I wait on the Elmwick Academy steps for the rest of my circle. Jean arrives with Charity. Vanessa leaves the company of her viper cousins, despite their protests, and greets us with a hiss in her “What’s up?”.
“Waiting for wolf boy,” Jean says, overplaying her sulk. “We never used to have latecomers when it was the four of us. Just saying.”
Charity elbows her while Vanessa only purses her lips, refraining from commenting on Seff’s tardiness. Not only is it unusual for her to pass on the opportunity, but it makes me replay the image of her face when Seff kissed me. I wonder if I saw it because of something that has already happened between them or if that’s yet to come.
Awan rushes past us, grinning, “Shouldn’t you be upstairs reading?”
I give him a one-sided smile. “Shouldn’t you be in the seniors’ instructor-led class?” He shrugs instead of answering, but I call after him, “Wait up. Have you seen Seff?”
Awan backtracks and halts by the gate. “Not since Elmwick High today. Why?”
Instead of replying, I concentrate and fish for the link to Seff. It takes a while to attune to his mood.
In the pause, Charity replies to Awan, sounding less than thrilled. “He’s our new teammate.”
“Gotcha.” Awan’s expression doesn’t carry blame, but his eyes darken a little as he realizes how close to a full circle we are. To his credit, he doesn’t burden me with a lecture.
The distraction has led me to abandon my search for Seff through the link, so I resume it. The second attempt is so short that when the link zaps into my mind, it’s like a smack against the wall.
He’s in pain. More pain that I thought imaginable.
Every bone breaking. Every tissue morphing. Every fiber burning.
“Of course, that’s what he’s doing the first chance he gets!” I smack a hand across my forehead to force myself back into reality. The pain flooding through the link dampens a little. “He’s shifting.”
I stream into Elmwick Academy and down the stairs to the basement, fully aware of the others running to catch up behind me. Jean cheats with super speed and flings herself in front of the door with a silver moon emblem—the wolves’ training room. The place where they learn to withstand their transformation, Mrs. Gianni said when she gave me a tour of Elmwick Academy.
“Are you crazy?” Jean says. “You can’t go in there. He might hurt you in the shift.”
“He won’t!” My scream makes them all flinch. I use the distraction to pull the door, but it’s locked. “Seff!” I bang a fist against the door, fueled by the searing pain I know he feels.
“Go away.” The groggy warning comes from inside.
As it’s not a full moon, and the freshmen wolves don’t have powers to train, he must have the entire room to himself.
I swell with a breath strong enough to blow that gate to kindling. At least that’s how it feels in my adrenaline-infused state of mind.
Awan pulls me back, his hands grasping my shoulders. “Don’t get yourself shredded by a shifting wolf, please. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m not a part of your circle. I don’t have the extended healing powers to stitch you back into one piece, okay?”
“I can’t leave him alone,” I argue. “It’s his first shift without a full moon. What if it’s as bad as his first shift ever, or worse?”
My eyes find Jean. My first ally here, my first friend. Through the link and my expression, I will her to understand how important it is for me to be there for Seff. To my dismay, despite her aversion to the wolves, she nods.
Jean smashes the lock with a quick and well-placed blow.
“Damn, Jean.” Awan gapes, impressed.
I roll my shoulders back, making Awan let go of me, and take a deep breath. Jean swings the door open.
I almost wheeze at the sight of Seff, chained to the walls in nothing but a pair of long swim shorts.
“Get out,” Seff snarls, sounding barely human.
My eyes take in his hunched posture and the trembles raking his body. A spasm makes his legs twist, the bones beneath his skin popping out of place with a series of sickening cracks.
Charity whispers a prayer while Awan swears colorfully. Despite their reluctance, they all enter after me and close the door.
Vanessa steps into place next to me, her shoulder brushing mine. “We’re here.”
Seff’s expression contorts as he fights the pain. “You shouldn’t be.”
The next stage of the shift overcomes him, his body shaking, limbs twisting beyond recognition until a scream of pain escapes his throat. It rips through my heart.
“Cami, stay back,” Jean warns, but I take a step closer.
Seff cramps to the ground on one knee, his arms pulled up by the chains. “Keep away before I bite you.”
“You won’t bite me.” I instill the words with calm, even though my body is shaking.
Thick white hairs sprout to cover his limbs, quickly turning into deep fur. Seff throws one last electric-blue gaze at me, then pulls himself into a tight ball, as if to hide the transformation.
“You should never hide from me,” I whisper.
He grunts, though the occasional howl escapes his throat. His body grows furry as his limbs shrink and continue to twist. His hands, almost fully transformed into paws, slip out of the restraints. His body is more wolf than man, but it still writhes and groans, bones cracking and setting.
I sit on the cold concrete, legs folded under me. Hesitation out the window, I reach out to touch the thick white fur on Seff’s back. His body shudders when he feels my fingers. The wolf recoils, muzzle raised in a snarl that shows his sharp fangs. But I stare into the electric-blue eyes I know so well.
“It’s all right.” I use my most lulling voice. “You’re all right.”
When I tug on the link between us, the wolf’s presence feels increasingly familiar. I deflate with a relieved exhale, patting the soft white fur on his back. The wolf edges closer and rests his chin on my knee. He’s majestic—as deadly as he is loyal.
Vanessa and Charity crouch down like me and reach to pat him on the back. Even Jean comes closer, though I doubt she has the same intention.
Seff lifts his chin and takes a few steps back. In a series of tremors, he grows back into his human body, his bare chest glistening in sweat beads.
“I’m not a puppy, you know.”
Vanessa stomps upright and folds her arms in front of her chest. “We were having a moment. Thankss for ruining it.”
“It won’t always be like this, will it?” I ask in a dry voice.
Seff shakes his head, then resets the restraints for the next wolf who’ll need them. “This was like a first transformation. Again. I could already control it and speed it up when I shifted back. Next time should be a piece of cake.”
He leaves the last of the chains in its place and comes over, offering me a hand up. I take it, mesmerized by the electric blue in his eyes, stronger than usual. I guess it means he’s ready to shift as needed now.
“I told you,” Seff says, lower, though he’s not trying to keep it private from the rest. “I’m here for you, for whatever you need.”
I feel pressure under his gaze, prompting me to want to share. “I’ll understand if you guys aren’t up for it.”
Even though Awan isn’t in the circle, I don’t exclude him. His mother was part of the old circle, and he’s helped us enough.
Jean steps in between Vanessa and Charity, at the ready. “What did you have in mind?”
“A heist of The Ravenna.” My heartbeat pulses in my fingertips. I expected this would be hard to say out loud, but it’s harder still. “I know we tried and failed to find proof that Vaughn ambushed my mother. But he keeps coming after us. First Vanessa, then Seff... The stronger we get, the harder he’ll try to harm us. None of us will be safe. Unless we fight back and protect what we have here.”
Vanessa lets out a low hiss, her eyes narrowing. I feel a surprising burst of support from her, knowing she m
ust be sorting through curses bad enough for Vaughn in her mind.
“There might not be any proof of what he did to my Mom, but there could be clues about what he intends to do to us next. If we find anything that paints him in an unfavorable light, anything that proves he wants to harm us, we can turn him in.”
Charity purses her lips. “But how? I couldn’t find anything in his suite. And my break-in could have gone so much worse.”
“It was a mistake,” I hurry to assure her. “Not yours. Mine. An error of judgment. When you sneaked into his suite, we were hoping he would have carelessly left damning proof in plain sight. He’d never do that. But we don’t need to hope he makes a mistake. We can ensure it.”
Vanessa blinks at me quickly, her eyelashes fluttering. “A guilty conscience curse could work. It would practically send him running to the police to confess his crimes, but I’d never get close enough to him to make a salt circle. And he’s probably always wearing a thistle for protection.”
“True,” I shrug. “But let’s think smaller. You said that before your Claiming, you ended up throwing small curses at people, even from a distance.”
Vanessa stares at me, taken aback. “I mean, yes, for tiny curses I’d only need direct eye contact. The more viper eyes, the better. And I’d have to catch him without a thistle on him. But those curses are puny. They’re little more than what humans believe is bad luck or clumsiness.”
“How about forgetfulness?” I ask. “All we need is for your three vipers to travel up to the suite through the vents and get a visual of him in the morning before he’s put on a thistle. He probably wears it in his shoes or jacket. If you hit him with a forgetfulness curse, he might just leave damning evidence in plain sight this time.”
Vanessa chews on her lower lip, considering this. “It might work.”
I give them my best sly smile. “It will work. With the extended powers we have, we can work together as a well-oiled machine.” Their eyes are wide, but I keep working on the plan on the spot. “Charity could envelop The Ravenna in a shield that will hide us from security cameras and contain any noise or kerfuffle we might cause. Jean can compel the hotel staff. Vanessa can be our eyes inside the suite. And the rest, we can go get the proof.”
Awan waves a hand in the air. “Teacher, me teacher, please.”
Charity scoffs at him, but her complexion grows deeper with a slight blush. “Stop it.”
“I’m not in the circle, don’t have any extended powers, and probably shouldn’t be here at all,” Awan says. “Especially not for the rule-breaking plans you have in mind.”
“I leave it up to you,” I tell him. “I’ll do this with the circle’s help because I trust you the most, but I can’t imagine turning down an ally, especially not a legacy connected to the old circle.”
Awan seems to give it a thought. “Only because you’ll end up getting caught without me.”
“Great.” I grin. “Because we’ll need a cat burglar for the next part of the plan.”
They glance at each other, trying to see if the rest have caught on to my train of thought. By Seff’s smirk and Charity’s pout, I think they might have.
Chapter 30. Mason
THE BREAK INTO ELMWICK Academy turns out to be exactly the distraction I need. Instead of ruminating on Cami’s circle and the kiss she and Seff shared, I gear up in Mom’s lair on Friday evening and head out.
It’s safe to say that even so, when I enter The Ravenna’s lobby, I’m not prepared to bump into Cami and Seff, sipping on mocktails like they’re on a date. The padded chairs curve around them, almost creating a private booth. I would have missed them if Cami hadn’t twirled in her seat to meet my eyes.
I gape further when I realize they’re not alone. Awan, of all people, is the third wheel crashing their date.
“Err...” he stutters, but Cami is faster.
She pushes up from the comfy chair. To my surprise, she’s out of the seemingly endless parade of chic dresses she usually wears. Instead, she’s in a pair of black skinny jeans and a purple top. No make-up.
“What are you doing here?” she whispers as if the hotel staff is the police and I’m a wanted fugitive.
“Me?” I balk at her. “What are you doing here? With them? Is Awan also...?”
“Linked? No, he isn’t.” Cami steps into my personal space, a faint flowery scent wafting from her hair. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened at the fair.” Her eyes bear into mine, rendering me helpless to stay truly mad at her. “Please don’t let that push you over to their side. I meant it when I said that the circle doesn’t have to lead to war.”
Her honest conviction in her words makes me deflate. She’ll never see the circle as evil, just like I’ll never see her as an enemy.
I take a shallow breath, tempted to tell her I need Zach for answers, but even if she takes the news of my weird hunter instincts well, there’s no way she’ll approve of Zach’s plan to break into Elmwick Academy.
The words gurgle in my throat, but the elevator beeps, cutting me off.
Zach comes out, black blazer and tie perfectly matched. As if there’s a place in the entirety of Elmwick, apart from this very hotel, where we’d need to be so formal.
“Am I interrupting?”
“Yes,” Cami says.
I nod as Zach walks past us, saying, “I’ll be waiting in the limo.”
The lounge music in the lobby is soft, so I speak softer. “Cami, I can’t explain, but I need you to trust me. I have to keep up with the hunters, especially since you’ve bound the circle.”
“Don’t you mean, especially since they know I’ve bound some of the circle?”
I keep myself from letting out a groan. “Look, I can understand some links happened without you meaning them to, but you need to promise me you won’t complete it. It’s the only thing keeping us from an outright war.”
“But maybe the last circle was misunderstood or grew unstable for another reason,” she argues heatedly, even though her voice remains low.
Seff and Awan watch us from their extravagant chairs. I try to muffle my voice further. “Cami, that’s wishful thinking. You said so to Seff yourself. The circle could be dangerous.”
“I know, and I am terrified every time I think of all the examples pointing to that conclusion, but I can’t help how I feel in the circle. It’s only brought us friendship.” Her stormy, blue eyes are wide.
“Only friendship?” I can’t help the biting remark.
“Don’t...” she trails off. “It isn’t like that with Seff.”
“Sure looked like it when he kissed you,” I murmur. “We’re getting nowhere, and Zach’s waiting.”
“Let’s talk tomorrow, then?” Cami places a hand into mine, interlacing our fingers. “I hate leaving things like this.”
“Me too.” Sheer proximity to her makes me lean in. “But we can’t do this right now.”
Cami’s lips part. “I’m not sure I care who sees anymore. I’ve had enough of the secrecy.”
Well, too bad that secrecy is my curse. The secret beneath the secret. I have to guard it like Father did, even if no one ever understands why.
Before I think of what to say, Cami tiptoes, bringing her lips to mine. She gives me a peck, soft at first, but we sink into it, despite the onlookers. The storm that’s been brewing between us is about to hit hard. I can’t wade into the chaos without one last moment between us.
I let go of her, and only then take in the unease in her expression. “What’s wrong?” More wrong, I mean.
“Don’t be around here tonight, please.”
I’m afraid to ask what they’re planning. My gaze locks on Awan. If he’s in, I’m willing not to ask too many questions. “I’ve somewhere else to be, anyway.”
She doesn’t ask where. “So we’ll talk tomorrow?”
I nod to reconfirm, even though my mind is a jumbled mess, and head out of The Ravenna.
Zach pops the limo door open for me, so I slide in. “How come
you get the limo tonight? Don’t your parents need it?”
“Father’s been uncharacteristically distracted today,” Zach replies without looking at me, taking a big hoodie out of his backpack. “I took advantage of it. He and mother will have to take a stroll to the hunters’ meeting tonight.”
“How come?”
Zach shrugs. “I guess he’s too busy finding the right argument to rally them to attack the banshee. The meeting is on what to do about her and her potential circle.”
I swallow, not trusting myself to comment on that topic.
Zach changes into the black hoodie, but it seems too casual for him.
“The hoodie’s good and all, but how are we going to get past the protection charm on Elmwick Academy?” I ask Zack.
He only pulls the hood on and signals for me to do the same. The limo grinds to a halt in front of the newspaper stand, which has closed shop for the day, and we slip out. We’re at the entrance gate to the Academy grounds.
“If you think the charm won’t work on us, I guess you’re not the expert you believe yourself to be.” Underneath the mockery, I wait for him to pull out a miracle solution.
Instead, he pulls out a needle. “One drop of blood and we’re in. Call it a blood bounty.”
I frown at the voodoo feel of that bargain, but I take the needle from him and puncture my thumb. A drop of scarlet blood gathers in a second.
Zach beckons me closer to the gate. I press my bloodied finger to the gate. The electric purple of the shield flashes to life, like that night I came here looking for answers and ran into Collin instead.
A hole forms in the purple shield, big enough for a person to squeeze through. Zach goes through it without waiting for an invitation. I follow him, and as soon as I’m through, I look back at the charm—buzzing and complete like before.
Suspension (Elmwick Academy Book 2) Page 20