Angel and the Geek (Misfits of Magic Book 1) Read online

  Angel and the Geek

  Misfits of Magic

  Laurie Roma

  Misfits of Magic

  Angel and the Geek

  ANGEL AND THE GEEK

  Cover Design by Black Butterfly Designs

  Copyright © 2022 by Laurie Roma

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission, except for the case of brief quotations in reviews and articles. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI, and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. It is fiction, so facts and events may not be accurate except to the current world the book takes place in.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Angel and the Geek

  Author’s Note

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Titles By Laurie Roma

  ANGEL AND THE GEEK

  Tech and magic don’t mix. Neither should a sexy angel and a geeky witch…

  Devon Hart is a misfit who has never really fit into the magical community. Being blessed with a rare type of magic should be exciting, but for her, it has been nothing but trouble. She can’t complain too much, though. Not when her unusual abilities have earned her a coveted spot at one of the most prestigious magical academies in all the realms.

  However, surviving school means more than just passing classes. As a tech geek, she has had to deal with her share of mean girls, snide professors, and people who want to use her for what she can do. But she has absolutely no freaking idea how to handle the hot, surly guardian angel who won’t stop threatening to destroy anyone who looks at her sideways.

  Despite his rather legendary lineage, Braxton Lightbringer Angelis is no angel. Although he has the wings, magical abilities, and the dazzling looks of his race, he has never felt the sense of purpose that most of his kind are born with. But all of that changes the moment he meets Devon.

  Brax finally understands his true calling in life is protecting and caring for his beautiful mate. Those who want to mess with her or use her will have to get through him, and he will gladly annihilate anyone who dares to try. But how can he truly protect his little tech witch when the greatest threat to their relationship is the secret he is keeping from her?

  Author’s Note

  Although it is recommended you read the series in order, you can be a rebel and skip around if you please. Each book will focus on different MCs, but previous characters will make appearances. This series is intended for a mature audience due to language and content. Do not bother reading if you don’t like fated mates, insta-attraction, and sugary sweet happily ever afters.

  Chapter One

  “Welcome to Aegis Academy!”

  Devon Hart could barely contain her excitement at hearing those words the moment she stepped through the swirling portal into the Fae Realm. She had been wanting to attend Aegis Academy for so long she could barely believe her wish was finally coming true. Now, she was officially enrolled in the best magical academy in all the realms.

  Well, she wasn’t in just yet.

  The portal that had transported the group of students to the Fae Realm had dropped them off directly in front of the gated entrance of the academy. There were strong wards around the campus that made it impossible for portals to work directly on school grounds. Those spells also stopped students from using their magic to teleport off campus, except from specifically designated areas.

  Those were just a few of the precautions that safeguarded the students and faculty. However, there were probably more magical protections in place that no one knew about.

  Although their words of greeting had been welcoming, the bored expressions of the two representatives standing in front of the gates sent an entirely different message. The welcoming committee was obviously less than thrilled to be there, but Devon had no problem overlooking their lack of enthusiasm.

  She was excited enough for all of them.

  It was always difficult to decipher the age of any supernatural being, but she could tell the academy representatives were still students since they were both dressed in perfectly tailored uniforms. The male wore gray pants with a crisp, white dress shirt, purple tie, and black blazer with the academy emblem on the front. His long, black hair, purple eyes, pointed ears, and ethereal features made it easy to recognize him as fae, and his regal bearing told Devon he was probably someone important in the supernatural world.

  In her experience, it was best to avoid powerful supes whenever possible.

  While the fae looked intimidating in his uniform, his female companion looked alluring in a purple shirt, black tie, and black, purple, and silver plaid skirt. Even though Devon utterly loathed the idea of wearing a uniform, she had to admit it wasn’t too bad of a look. She still wasn’t happy about it, but at least the skirt was long enough to cover a decent amount of skin. She could do without the knee-high socks and god-awful high heels, though.

  If she really had to wear those, she was going to end up breaking an ankle.

  Before real panic could set it, she remembered that students were allowed to wear whatever shoes they wanted as long as they adhered to the school colors. From the information packet she had been sent along with her acceptance letter, Devon also knew that female students now had the option to wear either skirts or pants.

  That was pretty progressive compared to some of the schools in other realms.

  Students who attended the Celestial Academy had to wear flowing gowns and robes, while those who traveled to the Fairy Glades needed thick, hooded capes for half of the year due to the extreme weather fluctuations. To top that, there were rumors that the skirts the female students were forced to wear in the Hell Realm were so short they were utterly indecent.

  While Devon couldn’t tell what type of supernatural the female representative was, even in a world filled with beautiful creatures, she was truly extraordinary. That in itself was enough of a warning that she must be dangerous. Her features were stunning and her long, vibrant hair shimmered several shades of blue in the strong sunlight. While her looks were captivating, there was also something about the way she moved that was utterly compelling to watch.

  Devon forced her gaze away, focusing on the safer view of the landscape around them. Aegis Academy was located at the heart of where the four fae kingdoms intersected, giving the school equal protection from each of the royal courts. Presently, there was peace between the Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter Kingdoms, but that wasn’t always the case. The slightest provocation could lead to war, but even during times of conflict, they were careful about leaving the academy alone.

  While there was nothing but a vast field surrounding the academy, everything glowed under the bright, white sunlight. The sky was an array of vivid pastel colors that made it seem li
ke a beautiful dreamscape. Even the air smelled magical in the Fae Realm. Devon wished she could explore more but had to remind herself there would be time for that later.

  “Now that everyone is here, grab your belongings and follow us,” the fae announced. At their approach, the golden gates slid open, smooth and silent, and the air rippled around them as they walked through some sort of invisible, magical barrier.

  “You really don’t expect us to carry our own luggage, do you?” a voice whined.

  The fae paused to glare back at the blonde witch who had copped the attitude. “Leave it here or bring it with you. I really don’t care what you do with your shit.”

  Well, okay then.

  The cheerful welcome was officially over.

  His voice dripped with icy disdain as he added, “If you wanted the carriages, porters, and ridiculous fanfare, you should have gotten here two days ago when the rest of the new students arrived. You know…when you were supposed to be here.”

  Devon ducked her head at that reminder. She wasn’t sure about the dozen or so other students that had come through the portal with her, but she really did have a good explanation for why she hadn’t arrived earlier. In fact, she hadn’t even been sure she would be allowed to attend Aegis Academy until her formal acceptance letter had arrived a few days ago.

  She wasn’t complaining, though.

  Better late than never.

  While there were a number of supernaturals who lived in the human realm, Devon had never really been part of the magical community. Growing up with two witch parents who wanted nothing to do with magic had made it impossible for her to connect to that part of her heritage. As physicists, her parents had chosen to devote their lives to science instead of the supernatural. Therefore, all magic had been forbidden in their house, but she hadn’t let that deter her.

  That just meant she’d had to figure out her abilities on her own.

  While most supernatural families held big celebrations once their children came into their magic, Devon’s parents had been irritated when her awakening had happened. Since neither of them had much natural talent, they’d been hoping she wouldn’t inherit any magical abilities. Much to their dismay, not only was she stronger than they were, she’d also developed a unique talent that allowed her to manipulate technology.

  On her thirteenth birthday, she had discovered a small chest hidden away up in the back of the attic. Devon had been pretty sure her parents had forgotten about the old tomes and magical items that had once belonged to their ancestors. She wasn’t sure if it had been fate, luck, or some sort of magical intervention, but she was grateful for whatever had led her to the hidden treasure.

  She had studied every book and journal to learn more about her heritage, but she’d been careful not to practice out in the open since most humans remained completely clueless about the magical world. Secrecy was vital to all supernaturals, so casting around humans was strictly prohibited, except under special circumstances.

  A few years ago, Devon had sought out a few covens to try to learn from, but her search hadn’t been very productive. One of them had flat-out denied her request since their coven consisted strictly of family members, while another group had given her creepy vibes that had made her decline their offer to join them.

  The last coven she’d been in contact with had ended up not even being supernaturals. Well, the leader had been a low-level witch with barely any magical abilities, but the rest of his followers were all human. They’d simply called themselves a coven as an excuse to get drunk and dance naked around a bonfire on weekends.

  That had been a hard pass.

  Since the upper-level magical schools didn’t accept anyone under the age of twenty, Devon had decided to attend a human university after she had graduated early from high school. Her parents had been thrilled when she’d gotten into MIT on a full scholarship, and for the first time in her life, they had actually seemed interested in something she’d been doing. Or perhaps they’d just been happy she’d moved halfway across the country where she was finally out of their way.

  Due to her brilliant mind and magical abilities that allowed her to manipulate technology, Devon had excelled in school. Still, since she was younger than the rest of her peers, she hadn’t gotten the full college experience. That meant no parties, late nights at bars, or pretty much any social activities. Instead of bonding with her classmates, the majority of her friends were people she’d met online playing video games.

  Within the supernatural community, people were usually considered underage until they graduated from one of the magic academies. That decree had been put in place to ensure individuals had control of their powers before officially entering society on their own. Because of that, Devon understood that she would never fully be accepted as an independent witch unless she attended one of the schools.

  Besides, she really did want to learn more about her heritage.

  Despite graduating from MIT, she’d still been shy of the age requirement necessary to get into any of the magical academies. So, before applying to any schools, she had contacted the Supernatural Council, the governing body for the magical world, to request permission to enroll early.

  Each realm had three representatives on the council, but the headquarters were located in the Human Realm. They only met formally a few times a year, so Devon had expected it to take a while to hear back from them. Surprisingly, it didn’t take them long to contact her. To her bewilderment, she discovered that her parents had never even bothered to register her when her magic had awakened.

  That had caused a huge, messy clusterfuck.

  All families were supposed to register their children with the Supernatural Council when they came into their magic, especially if they lived in the Human Realm. Awakenings usually happened sometime during their early teens, though many shifters went through their first transformations at a much younger age. Not registering a supernatural ability was a serious violation since it put the public at risk.

  It was also extremely dangerous for the new magic user.

  Devon had been terrified when Council representatives had shown up at her apartment. They’d asked her a shit-ton of questions, making her repeat herself over and over again until she had wanted to scream. Then, they had wanted to test her skills. That had been a whole new level of frustration for her since trying to explain everything to them had made her want to bash her head against the wall. Instead, she’d showed them a few basic skills, not bothering to disclose everything she could do.

  Still, it had been enough to impress them.

  Devon hadn’t understood exactly how rare a tech witch was until they’d told her she was the first to ever officially be recorded. Due to her unique talent, the representatives had assured her that she would be welcomed at any of the academies despite her age. They had even promised to personally handle her application for Aegis Academy once she’d told them that was where she wanted to go.

  She had been ecstatic about her good fortune, but her excitement had drastically dimmed when she’d received a call from her parents. They had been furious about being dragged into Council headquarters, where they had been interrogated for hours. How they could blame her for getting them in trouble when it had been their fault for not registering her in the first place was beyond her.

  That bit of logic hadn’t mattered to them.

  While they might have seemed rather heartless, her parents weren’t bad people. Okay, they kind of were, but at least they were honest about it. They’d never hid the fact they hadn’t wanted children, particularly one with magical abilities. They’d simply had a child to satisfy the terms of her grandparents’ will in order to receive her father’s full inheritance. Even if they weren’t capable of loving her, she was grateful they had at least raised her until she had learned how to fend for herself.

  Now that Devon was of age, it was clear they considered their duty of raising her over and done with. It had hurt to hear them say she wouldn’t be welcomed back in
to their home, but their reaction hadn’t been unexpected.

  Sometimes, it was better to cut ties than try to mend broken bonds.

  She’d always known she would be on her own, which was why she had started doing freelance work to earn money. Even while she had been going to college, she’d continued to work on projects that interested her. Although her scholarships had covered most of her living expenses, she’d had ample savings to afford a pretty spectacular condo and anything else she wanted.

  Devon could have continued living a perfectly contented life if she’d stayed in the Human Realm, but she wanted more. She wanted magic and mystery, and everything else that came with being immersed in the supernatural world. In order to do that and secure the future she wanted for herself, she had to do well at Aegis Academy.

  However, she really regretted missing the official move-in day.

  While she’d left most of her belongings safely stashed away in the Human Realm, her backpack and two huge suitcases were crammed full of things she couldn’t live without. Like the prized laptop she’d pretty much built from scratch, a specialized gaming unit she’d been gifted from the company that made it after she’d helped them figure out a complicated design flaw, and a large, ultra-thin desktop monitor.

  She’d also packed the cute stuffed dinosaur one of her gamer friends had sent her last Christmas, the magical security cameras she’d been working on, and enough chocolate, coffee, and energy drinks to last her several weeks. While caffeine was important to her survival, the most vital thing she’d brought with her was the encrypted external hard drive containing all of her work, including the sketches, notes, and storyboards she had for the new video game she’d created.

  Out of habit, Devon reached back to make sure her backpack was secured and zipped up tight. Although she had cast a protection charm on it, she was pretty sure the magical beings at the school would have no problem getting around the spell if they really wanted to. With that in mind, she made a silent vow to learn better ways to protect her personal items as soon as possible.