by Luna Pierce
I take his hand into mine and shake it firmly.
Austin’s eyes widen, and he looks to Cam in surprise. “Did he hire you to pretend to be his friend?” He laughs and smacks Cam.
I clear my throat, not totally liking his comment. “If anything, I’m the one lucky he’s friends with me.”
“Wow, he totally paid you off.”
I narrow my eyes.
“See you later?” Cam shifts his gaze between us.
I nod. “Yeah.”
The two of them leave, and we wait for whoever is next.
I secretly hope it’s Mom and Uncle Danny. I’ve missed them both so damn much. Not to mention those blueberry muffins that my mom makes are my favorite.
I glance over. Kyra and Remi are gone now, leaving Ethan and Lillian.
An uptight blonde woman strolls in, taking her sunglasses off and placing them on her head. She scans the room and settles on her target. I follow her line of sight, Allie in her path.
“Maybe that’s why Allie is always in a bad mood.” Deghan throws a thumb in their direction.
“Could be,” I mutter, my gaze going right back to the door.
A beautiful woman with dark hair, a pencil skirt, and an overpriced bag glides in next, her gaze focusing in our direction.
Sydney takes in a breath like he’s holding it. “Mom,” he says finally, forcing a smile.
She comes toward us, not bothering to embrace her son in a way that moms typically do. She looks down her nose at me in pure disgust and says, “Come along now,” to Sydney.
“Sorry,” he mouths, dread apparent on his face.
No wonder he had a crappy childhood, his mother is Cruella de Vil. Plus, something felt very off about her, an unsettling pit opening up inside me.
Deghan goes to grab my hand but then let’s go. “Sorry, I’m nervous.”
I wrap my arm around his, gripping him tightly to my side. “Me, too.”
A few people come in, finding their students and going off on their way. Some of them stop in front of Lills, leading her and Ethan away.
I glance at the clock, noting the twenty minutes that’s gone by.
My mom and Danny are very aware of how much I’m a stickler for time, so the fact that they’re late is strange.
An older gentleman strolls in, and Deghan shifts his weight, a smile spreading across his face.
“Degs,” the man calls out with his arms outstretched.
“Uncle Rollin, you made it.” Deghan releases my arm, yanking his uncle in for a hug. “Where’s Aunt Cass?”
“Busy, you know how she is.” Rollin elbows his nephew. “And who’s this?”
“Uncle Rollin, this is Willow Oliver.”
I extend my hand, and he swats it away, hugging me instead. I can’t help but smile, his action reminding me heavily of Deghan.
I shift back to the door, and the happiness fades.
“I can stay and wait with you,” Deghan offers.
“No, they’re only running a minute late. You two go ahead, enjoy your day. I’ll catch up to you.” I push Deghan toward his uncle, faking a smile. “Don’t worry.”
Rollin punches Deghan’s shoulder playfully. “Show me where the snacks are.”
I turn, letting them do their thing, not wanting to draw any more sympathy from Deghan. I continue to stand there until the last student files away with their person. I check the time, forty-five minutes past. I sigh, settling into the nearest chair, a clear line of sight to the door.
A few more minutes pass, and the door opens. I sit upright, only to be disappointed by Walker entering the building.
Before he latches his eyes on to me, I click myself invisible, a lone tear rolling down my cheek.
“You are nothing,” the voice commands. “They forgot about you… or worse, they didn’t want to come at all.”
I dig my nails into my palm, desperate to feel anything other than what I’m feeling.
“This is how you’ll end up. Alone. Forgotten.”
I shake my head, more tears spilling down.
“No wonder your father left. You deserve to lose everyone.”
I force myself to stand, turning on my heel and slamming straight into Silas. My invisible form melts into him.
“How did you…?” I blubber.
He wraps his arms around me, despite not being able to even see where I begin or end. He presses me into him, rubbing his hands along my shoulders and back. “Come on.” He leads me toward the stairs, down the hall, and into his dorm. Closing the door behind him, he reaches into my hand, somehow finding the pen. He takes my hand and places his on top, clicking the button and bringing me back.
With his thumbs, he swipes away the rogue tears on my cheeks and pulls me in again.
“Don’t you… have people coming?” I manage.
He shakes his head. “No.”
“Are they busy or something?”
He sighs. “It’s just me.”
At his admission, I squeeze him more, my hands desperate to find some new level of closeness that will erase the brokenness between us. I recall the moment in the woods when he told me his greatest fear was being forgotten. This only solidifies his meaning behind that so much more.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Shh.” He lifts me off the floor slightly, gliding over to his bed. He nudges me down, under the blanket, coming in once I’m situated. Silas grabs something off his nightstand, pushing a switch, and the lights shut off, leaving us in complete darkness. “Tell me if it’s too much.”
“It’s perfect.” I relax my body into his, still recovering from the hiccupping tears.
He slides his arm under my head, the other along my stomach. “I don’t sleep that much, but if I do, it has to be really dark.” He positions his body firmly around mine, fitting us together like two puzzle pieces.
It’s a calming comfort I didn’t know was possible.
I close my eyes, holding on tight, too afraid to let go, allowing his presence to rid me of my demons.
Once the tremors stop and I’m soothed back to my senses, I roll over, facing Silas in the dark.
“You must think I’m crazy.” My voice is a faint wisp in the utter silence of the room.
He brushes his hand over my face, enveloping it with his palm. “Not at all.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“It kills me that you’re hurting. If I can help a little, I’d do anything to ease your pain.”
I want to ask him why he pulls away, why he becomes so distant and reclusive, why he’s hurting so much and won’t tell me why… but there’s such uncertainty of whether that will push him that much further, and that alone glues my mouth shut. There is something strong between us, and with that, there’s this terrifying doom threatening to tear us apart. The thought of being the reason he’s not around is enough to have me walking on eggshells.
I have to learn more about our connection and to uncover his hidden layers, but I have to do it carefully.
I sit up, the realization only now hitting me. How could I be so stupid? The voice in my head tricked me into thinking my mom and Uncle Danny didn’t come because they didn’t want to, but maybe it was because of something else?
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Silas repositions himself, his hand rubbing circles on my back.
“What if something is wrong?”
“With your mom?”
“Yeah.” I jump out of bed, throwing the covers off and bumping straight into a hard object. “Shit. Can you get the lights?”
Barely a second goes by, and the room brightens.
I shield my eyes, noting the shelf full of books I stubbed my toe on. “You read?”
Silas chuckles, “Mmhm.”
My gaze is drawn to a few of my most beloved titles. “You’ve read The Sandman’s Travel?”
“One of my favorites,” he confirms.
“I’ve never met a single person who knows that book exists.”
�
�Have you read Henry’s Redemption?” Silas slides his shoes on.
“Are you kidding me? Probably half a dozen times.”
He strides up behind me, resting his face against my hair, scanning the contents of the shelf with me. He swipes my hair off my shoulder tenderly. “What about Faraway Nothing?”
I shake my head.
Plucking it off the shelf, he hands me the old tattered book. “First edition,” he clarifies. “I think you’ll love it.”
“Thank you.” I smile.
His hand stays on top of mine, and our eyes meet. He’s so goddamn gorgeous it blows my mind.
“Now,” he changes the subject, “you should call your mom, make sure everything is okay.”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“There has to be a reason she didn’t show.” He takes my hand, leading me toward the door.
We arrive in the foyer. What I assume to be a mom and a dad walk to stand next to their daughter near the garden. They point inside, clearly gawking at the beauty of the design.
Silas knocks on Headmaster Walker’s office door. A moment goes by with no answer. He grips the handle, poking his head inside. “He’s not here,” he mutters.
“He probably wouldn’t mind, right?” I shrug, stepping inside anyway. I make my way around the side of his desk, clutching the phone off its charger, dialing the number.
It rings a few times and goes to voicemail.
I sigh, hitting redial and listening to the tone again.
On the third ring, an out-of-breath Danny answers. “Hello?”
“Danny, hey. Are you okay?”
Relief and concern flood through me at the same time. He’s on the other end, he’s alive, but he’s panting.
“Yeah, sorry. I was in the shower. I had to run down the stairs to answer.” He exhales deeply. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
“Um, well, you and Mom were supposed to be here for family day. I talked to her last week, and she said you were off work. I thought something had happened.” At least his windedness is for a good reason.
“Oh no, I had no idea. When was it?” His voice seems sincere.
“Today.”
“Crap, Willow. I’m so sorry. I had no idea. Your mom, she didn’t tell me.”
“It’s okay. Can I talk to her?”
“I’d let ya, but she’s not here. She left a note saying she was going to be staying with her friend. Said Jenny was going to pick her up and take her to some girls’ retreat. She had a letter from her doctor and everything. She’s been doing a lot better, by the way. I’ve been surprised. She’s damn near back to the woman I knew from a long time ago. Blows my mind. You’d be proud of her progress.”
I swallow, fear creeping heavily back in.
Silas stands alert next to me, the dread rolling its way through him.
“Thanks, Danny.” My voice shakes. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, Wills. I’m really sorry about today. Tell me how I can make it up to you.”
I cut him off. “It’s all right. Bye.” I hang up without letting him respond.
“I don’t understand,” Silas scans me. “Danny is okay. Your mom is with her friend. Yeah, it sucks that she left you hanging, but they’re both fine, and your mom seems to be doing better. What’s wrong?”
I put the phone back on the receiver, and it clinks into place. Stalking to the door, I process the conversation, analyzing and picking it apart. How can this be possible?
“Talk to me, please,” he begs.
I turn to face him, my attention shifting from the floor to lock onto his eyes.
“My mom’s friend Jenny…” My gaze goes blank and I try to make sense of it.
He waits patiently for a response.
“Silas… she’s dead. We went to her funeral a few years back.” I shake my head, the tears threatening their way to the front. I’m so fucking sick of crying that it fuels the rage within me even more. “She’s gone. I have no idea where my mother is. And I have no idea how to find her.”
Chapter Sixteen
“It’s too dangerous, you can’t leave,” Headmaster Walker insists. “I can’t allow you to put your life at risk like that, especially with no idea of her whereabouts.”
“How do you expect me to sit here and do nothing? My mother is missing.”
He holds out his hand. “I understand, Willow, but acting irrationally isn’t going to bring her back. If you didn’t have an unknown curse, I would still advise you against it. Listen, I can help.” He motions around the space. “We can help. I have a team of locators I can send out to track your mom. Do you have any of her belongings here at the school? That will help with their search.”
I exhale loudly. “Yeah. In my dorm. A necklace she gave me.”
“That’s perfect. Now,” his voice gets calm, “we need a little time. We’ll find her.”
“And I’m supposed to do what exactly in the meantime?” I don’t mean for my words to come across as harsh as they do.
“You have more than your fair share of work cut out for yourself. I encourage you to focus on your research, your schooling. You don’t have to do it all on your own. This is one of those things better suited for someone else to handle.”
He’s not wrong, but damn does it suck to have to sit on the sidelines and do nothing while my mom is out there somewhere. My main saving grace is knowing that her magic is back, that she’s in her right-ish mind and in control of herself.
“I have a group on the way to your house right now to check things out. I assure you, we will locate her.”
I leave his office, stunned and in disbelief of what my life is coming to.
I only just found out that my father might exist, and here I am, losing my mother.
“You should eat,” Silas suggests.
He weaves his hand through mine, a shock coursing through me at the very public show of affection.
His embrace is comforting, despite the unsettling chill in my body.
“I’m not hungry.”
“It’s not an option.”
A family walks by us, and it’s all I can do to not let go of his hand and take off, running far away from here.
“We’ll get something and take it up to the room.” His hand reassuringly grips mine.
“Okay.”
We head to the dining hall, Silas acquiring our food while I numbly walk beside him.
He fills the sack, and without speaking to another soul, I follow him out.
Making a left and up the stairs to the west wing, we go to my dorm.
“Do you want to tell the guys what’s going on?” he asks.
I shake my head. “Not now. I’ll let them enjoy their day.” I’m the constant bearer of bad news. I’ll give them another few hours.
Ten minutes pass.
“Will you at least eat this?” Silas holds out a rather large brownie.
I stop pushing the salad around in my bowl and put the fork down. I eyeball his offering, then Silas.
“Remember what happened last time?” His gorgeous gray eyes plead with me.
“Fine.” I take it reluctantly and bite into the delicious chocolatiness.
He smirks and then takes a mouthful of his burger.
“You probably didn’t expect to be stuck with me all day.” I lean back against the oversized windowsill seat where we sit, eating our food.
“You act as though I’d rather be doing something else.”
“Would you?”
“What do you think?” He raises an eyebrow, and for a split second, I forget all my worries.
But only for the smallest moment.
“Do you mind if we go to the library when we’re done?” Part of me would rather stay in my dorm all day, alone with him, but considering how fucked my life is, I won’t be able to focus on anything other than the constant problems I can’t seem to solve. If anything, centering my thoughts on the curse will keep me from the constant worry of my mom.
“I’d love to.”
For some reason, the longer I spend in the library, the more I pace. I’ll find a book, open it up, not make any sense of what I’m reading, and then walk circles around the room. It’s an annoying habit I keep developing.
“You exert more energy that way, you realize that, right?” Silas looks up from his own studies to watch me with concerned eyes.
I set the book down on the table. “What do you know about angels… and witches?”
He tilts his head like he’s recalling a memory. “Legends have it that witches were descended from angels. At least very few of them. The rest were created by Mother Nature… the gods… the Devil… so on. But in time, they all sort of mixed together and became one. Now, no one can really pinpoint where they originated from. Why?”
“These wings.” I poke at them on the page. “I’ve seen them countless times. In these texts, in real life…”
“I don’t see anything.”
“Right here,” I insist, furiously digging my finger at the spot.
He shakes his head. “Describe them to me.”
“They’re white, flowy, heavenly, powdery, and definitely two big-ass beautiful wings.”
“That’s the mark of the angel.” He meets my gaze.
“I wonder what it means.”
He laughs, catching me off guard.
“Oh, it makes perfect sense,” he adds.
“What does?”
“Willow.” Silas lays his hand on top of mine. “You have angel blood running through your veins.”
“I do?” I stare at him.
“It’s no wonder your family was oppressed. If this is true, you’re pretty much the royal witch family.”
“You’re joking?”
His face is nothing but serious, despite how insane the words coming out of his mouth are. “No.” He pauses. “Listen, this is dangerous information. You need to be careful with who you tell.”
Something inside me flickers, setting me on edge.
“Willow.”
I nearly jump at his voice.
“Mr. Walker, sorry, you startled me.” I clutch at my chest. “Did you find anything?”
“Yes and no.”
“Okay…” I wait for him to elaborate.
He stands in the doorway. “The house was scanned, and there were no reports of lingering demonic energy. I called in a handwriting analyst to check the note your mom left. The results were conclusive to support the idea that your mom departed on her own free will.”