The Haven High Book Series (Wattys2017)

Chapter 18

The next class after Care of Magical Creatures was Conte's. Lauren dragged him through the numerous long and ornate hallways, until his head spun. He didn't think he'd ever get used to the maze like magical wing, but Lauren seemed to know it like the back of her hand and since he'd follow her anywhere, he wasn't worried about getting lost.

Spellcasting and Magical theory was one of Lauren's favorite classes and she didn't want to be late. She had read ahead in her magical theory book and discovered that today's lesson would be on Voodoo practices. Zach wasn't surprise she was jazzed about the class. He thought with an inner chuckle. He always knew his best friend was a blood thirsty little wench.

She held his hand eagerly as they weaved through the crowd, and when she looked back to reprimand him for going so slow he had to laugh. Normally his long stride would have left Lauren in his wake, but since she was no longer hiding her fae nature from him, she was using her fae speed to traverse the halls, and he was finding it difficult to keep up.

But as she looked back at him, her hazel eyes sparkled with her enthusiasm and he witnessed an excited grin spread across her flushed face, he couldn't help but feel all mirth being wiped away, and as his heart began to race in his chest, and somehow he doubted Conte's Voodoo class was the reason for it.

Yesterday on the walk back from school Lauren had explained to him in more detail the backgrounds of all their seemingly ordinary teachers. And it was mind boggling to consider the number of legendary and supposedly mythological beings they had at Haven High.

Apparently, Alejandro Conte the South American Demigod was part demon and wizard and had been alive for thousands of years.

He was originally know as simply Ariconte the grandson of Agnen, a primordial earth demon, that had been around since the earth's creation, and the son of his half blood son Maira-ata who was a renowned Brazilian wizard. Conte had once had a twin, but his brother Tamendonare's, human side had won out, and he had died millennia ago a mere mortal. It hurt Zach's soul to think if they were students of Haven High today. That one twin would not even be able to tell the other of their magical heritage.

Zach was jolted from his reverie by the bone jarring impact of his body hitting the first desk that Lauren had thrown him into in her enthusiasm. Lauren seeing his shocked and winded expression gave him an apologetic smile before crashing into the desk beside him.

While Conte looked on with an amused grin.His steel grey eyes dancing with mirth on his angular face.

Zach could see why the girls in his school thought Conte was drool worthy. Every angle of his face was perfectly proportioned like he had been sculpted by a master. His handsome face seemed to sport a perpetual five o'clock shadow. And the casual shirts he normally wore paired with comfortable slacks did little to hide his musculature. You could easily see them rippling through the thin cloth. In the end, it was the guys demeanor that really tipped the scales, he moved about his space like a cat on the prowl with a recognizable lethality that sent a tight shiver down your spine. Zach could see that Conte was the quintessential bad boy that most girls would find too alluring to resist. Thankfully, Lauren was too smart to fall for that.

But when Zach looked at Lauren from the corner of his eye, and saw she had her face cupped in the palms of her hands,  and her elbows propped on her desk, and was now making moon eyes at the so-called sexy teacher dreamily, he had to second guess his exalted opinion of his best friend.

As the rest of the students filtered in and took a seat, Conte cleared he throat and announced from his perch on the corner of his desk where he lounged comfortably, "Today we will be learning about Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo practices.