55. WEN

To round up the boatload of crap this day has been, Astaroth’s pontifications about no powers activating spontaneously were demonshit. Mine have “nullified” the nodes’ transportation magic on auto.

Without their shortcuts, I ran to the last three classes. I arrived a mess of pouring sweat and burning muscles, only to get berated for being thirty minutes late. Each time I sat there feeling I was catching a movie in the middle, with no one willing to explain what I missed.

Yeah. In spite, or maybe because of Astaroth’s efforts on my behalf, I’m now the official Academy Leper. Whenever I entered a class, everyone clustered far away from me. If there’s any chance I might have accidentally sucked out someone’s Energy, like I did with Godric, I was thankful they stayed away.

I’m another thirty minutes late returning to Fem, and I see lithe figures standing at her entrance.

Even in the deepening twilight I count fourteen, the three Unitas of my party. I’ve been wishing they left with the rest of the First-Years, and forced Sarah to go to Noctis without me. I don’t want to explain why I’m late, and reinforce their fear that my powers can activate without my volition.

As the urge to turn and run back overwhelms me, a fiery glow erupts from the group along with a booming voice. Jinny’s.

“About time, Slug Genes!”

Damn her and her Infernal night vision. Not even Aela had seen me. Now I have to keep going.

Grinding my teeth on skin-peeling curses, I’m soon close enough to see details, and I do multiple takes. Everyone looks almost unrecognizable in club-worthy outfits.

My gaze zeroes in on Sarah, and my eyelids flutter like a hummingbird’s wings.

I mean—wow. She would look good in a burlap sack, but in high-heeled strappy sandals and halter-top black dress with mini chiffon skirt showing off her newly-toned figure, she’s beyond stunning.

Her hair is down for the first time since she arrived at the Academy, and I realize it hasn’t grown that much, falling in sheets of gold silk halfway down her neck. Rounding up the effect are chandelier earrings with their matching bracelet and anklet.

But it’s her face that unsettles me, seeming to emit something—unfamiliar. And she looks—older.

Blood thunders in my ears, with dread and fury this time. If Jophiel did something to her without us noticing, I’m going to suck the Life Essence out of her. After I pluck her wings, one feather at a time.

My spiking temperature plummets when I realize why Sarah looks different. She’s wearing makeup! Along with the rest of the packaging, it’s what makes her look like a woman, when she retains a girlish look with a scrubbed face, pulled back hair, and utilitarian clothes. I don’t even wonder where she got the outfit and accessories, and who applied the artful enhancements. Jinny, of course.

It’s her we’ll have to blame when suitors swarm Sarah tonight. She’s already the most popular cadet in our year, but I can see interest in her turning covetous, and competitive. Unless being my best friend discourages any approaches at all.

The idea makes me feel better, for half a second, before it intensifies my dejection. Being here has been the best thing that has happened to Sarah, and she loves it with an ever-increasing passion. I’d never want to spoil her experience, let alone get her ostracized on my account.

She and Matt rush toward me as I slow down, concern coating their faces. Sarah’s eyes are wide with urgency, as if warning me not to say anything. No danger of that. I have no breath left anyway.

As I stagger to a panting stop, the rest of my Unitas separate from the others, coming to surround me. Bending down, hands on knees, the stitch in my side feels like an embedded dagger.

Cara, eyes jade-hard, adds another jab with a steely finger into my shoulder. “Where were you?”

I practically see the subtitles scrolling over her forehead: “Were you with Godric? Are you back on? Are you fucking him now?”

If I wasn’t afraid I’d puke, I would have scoffed, I wish, you green-eyed harpy. And not for lack of trying.

A huff of pity escapes me, for both of us. Her, for her consuming jealousy, and me, for how misplaced it continues to be. But I’m not reassuring her that the massive object of both our feverish desires remains as elusive as ever.

Cara pokes me again. “Did you nullify your ability to read the time? Or are you late on purpose, to make another entrance?”

Aela scowls at her. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s obvious that attention is the last thing she wants.” She turns an immaculate head made even more so by a polished chignon. “Even if it were, she certainly wouldn’t seek it in this condition.”

Yeah. Thanks for confirming I look as gross as I feel. In comparison to their array of feminine perfection and ultimate grooming, I feel worse than I did emerging from a dumpster.

“Sar wouldn’t let us leave without you.” Jinny’s eyes flare with Infernal fire, as always blaming me for anything Sarah does. “You’ve cost us half an hour–an hour by the time you get ready–of a night we might not repeat in a long time, if ever!”

“Stop it all of you.” Sarah shoves herself in front of me, turning to glare up at the others. “Don’t you see how exhausted she is? You’re interrogating her instead of asking why she’s in this state? Why do you always blame her, when all she’s ever done was help you, save you?”

Matt nods vehemently. “Some Unitas you are!”

To my amazement Jinny and Cara look chastised.

Even more amazing is Aela rushing to defend herself. “I didn’t interrogate or blame her!”

Sarah raises her chin, eyes sharp with disapproval. “You didn’t exactly shower her with concern, Aela.”

Gulping a deep breath to alleviate the stab in my side, I force myself to straighten and sidestep Sarah. “Guys, I’m sorry I’m late, but Cara wasn’t far from the truth. I seem to have nullified the nodes. Just don’t tell anyone else, okay?”

Aela’s gaze sharpens on me. “Interesting. And inconvenient. We must find a way around this, later. Meanwhile, you must realize anything you tell us stays between us.” Her gaze moves to Matt, whom she treats as some peculiar creature. “And her, evidently.”

Matt twists her lips at the nephilim. “Her name is Matt.”

Aela doesn’t acknowledge her, and I sigh. “I just don’t want this Null business to get more out of hand, especially tonight. Thanks for waiting for me, but you shouldn’t have. Please, go.”

Sarah grabs my wrist before I can make a move. “We’re going nowhere without you.”

“I’ll only nullify the nodes for you, too. It won’t gain me any points making everyone walk there. Not to mention the secret will be out.”

Aela exhales. “I would have flown you, if we were not forbidden from flying around the campus.”

My chest tightens again, that she’d even consider doing this for me. There’s major progress here. “Uh, thanks, Aela, really! But there’s no way around this, and I made you late enough as it is.”

A hair-raising polyphonic sound erupts from Jinny. “Yeah, you did.” At Sarah’s reproachful glance, she rushes to add, “But what’s another thirty minutes? Go get ready already!”

Removing Sarah’s hand from my wrist gently, I shake my aching head. “I’m not going.”

“But this is your party!” Matt exclaims, looking scandalized.

I shrug. “Yeah, and I’ll miss it if I want to. I will anyway by the time I shower and change then trek to the Gabriel Aquatica sector, so why try? Go have fun, and toast my Nullhood. I’ll gorge myself on a huge dinner and have an early night.”

“You don’t need to change!” Sarah exclaims. “Just take off your jacket, so you won’t be in uniform. The undershirt is nice enough.”

“Sar, I stink!”

Aela nods, crinkling her perfect nose. “Yes, you do.”

I smirk at her. “I can always depend on you for the unbathed truth, Aela.”

Matt grins at me, onyx irises enlarging. “Wait right here!”

I blink at her as she zooms away to the other two Unitas. She throws her arms around, flooding the disgruntled girls with her irrepressible energy. Then she pounces on the petite blonde with the buttload of tattoos and the most amazing Medusa-like dreadlocks undulating around her, and drags her aside.

After what looks like intense negotiations, the doll-like girl opens her purse and hands her something. Matt snatches it with a whoop and runs back, waving it triumphantly.

“I scored you a little something from Felicia.” I draw a blank before I remember that’s her Unitas member’s name. Matt told me she’s a Level-Two Mage with OCD, who keeps them all fanatically tidy. “Her cleaning spells are what passes for drugs around here, and she has some on her to sell at Noctis. The one I got you will set me back a family heirloom, but it will leave you the freshest of us all.” She smirks up at an alarmed Aela. “Yeah, Aela, not all of us are by-the-book pains, and we use whatever powers we have access to all the time.”

Before Aela can respond, Sarah pulls away the turquoise chiffon shawl hanging off her elbows. “After you get freshened up, wrap this around your shoulders for more of an outfit change.”

Matt tsks. “Make it around your hips. And lose the pants.”

“I’m not taking off my pants, Matt!”

She snickers. “Why not? You won’t be the only one with her ass in imminent danger of exposure.”

Sarah grins. “See? We got you showered and changed in two minutes flat. Now, let’s go.”

Knowing they’ll solve every objection I come up with, I sigh as I take the cleaning spell and wrap. “It will still be too long a walk with me along.” I turn both by the shoulders, and give them a little shove. “Go on ahead. I’ll catch up.”

As the other three consider the situation resolved and turn to walk away, Matt hesitates. But it’s Sarah who digs in her high heels. “I’ll walk with you.”

Just tell her you will only come if she goes first, Null Brain.

I almost jump out of my skin.

Dammit, Jinny. Don’t ever barge into my mind like that!

I had to do something to jog it out of moron-mode.

To my chagrin, she’s right. I have to give Sarah an incontrovertible reason to leave me behind, or we’ll be at this all night.

Damn right. I’m not losing my first and maybe only chance at Angelblood-grade alcohol and feathered ass in this puritanical Hellscape because of you. Now, tell her.

“Wen! What’s wrong?”

I snap out of our internal debate to find Sarah and Matt clutching my forearms.

“Nothing’s wrong,” I mumble, disoriented by the transition between mental and actual conversation.

Sarah shakes her head. “You jerked, then zoned out.”

“It was cool and all when you disappeared,” Matt says. “Just don’t do it again!”

I glare at Jinny’s receding back.

See what you did? Stay out of my mind from now on—unless it’s an emergency.

Her snicker fills my mind.My need for alcohol and ass is an emergency. Now let Sarah go, before I kick your ass.

I’d like to see you try, you Infernal Imp.

It’s a date, next Weaponry and Combat class, Null and Dull.

Fuming, I focus back on the anxious Sarah. “I’m not disappearing—but I won’t go unless you go first. And that’s my last word.”

Sarah frowns. “If I go first, you won’t come!”

“Read me, Sar.”

Her eyes narrow over my face, before she exhales. “Okay, you mean it. But I”ll go only if you promise you won’t go up to shower and change, or the night will be over before you catch up!”

“I promise. Now go, before you make the others kill me, okay?”

With a few final mumbles and grumbles, she and Matt walk away to join the others.

I watch them disappear through the closest node before I take off my jacket and throw it to the ground. I have a few more, and the Academy replaces anything we lose without question anyway. After I hang the turquoise shawl around my neck, I examine the cleaning spell, and groan.

It’s an origami-like creation that can fizzle out if not unfolded right. If it does, I’ll stink up Noctis for sure.

Sighing, I study the design until I think I understand how it was composed. But since I can’t be certain until I unfurl it, I do so—and gasp.

A wave of lavender and lemongrass envelops me, sinks into my every pore, expelling any taint or impurity. Within moments, its fragrant freshness has swept through my being, making me feel brand new.

Only Shower has ever made me feel this cleansed and invigorated. I can see why this spell is selling at such a premium, and wonder what I can give Felicia in return for more.

My hand goes to my chest, where my Angelescence bottle is hidden within my magic bra. I bet I can barter a year’s supply of cleaning spells for a hit.

The one time I traded a dose for the spell that helped me get to and scale halfway up Raguel Tower, I went to great lengths to maintain my anonymity. I can do it again. But feeling this clean isn’t worth the effort and risk. Only finding Godric was.

Exhaling, I take my magitech tablet out of my backpack, and fire up the map, and groan again. I shouldn’t have used that spell now. I’ll be a stinking mess again after a three-hour trek!

By the time I arrive, Noctis will probably be closing. That would be the crap swirl on top of today’s shit sundae. But I’ll do it, while starving and dehydrated, because I promised Sarah.

Bracing myself, I start towards Oriphiel Woods, what the map insists is the best path. I have no fond memories of that fucking maze. Ever since that—thing hounded me there. I still have no idea what it was, or if the map was in on it, like Fem was when she led me to Lucifer’s shrine.

I’m about to delve below the dense canopy of trees when a presence expands in my awareness.

His.