by LJ Swallow
He doesn't smile at my joke and neither does a drawn Jamie.
"Don't either of you ask me to vouch for Andrei's whereabouts last night," I say in warning.
Luckily for them, both look insulted by my question. "You were with him after class and until they hauled you out of his room last night," says Jamie. “I think everybody knows what you were doing.”
I keep looking straight at them; if I turn my head, I may get awkward questions.
This is the first all-academy assembly I’ve attended where students aren’t in uniform, as if the academy term finished already.
In a way, it has.
I huff and pull at Jamie and Ash's arms and steer them towards the exit. "Locking up all hemia is extreme," I say.
"As is leaving the academy open," Jamie retorts.
Ash scratches an eyebrow. "People have the option to leave."
“Apart from Petrescu,” I mumble. I stop and glance over at the Petrescu building. “If somebody accuses Andrei again…”
Jamie squeezes me around the shoulders as I trail off. “Andrei won’t want you to stress about him.”
“But that’s impossible!” I say as I’m revisited by images of the night guards dragged him into a van bound for Ravenhold.
“The hemia aren’t cut off totally—he can call or text you.” Ash gives an encouraging smile. “Tobias and Garrett will ensure the hemia are treated fairly. Hopefully they’ll pull a confession from somebody too.”
“I hope so.” The heavy ache in my stomach grows and I pull my phone from my pocket to send Andrei the third ‘are you okay?’ message for the day. We step into the warm day and I immediately think about Andrei's photos of me. I don’t think I’ll ever sit in the sun and not think about him now.
"Do you think Theodora has told anybody about your vision of the fire?" asks Ash.
"I don't think she has, and I'm now in two minds whether she should've."
Jamie falls silent for a moment. “I saw something last night.”
“What?” asks Ash sharply. “The killers?”
“No.” He beckons us closer. “I left the library late and Theodora’s light was still on. She’s never at the academy this late.”
“She has a lot going on,” I say.
“Yeah, but I heard two people arguing so I waited outside the building. Here.” He points to the bench we’re sitting on. “Theodora left and Garrett followed her. They didn’t look friendly.” Jamie pauses. “Don’t get mad with me about this, but I followed them. They went to the tunnels.”
I stare at him. “Inside? What about the guards?”
“That was stupid, Jamie. What if they’d seen you?” says Ash.
“Not inside. Theodora dismissed the guards the way she did last time, but they argued again, and Garrett stopped her going down. She left.”
“And did Garrett go into the tunnels?” I whisper.
“No, but he didn’t follow Theodora. He phoned somebody.” Jamie chews his lip. “That’s not the strangest thing. Sofia arrived and they went into the tunnels together.”
“What the fuck?” breathes out Ash.
"Until last night’s events, we thought my spell had worked," I say.
A heavy silence falls as the enormity hits.
“They broke the wards,” I say in horror.
“We don’t know that.”
Ash snorts. “Yeah? Garrett, new to the academy shortly after the tunnels were discovered. Coincidence? Fuck.”
“Then we need to get back down,” I say.
“Uh. No. We need to speak to Amelia. She called me earlier, freaked out by the attack and said she needed to talk to us. Urgently.”
“About?”
He shrugs. “I intended to call her anyway. If they’ve watched the academy, they may’ve seen Blackwoods or Dominion move closer—or Garrett with someone.”
“Shit.” Ash’s shoulders slump. “We should’ve watched him closer.”
“Tobias has,” I say. “He hasn’t been near the tunnel and spent most of his time teaching, with Theodora, or in his rooms.”
We reach the bench and I sit while Jamie and Ash look down at me. "Have you tried to control Tobias?" asks Jamie. "Telepathically, I mean."
I frown at his sudden question. "Once. Not recently though."
He frowns. “Why? What happened the first time?”
Oh, so much. "I broke a glass."
"But you managed to control Tobias?" urges Jamie.
"What are you asking me to do?" I ask as suspicion fills me.
He bites his lip and sits. "The runes didn't work, Maeve."
The truth I don't want to admit comes from Jamie, and Ash's expression reflects this. "I know."
"Which means we're facing Gabriella or Anastasia, or both."
"I know," I whisper again. "But how is that connected with me mind-controlling Tobias? Are you suggesting I make him into a weapon?"
"No, not when you’re in danger! Tobias needs to be in full control of himself in order to protect you. But he's powerful and if you practice and succeed, you'd have a better chance at controlling one of them."
I swear the colour drains from my face. "Controlling Gabriella or Anastasia? They could kill me!"
"They could kill us all," says Ash bluntly.
Wow.
"The Winterfall magic is what gave you that power, and if the spell in the tunnel isn’t the magic you need to stop this, I think the mind-control is,” says Jamie.
I sink back against the wood and stare up at the cloudy blue sky. The heartbeat stopped for a short time but did the spell ever work? This has shaken my belief in myself but also sharpened a different truth: the situation we’re facing takes more than my magic. The guys are in my life for a reason.
“I’ll speak to Tobias,” I say. He won’t want to risk giving up his control, especially since he’s constantly on guard for his darker side emerging, but he has no choice. And if I can control that Tobias, then I have a chance of controlling Gabriella or Anastasia. Tobias told us he’s strong enough to take on Gabriella; between us, we could take them down.
Ash shuffles from foot to foot, half paying attention as he watches students leave the building. The mood remains sombre and the victims’ parents are expected at some point today.
“How did last night go?” I ask. “Sorry, with everything happening, I forgot to ask.”
Ash chews on his lip. “Weird. I didn’t see Vince but something disturbing is happening.”
He explains the details of his night and I’m partly glad and partly disappointed Vince wasn’t involved.
“I brought an empty bottle,” Ash says and pulls one the size of a small vodka bottle from his pocket. “Is there a way to test what was in it?”
Jamie takes hold and unscrews the cap before tentatively sniffing. “Aniseed for sure, possibly to disguise the taste and scent. We’d need a lab to test something like this, Ash.”
Defeated, he slumps onto the bench beside me. I close my hand over his leg. “At least we know more about the situation.”
“Really?” He huffs. “That somebody is recruiting young shifter kids for a war against the other races, but not who?”
“You can’t expect all the answers in one night, Ash,” says Jamie.
“At least nobody attacked you. That worried me.”
He strokes my hair. “I definitely wasn’t the focus.”
“Then this has nothing to do with Gabriella or Anastasia,” says Jamie. “They want to pick us off and had an opportunity to take Ash last night.”
“Unless this is a long game,” I suggest.
Ash swears and stands. “I feel fucking useless!”
“Ash!” I grab his hand and squeeze his broad palm. “You’re not. How do you think I feel? My magic failed.”
His brow furrows. “That’s not true. You’re working with half a story.”
Maybe. But now is the time to take control. To be ready for what life throws at me next.
Chapter Fifty-Five
MAEVE
<
br /> The chaos allows us to leave campus with less attention than usual, despite the heavier guard presence. Vehicles crowd the academy driveway as parents collect their children, some protesting, and others rush to the cars as if the academy is on fire.
We leave Tobias behind in case measures are taken against Andrei and then take the short trip to a small tourist village nearby. We walk by the chalked menu on the blackboard outside and into the small teashop decorated in blue gingham. A family of tourists in hiking gear enjoy an afternoon tea beside a large table surrounded by elderly visitors discussing their day trip.
A troubled-looking Amelia and Matt wait for us inside. They look like any other tourists in the place, a young couple enjoying a cream tea after a walk across the moors. The café is an obvious choice of meeting place—human-filled.
The hug Amelia gives draws attention from a table of elderly tourists beside us, the intense atmosphere out of character for a casual meeting. Matt stares into his mug, stony-faced, as the three of us join them.
“We don’t have long,” whispers Amelia.
“As usual,” mutters Ash.
A waitress heads over to take our orders but we’re too distracted, so Matt asks her to bring the same for us—tea and scones. I doubt I could eat a bite and I’m glad this won’t take long.
Amelia rests her elbows on the table and leans in to whisper, “The murderer is definitely a student. We haven’t seen anybody move onto campus recently, so either an existing infiltrator or—”
“The ‘thing’.”
Ash calling the presence a ‘thing’ downplays the situation somehow, which helped at first, but there’s nothing to downplay anymore.
“Yeah. The tunnel.” Jamie pulls on his bottom lip. “I saw Garrett with Theodora hanging around the entrance.”
“When?” asks Matt and glances at Amelia. “What happened?”
I listen to Jamie’s explanation for a second time, and Amelia’s confused expression grows. “We’ve looked into Garrett, carefully. Nobody who works with us has ever seen him. Garrett isn’t under suspicion of doing anything—like Theodora, he’s staunchly loyal to the Confederacy,” she says.
“This makes no sense,” mutters Jamie.
“You need to talk to him and Sofia,” says Matt. “It’s the only way to figure out what’s happening.”
“We’ll watch them from now on,” says Ash sternly. “Tobias is watching them today.”
“What’s happening with the tunnel? Is it still guarded?” asks Amelia.
“Not as heavily. The attack happened without anything leaving the tunnels, so they’ve shifted focus.”
I narrow my eyes. “Just like that? Has somebody influenced the guards to stay away?”
“Garrett,” says Jamie flatly.
“Tobias is watching the tunnel entrance,” I say. “He’s going back and forth in case…”
In case what? We’re at a loss.
“And Petrescu?” asks Matt.
“The building is heavily guarded. Nobody will get in or out of there without a guard knowing. Andrei is keeping an eye on those inside, and the cellar,” I reply.
“Is Andrei okay?” asks Amelia.
“Pissed off but at least he’s still here,” I say and swallow down my worry that soon, somebody could change that.
She gives me that smile—the one she used all the time when I first arrived that would somehow soothe my worries. I’d call it her magic smile and she’d laugh. When I discovered Amelia is a witch, I understood why the comment amused her.
Matt rubs the back of his hand across his mouth. “The shifter situation—” he begins. “One of our guys saw you at the latest gathering, Ash.”
Ash’s face sours. “You know about the gatherings and never said?”
“No. Last night was Lachlan’s first time too. He’s mates with a couple of kids from Skipdale and has waited for an invite.” He nods at Ash. “Seems they’re asking more to join.”
“Has he seen Vince?” asks Ash sharply. “Have you? Any of you?”
Amelia bites a nail and the looks she exchanges with Matt trips a shiver along my spine.
“Last night,” says Matt. “Lachlan saw him, but he didn’t speak.”
“Definitely Vincent?” I ask hoarsely.
“Clive called his name,” says Amelia. “They spoke for a minute and Vince left.”
I jerk as Ash smacks a fist on the table. “Clive lied! How did I fucking miss that? Why didn’t we see him?”
“Ash!” Amelia curls her fingers around his fist. “Vince hides well. If he knew you were there, he’d either confront you or stay away.”
“I don’t understand,” I say. “The shifter council have him—or that’s what we were told.”
Matt makes a derisive noise. “Nobody tells the truth. Haven’t you noticed?”
“Did Lachlan say anything else? Does he know about any plans?” urges Jamie.
“No. His mates told him to wait for news about the next gathering. That’s it. Lachlan will update us if he finds anything else.”
Ash swears again and slumps back in his seat before dragging both hands across the top of his head.
“We’re blind,” I say as defeat washes through me. “Nobody can see what’s happening. How can we prepare?”
“No, Maeve.” Amelia rubs my arm. “We’re not blind. Me and Matt are watching Gabriella’s and Anastasia’s movements—and their followers.”
“We’re staying in this village watching the academy, in shifts with others,” puts in Matt. “Between us, we have eyes inside and out. If anything happens, we’ll know and can act.”
I bite my lip and look at the table. Act.
“Maeve. We’re not blind. If we didn’t have you, nobody would have a clue about what’s coming,” says Jamie. “That’s an advantage. Some idea about the future is better than none.”
On the days I’d lie on my bed at home, confused and frightened by what my visions meant, convinced I was insane, I could never imagine the truth.
Now I’m in that truth and more confused and frightened than ever before in my life.
But I also have more love and support than at any time.
Chapter Fifty-Six
MAEVE
I don’t need an excuse to arrange a meeting with Sofia. She wants to see me.
I’ve expected her summons for days. She never interrogated me about the suspected attack on Kimberly and the others, and as soon as the second attack happened, I’ve waited for her accusations. Will Theodora be with her? As I walk to her office, I mull over how to look into my worries about her and Garrett.
Sofia wants to see me alone. Should I prepare for an attack, too? Or does she know I’m too strong? My suspicion grows when I find Garrett in her office too.
Sofia sits in her favourite armchair, dressed in a long, blue skirt and loose white blouse, with a pink crystal hung on a chain around her neck. Her hands are folded on her lap, but Sofia’s cloudy aura doesn’t match her serene smile.
Garrett stands at the opposite edge of the room, close to a bookshelf. The tall vampire is dressed in his well-cut suit as usual, dark hair neat, but his intense gaze adds to the tension already between them.
Frowning at the door as I close it, I turn and switch on a smile to match Sofia’s.
“Good afternoon, Maeve,” says Garrett in his smooth voice.
“Do sit,” adds Sofia.
The hairs on my arms lift as I struggle to trust Sofia’s motivations for bringing me into a room with a man I barely know. Garrett may be a friend of Theodora’s, but he’s allied himself with Sofia for a reason. Was he sent to help Sofia and the Dominion? Keeping my smile fixed, I edge to sit on the sofa opposite her.
“Am I in trouble?” I ask. “Is this about the attack?”
Sofia straightens. “The attack is one of the reasons I wanted to see you.”
“Oh.” I look to Garrett, but he adds nothing.
Silence drops and I look around at white crystals hanging from the c
eiling so I don’t need to meet Sofia’s eyes again. My heart hammers in my chest and I pray to myself I’ve enough magic energy to get myself out of an attack.
“There are many secrets in this academy,” says Sofia. “I’ve informed you before that I don’t trust your group.”
“Do you think we had something to do with the attack?” I ask in surprise.
“I’m aware Theodora has taken a special interest in your group, Maeve. As head of Walcott, this concerns me.” She gestures at Garrett. “There were concerns amongst the staff about Theodora’s behaviour.”
“The recent disturbances.” Garrett breaks his silence. “Something around the academy is having a negative effect on the students.”
Sofia makes a soft sound. “On hemia in particular, which has now resulted in deaths due to Theodora’s inaction.”
I nod, but why are professors discussing issues regarding the head professor with me?
“I repeatedly told Theodora she should close the academy until the situation resolved, but she refused,” continues Garrett
“Her inaction killed students,” says Sofia and her eyes harden along with her voice. “Witches. I am unable to fathom what happened to Kimberly, Cody, and Yvette, but I’m certain Petrescu were involved in that situation too. There was an attack and I believe somebody covered this up. Last night’s events proves this.”
I moisten my dry lips. “Not Andrei. Don’t accuse him again.”
Sofia wrinkles her nose but says nothing.
“We’re interviewing all hemia, Sofia,” says Garrett. He sighs and sits in the spare armchair.
“These strange events coincided with Professor Whitlock discovering the tunnels, and I do not believe Theodora was unaware of their existence,” retorts Sofia. “Especially now Garrett has finally disclosed information to me he should’ve weeks ago!”
“I told you my reasoning, Sofia,” he says.
“Students died!” she repeats.
I bite my lip and look at my hands in my lap as the tense energy grows. Are they about to come to blows in front of me?
“Tell Maeve,” says Sofia. “She’s involved and I want to know how deeply involved.”