Wicked Academy 3: Dirty Little Secrets

by Nissa Leder

  “Maybe someday, but I’ve already screwed up a friendship this year.”

  Elaine finishes her hair then moves on to her makeup.

  After I’ve painted my lips black and put on long, fake lashes, the last thing I do is draw an upturned quarter moon above my nose. “There, I’m a perfect goth witch.”

  Not only is my makeup spot on, but I used temporary dye on my hair, so it’s now a dark raven’s black.

  I don’t half-ass Halloween.

  When we’re both all dressed and ready, we head to the gym where a portal has been set up to take us straight to Carmichael. From what my professors have said, portals take a lot of magic and are only permitted when made by the Protectors.

  We follow the long line down the hallway until, finally, we enter the gym. In the middle of the court is a strange opening rising from the ground into an arch. There is no border, but inside the archway is an entirely different room. Although the sound is muffled, I can hear the music from the other side.

  “I wonder if we can get the Protectors to make us one of these to Paris or something,” I say when we’re next in line.

  “Doubtful,” Elaine replies.

  “You sure you don’t want to wait for Beck? He said he won’t be much longer.”

  She shakes her head. “He can find me when he gets there.”

  The portal is like a wall, blocking the other side of the Wicklow gym completely from my view.

  When we step through—which feels no different than stepping through a regular doorway, we are in a large ballroom. Chandeliers hang from the rounded ceiling. At first, they look ordinary enough, but when I stare harder, I see they’re covered in cobwebs. I’m about to tell Elaine how Carmichael must not be a very clean school when I scan the rest of the gym and notice the Halloween decor.

  Skulls and candles float in the air, and the floor has been enchanted to look like stone, though it absorbs my steps more like wood.

  The center of the room is packed with people dancing around the stage where a live band plays.

  “Let’s find a drink,” Elaine says then grabs my arm and tugs me through the crowd of people blocking our way to the back corner of the room where a sign reading “bar” hovers in the air.

  While we’re standing in line, Zane and Callum pass us with drinks in their hands.

  “Fine, don’t say hi,” I say.

  They both stop and look in my direction, clearly confused until both of their stares settle on me.

  “Wren?” Zane asks.

  “Damn, I didn’t recognize you,” Callum adds.

  Zane is dressed as a police officer and Callum wears an all-black outfit with a black and red cape.

  “We’re going to go find a table. Should we save you both seats?” Zane asks with a smile.

  “Sure.” I nod, happily surprised by the offer .

  Elaine bumps me with her elbow when they’re gone. “That’s a good sign.”

  “Yeah, it is.” I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. But after over a month of not saying anything to me, I can’t help but think things might be looking up.

  After we get our drinks, we head across the room. As we get close to the tables, I’m too busy searching for the guys to see the person walking in front of me.

  I barely keep my drink upright as I collide into someone dressed in a nurse’s outfit.

  “Sorry,” I say.

  “Watch where you’re going,” a familiar voice says. Bianca fixes her hat and glares at me. “Oh, it’s you.”

  “I…” Words seem too far away as confusion takes over. “Do you go to Carmichael now?”

  “No,” she snaps. “I was invited by friends. Is that a problem?”

  “Nope.”

  “C’mon, Wren,” Elaine hollers from the edge of the table section.

  Without saying anything else, I walk around Bianca and follow Elaine to the table where Zane and Callum are sitting.

  “Was that Bianca?” Elaine asks.

  “Yes. Crazy, right?”

  “Very.”

  When we sit down next to the guys, I end up next to Callum.

  Zane leans toward me. “Have you seen your Bradford friends?”

  “Not yet. And hopefully not ever.” I give Callum a look out of the side of my eye.

  Zane knows about our run-in at the Elementball game, and how defending him got me on some jerks’ radars. But he doesn’t know what happened after I left the game. That’s one of the many secrets between Callum and me.

  “Carmichael seems fancy,” Elaine says. “Is Bradford this ritzy?”

  “It doesn’t have a ballroom, if that’s what you mean.” Zane takes a drink.

  He tells us about some of the differences between Bradford and Wicklow, and we all give our guesses about Carmichael based on this room.

  “Wait, didn’t you go here?” Elaine asks Callum.

  “That semester is all a blur after the last one. I do remember they do have good punch.” Callum lifts his glass, casually dodging the uncomfortable question.

  “Good spiked punch.” Zane grins. He pulls out a flask from his back pocket. “But I’ve got even better stuff.”

  He passes it to Callum who takes a drink and passes it to me.

  I take it and take a long chug. Vodka. Zane’s favorite. “What a corrupt officer you are.”

  Elaine declines any as her phone buzzes on the table.

  She picks it up and reads the message. Her mouth relaxes into a sad expression.

  “Everything okay?” I ask.

  “Guess my Clyde had something come up,” she says. “Wonder what it could be.” There’s no missing the sarcasm in her tone.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to dance.” Zane stands and goes straight to Elaine. “Join?”

  “Sure.” She takes his hand and, after he pulls her up, slips her phone back into her pocket.

  “Elaine okay?” Callum asks once they’re gone.

  “Yeah, my brother is just turning out to be more of a jerk than I thought he was.”

  “The goth look is hot on you, by the way.” He reaches out and rests a hand on my thigh. “Staying away from you is killing me.”

  A shiver runs down my leg. “Me too.”

  Our gazes lock and I don’t care that we’re in a room full of people. I want to move onto his lap and kiss him like no one is watching.

  And if it was just a room full of random people, I’d do it.

  But there’s still one person that it will hurt.

  Callum’s fingers slide under my skirt. “I don’t want to wait anymore.”

  My heart thuds faster. “Me either. But I still don’t want him to get hurt.”

  He nods, knowing exactly who I mean. “Me either.”

  “So, we keep it to ourselves,” I say. “And keep it casual.”

  “Casual and quiet.” His fingers trail higher.

  “Maybe we go on a walk. Explore Carmichael a little. Since it’s your old school and all.” My words come out as staccatos as his fingers get dangerously close to their destination.

  “Good thinking.”

  We get up and make our way around the outside of the dance floor so we don’t bump into Zane and Elaine.

  Desire courses through me hot and strong, making me drunker than the vodka and punch did.

  We make our way out of the ballroom and down a hallway, past the bathrooms. All the doors we find are locked, but we stumble upon a staircase and climb to the next floor.

  Another long hallway waits at the top, with doors just as locked like the others we’ve tried, I’m sure.

  Callum reaches around me and pulls my body into his. His other hand reaches into my temporary black hair and brings my mouth to his. We aren’t as hidden as I’d like, but with his body so close to mine, I don’t care.

  My hands wrap around him and my nails press into his back. We work our way back until I’m against the wall and his body is pressed into me.

  His tongue finds mine, and my nails dig a litt
le deeper.

  “Get off me,” someone yells from down the hallway. “Stop!”

  Callum leans away from me.

  “We have to go check it out,” I say.

  He nods and steps away.

  “I said stop.” We head toward the voice that’s even more panicked than before.

  The fourth door on the left is cracked, and when we head into the room, a guy dressed as a sailor is holding up someone’s arms as she’s pinned against a desk.

  “Adlucinatio,” Callum says, and a large black shadow snake forms on the ground, slithering straight for the guy.

  When the snake curls around his leg, he glances down and screams.

  In the low light of the room, he probably thinks it’s a real snake. He backs away from the girl, shaking his leg.

  The girl slugs him in the face then kicks his crotch. When she looks at us, I realize it’s Bianca.

  “Opstupefacia,” Callum says, and the guy goes stiff and falls to the ground with a thud.

  Bianca’s mouth drops into a small circle as she stares at us. “Thank you.”

  “Are you okay?” I ask, fighting the urge to go elbow the guy in his nose.

  She buttons up the shirt of her nurse costume. “I’ll be fine. I thought we were just going to…” she starts, then stops. “I need to get back to the party.”

  “Do you want us to tell anyone?” I don’t know who this guy is, but clearly he’s an asshole.

  She eyes the guy still unmoving on the floor. She steps toward him, spits on his face, then kicks the heel of her shoe hard into his nose. “If you ever touch me again, I’ll make sure you never touch anyone again.” Then, her face full of wrath, she steps toward us. “I’m not supposed to be here. So, telling on him will only get me in trouble. Thank you for your help.” Then she turns and walks out of the room.

  “I didn’t know she knew the words “thank you,” I say, still processing what just happened.

  If we hadn’t shown up, who knows what would have happened. Actually, I have a good guess. And without magic, what chance did Bianca have to stop him?

  The thought of living without my powers now fills me with a vulnerability I never thought I’d have.

  We head back to the party. Saving Bianca from the jackass killed the mood, and we don’t need Zane to come looking for us.

  “How long will he be stuck there?” I ask Callum as we walk back into the ballroom.

  “At least a couple of hours, hopefully,” he says. “Should we go join Zane and Elaine on the dance floor?” He gestures toward them dancing on the outside of the crowd.

  “Sure.”

  “Hey, you two.” I slip around another couple dancing next to them and move to the beat.

  Zane spins Elaine. “We wondered when you two would get bored and join us.”

  Callum and I exchange a look.

  Elaine moves closer to Zane and wraps her arms around him.

  “Have you been dancing the whole time?” I ask.

  “And drinking.” He grabs his flask. “I’d offer you some, but we finished it off.”

  “All right, everyone,” the lead singer says after the song ends. “Here’s one of our fan favorites.”

  The band starts the next song, this one much slower than the last.

  Elaine leans her head on Zane’s chest and his hands shift lower on her back.

  “Let’s switch partners.” Callum cuts in between Zane and Elaine, both of which have clearly had a lot to drink.

  “Thank you,” I mouth to Callum as Zane steps away from Elaine and comes to me.

  I wrap my arms around his neck as his arms land dangerously close to my ass. As he leads me to the song, I inhale the vodka on his breath.

  “Having fun?” I ask.

  He grins down at me. “I noticed Elaine seemed upset after reading that text she got. It’s Halloween. No one should be sad.”

  I forgot how aware Zane is of people around him. It’s one of the reasons I used to rely on him so much. I never had to tell him if I was having a bad day. He’d just know and find some way to cheer me up.

  “I’m sorry I’ve been a dick,” he says. “I thought if I couldn’t be with you, it would be too hard to be around you. But not being your friend is too much of a loss for me to take.”

  I lean my head on his chest. “I miss you, too.”

  Neither of us talks until the song is over and the band announces they’re taking a break and will be back on in fifteen minutes.

  After Zane and I part, I ask, “Friends?”

  “Friends,” he responds.

  “Party’s over,” a deep voice says over the speaker system.

  Everyone looks to the stage, where someone dressed in all black, from the mask covering his face down to his feet. At first, I think it’s just a costume. Maybe he’s supposed to be a spy or something. But he doesn’t say anything else, and it’s way too early for the night to be at its end.

  Mumbles build around us as confusion sets in. Then bursts of smoke explode across the room, causing an echo of screams.

  When I glance back at the stage, the guy has disappeared.

  “What’s happening?” I move toward Elaine and grab her hand.

  “I’m not sure,” Callum says. “But we need to get out of here.” His hand finds my back.

  Zane takes Elaine’s other hand. “We better get to the …

  portal before it closes.”

  I know we learned about it in Magical History, but I can’t remember where exactly Carmichael is located. Something tells me it isn’t the east coast, which means if we miss the portal, getting back to Wicklow will be a pain in the ass.

  More smoke bombs go off, earning more screams.

  “Are people getting hurt?” I ask as we all get pushed together by the crowd all heading toward the portal.

  “I’m not sure, but I don’t think so.” Callum pushes past two guys. “They seem to only happen when the smoke bombs explode.”

  Suddenly, the entire room goes black around us.

  “Ardeat Ignis,” I say, and a ball of glowing fire appears in my hand.

  I’m not the only one who used the spell. Around the room, bursts of orange give us a little light.

  There is no more screaming, a few minutes later, we’re through the portal and back into the Wicklow gym.

  “That was strange,” I say as we all walk down the hallway back toward our rooms. “If no one got hurt, what was the point?”

  “Maybe someone was supposed to get hurt,” Zane suggests. “But the plan failed.”

  “Like who?” I ask.

  “There’s a lot of animosity between the schools. It might be Carmichael’s way of playing a prank. But it seriously hurts their chances of hosting any more interacademy events, which they always do to show off.” Callum stops. “Elaine, did Beck say why he wasn’t going to make it?” She shakes her head. “And did anyone see Olivia there?”

  “You think it was—” I catch myself before I say anything aloud.

  Callum shakes his head up and down. “New initiates have to commit a prank every year.”

  Two guys run by us. “Party in the third year common room.”

  “And I’m sure they warn the others,” I add to the conversation when the guys have passed.

  “And Beck didn’t warn me?” The ache of betrayal covers Elaine’s face. Tears well in her eyes, but then she swallows them. “I don’t feel like a party right now. I’m tired.”

  “I’ll walk you to your room,” Zane says and they take off.

  “I’m not feeling much like partying either, honestly,” I say.

  “Then I’ll walk you to your room.” Callum grins.

  “You really think they set the interruption up?” I ask as we ascend the stairs.

  “It’s my best guess.”

  “Poor Elaine.” I don’t think she’s going to get over this one.

  When we reach the second year girls’ floor, there’s no sign of Elaine or Zane.

  I’m about to ask
Callum if he wants to come in but I change my mind. It’s already been an eventful night.

  We keep things PG with a hug goodnight.

  After a long bath, I change into my PJs and hop into bed. After a while, I concede my thoughts are too full to sleep any time soon. And if I can’t sleep, I’m sure Elaine can’t, either.

  Without a second thought, I’m to her room and knocking on her door. She doesn’t answer so I knock again. “It’s Wren.”

  Three seconds later, the door opens slightly. I finish opening it and head inside.

  Dressed in her PJs, Elaine sits on the edge of her bed, her head drooped.

  When I’m inside and have shut the door behind me, she starts to cry.

  I don’t say anything, despite how much I want to tell her what an ass my brother is. It won’t help. Instead, I sit next to her and pull her into a hug.

  Fifteen

  I spend the night next to Elaine in her bed.

  It reminds me of simpler times. When we were kids and had each other over for sleepovers. Back then, I had a twin bed with a rollout twin underneath it.

  We’d pretend to go to sleep when the nanny told us lights out, and fifteen minutes later we’d be up, playing with barbies in the dark. Back then, the idea of having a boyfriend and getting in a fight was fun. Barbie would tell Ken he was being a meanie-head and he would go buy her a new car to apologize. She’d love it and give him a quick peck on the lips as a sign of forgiveness.

  The idea of love and betrayal were different then.

  No expensive gift can stop Elaine from the pain she’s feeling.

  She’s already awake and at her desk when I wake up.

  I ask if she wants to get breakfast, but as I figured, she isn’t hungry, so I go tell her to text me if she needs anything. Before I leave, she gives me a long hug and thanks me for being there for her.

  Another school week begins, and classes are harder than ever.

  The more of my magic I’m using, the more of the poppy berry I have to have. Occasionally, after a strenuous class, I’ll get flickers of the Wendigo’s thoughts.

  When I started drinking the tea, one glass made me too high to function normally. Now, my body has grown used to it and can handle a glass and a half a day. It needs that much or the visions return.