Of Water and Moonlight (Thunderbird Academy Book 1)

  Of Water and Moonlight

  Thunderbird Academy #1

  Valia Lind

  Contents

  Of Water and Moonlight

  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

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Maddie’s List of Old Slang Words/Phrases

  Note from the Author

  Next in Thunderbird Academy series

  About the Author

  Also by Valia Lind

  Copyright © 2019 by Valia Lind

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover by Anika at Ravenborn Covers

  Of Water and Moonlight

  Thunderbird Academy - Book One

  Valia Lind

  It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.

  E. E. Cummings

  Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.

  Maya Angelou

  1

  There are no guarantees in life, but I'm pretty sure this day has been the most embarrassing day of my existence. Not only have I snagged my t-shirt on the door, ripping a hole at the seam, I have also managed to knock not one but two students into the wall. It's like I've suddenly forgotten how to be a regular human being. Granted, being a witch, I'll never be normal, but all these stares are driving me insane. I am not one for being the center of attention.

  It's the first day of school of my second year at Thunderbird Academy and I, Maddie Hawthorne, feel like I'm a new student all over again. Year one was nice. It was quiet. I kept to myself and hung out with my best friend. I read books over the weekends while I practiced magic in my room. Cool. Fun. Under the radar. Just how I like it.

  But then, the Ancient evil started waking up right on the outskirts of my hometown, and our whole magical community has been put on high alert. Now, my best friend is not coming back. The school is in uproar because of the dangers right outside our walls. And, oh yeah, I've apparently become a celebrity because my sisters and I performed an older-than-dirt ritual that cast a hedge of protection around my hometown of Hawthorne. I didn't even do that much, just allowed my water magic to be part of the elements of the spell. My sisters did most of the work. But that doesn't seem to matter. I was there, and therefore, I must've done some impressive magical things.

  Now everyone knows about it, and it's like I have a target painted on my back. And front. And sides. They're expecting great things from me apparently.

  That’s what Headmaster Marković told me this morning while I was trying to hide the hole in my shirt.

  "Maddie, we are very proud of you," Headmaster Marković said. "You did your coven a great honor by performing that ritual. There is great power in you, and I look forward to seeing where you go from here."

  No pressure or anything.

  "Watch it!" A shout snaps my mind back to present. I glance up in time to see a group of guys walk almost directly into a group of girls who are busy staring at something in front of them. There's giggling and hair flips, but I can't make out what has them so fascinated. The guys don't seem very happy to be inconvenienced and ignored. A few try to strike up a conversation when they see the girls, but it's a no go. I smile to myself, duck my head, and keep walking. I need to figure out my room situation. Typically, Kate and I would already have all this figured out, but her family has gone into hiding, pulling her out of school. This danger has set the whole world into panic.

  When I get past the crowd of people, I see what all the fuss is about. Three guys are leaning against the wall in that nonchalant, cool way I've always found fascinating. I don't think I've ever been that cool even when I've tried. Which might be my very problem, but that's not the point here.

  All three look to be around six feet, or taller. Dark haired and gorgeous, like a star-filled night. They could be on the cover of any magazine with their broad shoulders and messy hair. I can't see their faces, but I imagine them to be just as striking as their build.

  I'm only a few feet away when one of them turns, his eyes snagging onto mine, and it's like my whole world shifts. Light blue, like the sky after a rainstorm, they pierce right through me. I think this is the moment I've read about in books where the heroine is swept into an insta-love situation. But instead of a romantic encounter, like maybe a smile, I get a grimace and a hard glare.

  My own notions solidify as the guy continues to watch me, and I meet his glare with my own. A flash of something else comes over his eyes, but it's gone before I figure out what it is, and then he's turning back to his friends.

  That's fine. It's not like I'm a girl who attracts guys anyway. I've always been a little "too intimidating" as they like to put it. Even though I grew up with two older sisters, I've always been my daddy's girl. While my sisters focused on growing herbs and studying spells, I was more of a feral creature, running wild in the woods.

  Since dad doesn't have any elemental powers, he taught me how to live off the land and how to take care of myself. Those times in the woods are some of my favorite memories from my childhood.

  My heart grows heavier the more I think about him, and it's difficult not to let the tears fall down my cheeks. He's been missing for four months, and we have no idea what happened to him. Only that he was taken.

  That's what this year is about. Finding my dad. I don't care about being popular or well liked. All I care about is learning everything I can about the Ancient evil that has risen and figuring out if they had anything to do with my father's disappearance.

  The Ancients were kept a secret from all of us and only those who have in-depth knowledge of our history knew of their existence. That all changed when suddenly my hometown was assaulted by shadow creatures and then struck with incurable sickness. I went home over the summer to try and help. Which I did. But that one small spell is only the beginning. There is so much more to learn.

  An announcement alert sounds, and the hallway grows silent instantly.

  "Please report to the grand hall for announcements. This is not a request."

  The voice sounds almost robotic, and it repeats another three times before it shuts off. There's a moment of stillness right before the student body begins to move. I follow the crowd, trying to keep my head down as much as possible. It's not working.

  Thunderbird Academy. A place where anyone can be themselves. Yet, right now, I wish I was anywhere but here.

  They won't stop staring. It's like I have a neon sign over
my head, and the moment I step into a room, it starts flashing. I keep to the back of the crowd, but it doesn't help. It's weird to be here by myself. I already miss Kate's spunky presence and her constant commentary on the Academy. I understand why her parents want to keep her close. A lot of students didn't return because of the dangers brought on by the Ancients.

  I think back to the information I recently learned about the Ancients. They were the first to walk the earth. The creatures who created the magic within and around us today. But their selfishness and need for power drove them to evil ways, and they almost destroyed the world. Warring within themselves, they brought on apocalyptic events and nearly wiped this whole earth from existence. Such magic is draining, and eventually, they had to make a choice. They had to slumber to replenish their power, and we have been living without them for generations. Their story has become nothing more than a fairy tale told to little children to scare them into obedience. And then, the stories stopped completely. The only reason I even learned about them was because they were already awake.

  A part of me wonders if they hadn’t woken up, if I would even have any information about them. For some reason, their presence right under our feet was the biggest secret my parents kept from me. And even still, the only reason my mom knew about them is because of her position as the coven leader. No one else even had an inkling.

  When they started waking up, the Elders thought it would only be near Hawthorne. They were wrong. That's not a mistake anyone will make again. We will never underestimate them again. Because whether my mom likes it or not, I am part of that solution now. It affects all of us, and that's not something we can hide from.

  As I study the faces around me, I realize there are quite a few new ones. Just like with Kate, I know some didn't come back. Everyone is in the midst of this battle now. But there are a lot more people here than would consist of a freshman class. Faces I haven't seen before, both younger and older.

  "Good morning, Thunderbird Academy." Headmaster Marković speaks up from the stage, his voice amplified by magic to be heard throughout the whole room. "Welcome back to another year. I know many of you have questions regarding the Ancients, among other things, and I will do my best to address all of them."

  He walks across the stage, and it seems that his eyes meet each and every student before he speaks again.

  "As you may have noticed, the school is over capacity. That is not a mistake. This school is one of the safest places in the world, and students have been sent here from other institutions for that exact reason." He pauses again, and I glance around. Everyone seems to be riveted. "Room assignments will be given out when you leave this room. You have each been assigned a roommate." There are a few murmurs at his words, but he's not deterred. "Yes, it will be a tight fit, but we will make do. Packets with your class information are already in your rooms. We will have mandatory weekly meetings to keep you updated. Please." He pauses, and I feel the heaviness of the moment fall across the whole room. "Follow the rules. Stay inside the grounds. We will keep you safe, but we will need your help to do so."

  With those words, we're dismissed. The students begin trickling out of the room, but I stay pressed against the wall, mulling over Headmaster's words. For them to make a public announcement, it means the situation is much more dire than I thought. The one thing I know about grown-ups is they keep their mouth shut about dangers until the last possible moment. It's that whole trying-to-protect-us concept. Which I hate because I clearly can help, if only I was privy to a bit more information upfront.

  I'll need to call my sisters and see if there are any developments. We performed the bonding spell over the town, but everyone knows it won't keep. Other towns have followed suit, and I'm sure the academy has their own sets of protective barriers. Headmaster wasn't kidding about that. This building and these grounds are hallowed, protected by generations of ancestors and their magic. But the one thing I've learned in the last few months is that assuming is the worst thing we can do. The Ancients are too powerful, and we're too unprepared.

  I will not be unprepared again. That's a promise I make to myself right here and right now.

  When I finally push from the wall and head toward the teachers handing out room assignments, I let that thought solidify within me. This school is a safe haven, but it's also a haven of knowledge. I may not be as strong as my sisters, or as experienced as my mother, but I will do my best to help. Whether they like it or not. After all, I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and I'm determined to use them.

  2

  When I open the door to my room, I have no idea what to expect. I've always thought I'd room with Kate, if the time ever came for that. Instead, a pretty blonde greets me with a tentative smile.

  "Hi, I'm Jade," she says, standing in the middle of the room. We study each other in silence, assessing each other. She's about my height, with hair down to her collarbone. She has bright makeup on and a red cami and jeans. She looks colorful next to my dark t-shirt and dark jeans.

  "Hi. I'm Maddie."

  "Well, this is awkward," she says, after another pause.

  "Glad you called it." I chuckle a little, shutting the door and walking to my side of the room. My name is on the packet lying on the bed. I rip it open and do a quick read through of the classes. I have independent study this year which means I'll have time to sneak over to the hidden library I found at the end of last year. That’s a knowledge I have only been able to share with two people, both of whom are no longer here. Kate and Liam. While Kate is hidden who knows where, I know where Liam went. Back to Fae. That is one place more secure than the grounds of Thunderbird Academy. I shake away the melancholy of missing my friends and look up as my new roommate speaks up again.

  "Look, I don't expect us to be best friends or anything," Jade continues, "but I hope we won't be enemies."

  I smile at that because I understand. I've heard horror stories about being roomed with someone who makes your skin crawl. I never thought I'd have to worry about it at Thunderbird Academy because we've always had our own rooms.

  "Well, at least there's not three of us in here. Because that might cause some friction," I reply, and that earns me a smile. I'm not picking up anything that would set off any internal alarms in me, but I also don't dive in headfirst into trusting people. It'll take time, but at least we've broken the ice.

  "Are you a transfer too?" she asks as she turns back to her side of the room and begins unpacking her suitcase. My duffle waits for me at the side of the bed as well. Part of the service provided by the academy.

  "No, this is my second year here. Where did you come from?" As I ask the question, I realize that maybe she has no idea who I am. It's possible if she's not from around these parts. My last name is pretty known in the witchy circles, but there's a possibility I'm not as talked about as I thought. It's a nice reprieve.

  "A small town in southern California called Idyllwild."

  "I don't think I've heard of it," I reply, turning to lean against the bed. She moves around the room, placing a few items on her desk, including a framed photograph of what looks like her parents.

  "It's not super known, but it's a good community. We've always lived there. It’s in the San Jacinto Mountains surrounded by pine trees, which is, like, my favorite part. I went to a secular prep school out there and then took classes within the coven. But with the Ancients coming around, my parents wanted me somewhere safer."

  She glances at the photograph then, a tiny frown forming between her eyebrows that I can relate to all too well. I feel the same sadness anytime I think of my family.

  "It's just the three of us," she continues, still looking at the picture. "I've never been away from home before."

  "Don't worry, they'll be fine."

  She looks up at me sharply, surprised by my nailing down her concern without even trying. I may not be a Reader witch, but I've picked up a few tricks from my sister's best friend, Krista. It's becoming easier to discern people’s emotions the longer I
do it.

  "I'm worried about my family too. It's natural. It's not exactly safe out there."

  And I don't think it's safe in here either. But I don't add that last part. I know Thunderbird Academy is more protected than most of the places around the world right now. Sure, there are other academies offering their campuses as protection. Magic schools have become sanctuaries. But a part of me is worried that by doing so, we've also become a bigger target.

  "Well, maybe if you're not too busy later," Jade begins, shaking off the sadness like a pro, "you can show me around the academy?"

  She looks hopeful and I get it. Last year, I was lucky to have Kate here with me. Jade doesn't have anyone. I think we can both use a friend right about now. So, I give her a warm smile before replying.

  "Well, I'm claws sharp, and I have no problem with that."

  Jade stares at me with confusion, and that's when I realize what I said. Shrugging a little, I explain.

  "My dad and I have this running competition to see how many older phrases and slang we can discover and use in our everyday conversation. Claws sharp means having a lot of knowledge about various things."

  Jade's laugh rings out, but it's not a mocking one. I can tell she finds it as amusing as I do.