Looking back at him, my pupils widened, soaking in every perfect feature. "I want to stay," I murmured.
He reached for my hand. "I know. Me too," he said, pulling me up the slope of the walkway. "Two more hours and we're out of here."
Two more hours felt like eternity.
Now that I'd let my guard down, all I wanted was to be with him. The feeling was incredible, but at the same time, it was torturously awful—like an aching need that prickled all over me. One that would grow worse with time and distance.
As Shane went to push the auditorium doors open, they pulled out from the other side. Theater students had gathered, prepared to pour in with full enthusiasm for their rehearsal. The first one, who'd opened the door, startled at the unexpected discovery, and glanced back and forth between us.
The calculating look in his eye proved he'd made assumptions about what we'd just been up to. I assumed my tousled hair and blushing glow were likely the icing on the cake. He grinned at Shane with approval.
"Fuck off, man," Shane grumbled. "Get your head out of the gutter." And he brushed past the frat-boy-wannabe, clearing a path for me to follow.
Allowing him to defend me and lead the way out of the awkward situation felt odd at first. I'd spent my entire life taking care of myself, growing a thick skin in an attempt to deflect anything that could hurt me. But for the first time ever, a strange feeling of allowing someone else to shoulder some of it shot through me.
It required removing a piece of my armor and allowing him to take some of the burden.
It was trust.
It left me open and vulnerable. And it was, by far, the scariest thing I'd ever done in my life.
But in the same breath, it was the most exhilarating thing I'd ever done, like skydiving...
Only way better.
The end of the school day was a messy blur as I stumbled through the motions. I couldn't clear my head of Shane and replayed our time in the auditorium over and over again. There wasn't a single moment that made me cringe or feel uncomfortable. Every breath of it was perfection, and now the craving took over.
Craving to be with him again.
Craving for the feel of his strong arms around me and his lips on mine.
I had no idea how I'd held him off for so long. The more I thought about him, the more I realized it was inevitable. We were going to come together at one point or another, and now I was annoyed at how much time I'd allowed to pass, keeping him at arm's length.
I wondered what Ms. Kelly would think.
I wondered if there were rules about this sort of thing.
It was clear that whenever the UMAs came together, our powers intensified. We were only just beginning to understand the potential. But now, this kind of bond between Shane and me, it held possibilities I couldn't even fathom. Judging from the energy that passed between us whenever we touched, I was certain something enormous was brewing.
As I watched the final minutes of the day tick by, I fidgeted in my seat in an attempt to move time faster. With about a minute to go, my phone vibrated in my backpack.
My eyes shot from the clock to my teacher at the front of the room. Ms. Reed's amazing twisted hair, like a combination between braids and dreadlocks, blocked her writing on the whiteboard, as she murmured her calculations under her breath.
I slowly unzipped the outer pocket on my pack and reached for my phone.
Shane's name lit up, and I pressed it.
Meet me at my car
I grinned and sent a thumbs-up in return.
Lifting my eyes back to the board, I caught Ms. Reed staring at me with an annoyed smirk.
"Put it away, Brynn, and see me after class," she said.
My eyes widened in shock. I'd never been caught with my phone at this school before, and had no idea what the consequences might be. Plus, I liked my reputation as a model student, and now that was out the window.
My heart rate shot to the roof. Not only from the impending confrontation with Ms. Reed, the smartest teacher in the school, but also from being held back from the one thing I wanted to do—meet Shane at his car.
Every student in the classroom turned and stared at me. I wanted to shrink under my desk and disappear.
As the bell rang, everyone launched up and left the room in a blur. I remained in my seat, unable to move.
Ms. Reed walked over to me, the glow of her dark skin casting a warm aura around her. She was intimidating in her strong beauty and intellectual mind, and I stared at her in awe.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Reed," I said. "I heard it buzz, and it was knee-jerk reaction to look at it."
"Thank you, Brynn," she smiled. "First offense. Not a concern. I just need to maintain the order of the classroom by calling it out. You understand."
I nodded.
"I understand Ms. Harrison has taken over your advisory group," she added.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I hadn’t realized she even knew I existed, let alone know which advisory group I was in.
She continued, "It's a shame what happened to Ms. Kelly."
I nodded. "Yeah, we miss her," I murmured, studying her with perplexed brows.
She placed her heavily-ringed fingers on my desk and tapped it. "Well, I hope it goes well. Let me know if you ever have any questions. I'm always here to help." She bent her head to look me in the eyes as if searching for something.
I lowered my gaze. "Okay, thank you."
She stepped back with a nod and headed back to her desk. "You have a good day now." She dismissed me with a wave.
Gathering my things, I fought the urge to stare at her. I'd always loved her exotic outfits, wondering if they came from Haiti or another cultural island, but now I wanted to know more.
I wanted to know what she knew.
Beyond mathematical calculations, she had deeper knowledge. And she wanted to share it with me.
But in that moment, the only thing I wanted to do was to get outside to Shane's car. Our plan to go to the church in search of the spellbook had become secondary to my urge to just be with him.
But now, Ms. Reed had sent a new curiosity into the mix, but all I could do was back-burner it for the moment.
With a quick wave, I flew out of her classroom and set my focus on the student lot.
Moving through the hallways with my head down, I avoided eye contact with anyone else who might be able to slow me down. I aimed for the side exit that typically saw less traffic at this time of day.
I'd be able to sail out the door and get to Shane's car in no time.
My phone buzzed again, and I fumbled to pull it out of my pack. As I turned it in my palm to see the screen, I bumped into another student who stood firm in her stance, as if anticipating the impact.
"I knew I'd find you sneaking out this way," Laney seethed.
I gasped uncontrollably and nearly dropped my phone.
Sensory overload took its toll as I became incapable of even the simplest comeback.
As my words jumbled in my mouth, and my mind exploded with panic and annoyance, another voice entered the stairwell.
"Ah, Brynn, I was hoping I'd see you before you left for the day."
Ms. Harrison's voice had never sounded sweeter.
Her timing was impeccable. Ms. Harrison's interruption of Laney's advance on me was more than a coincidence, and her friendly wink proved it.
Laney's annoyance oozed off her perfectly-straightened hair as she spun around, whipping it in our direction. I nearly expected her to stomp away with clenched fists, but instead, she slinked off in an uncertain path, looking lost. It took everything out of me not to chuckle.
Then I realized, even though the moment felt good, the repercussions would likely feel bad. Real bad.
Her vendetta against me was growing, and I just kept making it worse.
"I wanted to loan you this," Ms. Harrison shook a small black bag, bringing my attention back to her. "They'll come in handy when you use the candles."
My eyes li
t up. "The crystals?"
"Yes. I could tell you were rather intrigued by them. Try them out. You'll be surprised at the amount of energy they can bring to a room." She smiled, handing them to me.
"Wow. Thank you," I said. "They're amazing." I shook the bag and listened to their rattling.
"Go on." She nudged her head toward the exit door. "Get out of here. Mustn't leave him waiting."
I turned for the door as I waved to her, and as I pushed through, I wondered how she knew Shane was waiting for me. I rubbed my chin, figuring she must have seen him out her classroom window.
Bombing through the student lot, I hurried to Shane's car and threw the door open.
"What kept you?" He called out to me.
"Sorry. I got held up inside." I gestured toward the school, and as I lifted my gaze, my eyes landed on Ms. Reed. She stood by her classroom window, looking out at me. As our eyes met, she stepped back and then moved out of view.
I hesitated, staring in her direction. "Umm, that was strange."
"What?" Shane patted my seat, waiting for me to get in.
I slid in. "Today just got a whole lot weirder."
Chapter 5
Shane wasted no time pulling out of the student lot. He couldn't get out of there fast enough, and I agreed fully. Leaving Laney far behind was a priority, but also ditching the craziness of Ms. Harrison, and now, Ms. Reed was also a necessity.
"Poorva and Blake want to meet up at the coffee shop later." Shane glanced at his phone messages.
"Right." I squirmed in my seat, trying to get comfortable. "They'll want to talk about X-block."
"And Samhain," Shane added.
I took a deep breath and nodded. "Samhain. It's the date." I glanced out the window and watched a group of little kids walking home from school. The lift in their step and their giddy expressions made me long for days of no worries. I couldn't remember what those actually felt like. "At least we have a date, I suppose."
"Yup. Gives us something to work toward." He drove down Main Street to the old church. "Ms. Harrison knows more than she's saying. Don’t you think?"
I jumped in my seat and spun toward him. "Exactly," I blasted. "Right!'
He grinned. "I mean, she's quirky. A wack-job, actually. But she knows shit."
"I agree." I pulled out the black pouch and shook it. "She gave me this after school."
He pressed his foot on the brake and slowed the car. "Shut the fuck up." He stared at the bag, then reached for the bottom of it to feel the weight of the contents. "The crystals?"
"Yup," I smirked.
He pressed his mouth into an O shape and huffed.
The big white church came into view then, and he turned into the empty lot. He drove around back and parked close to the building.
"Gimme that." He reached for the bag and pulled it open. Peering in, he exhaled. "This is powerful shit. She's crazy to give these to us. It's like giving alcohol to teenagers. Only worse."
I took the bag and pressed it into my backpack next to the candles.
"Are we seriously going to do this?" I looked up the high steeple and watched it pierce the sky.
He looked around to be sure no one was watching. "Yup."
And without hesitation, he hopped out of the car.
I took a deep inhale and blew it out in a long stream. Then I climbed out and joined him.
Jitters poked at my gut as I watched him from behind—his fearless curiosity leading the way. Entering an empty building with him sent my nerves twitching, and I had to force myself to keep my mind focused on the book—not the way his pants fit perfectly around his backside.
I wished I could read his thoughts right now, or at least get a glimpse of how he was feeling. But we'd all agreed to keep our telepathic sensing shut down, to prevent Laney and the Dark Witch from infiltrating our minds, and our plans.
Particularly now. With a date in place, we had to protect our planning with every ounce of our energy.
He turned, reaching for me to catch up to him, and his eyes caught mine before I had time to pull them away from his body. There was no way to hide my wandering thoughts, and I grinned like the cat who stole the cream.
With one eyebrow lifted, he smirked. Then he reached for me again and took my hand.
"Come on," he said. "Keep up." He pulled me along with him as we turned around the side of the church.
I quickened my step to join his pace, but walking had suddenly become a new movement for me. It felt like I'd stood for the first time, and was expected to know what I was doing. How was that possible when all my brain could focus on was the sensations moving from his hand to mine, causing my entire body to react with bursts of light and heat.
I slowed.
Shane dropped my hand. "What?"
Breathless, I looked him in the eyes. "I just... I don't...." I shook my head to clear it. "What is this?" I shrugged my shoulders. Lost.
"Is it bad?" His worried brows lifted.
I shook my head. "No. It's not. It's good. But it's scaring me."
He stepped closer.
"I can't help but feel like it's dangerous," I added.
He grinned. "What? Going into the church?"
I dropped my eyes to the ground. He knew damn well I wasn't talking about the church.
"No, this." I pointed my finger between us.
His mouth pulled to the side. "I know. I feel it too," he said. "I'm just trying to fucking ignore it though." He laughed and tugged at my arm for me to follow him.
We snuck around to the front of the church, feeling like criminals about to break into a bank. And it wasn't that far off, considering we weren't headed into the house of worship to pray, per se.
"What if it's locked?" I asked as Shane reached for the handle of the massive black door.
He tugged, and it didn't budge in the slightest.
My eyes fell shut as I thought of the spellbook hidden somewhere inside, just waiting to be opened again.
"This way," he pointed to a small door at the inner alcove. "It might be open."
We jumped down the granite steps and moved to the service entryway. Shane turned the knob, and it clicked open.
With a huff of surprise, he pushed inside, and I followed right behind him.
"I had a feeling this one might be open," he said. "It's the one Ms. Kelly uses when she's helping her husband prepare for events. They go in and out of it all day long."
"Should we be expecting them?" I glanced around for any signs of life.
He shrugged one shoulder. "I hope not."
We walked through an open function room, and my feet clomped against the tile floor. Crucifixes and other religious artwork covered the walls, and their faded, dusty facades screamed decades of neglect. I felt like we were trapped in a revamped basement of the seventies.
"The kitchen area's over there," he pointed, moving past a trolley full of folding chairs. "Up those stairs is the way to the confessionals and the area where the clergymen get ready."
A shudder ran through me. "This is kind of creepy. There's a weird vibe here. Like it's full of secrets and...." I hesitated. "Sins."
Shane turned to me with widened eyes. "Sins?"
"I know, it sounds dumb," I murmured. "But instead of feeling all-holy, this place feels tainted."
He glanced toward the stairwell. "Well, no wonder. It's where the witch trials took place hundreds of years ago."
"That's right," I blasted. "The emotions are still hanging in the air, like they seeped into the walls, never fading."
He bared his teeth. "You're right. Something that intense, that evil, it would leave its mark."
I followed him toward the stairs.
"Let's look up there." I pointed up toward the next floor. "It seems like its the center of where the energy is coming from."
Shane hesitated for a moment, looking back across the function room. "True. This room seems modern compared to the original church structures upstairs."
We moved up the granite
steps, and I imagined what this space looked like hundreds of years ago. Maybe it was a dirt cellar, or perhaps it was storage of some form. But no. Something deep within me told me nothing good took place down here, only things that were hidden from the Lord's view.
The narrow stairwell gave away the age of the building as we made our way up.
"No wonder the parishioners walk outside and use the black doors to enter the church, instead of trying to navigate these steps." He tripped on the top one and pushed through a heavy wooden door with a creak.
I followed and peered out around us.
There were several doors in a short corridor with an open set of steps at the far side.
I moved to the archway and bent my head for a look at where it led. High wooden buttresses spanned the height of the ceiling and my eyes rolled over the numerous rows of pews. I recognized the space immediately from this new perspective and knew the altar was just out of view.
"The altar's back there," I said, waving my hand over the general direction.
"Yup," Shane agreed. "We can look there after, but something tells me we'll find more around this area." He glanced at the doors that held tight to whatever was behind them. "Minister Kelly hangs out in that one. I think it's his office." He pointed to the first one in front of us.
My eyes traveled to the farthest door, hiding in the dark shadows. "That's the one," I said, half-expecting to hear ominous music coming from within.
"I was thinking the same thing."
Approaching the hidden door, I felt a wave of guilt move through me. It was classic religious guilt—the kind you get when you skip services or do un-godly deeds. But now I was feeling it because I was sneaking around in a sacred place, ready to snoop and pry through its private areas.
As Shane reached for the knob, I interjected, "This doesn't feel right."
He dropped his hand and looked at me. "I know. You keep saying that."
"I can't help it. My gut is screaming at me, and I've muffled it out for long enough. You know we need to listen to our intuition."
He nodded. "I know." His lips pressed together as he watched me for my next move. "So, what do you want to do?"
Urban Mystic Academy: Third Project (A Supernatural Academy Series Book 3) Page 4