Graduating (Covenant College Book 5)

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Wait,” I said again.

  They both ignored me.

  “Wait!” I found my voice, and the light found my hands. This time, they glimmered yellow, and the light that arced out slammed Fiona and Aric apart, but it didn’t cause damage to either of them.

  Aric was on his feet in seconds, wiping a streak of blood from the side of his face. “Did you just attack me with a ball of light?”

  “I … .”

  “Why didn’t it kill us?” Fiona asked. “Isn’t that what she does?”

  “I wasn’t trying to kill you,” I said, reaching up to hold my head as I swayed.

  Aric swooped in, wrapping his arm around my waist as he steadied me. “We’re going to talk about the big ball of light.”

  “I was trying to get you to stop,” I said. “You wouldn’t listen.”

  “She tried to kill you,” Aric said.

  “I was trying to get answers,” Fiona challenged.

  “Answers about what?” Aric asked.

  “I want to know where Rafael is,” she said. “He’s missing. I caught her scent at his house. She did something to him.”

  “She did not,” Aric said. “We were looking for him, too. We couldn’t find him. We went to the house to try and find him, but he wasn’t there.” Aric tilted my head back, gazing in my eyes worriedly. “You’re eyes are glassy. I think we should take you to the hospital.”

  “I don’t want to go to the hospital,” I said.

  “Well, you might not have a choice in the matter,” he said. “I think you have a concussion.”

  “I’m just … I’m just achy, and a little confused. It will pass.”

  “It will pass,” Fiona said, mimicking me. “Can we focus on Rafael? How long has he been gone?”

  “Don’t you know?” Aric challenged, lowering me to the ground. “Hey, sit here a second. If your eyes don’t look better in exactly two minutes, we’re going to the hospital.”

  I raised my hands to my face. “Great. I can’t wait.”

  “I’ve been out of town,” Fiona said. “I was trying to dig up some information.”

  “How long have you been gone?” Aric asked.

  “Two months.”

  “You went two months without talking to your boyfriend? That sounds like a healthy relationship,” Aric scoffed.

  “We’re vampires,” she said. “Two months is like two minutes in our world. At least we’re not codependent and joined at the hip.”

  Aric rolled his eyes. “So, you just assumed that Zoe did something to Rafael because you smelled her?”

  “What else was I supposed to think?”

  “Um, maybe that we were looking for him, too?”

  “Why were you looking for him?”

  “Because we haven’t seen him in months,” Aric said. “The guy’s never been chatty, but he usually makes an appearance from time to time.”

  “And it took you months to miss him?”

  “We’ve been busy,” Aric said. “We wanted to talk to him about a few things.”

  “Like?”

  “Hey, lady, I don’t know you,” Aric said, keeping his hand on the back of my neck. “Rafael might trust you, but I don’t know you from Adam.”

  “Who’s Adam?” Fiona looked confused.

  “It’s a saying,” Aric said.

  “Who says it?”

  Aric growled. “Are you trying to tick me off?”

  “Maybe,” Fiona said. “What’s your girlfriend doing now?”

  “She’s trying to keep her head from falling off,” Aric snapped back. “You slammed her head into the truck. Twice. She’s a little more vulnerable than we are.”

  “Not that,” Fiona said. “What’s with the blue glow?”

  “What blue glow? Oh.” Aric moved in closer. “Hey, babe, what are you doing?”

  “I’m not doing anything,” I said, my voice weary. “I’m just trying to rest so I don’t have to go to the hospital.”

  “Your hands are glowing.”

  “They are?” I pulled them away and stared at them. “Huh. They were blue when I healed you.”

  “Did you heal yourself?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, tilting my head to the side. “My head doesn’t hurt anymore.”

  “Look at me. Well, your eyes are clear again. I think you healed yourself.”

  “I’m not sure how,” I said. “I wasn’t trying. I didn’t know that was even possible.”

  “You’re a constant amazement,” Aric said, reaching for my hand. “Can you stand?”

  He pulled me up, putting both of his hands on my shoulders to make sure I was steady. I tested my balance, finding that everything was back to normal. “I think I’m okay.”

  Aric pulled me to him, giving me a quick hug and kiss. “You’d better be.”

  “You two are just so cute,” Fiona said, her tone mocking. “It’s like you’re the prom king and queen.”

  “Shut up,” Aric said. “You could have seriously hurt her.”

  Fiona held up her hands. “Hey, I was just avenging Rafael. I wouldn’t have gone after her if I didn’t think she was responsible.”

  “Well, she’s not,” Aric said.

  “So, who is?”

  “We have a few ideas on that front,” Aric said. “We’re looking into it.”

  “You’re looking into it? Why don’t you tell me, and I’ll handle it instead,” Fiona said.

  “I don’t think so,” Aric said. “You’ve proven to be volatile, and I’m not sure I can trust you.”

  “Well, I know you can’t be trusted,” Fiona said, her voice dripping with disdain. “You’re a wolf.”

  “Thanks for the news update,” Aric deadpanned. “Baby, get in the truck.”

  “Wait, you’re really not going to tell me what you know?” Fiona was flummoxed.

  “We’ll be in touch,” Aric said. “As soon as we know more, you’ll be the first to know.”

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  “Well, you could try to avoid slamming random people around until we actually know something,” Aric said. “Why don’t you try that?”

  “Bite me.” Fiona disappeared into the night without a backwards glance, and part of me felt sorry for her. I had no idea where she was going, but Rafael wouldn’t be waiting for her wherever it was. This wasn’t much of a homecoming for her.

  “You’re not my type.” Aric grumbled, loading me into the truck and setting my duffel bag on the floor at my feet. He grabbed my chin one more time, searching my face. “You’re really okay, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good, because we’re going to talk about the ball-of-light thing when we get to my place.”

  “Oh, good, another fight.”

  Aric smiled despite himself. “Just think, we’re going to have tons of stuff to make up about tonight.”

  Thirty-One

  “I can’t believe we’re breaking into her room,” Tally said, her eyes sparkling. “This would make a great movie. We could be cat burglars.”

  I rolled my eyes. We were standing outside of Heather’s room – a room no one had entered (as far as we could tell) in months – and I was on my knees trying to pick the lock.

  “Where did you learn to do this again?” Paris asked.

  “I told you, Will’s brother taught me.”

  Aric made a growl in the back of his throat.

  “Oh, grow up,” Kelsey said. “Will was before you. The only overlapping was done on your part.”

  Aric growled again.

  “I don’t know if we should be doing this,” Kate said, wringing her hands. “We’re invading her privacy.”

  “Is this even still her room?” I asked, making a face when I heard the mechanisms in the lock click into place. I pushed the door open triumphantly, and then immediately deflated. All of Heather’s stuff was still there. “Crap.”

  Kate pushed inside, glancing around. “Well, where is she if all her stuff is still here? How can she have mov
ed out if she didn’t move anything?”

  I walked over to the desk in the corner, sifting through the papers and books. “Anyone know when she was taking psychology?”

  “Last semester,” Kate said. “She hated it.”

  “I don’t think she’s been here,” Paris said.

  “Maybe she abandoned all her stuff?” I suggested hopefully.

  “I can see leaving the garbage, but would you leave all of your clothes and shoes behind?” Kelsey asked, looking through the closet. “Although, with her taste, I might consider it.” Kelsey held up a shirt with a teddy bear across the chest and stuck out her tongue.

  I made a face. It was hideous. “I’m not going to lie. This isn’t good.”

  “Oh, I see why you’re taking journalism classes,” Paris teased. “You’re on top of your game when it comes to obvious breaking news.”

  “This is beyond bad,” I said, ignoring Paris’ sarcasm. “I was already in a really crappy position. Now things are … horrid.”

  “What do you mean?” Tally asked.

  “I’m already the suspect in a mass murder,” I said. “Now my roommate goes missing? It’s March. If we report her missing now, it’s going to look really suspect.”

  “It would have looked just as bad in January,” Aric said.

  “We don’t know she’s missing,” Kate said. “She’s probably still pissed. Maybe she just dropped out.”

  “I don’t suppose you know her home phone number?”

  Kate shrugged. “I might. Let me check my phone. It’s downstairs.” Kate paused at the door. “I’m kind of nervous knowing my roommate is missing. Does someone want to go downstairs with me?” Her gaze was pointed at Aric.

  Aric looked to me for help.

  “I’ll go with you,” Paris said. “I want to call Scott anyway.”

  Kate’s face flushed with disappointment. “Oh, okay.”

  “Why are you calling Scott?”

  “Well, aside from seeing how that previous task we gave him is going, I figured he might be able to hack into the registrar’s office and see if Heather is still enrolled here.”

  “Oh, good idea.”

  Once Kate and Paris were gone, I turned back to Heather’s room. “What are we going to do?”

  “We’re going to have to report her missing,” Kelsey said. “The longer you wait now, the guiltier you look.”

  “I already look guilty,” I said.

  “The good news for you is that Paris is the one in the house with the motive this time,” Aric said, shifting in behind me and resting his chin on top of my head.

  “Is that supposed to be funny?”

  “It was supposed to be encouraging,” Aric said.

  “Big, fat fail,” Kelsey said.

  Aric flicked her on the ridge of her ear with his fingernail. “You’re obnoxious sometimes. You know that, right?”

  “Maybe I should just call Perkins and tell him,” I said. “I might earn points with him for being forthcoming.”

  “Or you might end up in a jail cell,” Aric said.

  “He’s going to find out.”

  Aric stepped away and stalked around the room. The way his nose was turned upwards told me he was scenting it. I was used to it at this point, but it was still weird.

  “What is he doing?” Tally asked.

  “He’s a method actor,” I said. “He’s trying to channel a detective.”

  “Oh, he’s very good.”

  Kelsey shot me a look that was so humorous I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

  Kate appeared back in the doorway, her face drawn and ashen. “I talked to Heather’s mom.”

  “And?”

  “And she never came home for Christmas.”

  “What? Why didn’t she call the police?”

  Kate shrugged. “She says Heather is a free spirit and she often takes off for weeks at a time.”

  “Does she often take off for three months at a time?”

  Kate’s face wrinkled. “She’s dead, isn’t she? Oh, God.” She blew through the room, scattering Kelsey and me to the side, and threw herself into Aric’s arms. “My best friend is dead!”

  “You haven’t been worried about her at all,” Kelsey scoffed.

  “I’ve been worried inside,” Kate said, pressing her face into Aric’s chest. “How often do you work out?”

  “Well, great,” I said. “Now what?”

  Kelsey motioned for me to follow her out into the hallway. The death glare Aric sent me for leaving him with Kate was pointed, but I figured he deserved it for encouraging her little crush.

  Once we were out in the hallway, Kelsey unloaded quickly. “You’re going to be blamed for this.”

  “I know.”

  “They might try and take you to jail.”

  “I know.”

  “We have got to come up with a plan to minimize the risk for you – and everybody else in this house – before we call the police,” Kelsey said.

  “And how do you suggest we do that?”

  “We have to think,” Kelsey said. “Don’t do anything until we all agree on a plan of action. We’re all in this together now.”

  Tally breezed out of Heather’s bedroom and headed toward her own.

  “Where are you going?” I asked.

  “Oh, I’m bored.”

  “Well, maybe not all of us are in this together,” Kelsey corrected once Tally’s bedroom door swung shut. “I’m going to go and check on Paris and see if Scott has come up with something.”

  “Great. I’m going to go and extricate Aric from Kate and her eight arms.”

  Kelsey giggled. “She’s getting more and more brazen. I think she thinks she’s running out of time to steal him.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  TWO days later, I was still struggling with that exact question. Everyone was settled in the living room to watch a movie when I walked into the room with two beers and a bowl of popcorn.

  I set the popcorn on the coffee table and then carried the beers over to the large armchair in the corner where Aric was sitting.

  “Zoe, there’s room over here,” Kate said from one of the couches.

  Aric took the offered beer and then tumbled me into his lap. “She’s fine over here.”

  “Oh, that can’t be comfortable,” Kate said.

  “It’s comfortable.” Aric was clearly starting to chafe under Kate’s constant machinations. We’d spent the past three nights at the house, brainstorming to figure out what we were going to do about the Heather situation. We were still exactly where we started.

  “She must weigh a ton,” Kate said.

  “Thanks.”

  Aric rubbed his nose against my cheek. “I like that she weighs a ton,” he said.

  I smacked his arm. “You’re on thin ice.”

  “So, what are we going to do?” Kelsey asked. “I think we have to call the police. If she turns up dead and we never reported her missing, we look like assholes.”

  “We already look like assholes,” I said, leaning my head back against Aric’s shoulder. “She accused us of being self-absorbed, and look, we didn’t bother to see if she was missing for three months. I’m thinking she had a point.”

  “We’ve had other stuff going on,” Aric said. “It’s not like you even know her that well.”

  “Still … .”

  Aric brushed his lips against my temple. “I hate to say it, but I agree with Kelsey.”

  Kelsey smiled.

  “This once,” Aric stressed. “We have to call Perkins. I’ll call my dad tomorrow and see how he thinks we should go about it.”

  Everyone focused on the movie for the next half hour, the conversation stagnating. My mind started wandering about the same time Aric’s hands did. “What are you doing?”

  “Trying to convince you to go to bed with me,” Aric said. “Is it working?”

  I caught Kate’s scowl out of the corner of my eye.

  “Can’t we finish the movie?” I
asked.

  “The good guys win in the end,” Aric said, scooping me up in his arms as he stood. “Now I want to win.”

  “You have a one-track mind.”

  “You have no idea.” Aric carried me into the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him. He tossed me on the bed, reaching up to the collar of his shirt to pull it over his head when he stilled.

  “What?”

  Aric wrinkled his nose. “I’m not sure. I think someone is outside.”

  I jumped up from the bed. “Can you smell them? Is it a vampire? Maybe it’s just Fiona?”

  Aric shook his head. “I’d recognize it if it was her. It’s definitely a vampire. Two of them.”

  “Well, just stay here,” I said. “They’ll go away.”

  “You don’t want to see what they’re doing?”

  “Not really.”

  “Well, I do.” Aric was moving through the room and throwing open the bedroom door before I could give voice to an argument.

  Kate bolted into a sitting position when she saw us stride back out of the bedroom. “Did you two have a fight? Did you break up? Oh, poor Zoe.”

  “We’re not breaking up, Kate,” Aric snapped. “Can you get that through your head?”

  Aric stepped out onto the front porch, fixing me with a pointed look. “Stay here.”

  “Like hell.”

  “Zoe,” Aric groaned. “Please don’t be a pain.”

  “Aric, please don’t tell me what to do.”

  Aric pressed his lips together and then grabbed my hand. “You stay right next to me.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Aric dragged me outside, his eyes busily searching the night sky as his nose lifted to the heavens. “I think they’re gone.”

  I felt oddly detached when my gaze fell on the lawn. The snow was almost gone, the only remnants of winter remaining at the edge of the road where the snowplows had built extensive banks throughout the past three months. That meant the lump on the lawn was something other than snow.

  I took a step forward, causing Aric to shift his attention to me. “What is it?”

  I pointed. “Is that a … a body?”

  “Oh, shit,” Aric said, confirming my worst fear. “It’s just one staggering piece of crap after another.”

  Thirty-Two

  “And you have no idea how a body found its way onto your front lawn?”