Lock and Key (Nocturne Academy 1)

And there my aunt abruptly deserted me.

“Well, this is where I leave you dear,” she said, smiling at me.

“What? But why?” It wasn’t that I couldn’t go on alone. I was used to going it alone since my mom had died. But it felt weird to be left in a place I hadn’t even known existed an hour ago—a place which shouldn’t exist, at least according to the all-knowing Internet.

“I can’t stay with you all day, Meggie—I have an herbalist class to teach in an hour,” she said kindly. “Besides, I’m sure you’re going to fit in here just fine.”

Looking around at the grand, immaculate castle and then down at my own way-too casual outfit, I doubted that she was right. But if she had to go, she had to go.

“All right,” I mumbled. “Um…will you pick me up after school then?”

Not that I relished the idea of walking down that long bridge to meet her on my own. I was sure I had seen something in the black waters of the lake—the huge golden dinner-plate sized eye was burned into my memory. But still if it was the only way to get home…

But my aunt was shaking her head.

“Oh no, Meggie—you’ll be staying here at the Academy. Except on the weekends, when you can come home of course—if you want to,” she said, smiling.

“I’m staying here?” I said stupidly, not quite believing it. And then I remembered that the acceptance letter had said that “room and board” were free. I had thought it was just a formality—a way to say I wouldn’t have to pay for anything. But apparently they meant it—I would be living at Nocturne Academy, at least Monday through Friday, anyway.

“You’ll be fine.” Aunt Dellie patted my cheek, her own plump cheeks pink with enthusiasm. “Oh, I’m so excited for you, Meggie! I remember my own days here at the Academy! You’ll make friends and coven-sisters here that will last your entire life—just see if you don’t.”

“Coven-sisters? Aunt Dellie, you know I’m not into Wicca like you are. I mean, if you want to do it, that’s fine with me—I won’t judge. But I’m not—”

“Not a witch?” she finished for me, arching an eyebrow. “No, not yet anyway. But the Academy is going to change all that.”

“Aunt Dellie,” I said, frowning at her. “Please don’t tell me you enrolled me in a religious school just to teach me about Wicca and Paganism. Because that is not going to look good on my college applications at all!”

“Oh no, my dear!” Her gray-green eyes opened wide. “No, of course not! Nocturne Academy is a very prestigious institution and fully accredited. After you attend here, any door you want will open for you—I promise you that.”

That made me feel a little better and I nodded reluctantly.

“Well…all right. Then I guess…I guess you’d better get going.”

“Yes, I really must.” Aunt Dellie looked down at her watch, which had an oversized face with a fuzzy yellow kitten batting at a butterfly on it. (The kitten’s front paws were the minute and hour hand and the butterfly was on the tip of the second hand.) She shook her head when she saw the time. “Oh my, class starts in half an hour and I still have to change. I can’t teach my class in this!”

She winced, as though the conservative blue suit was the worst thing she owned. It was certainly the most constrictive—you could actually see her figure in it which wasn’t half bad, unlike the flowery muumuus she normally wore around the house.

“All right. I’ll see you this Friday afternoon then?” I said, making it a question.

“Unless you find some friends and don’t want to come home for the weekend. If that happens, just call me,” Aunt Dellie said. She hesitated. “Not that cell phones always work here at Nocturne. You might have to find a non-spelled spot for that, but I’m sure you’ll manage.”

Great—so the freaky castle in the middle of the lake-which-shouldn’t-be was also a dead spot for cell phones. Inwardly, I sighed—it wasn’t like I had anyone to call anyway.

Also, I was pretty sure me finding a bunch of friends I wanted to spend the weekend with wasn’t going to happen. Even at my own school, I had always been a loner. Somehow, I just never quite fit in anywhere so I never belonged to a group. But it was nice of my aunt to think I could suddenly find bosom friends, even if it was never going to happen.

“I’ll see you Friday afternoon,” I said firmly. “As soon as school lets out. You’ll be here?”

She nodded. “Of course.” Then she hugged me again spontaneously. “Oh Meggie—I’m so excited for you! Your whole life is about to start!”

She gave me a smacking kiss on the cheek and pointed at the heavy wooden door set in the base of the North Tower.