“Brat,” Mom muttered. “Always with the sass.” The air temperature shot up as she reached out and slapped me right on the ass.
Beth Hallistar was no pushover, having raised four witches and warlocks before me—I was the last of the litter, and I shouldhave known better than to grumble at her. Hopefully she’d blame it on the abrupt wakeup.
Clearing my throat, I pulled myself up to sit. “Sorry about that.” I gave her my entire focus. “What did you need to tellme?”
Her annoyance vanished in a whoosh of paper as she waved it in my direction. “You got the letter! Weatherstone.”
Like a shot of adrenaline to my chest, any lingering tendrils of sleep were dashed as I leaped from the bed, uncaring thatI was clad only in a tank top and panties. “Theletter? To Weatherstone College? Are you fucking serious?”
“Paisley Hallistar!”
Full-named twice in the span of two minutes was definitely a record. Thank Selene and her moon energy that Dad wasaway at Weatherstone with my siblings, otherwise I’d have to answer to him for cussing around Mom. The hot-blooded part extended to more than just sex, it was an all-encompassing possessiveness that demanded warlocks destroy anyone who upset their mate.
From the outside it looked like perfection, except children in the relationship often ended up as distant third wheels. Still,we couldn’t complain. Dad put Mom first, but she loved us just as fiercely. A love she showed in countless ways, and todayit was a firm hug as she murmured, “I’m so proud of you, honey. I knew you’d have the magical aptitude.”
Burying my face against her shoulder, I marveled that even as an adult, a hug from Mom would never grow old. There’d beena bittersweet taste since my energy bloomed, knowing these were my final days in our family home, before magical college,which would inevitably lead to a coven.
“I’m not going to lie,” I admitted, when we pulled apart, “I had my doubts that my magical essence would be strong enoughfor Weatherstone. I all but tanked the entrance test.”
There were five main magic colleges across America. After their power bloomed, anyone with a drop of magical blood would takethe entrance exams and wait for their letter of acceptance. Weatherstone was the oldest and most prestigious of the five,and you only got in if you were exceptional.
I was far from exceptional, and a niggling voice in the back of my head insisted that the letter was only a courtesy to myfather, who was a professor at Weatherstone.
“You earned this, honey,” Mom said softly, pressing her hand to my cheek. She had the uncanny ability to ease my doubts withonly a few reassuring words and her natural calming energy. “Your powers unlocked faster than any witch I’ve heard of, andyour energy will only grow from here. You’ve got years to find your affinity.”
Technically, what she said was true, but my doubts had deeper claws than she could loosen. “I know, and I’m ready to exercise these magical muscles.” I made that promise to us both. “I won’t waste this opportunity, and I have four years to declare my affinity.”
“Are you feeling a draw to anything yet?” Mom asked. She’d asked this question every morning for the last two weeks, and everymorning the answer was the same.
“Nope, nothing. I’m expecting I’ll be an elemental, because you and Dad are, but so far none of the five elements are responding.”Not air, water, metal, fire, or earth.
Mom nodded, and I could see she expected I’d be an elemental too. “Though your sisters are nature sprites, so there’s a chancefor that as well, just based on the twins.” Nature sprites were gentle, communing and energizing with plants and animals,using their familiars to bond with the land.
“I’ve always wanted a familiar,” I admitted, imagining the thrill of an animal best friend who would enhance my magic. “Justas long as I’m not anecromancer. Their energy feels wrong to me.”
Mom’s shiver was visible. “Me too, baby. It’s unnatural to commune with spirits and the dead for energy. I don’t care howmany times they try and tell us it’s not dark magic.”
Only dark magic could feel that cloying and strange. “Of course,” I said with a dry laugh, “I could absolutely be a spellcaster.I mean, the rarest, most powerful of magic, where I can literally draw on the energy of the world itself for near limitlesspower.”
Mom swatted me again. “Don’t sell yourself short. You have a spellcaster’s attitude.”
That had us both laughing because they were rather arrogant. Most of them ended up as leaders in our military and council;fully trained they were nearly unstoppable.
“All of my siblings knew their affinity before college.” I sobered up as doubts spilled over once more. “I did expect that after my energy was revealed I’d find myself drawn to fire or water, maybe even discover an animal friend in the forest, but there’s been nothing new.”
“Many students will be unsure,” Mom said, her unwavering confidence bolstering my own, “and the entire point of college isto unlock your true potential and find your coven.”
She was spouting the tagline of the Weatherstone College brochure, currently on my desk, but I appreciated it. With a brightsmile, Mom placed the acceptance letter beside the brochure and my entrance exam, where I’d managed woeful forty to fiftypercentile scores across the magical aptitudes. Eighty to ninety was usually the minimum for Weatherstone, so... yeah,as I’d said, unexceptional.
“Get dressed,” she ordered as she turned to leave the room. “We’re going out to celebrate our final baby off to Weatherstone.”When she closed my door, her smile was as bright as last night’s full moon.
Snatching the letter off my desk, I read and reread the few paragraphs offering me a college placement. It was signed offby Headmaster Gregor. With four siblings already in the school, I’d heard a lot about the famous necromancer. According tomy sisters, he was tough but fair. My brothers were less trusting of him, noting his soft spot for those with affinities inthe darker arts.
It appeared I might find out for myself.
Returning the letter to my desk, I pushed doubts aside once more and started to rifle through my clothes for the perfect outfit.All the while distracted by the fact that I finally knew my college. Would I find my true affinity and live up to the veryhigh standards my family had set in Weatherstone’s prestigious halls? Doubtful, but I’d give it my very best shot.
For the first time, all of us would be attending college together.
