The Dark Witch: The Nox Haven Series

Chapter 14: A Dark Encounter

ALIX's POV:
"You son of a witch!" I screamed as Caddie pulled the covers off of me.

She had already pulled back the curtains. Unfortunately today seemed to be the only sunny day in October.

"We need to go, it's already 9 am." I looked up at Caddie groggily, she was already dressed in a fraying sweater and frumpy jeans.

"No Caddie it is not already 9 , it is only 9. Go back to sleep!" My red hair was sticking out in different directions and my right eye had a serious twitch. Caddie crossed her arms over her chest and didn't move.

"You are going to be the death of me," I grumbled pulling myself up from the ground. "Why are you in such a rush to leave? I thought you liked it here."

"Caddie played with her sleeves, not looking me in the eye. "It's nice to be able to go out on the weekend, I like seeing that the old world still exists." Every weekend the students of Nox Haven are allowed to go into town. We're not prisoners here, in fact we're given more freedom then most students. However it makes my job a little harder; in public Caddie is an easy target for the dark ones.

"We've got a window, you can see the world from there," I tried. Caddie gave me an exasperated look, "How nice, I get to experience life from a window. I need to get out of here, after a while it starts to feel like I'm living inside of a fantasy book."

I grabbed a clean outfit and skipped to the bathroom. "You're being over-dramatic," I sang. She gave me a funny look and mumbled, "look who's talking."

Once I got dressed Caddie wasted no time getting to the private cars parked outside of the school. "Miss Jones," one of the drivers addressed her and opened the door. "Hey Christopher," she greeted merrily. We got into the car but that didn't stop her excitement from growing. I felt dizzy watching her leg bob up and down. The car ride was peaceful, as the trees flew by and the yellow lines disappeared under the vehicle, I found myself relaxing.

"See," Caddie said noticing my calm demeanor, "You're happy that you're out of bed."

"No, I'm not happy about that. In fact I think you owe me breakfast for that," I demanded, jokingly. At least it was supposed to be a joke, but once Christopher dropped us off in town my stomach rumbled, and Caddie gave my knowing look. "I guess it's time for that breakfast," she said, heading off to the nearest cafe. How is it possible that I don't hate this girl?

Caddie:

I ate my food quickly and watched with a growing aggravation as Alix took her time. Being around mortals is an odd feeling. When I'm with the witches and warlocks, it's easier to block out their emotions. When I'm around mortals, the emotions seem to muddle together. The other week I had asked Heidi why that happened, her answer made perfect sense. Mortals tend to feel everything at once, their emotions completely control their lives. I glanced around the cafe and saw the proof of that accusation. No one sat by Alix and I, the mortals knew something about us was different so they chose to stay away. Fear tends to be a very dominant emotion in them. In town I'm a freak again, not that I necessarily like how that feels but at least I'm no longer alone. I'd rather be different but special, than being similar and nothing. 

"My mom warned me about those Nox Haven students," A girl gossiped with her friends. I looked down at my bag, forgetting it had the Nox Haven emblem on it.

"Mine too," Another girl eagerly joined in, "My mom said that they're satanists, but my dad said that they're just mentally troubled."

My face got red and I began to count the crumbs on my napkin. Alix froze mid bite, her eyes narrowed on the girls.

"They should be locked up, not put in a luxurious school. I heard they get private cars," The other one said with jealousy coloring her tone. "That's only because most of them are the children of the World's finest. My mom said that's what happens when you're on drugs while you're pregnant."

I could see Alix was about to confront those girls, not wanting to get in the way I scurried to the bathroom. I locked the door and turned to the sink, splashing some water on my face. I had gotten these kinds of comments before, but that was before I got to Nox Haven. I was so used to fitting in, and had forgotten what it's like to stand out. The light flickered above my head, and a chill traveled throughout me. I tried to control my breathing, something was very wrong. There was a new emotion overwhelming my senses. There was no other way to explain it, except for darkness. I turned around and gripped the sink as thousands of little spiders climbed their way out of the vent.

I let out a frightened shriek. The spiders began to fuse together in the shape of a man.  The insects disappeared as the villainous looking man began to take form. He gave me an eerie smile and reached out for me. It happened so fast I didn't know what to do. Somewhere in the distance I heard pounding on the door.

"Caddie! Open the door!" Alix yelled.

My response was a cry in pain, the man had my arms pinned painfully behind my back and my head in a fatal head lock. The pounding stopped. Furious tears slipped down my cheeks as a feeling of abandonment went through me. Then the door came crashing down. The man loosened his grip on me, in surprise, and I took the opportunity to throw my weight into him. He fell onto the floor. Alix put her hands up and whispered something under her breath. The man wailed as he began to turn back into the spiders. I grabbed Alix's hand and pulled her out of the bathroom.

"Take us back to Nox Haven," Alix hollered, practically pushing me into the car. "What was that?" I gulped, once enough distance was put between us and the cafe. Alix's eyes were as wide saucers, her chest falling up and down at a rapid pace. "That was a dark one."

My heartbeat faltered as I stated into her frightened eyes. Alix always acted strong, she was the one who always knew what to do. However, one creature of darkness was able awaken a great amount of fear in both of us. I wiped my sweaty palms onto my jeans and slumped back into the seat.

"If they can find me in Salem then what's stopping them from finding me in Nox Haven," I mumbled weakly.

Alix shook her head, she had managed to regain most of her composure. "They can't get into the school. There's a ward that keeps anyone who isn't a student or teacher from entering the premises," she informed me.

Alix picked up my left wrist and ran her fingers over my black tattoo. The. tattoo went from the black to a fiery red under her touch. It didn't burn though, it only sparked something unknown inside of me.

"This tattoo is given to all students and teachers the day before they come to the school," she explained, "anybody without the tattoo can't get past the wards."

That tiny piece of information gave me a sliver of relief. As long as I stayed in Nox Haven I was safe. Being trapped in between stone walls, didn't exactly sound appealing either. A fire burned deep within me. A spirit that I didn't know called out in the darkness. It screamed for release, for a chance to get back at everyone that wronged me. I pushed that feeling to the side, but I had a feeling I'd be seeing more of this mysterious strength later.

**I'm so sorry that this chapter is short. The whole book is still being edited, I will probably add more to this chapter. Please comment**