“Do they think you were involved?” I say.
Wade snickers. “I hope not. I don’t have any magical abilities. At least, none that have surfaced yet. They’re checking with the academy to verify, though. So much for being on Ms. Cain’s good side.”
My gaze falls to the ground. “Damn.”
“Regardless, that obviously doesn’t stop the gossip from spinning out of control. God, I wish I had a way to throw this all back in their faces. It’s ridiculous.” Wade runs his hands over his face. “One of the cops did say they thought it was similar to something that happened thirty some odd years ago. So, with a little luck, they’ll be able to trace it back. Unless of course they think this is a copycat situation.”
“Well, if it happened before, maybe we should take a trip to the academy library. Last semester, when I was trying to get clear on what was happening to me, going to the library was the only thing that kept me sane. Even though it didn’t really feel like it at the time. I know it’s a different library, but what I was searching for wasn’t magical—at least, it didn’t start out that way.”
Wade quirks an eyebrow skeptically. “Why the library? There is this huge information superhighway called the internet. It also has the added bonus of not needing to be around people.”
“Yes, but the supernatural underground isn’t always broadcasting all of its news on the World Wide Web, he who wishes to hide,” I say, smiling. “Besides, I could call Cat and have her meet us. She might know—”
Wade shakes his head, raising a hand. “No, I’d rather not involve Cat if we can avoid it.”
I clamp my lips shut and nod.
“I didn’t mean to be so abrupt. I like Cat, I really do,” he says, backpedaling.
I wave a hand in front of me. “Don’t worry about it. I get it.”
“All right, if you think we could dig up something…” Wade’s face scrunches. “That was not a Freudian slip. I swear it.”
I chuckle. “You don’t have to convince me, Wade. I know you wouldn’t do anything like this.”
He lets out a sigh of relief. “Good. I’d hate to think this sort of bullshit could shake your confidence in me. I just can’t even believe it, you know?”
Standing up, I take a seat on his lap and wrap my arms around his neck. “I’m not a rumor girl. This doesn’t shake my confidence in you. Not even a little bit. I know you, Wade Hoffman. But I wish you would open up to me more. We need to get on the same page again. So, come on, let’s go see if anything like this has happened before. If magic is involved, we should be able to find something.”
“I sure as hell hope so. This is not how I planned to spend my one and only year here,” he says, frowning.
“Don’t say that. We’ll get that sorted out, too. But one thing at a time,” I mutter, kissing the crease where his eye meets his cheekbone. “All right, let’s do it.” I stand up and reach out, offering my hand.
Together, we walk to the school’s library. The space looks more like a place of worship than a place to learn and read things. Especially with its high ceilings and stained-glass windows that span the entire height of the room. However, the ambiance is unlike anything else.
In all honesty, I’ve only been in this library a handful of times and never to do research like this, so I feel a little out of sorts. All of my personal research last year was done at the local library in town—and in a dark corner of it, too.
“Where do we start?” Wade says, his wide eyes mimicking my own.
I shrug and point to the man behind the desk. “Ask the librarian?”
“All right, then, let’s do it.” He nods.
Walking forward, Wade makes his way to the large, round oak desk in the center of the main aisle. It’s clear it’s been set intentionally because it commands the space and draws you straight to it. The artistry in the wood carvings on the front is similar to the work in the admissions office, but instead of someone short and stout, a broad-shouldered man with dark hair and inquisitive eyes scrolls through an old-fashioned-looking library catalogue. On the desk, the nameplate reads: David Chen.
“Excuse me,” Wade says, clearing his throat.
David glances up and grins. “Ah, Mr. Hoffman. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.” His voice has a tinge of echo to it, and I turn to Wade, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
“I—uh, thanks?” Wade says, shooting me a sideways glance. “Say, I was wondering if you happen to have any information on, uh…” he pinches his lips tight for a moment. “Actually, you know what? Do you have a place to view any old magical news articles from thirty years ago or so?”
“What you’re seeking is likely all online now, but I can point you to the public computer section,” David says with a knowing smirk.
Wade again shifts his gaze to me, and I shrug sheepishly.
“No need, I can see it from here,” Wade says, sliding his hand into mine and pulling us both to the right of the expansive room.
“See, told you. Online,” he chuckles when we’re out of earshot of the librarian.
“Okay, so you win this round,” I say, taking a seat at one of the computers and glancing over my shoulder at the librarian. “Can I ask you something? Did the librarian’s voice seem odd to you?”
“Yeah, kinda almost robotic,” Wade says, nodding as he fiddles with the mouse to wake the sleeping computer.
“Right? You don’t think that’s a thing, do you?” I say, unable to stop myself from eyeing the desk.
Wade shrugs. “I don’t see why not. I mean, you’re a necromancer, for crying out loud. You think an AI is as crazy as it gets?”
“Point taken,” I say, turning back around and facing the computer. “So, what’s the game plan?”
“Well,” Wade begins, letting his fingers fly across the keyboard, “the only thing I have to go on is what I heard in Mistwood. So, I guess we start by looking to see if there were any other grave robbings back in the late eighties or early nineties.”
I groan. “This is gonna be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Wade nods, but bends in. “Except…I found something.”
My mouth drops open and I lean in, too. “You’re kidding?”
“No, I’m just good with internet searches.” He twists around and beams at me. “Get this. It says there were two graves desecrated, but that’s not all. There were some weird vandalizations as well.”
“Weird how?”
Wade leans in, reading a bit further.
“Scorched markings over the tops of some of the other freshly dug graves—days after the initial robbings. It was unique enough that it drew attention and witnesses saw someone with magical abilities at the scene,” he finally says.
“Okay, that’s strange and all, but I don’t know—” I begin, but stop when Wade’s jaw drops open and the color drains from his cheeks. “What is it?”
Shifting his gaze from the computer gaze to me, Wade leans back and presses his fingertips to his lips. His eyelashes flutter furiously as he processes whatever he just read.
“What is it?” I press.
“They had a suspect,” he whispers.
“That’s good. It means we can track down—”
Wade shakes his head. “It was my dad.”
Chapter 6
All That Follows
If anyone in school finds out about Wade’s dad being the prime suspect in what happened thirty years ago, they’ll have him tried and convicted before anyone can change their minds.
With both his dad and grandpa dead, there’s no one in the family he can turn to in order to make sense out of this mess. And no one else the authorities can point fingers to, at least not as easily.
As I walk down the hallway to Grimoire Protection, my mind is too busy grappling with Wade’s new dilemma to pay attention to my surroundings. I turn the corner and wind up tripping over my own two feet as the floor ascends upward in a gradual ramp. My books go flying as I reach out to break my fall.
“That was graceful,” Cat chuckles, rushing up to me.
Colton follows closely behind her, his expression the epitome of shock.
“Wow, I guess I was lost in thought,” I mutter, picking up the two books that flew out of my arms and drawing them into to my chest as I stand up.
Cat’s dark eyes crinkle at their edges. “And people wonder why texting and walking is a bad idea.”
“Ha, ha. Very funny, smartass,” I say, making a face. “It’s good to see you guys. I didn’t catch you at all yesterday. Where were you?”
“Ugh, don’t get me started,” Cat says, rolling her eyes.
“Something triggered the school’s wards when we came in yesterday and they had to do some tests to make sure we weren’t packing or whatever,” Colt mutters, shaking his head.
“Weird,” I say, scrunching my face.
Colton shuffles to his other foot, watching the floor with great intensity.
“So, is everything okay now? I mean, it must be if you’re here,” I say.
Cat nods tersely. “Yeah, all good. How was the first day for you?”
“Okay,” I say, shrugging. “Weird.”
Quirking an eyebrow, Cat says, “Weirder than us getting stopped at the door before we even make it to my first class?”
“Yeah, actually.” I pull my phone out of my pocket to check the time. We still have five minutes before class starts. “Have you guys been hearing any…rumors? You might not if you were out of circulation yesterday.”
“Like your boyfriend gets his kicks out of desecrating graves,” Colton says, refusing to look up.
My shoulders drop. “Yeah, those kinds of rumors. They’re not true, by the way.”
Cat’s face scrunches to the side and she says, “Are you totally sure? I mean, how well do you really know him?”
My back immediately bristles at her words. I clench my jaw and breathe slowly through my nose, trying to disperse my irritation. It’s not their fault. They’re only repeating what others are saying.
“I know him pretty damn well. He wouldn’t do something like that,” I mutter.
“Well, it happened in Mistwood Point, which is where he’s coming from. And then it happened here, right after he moved. Seems like kind of a big coincidence, if you ask me,” Colton says, finally chancing a glance at me.
Another flash of anger coils through my insides. “You don’t know him at all. And besides, why desecrate his grandpa’s grave, then come here and dig up two others? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Maybe he was angry he didn’t get the inheritance he expected,” Cat says, shooting me an apologetic look.
“What?” I balk, shooting a glance between the two of them. “You’ve got to be kidding. First of all, where did you even hear this?”
“When we were being tested yesterday, I overheard Ms. Cain mentioning something to Professor Lambert,” Cat says, looking over her shoulder at Colton.
“Wow. His finances are no one else’s business. And just so you’re aware, Wade did everything he could for his grandpa. He became a PCA just to be able to take care of him while he was dying,” I say, channeling my anger through clenched teeth.
“Yeah, and where was he during all the time before he was on his deathbed? Ever ask yourself that? Seems pretty convenient that he swooped in at the end, if you ask me,” Colton says, shrugging nonchalantly. “Cat, we should really get to class. I don’t want to miss Organic Transmutation. We’ll get to combine our elements in there and see what happens.”
Cat nods, but turns to me with pity in her eyes. “We’re just looking out for you, Autumn. I know you want to think the best of Wade, but maybe you need to ask yourself some difficult questions. And who knows? Maybe you’re right. Maybe this is all just a misunderstanding. But if it’s not…”
“I get it,” I say, waving a hand and cutting her off.
“We really are just trying to help,” Cat says, taking a few steps away from me, with Colton doing the same.
I turn back to the way I was heading and mutter under my breath, “Yeah, sure.”
The rest of the day passes in a blur. Even though my last two classes are with Wade, neither of us is in much of a talkative mood. Plus, no matter how much I try to focus on my remaining classes, my mind keeps getting pulled back into the conversation with the twins.
What if they’re right? Am I being naive and only seeing what I want to see about him?
I lean back in my seat for Advanced Life Energies, glancing over at Wade in the desk beside me. He’s faced forward and looks like he’s listening intently, but I’m sure his mind is still whirling, too.
Wade’s been hiding details about his life from me and I’ve been letting him because of my own guilt. Maybe I should talk to him about some of the questions the twins brought up? If he has nothing to hide, surely he wouldn’t mind answering.
Then again, if I do…will it upset him to learn it’s partially coming from Colton? And could it lead to another discussion about his interest in me?
Closing my eyes, I turn to face forward in my seat.
I wish I had someone else I could talk to who could make sense out of this. Someone who doesn’t have a vested interested one way or the other.
My eyes pop open.
Abigail.
I’m surprised I didn’t think of her sooner. In a strange way, after all of the help she provided with Cat’s resurrection, she almost feels like another mother to me. Only, she’s a mother who understands the supernatural and doesn’t freak out at any mention of powers or abilities, the way my mom would.
With a little luck, my ghostly ancestor will have some insights I haven’t considered. If nothing else, it would be nice to get another female perspective—one that’s a little more sympathetic than Cat was today.
When class ends, I pick up my backpack and wait for Wade to gather up his things.
“Want to come over to my place to study?” Wade asks, standing up and walking around his desk.
I nod. “That sounds good. I have a few things I need to do quick at home. Can I meet you about six?”
“Sure, that works,” he says, bending in and brushing his lips against my cheek.
A flurry of anxiety courses through my veins. I could kick myself for feeling so torn about Wade. But I also don’t want to be that girl who refuses to think anything could be wrong with a guy just because she likes him.
“Do you want me to order pizza or anything? Or do you plan to eat at home?” Wade asks, leading us out into the hallway.
“How about I bring something? Save your money,” I say, reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze.
His expression falters, but he nods.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by that,“ I sputter.
“It’s okay, I get it,” Wade says, shaking his head.
Biting my lip, I opt for walking silently beside him. Rather than heading to the Commons for a few minutes, we head straight out the door and to our vehicles. At least today, we arrived at nearly the same time, so we’re parked together.
When we reach our rides, I lean up against the side of Blue and turn to face Wade. “You know, we really should start riding together.”
“I don’t want you to feel like you’re stuck here, though. I mean, if you ever have to leave early or anything…” Wade says, shaking his head.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Besides, I’d mostly know in advance and we could coordinate then,” I say, narrowing my gaze. “Why don’t you want to ride with me?”
Wade chuckles, “It’s not that at all.”
“Then what is it?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. I guess I’m so used to being apart, I don’t want to suffocate you,” he says, shrugging sheepishly. “Stupid, right?”
“Not at all,” I say, reaching for his waist and pulling him close. “But from now on, we’re riding together. Deal?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He chuckles.
“Since you’re closer to the school, I’ll come to yo
u,” I say glancing up just in time to see him open his mouth in protest. “No arguments.”
His lips pinch shut.
“Promise me,” I say.
“Fine,” he mutters through clenched teeth.
“All right, now that that’s settled, I’m going to head home. I’ll see you at six,” I say, standing on my tiptoes and pressing my lips to his.
Surprisingly, he bends in, pressing his body against mine until he pins me against the side of Blue. The force of his kiss takes my breath away and I raise my right hand, entwining my fingertips into his dark hair.
“Get a room,” someone yells out beside us.
We separate out of surprise and I turn to see Dominic jabbing his index finger into his mouth.
Wade’s entire body goes rigid under my touch and his face pinches tight. The last time the two of them were in the same space, Dominic told him his kind shouldn’t be anywhere near me.
I still have no idea what any of that was about, come to think of it.
“We better get outta here,” Wade says, refusing to move his gaze from Dominic until he’s gotten into his vehicle and driven off.
Nodding, I reach for my handle and get inside. I roll down the window and lean out for one more kiss. “See you in a bit.”
“See ya,” he says, pressing the palm of his hand against my cheek.
I pull out of the parking lot, keeping my eyes on the rearview mirror. Wade stands beside his car until I turn the corner and can no longer see him at all.
Sighing to myself, I head home on autopilot.
How is it possible to have such opposing thoughts and feelings warring inside me at the same time? On one hand, I trust Wade with my life. On the other hand, I can see where Cat and Colt are coming from as well.
When I get home, I park in the middle of the big loop, right beside the large weeping angel statue. Leaving my backpack on the passenger seat, I head straight for the front door. The house is relatively quiet as I open the door and walk into the main entryway. Rather than call out for my dad, the way I normally would, I make my way to my bedroom.
The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4 Page 29