“I see. Still, it is better for her not to remember that.” Professor Singh nodded. “Come, let’s go share what we’ve discovered with James and then I will see about sending a unit to Merriwick’s.”
I followed her out of the room and through the rest of the infirmary. When we emerged back into the hallway, James was leaned up against the wall, looking bored. I smiled and moved to him, letting him wrap his arms around me.
“How is she?” he asked.
“She has a long recovery ahead of her. Not physically of course, but mentally,” Professor Singh commented.
James nodded. “Did she tell you anything?”
“Indeed. Merriwick isn’t Merriwick. I think for the moment, it would be best if the two of you actually go to Bethany’s room now. The wards will keep you safe. I’ll send my Knights out to Merriwick’s and we’ll see what we can discover. For now, I think you both have big targets on your backs with this woman and the safest place for you is Bethany’s room.”
“Okay.” I nodded. I was exhausted anyway.
“Did you get a chance to eat dinner before all this started, Bethany?” she asked.
“Yes, Professor. I’ll be fine until morning.” I smiled.
She turned her eyes on James. “And you?”
“I’m okay, no fear of me reaching bloodlust before morning,” James replied. His regular smirk was back in place and it made me smile.
“Then off you go. Classes are canceled for the time being, even if Professor Zin hasn’t announced it yet, she will. So go, stay safe and I’ll come for you tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you, Professor,” I replied as we headed to my room one floor up.
I was never so thankful to reach my bed. I think I fell asleep as soon as my face hit the pillow.
Chapter 32
James
“No vampires! What are you thinking, Professor Singh, bringing him in here?” The nurse stared at me, her chest heaving in exasperation.
Professor Singh rolled her eyes and looked over at me. “Mr. Barrett, would you mind waiting in the hall, I am sure we won’t be a moment.”
Bethany frowned at me, her eyes troubled. I knew she didn’t like hearing that, but I understood. The witches in here had been attacked by my kind.
I nodded at Professor Singh and then turned to Bethany.
“I’ll just be a call a way, just say my name and I’ll come running,” I vowed. That was all she’d ever have to do and I’d be there in a heartbeat to defend her, to protect her, to keep her safe. I leaned down and kissed her temple.
Giving her a half smile, I went back out to the hallway. I didn’t need to be in there to know what they were going to hear. Bethany was right and I should have recognized it. I was an idiot. Now that I’d thought about, I could remember smelling De Abrew’s scent in Merriwick’s Coffee Shop, but I hadn’t taken any notice of it because it blended with everyone else’s. I should have noticed that it was strong though. More prominent than all the others, when it shouldn’t have been.
And her eyes. I had no idea how I missed that. I could see them perfectly now. Deep maroon and blood shot. I felt stupid. Banned to the hallway was the least I deserved. If I had recognized De Abrew earlier, Helen wouldn’t have been hurt and Noor wouldn’t have gone into her frenzied attack mode.
I wallowed in self-pity for a few more minutes and then sighed. There was nothing to be done about the past now. All I could do was move forward with the knowledge we now had. De Abrew was evil and part of the Shadow Society and she’d more than likely killed Merriwick to get to us.
The infirmary door opened and Bethany came into the hall. She smiled and moved into my arms without a qualm. It went a long way to heal my heart to know she didn’t hold my mistake against me. I wrapped my arms around her and felt whole.
“How is she?” I asked, hoping they had been able to speak to her.
“She has a long recovery ahead of her. Not physically of course, but mentally,” Professor Singh commented. She seemed tired, and I knew her night wasn’t over yet.
I nodded. “Did she tell you anything?”
“Indeed. Merriwick isn’t Merriwick. I think for the moment, it would be best if the two of you actual go to Bethany’s room now. The wards will keep you safe. I’ll send my Knights out to Merriwick’s and we’ll see what we can discover. For now, I think you both have big targets on your backs with this woman and the safest place for you is Bethany’s room.”
“Okay.” Bethany nodded.
She sounded weary and I just wanted to take her back to her room and cuddle with her. Keep her safe.
“Did you get a chance to eat dinner before all this started, Bethany?” Professor Singh inquired after a moment.
“Yes, Professor. I’ll be fine until morning.” Bethany smiled up at her, her head resting on my shoulder.
“And you?” Professor Singh arched her brow at me.
“I’m okay, no fear of me reaching bloodlust before morning,” I replied, adding a bit of dark humor to my voice.
Professor Singh narrowed her eyes at me for a heartbeat, but then nodded. “Then off you go. Classes are canceled for the time being, even if Professor Zin hasn’t announced it yet, she will. So go, stay safe and I’ll come for you tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you, Professor,” Bethany murmured.
Within a few minutes we were at Bethany’s room and she opened the door. She didn’t say anything as she flopped down on her bed. Her arms curled around her pillow and she started to snore softly. I had to chuckle, she looked too cute.
I reached for her foot and pulled off her shoe. She grunted a little bit and then settled down and I removed her other shoe. I set them down in the closet on the floor and grabbed a blanket. I climbed into the bed and pulled her against me, before covering us both up with the blanket.
Settling in with her wrapped in my arms, I drifted off to sleep. For the first time since returning from Aspen, I actually slept peacefully. No dreams about Arrond. No nightmares with witches baring Bethany’s face trying to murder Arrond and me. It was nice.
When I woke in the morning, to find Bethany staring at me with a smile, I had to wonder if it was just being with her, or if it was the wards on her room. “Hey, beautiful. Sleep well?” I asked, brushing a lock of her dark wavy hair behind her ear.
She nodded. “I did. Better than I have in a while. You?”
I grinned. “So much better than I have since Aspen.” And then a thought struck me and I sat up abruptly. “No freaking way.” I blinked at her.
Bethany frowned. “What is it?”
“It was her, De Abrew. In Aspen!”
“What?” Bethany looked incredulous. “How is that possible?”
“I don’t know, but it was her. The scent is slightly different, but I think that is because of the difference in where we were at the time, and the fact that in Aspen it was mixing with the wild life and snow and stuff, but here I’ve smelled it up close and personal. I could track her now wherever she—” I stopped. I just recalled, no, I couldn’t. Not if she used a disappearing spell. I sighed.
“What is it? Can you track her?” She reached out and took my arm.
I shook my head. “Normally, I would say yes, but she’s already proven she can get away from me and hide.”
“The disappearing spell Professor Singh mentioned,” she commented with a sigh.
Nodding, I said, “Yeah, dang it.”
She smiled and snuggled into my side. “It’s okay. We’ll catch her, or the Dusk Knights will. Either way, we’ll stop her.”
I grinned. “Yeah we will.”
Bethany’s stomach rumbled and she giggled. “Guess I’m hungry.”
“Should we go get you breakfast? I haven’t heard any announcements…”
“Check your phone, Professor Zin sent out an emergency text to all students and staff. Classes are canceled for the remainder of the week, with the possibility of sending us all home,” she said softly.
I pulled out m
y phone and turned it on. She was right. I opened the message and read.
Dear Students and Staff,
Due to the recent attacks upon students, for safety reasons, classes will be closed for the remainder of the week until we can determine the cause of these attacks. If we deem the problem cannot be solved within the next few days, we shall see about sending all students home to their parents. Please remain in lockdown mode until we can determine the risks to your safety. Meals will be delivered to each common room. Hallways have been warded to keep you all safe as you travel between your rooms, the bathrooms and the common rooms on your floor. Do not, under any circumstances, leave your floor unless with an approved teacher.
Approved teachers for the witches are Professor Singh and myself. Approved teachers for the vampires are Professor Corbett and Professor Marx. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. — Professor Zin
“So breakfast is in the common room for you. Somehow, I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to be seen in there with you,” I said with a smirk.
Bethany laughed. “Yeah, probably not. It’s okay though.” She hopped up off the bed and went to her desk. Opening the drawer, she pulled out a bag of chips. “This will hold me for a while.”
I grinned. “Good thing you stashed those in there.”
“And if I get really hungry, I can always call on Luci or Porta to bring me something. I don’t think they’d mind you being here.” Her face fell. “Oh. I didn’t think about you needing to eat. What are you going to do? They aren’t going to deliver blood to the witch dorms.” She bit her lip.
Smiling, I pulled her down to me. “Not to worry, if Professor Singh doesn’t arrive in time, I will just take a bite of this juicy little witch I know.”
Her eyes widened and I laughed.
“I’m kidding.”
She grinned. “I should hope so!”
“No, if Professor Singh doesn’t come through with a bag for me, I’ll shift and fly over to the vampire dorms. Jodie will let me in.”
“Isn’t it weird that you can shift during daylight, but your other powers are all dormant,” she said sounding curious.
I shrugged. “I guess it is a little weird, I mean compared to the other kinds of vampires. I think it’s so we can protect ourselves a little while we are without our regular powers.”
She nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”
“It’s still hard to do during daylight though, and not all of us can do it, at least not at first. It took me about two years after I turned to be able to.”
“Hmmm. So do you choose your animal? Or does the animal choose you?” she asked, looking truly interested.
“It chooses us.” I grinned. “I don’t think cute little barn owl would have been my first choice, had I been the one choosing.”
“Oh really? And what would you have chosen?” she asked with a grin as she munched on her chips.
“Hmmm, well having been an owl for so long now, I don’t know that I would want to give up flying, but maybe something fiercer, like an eagle. They’ve got sharp talons and a wider wing span than the owl.”
“True, but what if you were back at day one, before you had experienced flying. Then what?” she proposed.
Laughing, I shook my head at her question. “I don’t know. Hmmm, definitely something strong, and fast, a cheetah maybe? Or a wolf?”
“A cheetah definitely is fast, but it certainly doesn’t blend in our environment, does it?” She grinned. “I think I’m glad you didn’t have a choice and you have to be a cute little barn owl.”
I laughed with her. “And why is that?” I asked, pulling her to me and settling her in my lap.
“Because if you were a cheetah or a wolf, or even an eagle, I’m not so sure I could sneak you into my room without being discovered.” Her brown eyes twinkled up at me as she leaned in and kissed me. I could taste the salt from her chips on her lips.
At that moment I felt truly content and wished that we could just stay in here forever. Keep the rest of the world out and keep her safe. But of course, that wouldn’t be realistic, so I settled for just enjoying the moment with her.
Chapter 33
Bethany
I finished off my bag of chips and, crumbling it up into a ball, tossed it across the room at the trashcan by my desk. When it went in, I grinned and said, “Two points, oh yeah!”
James chuckled and snuggled me closer.
I loved being in his arms and I wished we could stay like this forever, but I knew Professor Singh would be by soon and then we’d be back to trying to find Sara De Abrew. Knowing that James could track her, well sort of track her, was helpful, but it worried me too. I didn’t want him going off on his own to fight her, just to keep me safe. And I knew he would in a heartbeat if he could get away with it.
He brushed my hair from my forehead and then kissed me. I melted into him, savoring his lips on mine. He caressed my face and held me close, whispering, “My beautiful little witch,” as he pressed kisses to my lips and then along my neck and just under my ear, sending shivers of pleasure through me.
Knock, Knock.
James moved away from me and sat up, shooting me a rueful smile.
I grinned. “Who is it?” I called, unwilling to get up unless I had to.
“Professor Singh.”
My smile dropped from my face and I drew in a sharp breath. I’d been expecting her, but also hoping we’d have a bit longer before she came for us. I stood up quickly and pulled the door open. “Come in, Professor.”
“I think it would be wiser if you and Mr. Barrett were to come with me, Miss Welch,” she said, keeping her tone formal.
“Let me grab my shoes. Where are we going?” I asked.
“To the Dusk Knight headquarters.”
I nodded and quickly pulled on my tennis shoes. Taking James’ hand, we left my room pulling it closed and locking it behind us before following Professor Singh through the warded hallway and down the stairs.
She was quiet the whole way through the building and across the campus. She didn’t say anything until we were through the ward and in the headquarters building. She let out a heavy sigh and said, “Okay, I think we are safe for now.” She gave us a tight smile. “Please have a seat. James, how are you doing? Do you need anything? Bethany did you eat?”
James perked up a bit at the offer. “I wouldn’t turn it down if you had some blood to offer me, Professor.”
“Just as I thought.” She nodded crossing the room. “Through here,” she opened the door, “Captain, please fix Mr. Barrett some of the B positive please.”
“Of course, Professor.”
“James, go with the Captain, he’ll take care of you.”
James nodded and went through the door.
“Here, Bethany, it’s not much, but at least it’s warm.”
She handed me a breakfast sandwich with egg and bacon. “Thank you, Professor.”
While I ate, I studied her. She seemed weary and disheartened.
“Professor, are you all right?”
She nodded. “Yes. What I have to share isn’t good. But we’ll wait for James and the Captain before we start.”
I nodded and finished my sandwich and a few minutes later, James and the Captain as well as several other knights joined us.
Professor Singh stood up again. “Captain would you like to go over what happened at Merriwick’s Coffee Shop.”
“Of course, Professor.” He stood. “I took a small unit to the coffee shop; it was closed, so we went around to the back. We were able to open the lock and get in. Once we were inside, we did a sweep of the entire building. In the back storage room, magically locked in a chest was the body of Merriwick. We have been able to determine she has been dead for at least a month. Unfortunately, we were unable to determine the cause of her death. When we began to examine her, we must have triggered a disintegration spell, because her body began to shrivel up and then turned to dust leaving nothing but rags. A black mist left the
remains and dissipated.”
I scrunched up my brow. “A Formless One?”
“Possibly, Miss Welch,” the Captain nodded. “It was our theory that Merriwick was held for a short time by making use of a Formless One and what dissipated was merely the residual energy that triggered the disintegration spell once someone discovered her.”
“Thank you, Captain.” Professor Singh nodded.
He returned to his seat at the far side of the table.
Professor Singh looked at us. “We’ve spent the night searching the school, warding the hallways and then the town for any sign of this woman. Sara De Abrew is nowhere to be found at the moment, unless she has disguised herself as someone else. And we have no way of knowing who.” She dropped into her chair, looking very tired.
I looked at James and he nodded.
“Professor?”
“Yes, James?” she asked wearily.
“I think I can track her. Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
James nodded. “I know her scent. And as long as she hasn’t used a disappearing spell, I can track her. At the very least, I can smell where she was before she used it.”
Professor Singh nodded. “Okay. It’s the only plan we’ve got that is even worth trying.” She stood up again. “You’re sure you will recognize her? Even if she is disguised as someone else?”
James nodded again. “Yes, ma’am. And if tracking her doesn’t work… well…” He looked at me and I urged him on. “She’s after me and Bethany. She is the one who tried to kill us in Aspen. It took me until this morning to realize that it was De Abrew on the mountain. And she tried to get me to attack Bethany. She swore she would make me kill her before this was all over. If tracking her doesn’t work, Bethany and I will be bait.”
“James, I cannot allow—”
“She’s coming for us anyway, Professor. I’d rather she did it on our terms than hers.”
Professor Singh sighed. “I see your point. I don’t like it, but I see it.” She nodded. “Okay, we’ll try to track her first. If that doesn’t work, then we resort to using you and Bethany as bait.” She looked over at me. “Are you okay with this, Bethany?”
A Witch's Immunity (Supernatural Academy Book 3) Page 15