“There,” she said, returning to her place curled around Drew. “Now we can talk.”
Lawson shook himself. “I’ll try to drop the act, but it’s difficult. I live and breathe Lawson now. It’s grown into me.” His eyes flicked to me. “Don’t get mad, okay, Love?” He reached out and trailed a finger down my neck, making me shiver.
“Don’t call me Love,” I said. “But I get it. It must be hard to just snap out of it.” I offered him an understanding smile.
The smile that returned was all Rowan and my heart clenched. I gripped my bag and breathed deeply as the driver took off.
“Have you made any progress in your quest?” Rowan asked.
I shook my head. “Only one thing. Nyquist was watching a memory spell of one of the McIntosh triplets. She was a young girl at the time. He didn’t want me to know he’d been watching. It felt important.”
Drew frowned. “Are you sure?” By now, he knew all about my job as a spy. He’d seen, first hand, how bad things were at the Academy and agreed with our stance. There had been no need to hide things anymore.
I nodded. “I know it was one of them. I saw pictures of them as children when I spent time at the beet farm. I think that was where they grew up and that was where Nyquist’s memory happened, too.”
Drew stroked his beard with a thumb and forefinger.
“Nyquist hates Lynssa. Always has,” Rowan offered. “I’ve heard he was pissed when she became dean. He wanted the job for himself and was jealous they gave it to her.”
“And we know how he feels about women in power,” Disha added. “You know what that means, small penis.”
I had to laugh. “Please don’t make me think about Nyquist’s penis.”
“What?” Disha said dismissively. “I’m sure it’s like a little white raisin.”
“Gross,” I responded, laughing.
Rowan chuckled. “Or like an old hotdog left in the bag in the back of the fridge.”
“Too big,” Disha said, laughing. “A Vienna sausage.”
“Oh, God! Help me. Drew?” I glanced at him as I giggled and cringed at the image.
Drew’s lips curled up in a smile. “I bet it looks like a baby carrot, one of the weird, crooked ones. Pale, too.”
We laughed and talked and shared stories and theories all the way to the restaurant. When we pulled up, I realized that we’d made it all the way to Jekyll Island in an hour, a spot nearly three hours east of campus. Magical transportation had to be involved, though I hadn’t noticed any spells.
As we stepped out of the limo, the pounding of ocean waves and the smell of sea salt filled my senses. It was just past sunset and the pinks, oranges, and purples that streaked the sky were magnificent. On the beach, large driftwood trees sprouted out at odd angles, eerie and beautiful.
“Oh,” I said twirling around to take it all in. “This is amazing.”
Carefully, Rowan, in his Lawson suit, took my hand. “Hang on, doll. There’s much more.”
I let him lace his fingers through mine and take us down a sidewalk trail beside the beach. There, a concrete barrier appeared, which turned out to be a stairway heading deep into the sandy underground. A large, suit-wearing man nodded at Lawson and stepped aside, allowing us to enter.
As we walked down the steps, the dim twilight faded and purple neon lights took their place. Three sets of stairs later, we came to another door where a second suit-wearing man nodded at Lawson and allowed us to proceed.
He opened the door and led us into an aquarium.
Gazing at the ocean all around us, I realized we were underwater. A glass tunnel kept the sea life and waves from crashing down at us, yet gave us a perfect view of darting, colorful fish. The water was crystal clear and lit outward so we could see beyond our surroundings.
“Drew!” Disha squealed, hugging his arm. “This is killer.”
“I knew you’d like it,” he said, leaning down to kiss her.
Rowan let his shoulder brush mine. “Do you like it? You’re not as showy as your friend there.” He nodded at Disha.
“I like it,” I said flashing a huge smile. This was beyond amazing. I’d had no idea that eating under the ocean was possible, but I was totally willing to make this once-in-a-lifetime dinner happen.
We sat at a private table in the center while waiters brought water, wine, and sparkling champagne, then a series of small courses, none of which I recognized or could describe except to say they were for a culinary palate vastly exceeding my own. They were delicious and fishy and light, each plate more beautiful and colorful than the last.
By the time dessert was served, I was sure I’d eaten a dozen things I’d never even heard of.
We sipped champagne and gazed at the fish that schooled in clusters by the glass. At some point, the waiters dimmed the lights and lit candles. Drew and Disha disappeared to who-knew-where and the waiters made themselves scarce.
Rowan’s arm had found its way around me. I leaned into him, drawing strength from the warmth of his body.
“I think your shoulders have finally relaxed,” he whispered, his breath stirring the hair at the nape of my neck. Tingles slipped over my skin and down my arms like bubbles in my champagne glass.
“I want to stay here forever,” I replied, sipping more champagne and enjoying the sparkling feeling in my veins.
“Lawson has enough money. That might be arranged.” He trailed a finger down my neck with delicious slowness.
I sighed. “I feel guilty about enjoying this when people are suffering.”
Rowan shook his head. “That’s so like you, thinking of everyone else. One of the things I’ve missed about you, among many others.” His finger slid along my jaw, gently tilting my head until our mouths were mere inches away.
“I’ve missed these,” he said, brushing his thumb over my lips. It took everything I had not to jump on him at that moment.
“Is it a good idea?” I said, staring at his full, wet lips. “I just don’t know.”
“Me, neither,” he said, his breaths coming faster. I could see the rise and fall of his bare chest, his nipples taut.
When he slipped his hand behind my head and drew my mouth to his, it felt like the best idea in the world.
Chapter Fourteen
FALL SEMESTER
LATE SEPTEMBER
Making out with Lawson was a guilty pleasure, and it had become my favorite thing to do—not that I got to do it as much as I would’ve liked, but it was a reprieve from all the bullshit going on at school.
It was odd. I was definitely attracted to Lawson. What was there not to like with his slim, taut body and endless confidence? But I was sure I would not be so turned on by him if he weren’t really Rowan. Sometimes I still struggled with reconciling the two and had to remind myself I wasn’t cheating on two guys.
At Witch Cove, I’d chosen a top bunk, above Disha, and most nights, I just stared at the peeling ceiling paint, replaying our latest make out session in my mind until exhaustion took me away.
A few times, during a couple of escapades outside of campus, things had gotten pretty intense between us, and I’d had to put the brakes on to keep it PG. I felt comfortable with Lawson, but not that comfortable. I still yearned for Rowan’s handsome face, his dark hair, and solid, muscular body. Only the full version of him held the key to all I wanted to give.
If I was honest with myself, I had to admit that, at the moment, I was going through some serious withdrawal. I hadn’t seen Lawson in three days unless spying him all the way across campus with a gaggle of freshmen girls trailing behind him counted. They had followed him to the cafeteria where he bought them lunch and sat at their table. I’d watched from three tables over, poking at my meatloaf, envy turning my vision green while he laughed and flirted.
Did he enjoy the attention? He certainly seemed to shine in the spotlight. How much of it was acting? And how much was real? Did he even have time left to do any spying? I didn’t think so.
These were c
ommon thoughts that I had to tell to piss off, reminding myself that Rowan had been hung up on me for the last three years, just the way I’d been hung up on him. The thought gave me endless pleasure, even if he’d never used the “L” word. Not that I had said “I love you” either, not out loud anyway. I’d only admitted it to myself last year, but I had yet to tell him how I felt.
Something else that needed to be reserved for Full Version Rowan.
My stomach rumbled as I walked across campus after a trip to the library. On my free time, I’d been reading all I could, trying to learn the skills required during senior year. I didn’t want to fall behind while fools like Cruise got to learn the good stuff.
A month had passed since I’d walked in on Nyquist’s memory spell, and I still had no clue what it meant and if it was important. Some spy I was. It wasn’t easy, though. When I signed up to help, no one told me there would be M.L.E. officers at every turn, classmates who would tattle, and trigger spells that let our tormentors know when we stepped a toe out of line.
But not everyone was taking it lying down. Someone who called herself the Rogue Witch was causing a certain degree of trouble for Nyquist and the M.L.E. The witch had taken credit for the disappearance of the welcome packages at the beginning of the semester and for a certain rash that only seemed to affect the male students. How she was getting away with these antics I had no idea, but at least someone was having fun. I envied her.
Late September was still hot as Hades, and I was starting to sweat from the short walk. I paused and wove my fingers in a cooling spell. It traveled down my spine like an ice cube, feeling wonderful.
As I stood there enjoying the sensation, I wondered where Disha might be. Drew was in town today, so she’d skipped two of our classes, which earned her two foibles. She was racking them up at an impressive speed and, at this rate, she would end up expelled by the end of the semester. I’d tried to talk sense into her, telling her that one more infraction would get her grounded for the weekend, but when it came to Drew, she had none. He trumped everything. I worried she might leave the Academy to elope or something.
It seemed I would be eating lunch alone again, hopefully not across from Lawson and his fan club, though. If only Bridget would chill. We’d talked a few times since her botched protest, but it had been awkward. It made me fear our friendship would not survive this. It was a sad thought. There were enough casualties in this fight already. I didn’t want our friendship to be another.
I was about to start toward the cafeteria when the sight of Cruise and Pierce reclining against the side of the Administration Building caught my attention. They seemed to be trying very hard to appear casual, but something about their pinched expressions spoiled the effect.
I took a step back and hid behind a tree. They were close to a window, which, if I wasn’t mistaken, belonged to one of the first-floor conference rooms.
What were they doing?
As I watched, Pierce twisted his fingers into a pattern that I had no trouble recognizing: an eavesdropping spell. He was trying to hear whatever was being said past that window. I wondered who was in there.
Pierce was using a pretty basic incantation we’d learned during our freshman year, and his hand placement wasn’t even that good. Moreover, it was one of the banned spells.
What the hell? Why weren’t bells and whistles going off? Where were the M.L.E. officers with their little foible counters? These magical devices told them exactly how many more infractions someone had before being sent to their dorm or worse.
My blood started boiling as I realized they must be exempt from the new rules and allowed to use spells from the “forbidden list.” What had I been thinking? That Cruise Knightley and Pierce Huntington—the precious, shining male heirs to two of the regents—had to follow the same rules we did? Of course not!
I wondered how that worked. Could I be exempt, too? Something to figure out later. But forget all that, the golden boys were spying.
My hands itched to cast the same spell they had. It was too weak to allow me to hear inside the building from this distance, but I would definitely be able to hear Cruise. He seemed to be complaining to his buddy about something.
I glanced around, trying to figure out a way to get closer. There were a few other trees and bushes I could use for cover, but I wouldn’t get far. It was too open. Damn, I really missed being able to use magic without someone dropping from the ceiling tiles to hand out a fresh foible.
I was still pondering how to get closer when the two moved away from the window and started walking toward the cafeteria.
My thoughts raced as I considered different possibilities to learn something useful from the situation, but everything that occurred to me was too convoluted or stupid. Hmm… stupid like Cruise and Pierce.
An idea hit me, and I jumped into action.
I rushed ahead, making sure Dumb and Dumber didn’t see me, and went into the Administration Building. I hurried through the foyer and down a long hall toward the conference room Cruise had been spying on. I was halfway down the hall when the door at the end open. Heart thumping, I tried a narrow door to my right. To my relief, it opened, and I slipped inside, easing the door closed and leaving a thin gap to peer out. I was in a broom closet, it seemed, based on the smell of stale floor polish and the prickly bristles at my back.
Through the thin crack, I saw Nyquist walk by first. My shoulders tensed, but I shouldn’t have been nervous. No one glanced in my direction. Not Regent Huntington or Regent Winthrops, or Regent Dromgoole, not the entire Board of Regents. They were too confident in their new regime for that.
After all the stuffy old suits passed by, I waited a few minutes before slipping out and heading toward the cafeteria where I hoped to find my targets. Now that I knew exactly who they’d been spying on, I could try to trick them into revealing something.
Once there, I grabbed a tray, went down the food line, and got the lasagna and salad. As I used my student ID to pay, I scanned the tables.
To my dismay, Lawson was there, eating with a group of five girls. They were his most eager fans. In the common room of our crappy dorm—it had once served as a gentleman lounge for cigar-smoking alumni—I’d overheard them lay out an elaborate plot on how to ambush him. They were dedicated. I had to give them that.
Lawson’s gaze caught mine. He always seemed aware of where I was, always protective and ready to jump to my aid if I needed him. I was still amazed by his alertness and strength. There had been a time when Rowan had needed spells from his father to walk in the daylight. He had looked harried and tormented, craving for things he couldn’t have. But, now he was so different. I had yet to talk to him about what brought about the change. Had it been Tempest? I was afraid to ask. However, if there was any hope for us to move forward, that was a conversation we could not put off for too long.
Shutting my mind to the distraction that was Lawson/Rowan, I wove through the tables and sat with my back to Cruise and Pierce. Lawson didn’t miss a beat. He knew I was up to something.
I took a few bites of my lasagna, enjoying the gooey cheese, waiting to see if I’d be noticed. It didn’t take long.
A chair scraped against the floor. “Have you reconsidered what Cruise told you? Or are you just trying to eavesdrop?” Pierce’s voice asked.
I smiled, thinking how easy it was to get a rise out of these two. Slowly, I set my fork down and turned in my seat. Pierce had angled his chair in my direction and was facing me. He was too close for comfort, but I did my best to appear as if that didn’t bother me.
“Reconsider what Cruise told me?” I repeated, sounding innocent.
“Yeah, about finding better friends. You sure seem to know how to pick them.” He sneered in Lawson’s direction.
I batted my eyelashes, putting on what I hoped was a dreamy expression and took a full thirty seconds to admire Lawson before simply shrugging.
“It seems you’re too stupid to choose wisely,” Pierce said.
He
glanced at Cruise, who was staring at me from across their table, his lips unusually tight.
“So…” Pierce said, looking peeved at the lack of support from his friend. “I guess she’s just an eavesdropping bitch.”
“Takes one to know one,” I said. “Though I would suggest something better than a freshman-level eavesdropping spell. It takes a Gordian monitor spell to cut through the cloaking magic the Board of Regents uses.” I smiled coolly and turned toward my lasagna again.
My heart was beating fast. I was making a safe guess about what it would take to cut through the type of advance cloaking spells the regents must use, but if Cruise and Pierce knew more than I gave them credit for, they would see through my scheme right away.
“What are you talking about?” Cruise asked in a hissed whisper, finally perking up.
I inhaled in relief.
Ignoring his question, I stuffed a big lettuce leaf in my mouth and crunched on it like a rabbit. Chairs scraped the floor again, and both golden boys appeared in my line of sight. They planted their food trays down and sat without asking for permission.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Lawson perk up, pushing his tray aside and backing his chair to give himself room to jump into action if needed. I almost rolled my eyes. I could take these two with my eyes closed. I knew just the spell to set their balls on fire.
“You guys really need to be more discreet,” I said, spearing a cherry tomato with my fork. I pointed it at Cruise. “Your dads would be pissed if they knew what you were doing. It… looks bad.” I wrinkled my nose.
“No one saw us,” Cruise said.
I stuffed the tomato in my mouth and spoke around it. “I guess I’m no one.” I sighed dramatically. “Guys, if Dean Nyquist is not telling you stuff, it’s because…” I paused and let the air get thick with doubt. “Well, it’s because of reasons.”
Senior Witch, Fall Semester Page 10