Condemned by Magic (The Secret Academy Book 3), page 1
condemned by magic
THE SECRET ACADEMY | BOOK 3
SK PRINCE
contents
About This Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Bonus: Deleted Scene
What to Read Next
Meet the Author
© 2020, SK Prince.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Cover Designer: Heather Hamilton-Senter
Editor: Jennifer Lopez, Mistress Editing
Proofreader: Falcon Storm
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this work may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
about this book
The world’s never seen magic like mine before, and everyone wants a piece of me.
The good guys want to use me as a weapon.
The bad guys want to use me as a key.
Either could mean my death. But if I refuse to play their game, the entire supernatural world could wither and die—and it would be all my fault.
You would think having a giant white tigress for a familiar would ensure my safety, but you would be wrong.
Something is coming, something more dangerous than we’ve ever faced before, and it’s up to me to stop it… or die trying.
one
The clouds drifted lazily above me. I watched them glide by, wishing all of the stress I found myself under would just drift away right along with them. College was supposed to be the best time in your life, but I never seemed to have the time to actually enjoy it. The classwork continued to pile on, my fellow students did their best to stay clear of me, and Dean Agatha kept pulling me aside, asking if I’d gotten to the Void yet. And Gideon’s training… Well, at least I finally had a few moments of peace from that.
A cool breeze wafted across the quad, and Zia—my large, white tiger familiar—rolled onto her back and let out a groan of pleasure. I snuggled closer to her as other students milled about, paying no attention to us.
Apparently, they’d gotten used to having a big cat around campus.
“Hey, beautiful,” a familiar voice called out.
Tilting my head back, I glanced up at Owen from an odd angle and smiled at him. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I drank in my boyfriend’s perfection.
“Hey, handsome,” I drawled.
His smile widened as he sat next to me. “I see you’re having a nice, relaxing nap.”
“Gideon bailed on me, so I’m taking advantage of the free time.” I could count on one hand the number of times that good ol’ Professor Gideon Carter had canceled our sessions, so it truly was a reason to celebrate. While I should have been studying or practicing, this break was sorely needed, and I wasn’t going to let anything—or anyone— stop me from enjoying it.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in class?” I asked him. If I had known he was free, I would have tracked him down for some company. Owen shrugged. “Class was canceled.”
Hmm. Odd. Could these two things be related? I didn’t give it too much thought, though. If there was trouble, it could definitely find me on its own. Instead I lost myself in Owen’s charm and leaned in for a kiss. I only meant for it to be a peck, honest! Like every time I got physical with him, it was like sparking a match. Our innocent kiss crescendoed as Owen leaned into me, gripping my neck to hold me in place as we devoured each other.
It was only when I was gasping for breath and nearly ready to jump him right on the spot that he pulled back. Don’t have sex in the middle of campus. Right.
That didn’t mean I couldn’t jump his bones in my bed though.
“Does this mean I get you all to myself? We can go back to the dorms and find something to do.” The words sounded innocent but my eyes practically screamed “SEX!”
“I’d love nothing more, but we do have that dinner to attend.”
I shot up so fast that Zia let out a startled growl. “Oh, right.”
“You forgot.”
“I did not!”
Okay, I didn’t exactly forget. I had, however, intentionally pushed it to the back of my mind because I was not looking forward to spending any amount of time with the pretentious Slater family. I had managed to avoid interacting with Owen’s family these last few months, but it was his mother’s birthday, so he insisted it was time for me to get to know them a bit.
“I don’t think I’ll need to spend much time getting ready,” I muttered. “Since Phina will be around.”
“You don’t need to get ready. You look beautiful.” Owen leaned toward me and I readied myself for his kiss, but he plucked a leaf from my wild red hair instead.
“Very subtle, Slater,” I grumbled as I pushed myself up. Zia wasn’t happy about our cuddle session ending, and she let me know by keeping her big fluffy butt rooted to the spot.
Owen fixed his eyes on my familiar. “What are the chances she’s going to show up uninvited at my family’s estate?”
Estate. That was one more reminder of how mismatched we were. It wasn’t his family’s home or even their house. It was their estate. How fancy. Owen lived in a world I didn’t think I would ever fit in to, but I was going to have to pretend, at least for tonight.
“I mean… You know Zia has a mind of her own.”
“Yeah, but at some point, you’ll have to get the whole teleporting tiger thing under control.”
I threw my backpack over my shoulder and smiled up at him. “Oh, sweet Owen. Light of my life. I’m juggling a lot of things right now. I still have a few years of school left before I need to start worrying about Zia following me everywhere. I don’t want to stress about it, so I’m going to put off thinking about it for as long as I can.”
He narrowed his eyes but avoided saying anything for a few moments longer.
Finally, Owen let out a sigh, and his features softened. “All right, well. Since I don’t have a glamour witch as a roommate, I’m heading back to the dorms to shower. I’ll meet you at six?”
“Sounds like a plan.” I gave Owen an air kiss, because I didn’t have time for another full on makeout session, and turned on my heel, speed-walking back to the dorms so I could start the uphill battle of making myself presentable. Phina wasn’t going to be there to help me—I’d lied to Owen about that part—so I was going to have to figure this one out all on my own.
two
I was supposed to have met up with Owen five whole minutes ago, but I was running woefully behind. I slammed the door to my room shut behind me and took off in a near sprint. Not that my tardiness was super unusual these days. For some reason, he’d been transferred all the way across campus after our relationship was brought to everyone’s attention.
I had a feeling Gideon was behind that but had no way to prove it, so I’d kept my suspicions to myself.
Tonight I’d struggled with what to wear to meet my possible future in-laws. I was pretty sure they’d hate me no matter what I put on, so in the end, I wound up borrowing something from my roommate Phina’s well-stocked closet. Even though I wore a size larger than she did, I could easily slip into her blousier styles. And she not only tolerated me borrowing her clothes, she actively encouraged it.
For tonight’s torture session, I’d chosen a black flouncy skirt that may have been a tad too short for a family dinner, and an oversized purple sweater that was more modest—a thick, expensive designer brand.
I pulled open the door to the dorms and was immediately confronted by Gideon.
“Good. I was about to come find you.” He wore his customary dark glasses that matched his black button-down and slacks. I can’t believe it had actually surprised me when I learned he’d been infected by the Void. His whole persona screamed it.
I started to move past him, but then my mind lit upon an idea and I asked, “Are you going to make me train tonight? Because I would be okay with that.” Any excuse to avoid my original plans for the evening.
He crossed his arms and smirked. “I thought you’d be grateful to get the afternoon off. It’s not like you don’t complain about it all the time.”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you going to make me train or not?”
This was the one time I wanted him to be his control freak self, and he was sorely letting me down.
“Ugh, I don’t have time for this,” I snapped and darted off to the side.
He cut me off. I really wished I could see behind those glasses, but he was g
iving me nothing. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked.
“With me? You’re the one acting weird. Also, I don’t have time for this, so we’re walking and talking. C’mon.” I grabbed his shirt and started to tug him along before he pulled free from me and let out a growl.
Even though I found him intimidating, it was still hard to be scared of him when I was getting ready to sit down with a bunch of Slaters and try not to be eaten alive.
“What do you want, Gideon?” I demanded.
“I need you to be honest with me. Have you had any contact with the Void lately?”
I turned to hide my expression of panic, but it was too late.
The professor cursed under his breath. “You know you’re supposed to tell me whenever you have an experience.”
“I do tell you!” I exclaimed. “Or I did. Whenever I saw that figure, or it felt like the world was receding, I would mention it. Then you would stress out and insist on extra training, but it did nothing to help. I’ve made zero progress since we started.”
“You don’t think all these experiences you’re having are progress?”
“The Void is still popping up around me whenever my emotions are off, or whenever it feels like it. I have no control over my ability to go in and out of the Void.”
“Have you been doing the exercises I gave you?”
I snorted. Those exercises were barely more than mediation and yoga. “I do your stretches all the time, but they haven’t actually helped.”
“When I was overtaken by the Void, that helped to bring me back.”
“Well, it should be abundantly clear by now that I’m not you.”
“Where are you going?” he asked, apparently just now realizing I had a set destination I was trying to reach.
“I get to meet Owen’s family for the first time tonight,” I said.
Gideon burst out laughing.
“I’m so happy you enjoy my pain.”
“No wonder you want me to call in a make-up training session.” He continued to smile nauseatingly.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I muttered. “But I’ll get through this. His family is going to love me, and the rest of the school year is going to be smooth sailing.”
His face darkened. “I’m glad you have so much confidence walking into the lions’ den.”
I really didn’t. Ever since I arrived at Darnborn Academy, I’d been trying my best and coming up short. All of the other students here were from rich and successful families. They had been exposed to magic their entire lives and knew what to expect. So much of this was new to me, and I was still struggling to adjust. I felt like I was a few laps behind everyone else, although it was getting a little easier each day.
“Never underestimate the power of faking it till you make it,” I said with a shrug. He knew as well as I did that the Slaters were far more dangerous than any big cat could be. After all, their youngest son Eli had tried to overpower us both in his manic quest for power.
Gideon, colossal hypocrite that he was, grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. “You don’t have to fake your power,” he whispered. Power was considered a bad word at the Academy, so the fact that he’d said it at all sent a warning chill down my spine. “You’re one of the strongest people at this school. If you’d just accept that, things would be much easier for the both of us.”
I tried to pull my arm from his grasp, but he wouldn’t let me go. So much for the power and strength he expected me to believe I had. I let out a deep sigh and stared at him, wishing I could look into his eyes. “I’m late already. Just tell me what you want so I can go.”
“The faculty is talking. They think something is coming.” I raised a brow.
“Care to be more specific?”
“There’s a fog rolling in, but we can’t find any natural reason for it. If it is supernatural, like we suspect, we have to figure out what it is, who’s behind it, and how to stop it.”
Gideon let go of me as I took a step back. “Why are you telling me about this fog if it’s so dangerous?”
“We might need you if it’s related to the Void or the Restless.”
“Do you want me to skip the family dinner?” I asked, once again hopeful.
“No. I want you to be on call. You have a habit of ignoring me when I call you.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said innocently, working hard to keep my expression neutral.
He nodded knowingly. “Keep your phone nearby. When it rings, answer it.”
It wasn’t a question or a request. It was an order. “Fine. Just so long as I can use you as an excuse to leave if things get dicey with the Slaters tonight.”
“I thought his family was going to love you,” Gideon reminded me, a sly grin on his face.
“Hey!” Owen called from across the quad. He must have gotten tired of waiting and came out searching for me.
“Have a nice one,” Gideon said as he backed away, his voice tinged with laughter.
I didn’t say goodbye, letting my sneer tell him exactly what I thought of him and his constant stream of demands. By then, Owen had reached me, setting a hand around my waist and pulling me in for a kiss.
I let my eyes close, all of my worries drifting away in his arms. I smiled up at him as he rested his forehead against mine.
“I really wish he’d just leave you alone,” Owen muttered. “I thought you said he canceled.”
“He did. But you know how he can be. If he can make my life inconvenient, he will.”
“You know, if he’s really bothering you, I can talk to my parents about it.”
That caught me off guard. Earlier he’d been the one to always come to the professor’s defense, the trusted teaching assistant. What had changed? And should I be worried about it?
Owen shrugged even though I’d voiced neither of my concerns aloud. “My family gives Darnborn enough money. They can make sure students aren’t being harassed by professors.”
“It’s fine.” I shook my head. I didn’t want to have this conversation right now. I was stressed out and just wanted to focus on making it through this dinner. “It’s nothing worth firing him over. Trust me.” Owen didn’t look convinced, but he let it go. For now.
three
“C’mon,” Owen urged, tugging me along by the hand. “Charles is waiting to transport us.”
Ugh. I hated teleporting, but it was the fastest way to get to upstate New York and the fastest way to get back once we were finished with Owen’s family.
I’d not yet met Charles but knew that whenever Owen returned home, this man was the one to take him. Yes, his family had their own magical chauffeur who zipped them wherever they wanted to go. Talk about luxury!
“Do you have everything you need?” Owen’s brow furrowed with concern as he glanced toward me.
My eyes widened. “What do you mean, everything? Am I supposed to bring like a host gift or something? Is that what rich people expect?”
He laughed and squeezed my hand. “Sorry, kidding. You’re just so cute when you’re worried.”
I glared at him. “You won’t think I’m so cute when I pass out from all the extra stress you’re piling on me.”
He stopped walking and pulled me to his chest for a quick kiss. “You’re going to be fine. And my family is going to like you every bit as much as I do.” He kissed my forehead, dispelling some of my pent-up tension.
“Well, let’s hope it’s not exactly as much as you like me,” I joked as we pulled apart.
He took my hand back in his, and we walked at a more leisurely pace toward the main office. “Don’t worry so much. Seriously. If it helps, we’ll tell them we’re late because of me,” he promised with a million-watt smile.
I still had a hard time believing that Owen had chosen me of all people to be his girlfriend. Considering how unbelievably hot he was, and how loaded his family was, it was surprising that he wanted plain old me. Especially since I’d come from nothing. My aunt and uncle may have lived comfortably, but they’d always treated me like the scum you find beneath your shoe.
