Everlight Academy Book 2 Read online

  My heart pounded as we approached the enormous house, and I wondered why I felt so nervous. I had broken into houses and stolen food in the past just to survive. But I had never done it to people I cared about. It felt like a huge betrayal.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Mel asked for about the millionth time. Anxiety swirled in her aura, as did green for excitement. I could tell she was torn over this whole thing.

  “Yes, I need to know why I can’t summon Freya’s spirit. No one else can give me answers, or they aren’t willing to.”

  Tristen hadn’t been able to tell me anything either. We had scoured the academy library too, but hadn’t found anything. Mel had offered to go in search for the books in Zoe’s house by herself, but I didn’t want her to get into trouble. So, I’d gone along with her.

  “Let’s go then.” Mel motioned for me to follow and headed straight to the back door.

  “Wait, aren’t we going to climb through a window?”

  Mel snorted. “Of course not. All the doors and windows have heavy wards on them. Plus, I’m allowed in. They gave me this.” She held up a key and turned it in the lock. Mel shoved the door open, and we headed inside. We trudged through an enormous kitchen. All stainless-steel and fancy appliances.

  I scanned the house with my mind. Good thing I was getting better at it.

  Mel headed to the kitchen and down a long hall with wooden flooring.

  I didn’t pick up on any sign of Nick or Zoe — much to my relief.

  “Where are the books?” I whispered to her.

  “They have a library.” Mel stuck to the end of the hall and pulled open a set of double doors. “This is it.” Mel switched on the light.

  I winced, both at the brightness and at how she had announced our presence. “Why are you turning the light on? Someone might see us.”

  “How else are we going to search?”

  Now that I could see better, I gasped at the number of books. There had to be at least hundreds of books in the library alone.

  “Let’s get moving.” I headed over to a shelf. Most of the books had no titles on them. How the heck would we find anything?

  Mel scoured along different titles too.

  I picked up books one by one and checked the different titles. This would take forever. “We need to hurry,” I hissed.

  “Zoe and Nick won’t be bothered if we are here. They told me I could come over at any time.”

  I sighed. I soon realised the library had been split up into different sections. That was one good thing. I headed over to a different section and finally spotted something about spirits.

  Perusing the titles, I picked up several volumes. “Mel, over here.”

  Mel headed over and flipped a book open. “Anything specific you’re looking for?”

  “Yeah, an answer as to why I can’t summon Freya.”

  “That narrows it down. Not.” Mel rolled her eyes.

  “Focus on summoning spirits from the end of the other side. The afterlife — whatever they call it.”

  I knew we probably couldn’t take too many of the books with us or it would raise suspicions. Maybe one or two would be okay.

  I spotted another book and flipped it open. I skimmed through it until I spotted a section about Limbo. The place that existed between life and death. The book said lost souls often went there.

  This book and another couple sounded promising, so I shoved them into my bag. “These will do. Let’s get out of here.”

  I knew I wouldn’t breathe again until Mel and I got back to our room.

  I studied the books in-depth and discovered spirits got trapped in Limbo and couldn’t cross over. There was a spell to crossover into Limbo, but I knew it would be too risky to do it on academy grounds. Plus, Mel had freaked out when she had read the spell. It involved taking a poison cocktail that stopped someone’s heart for a few moments. Doing that at the academy would be a straight road to expulsion. This was pretty high-level dangerous magic. I’d need somewhere safe to do it in private.

  Maybe I’d get the chance to do it this weekend when I went to stay with my aunts. I had gone there to see them every weekend since finding out Freya was my mother, but I had never stayed over so far. It would be nice to have a break from working in the healing wing, too. But at least Madam Leticia seemed to trust me now, and I enjoyed working there.

  After my session with Lucas, I headed out to the Goodwin estate. I’d made good progress for the day and felt like I had got more control of my powers. Lucas had given me a book on auras to study. Though I doubted I’d have much time for that. My aunts and I had a lot of lost time to make up for.

  After stuffing some clothes into a bag along with the books, I headed out to the transportation circle with Tristen, who had offered to walk me and activate the circle.

  “Wow, what is in this bag?” He frowned as he picked my case up. “Not planning to move in with your aunts, are you?”

  I snorted. “No, this is my first official trip to see them. I had to make sure I had everything. Heck, I used to carry my entire life around in this bag. Now I have more stuff than I know what to do with.”

  We reached the circle sooner than expected. A pang of sadness made my chest ache. We’d been together every day since the term had started. Then I reminded myself it was stupid. We’d see each other in two days. “Will you be okay while I’m gone?” Holy crackers, I sounded more and more like a clingy girlfriend now.

  “Oh, whatever will I do without my snarky girlfriend?” Tristen grinned.

  I rolled my eyes. “I guess I’m nervous.” I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Pretty much all of my foster families never wanted me.”

  “This one does, and they are your real family. Just go and be yourself.” He gave me a quick but passionate kiss.

  “I think I’ve got this phone thing figured out, so I will call you while I’m gone.”

  Maybe the mobile would come in handy.

  Tristen laughed. “Stop being so afraid of it. It won’t bite you. Anyway, you can use it to take some pics with your family. Have fun and be yourself.”

  I hugged him, tight. Even though we had only been going out together for a few weeks, he understood me better than anyone and knew how nervous I felt. I’ve never had a family before and still didn’t know how to react around them. Heck, I didn’t even know how to be part of the family.

  The transport circle flared to life and Elsa appeared. “Silvy?”

  My cheeks flushed bright red, and I pulled away from Tristen.

  Her aura flared with blue and green anxiety. “Elsa, is something wrong?” I frowned.

  “No, no, I just — couldn’t wait to see you.” Excitement flashed in her aura too. “So, I thought I’d come to get you… In case you didn’t know how the circle works.”

  “Oh, I’m ready to go.” I grabbed my heavy bag. “See you later, Tristen.”

  Tristen gave my aunt his usual dazzling smile. “Hi, Lady Goodwin.”

  Even my aunt melted under his gaze. I had to refrain from rolling my eyes. “Tristen, I was going to ask, would you like to join us for dinner tonight?” Elsa asked.

  Tristen’s smile grew bigger. “I’d love to. See you later, love.” He gave me one last kiss then turned to go.

  I’d never been so embarrassed in my life. Bloody show off! I gave him a quick glare, and he chuckled as he stalked off.

  “He’s quite the charmer, isn’t he?” Elsa laughed.

  “He’s something alright.” I rolled my eyes but smiled to myself.

  We reappeared inside the garden. To my relief, the gargoyles were still and silent, unlike they had been at my last visit.

  “Now we can do whatever you want whilst you’re here,” Elsa said. “Your room is all made up and ready for you.”

  “You could show me around the castle and tell me about Freya.”

  “We will tell you whatever you want to know.” Elsa beamed.

  Z
inea stood on the front steps. Her aura swirled with blue and green so bright it was almost blinding. Excitement.

  It surprised me to see how much they wanted me here. Pretty much every foster home I’d stayed in hadn’t wanted me. I’d be devastated if Freya’s sisters decided they didn’t want me there. They might be the only blood relatives I had left, and I wanted to know them. To have them in my life and finally know what it felt like to have a family.

  “Silvy.” Zinea threw her arms around me. “We’re so happy to see you.”

  I’d never been a huggy-type person, but I didn’t mind it so much with my aunts. They were the only part of Freya left now.

  “I’m happy to be here too.” I smiled.

  I dropped my bag off in my room. The opulence of this place still astounded me. After we had broken the ice, I felt more at ease around my aunts. They showed me around the estate, and I couldn’t believe Freya had left all of it to me.

  The castle proved much larger than I had expected. Next, we moved onto the gardens and outbuildings. We went into the cellar last. There was a vast underground network of three wine cellars and a dungeon in another area.

  Elsa opened the door to another chamber. Inside, a huge spell circle covered the floor.

  “Freya used this room. But, neither Zinea nor I practise ceremonial magic. I thought I’d show it to you. You can use it when you want somewhere safe to practice.”

  Maybe I was in luck. I’d found the perfect place for me to cast the spell in. I would get to go into Limbo and find Freya’s soul.

  Chapter 19

  First, I had to get through dinner with my aunts and Tristen being there. I’d loved spending time with them, but now I wanted time to focus on the spell and to be ready for it.

  I had the ingredients ready. Working in the healing ward had come in handy since I had managed to smuggle the ingredients from there. Now I just needed to cleanse the circle and make sure I wouldn’t be disturbed. I’d almost called Tristen to tell him not to come to dinner, but my aunts were excited to get to know him too. Tristen would have understood if I had told him I wanted to enjoy time alone with my aunts. But then I remembered he didn’t have much of a family either. His parents were so cold towards him, so it would be good for him to join us. I asked my aunts if they were bothered by the fact that he was a Thornwood. They’d made it clear they despised Maeve and Forrest, but they liked Tristen.

  I rummaged through my clothes and found a dress that looked smart enough for dinner. A blue sleeveless dress that fell to my knees and some ballerina flats. I pulled my long hair half-back and then video called Mel to ask her how to use the makeup she’d given me. I still didn’t know how to use half of it. Makeup was another luxury item I’d never been given and never wore.

  Mel laughed when I made a mess of things. Then assured me I look fine. Why women made themselves look so fancy, I would never understand.

  I headed downstairs and sensed Tristen as he headed up the path.

  The butler, Simmons, was there by the front door. “Good evening, Miss Silvana.”

  I blanched. The guy creeped me out. So, I gave him a quick nod.

  Simmons opened the door and Tristen came in carrying a huge bouquet and several boxes.

  “What the hell is this?” I asked.

  “Mel said I should make a good impression on your aunts,” Tristen said as Simmons stalked off.

  I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to buy their affection.”

  “I’m not. It’s dishonourable to come for dinner in a fae’s home without bringing the hostess a gift. Plus, one of these boxes is for you.”

  “Follow me.”

  We headed in from the foyer into the drawing-room as my aunts called it. Tristen set the flowers down and the boxes on the table and pulled me in for a kiss. “Wow, you look beautiful.”

  “Not so bad yourself, prince.” I smiled.

  He had on a dark jumper and black trousers. Even though he lived in jeans and T-shirts.

  “So, Miss Eldry, will you allow me to escort you to dinner?” Tristen grinned and held out his arm.

  “You may.” I slipped my arm through his. “Holy crackers, everything here is so fancy and formal. I feel like a complete peasant.”

  “Silv, your aunts don’t care if you know proper dinner etiquette and fae customs.”

  I froze. “Wait, what etiquette? Why didn’t you tell me there was etiquette? What do I have to do?” I’d already made a complete fool out of myself at the legacy reading, I didn’t want to do it again at my first dinner with my aunts.

  Tris chuckled, and I gave him a shove. “You’ll be fine.”

  Fine? Why did no one bother to tell me all this stuff?

  I’d grill Tristen later about fae customs.

  We headed into a smaller dining room rather than the great hall where the big table was set up. This room felt more intimate and homier.

  Tell me about fae customs, I said to Tristen. I needed to make sure I wouldn’t offend anyone with my lack of etiquette. No one had ever bothered to teach me such a thing in any of my foster or group homes.

  You don’t need to know them. They’ll —

  Tell me!

  Tristen rolled his eyes and got to work telling me about table setting and stuff.

  Elsa and Zinea came in and greeted Tris with warm smiles.

  Dinner went a lot better than I’d expected. Tristen charmed my aunts, of course, and any reservations they had about him soon melted away.

  I relaxed, and my nerves faded. In some ways, it felt like I had known my aunts for years. Being with them felt natural, but it also made my heart ache to not have Freya there.

  After dinner, we played fae board games, and I knew I needed to get to work on the spell.

  I said goodnight to my aunts and Tristen, then headed up to my room. Finally!

  I yanked the book out of my bag.

  A knock came at the door. I groaned when I sensed Tristen’s presence. What did he want now? I needed to get the spell done. I shoved the vials back into my bag and headed for the door.

  “Hey, you okay?” He frowned.

  “Yeah, why?” I arched a brow.

  “You seemed weird after dinner and you kept glancing at the clock. What’s wrong?”

  Why did he have to be so damned observant? Weren’t men supposed to be oblivious to everything?

  “Nothing. I’m tired — it’s been a long day.”

  Tristen came in before I could block his way. “I know you’re still hurting over Freya. It’s okay if you want to talk.”

  I shook my head. “I’m fine.”

  “Silvy, I knew you were repressing things before. You don’t want a repeat of last time, do you?”

  I sighed. “I’m not repressing anything. Today’s been good. I don’t want to focus on my grief.”

  Tristen froze when he spotted the book on my bed. “Goddess, is that a book on spirit magic?”

  I flinched. Crap, I should have shoved that in my bag too.

  “Yes, but it’s not what you think.”

  “You’re not trying to summon Freya, are you? Spirit magic can be dangerous. It’s not something you mess with.”

  “I-I already tried. Lily told me I couldn’t see her.”

  Tristen furrowed his brow. “Lily? Do you mean that social worker you told me about?”

  “She’s a banshee now.” I hadn’t told Tristen about trying to summon Freya or about Lily because I knew he’d freak out. Plus, he would have lectured me about using such magic.

  “A banshee. Holy —”

  “It doesn’t matter. It didn’t work.”

  “Good, because you never know what might come through. Promise me you won’t try to summon Freya again.”

  I sighed again. “I promise. Now I’m going to bed. See you in the morning.”

  My aunts had said it was too late for Tristen to travel back to the academy, so he’d have to stay overnight. I’d have been h
appier if he had left. I wouldn’t let him interfere with the spell.

  “Good.” Tristen gave me a quick kiss. “I know how much you miss Freya, but you can’t let grief take over your life.” He turned and then left.

  I climbed into bed and waited until I heard my aunts head down the hall to their rooms.

  Finally! Tristen was wrong. Seeing Freya wasn’t about me missing her. I needed to know what had happened to her. If that meant going into Limbo, then I’d do it.

  I used the secret passageway that I found the last time I stayed at the castle. It took some navigating, but I finally found my way to Freya’s old magic room.

  After I sprinkled salt all around the circle to cleanse it, I mixed the potion ingredients together into one vial. The brew looked a disgusting mix of green and black. My stomach recoiled at the sight.

  Next, I flipped open the book and read through everything one more time. I’d done everything it had suggested. Now it was showtime. Here goes nothing. Elsa had said this place could anchor anyone to it. It would anchor me here so my soul wouldn’t get lost on the other side.

  “In this time, take my spirit from this place. Let me cross to the other side, across the great divide,” I chanted the spell and gulped down the potion.

  The acrid taste made me gag. I gasped as I struggled for breath. Shadows danced around my vision as I collapsed, and light blazed around the circle.

  When my vision cleared, I found myself surrounded by thick mist. Gnarled, gruesome shadows of trees loomed in every direction. I hadn’t expected Limbo to look like this. I had to focus. I knew I couldn’t stay here long, or I’d end up paralysed, or worse.

  The book had told me to focus on what I wanted to find and to have something of the person I was searching for. I’d put on a necklace Freya had owned that I had found in her room. Spirit magic was dangerous, so I knew I had to keep my guard up.

  Instead, I focused on Freya. As much as I wanted to call out, I didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention. “Come on, Freya. I know you’re here somewhere.”

  I moved deeper into the mist and shivered. Freya, where are you?