Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“Do you think the curse-breaking spell he worked for Saint did something to him?”
“Maybe it did!” Emma exclaimed. “Remember he was worried that if he took the curse off Saint’s Drake, it would turn him straight. What if it turned Avery straight instead?”
“No—impossible.” Lachlan, who had been brooding silently on her other side, shook his head. “I know of no magic—either in the Realm or in the Witch world or in the Sky Lands—that can truly change a person’s sexual orientation. Only spells which may mask it in some way.”
“And besides, Avery was extremely worried about Saint when he was in the Healer’s rooms,” Kaitlyn reminded us. “We had to force him to stay in bed because he wanted to go back to the Sky Lands and get him right away!”
“But what changed between now and then?” I asked, shaking my head.
“I don’t know—I never got a chance to talk to him again until this morning,” Kaitlyn said.
“Me either—every time I went to see him, he was sleeping and the Healer didn’t want me to wake him up,” Emma said.
I nodded.
“Same.”
“For me too,” Kaitlyn said.
I frowned—after comparing notes, it seemed we had all tried to see Avery but after that first visit when the three of us had been together, he’d been sleeping every time. Now, here he was in the Dining Hall, apparently fully healed physically but acting extremely strange and out of character. As we watched, our coven mate went over to the Nocturne table and said something to one of the girls there—and got slapped again.
“What’s wrong with him?” Kaitlyn and Emma and I all spoke at once.
“Why is he acting like that?” Kaitlyn added.
“And why is he thinking of transferring to a new school his father recommended. They don’t get along at all!” Emma exclaimed.
Her words seemed to spark something in my head.
“Wait—Avery seemed normal when we first went to see him,” I said slowly, working it out. “And then his father came to see him—remember?”
“I remember—I didn’t like leaving them alone together, even though they’re related.” Kaitlyn nodded.
“I didn’t like it either,” I said grimly.
“Neither did I,” Emma said.
“Well, maybe we were right to feel that way,” I said. “Do you remember what Avery told us about how his dad tried to get his mom to send him to one of those awful magical conversion-therapy camps where they ‘spell the gay-away?’”
“Oh my God!” Emma put a hand over her mouth. “You don’t think Avery’s father did some kind of awful conversion therapy magic on him, do you?”
“If he did, it was an extremely crude and clumsy spell,” Griffon remarked, watching as Avery struck out again, this time with a girl from the Sisters’ table.
“Yes, he has ‘no game’ as they say here in the human world,” Ari remarked.
“He definitely doesn’t know how to treat a lady—he seems to think women are just sexual objects,” Bran said, frowning. “At least, if the way he was staring at you is any indication,” he added, speaking to Emma.
“He was treating all three of us that way,” she pointed out.
“Which points to some kind of malevolent magic which Avery is wearing like an ill-fitting suit,” Lachlan said. He looked at me. “Since Avery’s father is a Warlock, I think it’s likely the magic is more up your alley than mine.”
“You’re right,” I said. “I’m going to do some research.”
“You’d better do it fast,” Lachlan advised. “I don’t know much about Witch magic, as I said, but I do know any kind of magic used to mask a person’s true self becomes more difficult to remove the longer it remains attached to them.”
“You should look in Avery’s family grimoire too,” Emma suggested.
“And maybe we should go get Saint,” Kaitlyn added.
“I agree with that—having his beloved nearby may help to break whatever magic or curse he’s under.” Lachlan nodded.
“I’ll go tell the front office that my father has requested me at home and try to get him right away,” Ari promised. “But even if I can get Saint’s father to release him, we probably won’t be back until night. It’s a long flight.”
“That’s all right—it will give me time to do some research,” I said. “I’m going to the Sister’s library right away.” I got up from the table at once and Griffon rose with me.
“Shall I come with you, my darling?” he asked. “I know it pains you to see your coven mate under a malicious spell.”
“No, it’s okay—there’s no point in both of us missing our first period class,” I told him. I would probably get into trouble for missing mine, but Avery was more important to me than any bad grades I might make.
Something was wrong with my coven mate and I was determined to get to the bottom of it!
40
SAINT
“The Trial of Fire is about to begin—unless you’ve come to your senses and decided to let your Drake out on your own?” My Sire asked. He had his hands on his hips as he glared down at me, his bushy eyebrows raised in question.