James move to me, taking me in his arms. “Tired?”
“A bit. The nap on the plane wasn’t very comfortable.”
“Are you going to change?” he asked.
I glanced at the door and shook my head. “Not tonight. I’ll just wait till morning.”
He nodded and led me over to the bed. He got comfortable and then pulled me down with him. I snuggled into his chest and after a few minutes, I fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter 4
James
I made my way to my dorm quickly, dropping everything off, and then back out again, shifting into my owl form. I flew the short way across the campus to Bethany’s window. It was cold out, but the wind didn’t feel too bad as it ruffled my feathers. I flew straight through Bethany’s window and then shifted, softly landing on my human feet.
Bethany grinned at me, but put her finger to her delicious lips and threw a glance toward the doorway. I frowned and followed her gaze.
“You think he’s still out there?” I didn’t make a sound, but she could read my lips. I gave her a curious look, wondering why she suspected Professor Ubel still lingered.
She shrugged and whispered, “Maybe, just a weird feeling, I guess.”
I nodded and figured she was still paranoid about the feelings we’d felt in Aspen. I looked around the room and my gaze landed on her cd player. “Music?” I whispered and pointed to the cd player.
“Good idea,” she said so softly I almost missed it. She moved to the player and slid a disc in to the tray and then hit play, turning it on low.
She looked so tired and vulnerable. I moved to her, taking her in my arms. “Tired?”
“A bit. The nap on the plane wasn’t very comfortable.”
She hadn’t slept well, I knew. Looking at her in her leggings and sweatshirt, I wondered if she needed to change, so I asked, “Are you going to change?”
She glanced at the door and shook her head. “Not tonight. I’ll just wait till morning.”
I frowned, but nodded and led her over to the bed. I pulled the covers back and sat down, making room for her, then tugged her down to join me. She snuggled into my chest, and I wrapped my arm around her. I pulled the blankets back up, covering her. She was asleep within minutes and soon my eyes were closing and I drifted into sleep, too.
* * *
I stood in the field watching as a coven surrounded Arrond. I couldn’t tell what they were doing. It sounded like they were chanting, moving in a giant circle that got tighter and tighter around where Arrond stood.
I looked up at the sky and realized it was dark. Not a cloud in the sky, not a star or even the moon shone. Just blackness. Never ending blackness surrounding everything, clinging to it in its inky darkness like a toxic substance that we’d never be rid of. It made me feel full of despair and loneliness. And cold. So cold that I would never feel warm again.
* * *
I shivered and blinked myself awake. Looking up I could see Bethany staring down at me, a frown on her sweet lips. “What’s wrong, beautiful?” I asked.
“You were shivering and saying something in your sleep.”
I gave her a smirk. “What was I saying?”
She frowned harder. “I don’t know for sure. Something about a toxic darkness and that you’d never be warm again.” She brushed the hair from my forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I chuckled. “I’m fine. I must have been dreaming. I don’t remember it though.”
She bit her lip and studied my face. “You sure you’re okay?”
Grinning I leaned forward and kissed her lips. “I’m fine. Come on, you must be starving.” I got up and pulled her up after me. “Get your stuff and shower and I’ll meet you in the cafeteria in twenty minutes.”
She looked at me and sighed. “Okay.”
I smiled and kissed her cheek. “See you in a bit, beautiful.” I opened the window, shifted and then flew out and across the campus to the vampire dorms. Shifting again, I pulled the door open and jogged down the stairs to our common rooms. Passing through, I waved to a few of my friends who happened to be out and about, then headed to my room which I shared with Cory.
Opening the door, I stepped into the blackness and shuddered as I recalled the words Bethany had said I had said. Toxic darkness. I frowned, wondering what that had been about. With a sigh, I shook away the thought and grabbed a change of clothes before heading down the hall to have a quick shower.
Fifteen minutes later, I was redressed and heading to the cafeteria to meet Bethany. I watched her walk in, looking around and rubbing her arms as if she was chilled.
Smiling I approached her. “You okay, beautiful?” I asked, concerned.
She gave me a small smile and nodded. “Yeah, just… you’re going to think I’m nuts.”
I smirked at her. “Never.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, well, you know how I was feeling in Aspen? Like someone was watching us?”
Frowning I nodded. “Yeah, are you…”
“Feeling it here? Yes, sort of. I don’t know. Just this creepy feeling…” She frowned again and shook her head and then looked up at me and her expression changed. She smiled and said, “I’m sure it’s nothing. Probably just thinking too hard over what happened in Aspen.”
“Bethany, if you are feeling that same feeling—”
“But it’s not. Not really. I’m sure it’s nothing, let’s just get some food. I’m starved.”
I chuckled and put my arm around her. “Okay.” We headed toward the kitchen. “Cory’s back. Passed out in our room, of course, being morning.”
She nodded and filled her tray with breakfast foods. “Did he really call you and say he needed help with the party for tomorrow night?”
“No, but I knew you didn’t want to tell the Professor what happened, so I fibbed.” I grinned at her. “Gonna turn me in?” I smirked.
She laughed and the sound of it flowed through me and lit up my insides like warm honey. “No. Do you think we could help with the party anyway?”
I shrugged. “I don’t think he’d turn away help if we offer.”
She smiled up at me as we found a table in the center of the room. The Academy wasn’t very full, seeing as a lot of students left for Christmas, but most everyone would be back in time for the New Year’s Eve party. The only ones here now were either here to help set up the party, didn’t have family to go home to (either because they didn’t have family or their family couldn’t afford for them to make the trip), or like Bethany’s parents, had made plans to do something without them.
* * *
“So what do you think?” Cory asked as he held up silver disco balls. “The colored lights we’ve hung reflecting off of them will be pretty cool, right?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
Cory grinned and handed them off to another helper. He was directing people, handing off decorations and being an overall boss.
I watched Bethany as she hung shiny silver streamers at every entrance to the cafeteria. She seemed to be having fun. Jodie and Terrance were arriving anytime, as were the rest of the student body. The Professors wandered through the room, checking to make sure there wouldn’t be any hidden little alcoves that students could duck into for secret rendezvous without them seeing them.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Professor Ubel speaking with a petite, dark-skinned woman with dark brown hair that was twisted up into some sort of knot on the top of her head. I noticed when she turned her gaze on the room that her maroon colored eyes were bloodshot. She seemed haughty, as her eyes drifted over the students, as if she thought we were all beneath her. She was dressed in a red power suit and I had to wonder who she was and what she was doing at the school. She wasn’t a teacher, at least not as far as I knew. I hoped she wasn’t a new professor sent to take over our History of the Magical World class after last semester’s disastrous start. I liked having Professor Corbett as our teacher, even if he’d only been teaching it to us day students for
the short time before Christmas Break.
Shaking off thoughts of Professor Corbett, I turned my attention back to the woman. Something about her seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Her gaze connected with mine and a smirk touched her lips before she turned back to Professor Ubel, who seemed to be captivated by her presence. My gaze tracked her as she sashayed her way out of the cafeteria with a little finger wave at the Professor, her heels clicking across the floor.
“So what are you wearing tonight?” Cory asked.
I blinked and then looked over at him. “What?”
“Tonight, for the party, what are you wearing?”
I shrugged. “Jeans, I guess, and a tee, why?”
“You’re not dressin’ up?”
“No.” I gave a strange look. “Why?”
Cory smirked. “Cause I heard Bethany’s wearing a dress.”
“She is?”
Cory nodded.
“Huh. Guess I better rethink then.” I sighed.
Cory laughed and gave me a smirk. “So whipped,” he commented before jogging off.
Chapter 5
Bethany
I grinned as I looked around the cafeteria which had been turned into party central. Silver balls hung from the ceiling, colored lights making them send rainbows of color flashing all around the room. The music was on par and everyone looked to be having a good time. Witches and Vampires dancing, having a good time and intermixing just as the Treaty had wanted. My gaze fell on James and I sighed happily.
He turned and looked at me. Arching a brow, he grinned and moved back over to me. “Having a good time, beautiful?”
“I am.” I moved into his arms and snuggled into him.
James kissed my temple and then hugged me close. “Me too. This was a good idea. I think everyone is really enjoying themselves a lot.”
I nodded and looked around again, my gaze landing on Professor Ubel. He stood with a petite woman dressed in a long flowing red dress. Her dark brown hair hung down her back in a long whip like braid. She smirked as she caught my eyes on her and I felt distinctly uncomfortable at her maroon, laser like gaze. There was something about her that left me cold and kind of creeped out. “Who is that with Professor Ubel?” I asked.
James shook his head. “I don’t know. I saw her earlier, when we were setting up the party. Do you think she’s a new professor? I can’t really get a read on her. What do you think? Is she a witch? I don’t think she’s a vampire.”
I nodded. “Yes, witch, but… she’s not just a witch, there is something else there. I wonder what she’s doing with Professor Ubel. I mean, he looks completely gaga over her, but…”
“It does look like an odd pairing. She’s too everything for him, don’t you think?” James commented.
“She really doesn’t seem as into him as he is to her,” I agreed. Sighing I turned away. It was nearing midnight and the DJ was getting ready for the count down. “Forget about her,” I added, turning James’ face to mine, breaking the weird stare he’d had on his face. “It’s nearly time.”
“For?” James grinned at me.
I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close as the countdown started.
“Three, two…” I surged up and planted my lips on his, smiling as he kissed me back, his hands pulling me closer and then moving up to cradle my face.
Being in his arms was like heaven. I never wanted it to end. Unfortunately, the dance did come to an end a short time later and we were charged with clean up duties. It all came down much faster than it had gone up, but wasn’t that always the way it went? I smiled over at James and Cory as they pretended to dunk the silver balls in the boxes. He really was just about perfect. I sighed happily as I rolled up the silver streamers to put them away. When we were finished, Cory loaded everything on a cart and returned it all to storage.
“Did I tell you how gorgeous you look tonight, beautiful?” James asked taking my hand.
I pretended to think about it. “Once or twice I think,” I replied laughing. “Thank you.”
“Want me to walk you to your room?” James asked, pulling me into his arms once more.
I snuggled into his shoulder. “Yes,” I said, hiding a yawn behind my hand. “It will be nice to take these heels off. I don’t know how girls wear them all the time. Just these few hours in them and my feet are aching.”
“Come on, Sleeping Beauty, let’s get you to bed.” He lifted me off my feet and used his vampiric speed to get me to my room quickly with me laughing the whole way there.
* * *
We had one more day off before classes resumed, so when I woke the next morning, I took my time getting ready. I was planning to meet James at Merriwick’s Coffee Shop at ten. Everyone loved Merriwick, who was rumored to be a Fairy, but we didn’t usually spend time in her shop as it was normally frequented by the professors and upper classman. It wasn’t the older students who bothered us, but the professors, because who wanted to see their teacher when they were outside of school enjoying their day off from school activities?
Once I was showered and dressed in my favorite dark wash jeans and red fuzzy sweater, I pulled on my tennis shoes, grabbed my purse and headed out of the dorms. It was a fifteen-minute walk to the edge of the campus and another fifteen to get to Merriwick’s. I smiled seeing James leaning against the side of the building waiting on me. I hung back for a moment to take him in and then grew concerned at the look on his face. He seemed… off. His gaze flicked up to me and the look gave way to a full smile that reached his eyes and my heart soared.
He pushed off the wall and met me as I reached the sidewalk outside the coffee shop. “Hi, beautiful. Sleep well?”
I grinned and took his hand. “I did.”
James pulled open the glass door and a bell rang as we entered the little shop with small round tables and black iron seats. The counter consisted of large glass cases filled with pastries and little tea cakes. The smell of the coffee was intoxicating and I couldn’t wait to grab a cup. We moved to the counter and I peered in the case deciding what I wanted.
“Welcome to Merriwick’s, dearies, what can I get for you?” Merriwick, looking as ethereal as ever, asked from behind the counter.
“Everything looks and smells so good,” I replied. “Hmmm, I will have a chocolate filled croissant and a cup of the house special.”
“Good choice,” Merriwick said with a wink of her beautiful blue, but bloodshot eye. “I’ll have that for you in just a moment.”
“Thank you,” I replied and moved to the register ready to pay.
“Here you are, my dear,” she handed over the plate and paper cup, “that will be seven-fifty.”
I handed her a ten and waited for my change before we turned and found a table in the back corner. “Oh it smells so good.” I held it up for James to smell.
He grinned. “Not as good as you, but it’s up there.”
I giggled and took a bite of the flakey and fluffy croissant. “So what did you and Cory do after I went off to bed?”
“Not too much. Shot some pool, played a round of darts and then I went to bed too. Didn’t sleep too well though.” He frowned.
“Is that what had you looking so down when I got here?”
James nodded as I sipped my coffee.
“Did you have a bad dream?” I asked reaching for his hand. As soon as I touched him I felt a distinct chill gliding over me and I shifted in my seat. I flicked my eyes up to James’ to see if he could feel it too, and he was looking around the room with a dark expression. “Did you feel that?”
He gave me a slight nod, his gaze traveling over all the patrons.
I followed his visual tour of the room and my eyes landed on a Lamia vampire who was holding her head and acting a bit odd. Her glamour faded in and out and I worried about the humans in the shop. “James—”
“I see her…” he said softly, his gaze narrowed on the vampire.
Her blonde hair
began to lose its human appearance and she really started to lose control of her glamour as she shifted to lion with a roar. Suddenly she was charging a young witch, a boy probably about fourteen. The boy covered his head with his arms as the lion vampire began to maul him, batting him around as if he were her least favorite cat toy.
James leapt from his seat and dove for the lion, pulling her off of the boy. I hurried to the boy’s side and helped him up. His arms were a bleeding mess of scratches, but other than that, he seemed to be okay. James struggled with the lion for a moment and then was joined by a couple other Strigoi, as well as one of the Lamiae Professors I didn’t know who helped control the lion girl. The girl’s glamour was back in place and the professor was panting.
Once the professor had her under control, James said, “Professor Swift, we need something to bind her arms to keep her from lashing out again.”
“Good thinking, Mr. Barrett. We should take her to Professor Singh,” Professor Swift suggested.
“Will this work?” Merriwick offered them a length of rope. “It’s enchanted. Can only be untied by the one who ties it.”
“Thank you.” James took the rope and bound the Lamia’s wrists behind her back. “Sorry,” he muttered.
The Lamia was whimpering now, making deep rumbles in her chest. Her golden eyes were nearly hidden by her pupils which seemed unnaturally large. She attempted to speak, but her words were just a jumble of sounds and syllables that I couldn’t make out.
“Come on, let’s get these two back to school and get them some help,” Professor Swift said encouraging us to help her.
I grabbed my purse and with a sad look at the remainder of my chocolate croissant and coffee, I followed, helping the boy out of the shop. “What’s your name?” I asked to keep him awake as he seemed to be drifting.
“Josh.” He blinked at me.
A Witch’s Immunity: Supernatural Academy - Book 3 Page 3
