Veiled Spirits

I fucking hate this town.

“You need help?” a deep voice asks from behind me. My shoulders sag in relief that it’s not one of my other main tormentors, Mason, Richard, or last year’s new addition, Tyler. It’s just Levi, my combat teacher. He’s one of the only people in this hellhole who is actually kind to me.

“Yeah, that’d be good. Thanks.” My voice is rough from crying, but Levi doesn’t comment on it. Instead, he just walks around in front of me and kneels down, uncaring about getting his dark-wash jeans dirty. We work in silence to pick up all my papers and books.

Once we have everything gathered, Levi unzips my backpack and puts his stack inside. I follow suit. As I’m zipping up the backpack, he pushes to his feet. He doesn’t offer me help up, but that’s not unusual for him. Levi always makes sure not to touch me anywhere, skin on skin. It’s a little weird, but I assume it’s so he doesn’t get into trouble for perving on students.

My worn white Chucks squeak on the tiles as I stand. When I’m steady, I crane my neck up and up to meet Levi’s gaze. He is probably the tallest person I know, clocking in at around six-and-a-half feet tall. When my eyes finally land on his face, I meet his otherworldly eyes. They’re obsidian, with a thin red ring around the pupil.

“Was it Danielle, Tina, and Madison who did this?” he rumbles. I look away and press my lips into a thin line, refusing to tell him. Levi sighs. “I’ll report them if you’d just confirm who it is and what they do.”

I scoff. “You and I both know this school won’t do jack shit about it, Levi. Reporting them will just make my life harder.” Since I supposedly don’t have magic, Hawthorne Grove University doesn’t particularly care what happens to me. Bullying, insults, and attacks are all fine and dandy with the administration, as long as it’s only lower mages or me subject to it.

Mage society is separated into higher and lower mages. Higher mages are the ones with money, power, status, and clout in the community. They have access to the best jobs, preferential legal treatment, and make the decisions for mages as a whole. They’re also incredibly snobby and stuck-up, thinking their family name makes them better than everyone else.

Lower mages, on the other hand, are the everyday mages. They don’t come from prestigious mage lines or hold high mage offices. Instead, they’re just regular people who happen to have the ability to harness raw magical energy.

Because the council is located in Hawthorne Grove, there are way more higher mages here than other mage cities. Here, the lower mages are treated particularly badly. Since everyone thinks I’m magicless, I’m automatically lumped in with the lower mages.

Levi shakes his head at me, resigned to the way things are but not liking it any more than I do. “The option is always open if you change your mind.”

“I appreciate it. I better get going,” I tell him reluctantly. While I hate spending time at HGU, I do weirdly enjoy hanging out with him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He gives me a crooked grin before walking off.

“See you then,” I whisper to his retreating back.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I make my way to the front of the school. I push open the heavy front doors and step out into the blinding sunlight. It’s so bright, I have to squint and blink my eyes for a few seconds.

When I can finally fully open my eyes, I start the trek home. Keeping up appearances that I don’t have magic means I can’t just portal to my house. Instead, I have to do it the old-fashioned way—walking. That’s one thing I don’t mind, though. Hawthorne Grove is full of forests, shrubs, flowers, animals, and more to keep me entertained on the fifteen-minute trip.

Halfway home, I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. My lips tip up into a small smile, already knowing who it is. Pulling out my phone, I glance at the screen.

Bishop

Wanna go to the Poisoned Vine 2nite?

Bishop is my best friend in this shithole town, and he enjoys beating things up, just like I do. The Poisoned Vine is our favorite MMA gym. It’s a few towns over, so I get a break from Hawthorne Grove for a little while.

Hell yeah, I do. What kinda question is that?

Bishop

I’ll pick you up in 30 mins.

K

I walk the rest of the way home with a goofy smile on my face. While my day has sucked, at least I’ll get to hit things tonight.

CHAPTER 2

IZZY

“You look like shit, kid,” Agatha, or Aggie, as I call her, informs me as I push open the door to my room. I live with my parents and two older brothers, so my room is really the only place I have to myself.

Aggie’s spectral form hovers over my bed. She has her legs crossed and her petticoats primly arranged around her lap. While she was only a few years older than me when she died, Aggie insists on calling me kid. It drives me crazy, which is probably why she does it.

“Thanks. You always say the nicest things to me, Aggie,” I deadpan. The ghost just cackles at my sarcasm.