Institute of Magical Arts: Book 1 Read online

  Institute of Magical Arts

  Book 1

  Tiffany Kahapea

  Copyright © Tiffany Kahapea 2021

  All rights reserved

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a database and retrieval system or transmitted in any form or any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both owner of the copyright.

  Please do not participate in or encourage the piracy of copyrighted materials in a violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidences are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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  Contents

  Prologue

  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

  Also by Tiffany Kahapea

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Description

  Magic exists. Sounds unbelievable but it does.

  I live in a world full of magic users. My mom and aunts are known to my kind as the Over Lords.

  They’re most powerful magic users of our kind and they keep magic hidden from the humans.

  Then there’s me, Danielle. Also known as a nopow which is slang for no power because I’m powerless.

  Going to school with powerful magic users makes me a target and my life a living hell.

  I don’t even know why I still attend the Institute of Magical Arts. No matter how hard I try, I can’t produce an ounce of magic. It’s pitiful. Humiliating.

  No one knows my relation to the Over Lords. I’m an embarrassment and a failure.

  Or at least I thought I was.

  I found out my birth brought on a vision from the ancestors, and they are scared. So, scared that they tried to kill me.

  Luckily my mom and aunts kept me safe, but things are not what they seem.

  I’ve been lied to my entire life. By everyone I know.

  After one fateful event, the truth comes out and things become clearer.

  They were right to fear me. Everyone should fear me, and they will pay for their lies.

  I am Danielle Eshar and when I’m through fulfilling the ancestor’s vision, everyone will know my name.

  The book is a spinoff of The Bates Sisters series. The before mentioned series does NOT have to be read to enjoy this book. However, to get to know Danielle’s mom and aunts’ quirky personalities, reading The Bates Sisters series is highly recommended. This book is recommended for 16+ due to language and violence.

  Prologue

  A scream tears through the house disturbing the silent night. Mary squeezes her eyes shut as sweat pours down her temples. She’s breathing heavily as labor takes its toll on her body. Sydney is leaning between her legs giving her instructions, but the pain makes it hard for her to focus. Her grip tightens in her husband’s hand as pain rips through her body once again. She gives one last mighty push and her daughter's the glorious cry fills the room. Mary sits back with a final pant of exhaustion. Her body is sore, and her muscles are screaming in agony. Sydney lifts from between Mary’s legs and places a squirming baby on her chest.

  She pats her head. “It’s over, Mary. You did well.”

  She ignores Sydney as she focuses on the baby in front of her. She’s a tiny light skinned little girl whose eyes keep switching from brown to gold with slitted pupils.

  Mary looks at her demon husband, Volkath, with love. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

  He nods as he smiles down at his daughter. “Yes, she is.”

  Sydney leaves the room to let everyone know the baby is born. During that time, Mary and Volkath take the opportunity to choose a name. Soon, everyone runs into the room to gush over the baby.

  Annie runs over first and lifts the baby off Mary’s chest. “She is beautiful.”

  She begins walking around the room talking like a baby. This goes on for a few minutes before her turn is up.

  Miranda grabs the baby quickly and looks at Mary. “What is my beautiful niece’s name? I can’t walk around calling her girl or niece. I’m also not opposed to her being my namesake either.”

  Mary let’s out an exhausted laugh. “Her name is Danielle.”

  The sisters spend some time with Danielle, but Mary can barely keep her eyes open.

  Volkath gives her hand a squeeze before going to retrieve Danielle. “Alright, everyone. It is late. You will be permitted to see Danielle tomorrow. My wife is tired.”

  Ashley walks around his extended arms. “You’re such a stick in the mud. You’ve been on earth long enough to know people don’t talk so formal. Lighten up or else Dani is going to be boring just like you.”

  Then Ashley hands the baby over to Mary. “Get some rest. We’ll check on you tomorrow.”

  Mary nods her head and Ashley turns to leave. She only makes it a few feet before she freezes and a bright light flashes in the room. Mary quickly shields Danielle’s eyes before peering around the room. Her eyes stop toward the far wall as figure appears.

  Rebecca is standing by the window looking irritated. “I’m so sorry. I’d stop popping in like this if Ashley would stop blocking me.”

  Ashley folds her arms. “Handling the dead is tiresome. However, I make no apologies for blocking you. Nothing good ever comes from your visits. Are you here to prove me wrong?”

  Rebecca remains silent for a moment. Then she starts pacing in front of the window. “No, I’m not. I really do want to see the baby, but I am here on official ancestral business.”

  Miranda stands closer to Mary and puts her hands on her hips. “Whatever it is, it can wait until the morning. It’s late and Mary is tired.”

  Rebecca shakes her head earnestly. “It cannot wait. Danielle’s birth has triggered another vision and the ancestors are worried.”

  Stephanie stomps over to her. “Ugh, what is with you and your visions? And screw the ancestors. It’s always riddles and rhymes with them. We better not have to save the world again.”

  Mary sighs and sits up slowly. She waves her hand toward Rebecca. “Out with it already. What does this vision have to do with my daughter?”

  Rebecca hesitates before answering. She seems scared to reveal the reason behind her visit.

  Finally, she reveals the reason behind her sudden appearance. "Danielle cannot be allowed to live. She will grow up to be a very powerful force."

  The room grows cold, and the air thickens as Volkath stands taller. "What do you mean she cannot be allowed to live? No one will touch my daughter."

  Every hair on Mary's body raises as her husband's magic fills the room. Mary stands slowly and walks over to him.

  She places a hand on his arm. "Calm down and give her the opportunity to explain. I'm sure Rebecca doesn't literally mean to kill our daughter.”

  If Rebecca could cry real tears, they'd be streaming down her face. She looks at each of
the sisters and bows her head. "I meant exactly what I said. Danielle will be a powerful force that will either fall to the darkness of her demon half or fall to the power of her Mutane Sihiri half. On one hand, she'd kill the entire demon race and on the other, she'd kill all the Mutane Sihiri. She will disrupt the balance. I don’t know what causes it. I can only see her destruction. I am sorry but I'm not leaving here without her or ensuring she’s dead."

  Mary feels pops of electricity trickling across her skin as more of her husband's power fills the room.

  He moves closer to Mary. "Danielle will not be going anywhere nor will she be sentenced to death."

  Danielle begins crying from all the tension in the room. She starts squirming in her mother's arms as her face gets redder by the second.

  Rebecca begins to glow. "You do not have a choice in this matter."

  He summons his sword quickly and attacks Rebecca. Just as he swings, she flicks her wrist and sends him flying across the room.

  Black smoke starts swirling around Mary as she gathers her power. "Tell the ancestors we will handle this. My daughter will not die, today or any day. Leave now before you do something to ruin our friendship."

  Rebecca shakes her head sadly. "I am truly sorry."

  Rebecca holds up her hand and suddenly Mary freezes. Rebecca jerks her head and Danielle is ripped from her mother’s arms. She sails across the room toward Rebecca.

  Miranda snaps her fingers and teleports Danielle to Sydney. "Protect her!" She gives Danielle a quick glance before facing Rebecca again.

  Rebecca starts glowing brighter. She's gathering more power from the ancestors. Before she can use the power, she grabs her head and starts screaming.

  Ashley has her white eyes and smoky hands trained on her. "You are done. Do not come near us again. If you do, we will destroy you and the ancestors."

  She snaps her fingers and Rebecca disappears from the room.

  Mary turns to see Volkath looming over a very angry looking Sydney as she holds Danielle away from him.

  He inches closer. "Do you think you can keep my daughter away from me?"

  Mary walks over and grabs Danielle while looking at each of them in confusion. "What's going on?"

  Volkath puts an arm around Mary. "I am simply informing your sister that I must take Danielle back to the Nether World to learn the ways of her people."

  Mary frowns as she extracts herself from her husband. "My people are her people too, and she's not going anywhere."

  Magic crackles in the air as his anger comes back full force. "If what Rebecca says is true, then I must take her so that she learns where she comes from. Maybe we can use her to our advantage. Having a powerful force such as her would make us more powerful."

  Mary starts shaking her head and backing away slowly. "If there is one thing I know about Rebecca’s visions, it’s that there’s no beating them. They're either fulfilled or unfulfilled. She will stay here so that we can try to direct the way this turns out."

  He changes his stance. "I am not leaving without the child."

  He walks toward Mary but before he can reach her, a shield appears. The sisters stand defensively in front of Mary.

  Miranda looks at Danielle before speaking to Volkath. "My sister has spoken. You are here only because we allow it. You forget who we are. Should you return before we tell you, I will not be so nice next time."

  Miranda opens a portal and without waiting for a reply, Sydney pushes him through. Silence fills the room while the sisters are lost in thought.

  Mary leans down and kisses Danielle’s cheeks before speaking. "Why does this always happen to us. I just want to live as normal as possible."

  Ashley scoffs. “Well, you’re the one who fell in love with a demon. A powerful one at that. I mean seriously, what the hell were you thinking?

  Mary sighs. “Shut up, Ashley.”

  Annie leans in to grab the baby. "I have an idea. I don't know if this will stop Rebecca’s vision, but it will at least buy us time until we figure out what to do."

  She hugs Danielle close to her chest before laying her on the bed. She puts a smoky blue hand on her forehead. "I can bind her powers,” she says. “Both the Mutane Sihiri side and her demon side.”

  Mary nods her head. "Then do that. I'd rather her have no abilities than to deal with her destroying entire races of people."

  At Mary's approval, Annie bound Danielle's abilities. All Mary can hope for now is for Danielle to grow up as normal as possible and learn the ways of her people while she and her sisters learn more about the vision.

  Chapter 1

  "Lucy, we're going to be late if you don’t hurry up!" I shout as we run across the field. "Professor Jade will have us running laps around the school until dinner this time.”

  It’s the first day of our senior year. My shoes slap the ground hard as I race against time. My breathing is harsh, my heart beats erratically, and the wind is blowing strands of hair across my face. Lucy catches up to me in no time. Her magic allows her to not only be stronger than me but faster too.

  She slows down to keep pace beside me. "You could have woken me up. We literally share the same room."

  She does have a point. We live in the dorms while attending the Institute of Magical Arts. Unfortunately for us, our dorms are far across the property.

  I shrug my shoulder. "If you wouldn't stay up so late maybe you'd get up on time."

  Orchard Landing is basically a small city that house thousands of Mutane Sihiri on an island in Washington state. My mother and aunts, the Over Lords, are the leaders of our magical race. They initially established this place as a safe haven for our people when magic was accidentally exposed. Humans did not take the news of magic’s existence well and it was an arduous time to be a magic user. In the end, they fixed the problem and made the humans forget magic exists. To keep magic a secret, we operate under the guise of being a school for the young and gifted.

  The Institute is separated into four groups: Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4. Tier 1’s are the younger groups of students. They are equivalent to what the humans refer to as elementary school age. Their uniforms are midnight blue and black plaid. Their building is located on the west side of the property. Tier 2’s are the middle-aged students. They are equivalent to what the humans refer to as middle school age. Their uniforms are forest green and black plaid. They’re located on the south side of the property. My group, Tier 3, is what the humans refer to as high school age. Our uniforms are deep red and black plaid. We are located on the north side of the property.

  The boys wear long cotton plaid trousers that reach all the way down and partially cover their black loafers. They’re paired with short black patterned socks. Depending on the weather, a white short or long sleeve shirt is worn tucked in their trousers with their school jacket. A broad plaid tie hangs down the middle of their unbuttoned jacket. The girls wear pleated plaid skirts with the appropriate color of their tier. They can wear either long socks or pantyhose with black flats. Same as the boys, the girls either wear short or long sleeve white shirts tucked into their skirts with the school jacket on top. They too wear ties that hang in the middle. The jackets have the school’s crest sewn on the front pocket.

  Tier 4 is our soldier training. Everyone must train and serve in the Mutane Sihiri army. When on Orchard Landing, Tier 4 wears the military uniform while training. However, since Orchard Landing doesn’t have a college, those who wish to attend are allowed to in the surrounding area when they’re not in training. We are not prisoners here, but the rules are in place for our safety. Everyone here does a job to keep this place running smoothly but if they wish to leave and live amongst the humans, then they can with stipulations. I don’t know what the agreements are, but my mom and aunts are very good at keeping tabs on their people.

  I skid to a halt once we reach the main building. I straighten my uniform, take a deep breath, and open the doors. Students fill the halls and move about in herds. The high round ceilings amplify t
heir excited whispers and footsteps. Everyone is talking about their class schedules. Lucy and I stand in line, waiting to see what this year’s schedule will be. The line moves slowly, so we pass time talking about the things we did over the summer. For all intents and purposes, the Institute functions like a regular school. Students get summer break, spring break, and winter break. Those who can and have family outside of Orchard Landing are free to visit them.

  Lucy grabs her schedule and I step up next. Linda hands me the schedule and gives me a wink. She, along with a handful of other faculties know who I really am, and she tends to give me special treatment. I smile back, grab Lucy, and walk out of the office.

  Lucy crumbles her schedule. “Ugh, please tell me you have a better schedule than I do?”

  I never bothered to look at mine. This year will be the same as every other year; sucky.

  I look down at my schedule. “I have Offensive Magic, Defensive Magic, Combat 101, History of Magic, oh and my personal favorite, Magical Combat 203.”

  Lucy skims over her schedule and compare hers to mine. “At least we’ll have Defensive Magic and Magical Combat 203 together.” She glances at the clock on the wall. “Come on, let’s head to our building. The bell will ring soon.”

  I hook my arm through hers, and we walk to our Defensive Magic class. Everyone has already chosen their seats, so we take the two desks in the front of the class. A couple of minutes later Austin walks in with his usual group of friends. Another group of students automatically move seats to allow Austin and his friends to sit in them. They’re the popular kids in our school.