Forbidden Magic: Sorceress Academy - Year One (of Four) Read online

  Forbidden Magic

  Sorceress Academy - Year One

  D. A. Wells

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

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  This book in its entirety and in portions is the sole property of D.A. Wells.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250.000.

  Authored By: D.A. Wells

  Copyright © 2021 by D. A. Wells

  All rights reserved.

  Created with Vellum

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  For the Sorceress in all of us

  who loves everything magical!

  Dedication

  To my husband who has always believed in me. One day we will buy that even bigger boat, hit the open waters and never look back!

  Disclaimer

  The author is not perfect. I, along with my editors make mistakes, don’t catch errors and sometimes don’t find missing dotted I’s or crossed T’s. We also don’t catch all missing comma’s and periods. We’re human. If you find something and would like to share with me, please do so. The book will be better because of it.

  This is a fun, action-packed fictional young adult fantasy book. The characters are not your normal, average, everyday young adults. They’re smart, clever and wise beyond their years.

  Dealing with new friends, a new academy, necromancers and magic is not where Celeste saw her life going. Growing up and staying inside the confines of her castle walls is where she’d rather be. But on her journey, she learns, she grows, and discovers new and mysterious powers all the while learning about her destiny. Spells abound, magical items are, well, magical, and having a familiar is awesome. It is what it is—fiction!

  Hope you enjoy the adventures of Celeste, Kael and all the other fun-loving characters they call friends and familiars.

  Academies, Kingdoms & Artifacts

  Academies & Artifacts

  Gadleigh Hollow - Death Sphere - (Scotland)

  Denisamyrs - Staff of Malevolence - (Wales)

  Laventhorpe - Amulets of The New Order - (England)

  Ruthing - Magic Heart - (Ireland)

  Kingdoms & Artifacts

  Estetia - Luminous Gem of Fire - (Celeste)

  Draelan - Staff of Maleficent Wisdom) - (Kyle)

  Eskya - Onyx Rod of Life) - (Amaria)

  Gadra - Anti-Magical Medallion) - (Tempest)

  Lastrana - Pendant of Eternal Longing) - (Lucius)

  Calsley- Desire's Dread Chest) - (Kellan)

  Lambridge - Serenity Book) - (Edward)

  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

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Also by D. A. Wells

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  Chapter One

  “All I see now is the darkening sky and the ominous, creepy forest, but I swear there was a black, shadowy figure standing there at the edge just a moment ago. Do you think that could be a warning of things to come? Should I be concerned?”

  Celeste turned to speak to Savannah, but immediately whirled back around to look out across the meadow again, uncomfortable leaving the sinister space at her back. “My stomach is filled with butterflies, and I can’t help feeling that something doesn’t seem right.” At Savannah’s speculative look, Celeste scoffed and added, “I know what you’re thinking. I’m not crazy, but I’m probably letting my imagination get the best of me, right?”

  “You’re letting that overactive imagination of yours run wild, Celeste.” Savannah smiled indulgently at the princess as she always did. “Your mind has wandered off again. There’s nothing out there but stones and boulders dotting the landscape, a collection of craggy cliffs and peaks in the distance, swooping valleys far below, and meandering trails. Your imagination is making you see shadows of things that aren’t there. Come back over here and let’s finish getting you ready for bed and a good night’s sleep.” She patted the stool and looked sheepishly at her ward.

  “I’m not making this up! It is real. I know it is.” Celeste was frustrated with her lady-in-waiting who believed her at times and at others, brushed off her concerns as flighty fantasies. Once decided, it did no good to try and convince Savannah otherwise.

  This was one of those times when Savannah wasn’t convinced. “If you say so. Personally, I believe you’ve been reading too many of those witchcraft books.” Savannah shook her head in disapproval, but soon a conspiratorial grin slipped across her face.

  Savannah worked in service to the kingdom, so she and Celeste had been friends since a young age. That was how she knew her friend had a stubborn streak a mile wide, dating back to their days as young schoolgirls when she used to delight in arguing her point with all the private tutors until they gave in from mental exhaustion.

  Her parents were employed by the King and Queen, as butler and Queen’s dresser respectively, and from the moment Celeste met Savannah, they were inseparable. They acted, and even looked, more like sisters than princess and servant. Both sported the same color hair, giving many the impression that they were related.

  Celeste moved to the stool as requested and looked at her friend, who still wore an unimpressed expression. “I’ve heard rumors about th
e forest, Savannah. I may be the Princess to this kingdom, but I’m not deaf. Don’t you remember that one evening we were riding horses and had that terrifying scare?”

  “Yes, I remember.” Savannah’s expression softened as she tipped her head and sighed. She played along with Celeste to placate her as she braided her long, reddish-brown, sun-highlighted hair.

  “How can you be so blasé about dark, mysterious figures? Don’t they scare you? They scare me.” Celeste shuddered as images of what could be lurking underneath the forest canopy flashed through her mind. Robed men and women, terrifying creatures, and cloying black magic.

  “I have my own thoughts on this subject, but this is your kingdom. I can’t mistrust your judgment, try to persuade you otherwise, and allow it to put the safety and security of your people at risk,” Savannah straightened her shoulders and shook her head resolutely. “You can’t be scared, and you definitely can’t let others know if you are. As our princess, the kingdom looks to you for strength and leadership.”

  Celeste stepped away from Savannah once her hair lay in a solid rope down her back. With her hair braided and her nightclothes on, she was ready for some peace and quiet. She loved Savannah, but it was time for her to leave. “Enough of this talk. I’m tired, as I know you are, so let’s forget about all this unpleasantness and get some sleep.”

  Savannah nodded. “Good night, Princess. Sleep well.” As she snuffed out all but one of the twenty candles sitting in their black candelabra holders throughout various areas of the room, she walked to the door that separated her quarters from Celeste’s. As lady-in-waiting to the Princess, she was never far away.

  Princess Celeste lived a normal life inside the kingdom of Estetia, Scotland. To the outside world, she appeared to be a typical princess. They observed her wearing frilly dresses in bright colors, matching jewels, and glittering accessories. Her hair was always styled in the latest royal fashion, and she attended soirees with foreign dignitaries and lords.

  If it were up to Celeste, life would be carefree and spent in jeans. She was happy with the life she led behind the security of the castle’s walls. She knew her mother and father had plans for her to attend college, but she tried as hard as possible to ignore the future and maintain her current life as long as possible.

  Beginning in childhood, Celeste’s mother, Skylar, had given her every book about magic she could get her hands on, instructing her daughter to study the subject with all haste, but never telling her why. As a young impressionable girl, the subject fascinated her, and Celeste devoured the material every night before she went to sleep.

  Celeste drifted off to sleep dreaming of magic and mythical creatures she’d like to meet, such as phoenixes and roanes. Magic held a special fascination for her since it was forbidden in Estetia and all the kingdoms; one day, she would discover the reason why.

  Celeste greeted her father, King Roland, in court the next day. She’d been asked there to help him settle disputes between the commoners. He didn’t hold court every day because he was often traveling his lands, holding roaming court sessions in the castle of whichever noble he happened to be visiting. But occasionally he held formal court sessions within his throne room, and on those days, he asked his daughter to attend so she could get a taste for what ruling over her people would be like when she ascended to the throne alongside her brother.

  Typically, the lands of Ardismore, Calsley, and Lambridge competed for the title of “capitol,” but the King never settled in one place long enough to make any such decree. Estetia was the official seat of government, and he had no intentions of changing that.

  The throne room had a distinct, pungent smell that filled the nose immediately upon entering the room. Celeste covered her nose with her hand to alleviate the odors from infiltrating her nose. In fact, most of the rooms in the castle shared the same scent. The land was damp and humid from frequent rains, so the air was musty and stale. The large stone hearths that kept the rooms warm added to the competing odors with their sooty smell.

  As she rushed into the throne room, she knew she looked disheveled. Her hair was hastily pulled back in a ponytail, with damp ringlets of hair that had come loose from their bindings hanging limply down each side of her face. Sweat and makeup ran down her cheeks. Her appearance certainly didn’t fit with her royal title.

  “Your Highness.” She curtsied before her father as she approached his throne. “I’m sorry I’m late. Today was my fencing lesson and I didn’t want to miss it. It’s one of my favorite days of the week,” Celeste told him honestly.

  King Roland raised his eyebrow at her, but Chancellor Garran walked in behind the princess and came to her defense. “Don’t be cross with Princess Celeste, Your Highness. I lost track of time and she just finished her lesson.” He looked Celeste’s way and gave her a wink. His words saved Celeste from a lengthy lecture from her father.

  Celeste had taken fencing, martial arts, swordsmanship, and other defense courses since she was a small child. She was exceptionally skilled at using her senses in conjunction with the tactics needed in these type classes.

  She had always been a quiet girl who watched and absorbed everything around her. Her soft demeanor often fooled others, because although it didn’t show often, she had a tough interior that she’d inherited from her father and was fierce in her own right. Must be the ginger hair.

  Her mother was a silent, dutiful Queen, but Celeste took more after her father than her mother. She had no desire to be a royal figurehead who was seen and not heard, expected only to be lovely and say nice things.

  Celeste didn’t like listening to the squabbles between the commoners, but she knew she had to because one day this kingdom would be passed to her and her brother, Brett.

  While in court, she made mental notes of her father’s actions, the rules and regulations of court, and all the laws that governed their kingdom. She wanted to ensure she’d be prepared when the time came.

  “You there,” said King Roland, pointing to the next person in line. “Step up and state your problem.”

  A man stepped into the plaintiff’s box. “Sir, my neighbor decided to confiscate some of my livestock and property, although both are clearly mine,” the commoner told the King.

  “I didn’t know it was his, Your Highness,” the defendant claimed as he looked sheepishly at the King.

  Celeste did her best to appear interested in the conversation, but her father swiftly lost his patience at their squabble. “Enough! I’ll let my daughter rule on this matter.”

  A look of shock appeared on Celeste’s face.

  Father wants me to rule on a matter in court?

  She quickly composed herself, sitting upright in her throne and speaking with clarity and reason “Stealing is forbidden in this kingdom. You, sir, what do you have to say for yourself? Were you stealing from this gentleman or were you not?” she asked the man being accused of the crime. He’d been caught red-handed, and when standing in front of royalty, there was no option to lie.

  The defendant glanced down, defeated. His clothes had been mended and re-mended several times, but he couldn’t hide their threadbare quality. His shoes were tattered, and his toes poked out the top, obviously too small. Celeste felt a pang of pity, knowing these were probably the best clothes he owned. “Yes, Your Highness, I took two of his chickens, some eggs, and a small basket of vegetables. I’m terribly sorry, but my children are starving and haven’t eaten in three days,” the man replied as he hung his head in shame, wringing the brim of his hat in his hands.

  Celeste was mortified. “Your children haven’t eaten in three days, sir?” She wondered how this could happen in their kingdom. There were plenty of farms to provide more than enough food for the entire kingdom.

  “That’s correct, Your Highness. I know it’s wrong to take from another, and it is clearly forbidden, but these are my children, and I can’t let them starve. Work has been scarce of late, and I don’t have much money.” He stood before her with despair shining
in his eyes, his back and posture defeated.

  “Sir, while I feel pity for your plight, I can’t condone what you did. You must work in this man’s garden to repay him, if that is all right with you.” She pointed at the plaintiff.

  “That will be fine. In fact, I need extra help if he’d like a job,” the first man replied, glancing at the defendant.

  “How does that sound, sir?” she asked the accused thief.

  He visibly sighed in relief. “Sounds wonderful, Your Highness.”

  “If you’re caught stealing again, you will be whipped in front of the people and then put in jail. I’m sure your children wouldn’t understand their father not being there for them because he continued to break the law.” Celeste was firm in the punishment she administered, but in her heart, she didn’t want to punish him at all. Kingdoms, although modern in a lot of ways, were still rigid in punishment.

  “Yes, Your Highness. Thank you.” The man bowed deeply before Celeste and the King.