“And you need to get back to your room. Nothing can happen to me when I’m this close to my room.”
His grip didn’t let up. “And I won’t have to imagine a thousand different scenarios if I go that extra few steps to your room.”
Goddess, if you can hear me, please don’t let Rosa be in.
We reached the door too quickly. At least it wasn’t locked. I stepped inside and then moved to close the door. I placed my hand on Liam’s chest. “Thank you for everything today. I’m safe here, now go!”
He leaned in and gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek. “Stay here and be safe.”
I closed the door and I could still feel his lips on my cheek. Why did this guy make my stomach go so jittery? He was going to be my poison.
“I told you to leave.” Rosa’s voice brought me crashing back down to reality.
I spun around to face her. Rosa was lying on her bed, as relaxed as always. Could she not hear the ear-shattering alarm?
I summoned a smile for her. “We’re in lockdown. I have to return here. Don’t worry, I’ll go as soon as this whole thing is over.’’
“You better.”
“Do you know what’s happening out there?”
She let me sweat it out for a beat before answering. “Members of faculty will most likely be going room to room to search. I saw the Black Cloaks pull up earlier. That’s why they insist we stay in our rooms, so we can’t get rid of any evidence.”
“Evidence of what?” I asked.
She shrugged. “My best guess would be evidence of roaches. That has been the hot topic of conversation around here. Didn’t Dunlop say the council henchmen would be visiting soon?”
“What evidence would there be?”
“You tell me.”
I didn’t know for sure but my side of the room looking completely empty probably wasn’t a good sign. I started grabbing some of Rosa’s things and shifting them onto my side.
“Hey! I didn’t say you could touch my stuff,” Rosa said.
“I have to make it look like I live here too,” I reminded her. “Otherwise they’ll find exactly what they’re looking for. Give me a hand.”
“And why should I?”
My mind reeled. “Because if I’m discovered, you will have to do your own homework.”
Rosa rolled her eyes but she did fling some of her clothes onto my bed. That was probably as close to helping as she would ever get.
I spread a few of her magazines across my desk and attempted to line up some books on my bookcase. Maybe I could say I was a minimalist. That might work if they were a fan of Marie Kondo. These items might have been the few that sparked joy in me.
I sat in my desk chair and listened to my heart pound way too quickly in my chest. Rosa went back to her fashion magazine. We waited as the alarm filled the silence between us. I didn’t have anything to say to her and she couldn’t give a damn about me.
I still wasn’t sure if she’d deny what I was. She could have been plotting to turn me in this whole time. The homework thing could have been a rouse. She might have been buying time so I could be caught in a spectacular fashion.
She might have tipped them off.
Nerves swum in every part of me. I had the urge to pee and then the urge to vomit. I was jittery and I couldn’t keep still.
They tortured people with alarms like this, didn’t they? I could barely hear my own thoughts over the constant droning. Other people here called it a bell, it could never be something that innocuous to me. It would always be an alarm in my opinion.
When I couldn’t sit down any longer, I went to the window. No students were out but a few of the professors were walking hurriedly along the pathways between the buildings.
How long did they plan on leaving us here like this? In the very least, surely they’d have to let us out to eat sometime? Or use the restroom? Shower? Just knowing that I couldn’t do any of those things instantly made me want them.
Maybe I could make a run for it. If I was quick enough, stealthy enough, perhaps I could get off campus and go underground. Yes, they could use a locator spell to find me, but maybe it would take them a few hours—or days, if I kept on the move.
But what was the point? I couldn’t change what I was and they couldn’t let a Roach live. It was a lose-lose situation for me. Running scared wouldn’t be a pleasant experience, and it would be futile.
Someone knocked on our door.
Now was the time for me to give the greatest acting performance anyone had ever seen.
I sat down on my bed and forced my body to relax. I would not give them any reason to suspect me. I would act innocently, just like Rosa was. Whatever she did, I would mimic.
The door opened to reveal Principal Dunlop and a Black Cloak standing there. Their combined size filled the doorway completely, blocking any escape route. Maybe that was the point.
“Stand by the wall, ladies,” Principal Dunlop directed.
Rosa didn’t hurry so neither did I. We stood side by side next to the window, giving the men access to the entire room.
They went through everything. I’m sure they even found Rosa’s stash of tampons. They opened up all the drawers, looked inside every cupboard. They event checked underneath the mattresses on the beds.
I still didn’t know what kind of things they were looking for. If they were after roaches, then what proof would there be? Should I have a membership card on me or something? Besides the whole magic thing, I was exactly the same as every other witch here.
I guessed the magic thing was a pretty major thing.
Having all your belongings rifled through by two old men wasn’t a pleasant experience. I was glad the belongings weren’t mine but I supposed my things would be searched in Cress’s room. I mentally did an inventory of everything I left there. Mostly just clothes and a few books. Hopefully they wouldn’t give anything away and get her in trouble.
Rosa kept her features in a neutral position. If she cared that people were touching her stuff—which I was certain she did care about very much—she didn’t let it show in her expression.
Not when they touched her underwear drawer, her chocolate bars, cell phone, or notebooks. The principal and Black Cloak didn’t leave anything unturned.
It was kind of impressive, really. Rosa deserved an Oscar for her acting prowess. If I was watching this in her position, I would be highly anxious that they might find something incriminating, even if I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
When the two men were finished, they stood directly in front of us—a little too close to be comfortable. Was it really hot in here, or was that just me? Was I sweating? Would that give me away?
For the love of the Goddess, just say something!
“Ladies,” Principal Dunlop began, “I take it you were both at assembly yesterday?”
We both nodded.
“Then you will know that it is our highest priority that we find and expel any non-supernatural beings that might be at this academy.”
Another dual nod.
“I’m sure you’ll agree how important this is and what it could cost us to go unchecked.”
Even though I didn’t agree, I still nodded. I felt like one of those bobble-headed things people put on their car dashboards.
The Black Cloak interjected. “Any person caught harboring or withholding information about a non-supernatural will be held accountable to the full force of the council. Do you know what that is?”
His beady eyes slide over Rosa and then me. That kind of glare could easily have someone confessing. I hoped we were both strong enough to keep our mouths shut.
“Do you?” he demanded as he raised his voice.
Rosa answered. “Death. The full penalty for the crime is death by hanging.”
The Black Cloak sneered, or smiled, they looked similar on his angry face. “Good. So, now we have made that clear. Is there anything either one of you would like to share with us?”
Rosa took a breath as she prepared to say something. I was
doomed. If the penalty was death, there was no way she would cover for me. Having someone do her homework for her was nothing compared to the punishment they were threatening.
I’m sure she could blackmail someone else to write her essays for her. There were plenty of others at this academy she could prey upon. I was certain I wasn’t the only one there with a secret.
My life was over.
Chapter 15
I spoke before Rosa could. “I don’t know of any non-supernaturals at this academy. What should I be looking out for?”
The Black Cloak looked at me with fire burning in his eyes. Was he always this angry? “I’m not here to educate you. If you don’t know, you should be talking to him.” He pointed at the Principal.
Principal Dunlop was more than happy to be back in the conversation. “I’m willing to discuss this privately with you later if you need more information. You will have to make an appointment with my receptionist.”
“Yes, sir, I will,” I replied. If I survived to see another day at the academy, I would need to make good on that appointment. I had to keep up appearances.
“What have you got to say?” The Black Cloak stared at Rosa.
Oh, Goddess, she was going to crack.
If I could have melted into the ground at that moment, I would have done it. I wanted to just disappear. Either that or push these men out of the way and make a break for the door. My survival instincts were very strong.
When I first met Rosa, I thought she was a formidable character. I didn’t think there was anyone who could bring her down a few notches.
I was wrong.
The Black Cloak could make Superman come to his knees. His eyes just stared as if they were threatening her without even needing to speak. His white skin betrayed the fact he was a vampire. He’d probably been dealing with girls like Rosa for the past three hundred years.
My heart stopped beating as Rosa opened her mouth. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind as I tried to think of all the ways I could deny what she was about to say.
“Sir, I have no idea of any non-supernaturals here. If I knew anything I would definitely have gone to one of my professors earlier. I am as committed as you are to making our community as safe as it could possibly be,” Rosa said.
She smiled as innocently and sweetly as she could. I had to hand it to the girl, she could lie like the best liars in town. Maybe all the liars should make her their queen because she even had me thinking twice about what she knew.
And that was something.
The Black Cloak glared at her as he tried to work out if she was being honest with him. It must have worked because he took a step back and addressed his next comment to the principal. “Let’s move on. We still have the rest of the floor to search.”
We only breathed again when they were both gone and the door was closed.
“Thank you,” I said. She may have been doing it for selfish reasons, but she was still taking a big risk by not handing me over to the authorities. The penalty was death, that was not an issue to take lightly.
She turned to me and waggled her finger at me. “You better get me all A’s this semester. I didn’t just do that for any old grade. Now put my things back and don’t say another word.”
I wasn’t entirely sure I could get myself an A grade in any of my subjects, let alone on second year classes. This year was just getting better and better.
After returning her clothes and books back to her side of the room where I found them, I stared out the window as the sun started to set on the horizon. I’d barely survived another day at the academy and it was only getting more difficult.
I wondered if my grandmother would help me hide? What would she say if I turned up on her doorstep and told her the whole story? She would either turn me in or insist I return to school and keep pretending. There weren’t really any other options.
Down on the ground below, a Black Cloak and a professor I’d seen in assemblies were escorting a student from the girls’ dormitories to the main building. She was cuffed with some kind of magic bracelet that throbbed with orange light.
Was she the only roach they’d caught that afternoon? Once more, I wondered what gave her away. What was I doing that was so different from them? Were they being particularly careless, or was it just bad luck?
Maybe they caved from the pressure.
I didn’t realize Rosa was behind me until she spoke. She too was looking out the window at the scene below. “I guess they caught one. Huh.”
“Do you know her?”
She shook her head. “She has to be a first year. No roach makes it through a whole year here.”
That didn’t sound very promising.
“There’s been a lot this year. What’s that, number five?”
“Four,” I corrected.
“Five, including you.”
Fair enough, I’d concede that. “How many did you have in your first year?”
“Just one.”
“That is a big jump.”
“It’s an infestation.”
Rosa moved to lie on her bed while I continued my vigil at the window. I hoped no other students would be caught and handed over to the Black Cloaks. There was only sheer good luck separating them from me. My turn would surely come yet.
The alarm finally ended after another two and a half hours. It was dark by then and my stomach was growling for food.
An announcement came over the loud speaker once the alarm had ceased. “All students may now leave their rooms. Normal operating procedures have commenced.”
“Hopefully that means food,” I said.
Rosa was already at the door. “And the bathroom. I need my history homework by Monday. I expect it to be slipped under my door by the time I wake up.”
“I’ve already started it.”
“Good. Remember what I said.”
With that threat, she was gone. There would probably be large queues for the restrooms and food. I peeked my head out into the corridor which was full of girls as they escaped their rooms.
As hungry as I was, there was one stop I wanted to make first. I hurried down to the first floor and found Cress’s room. The door was open. I almost ran into her roommate as she made her way out.
Cress was still there, packing away some books. She sighed with relief when she saw me. “You’re okay. Thank goodness.”
She gave me a hug, one I was more than ready to return. “Thank goodness, you’re okay. I was so worried they would hassle you about having my stuff in here. I’m so sorry for putting you at risk.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m a werewolf, we believe in the pack. We protect our own,” Cress said, like it was no big deal. Like she wasn’t risking her entire life by protecting my secret.
“You’re risking too much for me,” I replied. “I’ll understand if you’ve changed your mind.”
“The whole non-supernatural thing is ridiculous. I’m making a stand about the entire system. The law needs to change.”
“The law can’t protect you if you’re caught.”
She waved away my concern. “I’m not going to get caught. And neither are you. We’ll just have to come up with a plan to protect you.”
Cress was the best friend anyone could have. It didn’t feel like I’d only known her one week. She was already like a sister to me. Maybe we were related in a past life or something.
She threw her arm around my shoulder. “I’m starving, let’s eat. I can’t believe they made us stay in our rooms all this time with no food. It’s like they want us to suffer.”
I readily agreed while my stomach rumbled with anticipation. The dining hall would be crowded with hungry students but hopefully nobody would pay me any attention.
Halfway there, Liam came rushing toward me from the opposite direction. “Eden, thank goddess.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked, dreading what news he was going to update me with. Considering he was the principal’s son, he might have the inside word on things
.
He stopped in front of me, his eyes sliding up and then down. “I was worried about you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You took me to my room and we’ve been in lockdown. Where do you think I could have gone?”
He allowed a smirk to cross his face. “Yeah, I guess I should have known. Your roommate, though, she’s almost as dangerous as the Black Cloaks.”
I appreciated his attempt at humor but I couldn’t wonder if there was more to his concern. Did I want there to be? I wasn’t sure and the academy kept reminding me that I wasn’t supposed to be there. Which meant I wouldn’t be sticking around for ordinary things like boyfriends.
Cress grabbed my arm and started to tug me down the path. “That’s enough chit chat, we have some food to eat. Come on.”
Her grip was too tight to argue. She pulled me along while Liam watched us go. His face was unreadable. He somehow managed to convey no emotion whatsoever on his features.
As soon as we were out of earshot, Cress started talking. “Why are you still talking to that brooding idiot?”
“Liam? I don’t know. I guess we’re friends now or something,” I replied. I didn’t know what to call what we had, let alone try to explain it to someone else.
“You can’t be friends with him. He’s not the friend type. Especially in your,” she looked around and then whispered, “condition.”
I couldn’t stop the giggle as it bubbled up. “You make it sound like I’m pregnant.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do. Look, I promise I’m not getting involved in anything. If I have a rule, it’s don’t start what you know you can’t finish,” I said. I meant it too. I just wished sometimes my heart was more on board with the whole thing.
Cress stared at me with enough attitude that I knew she would keep me in line if I started getting too starry-eyed. Maybe that was exactly what I needed. The voice of reason because I didn’t seem to have it where Liam was concerned.
“You better keep that promise,” she said.
“I will. What did he do that made you so anti-Liam?” I asked. Perhaps if I heard enough bad things about him, I would be able to convince myself to avoid him. Logic and reason didn’t seem to change my mind.
Shadow Academy Page 11