Cursed Magic: A Paranormal Academy Romance (Daughter of Nyx Series Book 1)

page, and passes them back to her assistant. “Next!” she calls.
The assistant blinks a few times, then finally looks away from me to pick up the papers handed to her, along with a few other sheets. She hands them to me. “G-go down the hall a-and it’s the first d-door on your right. You’ll need to meet up with your team.”
I nod, but then stop just as quickly. “What do you mean team? I thought this was solo?” My body temperature rises at the prospect of having to battle for my place with a group of smug-ass light conjurers.
“It’s a team event, sweetheart,” Declan mutters; his joking attitude is completely gone. “If you fail, they all fail. Gods help whichever team you’re on.”
I turn my attention back to him, and my eyes narrow. “First of all, I’m no one’s sweetheart. Second of all, it’s me that should be angry having to pair with people like you. All I want to do is just get through this.”
I wrinkle my nose as I stare at the papers in my hand and my bags. I throw the latter onto the growing pile beside the desk, assuming it will be safe. The assistant eyes my bag with such fear I’m surprised she doesn’t set it on fire and cleanse the area it touched.
Yes, I am actually here for some not so nice reasons, but I hate being judged, and I hate the fact that just because my abilities aren’t pure, I’m immediately classified as a terrible, evil person. Anyone can be bad under the right circumstances. I open my mouth to give all of them another piece of my mind, but Lore pecks my cheek and shakes her head.
“Let’s go. They’re not worth it.”
I grumble, let out a deep breath, and nod. Turning around, I follow the girl’s directions and open the first door on the right. The harsh light of outside greets us and the distant line of trees behind the crowd of students quickens my pulse. Swarms of students bounce nervously on their feet in small groups, their animated chatter grating on my nerves almost immediately.
“Joy…” I mutter. “We’re going to be paired with four of them, Lore. Four.” My stomach turns at the thought of having to bond with them to pass, but I shove that down too. My feelings have no place in what’s to come next.
“What is our group designation? I would like to assess our team.”
I hold up the piece of paper. “A1,” I read.
“Did you just say A1? That can’t be right,” I whip around, and Declan takes the paper from my hand without waiting for me to hand it over. He frowns as he reads the letters written clearly on the page.
“Why’s that?” I ask, my annoyance with him growing by the second as he eyes me with new interest.
“Because—”
“You’re teamed with us,” a merry voice announces from behind Declan, and I tilt to see around him.
Three men are walking toward us. The guys come to stand side by side behind Declan with varying expressions on their faces, but all sinfully gorgeous in their own way. Goddesses have mercy.
My fingernails dig into my palms as I fight the urge to swoon; I don’t know who I should look at first. The lean redhead with the wide smile waves, and I can’t help but wiggle my fingers back at him. His eyes twinkling with mischief—my kind of guy.
Big-and-burly frowns when my eyes move to his, and he crosses his arms, accentuating the tree trunks he calls body parts. My eyes move down his gigantic frame, my lips twitching as familiar words fill my mind: as above so below.
Eventually, my eyes take in the last of our team, whose appearance makes me the most comfortable. My eyes trail along the faded scar across his lips, from the tip of his nose to the bottom of his chin, and curiosity eats away at me.
My gaze flicks between the four, taking in their downplayed auras and the harmony that appears to flow between the bright colors attached to their souls. Friends? Lovers, perhaps? Directly in front of me, Declan lets out a deep sigh. My eyes move back to him, gleefully cheeky.
“Well, this is going to be a blast, teamie!” I sing to Declan, who frowns at the challenge in my eyes and the smirk on my lips.
Doesn’t he know that if a strong wind blows, he’ll look like a grump forever?
Clearly not. Someone should tell him.

Chapter 2
“No. This has to be a mistake,” Declan’s eyes roam over the piece of paper and back to me. “You can’t possibly be ranked this high. We were told—”
“Being told something doesn’t magically make that thing happen. I… beat my competition and was chosen to come here,” I shrug.
Darkness. I can barely see. I’m running through the trees, dodging and weaving. Someone’s screams nearby—next to me. Wetness splatters my cheeks; I can smell iron.
Lifting my eyes, I meet Declan’s, all trace of joking aside. “I wasn’t the original choice, but as I’m here now, I think you should probably get used to it. I earned my right to be here.”
I trip on something and go flying, landing hard in the undergrowth. When I open my eyes, the face of a girl looks back at me, stiff on the forest floor. The ground is moist with her oozing blood.
I inhale, pinching myself on the thigh.
“It wasn’t your fault, Mistress. You had to do what was necessary to survive. As you always have.” Lore’s words soothe the pain growing in my heart, and I nod, shaking off the darkness lingering in my mind. Even though she doesn’t know everything that happened before her mark was tattooed onto my skin, she has experienced enough of my pain and regret to understand what happened.
“And if you aren’t going to accept that,” I continue, “then that’s your problem. But you aren’t ruining my chances of getting in. Or theirs.” I gesture to the others in our ragtag