That’s why Aurelius sent them.”

  “Where did he really go when he left us in his office?” I asked Kyler. “He didn’t just walk down to the Walmart and pick up magical rings.”

  Kyler looked at me as if I were crazy. He shrugged. “How am I supposed to know? He just showed up with a smile on his face. I thought maybe he got laid.”

  We laughed because we needed a good laugh to get us through the gates and whatever awaited us inside. “When this is over, Aurelius owes us answers.” I said. “None of what he’s been doing for us has just been chance. He’s had a plan all along. He knows why we have this thing going on between us.”

  “The rings are strongest when the five of us are in close proximity,” Kyler said. “The five of us work in unison. When one or two are hurt or trapped it makes the connection weaker, but it doesn’t break the power between us.” He looked up at the castle. “We need to go in there, now.”

  “Wait!”

  We turned at the sound of Ruby’s voice. “What the hell are you doing here?” Kyler asked. “You shouldn’t be here.” He looked at me to make her return to the academy, but that wasn’t going to happen. Ruby was meant to be there. I trusted her judgement.

  “Aurelius sent me as backup,” she said and smiled. “You all can’t have all the fun.” She glanced back at the road. “I had to sneak away from Nicolette. Hopefully she didn’t follow me.”

  “She’s the second to last person I want to deal with right now,” I said. I pointed at the castle. “Look familiar?” Ruby shook her head. “Too bad because that’s where we’re going.” Ruby crossed her arms and nodded at me. “What?”

  “You’re badass,” Ruby said to me. “It fits you well.” She glanced down at my hands. “And you got all your powers back.”

  “I hope it stays,” I said. “Let’s go.”

  “You know the gates were too easy,” Ruby said and stopped us.

  “That’s what I figured,” Oliver said. “Challis knew we’d eventually find our way here. I think the way is going to get tougher. She’s not going to allow us to walk right in without toying with us.”

  “Time to find out.”
Kyler led us toward the castle. He raised his hand to knock on the door. “They don’t come with doorbells.”

  We entered through the front door without knocking and stood in the great hall. A candle-lit chandelier gently swayed overhead, the flames flickering. In front of us a ten-foot-wide row of steps rose to the second floor. A large library sat off to the right, the books similar to those we saw in Aurelius’ office. There was also a large, unlit fireplace in the library. Above the library hung a picture of a man I didn’t recognize. In the opposite direction a hallway led into a darkness so thick I was doubtful even a fireball could sufficiently light the way. We’d walked into a Bram Stoker story.

  “It’s the missing artifacts,” Oliver said and walked along the wall. “I remember them from the pictures Aurelius showed us.” He picked up a crossbow and aimed it around the room, accidentally releasing the arrow and nailing a painting on the far wall, nearly taking out Kyler. “Sorry!”

  “You shit!” Kyler approached the painting and stood with his hands on his hips. “It’s an original Picasso,” he said and removed the arrow. He called up a spell and fixed the hole in the painting. “Next time hit your foot.”

  “We need to find the guys and get the hell out of here,” I said. “We’re on Challis’ home turf, giving her an unfair advantage. Her strength is probably even more powerful here.”

  “In scary movies with castles the victims are always in the basement,” Ruby said.

  “Dungeon, I’m guessing,” Oliver replied as he and Kyler joined Ruby and I. “And all the castles I’ve ever seen in movies have had booby traps.”

  “Booby traps?” Kyler asked and smiled.

  “What are you, two?” Ruby asked him.

  “Just trying to lighten the mood.”

  “Spread out and see if you can find the dungeon’s entrance,” I ordered.

  “Wait,” Ruby chided. “Something’s not right.” She studied the rug we were all standing on, and suddenly we were all falling.

  When the dust cleared, everyone appeared okay, though all of us were sitting on our asses. I glanced up at the ceiling, and the floor above us closed, sealing our doom.