by Luna Pierce
He holds it out. “Service is shit, but at least the timer works.”
“Yeah…”
“Come on.” He nudges my shoulder and goes about stacking his books. “Dinner.”
“You’ll never make any progress anyway.” The voice returns.
“Can’t we stay a little more? I promise to stay focused.” I have to prove the voice wrong—I will rid myself and the Oliver witches of this curse.
“Nope, absolutely not. You have to eat. That’s an order.”
“I’m not even hungry,” I whine.
“You keep this up, and I’m going to have to force-feed you.”
It’s a joke, but I can sense his seriousness.
“Fine, but can we come back down when we finish? I have to figure something out.”
His expression softens. “Sure, but not long, you need your sleep, too.”
“Such a hypocrite,” I tease. “You live off coffee and no sleep.”
“That’s different,” he says. “You’re more important.”
I laugh. “You’re so full of it.”
Dinner goes by pretty much the same as any other day, Deghan and Cameron cracking jokes, Sydney lost in thought, the girls chatting with random boys and making plans for the weekend.
“You owe us a date night, Willow,” Remi says. “Once a week, remember.”
“What did you have in mind?” I take a bite of my burger.
“Party, duh.”
My gaze shifts to the guys. Last time we went to a party, Allie dumped my glitch all over me and nearly ruined my life. Being around alcohol in any capacity isn’t a good idea.
She’s avoided me like the plague ever since. Lillian’s smack to the face must have taught her a lesson to back off.
“We should have a movie night instead,” Deghan suggests. “There’s a projector upstairs.”
I secretly mouth, “Thank you,” to him for saving the day. I was panicking not knowing what to say, not wanting to bail on them and mess our relationship up more, but not wanting to put myself in danger.
Remi and Kyra exchange a look.
“Great idea,” Remi finally says. “But we get to choose.”
Deghan chuckles. “Good enough for me. I’ll be the one in the back eating all the popcorn.”
“Why am I not surprised?” I add.
We finish our food, and once the girls have left, the guys hang back to figure out what the rest of the night entails.
“I need to study some more, only a half-hour,” I plead with them. It sucks how badly I’m inconveniencing their lives, but I feel so close to latching onto something and want to give it one last push for the day.
“I can take her,” Deghan suggests. “I planned on taking over anyway.”
Sydney and I meet each other’s gazes, a flush hitting both of our cheeks.
“Unless you had something else planned…” Deghan looks from Sydney to me.
“No,” we say in unison.
Cameron laughs out loud. “You two are being super weird.” He points to us.
“No, that’s fine. I have some work to catch up on in my room. Let me know if you need anything.” Sydney nods to Deghan and spares me a glance. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Come find me when you’re done in the library. I need help with my math homework,” Cameron says.
“You’re just looking for an excuse to hang out.” Deghan smacks Cam’s arm.
Cam flinches and rubs the spot dramatically. “Maybe.” He smiles.
Deghan claims my hand in typical Deghan fashion, nearly dragging me away from Cam, looking back over his shoulder to say, “See you in a little while.”
We descend into the library, and I get the beacon out to help locate the room.
“You still haven’t gotten the hang of this place yet?” Deghan asks.
“Have you? It’s endless.” I watch the meter move and point us in the right direction.
We enter the room, and the energy still pulses off Sydney. I’m blasted with the memory of only an hour ago. I raise my hand to my lips, resting my fingertips against them. Without wanting to give anything away, I quickly lower it to my side.
I take the book on the top of my stack, opening it back up to where I left off. I scan the page until I find the thing I instinctually knew I would.
Sydney enters the library room. “I forgot my bag,” he says, pointing to the one near his seat.
“Hey, have you heard anything about the Laveau family?” I ask him while he’s here.
His face tenses. “Not much, why?”
“Their name, it’s in here with the Olivers’.” I scan him for his reaction.
He shrugs. “They’re a coven from New Orleans. If I’m not mistaken, they have ties with the Gardners.”
“I’ve seen that name, too. Maybe if I can contact them, they can help me figure out my past.”
Sydney’s expression hardens, and he lurches forward. “No, Willow. You have to be careful with who you trust right now.”
“I agree with Syd,” Deghan adds. “Who’s to say they aren’t the ones who put the curse on your family?”
“Are they powerful?” My mouth goes dry, anticipation consuming me.
“Very.”
Chapter Fourteen
Sydney goes the rest of the week in an attempt to ignore me, at least that’s what I’m left to believe, considering he is everywhere I’m not.
He has his excuses, though.
Friday, Walker and Abigail scheduled us off from the shadow realm, saying we should take the long weekend to rest up and replenish our energy.
The rest of that day I bounced between being watched by Cameron, Deghan, and then in the evening, Silas.
The girls have scheduled a Saturday evening movie night, and I can’t help but guess that Sydney will be nowhere to be found.
Whatever.
Maybe he realized that our moment together meant nothing to him, and he regrets finally making a move. Or maybe he has information on the Laveau or Gardner family he’s not telling me. His behavior is oddly suspicious, and regardless of his reasoning, I’m in disbelief he’d up and vanish in the way he has.
Especially considering all we’ve been through. I thought what we had was more than that.
“So,” Remi says, “what’s with the constant puppy dog thing?”
“What do you mean?” I shift my attention to her.
She points to the door of her dorm and sits next to me on my old bed. “They watch you like a hawk. One of them is always around. It’s super extreme. How do you get any privacy?”
I laugh, twirling a rogue piece of string around my finger. “It’s not as bad as you think.”
“Explain it to me.” She pulls her legs up and leans onto one arm. “No judgment.”
I shrug. “They’re all intense in their own ways. And we’ve all been through a lot together. It probably doesn’t seem that way from the outside, but we really have. I can’t imagine my life without any of them.”
“That makes sense… What do you like about them?” She goggles me in anticipation.
“Well, where do I start?” I gaze at the door. “Deghan is… he’s so funny and warm. He doesn’t have a bad bone in his body. His smile lights up a room, and he’s not afraid to be himself. I don’t think I could ever spend enough time with him. He and Cameron are best buds.” I chuckle. “Cam is funny, too. And he’s probably the nicest person I’ve ever met. He has such a kind heart and is probably the best listener ever. Sydney is… he’s Sydney.” I sigh. “He and Silas have a lot in common, despite sort of hating each other. They’re both kind of loners and incredibly smart. Sydney is Mr. Fix Everything, and it’s really nice to have someone I can rely on like that.” Even though he’s disappeared on me. “And Silas… he’s intense. We have this unexplainable bond, this pull to one another. He’s greatly misunderstood, to say the least.”
“And they’re all drop-dead gorgeous,” she adds.
I laugh. “Yeah, and that.”
>
“And they’re all totally okay with fawning all over you at the same time? No jealously?”
I shake my head. “At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it sort of happened this way, and now it’s like none of us really know anything else. It wasn’t really planned.”
“…have you hooked up with any of them?”
I hesitate, biting my lip in response.
“Oh my god, or all of them?”
I grab the spare pillow and throw it at her, and she screams.
At that, the door comes flying open, and Deghan nearly falls to the floor. He quickly rebounds, his cheeks flushing from what I assume is embarrassment.
“Did you fall asleep standing up again?” I ask.
Remi busts out laughing. “Wait, that’s a thing that happens often?”
He rubs his neck. “Uhh.” He goes to shut the door, but I stop him.
“Hold on.” I look to Remi. “We’re ready, aren’t we?”
“Yep. I can’t believe you talked me into a PJ movie night, though.”
“You have to admit, this is way more comfortable than those stilettos you wear to every party.”
“Fine, but they aren’t nearly as sexy.” She wraps her arm around mine.
“Lills and Kyra meeting us here?”
“Yep, Kyra went to hang out with Ethan and Lillian.”
I can’t help but notice her frown. I’ll have to make it a point to ask her how that’s going the next chance I get.
Deghan weaves his fingers through mine on my free hand, a warm sensation I’ve grown fond of.
We enter the big open area which is now filled with blankets and couches and beanbags lined in rows. One of those fancy popcorn machines is near the entrance of the north wing, and the massive screen takes up the entire wall between the east and south sides.
Cameron waves us over to a spot on the west side, smiling and pointing to the seats he secured. Tons of pillows litter the floor, and a large couch is next to it.
He did well.
“What are we watching?” I settle into a spot on the floor.
Remi plops onto the couch, motioning with her hands in front of her. “The. Princess. Bride.” She enunciates each word one by one.
“Never seen it,” I admit.
Cameron turns to me abruptly. “No way.”
I smile. “I’m serious. Is it good?”
“So good, and seriously so perfect. It’s—” He goes to speak but cuts himself off. “You’ll see.” He sits next to me, and Deghan plops down on the other side.
A few minutes into the trailers, Cam hops up and grabs us some popcorn. He hands us all our own bags and sits back down, closer to me than he had been.
I welcome him in with a nudge.
I scan the room, wondering where Kyra and Lillian are. I’m about to ask Remi when Ethan leads them in.
They take the seats next to Remi, and I relax back into mine.
It’s not long before the popcorn is eaten and everyone gets cozy.
Cameron puts his arm around me and tugs me into him.
I allow my body to lean against him, soaking up his warmth.
Deghan ends up sprawling across the blanket, his head landing in my lap.
I run my fingers through his hair, and he purrs in response, nestling in more comfortably.
If only Sydney and Silas were here, but… they’re both avoiding me, just in their own ways.
The next morning, I’m determined to talk to Sydney and figure out what’s going on between us.
I knock on his door, shifting back to look in the hall, Deghan waiting near the entrance, trying to give me the distance I need without letting me too far out of his sight.
“Sydney, if you’re in there, we need to talk.” I pound again.
He doesn’t answer, so I do something bold. I turn the handle and poke my head inside.
I scan the room, my gaze falling on his body, lying limp on his bed. I motion to Deghan with one finger, signaling I’ll be right back. I step inside, tiptoeing my way toward him.
“Sydney,” I whisper-shout.
My heart picks up its pace, and worry courses through me.
Is he breathing?
I rush the rest of the way to the bed, studying his chest for the shallow rise and fall of life. I sigh in relief when it moves.
He must be exhausted if he’s this out.
I brush a strand of his wavy hair off his forehead, admiring him while he sleeps. Not wanting to bother him anymore, I grab the notebook on his nightstand and write We need to talk and leave it there. I lean down, grazing my lips to his forehead, giving him one last look over and exiting the room.
Deghan meets me in the hallway. “So?”
I shrug. “He’s knocked out. I left a note.”
“Damn. Sorry, Wills. I know that’s been bugging you.”
“I don’t get it. We were nearly inseparable… then he went all cold on me.”
“Maybe it’s for good reason,” he suggests.
“Leave it to you to see the best in people.”
“You should be glad. You looked like a mass murderer the first time I met you.”
“It was raining.” I push him, and he doesn’t budge.
He’s built like a brick house. Must be a werewolf thing.
Sydney manages to somehow still not find the time to come and talk to me, and the moment Monday morning rolls around, I’m furious.
Silas spent the whole evening being completely shut off, too, and having the both of them being this way is too much to handle.
Deghan escorts me to Walker’s room, and ten minutes pass with no sign of Sydney.
Walker checks his watch for the umpteenth time. “He’s not usually late.”
I shake my head. I can’t believe he’s taken to this kind of extreme to avoid me. What gives him the right?
“Something must be wrong.” Walker’s salt-and-pepper brows furrow. “When was the last time you heard from him?”
I can’t imagine something would be wrong, he’s clearly just staying far away from me. “It’s been days. Thursday. But I stopped by his room yesterday, and he was sleeping.” Pretty damn soundly, though, if I remember correctly. What if I was foolish and something really had happened?
Without giving it another thought, I bolt from the headmaster’s office, running across the foyer and up the north wing stairs. I don’t knock, hoping the lack of privacy will be overlooked by my concern.
My heart seems to lurch from my chest as I take in the room.
Sydney somehow made it off his bed, the note I left him clinging in his hand, his body lying there awkwardly.
I rush to his side. “Oh god. Sydney.” I put my hands on him, trying to locate the source of whatever is wrong. “Help,” I scream toward the door.
Walker rushes in, at my side in an instant. A moment later, Silas appears behind me, wind whooshing in his wake.
“What’s wrong with him?” I plead with Walker.
Silas’s hands are on my shoulders, trying to pull me away to give Walker room.
The headmaster waves his hands over Sydney’s body. “It… it appears his energy stores are dangerously low.”
“What? How is that possible? What can we do?”
He lays Sydney flat on the floor, his palms stretched over him, focusing on some incantation.
I stare and stare, but Sydney doesn’t move.
Panic consumes me, a strangely familiar feeling settling in my core. I rush to Sydney’s other side, looking thoroughly at my hands.
Don’t fail me now, I urge myself.
The faint glow of my magic surfaces, and I channel it forward.
Walker takes a small step back, giving me my own space this time, somehow trusting me when I’m totally unsure of what’s about to happen.
Like a defibrillator, I rub my hands together, pressing them to Sydney’s chest, willing my magic to exit my body and fill his.
His body rattles in response, confirming that I might be doing someth
ing right.
I repeat the same motions, shocking what I can of life back into his body. I do this again, and again, each time losing a little bit of hope that it’s working. Tears well in my eyes.
“Willow,” Walker says.
“I can do this,” I cry.
I summon every single last ounce of my strength, sending a blast so fierce it rattles the walls, and finally, he sits straight up, gasping for air, wild-eyed but back here with us.
I pull him into a hug, nearly passing out from my own exhaustion, the adrenaline keeping me upright.
It’s not until his arms wrap around me that I can take a breath of my own.
“You came for me,” he breathes into my hair.
“I’m so sorry,” is all I can say.
Chapter Fifteen
Wednesday rolls around, and things sort of go back to normal.
Sydney is still acting strange, but he’s choosing to do so around me, and not ignore me completely. It’s off-putting but better than the alternative.
I haven’t quite shaken the feeling that he’s hiding something, and the fear of not knowing what happened to him still rocks me to my core.
He had no answer. No explanation, other than he overexerted himself.
Walker told me it’s possible, but unlikely, which throws me off even more.
“Are you excited?” Deghan smiles brightly. He’s standing in the foyer where we’re all anxiously awaiting our people for family day.
Walker, Abigail, and Professor Tremont are outside, maintaining the security of the grounds and scanning the arrivals, allowing them entry. They do so in such a discreet manner that it doesn’t cause concern from the non-supernaturals.
Remi, Kyra, Lillian, and Ethan stand off to the side. Remi gives me a quick wave from across the room.
A gorgeous middle-aged couple walks in and heads straight to her. She beams and jumps into what I assume are her father’s broad arms.
Cameron’s brother is the first of our small group to arrive. He comes through the entryway and clasps onto Cam’s shoulders, pulling him in for a bear hug.
“Guys, this is Austin. Austin, this is Deghan, Sydney, and Willow.”