Lock and Key (Nocturne Academy 1)

“Remember I asked you if you’d ever heard anything about a prophecy?” I asked.

Griffin nodded. “I haven’t but it sounded serious—which is one reason I asked you to meet me tonight instead of waiting for tomorrow.” He gave me a sidelong look. “The other reason, of course, was that I couldn’t wait to see you again.”

“I felt the same way,” I admitted softly.

“But what about the prophecy?” Griffin asked. “What were you talking about?”

“I don’t know, exactly,” I said, frowning. “It was something I heard Ms. Rattcliff tell Nancy. They didn’t know I was listening and she said, ‘she could be the one the prophecy speaks of,’ when they were talking about me. She was also pretty upset when Nancy told her you’d been taking me around to all my classes,” I added. “Though I have no idea why. I, uh, think she figured out you’re the one who marked me.”

“I hope that didn’t cause you too much trouble.” Griffin frowned. “I wanted to protect you at the time, but I guess I could have gone about it a different way. One which wouldn’t have opened you to accusations of breaking the Edict.”

“I’ll be all right,” I said, lifting my chin. “The Headmistress saw it my way.”

He nodded thoughtfully.

“Headmistress Nightworthy has remarkable vision. She has found and admitted some of the most talented Others in the world to Nocturne Academy. In return, the Board of Trustees of the school gives her carte blanche to do as she pleases.”

“She’s the one who admitted me and gave me a full scholarship, when my Aunt Dellie came to put in my application,” I said. I didn’t tell him that the Headmistress had told me I had better not do anything else that came even remotely close to breaking the Edict, though—I didn’t want him to think he’d gotten me into trouble.

“So there is some sort of prophesy involving you and possibly me, but we have no idea what it is…” Griffin mused, getting back to the matter at hand.

“No idea,” I said, shaking my head. “But I wonder if it has anything to do with the reason my mom chose to leave magic behind and raise me as a Norm?” I added, having a sudden thought.

“What?” He looked interested and so of course I had to explain everything I’d learned from Aunt Dellie that afternoon.

“So I just wonder if maybe my mom heard about this ‘prophecy’ whatever it is, and it somehow made her decide to leave the magical world,” I said. “I know if she hadn’t left, Winifred Rattcliff never would have gotten the leadership of the Windermere Coven.”

“Do you think Rattcliff had anything to do with ousting your mother?” Griffin asked, raising an eyebrow. “She seems the type to get rid of rivals at all costs—which could include you, you know, Megan. Especially if the leadership of the coven is supposed to be hereditary. Technically, if you manifest enough power, you might be able to displace her and take back your rightful place.”

I shook my head.

“I don’t want anything to do with the leadership of the Windermere Coven. She can have it.”

“You might think differently if you weren’t so new to the world of the Others,” Griffin said seriously. “The Sister who leads the Windermere Coven is generally acknowledged to be the most powerful witch in the entire South Eastern territory. It’s like being the Alpha Drake or the Fae’s Queen of Light and Shadows or the Master Nocturne.”

“All those people have a lot of underlings beneath them, I guess,” I said, frowning. “But I don’t want any of that, Griffin. I don’t want to be anybody’s boss but my own. I mean, I don’t want to answer to anyone but myself and I don’t want anyone else answering to me—you know?”

The corners of his mouth twitched up.

“So you want to be your own boss. Which was doubtless why you were so upset when I marked you and proclaimed that I ‘owned’ you.”

I shifted a little in his lap.

“Avery explained that to me. He said it’s not so much a mark of ownership as a sign that you’ll protect me, no matter what.”

“Your coven-mate is completely correct.” Griffin’s pale gray eyes grew serious. “I will always protect you, little witch. No matter what—now that I have marked you, you are my Katarra.”

“Katarra means ‘cherished one,’ right?” I asked shyly, remembering what Headmistress Nightworthy had said.

Griffin nodded and stroked my hot cheek with one cool finger.

“Exactly, my little witch. I will cherish and protect you. As I have said before, I am your Blood Knight.”

His words brought to mind the strange picture I had seen in Avery’s scrying bowl when we had worked the True Heart Revealed spell to see if Griffin wanted to hurt me or not. I told him about it and he frowned.