Wicked Academy 2: The Masquerade Read online

  Wicked Academy - The Masquerade

  TERM TWO

  Nissa Leder

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Thank you for reading!

  Also by Nissa Leder

  One

  My stilettos click against the hardwood floor as I make my way to the living room. I keep my steps short, careful not to rip my tight dress.

  It’s New Year’s Eve and my parents are throwing their annual black and white party. It’s the first one I’m attending since learning the truth of all the guests; every person invited is part of the Sorcery world.

  A world I knew absolutely nothing about until I boarded a boat to Wicklow Academy, where my magical powers were returned to me after eighteen years of dormancy.

  After surviving my first semester, I’ve spent the last two weeks at home on holiday break.

  The living room is already crowded when I arrive.

  A few steps in, I feel a hand against my lower back.

  I turn toward a smiling Zane, dressed in a slim-fitting white suit. He leans in and we hug.

  “How is it that I beat you to a party at your own house?” he asks as he takes in my outfit.

  “Just because my bedroom is upstairs doesn’t mean I can’t be fashionably late.”

  The snugness of my black dress outlines my lean curves. Its neckline is high and modest, while the back is open and revealing.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re here now,” Zane says. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “It’s an open bar. Do you really have to ask?” My hand finds my hip.

  Zane laughs. “Be right back.”

  As he walks away, I scan the room.

  People mingle in groups, glasses of wine in their hands, many of their cheeks already flushed from the alcohol.

  Mom is surrounded by four other women. Her dress reaches the floor and is less fitted than mine. She’s as elegant as ever, her blond hair curled in loose ringlets with one side tucked behind her ear.

  In the back corner, Dad is standing next to Elaine’s dad. They take turns speaking, each moving his hands as he talks.

  I can’t help but wonder what part all of these guests play in the Sorcery world. Although I learned so much the first semester at Wicklow, I still have a long way to go before I really understand how everything works.

  Parties are nothing new at my house, but New Years has always been my favorite. As usual, Mom is a model host, and never spares even the smallest details.

  All the regular artwork has been temporarily removed and replaced with black-and-white photos of parties from different eras. Women in flapper dresses, men in leather jackets, couples in bell-bottoms. The new addition this year hangs to my right. It’s a modern couple an inch from a kiss. The woman’s arms hang around the man’s neck. His hands grip her hips.

  Zane returns with two glasses of white wine. “They look like they’re about to have some fun.”

  I take a glass from him. “Maybe. Or maybe she’s about to pretend to have fun.” I press the glass to my lips and tip it back.

  “Fair enough,” Zane says. “And which was it for you when you lost our bet?”

  Sebastian’s face flashes in my mind. Memories of that night have flickered in my dreams the last two weeks. As far as I know, he can’t be found. That probably shouldn’t make me happy, but it does.

  “It was a good night.” Just a shitty day after, but I leave that part out.

  “I can’t help but be a little jealous.” Zane steps closer to me to let someone pass by him. “I’d hoped whoever you were with only made you miss me more.”

  “Is that so?”

  Things have always been easy with Zane. Simple, uncomplicated hooking up. Four years of on-and-off-again fun that has never lasted more than a couple of weeks at a time. But over that period, I can’t deny we’ve gotten close in our own way.

  Zane opens his mouth to say something as his dad approaches from behind and puts a hand on his shoulder.

  “Have you told Wren the big news?” he asks.

  Mr. Kline is an older, slightly taller version of Zane. They both have the same dark skin and even darker hair, large eyes, and bright, confident smiles.

  “Not yet.” Zane’s tone is annoyed.

  “Well, what are you waiting for?” Mr. Kline glances between Zane and me. “I figured it would be the first thing you’d tell her.”

  I transfer my weight to my left foot as I look at Zane. “My interest is thoroughly piqued.”

  Zane exhales a sigh. “Well, I guess there’s no point in waiting now. I’m transferring to Wicklow—”

  His dad cuts him off. “—At first I wasn’t too keen on my son breaking family tradition and leaving Bradford, but the magic trial has the whole Sorcery world buzzing. Out of all the students at Bradford, knowing my son was selected to participate…well, let’s just say I’m a proud father.” He squeezes Zane’s shoulder.

  “Wow.” I’m about to congratulate Zane when I see he’s still scowling at his dad, so I’m not sure congratulations is the right word. “I didn’t realize they were bringing in students from other schools.”

  “It was unfortunate to hear about the two students who had to withdraw for family reasons.” Mr. Kline lowers his voice as he releases his grip on Zane and steps toward me. “But Dean Waters reached out to the council and suggested the students be replaced to keep the trial on track. They voted to bring one student from Bradford and one from Carmichael to fill the empty spots.” Mr. Kline spots something across the room. “I’ll leave you two alone now. Nice seeing you, Wren.”

  “You too, Mr. Kline.” I dip my chin before he walks away. “How come you hadn’t told me yet?”

  “I was going to,” Zane says. “But I guess my dad beat me to it.”

  “You don’t seem too thrilled at the idea of transferring to Wicklow.” I’m not sure I can blame him. At the end of the year, the bottom half of the freshman class will lose its magic. After missing the end of the semester exam, and therefore coming in last place, my trial group has the worst odds of keeping our powers.

  “I am. I had just wanted to tell you myself. But it isn’t a big deal. ” Zane shrugs as a grin replaces his frown. “Now you won’t have to miss me because we’ll be at the same school.”

  “It will be nice to have another friendly face around,” I say. “Unless your plan to get popular is to tell everyone we’ve hooked up.” My inflection is sarcastic, but truthfully if that is his plan, I can’t pretend it won’t hurt.

  “No, of course not.” He shakes his head as his gaze locks on mine. “That was so stupid of me to do at Bradford. I can’t believe I acted like such an ass.”

  I keep my chin raised and hold his stare. “Yeah, it really was. But it’s in the past, and it really will be great to have you around.”

  “Are you saying you missed me?” Zane crosses his arms, a smirk widening his mouth.

  “I’m saying it won’t suck to get to see you more often.”

  He reaches out and moves a loose curl out of my face. “I still owe you a dare.”

  “How could I forget?”

  His hand lingers near my ear for a moment. “I think I’ll wait until we’re at school to decide.”

  I cross my arms in front of my chest. “You can’t just get it over with?”

  “And end the suspense so soon? Does that sound like me?”

  “Not at all.”

  Mom comes over and steals me away to introduce me to even more people.

  I haven’t forgiven her or Dad for keeping so many secrets, but I learned a long time ago not to waste my energy being angry at them. And honestly, getting left in the dark is nothing new for me. My parents have never been the tuck-me-into-bed or ask-me-how-my-day-was type, so expecting transparency from them is a mistake.

  After an hour of handshakes and Mom conveniently avoiding the fact that, although I’m part of the magic transfer trial, I’m officially in last place, I excuse myself to “freshen up” in the ladies’ room. In other words, the most proper excuse I can think of to get away and actually enjoy the party.

  In the two weeks of my break, my parents have been home a total of ten waking hours. Occasionally, I’ve walked in on whispered conversations, picking up phrases like on the move and growing numbers. It seems now that Beck and I are both aware of magic, our parents are less careful with their words when we’re in the house. Not that much of it makes sense to me.

  In case Mom decides to follow me, I actually go into the hallway bathroom. My curls hang wild, as usual, but I actually spent some time on my makeup. Dark shadow covers my eyelids, black mascara coats my lashes, and my lips and cheeks are both a rosy hue. After being stuck in a uniform most of the time at Wicklow, dressing up is a nice ch
ange.

  When I leave the bathroom to return to the party, I nearly bump into Beck and Elaine making out in the hallway.

  Elaine notices me and leans back. “Oh, sorry.”

  Beck’s arms rest on her slender hips. “I’ve walked in on Wren in far more scandalous positions.”

  “It’s fine, really. Kissing isn’t a crime.” I smile, hoping to relieve the awkwardness in Elaine’s expression.

  It’s taken some getting used to, but the two of them dating is feeling more normal to me every day. It’s been a little over a month now, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen my brother fall so hard so fast. He’s always been a romantic, but with Elaine, everything is amplified.

  And she’s equally as smitten.

  Over the first semester, Elaine and I already started to regain the friendship we once had. But now, she’s nicer to me than she’s ever been. I’m not sure if being with Beck just has her that happy, or if because I’m his sister, she feels more pressure for us to get along. Either way, it’s been nice. I really am happy for them, even if I’m still a little mad that, thanks to Beck, Kaz and I never had a chance to see how things could have been between us.

  Who knows, though? Maybe it isn’t too late.

  “I’ll let you two get back to it.” I give Elaine a wink and return to the party.

  I’m not even five steps into the living room before Mom finds me again.

  As she leads me to yet another important person in the Sorcery world, I snatch a glass of wine from a server. It’s red wine, which is too bitter for my personal taste, but right now I’ll take anything that helps make these boring conversations more tolerable.

  We approach a woman I don’t recognize. Her red hair is pulled back into a ballerina bun. A peachy gloss tints her large lips, and thick-framed, librarian-style glasses cover her eyes. Despite looking like she might be in her fifties or sixties, I don’t see a single wrinkle.

  I can’t help but wonder if she’s had a lot of botox, or if there is some equivalent anti-aging Sorcery spell. Whatever the reason, her complexion looks more plastic than actual skin.

  “Priscilla, I’d like to introduce you to my daughter Wren.” Mom gently touches my shoulder.

  A stiff smile spreads across Pricilla’s lips. “Why hello, dear. I’ve heard so much about you from your grandfather.” She extends a long-fingered hand toward me, her red nails freshly manicured.

  I shake her hand, which is freezing. “Hello.”

  “Priscilla is head of the department of criminal affairs.”

  “Yes, I’ve been fully updated about the unfortunate incident that happened during the first magic trial exam,” Priscilla says. “I do wish I could have done more for you and your group after your heroic actions.”

  “Wren is just happy to have been able to spot the catastrophe before it happened.” Mom’s nails press into my skin.

  “Yes, my group and I knew we had to do everything we could.” I nod, hoping that’s the answer Mom wanted. “Actually, one of my group members is here at this party.”

  Taking all the credit feels wrong. If Elaine and the others hadn’t risked everything too, then the Shades would have finished the magic-stealing ritual.

  Mom quickly glances around the room. “It looks like she must have stepped out. Perhaps we can introduce you later.”

  “That would be nice.” Priscilla’s tone is uninterested. “It was great to meet you, Wren. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”

  Mom moves her arm to my back. “Enjoy the rest of the party,” she tells Priscilla before guiding me toward the hallway.

  “Can I go now?” I ask, the wine sending a buzz through my veins.

  Mom sighs. “Yes, you’ve met enough people for tonight. But it’s time you start thinking about your future.”

  My inner voice screams at me to agree and walk away, but I ignore it and ask, “What do you mean?”

  “Now that you know the truth of your heritage, you need to be smart.”

  “A vague answer. How am I not surprised?” I exhale a long sigh but hold in the eye roll.

  “I get you’re still mad at how your father and I chose to raise you, but you are an adult now, Wren. It’s time you start acting like one,” Mom lectures. “You have been born into an important family, and you can either waste that opportunity or use it. I can’t make that decision for you.” She takes a deep breath. “Now, I have some more people I still haven’t greeted.”

  Without waiting for a reply, she turns away from me and saunters back into the crowd.

  She’s so infuriating! After years of spending more time away than actually at home, letting me think vacationing was more important than spending time with her daughter, she has the audacity to tell me to be an adult. Maybe if she’d have been around more and at least pretended to be interested in my life, I’d have an example to follow.

  But instead, all my parents have taught me is how to lie to your kids, then let someone else throw a massive secret onto them before blaming them for not “growing up.”

  Mom stands in the middle of the room and taps her nail against her wine glass. “Five minutes until midnight, everyone.”

  Right now, the last thing I want is to be part of some stupid countdown.

  I walk around the corner and grab a bottle of wine from behind the bar. The bartender sees me, but I give him a don’t-even-try-to-stop-me glare and he keeps his mouth shut. I find the corkscrew, pop the bottle open, then leave the room to bring in the new year alone.

  Two

  I’m halfway down the hallway when Zane catches up to me.

  “Wine bottle in hand. Speed walking away. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re trying to avoid any awkward midnight kiss,” he says after I stop and turn toward him.

  “I’m just over playing proper hostess.” I take a long chug of the wine.

  “Something happen?”

  I roll my eyes like a bratty middle schooler, which probably just proves Mom’s point that I need to grow up, but right now I don’t care. “My mother just thinks she knows everything. As always. I should be used to it.”

  Zane pulls a bottle of wine from behind his back and raises it. “I don’t think anyone will notice if we slip away.”

  “Sounds like a fabulous idea.”

  Since I don’t want Mom hunting me down, we leave the house through the kitchen patio door and follow the shoveled path surrounded by a foot of snow on each side to the guest house. The icy air chills my skin, but with my buzz growing, I barely notice.

  When I get to the door, I turn the handle. “Shit. It’s locked.”

  How did I not think about needing to unlock it before we walked all the way out here?

  “Should we go back and get the key?” Zane asks.

  “Mom might be looking for me already.” After I hand Zane the bottle of wine I’m holding, I take a deep breath to prepare myself for what I’m about to do. When I step into the thick snow to the right of the door, my foot sinks into the white until my shoe and ankle have disappeared.

  “What are you doing, Wren?” Zane moves toward me but stays on the sidewalk.

  “Finding the spare key.” When I step my other foot into the snow, a chill swims up my legs and through my torso. “Okay, this is colder than I thought it would be.”

  Three more steps and I’m in line with the front window. Before I chicken out, I plunge my hands into the snow and dig around until I find a ceramic frog and pull it out from its white prison.

  “Got it,” I say as I lift it into the air. The momentum of my arms pulls me backward. As my body falls, my feet make a desperate move to regain my balance. But my right shoe lands on uneven ground, causing my ankle to roll and my body to crash to the right.

  The bite of the ice slaps me first. Next comes the throbbing of my ankle.

  Zane sets down the bottles of wine and rushes toward me. “Are you okay?”