The Solstice

Chapter 4

"So it's set then," Julia says. "If we don't do it tomorrow, the school will be closed for the weekend and we'll be set back a few days."

"It's not that simple," I say, "All the coven kids will be there. I doubt they'll just let me walk in and take their spells."

"We'll be there to help. Angy can set the school asleep like she did at your wedding. You'll just have to be quick."

"I can hold it," Angy says. "Just not for very long. A few minutes at most."

"You're really being serious. Fine, let's do it. I just won't hurt any of my friends."

"They won't feel the same about you."

"They don't have to. This is a violence free mission. We get in, get the books, and get out. We only fight if we have no other choice."

"Sounds a bit boring, but I'll agree to these terms."

"Good, because we have a lot of planning to do and I don't feel like arguing right now."

And that's what we do for the rest of the afternoon. We go over every detail of our heist. I draw a map of the school, circling the principal's office on the second floor. Randall keeps the portal in the back of an empty cupboard. It's a bit too Narnia for me, but it turned out to be a very good hiding spot. There's a lot of questions between the three of us, but we manage to figure everything out by sundown, leaving plenty of time to get enough rest.

No goddess visits me tonight, so I wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day.

"I haven't thought of it," Angy says surprised. "But you can't go to school looking like that." She points to my clothes.

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Julia says, "If he can wear that to a wedding, why can't he wear it to school?"

"Have you ever been to a high school?"

"Well, no, but I don't see the relevance."

"People don't dress like this for everyday life, I'll stand out like a sore thumb. But luckily I know the perfect glamour." I get out of bed and summon my wand. I should go for something inconspicuous. Shouldn't give the nons any reason to think something's up and run to Randall. I close my eyes, picturing a set of clothes that I've worn a million times. I mutter the incantation and feel the air around me begin to vibrate.

"You have to teach me that one," Angy says, practically jumping out of her skin. "That must be the most useful spell I've ever seen."

"It is pretty useful. I actually learnt it from my friend Thomas. He's an expert in air-based spells."

"Isn't he the one that melted your shoes to the ground," Julia asks. "I might be wrong, but I doubt that's something friends would do."

"It's complicated. He's an only child, so there's a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. If he's kicked out of the coven, the Akins family will have no one to take his place."

"Humans are so weird," she scoffs. "I don't see why you can't just make a new coven if this one fails."

"It's about tradition. Our coven was started centuries ago and has remained the most powerful one on earth since. As long as you're in it, you'll be protected from most things out there. It's a bit of a sport for other supernaturals to fight with our families. Once you're cast out of the coven it places a massive target on your back for creatures to prove their strength. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them are already coming for me."

"We'll protect you," Angy says. "We might not have the most powerful magic, but we've done good so far."

"Thanks, but let's hope it doesn't come to that. We better get going if we want to get there before the school closes."