“You start class tonight, too,” Asilynn asked as their server returned with salads that everyone ordered except Abella.
“Yeah,” Abella said with a small grimace her grey eyes alert and constantly scanning the restaurant.
Jessa and Asilynn looked at his other as Natalee frowned at Abella before she leaned over and asked softly, “Is something the matter, Abella?”
Abella’s head snapped around and she stared at the three of them with a blank expression before she said, “I haven’t been sleeping properly so I guess I’m just a little on edge.”
“What’s on your mind, Abella?” Jessa asked her.
Abella smiled before she shook her head. “Let’s eat because I am hungry,” she said a few minutes before their server arrived with their food.
After that, Abella kept the conversation light and away from her as she asked Jessa how she was feeling and how excited she was about being pregnant.
Although it did the job of averting their attention, the look that Jessa threw Abella told her she know what Abella was doing, and as Natalee and Asilynn went to the restroom she whispered, “What is going on Abella?”
Abella gave her a single glance before she looked away to where Asilynn and Natalee were heading back to the table. “It’s involves witches, Jessa,” Abella stated in a low voice before the others reached the table.
“Huh?” Jessa said in confusion only to stop as the other two sat down and again, Abella turned the conversation toward other things like what Natalee planned on doing.
For the next hour and half, they talked and gave advice to Natalee who was hesitant on what to do and when Jessa learned that she had a knack for sketching asked for her help in sketching something for her graduation.
Abella was even intrigued by it and sat forward as the others each asked her to sketch something for them. Abella bit her lip as a thought popped in her head but she didn’t say a word as the others hounded Natalee who laughing agreed to do it for them.
“What time is your class tonight?” Asilynn asked as they left the restaurant and Abella pulling her key from her pocket responded absently.
“Five.”
Jessa’s eyes were narrowed as she watched Abella who was laughing with Asilynn and Natalee as they walked to their vehicles.
Abella took a glance at her watch before glancing and asking, “Jessa can you drop Natalee off at my house? I need to run to the bank.”
“I don’t mind, Abella, but is there a problem?” Jessa asked as they stopped by their cars.
Abella shook her head before she said with a slight grimace, “I need to see about changing my account that’s all.”
They nodded their heads as Abella waved and slipped in her car before backing away as they watched her leave.
“What’s going on with her?” Asilynn asked in a quiet voice.
Jessa sighed heavily as she shook her head admitting, “I don’t know, Asilynn.”
Walking in the classroom that evening, Abella was lost in a daze after what she learned at the bank but she forced herself to focus on the class. She could’ve spent her time thinking about the bank because everything the teacher went over in class Abella already knew and she had to force herself to sit through the rest of it.
At the end of class as everyone got ready to leave, the teacher said, “Miss Deans please stay after for a few minutes.”
Abella noted the looks she was given as everyone else exited the class room before she picked up her notebook and got up from the desk to approach the teacher.
“Yes, sir,” she said in a polite voice.
“Next Monday, be prepared for a test,” the teacher told her in a detached voice as he put his things in a briefcase.
“But, sir,” Abella said in astonishment as her grey eyes widened.
“Next Monday,” he said again before he picked up his briefcase and walked out of the room.
Abella stood there for a few minutes unable to comprehend what the hell was going on today. First, her visit to the bank left her head reeling when she was told her about an deposit in her account that was for the same amount she had put out to pay her hospital bills although the manager couldn’t tell her who deposited the money and now she was being told to be prepared for a test within a week of her starting night classes which wouldn’t be too bad if it wasn’t just her.
She walked out of the building her eyes scanning the area although her mind was miles away until suddenly she felt as she was being watched, and her mind literally stopped its wondering as it became alert.
Almost twenty minutes later, she walked in her house locking the door behind her as Natalee looked up from the couch where she was watching a movie.
“How was class?” Natalee asked as she popped popcorn in her mouth.
“Confusing,” Abella answered honestly shaking her head. “I’m going upstairs to take a shower and go to bed. See you in the morning, Nat.”
“Goodnight, Abella,” Natalee called her attention focused back on the TV.
The first thing she did when she entered her bedroom after putting her notebook on the bed was flip open her phone and call Uncle Jed.
“Hi, Uncle Jed,” Abella said. “Did you make a deposit in my account?”
“Cicely told me that you lost your job at the library, and I doubt that you were able to find another job so I replaced what you had taken from you,” he told her.
“It was my bill, Uncle Jed,” Abella told him with a frown.
“Maybe so,” was the only thing her Uncle Jed said, “But it’s already done so take it and focus on your classes without worrying about a job.”
Abella sighed as she sunk on the bed and told him, “It was weird in class this evening, Uncle Jed.”
She explained to him what the teacher told her after class and he merely listened as she talked although a smile played around his mouth.
In the dark shadows of a room in another part of the state, a voice said, “What is so special about her?”
Cicely coughed up blood as she looked up at the person in front of her before she spat, “She was right.”
“That’s not what I asked,” the voice snapped at her and with a flick of her wrist, and a low mumbled chant Cicely’s body began to burn.
Her mind dazed by the drug that they were feeding her wasn’t able to come up with any defense against her abductor’s power and she writhed in pain until the woman stopped it.
“What is special about her?” The voice repeated again.
“Nothing,” Cicely gasped out and the woman hissed in rage.
“You will tell me what I want to know,” she hissed as she closed her eyes and Cicely’s body arched in pain as the woman began to chant again.
Chapter 45
Abella let herself in the house absently noting the silence as her mind wondered between astonishment and confusion after a week of classes.
She didn’t understand what was going on because it wasn’t just the first class that she got called by the teacher and then told to be ready for a test, or as like in the last class, she needed to have a 20-page report due by next class. She shook her head wondering what in the hell was going on as she walked in her bedroom throwing her book bag on the bed.
She walked over to her desk where she had already started studying for her first test wondering if she would be able to pass every test within the next week.
“It’s too much,” she groaned sinking down to the floor. On top of the classes, she was on edge about what she learned from one of the witches who helped attack her cousin’s hideout. It seemed that out of the seven of them, only two were still living not including the one who called and yet Abella had a weird feeling about her because she was supposed to call back within the week.
Abella nibbled on her lip as she worried about Aunt Cicely because she hadn’t heard from her since Caden picked her up and bought her home. Her mouth twitched lightly at the memory until she firmed it and put her head down as she drew up her knees.
After s
itting like that for ten minutes, she sighed heavily before pulling herself to her feet and she grabbed her cell as she suddenly remembered the paper she had started at the pack house.
“Hi, Jessa,” Abella said when Jessa answered. “On the laptop I was using, do you think you can print out a paper I started? I will need it for a paper due in one of my classes.”
“I believe the laptop is still in Caden’s room,” Jessa said thoughtfully. “I will check for you and bring it over as soon as I find it.”
“Thank you,” Abella said with a sigh and Jessa was silent before she spoke quietly.
“What did you mean the other day?”
Abella didn’t say anything right away and Jessa wondered if she wasn’t going to answer until she finally said, “I will tell you when you come over.”
Jessa had to be content with that as she said, “Okay, but I want the whole story.”
Abella’s laugh was her answer and Jessa smiled on the other end as they hung up with each other. As soon as Jessa hung up, she went to Caden’s room knocking on the door before entering and her eyes narrowed as she saw the mess of the room but even more than that she smelled another scent in the room besides Leana.
With her mouth in a straight line, she went over to the closet and opened the door noting the expensive clothes on hangers inside the closet. Jessa didn’t utter a word as she moved the things to the side looking for the laptop and she frowned when she didn’t find it, and as she was closing the closet door, the bedroom door opened.
“What in the hell are you doing in my room?” Leana said in an angry voice as she hurried over to her.
Jessa gave her a sharp look before she said, “I was looking for something.”
“Ask next time you want to come in my room,” Leana said snidely at her as Jessa started for the door.
“It’s also my brother’s room, Leana, remember that,” Jessa said in a cold tone.
“Huh,” Leana said with a laugh looking at her reflection in the mirror. “That damn man hasn’t shared the room with me since the day I arrived.”
Jessa turned her head sharply at her comment noting how Leana froze before she said airily, “He has been busy and all so it is understandable although we did share this bed the night before he left. When he returns and after we have the marking ceremony I’m going to talk him into taking me on a cruise.”
Jessa couldn’t comment on that as she turned back around and walked out of the room a slight smile hovering on her mouth.
“So big brother, you haven’t shared the room with her yet, huh?” She mumbled as she headed to the office ignoring the last few statements Leana had said as she had heard the doubt in her voice as Leana spoke.
She knocked on the door before trying the knob and when it opened, called up as she went in. “Timothy, do you know where Caden put the laptop?”
“Isn’t it in his room?” He asked as his body came in to view at the doorway.
Jessa shook her head as she reached him and he took her hand leading her farther in the room. “I checked the room and couldn’t find it,” she told him. “Leana came in as I was there and she snapped at me for being in the room. I know that I shouldn’t have entered without asking, but it is my brother’s room and I didn’t think Caden would be upset if I went inside.”
Timothy went to go say something when Jessa smiled and said thoughtfully, “But I learned something interesting in the process.”
Timothy looked at her quizzically as he went around the desk and sat down when Jessa told him, “She revealed that Caden hadn’t been sharing the room with her since the day she arrived.”
“Really,” Timothy said slowly as he leaned forward on the desk before he straightened up suddenly. He got up from the chair quickly getting a worried look from Jessa, and he shook his head.
“I just remembered that when we were moving the office, I find a laptop in the desk,” he told her giving her a smile and wink as he walked over to the bookcase. “With everything that happened, I forgot to give it back to Abella or tell Caden about it.”
As he was telling her that, he reached inside the bookcase and pulled out a computer case. “Here it is,” he said with a smug smile.
Jessa rolled her eyes as she sat down in the chair and said, “Abella wants me to print something off it, but I think I’m only going to give it to her as Caden had me buy it for her in the first place.”
Timothy put the case in her lap after he walked over to her and bent down at the same time giving her a kiss before he said, “How are feeling? Are you still nauseous?”
Jessa gave him a glare before it turned to a grimace as she said honestly, “I feel a little better but I hope that for my graduation, I won’t have the same problem.”
Timothy knelt down and said, “I don’t see why you should, but if you do then it’s okay because I am happy that you are pregnant.”
She shook her head at him before she gave him a hug and they sat like that for a few minutes before Timothy said, “Are you taking it over to her tonight?”
Jessa nodded her head as she said, “She needed the paper she started for a class.”
Timothy stood up and walked around the desk straightening it before he said, “I can take you over there and maybe see if Briac would like to come too.”
Jessa laughed at the shrewd look on his face as she stood up putting the laptop strap over her shoulder. “I know what you are doing,” she told him with a stern look.
He only winked at her as they started out of the room and down the stairs where he locked the door before they headed down to the main floor.
As they were heading for the living room, Gregory and Asilynn came out laughing and flirting.
“Hey Gregory, Jessa and I are going over to Abella’s to drop something off,” Timothy told him, and Jessa watched as Gregory’s eyes went on alert.
Gregory nodded his head as Asilynn remarked with a smile, “From what I understand, Briac asked Natalee to go out to dinner this evening.”
Jessa frowned before she said softly, “Has he…”
Before she even finished the question, Gregory and Timothy were shaking their heads.
“Stupid wolf,” Jessa and Asilynn said together.
“Don’t worry, honey,” Timothy said with a wicked grin as Gregory chuckled. “He has a plan.”
“He better hope it’s a damn good one because it won’t just be Natalee pissed off this time,” Asilynn said a warning in her voice, and Jessa nodded her head in agreement as she glared at Timothy and Gregory.
Both men nodded their head as Jenna came out of the living room and there was a frown on her face but before she could ask them Jessa said with a hint of laughter in her voice, “I haven’t seen him today, Jenna.”
Jenna glared and tossed her head as she said waspishly, “I don’t know who you are referring to.”
“Then it’s okay,” Jessa said with a smile as Timothy slid an arm around her waist and nodded his head to Gregory and Asilynn before walking Jessa out the door.
“Where are they going?” They heard Jenna ask and they both laughed at Asilynn’s response.
“To visit a friend is all you need to know, Jenna.”
Abella rinsed her mouth out as she looked up in the mirror at her wan face and she shook her head tiredly turning off the water before grabbing a towel to wipe her face.
She heard the sound of the door downstairs and grey eyes went on alert until she heard Natalee call out, “Abella, I’m back.”
“Be down in a minute,” she called down at her before she sighed deeply hanging up the towel.
After taking one last look at her reflection noticing how sunken her eyes seemed she headed downstairs where Natalee and Briac were standing in the living room.
A frown came to Abella’s face as she saw them but she didn’t comment although she did give Natalee an arched eyebrow at the situation.
“He wanted to take me out to dinner,” was Natalee’s explanation.
Abella nodded her head bu
t she gave Briac a glare that had his eyes widening in astonishment at the heat in her eyes and he shuddered.
“Don’t worry, Briac, like I told you before I don’t know any spells to turn you in to a toad,” Abella told him flippantly as she walked over and sat down on the couch just as someone knocked on the door.
“I will get it,” Natalee said noticing the withdrawn look on Abella’s face.
She smiled as she opened the door to see Jessa and Timothy on the other side, and Jessa asked as she passed her, “Did you have a good evening?”
Natalee shrugged her shoulders although her eyes shimmered with happiness that she shielded when they went in the living room.
“Here you go,” Jessa said walking over to the couch and putting the case down in Abella’s lap. She noticed the wan and sunken look of Abella’s face as her eyes snapped open and she glanced down at the case in her lap.
“Jessa,” she began her head lifting up to stare at her.
Jessa shook her head and said sternly, “He asked me to buy it for you so it is yours no matter what is going on now.”
Abella sighed wearily pushing a hand through her hair knocking out the ponytail holder she had in it. The ponytail holder drifted on to the couch next to her and Abella glanced down at it before she closed her eyes again leaning her head back.
“What’s going on, Abella?” Jessa asked. “And don’t tell me it has to do with witches because I can figure that out myself.”
Without opening her eyes, Abella told them, “The other day a member of the group of witches that I went with to take down Wester’s group called to let me know that out of the members who went that day, only two were alive besides her. It seems someone has been going around knocking off the witches who went that day although she was sure it wasn’t one of the witch hunters.”
“So who does she think it is?” Briac asked as Timothy’s eyes narrowed in concern.
“Another witch,” Abella said without emotion as her eyes flew open. “I don’t have all the details as of yet which I would be gathering this week, but then my classes have left me with no time to do anything. In every one of my classes, each teacher has told me that the next class I will be taking a test except for one. That teacher wants me to hand in a twenty page report at the next class.”
The Witch Prophecy Page 44