by Alicia Rades
I shook my head. “No. I was just curious how it works is all.”
“Snooping into someone else’s pocket universe is dangerous,” Professor Carlisle warned. “You may not like what you find. Don’t let your curiosity get you into too much trouble, Miss Evers.”
I chuckled under my breath. Professor Carlisle didn’t know me at all.
After class, I made my way to Headmistress Verla’s office for my first Evoking Ceremony training session. I turned down a short hall, but it was deserted. I glanced down to my campus map to confirm I was in the right hall, then walked to the end. There sat a pair of double doors with a plaque that read Headmistress Clarice Verla. I raised my fist to knock when I heard a deafening bang sound from the other side of the doors. My heart leapt up to my throat, and I swayed on my feet as the ground shook beneath me.
I heard the sound of doors swinging open from the adjacent hall, then came the many footsteps. A second later, white smoke began to billow out through the cracks around the doors. It was unusually thick and didn’t smell of fire. I eyed the smoke curiously and reached my fingers out to touch it. A stinging pain shot though my fingers, and I jerked away like I’d been burned.
Professor Wykoff—my Introduction to Tarot professor—rounded the corner. Her usual calm demeanor was replaced by a terrified look in her eyes.
“Dear Goddess!” she cried. “What’s happened?”
“I-I don’t know,” I stammered, stepping away from the smoke creeping out into the hall. My fingers stung like I’d been attacked by a bee.
Professor Wykoff whirled around as two other professors came running. “Get Professor Richards.”
The other professors went running to get help, while Professor Wykoff turned back to me. She grabbed me by the elbow and spoke gently. “Come, child. You must stay away.”
“Wait, what’s going on?” I asked, terrified that I’d just encountered some sort of chemical weapon. “Is Headmistress Verla going to be okay? What is that?”
Professor Wykoff pulled me into the next hall and guided me to stand next to the wall to let a group of professors pass. I noticed Professor Richards among them, clutching a flask full of a blue liquid.
“Tell me what you saw,” Professor Wykoff instructed.
My jaw dropped, and I rubbed my aching fingers with my thumb. I think I was still in shock. “I-I didn’t see anything. I’d just walked into the hall when I heard a bang. Then I saw the smoke, and you were there a second later.”
Professor Wykoff grabbed my wrist and inspected the ends of my fingers. They were bright red, but otherwise looked fine. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Child, what are you doing in this part of the school?”
Voices yelled down the hall, and it took me a second to process her question. “I came to meet Headmistress Verla. We have an appointment.”
“Okay,” she said with a frown. “You stay right here, Miss Evers.”
I didn’t really know what was happening, so I did as I was told. After Professor Wykoff turned the corner to join the other professors, I heard them start to argue.
“We need to figure out who did this,” a male professor said.
“Agreed,” Professor Wykoff replied. “This is a threat.”
“How do we know it’s not just a prank?” a second female professor asked.
“We don’t,” the first guy responded in a clipped tone. “But until we know, we must treat it as an attempt on the Headmistress’s life.”
Professor Wykoff gasped. “Who would do that?”
I was breathing heavily, unable to process what they were saying. Was someone out to kill Headmistress Verla?
“Relax, I’ve got the perimeter secure,” Professor Richards said. “The antidote is working, but it will take a few hours.”
The sound of clicking heels caught my attention. I looked up to see Headmistress Verla breezing down the hall. Her black cat ran behind her, but he was so fat that he more or less waddled. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that she hadn’t been in her office when that thing went off. Her eyebrows hung low over her eyes, giving her this dark look that seemed strange on such a beautiful woman. She walked past me, like she didn’t even see me, and stomped straight up to the other professors. I inched my way along the wall to peek around the corner and get a good look at them.
“What in the name of Mother Miriam is going on here?” she cried.
“A sting bomb,” Professor Richards said. “But not to worry, Headmistress. This potion should take care of it in a few hours.”
He held up the blue potion I’d seen him run past with. Most of it was gone.
Professor Wykoff’s jaw dropped. “A stink bomb?”
“No,” Professor Richards replied. “A sting bomb. It’s a defense potion brewed using stinging nettle. It’s fairly harmless but hurts like a son of a bitch. Thank Alora Headmistress Verla wasn’t in her office when it was set off.”
“Did anyone see who did it?” Verla demanded. Odin stepped toward the cloud of smoke and hissed.
The professors all glanced to each other and shook their heads. Professor Wykoff’s eyes brightened, and she looked to me. My face paled as I was caught eavesdropping.
“There was a witness.” Professor Wykoff gestured to me.
Headmistress Verla’s face fell as she turned to me. “Nadine, tell us what happened.”
Timidly, I stepped out from around the corner and joined the professors. The double doors were open. All I could see behind them was a wall of white smoke, but it just hung there in the air instead of creeping into the hall.
“I actually didn’t see anything,” I admitted. “I only just arrived when it went off.”
An older male professor who looked cocky as hell gazed down his nose at me. He wore an ironed suit, and his gray hair was combed into a neat style. “Who’s to say you weren’t the one who set it off?”
He reached out and snatched my wrist.
“Ow!” I cried.
“Oh, please,” he sneered. “I barely touched you. Proof!”
He held my hand up to all the other professors to show them my red fingers. He pointed an ugly finger at me. “You’ve been caught red-handed! Did you think this was some innocent little prank, half-blood?”
I gaped at him. Did he seriously just have the nerve to call me a half-blood in front of all these other professors?
“Professor Daymond!” Headmistress Verla shouted.
He dropped my hand, and I held it to my chest protectively. If I had any strength in it at the moment, I might’ve curled it into a fist and sucker-punched that smug sneer off his face. I prayed to Miriam I’d never have this professor. He seemed awful.
Headmistress Verla stepped forward to get up in Professor Daymond’s face. “How dare you accuse a student of this. She is my mentee.”
“Well, I-I,” he stammered.
Headmistress Verla scoffed at him. “Go do something useful with your time, Archibald.”
Professor Daymond narrowed his gaze at her before huffing and stomping off.
Headmistress Verla turned to me. “I’m very sorry, Nadine, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to reschedule while I deal with this. I’ll get back to you on our next session.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’m sorry this happened.”
Headmistress Verla shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Unless you saw something happen…”
She eyed me, like she too was a little suspicious. If she was, I wasn’t sure why she’d stood up for me.
“I didn’t,” I said. “I swear.”
Headmistress Verla looked at me a moment longer, then dropped her shoulders. “You may go.”
I walked away feeling really confused. Did Headmistress Verla seriously suspect me of trying to sabotage her? Why would I do something like that? The only person in this school I knew who had the balls to sabotage someone like that was Chloe.
Speak of the devil…
I exited a long hallway to see Chloe, Gwen, and Camille huddled in a group
and snickering at each other. Can you say déjà vu? They’d done the exact same thing after they broke into my dorm room.
I stomped straight up to them. Chloe noticed my approach and shot me a death glare. She placed her hand on her hip. “What’s your problem?”
I crossed my arms and stood just inches from her. She was a lot taller than me in her heels, but I liked to think I intimidated her nonetheless. “A sting bomb just went off in Headmistress Verla’s office. You don’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
Chloe scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Please. I’ve been standing here for the last ten minutes. My girls will back me up.”
Camille pursed her lips in my direction. At the same time, Gwen tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. It was the first time I noticed a cauldron tattoo on her chest. It definitely wasn’t there before, which meant she must’ve gone through her Evoking Ceremony recently—and that Chloe now had a right-hand Alchemist to do her bidding.
“So, what? You put it on a timer or something,” I accused.
Chloe shot an innocent look to the other girls. “I don’t know. Can you do that with potions?”
The other two shrugged in unison.
Chloe leaned forward so I could feel her breath on my face. “You don’t know anything about this coven, Nadine. You don’t want to leave on your own? Then I’ll make you.”
My hands tightened into fists, but my fingers were still burning from the sting bomb. “Is that a threat?”
Chloe stepped away without acknowledging my question. “Good luck passing your Evoking Ceremony without any training.”
She flipped her hair over her shoulder and started walking in the other direction. I gaped at her. That was a confession if I’d ever heard one. No one had tried to hurt Headmistress Verla. Chloe had set off that sting bomb to sabotage my lesson! She knew I had it this week because Camille and Gwen had been in the metaphysical shop when Headmistress Verla and I talked about it. That bitch would do anything to drive me out of town, including ensuring I failed my Evoking Ceremony. And all for… what? A dead feud between our grandparents?
“Get a life and stop trying to ruin mine!” I shouted down the hall.
Chloe continued on her way, swaying her hips as if she never heard me. I’d bet anything she was the one who’d raided the Alchemy lab last week, too.
“Gah!” I screamed, turning on my heel and storming in the opposite direction.
I was passing by the cafeteria when I caught sight of Grant sitting alone at a table near the door. I walked in and plopped down across from him. He glanced up to me, but he didn’t have any food in front of him. I shot him a curious expression.
“What’s got your panties in a bunch?” he asked.
I huffed. “Chloe’s at it again.”
Grant frowned while he poked at something beneath the table. “What’d she do this time?”
“Well, I don’t have any proof, but I’m pretty sure she’s responsible for setting off a sting bomb in Headmistress Verla’s office to sabotage my Evoking Ceremony training,” I said.
“It does sound like her.” He winced, then stuck his finger in his mouth and sucked on it like it hurt.
I eyed him curiously. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, this?” Grant held up a small device with digital numbers on it. “I’m checking my blood sugar before I eat.”
I tilted my head, and the knot in my chest loosened. “You have diabetes?”
He nodded as he took his bag from his lap and placed it on the table. It opened flat like a wallet and was filled with his medication. “Not a big deal. I can hardly remember a time I didn’t have it.”
I suddenly felt an instant connection with Grant that wasn’t there before. Obviously diabetes and lupus weren’t the same thing, but I always got a jolt of excitement when I met someone with a chronic illness. It was like they were the only people who even remotely understood what I went through.
“How long have you known?” I asked.
“Since I was fourteen,” he replied as he grabbed a needle and started filling it with insulin.
“I was fifteen when I was diagnosed,” I blurted. I usually didn’t talk about my disease to just anyone, but I felt like Grant would understand.
He raised a curious eyebrow. “Diabetes?”
I shook my head. “Lupus.”
“That’s autoimmune, isn’t it?” he asked casually.
I smiled. Usually I was met with, “Oh, Nadine, I’m so sorry,” or, “Have you seen a doctor about that?” But Grant just wanted to know more, like I was telling him about one of my classes.
“Yeah, my doctor says it’s common in the coven,” I said.
He injected his shot, then nodded. “Yeah. It comes with being half human.”
A silent beat passed between us, but I broke it. “Do you want to get dinner together?”
“Sure. I just have to wait a few minutes for the insulin to kick in,” he said.
I folded my hands in my lap. “I can wait. Are Lucas or Talia joining us?”
He shook his head. “Lucas is meeting his mentor, and Talia has a study group.”
I frowned. I wasn’t sure if Grant was covering for Lucas or if it was the truth.
“What’s wrong?” Grant asked, sensing my discomfort.
I hesitated a moment, but I couldn’t stand not knowing. “Does Lucas really have a meeting with his mentor?”
“Yes,” Grant answered honestly. “Why wouldn’t he?”
I pressed my lips together. “Well, I haven’t seen him since…” Since our kiss, I wanted to say. Instead, I said, “Since the hospital. He has a habit of avoiding me, and I’m worried—”
“Don’t worry, Nadine,” Grant assured me, but I sensed uncertainty in his tone. “Lucas just needs… time.”
My stomach sank. Time to decide how he truly feels, I thought.
I tried not to let my disappointment get to me, but it was hard when all I could think about lately was that kiss. Lucas said he didn’t want to be with me, then he kisses me like that—the best kiss of my entire life. What the hell was his deal?
“Well, I guess it’s just us two then,” I said.
“Yep, just us.” After a moment of silence, Grant said, “Hey, do you think if we put our immune systems together, we’d have a working one?”
I laughed. “I don’t know about that. Mine’s trying to kill me.”
“Mine, too. But in a different way.” He started putting his supplies away in a bag that held it all. “I’ve got Type 1 diabetes. My immune system attacks the cells in my pancreas that produce insulin. I have to eat regularly and inject myself to regulate my blood sugar. There’s no cure, but at least life’s pretty normal, as long as I plan ahead.”
“Same here,” I said. “Do you have to use an insulin pump?”
I was too curious not to ask questions.
Grant subconjured his supplies, and they disappeared from the table. “I could if I wanted to, but then I’d have to wear it all the time, and I’d have to take it off when I’m active, which is a pain, especially with how much I swim. With the shots, it’s in, out, and done, and there’s a lower risk of infection.”
“That makes sense. So, I’m curious about something. If mixed kids in the coven like us end up with autoimmune diseases, how’d the first generations survive?” I asked. “I mean, there was no treatment for this type of thing back then, and I’m pretty sure they weren’t all purebred.”
Grant leaned forward, looking interested by the question. “Back then, they didn’t have their magic suppressed in childhood like we do now.”
“They didn’t?” I asked.
“No,” Grant said. “Mother Miriam started suppressing our magic when she saw what a danger it could be to children. That’s when the Evoking Ceremonies began. Anyway, back before the kids had their magic suppressed, their bodies became accustomed to the magic faster, before their immune system could be triggered. But…”
Grant sighed. “Mother Mir
iam had to make a trade-off to control children’s magic. In the long run, I guess a few sick witches and warlocks are better for the coven than hundreds of kids running around with unpredictable magic.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, I guess it is. Turns out we just drew the short straw.”
Grant rolled his eyes. “I always seem to draw the short straw. It’s like I cursed or something.”
“I guess you could be,” I joked, “considering curses are real.”
Grant pressed his hand to his heart and dropped his jaw. “Now who would want to curse me? I’m a darling.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Are you? I’ve heard horror stories from Talia.”
He dropped his jaw further. “What did she tell you?”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Nothing. I was joking.”
Grant blew out a breath of relief. “Oh, good. Hey, maybe you can work in a good word for me.”
“With Talia?” I asked.
He nodded.
I scoffed. “Uh, you’re going to have to do the work yourself.”
“Come on,” he begged. “At least give me a hint. How do I get the girl?”
“I don’t know. Serenade her?” I joked.
Grant tapped his chin. “That just might work. You’re a genius.”
I pressed my palm to my forehead. “I wasn’t serious.”
“Well, it’s worth a try, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” I admitted.
The truth was, I was pretty sure Talia enjoyed the chase. Eventually, she’d cave, but not before Grant jumped through hoops to get to her.
Grant finally said he was ready to eat, so we made our way through the buffet line. He went straight for various dishes instead of contemplating them, like he’d planned out his meal beforehand. We returned to our table and chatted. Halfway through dinner, Grant’s eyes focused on something behind me.