I raised my hand to touch his face, to connect with my boyfriend. His eyes stared into space, empty and devoid of anything but deadly rage. If he hated me because of that incubus, I didn’t know how to carry on.
When my palm connected with his cheek, his gaze snapped to mine. Quick as lightning, he snatched my fingers and pulled them away from his skin.
“No,” he said quietly. Then he extricated himself from under the cover and left my side cold and exposed. My insides felt like I was dying. His rejection was a hundred times worse than what Sibelius had done.
He stood with his back to us, his shoulders raised to his ears. Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, he whirled around. I’d been wrong. He wasn’t angry at me. His face was contorted into a mask of grief and pain, but it wasn’t because of anything I’d done.
Pointing his finger at Julian, he snarled. “This is Farkas’s fault. She invited that devil into the academy. You’re still going to defend that bitch?”
Julian flinched under the verbal onslaught. He leaned forward, his voice intense. “No. God, no. If she did this… If she’s responsible for this, I will throw her from the highest window myself.”
“What are we doing about them?” Lance was ready to go to war for me. But he didn’t know what he was up against.
“Please. Guys.” I barely recognized my voice, hoarse and weak after all the crying I’d done.
Both boys stopped and turned towards me. I continued, “Please. Don’t do anything right now. I just wanted you to know because…”
I fought to put my emotions into words. I was scared, terrified even.
Lance misunderstood my hesitation. “You can’t be serious. He’ll come back for you. You saw his face. He can’t let you live. You understand that, right?”
I stared at him. Of course I did. But I understood something else as well. How could I have been so stupid? By telling them, I’d endangered them just as much. I’d made them a target. If anybody had watched me run to be with Julian and Lance… If they died, it would be because of me.
15
Julian went to find Beth in Luke’s room. He’d warned her to keep her head down and never be alone without at least one or two people by her side.
Beth sent a message back that she wanted to speak to me tonight. Until then, she’d stay with Luke.
My mood lightened somewhat. At least, now I wouldn’t have to worry about Sibelius finding her before I was able to brief her properly.
But the aftermath of the attack didn’t allow me to rest. Although I spent the night in the boys’ room, I didn’t feel safe. I kept seeing Sibelius’s face, glowing with a mix of murder and lust.
When the light of dawn crept its watery fingers across the floor towards Lance’s bed, I slipped out from under the covers, trying my hardest not to wake the guys.
The campus was only just waking up. There were enough early risers strolling to the cafeteria that I felt safe to walk back to my room. I took a quick shower, fed Slug, and did my homework. The teachers didn’t accept any excuses, short of being committed to the hospital wing. And even then, I wasn’t certain it wouldn’t go on our permanent record.
I depended on the academy’s final report to determine if I’d be allowed to rejoin human society or be locked away for the rest of my life. It was their way to keep us under control. So I made damn sure I kept up with my schoolwork. Besides, it was a good distraction.
Of course, it didn’t last long. By the time I walked to my first lesson, my thoughts strayed back to the predicament I was in. What the hell was I supposed to do when I came face-to-face with Sibelius in class tomorrow?
Could I act as if nothing had happened? The very thought made me nauseous enough to think I might puke on his shoes. That would serve him right, the bastard. Which led me to thoughts on how to eliminate the threat.
Did I have it in me to kill him? Could I even kill him? I had no clue what powers sex demons possessed, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to ask the old librarian. I grimaced, imagining his expression if I inquired about his knowledge of incubi.
And suddenly it hit me so hard, I had to stop and catch my breath. I couldn’t involve the boys any deeper. I couldn’t be the reason why they’d get hurt or killed. At least Kiernan was gone, so I didn’t have to worry about him any more.
I rubbed my chest. That hurt more than I’d thought possible. But if I had to choose between him being safely away with his family or being here, getting caught in the crossfire, I knew what I’d prefer.
The beginnings of a plan seized hold of my tired brain. First, right after class, I’d go to Farkas and tell her I wanted to accept the internship. I needed to know who was behind all of this, and maybe there was something I could learn from the documents she had lying around in her office. Also, keep your enemies close, and all that.
Secondly, I still had Denholm’s book. I’d stopped exploring it after the disaster with the hex bags, but there might be something about sex demons in the ancient pages. And if all else failed, I would pull on my big girl’s pants and ask him for advice. Better embarrassed than dead.
Feeling happier after deciding on a plan of action, I sat through the rest of the day’s classes. The boys were solicitous, walking me to lunch and back, but our conversation felt stiff and unnatural. None of us wanted to discuss what had happened. They were probably afraid of upsetting me. I didn’t want to remember Sibelius’s touch and how easily he could have snuffed out my life.
Or how much I enjoyed what he did to me. That I would bury in my subconscious as deeply as I could and never talk to anybody about it.
Julian suggested to meet behind the West wing before dinner. I agreed, because despite the toxic mix of shame, anger, and fear curdling my thoughts, I needed to be near them. But not until after I’d spoken to the head witch. My plan to meet her hung around my neck like an iron weight.
I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we were finally dismissed from another grueling P.E. session. Last term, Castle had gone out of his way to humiliate me in front of the other students. But after I’d fought Strickland, he’d laid off me. His beady little eyes still watched me, but he hadn’t taunted or ridiculed me. That was a win in my books.
Once I’d left the hall, I strode towards the main building. Lance and Julian followed me outside, but when I didn’t acknowledge them, they fell behind. At least they’re smart enough to leave me alone when I’m not in the mood.
I wallowed for a few more steps before I got a grip of myself. Ms. Farkas was in her office most days until late. She would definitely be there now. I’d never seen her at lunch, unlike the other teachers. Perhaps one of her assistants brought her food every day. That might be my job soon.
A shiver ran across my shoulders. I was about to enter the lioness’s den, so to speak. There was still a small chance she had nothing to do with all the crap going down at the school. Maybe she was being taken advantage of. But that assumed she had no idea what was happening right under her nose. Far more likely, she was at the center of a massive conspiracy, trading her students’ lives for money or power or whatever it was. I’d find out. I wouldn’t rest until I got to the bottom of it. The lives of my friends, my lovers, and myself depended on it.
When I stood outside the office door, I took a deep breath, plastering a smile on my face, and knocked.
“Come in."Ms. Farkas’s voice sounded muffled, as if she were speaking through a woolen scarf. I entered carefully, not knowing what to expect. A waft of burning hit me. I inhaled in reflex, gagging on the unpleasant taste in my mouth.
What was that? It was gross. A coughing fit doubled me over, and I hacked several times, my elbows planted against my knees. A hand slapped me on my back, hard enough to nearly lay me out. When I finally managed another inhale, I looked up into Farkas’s concerned face.
“Oh, dear. I opened the window to clear the smell of the burning sage. I’m sorry. Have a seat while I get you a glass of water.”
I’d smelled sage before.
I didn’t know what she’d just burned, but it hadn’t been a simple kitchen herb. She took my elbow and guided me to the chair in front of her desk. When she placed a glass before me, I forced myself to smile and thank her.
Farkas nodded and waited until I’d emptied half the water. Then she asked, “What can I help you with, Amber?”
I put the glass back and said, “I’d like to accept your offer.”
Farkas waited for me to continue. It made me uncomfortable. So I continued, my voice sounding less sure than I’d intended. “When should I start?”
The head witch smiled, although the expression didn’t reach her eyes. “How about now? If you can spare some time, I’d like to give you a list of tasks to do after school. It shouldn’t take up more than an hour per day, although I’d expect you to come here for three hours each weekend for our special tuition.”
My shoulders drooped a little. Three hours on the weekend? And Denholm wanted to tutor me as well. But then I remembered why I chose to do this. I needed to find out who was behind the abductions. My boys were in danger because of it.
This time, my voice was firm. “Sure. What do you want me to do first?”
16
I didn’t know what I expected, but being shown the filing system wasn’t it. It turned out even magical academies had to apply for government grants and pay taxes.
Ms. Farkas pointed at a large cardboard box in the corner of the office. “When you come back tomorrow, I want you to go through this paperwork and pull out everything sent by the IRS. I’m afraid my accountant left last month, and I haven’t been able to hire anybody with the correct security clearance.”
It took a moment for her words to sink in fully. But then I blurted out, “Security clearance? I don’t have that, either.”
Ms. Farkas waved away my concern. “That’s okay. I’m not asking you to analyze the paperwork. Only pull it out and put it on my desk. And even if you see something you shouldn’t, most of the letters are already out of date.”
She didn’t have to say out loud what I clearly understood. “It’s not like you could tell anybody anyway.”
She continued briefing me on things to sort and file. When an hour was up, and I could finally leave, I tried my hardest not to heave a huge sigh of relief.
I had my hand on the door handle when the head witch said, “Another moment, please. I’ve been wanting to talk to you about your roommates. Now that Sharon has returned to Canada, how are you getting on with Bethany?”
I stopped what I was doing. I’d only ever heard one person call Beth “Bethany.” Last night, while I was being attacked by Sibelius, he’d used that name.
Keeping my face carefully neutral, I turned around. “Beth? Oh, she’s fine. She’s been hanging with her friends a lot, so I had the room to myself all weekend.”
Ms. Farkas’s nostrils flared. If I hadn’t watched her, I’d have missed it. Her voice was perfectly calm, though. “That’s good to hear. I’m sure you also like having friends over when your roommate is otherwise engaged.”
I shook my head. “Not really. I had a visitor last night, but I got rid of him quickly. I enjoy going to bed early and getting a good night’s sleep.”
There was the nose flare again. I had no proof, but it felt to me like she knew about Sibelius. Why else would she flinch when I made a crack about having had company last night? And that Beth had not been in her room? Why had she inquired about my roommate in the first place?
When I finally left Ms. Farkas’s office, I only had a few minutes to meet with the boys. I rushed across campus, following a familiar path. At the back of the West wing, between the old building and the edge of the wood, was an open space that students often used for outside magic practice. Julian was already waiting for us, and Lance was striding towards the meeting place from the other direction.
We were the only people there. Closer to the forest than the academy walls, the clearing was maybe twenty yards across. The sun was sinking behind the large conifers, although it would take a few hours to fully set. We wouldn’t have much time before it got too dark to practice our project.
When the boys and I met in the middle, I smiled at them. I barely got a grin back. Julian still seemed livid about Kiernan, and Lance’s expression was stony. Rolling my eyes internally, I decided to ignore their mood for now. I hadn’t been exactly cheerful today, either.
Before they could ask me where I’d been, I said, “Guys, I have an idea. We have to combine our powers for the final project, right?”
They both nodded. I plowed on. “So, I once watched a TV program about water funnels. They’re really impressive, rising up hundreds of feet. Basically, they’re cyclones that suck up water from the ocean. They need three elements: water, wind, and heat.
“So my suggestion is that Julian creates a body of water, I heat it, and Lance creates the vortex.”
I looked at them expectantly, proud of my awesome idea.
Lance said cautiously, “I don’t know. I’m not bad with air, but my primary power is fire and heat. Wouldn’t it make more sense I use those?”
I was ready for his objection. “We’re being graded on teamwork, though. I’m shit at manipulating air. You’re much better at it. And you can’t do water at all. That’s Julian’s strength.”
With a small sigh, Lance gave up. “Okay then. I suppose I can handle creating a wind column. Shouldn’t be that hard. Except”—I struggled not to roll my eyes because there was always something—“our powers will look really flashy. But your input won’t be visible. Sure, without your magic, the whole thing wouldn’t be possible, but you’d probably not get as good a grade.”
Huh. That’s a valid point, actually. Mrs. Palmer wouldn’t have overlooked my contribution, just because it wasn’t in your face. But I had no clue how Sibelius would grade us.
Dammit. I’d promised myself not to think about him. But my thoughts kept coming back to him. What am I going to do? I don’t want to see him ever again.
I quickly pushed the thought aside. But I knew I had to talk it through with someone. Maybe Beth would return to the room tonight, and I could confide in her. I’d seen her a few times today, but she’d always been with Luke, and we’d only waved at each other.
Julian’s voice pulled me back to the present. “Couldn’t Amber shoot some lightning through the core of the funnel?”
I brightened. Yes. I could illuminate the water column and make it look really impressive. The boys’ excitement was contagious, and I was getting drawn into their enthusiasm.
Once we’d decided on a plan of action, it was time to practice. Julian went first. Lance and I stepped back to give him some room to create a puddle in a small hollow. I’d seen him do this dozens of times, but it never failed to amaze me.
First, droplets would appear on his fingertips, and soon, a deluge of water would erupt from between his palms.
Well, that’s how it usually happened. But today, no matter how hard Julian tried, he couldn’t produce more than a dewy dampness on his fingers.
I stared at his hands, willing him to succeed, but even though his face turned bright red with the effort, he wasn’t able to conjure the rush of water I was expecting.
Eventually, his shoulders slumped. His voice sounded flat and discouraged. “I don’t know, guys. It’s been start and stop for my magic over the last few days. I dunno what’s going on. Maybe Lance should try next?”
Lance nodded, and within seconds, a light breeze ruffled his brown hair. Warm air caressed my cheeks, as if somebody tickled me with the lightest gossamer. I smiled, and Lance winked. He made it seem so effortless.
Next, he created a small dust devil, making it visible by picking up twigs and loose gravel and twirling them around and around. He raised it a couple of feet into the air before it collapsed.
“That’s as much as I can do without a heat source. Shame I can’t use heat and wind at the same time.”
I nodded. But without a lot of water to temper the massive
energy, it was too dangerous to conjure up lightning so close to the forest. My power could easily set it on fire or hit Lance and Julian.
Julian said, “I don’t know what’s wrong. I’ve kept trying while Lance was practicing, but I simply can’t generate enough moisture.”
I asked, “Maybe you’re dehydrated?”
Lance burst out laughing, and Julian threw me a scathing look.
“Sorry. That probably didn’t help,” I said.
“Sometimes my power reacts when I’m angry or upset. And with Kiernan leaving…” Julian left the rest of the sentence hanging.
“Have you heard from him?”
“No. He hasn’t sent a message or a letter or anything. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. His mother is behind all of this, obviously. But I just don’t understand why Kiernan wouldn’t stand up to her. I mean, he told me, Amber.”
The pain in his eyes mirrored the sharp ache in my chest. “He told me he didn’t want to leave you. He… he thought he was falling in love with you. I know it’s not my place to say that, and he’ll probably punch me for telling you, but since he abandoned all of us, I’m not feeling particularly loyal to him right now.”
Moisture was pricking my eyes as I fought back the tears. Kiernan had fallen in love with me? Then why had he left? Where was he?
Julian pressed his hands together, his gaze staring into the distance. Large droplets appeared on his wrist, dropping to the ground faster and faster. Lance shouted a warning, but he was too late.
A tidal wave emanated from Julian, washing over me. I didn’t even have time to scream. For the briefest moment, I was back in my bedroom, swamp water filling my mouth and nose and lungs. Sharon had come so close to drowning me.
I stood stock-still in terror, too scared to draw a breath, when Lance pulled me into the safety of his arms. “You’re okay, darling. It’s only water.”
Second Chance Hope: a paranormal reverse harem academy adventure (Second Chance Academy Book 3) Page 7
