Witch Me?(Witch or Shadowhunter?Book 2)

Agony for the Holidays

I snatch my photo of K off my bedside table and lay it carefully on my bed. With a quick glance at the rest of my stuff, which I'll be leaving here, I slip Tinea into my hip sheath. I'm just about to pick the photo back up when Ms. Know-it-all enters our dorm. And just my luck, she noticed the photo for the first time in months when I'm distracted thinking of how I'll ask Grace my question. "Who's that?" She questions, reaching for the picture frame. My hand whips out before I even have time to think and grabs Ms. Know-it-all's wrist. "Don't touch it," I hiss, clutching the frame tightly to my chest with my other hand. "Is he a friend of yours?" She asks, pulling her hand out of my grip. I tuck the frame into my robe and turn away, heading for the door, "don't. Just don't." She follows after me curiously, "is he your brother or something? Come on, tell me something, please?" I huff out a sigh and mutter quietly, "K." Ms. Know-it-all reaches for my arm and I jerk away, turning back to her. At her confused expression I add, "it's me and my brother, K, on my seventh birthday. Now leave me be, I want to get something to eat from the Great Hall before the train comes." With a glare to hide my pain I turn and stalk out, not waiting for a reply.

Just outside the Great Hall I'm greeted by a group of boys in my year. They appear to be talking about me so I pause, listening. "Come on Michael, if you like her go give her a kiss," one of them says. Another nods in agreement, "yeah, there's no way she could refuse you." After some more words of encouragement from his friends, one of the boys breaks away and walks towards me. I hold my ground and watch him approach, feeling for one of my smaller daggers beneath my robe. When he's just a few steps from me he says, "hi, I'm Michael, Michael Corner-" I cut him off with a wave of my hand, "yeah, yeah, I know what you want. I'm warning you though, you really don't want to kiss me." He narrows his eyes in confusion momentarily before smiling and asking, "why? Do you have a boyfriend?" Shaking my head, I open my mouth to reply when he steps forward quickly and pins me to the wall. Unwilling to hurt some confused mundane, I just stand there, seemingly in shock. Barely a moment passes before he leans forward, pressing his lips to mine. A growl starts low in my throat, frighteningly demon-like, and I twist my head in an attempt to get him off without hurting him. When he refuses to relent I slide my foot between his, wrapping my leg around his ankle slowly. Then I bring my right hand to his shoulder and my left to his chest, now smirking into his stolen kiss. Ignoring all the other students that have gathered, I twist my leg back towards me, simultaneously pushing his chest and shoulder around, and let the growl turn to a snarl. I slam him against the wall and spin in front of him, hands locked on either side of him and an angry glint in my eyes. "I warned you, and you didn't listen. Just be glad I'm not Rose, she wouldn't care about our mandate to protect you. Now let's get this straight," I bring my right arm up to his throat and my left hand twitches my robe aside, revealing my belt heavy with daggers and glamoured seraph blades, "if you even talk about me again, my mandate will crumble to dust. And little mundane, you don't want that, trust me." When he nods I turn away, releasing him, and address everyone else with a glare, "let this be a lesson for all of you. Never mess with Naila Nightcross, or her friends." With a glance at my watch to check the time I groan and follow a bunch of other students leaving the school for the carriage ride to the train.

I watch the landscape roll past outside the train window while Nightmare lays purring beside me. I'd forgotten about him until he came running to me as I climbed into one of the carriages and I'd quickly scooped him up in my arms. My thoughts drift back to the question I'm planning on asking Grace. I must have dozed off because the next thing I know the screech of train brakes jerks me awake. My kitten jumps up onto the seat and I pick him up, glancing out at platform nine and three-quarters. Spying my dad, Grace, and her dad I rush from the train and over to them. Dad takes Nightmare and I turn to Grace, immediately caught in a bone-crushing hug. I hug her back just as tightly until Tinea bumps into another student's mother. We let go and I adjust the sheath, taking Nightmare back from Dad. He gives me a swift kiss on my head and inquiries, "ready to go?" I nod and Grace takes my hand. Together the four of us stroll through the arc and back to Kings Cross Station. Dad leads us to his car, which is so ancient many mundanes are gapping at it. Good thing we rarely need it.