I walked through the rest of the house as if my legs were encased in mud and kept going, out the door and across the overgrown walkway to my car. My fingers clenched the steering wheel like a life preserver as I stepped on the gas and sped through the gate.
The tears came unchecked then. Foolish tears. Heartbroken tears. I glanced down at my paint-covered clothes, lips trembling at the thought of what I’d been building with Caden. Maybe it hadn’t all been a lie. But did it even matter if it was built on a cracked foundation?
I drove absentmindedly through the streets, surprised to find myself parked in the student lot in front of my dorm. The past twenty minutes were a blur, and I spent the next twenty watching people come and go from the building. Funny how the world kept turning for everyone else when your world was tilted off its axis.
This couldn’t be happening. What was I supposed to do now?
A fist pounded on my window, and it nearly stopped my heart. I turned to peer through the glass and spotted Zoe swaying slightly next to my car. Her eyes were bloodshot, hair tangled around her face. I rolled down my window, and she leaned in, balancing heavily on the doorframe.
“Elle, there you are. I was looking for you.”
“Zoe, have you been drinking?” I scrunched my nose at the scent of liquor on her breath.
“Maybe a little.” She hiccupped.
“It’s barely lunchtime.”
“Two o’clock somewhere,” she mumbled.
“That’s not the phrase.” I opened my door carefully so as not to knock her over. “Come on—let’s get you inside before you’re cited for public intoxication.” Reaching for her arm, I helped her up over the curb and toward the dorms. She followed easily, singing a poorly tuned song under her breath.
When we entered the lobby, she perked up a bit and looked down at my clothes. “Whoa, Elle. Were you murdered in paintball?”
“Something like that,” I said, leading her up the stairs toward my room.
Zoe fell face-first onto my mattress then curled her legs into her chest and rolled into a ball. Her bag had fallen to the floor, and out spilled a glass bottle of peppermint schnapps. It was half-empty.
“Really, Zoe? You’re drunk on peppermint schnapps?”
She moaned and held her stomach. “It’s minty fresh and all I could get my hands on. You should have some. It’s tasty.”
I eyed the bottle. After the day I’d had, why not? The thought of knocking back a few minty shots and just letting the world slide away was tempting. But it was only a Band-Aid that would be cruelly ripped off after I sobered up. And then what? Buy more schnapps? Try some different flavors? I think they make it in peach. Yum. Better to save that vice for the apocalypse. Which might not be as far off as one would imagine.
“Thanks, Zoe. Maybe later.”
Picking up my phone, I sent a text to Tanya to let her know I was all right. She’d probably been climbing the walls ever since I hung up on her. It was a good guess, seeing as I had six missed calls. She texted back immediately, demanding proof of life.
I grabbed the bottle of schnapps and held it up, smiling wide for the camera. After I sent her the photo, I grabbed a towel and a change of clothes. The paint had dried against my skin, and my outfit was ruined. I’d probably be able to salvage my shoes—the only saving grace so far today.
“Can you hang tight for a few minutes while I go shower?” I asked Zoe.
“Yes, go,” she mumbled, crawling under the covers. “You look like an art exhibit gone horribly wrong.”
I made a face at her comparison and grabbed my shower shoes.
The bathroom was blessedly empty, and I ran the water hot until steam poured from behind the curtain. I couldn’t help but imagine a slightly different ending in which Caden helped scrub the paint from my skin. That was an image that needed to be locked up in a vault and dropped into the middle of the ocean.
It figured that when I finally got myself out there and let someone get close I’d essentially get catfished. Witches had enough trouble finding a suitable mate; they shouldn’t also have to suffer the foils of modern dating.
“Looks like it’s just you and me,” I said to the loofah.
Clean and fresh from my shower, I trudged back to my room and found Zoe sitting up against the headboard, nursing a sports drink she’d grabbed from the mini-fridge.
“Switching to electrolytes? I’m so proud. You should eat something too.” I rummaged through my snack container and pulled out a bag of pretzels. Taking a handful for myself, I passed her the bag.
I climbed into the bed next to her and mimicked her pose. As awful as it was to see my friend in such a state, it was a needed distraction from my own drama. Solving someone else’s problems would at least give me some time to process my own.
“So, what’s going on, Zoe? Why the morning schnapps fest?”
Zoe munched on a pretzel and leaned her head against my shoulder. “I’m in big trouble, Elle. I’m on academic probation because of my grades, and I lost the scholarship I need to pay for tuition.”
Surprise crossed my features, and I was shocked into silence for a brief moment. After the surprise came guilt. I hadn’t noticed she was struggling. Had she hidden it well, or was I so wrapped up in my life changes that I didn’t recognize those of my best friend? Here I was, worried she might be a killer, when in reality Zoe was worried about getting kicked out of school.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I just got overwhelmed with classes and work. I told you I dropped my history class because it conflicted with my schedule, but really, I did it to try and help lighten the load. But it wasn’t enough. I’m tired all the time, and I just keep pushing harder and harder and getting more burned out, and now everything’s a mess.”
The pieces were clicking into place.
“Is this why you’ve been acting out with Jake? The security guard at the club mentioned seeing you with him by the loading dock. Apparently, you two were making out pretty heavily.”
I didn’t think it was possible for Zoe to looker sicker than she did, but at the mention of Jake’s name her complexion turned green. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said.
“Okay, that’s fair. But you should have told me what was going on so I could have tried to help.”
“I know. I was embarrassed and figured if I kept going, I could turn things around. All I needed was some quick cash, and then no one would have to find out I was sinking. I had a plan all figured out, but then the accident happened at the club, and it ruined everything. Nothing turned out the way I’d hoped. Now, I’m in a bigger mess than before.”
“We’ll figure it out, Zoe. I’ll help you study, or we can get you a tutor. And even if none of that works and you have to take a semester off, then that’s okay too. The most important thing is just coming up with a plan, and I will be there every step of the way.”
Zoe gave me a weak smile and nodded. “Thanks, Elle. You’re the most reliable person I know. I’m jealous. You have everything figured out.”
I grimaced and fiddled with the pendant around my neck. “You’d be surprised, Zoe.”
She sighed and reached for the remote on the nightstand. Powering on the TV, she found a sitcom rerun and nestled deeper into the pillow.
My phone buzzed, and I flipped it over, expecting another message from Tanya. It wasn’t her. Caden’s name flashed across my screen, and I hesitated before opening the text.
Caden: Did you make it back okay?
Caden: Talk to me.
Three little dots appeared, followed by another text.
Caden: Graves, I’m sorry.
I stared down at the words and tried to ignore the ache in my chest. Before I could change my mind, I tapped on his contact and scrolled to the bottom of the screen. With a shaking finger, I pressed the block icon and powered down my phone.
Chapter 21
The next morning, I went to history class. I clutched my coffee and bagel, eating breakfast as I slo
wly made my way through the quad. There was an energy in the air as students packed the lawn playing Frisbee, studying under the large oaks, and rushing over the stone paths toward class.
I breathed in the fall air, trying to recapture some of that university magic I’d lost over the past few weeks. There was already a little zip in my step now that I felt confident crossing Zoe off the suspect list, which only left a few names remaining. One of whom I was about to see teach ancient history.
A plan had been brewing in my mind since late last night, and I’d tossed and turned over whether I should put it into action or not. Just because Oscar and Caden weren’t exactly who they said they were and had lied from day one, I wasn’t absolved of my obligations. I still had a mystery to solve and a world-destroying book to find.
All in a day’s work for Spellwork’s newest, most inexperienced, naïve hunter.
Tossing my empty cup and bagel wrapper into the trash, I took the concrete steps two at a time and entered through the arched glass doorway of the history building. My shoes ground to a halt, skidding over the polished floor.
Caden leaned against a pillar, holding two cardboard cups of coffee with plastic lids. He straightened when he saw me and offered a hesitant smile. The man did not know how to follow directions, and even if the tiniest possible part of me was happy to see him, I still wasn’t ready to pick up where we left off.
I may never be.
“What are you doing here? I told you to stay away,” I hissed, picking up my pace to walk past him.
“I know you did, and I tried, I swear. I just . . . needed to see you.”
“Well, you see me. I wasn’t mauled by a demon on my way home yesterday. Now, go.”
“Can we just talk for a second? I want five minutes. Please, Graves.”
Grinding my molars, I stared up at the mosaic ceiling. “First it’s a second; now it’s five minutes. Fine. Whatever it takes to get you to leave.” I looked for an empty classroom and pulled him inside, but before he could start, I tugged the phone from my jeans pocket and set the timer. I flashed him the screen. “You have two minutes exactly.”
“You are maddeningly accurate, Graves. It’s one of the things I like about you.”
“You just wasted ten seconds.”
He wasted ten more scrubbing a hand through his hair and looking tormented.
“Well? I’m going to be late to class. Start talking.”
“How are you?” he asked. His gaze seemed to roam over me, taking in every inch. It was unnerving, the way his exploration still made my skin tingle. If he weren’t holding both coffee cups, I could imagine him reaching out, sliding his hands over my waist, and pulling me closer the way he always did. As if being close to me was instinctive rather than a conscious action.
I forcibly shook away the direction of my thoughts and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Seriously? You’d be better off asking my opinion on the weather. It’s nice, Caden. There’s a real crisp quality to the air. I might go apple picking later.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and expelled a breath through his teeth. “I don’t know how to fix things, Graves. But that’s what I want.”
“What you want doesn’t matter. You lied! You claim the Spellwork Organization has been infiltrated, and even if I believed you, how am I supposed to trust you’re not one of the infiltrators? ’Cause that seems like the perfect plan to me. Seduce the Spellwork newbie, get her to lead you to the Soulbinder, then stab in her the heart with her own demon blade. I could write the playbook.”
He growled in frustration under his breath. “If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead.”
“How sweet. You should put that in a greeting card.” I flashed him a strained smile.
Determination hardened the line of his jaw. “I’m not going anywhere, Graves. You’re angry, I get it. You have every right to be, but I’m staying. You’re my partner, whether it was sanctioned or not. Oscar is your mentor. Loki is despondent without you. We’re a team, and we want you back.”
The timer ticked down to zero.
I inhaled a shaky breath. Walk away, Elle. I took three steps toward the door then stopped. Turning on my heel, I went back, swiped the extra coffee cup from Caden’s hands, and hurried toward the exit.
His voice echoed behind me. “That gives me hope, Graves. We’re waiting for you.”
By the time I sank into my seat in the lecture hall, my nerves were rattling. The last thing I needed was more coffee, but I sucked down the caffeine as if it were the nectar of the gods. The coffee was pumpkin flavor. My favorite. The wretch.
Caden’s speech kept repeating over and over in my head. Maybe it was foolish, but I didn’t believe my accusation that he intended to kill me. It was hard to wrap my head around his claims though. Spellwork was a centuries-old organization, and there had never been the slightest hint of corruption. What made more sense? That a young man would lie to get out of a murder conviction, or that a revered society was undermining the very fabric of its existence? My money was on murder every time. The other option was too horrific to imagine.
The proper thing to do would be to turn Caden in to the council. He’d be sent away. My real partner would be activated, and things would progress according to the rightful order. But the thought of picking up my phone and calling it in made my stomach twist into knots.
Professor Henry walked to the front of the class and cleared her throat. The students settled down, opening their notebooks and preparing for class to start. I removed my tablet from my backpack and placed it on the desk in front of me. It was time to push Caden’s olive branch aside and focus on my plan.
The first part of the class passed with Professor Henry reviewing last week’s homework and assigning us new chapters in our textbooks. Then she switched to the lecture, fired up her laptop on the podium, and dimmed the lights. She clicked through her slides slowly, lecturing for a few minutes on each slide. I dropped my attention to my tablet and opened the folder of photos I’d transferred from Professor Roberts’ phone. There was an entire series of images of just the two of them together: pictures of them laughing at a conference, standing in front of a monument with arms over each other’s shoulders, and a handful taken on a European vacation.
I had a feeling Oscar’s theory that Professor Roberts would have enlisted help to get rid of the book was right. It was easy to assume, based on their argument the night of her murder, that they were enemies, but I knew better than ever that looks could be deceiving. Their photos spoke of a lasting friendship, and I planned to apply a little pressure to get Professor Henry to open up.
Opening the images on my tablet, I summoned a wave of magic inside my palm. I spoke the incantation and shifted my hand over the pictures, then I held my palm up to the projector screen. When Professor Henry clicked to the next slide, the first image appeared.
She didn’t notice right away until the class began to murmur. Turning to face the screen, she went still in the face of the vacation photo. She clicked onto the next slide. Another photo of the two of them surfaced. A strangled sound burst from her throat as she continued to click. The last photo was a close-up of the Soulbinder.
Professor Henry lurched toward her laptop and slammed the lid closed. Her hands trembled, and she faced the class with glazed eyes. “Class dismissed,” she said, snatching her laptop from the podium and walking from the room.
The students gathered their belongings, confused by her strange behavior. I waited until the room had emptied before making my way to the front of the lecture hall. In her haste to leave, Professor Henry had forgotten her purse. I opened the bag and quickly riffled through the contents. Deep in the bottom, I spotted a small pill bottle.
The bottle looked nearly full, and I glanced at the label. They’d been prescribed to Professor Roberts: pills to combat insomnia. Jake had said he witnessed Julia putting something in Professor Roberts’ drink. Could it have been these pills? If so, why?
I returned the bottle to t
he purse just as the classroom door opened and Professor Henry returned. She dashed a hand over her eyes, and I noticed it looked as if she’d been crying. When she spotted me, she froze.
“You left behind your purse. I was going to try and find you to return it.”
“Thank you, Elle. Sorry about how the class ended. I just needed a moment.”
I nodded and held out her bag. “That’s totally understandable. I’m guessing you didn’t put those pictures in your presentation on purpose.”
“No. Someone must have been playing a trick, and it just took me by surprise.” She dabbed again at her eyes, and I dug around in my backpack for a tissue.
“Here—take this. Do you want to talk about it? You offered me the same thing a while back. Maybe it would help.”
Professor Henry took the tissue and moved to sit in one of the chairs in the front row. “Sometimes, I think Laura’s accident was my fault. It was a freak thing, you know, but she’d been acting so strangely, and I wonder if there’s more I could have done.”
I sat in the seat next to her. “What was going on?”
“I’m not sure I should say, but I guess it can’t hurt now she’s gone, and you should be aware of the signs to look for in case someone you know needs help. In the last few days before her accident, Laura was feeling very paranoid. She was convinced one of her students was following her.”
“One of her students? Which one?”
“She didn’t tell me, but I was worried. She wasn’t sleeping and began acting more and more irrational. I didn’t want the school to find out she was struggling and put her on leave, so I kept it quiet and asked that she visit a doctor. Which she did. I thought it would help, but she refused to take her medication.”
I cleared my throat and braced for her reaction before saying, “I know this is extremely delicate, but I heard a rumor you put something in her drink at the party.”
Julia flinched. “That makes me sound so awful. But it’s the truth. You can’t imagine what she was like at that party. ‘Terrified’ is the word that comes to mind. She said she had a book, an evil book, that the historical society had acquired. She said she had to get rid of it, and I didn’t believe her, but I agreed to help. She was going to bring it to the party, and we’d deal with it. But somehow, after she arrived, it disappeared. I never even saw it. For all I know, it was in her imagination.”
A Grave Spell (The Spellwork Files Book 1) Page 17
