“At least she’s better than Rosa who was perfectly fine letting me watch her and her boyfriend dry hump last night.” I paused, thinking. “At least I hope it was dry humping.”
“Ewww.”
“Yeah.”
“You could ask for a transfer to another room. I read in the guidebook that they allow that under extreme circumstances.”
I shrugged and then lied. “It’s okay, I’m sure she’ll grow on me. Or vise-versa. Maybe we’ll become besties by the end of the year.”
Or she’d rat me out as a roach just to have a single room again. That seemed more likely. I seriously doubted I would be at Shadow Academy by the end of the year.
We went through the history homework together. Luckily, my reading of the Civil War hadn’t gone to waste so I could complete most of it without having to read the textbook.
“How’d you remember all that?” Cress asked.
I explained about the library. Then added, “Hopefully I’ll be able to sleep in my actual bed tonight. I’m sure they’ll kick me out of the library if they work out I’m kind of living there.”
“You can always sleep here. We just have the floor but it’s carpeted and you can probably do a spell to conjure up a mattress or something.”
Cress was sweet. I hated lying to her. I plastered on a smile. “That’s really nice of you to offer. I’ll keep it in mind. Thank you.”
She closed her textbook, signaling the end of homework. “Having magic must be super cool.”
“Being able to morph into a werewolf sounds pretty cool too.”
She waved the comment away. “Yeah, having a hyper sensitive sense of smell is not as fun as it sounds. There are way more bad smells in this world than good ones.”
“You get to howl at the moon. That’s a thing, right? It’s not just pop culture gone wrong?”
“It’s true. Howling is a really good release for any pent up anger. Do you dance around a fire on a full moon?”
I laughed. As it turned out, pop culture was actually pretty accurate. “Those in covens usually do. They do it to pay respect to the moon goddess.”
“Cool.” She paused before her face lit up. “Hey, can you do some magic for me now? Like change my hair from blond to black?”
Panic gripped me tightly. “We aren’t really supposed to do magic for vanity. It’s really only used for the betterment of a community.”
“Psht. You can’t tell me no witch has ever changed something about their appearance. Please, it’s just for fun, I won’t tell anyone.”
Panic now strangled me so hard I thought I wasn’t going to be able to breathe. I really hated lying to her. I had no idea how I could get out of showing her magic and still keep things good between us.
I took my best shot. “To be honest, I’m not very good with the whole magic thing. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it. I might set your head on fire or something even worse.”
She sunk with disappointment. “Can you try? I won’t blame you if it doesn’t work properly.”
“I can try,” I replied. At least I could summon the words that I was supposed to say. She then might accept my excuse as being true. It was far better than she believe I was a terrible witch than not one at all.
“Okay, stay still,” I ordered. I placed a hand on her head and closed my eyes. I then muttered the spell just loud enough for her to hear. “Mother of goodness, mother of fair, from blond to black, change this hair.”
Nothing happened, of course.
Cress checked her hair and then frowned. “I guess I’m stuck with this color for a while longer.”
“Sorry. You could always buy some hair dye.”
She nodded and pursed her lips, thinking. I was relieved she hadn’t asked me to do anything simpler. At least changing hair color was a little tricky. If she’d asked to do something simpler, I might not have gotten away with it.
“Can I ask you something, Eden?”
Dread started to swell inside my stomach. Maybe I should have insisted more on being tired earlier. The more time I spent around other students, the more I had to pretend I was something I wasn’t.
“Sure,” I said with far more enthusiasm than I felt.
“You’re a non-supernatural, aren’t you?”
What. The. Hell.
Chapter 8
I think my jaw might have been hanging open. I also think my pupils dilated from fear. I definitely wanted to run away and never look back.
Unfortunately, I had heard Cress correctly and now she was waiting for a response. Was I a good enough actress to deny her accusation fiercely enough to be believable? I thought I might have been good enough so people wouldn’t question me to begin with.
Looking at Cress’s curious face, I didn’t know what to do. Confessing she was right was a death sentence. She could probably use the ten thousand dollars like everyone else.
“It’s okay if you are,” she continued to fill in the growing silence lingering in the air. “I’m not going to turn you in.”
That was fine for her to say, but she could be a far better actress than I was and be lying. After all, wouldn’t someone say that if they wanted to coax a confession out of someone?
My life was on the line. I really wanted to trust Cress but I’d only known her for four days and I wasn’t sure if that was enough to fully trust her with the biggest secret of my life.
I tried to listen to my instincts. Part of being a witch was listening to that inner voice called intuition. Witches placed a lot of emphasis on it. I had no magic but I was raised by a witch and warlock who were always pausing to listen to the voice in their head.
My instincts said that Cress wouldn’t rat me out. However, that could have just been wishful thinking. I didn’t know how to tell the difference.
In the end, I didn’t know what was the right thing to do. But lying felt worse than telling the truth in that moment.
“What gave me away?” I asked.
“Dinner that first night we met,” she replied. “When you lie, you have this tick in your right eyebrow. It’s not obvious, but I saw it.”
Apparently I was the worst actress and liar imaginable. “How come you haven’t turned me in? You’re required to by law.”
Great, Eden, remind her she was committing a crime by not reporting you.
“Because I don’t believe non-supernaturals are dangerous. I think they should be given a chance to live in our community.” She smiled and then frowned. “You aren’t planning on exposing the supernatural community, are you?”
“Of course not. My family are all witches, why would I want anything to happen to them? And to you and your family too? I don’t want to hurt anyone,” I said honestly.
I didn’t really realize until that moment how absurd the whole roach thing was. I mean, just because I couldn’t be a witch, didn’t mean I wanted everyone else to be exposed. The council had some seriously messed up thoughts on the whole thing.
Cress took my hands in hers and looked pointedly into my eyes. “I trust you. I’m not like all those haters. I had an uncle that was a non-supernatural. He started at the academy and nobody ever saw him again. I just worry about how you’re going to convince everyone else for three years.”
Tears pricked at my eyes. I’d been holding them in all week but couldn’t pretend with Cress anymore. I didn’t have to. “I’m so worried they’re going to work it out. I mean you did, it won’t take long for everyone else to as well. I think Rosa might already be suspicious.”
“She would have said something already, wouldn’t she?”
“I don’t know. She’s a loose canon, hard to predict.” That horrible note in my locker instantly came to mind. “Someone else definitely does know, though.”
“Are you sure?”
I explained the note and what it said. Her mouth dropped open after hearing the threatening message. “I didn’t think it was you who wrote it.”
She shook her head. “Of course not. Do you have any clues?”
“None. I’ve tried to avoid everybody here so I could fly under the radar. I’ve been trying so hard all week. I’m so scared the Black Cloaks will come for me.”
“Liam has noticed you.”
My mind went back to the moment on top of the school. “I don’t think it was him.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m not entirely sure about anything anymore.”
“Let’s think up a plan. Two heads have to be better than one, right?”
I absolutely loved Cress. How I got so lucky finding her on that first day was beyond me. Perhaps the goddess was shining on me. I just needed that kind of luck to continue for the next three years.
“I don’t want you to get into trouble,” I said. “When I’m discovered, they’re going to wonder why my best friend didn’t report me.”
“I can look after myself. I’ll also lie my ass off to save my life. I hope that’s okay.” Her smile beamed with cheekiness.
“Of course. When that happens, make sure you say anything to save yourself. I will also declare that you knew nothing about me. I too will lie my ass off.”
She pulled me into a hug and it was so warm and reassuring that I wanted to start crying all over again. I managed to pull myself together.
When she released me, she was still smiling. “Should we watch Netflix and eat ice cream tonight? We can come up with a plan for you tomorrow.”
“Oh, absolutely,” I replied.
At least I wouldn’t have to lie to Cress anymore. The rest of the world, yes. But right now all I had to do was be myself. I could get back to pretending tomorrow.
I fell asleep on Cress’s floor and remained there for the rest of the night. Rosa wouldn’t miss me and it was nice stretching out while I slept. The armchairs in the library were comfortable but they were squishy. I really needed to sort out my roommate problem.
In the morning, Cress and I parted after breakfast in the dining hall. I needed to get to my witch-centric lessons while she attended her werewolf classes. I had no idea what they studied, but imagined it was nothing as complex as the spells we needed to commit to memory.
I was feeling a tiny bit more positive than the previous day. I had Cress on my side and someone to confide in. My paranoia was still on high alert, but it wasn’t so all-encompassing. My steps were a little lighter, my mood a bit brighter.
I was still going to die when the wrong person discovered my secret but at least I had a friend until that happened. It made things a little bit more bearable.
The whole day passed without incident. I managed to keep up in my classes and fly under the magic radar. Whether it was my new positive attitude that did it or whether I was just lucky, I didn’t know. But it felt good for a change.
That was, until Liam stopped me after the last class of the day. “Do you want to come for a walk with me?” he asked.
I had flashbacks to the daydream I’d had of him a few days earlier. I looked at his lips and wondered if they really would taste that good.
And now I was certain he saw me looking at his lips. “Yeah, okay. A walk sounds fine.”
His lips quirked into a smirk. He seemed to make me more flustered than anyone else ever had. What was it about him? The eyes, I was pretty certain it was those sky blue eyes.
We walked past the female dormitory building where I ditched my bag and heavy books in my room. I’d been avoiding my locker in case another note was left inside. I instantly felt lighter.
Liam wasn’t carrying anything besides his cool swagger and little smirk. He led me to the back of the academy grounds where the forest began.
The silence was deafening between us. I didn’t know why he had asked me to go for a walk with him and it was bugging me.
I had to say something to fill the space. “Do you often walk through these woods?”
“Yeah, I really like them. It’s nice to be close to nature. It replenishes the soul. Know what I mean?”
“Yes, I do.” Because even if I was a roach, I could still appreciate the kind of relationships witches had with nature. My parents had dragged me to every single national park in the country—and several abroad—I’d definitely experienced my fair share of nature at its best.
“How are you finding it here?” Liam asked. I guessed he meant the academy and not just the woods area.
“It’s a little daunting, to be honest. There are a lot of people here,” I replied. At least I didn’t need to lie to him about that answer. “Have you lived here the whole time since your father became the principal?”
He nodded his head. “Yeah. Good old Dad has been here for seven years. I used to do the daily commute into town to go to high school.”
“I guess you couldn’t have friends over to your place.”
“No.” He laughed. “Bringing friends home to a supernatural academy and then trying to pretend nothing strange was going on would have been difficult. My father would have had a heart attack.”
It must have been tough for him. At least my family seemed normal at home. It was only if you scratched the surface could you then delve into their real world. Growing up, my friends had no idea they were witches. And it was drilled into me as soon as I could speak that I wasn’t to mention it to anyone.
“You must know these woods like the back of your hand,” I said. The sun was starting to dip lower on the horizon, filling the forest with bright orange light. It was a beautiful time of the day.
“They’re massive. They go on for miles. But I do have my favorite parts of it.”
“Like?”
He took a few quick steps and then stopped in front of a massive oak tree. Moss grew on one side of it, green and plush. “This is one of my favorite spots. I think this tree has been here for thousands of years.”
It did look sturdy. It would take one hell of a force of nature to bring it down. I placed my hand on the bark of the tree and admired its sheer size. “Nothing beats being in nature.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Liam used his magic to move some leaves off a fallen log so we could sit down. He did it so casually, so effortlessly, that I didn’t even notice him doing an incantation.
I was jealous. I should have been able to work magic like that. It was my birthright. To have that not available to me was devastating. I’d never asked to be a roach and it was a cruel twist of fate to make me one.
I realized I was clenching my fists and shook them loose. Hopefully Liam didn’t notice.
“How does your dad fit in time for his coven?” I asked, hoping to deflect any attention from me. If I was asking him the questions, I wouldn’t have to answer any that he may pose.
“He has a weekly meeting with them. I think there is a general understanding that he can’t participate too much. They’re happy to have someone so esteemed in their group so they cut him a lot of slack.”
“Does he want you to join the same coven one day?”
“Who knows. Probably not. I never quite live up to his expectation. Are your parents keen to include you in theirs?”
“They haven’t mentioned it lately.” Not a lie, just leaving out the truthful part. It had been a while since they’d talked about me joining their coven. “Some parents prefer not to mingle with their kids.”
“I think I’d prefer not to share a coven with him,” Liam said.
He waved his hand and a fallen log was standing up again. He gestured for it to move onto a pile of logs where it settled on the ground again.
I watched his mouth this time, he didn’t recite any spell. He had just moved it with his will. One flick of the wrist and the heavy log had just obeyed.
Liam was more powerful than most witches and warlocks. It was only the very best who didn’t have to rely on spells to get things done. Even the top witch of my parents’ coven couldn’t do that.
How was he so powerful at such a young age?
I wanted to ask so many questions but I didn’t dare. If I opened up that can of worms, he might hav
e asked me to do some magic. That would not have ended well for me.
Luckily, I didn’t have to say anything. The academy’s alarm sounded, so loud we could hear it even in amongst the forest. School had already let out for the day, there shouldn’t have been any more alarms until the start of classes tomorrow.
Something had to be wrong.
“We should get back,” Liam said with worry lacing his words.
“I’ve got a feeling I don’t want to know what’s wrong,” I replied.
I didn’t think I could take much more excitement at Shadow Academy.
Chapter 9
Everyone was assembling on the great lawn when we emerged from the forest. Judging by the chatter in the crowd, nobody knew what had triggered the alarm.
I saw Liam staring at his father as he stepped onto the platform. He was again flanked by Vice Principal Chandler and his receptionist. It couldn’t be a coincidence that he’d called for us two days in a row.
Principal Dunlop cleared his throat before speaking into the microphone. His voice echoed in all directions. “Thank you all for coming so quickly. I’m sure we’ve all had a long day so I will get straight to the point. Another non-supernatural has been detected at this academy.”
A rush of hushed voices started twittering in the crowd. Every inch of my body went cold. I expected any of the thousand people around me to suddenly point in my direction and declare my roach status.
Any minute now.
Maybe it would even be Cress.
Ten thousand dollars was a huge amount of money. I’m sure most people would be able to justify any of their actions for that kind of money. If they were told it was in order to protect us all, then all the better.
My time at Shadow Academy was coming to an end. I could feel it with my spider-sense. I didn’t even need any magical powers to know that.
My heartbeat rang loudly in my ears. It counted out the seconds while we waited for the principal to continue. Surely he’d name the individual soon.
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