Lock and Key (Nocturne Academy 1)

I looked up with interest--wanting to see the Nocturne family my new friend and coven-mate lived with. I had an idea they were going to be an interesting sight...

48

Standing beside a sleek black BMW, I saw a good-looking couple.

He was tall with black hair, sharp features, and pale skin and she was slim with long, straight blonde hair and an ivory complexion. Both of them were wearing dark glasses. I could tell they were both powerful Nocturnes, though I never would have known before my first week at the Academy. I would have just thought they were rich and snooty-looking.

Standing between the tall couple was a little girl, who looked to be no more than four. She had her mother’s blonde hair and she was jumping up and down excitedly.

“Katy! Katy’s back!” she exclaimed, pointing to Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn smiled and ran over to sweep the little girl into a hug.

“Hello, Allegra,” she said as the little girl wrapped her arms around Kaitlyn’s neck and squealed with delight. “I missed you this week—did you miss me?”

“So much! I missed you a thousand muches!” the little girl exclaimed and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek.

Watching them together, I saw the blonde woman give a wan smile, though the man only nodded with slight approval before looking back down at his cell phone.

“Those are Alistair and Anastasia Breedlove,” Avery said under his breath. “Kaitlyn was their babysitter before her parents died in the fire and now she’s kind of their live-in au pair.”

“It’s nice that they took her in after her parents passed and sponsored her for the Academy,” I said.

He nodded. “Yes, but they’re not exactly the warmest people. And the fact that their little girl adores Kaitlyn and she’s so good with Allegra factored heavily in the decision, I’m sure. She’s more their servant than another daughter to them.”

“At least their little girl really loves her,” Emma said firmly. “Even if the parents are kind of cold.”

I had to agree with her as Kaitlyn waved goodbye to us and, with Allegra Breedlove still wrapped around her like a clinging vine, climbed into the back of the sleek black BMW.

“Oh, Meggie! There you are!” a familiar voice called.

Looking away from the Breedloves’ BMW, I saw my Aunt Dellie coming towards us. She had parked her dusty old car on the edge of the lot and was wearing yet another crazy muumuu—this one had unicorns and rainbows printed all over it.

“Oh, so that’s your aunt,” Emma said, grinning. “I’ve seen her around town sometimes but I didn’t know she had any family.”

“She didn’t until I moved in,” I said.

I was tempted to be embarrassed of my aunt’s eccentric appearance but then I remembered Kaitlyn’s sad face when she talked about her dead parents and how Avery couldn’t get along with his father and how Emma didn’t have a father to get along with in the first place.

I’m lucky to have someone who loves me, I thought. And even luckier to have an aunt who was willing to take me in and get me into Nocturne Academy. It couldn’t have been easy to go demand they give me a scholarship when she’s a Null herself and everyone thought I was one too.

“Aunt Dellie!” I called, waving at her and ignoring the looks of the few milling students who were studying her muumuu in amusement.

She came up to us, puffing a bit because of the Florida heat.

“Oh, Meggie—it’s so good to see you again! So, how was your first week? And who are these nice-looking young people?” she said, all in one breath.

“Aunt Dellie, meet my coven-mates,” I said, smiling. “Two of them, anyway.” It felt a little weird to introduce them that way but right too, as though it was always meant to be. “This is Emma,” I said and she nodded and smiled at Aunt Dellie who smiled back. “And this is Avery,” I added.

Avery took my aunt’s offered hand and bowed over it with a flourish.

“Enchante,” he murmured in a French accent. “We have heard much about you, Aunt Dellie—all of it good, I assure you.”

“Oh, what a charmer!” Aunt Dellie laughed delightedly and her free hand fluttered to her chest. She turned to me. “Didn’t I tell you that you’d meet wonderful friends at Nocturne Academy?”

“You did.” I nodded. “And you were right. In fact, we’re all going to lunch tomorrow at the I Scream where Emma works. Um, can you drive me? If not, Avery can pick me up.”

We settled it that Avery would pick me up and drop me off since Aunt Dellie had to teach a tea leaf reading class from one to two and then I waved goodbye to my friends and headed back to her dusty old car with her.

I had a lot to talk to my aunt about—thought I certainly wasn’t going to tell her everything. And I had a lot to ask her too.