by Alicia Rades
My jaw dropped. There were no words for this kind of thing. “Is there anything we can do?”
Talia shook her head. “There was a memorial for her baby after it happened. The whole town came. I would hate to reopen old wounds.”
“You’re right,” I told her. I felt the same way with my parents. The grief was personal. I didn’t want to talk about it, and I bet Headmistress Verla didn’t want to, either.
Mandy seemed to sense the tension in the air and made a point to break it. “Well, I’m going to get this ring and another palm reading book for my collection. Anyone else getting anything?”
I bought the oracle cards, then we went next door to a cute shop that sold fudge and salt water taffy.
I chuckled as I read through the names of the taffy flavors. “These are great. Eye of Newt. Witch’s Brew. Midnight Reaper.”
I stopped in my tracks when I saw the one labeled Midnight Reaper. It was a deep black and probably licorice flavored, but the name reminded me that I’d been meaning to ask Talia about what Lucas had said.
“Midnight Reaper tastes amazing,” Talia said. She reached for a bag to start filling it with candy.
I cleared my throat. “Speaking of reapers, I heard of something called a Reaper’s Apprentice, but I’m not sure what it means.”
Mandy paused as she reached for a taffy labeled Pumpkin Spice. “You hang out with Lucas Taylor, don’t you?”
I nodded. “He told me he was the Reaper’s Apprentice, and I said I knew what he meant, but I didn’t.”
Amy came up close to me to explain in a low voice. “There’s one Reaper’s Apprentice every generation. They collect the last thoughts of the dead, so that the spirits can move on to the afterlife. When he dies, he’ll become a reaper.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Like the Grim Reaper? A scythe and everything?”
“There is no Grim Reaper,” Talia said. “Just reapers. Lots of them.”
A heavy weight settled on my chest, and I suddenly felt for Lucas. He dealt with death day in and day out. It sounded like a huge burden to bear.
I quickly became intrigued. “Do all magical races have reapers?”
Talia shrugged. “Depends on what you call it. In some societies, their ancestors come to lead their spirits to the other side. In ours, specially trained reapers help you cross over.”
“Mm…” I mused thoughtfully. “So, why can’t a Reaper’s Apprentice have a girlfriend?”
Amy tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“Lucas said we couldn’t get involved because he was the Reaper’s Apprentice,” I explained. “Any idea why?”
The three of them stared back at me blankly.
“It sounds like an excuse to me,” Talia said bluntly.
“Totally,” Amy agreed. “I bet he’s scared or something.”
My teeth gritted. “If he doesn’t like me, why doesn’t he just say that?”
No one had an answer for me.
We bought our candy and left the store. As we were leaving, two women in beautiful velvet robes passed by us. In unison, Mandy, Amy, and Talia all bowed their heads and politely said, “Priestesses.”
The women bowed their heads back, then continued on their way. My eyes followed them. They were both decades older than us. One had salt and pepper hair, while the other had a mane of red hair tied into a long braid. They held their heads high, like they were important. I noticed a cauldron tattoo on the back of one lady’s neck, and a skull on the other’s wrist.
I turned to my friends. “What was that about?”
Mandy and Amy exchanged a glance, but it was Amy who spoke. “They’re Imperium members.”
“Imperium?” I asked. Chloe had mentioned the Imperium Council, but I hadn’t asked what it meant.
“Our government,” Amy explained as we entered the next shop down, which was a cute boutique that sold dresses. “The Imperium is made up of one High Priestess from each of the coven’s Casts.”
I smiled. “The coven’s run by women?”
Talia ran her hands down a pink dress. “Absolutely.”
“Awesome,” I said. “How are the priestesses chosen?”
“Oh! We just talked about this in my sociology class,” Amy piped up excitedly. “When a priestess dies, the remaining Imperium members nominate and vote on the next priestess to take their place. Usually, they choose the strongest members of the Cast.”
“What if there’s a disagreement or a tie vote?” I asked.
Talia’s gave me this dead serious look. “Then it’s a fight to the death.”
My face fell. Talia and Amy burst into a fit of laughter.
“I’m kidding!” Talia giggled. “I don’t think there’s ever been a tie vote. They definitely pray to Mother Miriam before they vote, so it’s usually unanimous.”
I pulled a black floral dress of the rack and held it up to my body. “It sounds so easy.”
“You should try that on,” Talia encouraged.
“You think?”
“Yeah, and I’ll try this one.” She grabbed the pink dress she’d been eyeing. “This would look hot for the Midnight Formal.”
“Midnight Formal?” I asked.
Mandy beamed. “A winter tradition! It’s the best dance of the year.”
“I didn’t know colleges held dances,” I said.
“You think we’re all done dancing after senior prom?” Mandy asked. “No way. We love our dances around here.”
“Okay, so which one of you can I take?” I joked. “I doubt I’ll find a date.”
“Don’t talk that way, Nadine,” Amy scolded. “I’m sure there are tons of guys who would love to take you.”
Problem was, there was only one I wanted to go with.
I shrugged. “I guess we’ll see.”
We made our way back to the fitting rooms. The black dress was light and flowy on me. It was a little too girly for me, but my friends liked it, so I decided to buy it. Mandy bought three, all in different colors. We stopped at a dozen more shops before we ordered dinner at a cute café that was famous for its assortment of pies. I got to try some of the cider I’d heard so much about, and it was amazing. Finally, we decided to call it a night. By the time we got back to campus, my arms were full of shopping bags.
“You think those shoes I wore yesterday will go with my new dress?” Mandy asked Amy as we crossed the foyer.
Amy thought about it for a second. “The black sandals with the strap?”
“Yeah. I don’t know if those will work or if I should buy new ones,” Mandy said.
Amy scrunched up her nose. “Buy new ones anyway.”
Mandy’s jaw dropped dramatically. “Girl, you are no good for my credit card.”
Amy flipped her dark hair over her shoulder. “What do you think I’m here for?”
I gripped hard to the banister as we climbed the stairs. All the walking we’d done had really tired me out. Talia noticed, but she didn’t say anything. She made a point to walk behind me, in case I passed out or something.
“Bad Mandy,” Talia snickered. “You already spent too much today.”
Mandy groaned. “I know. My parents are gonna kill me.”
We reached the top of the steps, and my stomach sank when I saw Chloe, Gwen, and Camille standing there. They were huddled in a small group and giggling about something I couldn’t hear. Their laughter instantly died when Chloe lifted her head and caught me staring. I was pretty sure she was trying to flip us off with her eyes.
Mandy shot her a disgusted look, then flipped her hair over her shoulder and continued on her way. “Sorry, guys,” she said when we were out of earshot of the Lucky Three. “I kind of attract hostility from that chick.”
I scoffed. “Believe me, it’s not just you.”
I reached for the door handle on room 112, but when I twisted, nothing happened. “Whoops. I forgot I lost my bracelet.”
“That’s okay. I’ve got it,” Talia said.
When the
door swung open, my jaw dropped.
Talia’s hand shot over her mouth. “Good Goddess.”
The room had been totally trashed. I was too shocked to say anything. All the dresses in our closet had been ripped out and were strewn across the entryway. In the bathroom, my Epsom salts littered the floor, and Talia’s shampoo had been poured over every surface. All the books from my dresser were on the floor. Some of them lay open, with the pages crinkled at the corner. Our bedding was all messed up, and the cushions were thrown off the couch. Dresser drawers were open, and our clothes were scattered all around the room. All the condoms from Talia’s jewelry box had been ripped open and were hung from the knobs on our dressers. A small cry came from under the bed.
“Gus!” Talia screeched. She rushed over and dropped her shopping bags at her feet, then reached under the bed to pull out her suitcase. She flipped the top up, and Gus jumped out. He purred as she set him free.
My hands shook as I leaned down to pick up my books.
“Oh my gosh,” Mandy said breathlessly. “Who would do this?”
Talia held Gus close and gently stroked his white fur. “I don’t know.”
I placed one of the books back on my dresser, and that’s when I noticed it. My enchanted beaded bracelet sat neatly on the middle of my dresser. I picked it up and turned to Talia. “This definitely wasn’t here when we left.”
Talia’s jaw dropped. “Someone must’ve found it and done this…”
Red hot rage tore through me. Something from earlier flickered through my mind, how Chloe had grabbed my wrist after our tarot class. My nostrils flared. “I don’t think they found it. They stole it.”
“Oh, no,” Amy whispered as she reached down to pick up one of my books. She flipped it over, only for me to see that the cover had been ripped off of my Agatha Christie paperback. Amy held it up in two pieces.
That’s when I fucking lost it. I tore the book out of her hand and stomped out of the room. Screw my fatigue and aching joints. I didn’t care how much it hurt to punch this bitch in the face. She deserved it. She was going to pay for this!
I ignored Talia’s voice calling my name as I marched down the hall. Chloe looked to me with false shock in her eyes, but I could tell she was holding back a laugh.
“Oh, no, Nadine,” she feigned. “What happened?”
I thrust my arm out and shoved Chloe so hard that pain shot through my wrist. She stumbled back a step, but quickly straightened.
I shoved the book into her face. “Look what you did, you fucking bitch!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Chloe said coolly.
Gwen and Camille snickered from behind her. Chloe just looked amused. In the foyer below, all eyes turned to us.
“This was the last thing my mom gave me before she died!” I shouted, my hand curling into a tight fist. “And you’ve ruined it!”
Chloe’s eyebrows knitted together. She spoke loud enough for the onlookers in the hall to hear. “But Nadine, how could I have gotten into your dorm?”
“You know damn well how you did it!” I snarled, getting up in her face. “You stole my bracelet and went in while Talia and I were in town. I bet you sent your back-up bitches to keep an eye on us.”
Gwen and Camille only laughed harder—like they took the insult as a badge of honor.
Chloe crossed her arms and leveled me with a challenging gaze. “Prove it.”
“Nadine.” I felt Talia’s hand on my elbow, but I shrugged her off.
“Are you seriously going to stand here and tell me it wasn’t you?” I growled at Chloe. “No one’s going to believe you!”
She leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. “Leave town, and it won’t happen again.”
“Leave town…?” My fist tightened. “How about you tell me what the fuck it is you have against me?”
Chloe eyed me up and down, then scoffed. “You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?” I snapped.
She smirked. “Maybe you should ask your grandma. Anyway, good luck cleaning up.”
Chloe turned on her heel and started walking away from me, but I dropped my book and lunged forward. My fingers tangled in her hair, and I jerked so hard that she stumbled backward and landed on the ground. I was about to jump on top of her when three pairs of hands held me back.
Chloe cradled her head where it’d hit the ground and quickly got to her feet. “You’re crazy!”
“And you’re a fucking liar!” I seethed. Tears began to stream down my face as I struggled out of my friends’ hold. But I couldn’t get away from all three of them. “That was my mom’s book, you bitch!”
I screamed more obscenities at her, but they flew out of my mouth without me really realizing what I was saying. I was pretty sure I called her a bitch at least three more times. It was loud enough for practically the whole school to hear. I probably looked insane as spittle flew from my mouth and I struggled away from my friends. But I didn’t care. I just wanted her to pay.
Professor Wykoff rushed up the stairs. “Nadine, Nadine,” she said softly. “You need to calm down.”
“Calm down!?” I shrieked. “Did you see what she did?”
Professor Wykoff didn’t raise her voice at all. I had to quiet down to hear her. “Why don’t you show me?”
I was still seething, but it was enough to get me to stop struggling. My friends let me go, and I led Professor Wykoff back to our room.
“Oh, dear,” she said once she saw the mess. “Let’s… let’s get some help.”
She turned from the room, presumably to find some other professors. Talia led me over to my bed, and I sank into it.
“Nadine, what was that?” she asked.
I took a deep breath and wiped the tears from my eyes. “Don’t you want to punch her, too?”
“Yeah, of course I do, but that…” Talia hesitated. “That didn’t seem like you at all.”
I sniffled as Mandy handed me my book that I’d dropped in the hall. I hugged it close to my chest. “I just… get that way sometimes. I can’t explain it. It’s like…” I choked up as a sob rose in my throat. “It’s like I have this darkness inside of me. Most of the time it’s fine, but other times it’s like… like I want to rip somebody’s head off.”
Amy’s shoulders fell. “We all get that way sometimes, Nadine.”
I shook my head. She didn’t understand. When I got this way, I could get downright murderous. It was way overly dramatic, and I knew I was totally out of line, but I couldn’t control myself. I was beyond furious.
“Deep breaths, Nadine,” Mandy encouraged.
“No.” I got to my feet, but I stood too fast. The room spun around me, and I flopped back onto the bed.
“Nadine, you need to slow down,” Talia insisted.
I pressed the heel of my palm to my forehead, waiting for the dizziness to pass. “I don’t want to calm down, Tal.”
“Okay, but you can’t keep acting like this,” she stated sternly.
I dropped my hand and looked her in the eyes. “Fine. Then I want to go see my grandmother.”
Talia exchanged a nervous glance with the other girls.
“We’ll stay and clean up,” Amy offered.
Talia turned back to me. “Okay, Nadine. We’ll go visit your grandma.”
I was still fuming on the car ride over, but Talia had insisted she drive, so I managed to cool down a little by the time we pulled into Grammy’s driveway. Grammy rushed out of the house when she saw my car pull up.
“Nadine, what happened?” she demanded. There was a look in her eye that told me she already knew.
“Who told you?” I asked as I stepped out of the car.
Grammy frowned, but she wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me up the walkway. Talia followed close behind.
“Clarice called,” Grammy admitted.
I groaned. Headmistress Verla knew? Was I going to get suspended or something?
“I heard you made quite a scene,” Gr
ammy stated. I expected her to sound disappointed, but her tone was impossible to read.
“It was justified,” I said bitterly.
Grammy led me into the living room, and I took a seat on the couch. Talia sat beside me with a worried look on her face.
Grammy sat in the chair across from us. She adjusted her long skirt and folded her hands in her lap. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?”
My blood heated as I pictured that satisfied look on Chloe’s face. What a fucking bitch. I took a deep breath before jumping into my explanation. “There’s this girl at school who hates me—I don’t know why—and she broke into our dorm room and tore the whole thing apart.”
My hands shook the longer I spoke. “She ripped the book Mom and Dad gave me for my birthday, and I just… I lost it. She’s lucky I’m going through a flare-up, or I would’ve pummeled her fucking—”
“Nadine.” Grammy held up a hand to stop me. She spoke so calmly, like my anger didn’t faze her at all. “I understand that you’re upset, but getting into fist fights is not the answer.”
I groaned. “What was I supposed to do, Grammy? Sit there and take it?”
Grammy sat silently, unmoving, though Talia shifted uncomfortably beside me.
Finally, Grammy’s stoic features turned into a frown. “I’m sorry about your book, Nadine. Perhaps we can get you a new one—”
“I don’t want a new one,” I snapped.
Grammy’s eyebrows tightened.
I quickly adjusted my tone. “It’s not just any book, Grammy. Mom and Dad signed it to me. It’s… it’s—”
I choked up again.
Talia inched closer to me and pulled me into a hug. “It’s going to be okay, Nadine. No one got hurt, and that’s what’s important.”
I melted into the hug, letting it cool some of the heat raging through my body. Slowly, the tension in my shoulders began to ease. Finally, I drew away from Talia, feeling like my head was a little clearer. “I’m sorry. I know I could’ve reacted differently. And you’re right, Tal. No one got hurt. I just don’t get why she did it in the first place.”
I turned my gaze back to Grammy. “She told me to ask you.”
Grammy’s face fell, and she completely froze up. “Me?”