When I didn’t advance to the water’s edge, Kiana turned back to me. “You can open the realm gate, right?”
I glanced down at my cuffs as if that explained things. Kiana nodded in understanding and gestured toward the water.
There was no way I could get in there. “Isn’t there another way?”
“There is no other way.” Kiana turned away from me and stepped on a half-submerged stone near the edge. She was getting in.
“Wait,” I said, edging closer. “How do we know we won’t drown?”
“If your cuffs are true, we won’t,” Kiana said calmly.
“And if they aren’t?”
She shrugged and stepped onto a totally submerged stone, moving further from the edge. Turquoise water rushed past her ankles. She held her hand out to me.
So I had to enter this rushing river and hope my cuffs somehow open the portal? This was madness. Maybe the regents had sent me to die. Maybe Kiana was suicidal with longing for her family.
No. That didn’t make sense, though neither did jumping into a rushing river with only a slim hope of survival.
“Don’t you trust yourself, human?” she asked.
I swallowed hard. That was the sort of life-altering question one usually pondered while watching Dr. Phil, not while about to drown in another realm.
Slowly, I approached the river, but I didn’t step in. Instead, I leaned down and slipped one hand into the water, letting it rush past my cuff. It gave a pulse, the first I’d felt since coming here.
“See,” Kiana said as she took another step into the water still holding out her hand.
I took her offer, sliding my palm into hers. “My name is Charlie. I want you to know that in case we die.”
She laughed. “Humans are funny.” Then she yanked me forward.
It happened so fast. One minute I was on the shore, then next I was wrapped in a watery embrace, dragged by the current at full speed. Water rushed around me like I was inside of a typhoon. I tumbled and tumbled.
Holding my breath, I struggled to find the surface, but there was no up or down only rushing water. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t see. Panic wrapped its arms around me, squeezing out all thought.
I was going to die. Maybe karma was real, after all.
My cuffs flashed, then pulsed as my body disintegrated.
I came to, sputtering and clutching the wall of the Knightleys’ fountain.
I’d made it. I was alive!
Slowly, I pulled my waterlogged body out in time to see several men shoot spells at Kiana who had appeared beside me. In seconds, she was wrapped in twisting magical ropes, her arms pinned and her legs bound as her body rose out of the water.
“Don’t hurt her!” I whirled around in time to spy Nyquist with a self-satisfied look on his smug face.
“You did it, Charlie. I knew you could.” His eyes locked with mine. His smile deepened. The praise made me sick, but I managed to smile back.
Kiana’s fierce eyes followed his until she too was staring at me. Her expression dissolved from shock to anger. Her words rang in my head long after she was gone.
“I believed in you, but you were never worthy of my trust. You have betrayed me. You have betrayed us all!”
Chapter Ten
FALL SEMESTER
LATE AUGUST
After my night in the fae realm—a night that had transpired in a matter of minutes in our realm—three months passed in a barrage of guilt and second-guessing.
During that time, there were pool parties, Manhattan parties, private family parties, every kind of party imaginable, but they did nothing to distract me from what I’d done to Kiana. To every fae I’d met and betrayed.
There were also more invitations to the Knightleys’ that I could not turn down no matter how badly I wanted to. They made me part of a few of their preparation meetings, asking concerned questions about our classes, teachers, dorms, cafeteria, and every imaginable aspect of campus life. Whatever they were planning, they weren’t leaving anything to chance. The infuriating part was that they wouldn’t tell me anything specific. So much for gathering info as an inside spy.
Nyquist was not there for those meetings. After I had given him what he wanted, he vanished. Kiana disappeared with him. I didn’t dare ask where they kept her for fear of raising suspicion.
Through her father, Disha had found out that Taurion’s threats had ceased shortly after my return from the fae realm. A war had been averted. That was a good thing, right?
Still, what I did to Kiana haunted my dreams. Her eyes. The way she’d glared at me as they captured her. I shuddered every time I thought about it. What would I tell Sinasre or Anama if I saw them again? What would they do to me? Whatever it was, I would deserve it. But I’d make it up to them. If I didn’t, how could I ever sleep soundly again?
As promised, Disha kept my secrets. She hadn’t told anyone what a horrible thing I’d done, but it weighed on my shoulders the same as if the entire world knew what a despicable person I’d become.
Today, it was time to return to the Academy for my last fall semester. I couldn’t wait to bring the fight to Nyquist, to uncover his plot and find out his weaknesses. In the meantime, I trusted Lynssa and the others were trying to figure out a way to neutralize the Loopers’ powers, so we could have a fair fight against the crooked regents and their warped leader.
There had been only radio silence from them (Rowan/Lawson included), but they had warned me about that. They didn’t want to put me in danger by getting in touch with me unless it was absolutely necessary.
“We’re here,” Disha announced as we stepped out of our Uber ride and blinked at the scorching August sun.
It was a muggy, ninety-seven degrees outside, and I couldn’t wait to cross the street to the Senior Dorm and get out of the hellish heat. I had not missed the Hotlanta weather at all.
Hauling our bags behind us, we climbed the steps toward the double glass doors, but none other than Pierce Huntington blocked our path as we tried to enter. He was wearing khaki shorts, flip-flops, and a fluorescent muscle shirt. His reddened face and blond hair were damp from the misting of a battery-powered spray bottle and fan he was using to keep cool. He was such a poor warlock he couldn’t even manage a cooling spell. Why did all the stupid ones get picked to have power now? Easier to control?
“Sorry, girls,” he said, giving the word a twist that made it sound as if he were saying something dirty, “this is now an all-male dorm. You need to go to the Administration Building to find out where you’ve been assigned.”
“Quit the crap, Pierce. Let us through,” Disha said, blinking and blowing at a curl that had fallen across her face. Her hands were too busy holding on to her possessions to push her hair aside.
“No can do.” He waggled a finger in our faces. “No girls are allowed inside this building. No more shared dorms. Move along to the Administration Building, unless you want to be written up for breaking rule…” He pulled a thin folded booklet from his back pocket, flipped a few pages, and squinted as he read, “Uh… rule 26 of the new student handbook.”
Quick as a striking snake, Disha snatched the booklet out of Pierce’s hand.
“Hey,” he protested, but Disha ran down the steps, leaving her luggage behind.
Mumbling under her breath, Disha read from the first page, “As a center for higher learning, the Supernatural Academy nurtures the social, emotional, and magical growth of all students to help them reach their highest Supernatural potential. In partnership with our families and magical community, we empower our students to become mature, responsible, and productive members of our society in a proper and well-supervised environment.”
Her dark eyes flicked in my direction, then toward Pierce. “What the hell is this?” she asked, shaking the piece of paper.
“Something you two should read very carefully,” he said, trying to look cool after losing the booklet to Disha.
The sound of little wheels dragging across pitted asp
halt got our attention. A group of girls was walking away from the Junior Dorm headed toward the Administration Building. They were tomato-red from the heat or more likely from the news they’d just received.
“Don’t tell me,” Disha said, “the Junior Dorm is also an all-male dorm now.”
Pierce smiled, green eyes full of twisted satisfaction. “That’s right. More boys are enrolling and the girls are dropping out. Seems they can’t hack it.”
Disha started up the stairs, looking as if she would blast him right through the glass door, but I put a hand on her elbow and stopped her.
“Dish,” I said.
She glanced back over her shoulder, anger etching her beautiful face.
I cocked my head to one side. We need to lay low. I tried to convey the message silently.
She hesitated for a long moment while I prayed she wouldn’t get us expelled before classes even started.
“I want to get inside and cool off,” I said, doing my best to hide my own anger. “Let’s go find out where we’ll be staying.”
“You’re right,” she said, putting on a cheery voice that didn’t match her murderous expression in the least.
She started down the stairs without a backward glance in Pierce’s direction.
“Hey, you can’t leave your bags here,” Pierce barked as we walked away. “Take this crap with you.”
Disha quaked as her fingers started weaving a spell, which I was sure would leave Regent Huntington without a son.
“No worries, Disha,” I added in a hurry. “I’ll get it.” Quickly, I cast a levitation spell and made sure our luggage followed close behind us.
As we passed in front of the Sophomore Dorm, three more girls joined us, looking quite confused.
“You’d think they would let us know,” a petite girl with a pixie cut was saying under her breath. “I mean, that’s a pretty big change, don’t you think?”
Her friends bobbed their heads in agreement.
We followed a line of girls toward the Administration Building. Everyone talked in hushed tones as if they sensed something wasn’t quite right and their questions and complaints would not be well-met.
Inside the Administration Building, the scene was completely different, however. Judging by the uproar of voices, everyone had left their good nature at the door. These women were pissed.
The entire female student body was packed in the foyer, their baggage strewn across the marble floor. Some had formed a line toward a large desk in the back while others stood around, furiously talking into their phones or to each other.
A voice rose above the murmur.
“You have got to be kidding me. I’m not staying in the Alumni Hall. Why do the men get all the dorms?” There was a pause as someone answered her, then the same voice again. “No way! That place is a dump. It’s not even a proper dorm. I am not staying there.” Another pause. “You know what? I’ll do just that. I’m out of here. You’re not going to treat me like a second rate student because I’m female.”
The sea of girls parted to let a serious-looking brunette pass. Her name was Annette González, a senior witch who was the daughter of a Democratic senator. She was a fashionable dresser, like Disha, and her high heels tapped firmly against the marble floor as she made her way out.
I stared with envy as her flowy sundress billowed behind her, and she disappeared through the front door. I wanted to have that kind of confidence and power. She didn’t have to worry about her future. Mommy and Daddy would take care of her even if she decided to lounge around the pool all day long. Me, on the other hand… not so much.
Enough! Quit feeling sorry for yourself, Charlie.
This was the exact reason I was here. Nyquist was trying to twist things into unrecognizable shapes. Not all of us could give up and walk away. Someone had to fight. If everyone just lay by the pool waiting to see what would happen, the next time they took a look, everything they held dear would be gone.
I straightened my back and walked to the back of the line.
Disha joined me. “Did Annette say Alumni Hall?”
I nodded as I glanced around, trying to find Bridget. Whenever she heard about this, she would blow a gasket.
“That is, like, the crappiest building on campus,” Disha said. “And Annette is right, it’s not set up to be a dorm. It’s just a big clubhouse with lounge areas, conference halls, and a lousy restaurant.”
“Maybe they repurposed it,” I said distractedly, still scanning the crowd. A young freshman girl was crying as she spoke into her phone. Surely, this was nothing like what she’d been expecting.
“It’s all the way at the back of campus,” Disha complained. “We’ll have to get up early to make it to class on time. This sucks. Are you ready to reconsider that sabbatical, yet? Poolside?”
I was about to answer when the din of the crowd died down and Nyquist appeared from around the corner, followed by Regent Huntington and Regent Dromgoole. They walked to the middle of the foyer, sidestepping the luggage, their eyes full of disapproval.
Nyquist shook his head, then whispered something in Huntington’s ear who quickly went the way he’d come, ready to run whatever errand his leader had assigned him. The dean was supposed to answer to the Board of Regents, not the other way around, but clearly, they were done with trying to keep up appearances.
“Mrs. Rivera!” Nyquist exclaimed when he spotted me even as I tried to hide behind the student in front of me. He hooked a finger and made a “come here” motion.
Bile burned in my throat as I took my first step in his direction. I felt like a dog called to heel, and it took all I had not to flat-out refuse.
Bide your time. This is just the beginning. He’ll pay for this.
I chanted the words inside my head, and they managed to give me the strength I needed not to launch forward and choke him. I wanted to demand where he was keeping Kiana and what he thought he was doing to my Academy, but that would get me nowhere.
“Dean Nyquist,” I said, putting on a smile as the girls around us watched with quiet interest.
“Would you mind helping get our young witches situated until we can get more personnel down here?” he asked, looking displeased at all the luggage and disoriented students.
“Sure,” I said. “I’ll see what I can do.”
He shook his head. “The welcome packages were supposed to inform everyone of the changes, but for some reason, they never made it out on time.”
The way he’d said “some reason” made me suspect he thought foul play was afoot. Maybe a little sabotage from the subversives to make Nyquist look bad?
As Nyquist left, I began casting spells to push luggage out of the way and make a clear path to the desk. Most of the students watched me with envy while the few who seemed to realize what was truly going on threw resentful glances in my direction.
Only Disha looked at me with pity.
I clenched my teeth and kept moving luggage. When that was done, I started ushering out the girls who already knew their room assignment, telling them to go get situated before their rooms got assigned to someone else. After about twenty minutes, half the girls had gone on their way.
That was until a male student walked in, all the female students I’d already dismissed following in his wake.
Lawson Rush cut the line and stepped toward my desk, his eyes lingering on my face. “Hello, Love. Long time no see.”
Chapter Eleven
FALL SEMESTER
LATE AUGUST
“Ladies, ladies, calm down. There’s enough Lawson to go around.”
In, he swaggered, dragging a wake of fawning fans behind him. Lawson, also known as Rowan Underwood in disguise, was dressed in his usual rock star attire. This time he wore his blond curls down to the nape of his neck, pushed back and perfectly messy. His pink shirt was unbuttoned to his mid-chest, which showed off several magical tattoos that appeared and disappeared as he moved. Tight black jeans and black boots completed the high-fashion look, which R
owan would not have been caught dead in.
Rowan wouldn’t have waggled his eyebrows and signed pieces of paper thrust at him by swooning girls, either. But this was Rowan, wasn’t it? My head whirled.
He took three selfies with giggling girls, then waved graciously.
“Excuse me now, dolls. I need to speak to whoever’s in charge here.” Lawson spun around and let his smoldering brown eyes fall back on me.
“That’s you, right? You’re in charge here? Lawson needs a word, please.”
My eyes couldn’t roll hard enough. He was referring to himself in the third person now? Gag me with a fairy spear.
“I’m in charge right now, yes,” I said, hoping it sounded authoritative even though it hadn’t really been established that I had any official capacity to make decisions. However, Nyquist had asked me to handle things, so I guess it all fell to me. “What do you need, Lawson?”
He stepped over and threw an arm around my shoulders, leaning in like he was doing me a favor.
Even though I was annoyed, the proximity of his body made my heart flutter. His smell floated around my head, some mix of expensive cologne and, underneath that, a scent so familiar I nearly lost my footing. It was Rowan’s smell. The smell of night’s pressed together, my head in the crook of his arm, our bodies intertwined.
My lips tingling and goosebumps broke out down my skin. It took everything in me not to twist around and sink my hands into his hair and draw him near. It had been so long and my body yearned for his the way lungs yearned for air.
Then he ruined the moment by speaking.
“I need to talk about my room assignment, Love. It simply won’t do. I need something more private. Can we…?” He gestured to an empty administration office as if what he needed to tell me had to be done alone.
When I glanced back, I noticed at least two dozen girls following our every move.
“Right this way, Mr. Rush,” I said, leading us forward.
He glanced over his shoulder at the crowd. “I knew you wanted to get me alone.” His voice was flirty and flush with confidence. The ladies murmured with jealousy.
Senior Witch, Fall Semester Page 7