by Lexie Scott
Her brows rose, and she looked from Hannah to me. “Is that so?”
“Yes,” I confirmed, sinking into the cushion, wishing I could disappear from this conversation.
“Interesting,” she made a humming sound and picked up a notepad from the side table. “And what do these abilities include?”
“She has dreams of disasters, then they happen,” Hannah blurted in one breath.
“Saige?” Mrs. Hedgings had the pen poised over the paper. “Can you please explain for yourself?”
But it was so much easier letting Hannah take the lead. I wasn’t used to discussing this with anyone but Dad. The impulse to start braiding had never been stronger, but I managed to sit still.
“She’s right. I have dreams of disasters, some natural and some are caused by us, or well . . . humans. Non-supes.” I still wasn’t used to that word.
“What’s an example?”
“The volcanic eruption in Nicaragua. I dreamed of that last night. I saw it destroy a village.”
Her lips drew into a thin line, and she stared back at me.
“She’s had dreams of earthquakes, tornados, shootings, and what was the other one? A building collapse?” She looked at me, and I nodded. “She has the dreams, then sometime later they happen. She doesn’t know when or where she is when she dreams and hasn’t been able to figure it out before the actual event happens.”
“Ms. Jefferies, would you please let Saige speak.” Mrs. Hedgings scolded her, then angled herself toward me. “Do you dream of the disaster and then it occurs sometime in the future? What was the longest period between your dream and the event?”
I wasn’t sure, but I thought over the past few years. “I don’t think it’s ever been longer than a few days. Not quite a week.”
She jotted down a note and lifted her gaze to mine. “Anything else?”
Hannah turned to me with raised brows.
I crossed my arms and moved as far back as I could. I felt ridiculous mentioning this. Didn’t everyone have a gut instinct? Plenty of people and movies and books had talked about it.
“Sometimes I get a feeling, like an instinct or impulse to do or not do something.”
“Can you describe the feeling?”
So she wasn’t going to dismiss this? I kind of hoped she would, but she’d been my guide at this school. I trusted her and knew she would take this seriously.
“It’s probably easier if I give you an example. The other day I was walking across campus, and I had the sudden urge to stop walking. A second later a rugby ball soared right in front of me, exactly where I would have been if I kept walking. I probably would have ended up with a black eye.”
Hannah was staring at me with wide eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me about that?”
I shrugged. “It didn’t seem like worth mentioning.”
“Can you tell me about another time?” my mentor pushed.
I shut my eyes and tried to think of one that would convince her.
“How often does this happen?” she asked before I could answer.
I blinked my eyes open. “Every few days? Sometimes it’s so natural that I don’t recognize it until later. Like taking a different route to class or thinking I should wait before doing something. There have been big ones. I was at the mall with my friends and had the instinct to go into a store we’d already been in, and one of the employees told us a man had been following us and she called security.”
She wrote something down. “That makes sense. It would feel very natural for you.”
She believed me? This wasn’t normal? Well, what was normal at this school?
“And she had a premonition last week,” Hannah said with a smirk.
I shot her a look, letting her know I didn’t appreciate her bringing this up. Mrs. Hedgings already believed me. We didn’t need to bring up my fantasy.
“Interesting. Will you describe it?”
I groaned. “I touched someone and had a sort of vision of the two of us. It felt like a memory, like it was familiar, but it couldn’t have already happened. So Hannah said it might be a premonition.”
She nodded and added a note.
“See, she’s a strong psychic,” Hannah gloated.
“You are correct, Ms. Jefferies.” Mrs. Hedging returned her attention to me. “I apologize for not including this in your assessment. I think we were both overwhelmed that day. Most students mention any psychic abilities, but of course, you didn’t know to.” She tapped the end of her pen on the tip of her nose. “Your schedule is already more than the majority of your peers, and it doesn’t seem like you necessarily need direction on how to use your abilities.”
“Is there a way to stop the nightmares?” I cut her off.
She titled her head and lowered the pen. “Why would you want to do that?”
Seriously? Because they were awful?
“I don’t sleep. Not often or well. The nights I’m too exhausted to stay up is the only time I allow myself to sleep. It’s been better since I got here, but I think it’s because I’m so worn out each night that my mind is too tired to dream.”
“You avoid these dreams?” She seemed confused.
“I hate the nightmares. They’re so vivid, and I experience what the victims do. For years I’ve tried to figure why I see them. I can’t stop them. I’ve never been able to figure out where one happens before it makes the news, so what’s the point? They’re just torturing me.”
Her frown deepened. “I understand. I’m not sure why you have these nightmares––if there’s a greater purpose or not––and before we make any decisions, I would like the divination teacher, Ms. Chronis to meet with you.”
Hannah gasped, and I turned to her. “What?”
She covered her mouth and looked between me and my mentor. “Nothing. I just didn’t know that she took students.”
“Only in rare cases,” Mrs. Hedgings replied.
I looked at my friend, but she was staring down at her lap. What was that about? Who was Ms. Chronis?
“She might be able to help train you to get out of the dream or how to identify when or where it takes place. She might also think creating a potion or spell to block them would be the best plan.”
“When can we meet?” I was eager to get this over with. If she had answers, I wanted them.
“I’ll send her a message tonight and let you know as soon as I have an appointment arranged.”
I let out a sigh. “Why don’t you two go get dinner? I’ll get a message to you as quickly as possible.” She stood, and we followed. I thanked her at the door, then linked my arm with Hannah’s.
“Does it ever get easier?”
We took the stairs and walked out of the building into the bustling courtyard. The sudden noise and crowd felt overwhelming. I needed time to process what I just learned. Being a psychic wasn’t something anyone had mentioned. Was this genetic? Did I get it from my mom? Masie would have mentioned that. Right? Or was it another little detail she failed to mention?
What if it was a shifter trait? Would that give me away?
“Hey, are you okay?” Hannah pulled me onto the grass and out of the way of the passing students.
I shook my head. “Even though I knew this about myself, having it confirmed and giving it a name feels like a lot.”
She nodded like she understood, but how could she? This wasn’t new to her. This was her world. It was as simple as telling her my eyes were blue. It was a fact. An attribute that made me who I was.
“I didn’t know I was psychic. I didn’t know that was a real thing. It just feels like every time I start to make progress and even catch up a little, another flaming torch is thrown at my face that I have to dodge to survive.”
“Graphic,” she said with a low chuckle.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose. “I’m not sure how much more I can take. I’m toeing my breaking point.”
She put her hand on my upper arms and squeezed. “You’re going to get through this. Remember, you�
��re not alone. You have me and the guys and Mrs. Hedgings. We’re not going to let you fall off the edge.”
“I don’t want to tell the guys. Not yet at least. I want to meet with Ms. Chronis first.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “I won’t tell them, but you have to realize something. You’re obviously more powerful than any of the other witches in our year. I’m honestly surprised you’ve been able to stay under the radar this long. At some point, word is going to spread that you have two affinities. It’s not like that’s something you can keep secret. Anyone paying attention to you will realize you go to Water and Earth.” She cringed. “And when they find out you’re being tutored with Ms. Chronis, there’s going to be no stopping the rumors.”
“Why does that matter? Who is she?”
She licked her lips and glanced around. “Remember the daemons we told you about?”
“Yeah? The guardian spirits? Immortal and cannot be created or destroyed?”
“Right, she’s one them.”
“So are Mr. Athanasios and Ms. Martin.” I learned that detail during our weekend long study session. It made sense that an immortal taught the history and literature class since they were alive through it all. Other than giving off a distinct vibe of being far older and wiser than he looked, he was pretty normal. For Drexel, at least.
“Well, she’s not just a teacher. She’s one of the originals. Chronis means time. She is time.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“She’s existed since our universe was created. She’s the past, present, and future. That’s why she’s the divination teacher, but I heard she stopped taking students a few years ago. She only does research and attends council meetings on behalf of the school.”
I pursed my lips. “So this is a big deal?”
“Yup.” She turned and tugged me along toward our dorm building. “We can try to keep this from getting out, but if there’s one thing you need to know about Drexel, it’s that we get really bored here. With little to no connection to the outside world, we entertain ourselves with the drama taking place here. And if there is none, we create it. This alone is enough to fuel rumors for weeks.”
I dropped my head. “That’s the last thing I need.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll try to keep them off your scent, and in the meantime, you can distract yourself with your crushes on Sai and Theo.”
I froze in the middle of the path, pulling her to a stop with me.
“What?”
She grinned wickedly. “Oh, don’t worry I won’t tell them.”
I glanced around as if one of them might pop out of a bush. “Who else knows?”
She rolled her eyes. “Like any of them are smart enough to take notice. If they did, maybe Daniel and I wouldn’t be planted so firmly in the friend zone.”
We continued walking, and she bumped my hip with hers. “Both are great choices. I know I teased Theo about staying away from you, but he’s a good guy as long as you know what you’re getting into. Just because I’ve never seen him commit doesn’t mean he’s incapable. Plus, it’s not like you have to pick any time soon. Just give it time. Get to know both of them.”
I was relieved she wasn’t mad or demanding I pick between her friends. I wasn’t ready. I really liked both of them and was having fun hanging out with them.
Plus, no matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t get Niall out of my mind.
Chapter 27
Spells aren’t nearly as interesting as I expected. I wanted an ancient spell book full of magical words, but what I needed was a Latin dictionary. Mr. Haddon was right. I should have taken the language class, but my brain probably would have exploded if I added anything else to my workload.
Like the week before, Mrs. Hedgings wanted to give me a practical lesson on casting spells and let me pick what I wanted to start with. My detangler was working better than I could have imagined. My hair was smoother than ever, and my nervous braids combed out to silky stands rather than crimped, frizzy chunks. I could use more of that magic in my life.
“There are too many options. How am I supposed to decide on just one?” I flipped through her book of favorites.
“What do you have a need for?” She guided me. “A device to show you to your classes? A pen that will write down what you dictate?”
That sounded helpful but not something I wanted right now. A sleeping spell or a dream blocker would be ideal, but I needed to wait for Ms. Chronis for that. She was taking her sweet time replying with her availability.
Of course, she felt no sense of urgency. She was time. What did she care if I was quickly losing my mind from keeping myself awake?
No, what I needed and what Mrs. Hedging could help with was some way to make sure my secrets stayed that way. I wanted a place to store what I found without the possibility of it being discovered. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Natasha . . . okay, I didn’t. Especially not after finding out who her grandfather is and her dabbling in magic that toes the line between right and wrong. I doubted she would waste her time digging through my things, but I didn’t want to take any chances either.
“Is there a spell to make something lock or stay closed? Even if another witch tries to unlock it?”
She flipped toward the back of the book. “Yes, remember: our magic is mostly controlled by our intentions. If you cast this spell with the intention of only your being able to open it, then that’s how it will work.”
I liked the simplicity of that. Hopefully, it was true, and not just easy for her because she was so experienced.
“So, this is the word you’ll need to say.” She pointed to the first line on the page.
“Cincinno?”
She nodded. “You’re pronouncing it correctly. Try again with more force.”
“Cincinno.” It sounded better to me.
Her smile widened a bit, and she picked a small wooden box with a small gold latch from the shelf behind us. “Try it out.”
This was my first time casting a spell. I felt like I needed a wand or some hand signal. I glanced at her, and she smiled in encouragement. So I stared at the box and focused on wanting it to open only for me. “Cincinno.”
Nothing happened. No spark or burst of light.
“How do I know if it worked?”
She reached out and tried to open the lid. It stayed firmly in place.
Good box.
She pulled back, and I tried, but the latch wouldn’t even lift. It was sealed shut. “Why can’t I open it?”
“You have to say the spell to unlock it, but let’s make sure I can’t do it first.” She focused on the box. “Resingo.”
I bit my lip as she tried again and met my eyes with a proud smile. “Very good. Now you try.”
“Resingo,” I repeated and reached for it. The latch flipped up with no effort, and I opened the lip. “I did it!”
“Indeed, you are a very quick learner.”
By the time we finished our lesson, I had several missed calls and texts from Hannah, asking when I wanted to start getting ready for the party. It was all she and the guys could talk about all week, so I sent her a text on my way back to the dorm.
Saige: Party??
Hannah: You’re hilarious
Saige: It’s not even eleven yet
Hannah: Exactly. Time is flying by
Saige: I’m almost back. I’ll come to your room
She was waiting for me in the hall when I stepped off the elevator as if I might try to sneak by and hide in my room. Which was tempting. And now I knew how to lock myself inside without the risk of being disturbed.
“Come on!” She swung her arm, herding me in.
Last week at this time, I was alone with Theo meeting horses. That felt like a lifetime ago. I didn’t even know him then. Just that he was friends with my new friends and had the most amazing smile. Oh, and that he was a hybrid. And that I felt sparks when we touched.
Just little details.
The weekend long
study session changed so much. It was like weeks’ worth of hanging out and getting to know all of them condensed into two days. I was already comfortable around them and felt like a real part of their group.
“These are my options. What’s your first impression?” She crossed her arms and stared down at her bed like her outfit choice would change the course of the entire universe.
Back home . . . pre-Drexel . . . PD my friends went to parties, but my overprotective parents rarely allowed me to go. And the PD parties never really appealed to me either. Seeing my classmates get drunk on cheap beer and make poor decisions the entire school would hear about before Monday didn’t scream “fun” to me.
Hannah assured me the parties here weren’t like that. I was not convinced.
“I think you’ll be cold in that.” I pointed to the tiny silver dress.
“I can warm the air around me,” she countered.
I lowered my finger to the stilettos on the floor. “You can’t walk in the forest in those.”
She sighed and put her hands on her hips while I checked out the other options. “Hannah, none of these seem like you.”
Her lips pursed, turning white.
“It’s not that they aren’t cute, but I can’t see you walking around in this all night.” I held up a skin-tight jumpsuit.
Her shoulders slumped, and her whole demeanor changed from defiance to defeat, and she lowered herself to the floor.
“Hey? What’s wrong?” I sat in front of her, tossing the jumpsuit to the other side of the room.
“I know this isn’t me.” She stared up at the skimpy dresses with the saddest eyes. “But being me isn’t working. It’s not enough. I thought maybe if I tried something new . . .”
She didn’t finish, but she didn’t have to. This was one problem that faced all teenage girls, regardless of their supernatural status. “You thought Daniel would notice you? As more than his friend?”
She nodded, picking at the white fluffy rug that covered the red carpet. “You don’t need to go over how dumb I am. I know. It’s stupid to change for a boy. If he liked me, I wouldn’t need to change. I shouldn’t dress in things I’m not comfortable in just to try to get his attention.”