Lock and Key (Nocturne Academy 1)

“What the hell did you think you were doing, Megan?” he shouted. “Didn’t all three of us try to warn you about Griffin Darkheart? Why would you wander off to find him and then take his mark like that?”

“What?” Emma and Kaitlyn sat bolt upright, staring at both of us. “She what?”

“Griffin Darkheart gave Megan his mark and she accepted it!” Avery exclaimed.

I hadn’t known my new coven-mate long but I had never seen him this upset and I had a feeling it wasn’t a common occurrence for him at all. But by now, I was getting pretty upset myself.

“I don’t know anything about any of this!” I said, raising my voice to be heard over Emma and Kaitlyn demanding answers. “And I didn’t accept his stupid mark on purpose—it just happened.”

“Okay. All right.” Avery took a deep breath, clearly trying to calm down. “I’m sorry I shouted at you, Megan,” he said. “But this is very upsetting.”

“So I gathered,” I said dryly. “But I still don’t have any idea what it means.”

“Let’s start again,” Emma suggested. “Megan, why don’t you tell us what happened from the beginning.”

“Fine.” I nodded shortly. “Well first of all, I didn’t just wander off—one of the cafeteria ladies caught me and I had to pretend I was going to the Healer.”

“All right—I figured that. I heard you coughing,” Avery said. “Then what?” He made a ‘go on’ gesture with one hand.

“Then Sanchez found me alone in the hall and threatened me,” I said. “And that was when Griffin came along and claimed me and marked me. And for the record, let me say I had no idea what he was doing and I still don’t understand the implications of it, either.”

Avery sighed and sank down on the couch, running his hands through his hair again.

“Okay, that explains it. I guess he felt he had to mark you in order to get you away from Sanchez.”

“Is…is Sanchez still mad at you for what happened in gym today?” Kaitlyn asked, her voice a little wavery.

“You could say that.” It was my turn to run a hand through my hair. “I marked him—not the way Griffin marked me,” I added hastily. “I mean, when I slapped him, it left a mark. One that apparently won’t come off.”

“You mean you marked him magically?” Avery’s eyes went wide. “You shamed him?”

I threw up my hands.

“I don’t know! I was so angry at him for hurting Kaitlyn and then being a dick about it and all I remember is the feeling of my anger—or maybe some kind of power—flowing from me into him.” I shook my head. “At the time, I thought I must be imagining it. But now Sanchez has a big blue mark in the shape of my hand on his cheek and he apparently can’t get it off.”

“Because it’s permanent,” Avery exclaimed. “Megan, do you have any idea how much raw power it takes to make a permanent mark on another Other? Especially against their will? And you didn’t even know you were doing it!”

“Tell that to Sanchez,” I said dourly. “I’m sure he’ll believe it.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face and shook his head.

“Well, at least we know you’re not a Null. But this doesn’t feel like first-time magic either. I mean, this is not a normal Flame-up. You must have done something before, Megan—think.”

“Well…” I bit my lip and once again the memory of my mother lying in her hospital bed came to me. Only this time, I couldn’t fool myself that I’d had nothing to do with easing her pain. This time I knew I would have to tell the truth.

“Go on.” Avery was watching me warily. “I can tell you have something to say, Megan. Spit it out—what happened?”

I took a deep breath.

“When my mother was dying, I helped to ease her pain. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing at the time—I still didn’t even know that magic was real and that all this…” I waved a hand, indicating the entire Academy, “even existed. But I did help her—I’m sure of it now.”

“But how could you help her if you didn’t know any magic?” Emma asked blankly. “I mean, wouldn’t you have to say a charm or do a spell or something?”

“Yeah, don’t you have to call the corners and invoke the Goddess to make anything happen?” Kaitlyn asked.

“That’s how a normal witch would do it,” Avery said, frowning. “But I have a feeling our Megan is anything but normal. So fess up, Princess Latimer—how did you do it?”

“Like this.” I pushed up the sleeve of my robe, baring my forearm with its neat rows of white scars.

“I don’t understand,” Emma said, shaking her head.

“I don’t either,” Kaitlyn confessed.

But Avery was looking at me with wide eyes and a pale face.