Silverwood Academy Book 1 Read online

  I knocked on the door. “Come in,” she called.

  Opening the door, I seen Headmistress Nightwing sitting at her desk, and a woman in her forties turned to peer at me, sitting opposite to the Headmistress, her eyes looked me up and down with interest, her lips tightly pursed as she assessed me. I squirmed from her gaze and shrank backwards.

  “You wanted to see me?” I inquired, clearing my throat.

  “Yes,” Headmistress Nightwing replied. She crossed her hands on the desk. “Please shut the door and have a seat Miss Marshall.” She gestured to the seat next to the lady. I quickly shut the door and took a seat, perching on the edge of it.

  Headmistress Nightwing leaned forward on her desk. “It has been brought to my attention that you have shown signs of having an Air Element,” she stated matter-of-factly. She gestured towards the woman sitting next to me. “I have brought in Professor Carr, she teaches Air Elemental here to the witches.”

  Professor Carr smiled kindly at me. “I can definitely sense your power, it’s quite strong,” she assessed, tapping her chin thoughtfully as her eyes narrowed. “It’s quite interesting.”

  Headmistress Nightwing regarded me thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing a little, she smiled. “We are quite excited to have a vampire with an elemental power, we currently only have one other vampire student with an Elemental power, but he’s a Fire Elemental!” She enthused, clapping her hands together once. “We will be putting you in Miss Carr’s class next term,” she looked to me. “We have been reworking schedules all week since your Element surfaced earlier this week, but we still need more time. We will have the timetables sent out before term begins.”

  I bit my lip. “Okay,” I replied, my heart racing. I took in a deep, steadying breath, eyeing Professor Carr. “I have been trying to repeat what I did during the exam all week, but every time I get close it’s like it slips away. I don’t think I’d be able to do it again.”

  Professor Carr placed her hand on my arm, soothing energy ran under my skin, calming my thundering heart. “That’s what I’m here for,” she assured me.

  “Now that we’ve discussed that, I have other matters to discuss with you,” Headmistress Nightwing said with a knowing smile. “I wasn’t going to tell you until this afternoon but you’re here now and it was only a formality, but considering you have the most points in your year, you get to decide where your class goes on term break.”

  I blinked in surprise. “Wow, cool,” was all I could say.

  “Do you have any idea where you’d like to go?” she asked expectantly.

  I remembered my daydream in class, the sand, sun and ocean, looking at her with a grin. “Bora Bora!” I answered.

  Her eyebrows rose and she looked at me questioningly. “Bora Bora?”

  “Bora Bora,” I confirmed with a grin. “Hot boys rubbing sunscreen on my back here I come.”

  Headmistress Nightwing smirked in amusement. “I’ll make the plans.”

  I skipped from her office and downstairs to the cafeteria, sitting down opposite to Anna, Isaac and Sophia. “Guess where we’re going on break?” I asked with a grin.

  “Where?” Anna asked.

  I gave them a mischievous smile. “Bora Bora.”

  “How do you know?” Sophia asked.

  I leaned towards them over the table. “Because I got to choose where we’re going,” I whispered. “Get your bathing suits ready, because we’re going swimming.” They all smiled widely.

  Anna and Isaac went back to his room, to do who knows what, Sophia and I headed to our rooms to wait for the results of our tests, and I started packing my suitcase, too excited about Bora Bora, and too nervous about the test results.

  I packed all the swimsuits I had been ordering for the last couple of months, trying to see how quick I could blow through my stiped, I never did. Packing several pairs of jean shorts and crop tops, sandals, high heels and a few of my short dresses I brought for clubbing, packing a few accessories and needing a whole other suitcase for all my shoes and underwear.

  I sat on my bed, looking around at my three suitcases, wondering if I went a little overboard when a ping sounded from my notebook, I picked it up, unlocking it. Test results are in.

  I clicked the link, holding my breath, my heart hammering in my chest as I snagged my lip between my teeth. Searching for my name, scrolling down the list of names that were in alphabetical until I got to the M’s.

  Natasha Marshall:

  Enhanced Senses: 98% A+

  Control 101: 100% A+

  Compulsion: 95% A

  Gifts and Powers: 90% A,

  Additional comments: would’ve loved to see you use your Air Element.

  Attack and defend: 97% A+

  Overall: A+

  I sighed, my shoulders relaxed, my heart settled within my chest, relief flooded my body, and I hadn’t realised just how worried I was about it. Laying back on my bed, feeling the weight of the stress leave my body like a leaf getting swept away in the wind, I was ready to relax on vacation.

  Later that afternoon we sat in the auditorium as Headmistress stood in front of the school. “Congratulations for completing your first term at Silverwood Academy!” the school clapped in unison. “The first years’ end of term vacation was chosen by Natasha Marshall, and I’d like to announce that you will be going to Bora Bora!” everyone in the first year clapped enthusiastically, turning to look at me with smiles and holding their thumbs up. “Make sure you’re bags are packed because you will be leaving tonight! Professor Blackwell, Professor Blackthorne and Professor Rushford have all volunteered to accompany you!”

  She continued with her speech, letting the other years know where they’ll be going, some of them seemed unhappy by their choices, but I was pleased with mine. The assembly was short and sweet with Headmistress Nightwing finishing the assembly with a smile and “Now get out of here!”

  The first years’ were told to meet out the front of The Hub in an hour, so I rushed back to my room, dressing in some jean shorts and a red crop top, pulling on some red pumps from my closet, doing my makeup and adding my makeup and toiletries to the suitcase. I wanted to look hot when I got to Bora Bora. I had sunscreen applied and my sunglasses perched on my head.

  I fumbled with my three suitcases and ran like the speed of light from my room, pulling and locking the door behind me, my suitcases trailing behind me as they struggled to keep up. I stood in the courtyard of The Hub with a smile, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

  “Excited?” the sound of Sterling’s husky voice carried towards me.

  Turning around to face him, I slipped my mask back on, my heart stuttered a little, and I turned to see him wearing loose pants and a black shirt, but I ignored it, giving him a blank look. He had a jacket in one hand and his suitcase trailed behind. “Not anymore,” I replied, shrugging.

  Hurt flashed in his eyes, he looked me square in the eye, as if nothing happened. “Why are you being like this?” he hissed.

  I looked him in the eye. “Like what?” I questioned, raising my brow.

  “Like you don’t care?” he questioned.

  “Because I don’t,” I stated, turning around.

  He couldn’t respond because people started walking towards us, Professor Rushford and Professor Blackthorne stood beside Sterling, just as a convoy of black jeeps drove up the driveway. “Oh my,” Anna muttered from beside me.

  I smirked. “Cool.”

  The ride to the airport was long. Anna, Sophia, Isaac, and I all travelled in one car. Sophia sat up front, Anna and Isaac sat in the middle row while and I sat in the very back, Sterling wasn’t impressed that my three suitcases took up most of the boot space so another person couldn’t sit in the spare seat, but it stayed tucked away so my suitcases could stay. I claimed they were important, and I needed them all, he rolled his eyes but agreed I could take them.

  When we arrived at the supernatural private airport, we boarded a massive private jet, our luggage was getting boarded on the pl
ane, as we found our seats.

  Massive cream leather recliners spaced out evenly around. Anna and Isaac sat next to each other in two recliners, Sophia across from them with Nic and the four of them chatted amongst themselves excitedly. I couldn’t help but smile as I stared at them, Sophia and Nic would’ve made a cute couple.

  “You’re with me,” Sterling called before I could walk past, he gave me a pointed look that said, “sit or else”.

  I couldn’t argue otherwise people would question why so I sat down in the cream recliner next to his, staring out the window. The jet sat on the tarpit not moving for a good hour, fuelling up and getting everyone’s thing onboard. All around me buzzed with excited energy.

  Sterling had picked two chairs that were the furthest away from everyone, and I wondered if he had done chosen these ones on purpose, the seats were angled in a way that gave us privacy from the others.

  The plane started moving across the tar, I gazed out the window as the world sped by, the plane moved upwards, my ears popped uncomfortably, and we were in the sky, flying up above the clouds. Leaning over Sterling, I pressed my face to the glass, looking below, I had never been on a plane before and my heart raced with the thrill of it as my eyes widened in anticipation. “Can I get you anything to drink?” a lady asked from behind me.

  Tearing myself away from the window I seen a lady dressed as a stewardess, smiling down at me. “Jack and coke?” I asked, raising my brow.

  “Same for me,” Sterling added.

  “Certainly,” she replied, then strutted off down the end somewhere, when she returned, she had two glasses filled with ice and two cans of Jack Daniels and coke. She placed them on the table in front of us, walking off to attend to more people.

  Sterling grabbed a can, cracked it, pouring the contents into my glass, it fizzed and bubbled, he proceeded to crack the next one, pouring the contents into his glass. He grabbed his glass, touching his glass to mine so they clinked. “Cheers,” he beamed, taking a large sip, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he did.

  I narrowed my eyes at him, pursing my lips as I wondered what had gotten into him, lifting my glass and took a large sip, turning away from him to look out the window, ignoring him, refusing to let him get to me.

  Hours passed by, it was about eleven o’clock at night, a lot of people were reclined back all the way and sleeping peacefully, some had a small light on above their seat, whispering quietly to the person next to them, too excited or wound up to sleep.

  It was getting cold in the cabin’s, and I rubbed my hands up and down my arms, I jiggled my leg up and down, hoping the movement would warm me up a little. Sterling stood up, shrugging his jacket off. “Here,” he whispered, handing me the jacket.

  Pulling it on I revelled in the warmth, shivering slightly as I inhaled his musky scent deeply. “Thanks,” I breathed.

  He side-stepped passed me, his crotch in my face as he stepped into the narrow hallway, he headed down the end of the plane. I bit my lip, really needing to pee, I jumped up quickly, running to the end of the jet where the bathrooms were.

  When I exited the bathroom, I raced back using my vampire speed, stealing Sterling’s chair, he strolled back, raising his eyebrows at me and sat in the chair I vacated. “You steal my jacket and then my seat,” he asked jokingly while rolling his eyes.

  “You can always have it back,” I replied, starting to take the jacket off.

  His hand grabbed mine and he shook his head, his lips parted slowly, as he drank me in wearing his jacket, the way it fell at my thighs, the arms too long so I had rolled the sleeves up a little, the way I left it open so you could see my exposed stomach. He wet his lips with his tongue. “It looks better on you,” he admitted in a whisper.

  I bit my lip, my heart betrayed me by skipping a beat, averting my gaze as I fiddled with the sleeve of the jacket. “Don’t,” I warned, whispering. “You made your choice.”

  He groaned, running his hands through his hair, going slightly rigid, tension filled his jaw. “I know,” he grunted, a tightness to his voice.

  I settled into the chair, reclining it slightly, turning towards the window and watched as the plane made its way through the dark sky, closing my eyes as they grew heavy now that I was warm, and I drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  “Wake up,” a soft voice whispered, “Tash, wake up.”

  Someone was shaking me lightly, opening my eyes, Sterling was bending over me. “We’re here.” My heart skipped a beat, my breath caught in my throat at his proximity, momentarily I forgot all the heartache he had caused me and a small smile spread across my lips, my brain felt foggy from the lack of sleep, all I wanted to do was kiss him. “Come on.”

  We got off the jet, we were in Tahiti, we boarded another plane, it was smaller, our luggage got transferred onto the new plane. I sat in the window seat, looking out the window, Sterling sat beside me.

  It took about an hour until we took off again. The lights below were bright and colourful, and I watched as we fell away from the earth into the sky. My heart thundered, I bit my lip, the sun was starting to rise, and we were going to be arriving in Bora Bora any minute now.

  My breath caught in my throat as I seen the island come into view, the bright blue waters, the tiny island around Bora Bora, the green foliage, the white sand, you could see where the ocean and lagoon met. I’d never seen anything as beautiful in my entire life. The plane started to descend, the closer it got the more I could make out the shapes of the bungalows that sat over the water.

  The plane landed, and we were escorted to a private part of the island, our luggage was being taken to the resort we were staying at.

  We were led through check-in, which was in the main building. Everything was wooden and rattan, it was beautiful. According to the man that was showing us around, Stanley written across his name tag, separate buildings sat around the whole grounds, and there was a salon, spa, a few restaurants, a few bars (inside and outside), a gym with a sauna, the pool, a games room and a hire hut.

  We walked out the back doors and into an oasis, palm trees and white sand surrounded a large pool, the pool ran up along the side of the building and I could hear the sound of water trickling into the pool. Using my vampire eyesight, I seen a waterfall, and beyond the sheet of water spilling into the pool was a cave made from rock, water spilled into it and there was private seating off to the sides.

  Stools sat in front of a bar in the water, at this end of the pool, the bar had a huge wooden gazebo with a grass rattan roof, making the pool partially shaded, sun lounges sat by the edge of the pool.

  The other side of the bar was accessible from land underneath the rest of the gazebo, there were wooden stools in front of the bar, and tables and chairs sat evenly spaced around the wooden deck.

  On the other side of the pool stood another wooden deck with curtains pulled back and tied around the large wooden posts, sun lounges, tables and chairs were inside for people to relax in. In the distance, on the grass stood small grass roofed gazebos with sun lounges sitting underneath them, looking out towards the ocean, nearby a hammock hung between two low-lying palm trees that faced each other.

  Through the trees, down the other side of the resort were two sun lounges connected with a table sitting on the grass, hammocks and a fire pit, all sat in front of the lagoon and sandy white beach, about twenty metres from it.

  Beyond the pool, the grass was green and faded out into bright white sand, and the crystal-clear blue water lapped gently up the sand. I could taste the salt in the air and smell the aromatic sea breeze as my hair lightly dance around my waist.

  Around the grounds, were round buildings, sitting between palm trees, dotted around the place, on one side of the beach lay a large restaurant sitting over the water in a u-shape so you had water view no matter where you stood or sat.

  “We have the bungalows you had requested,” the man said, pulling me out of my admiration. “If you will follow me.”

  We followed him up al
ong a path, around the back of the resort through some palm trees and along a path. A pier ran off the sandy beach and over the lagoon, where bungalows sat on top of stilts in the water. The only way to get to the bungalows was from a long pier that ran horizontally across the main one, and it split vertically, connecting two bungalows, with one on each end of the tiny platform. At the very end of the pier was a small building, and the pier split in two around it and one bungalow at each end of the diagonal piers. There were eighteen bungalows in total.

  “Some of you will be in our garden bungalows,” Stanley stated. “I will call out your names for you to collect your keys and you can head to your bungalow. Your luggage will be inside your bungalows.”

  “Natasha Marshall has Bungalow one,” the man said, holing out a key. I stepped forward and he passed me a key, raising his eyebrows slightly. “Yours is at the very end of the pier, to the left.”

  My heart burst with joy. “Thanks,” I beamed, stepping back, waiting for Sophia and Anna to get their keys.

  “Sterling Blackwell, Bungalow two,” Stanley called. “Down the very end, on the right.” Sterling grabbed his key, stepping back.

  “Anna Clarke and Isaac Payne, Bungalow three,” he called, Isaac stepped forward to grab the key. Apparently, they had asked to share a room and I stifled a laugh, knowing exactly what they’d be getting up to. “Sophia Montgomery, Bungalow four!” Sophia grabbed her key, stepping back in line with us.

  He called out names from a list, handing keys out. “Now the rest of you are either in our garden bungalows or beach-front bungalows, don’t be too annoyed though as the garden bungalows all have their own lap pools and are closer to the bar! The beach-front bungalows have a plunge pool and spa on the deck, and you can walk straight out of your bungalow onto the sand and step into the lagoon.”

  I honestly wouldn’t have minded having a beach-front bungalow or garden one from the sounds of that, but I was not giving up the chance to sleep above the water in a bungalow. Selene and her friends didn’t have a bungalow on the water either, which made me smile.