12. Sammie

CHAPTER 12

SAMMIE

S tudents file into the lecture hall, and I hang back. I used my magic in front of Lewis last night. My gut churns thinking about the epic fail to protect myself. Readjusting the bag over my shoulder, I suck in a long breath and step inside. He is busy setting up his laptop, and he looks flustered.

It's not like him to be running late for one of our lectures. Usually, he stands and takes note of every single student as they walk in and find a seat. Not today. Today, his hair is ruffled, his clothes creased like he either slept in them or didn't go to bed at all.

Do vampires sleep? I have no idea.

His jeans and light grey sweater look like they need an appointment with laundry day. Something is up. I have never seen him like this before. He is usually painfully punctual, his dress neater than most guys in their twenties, and he would be rigid, waiting, as if his patience for the humans is waning thin.

The wind changes, sending leaves spiraling in through the door as it slams shut. I wince and pin my focus on the rising seats of the hall. From the corner of my eye, I see that at the front of the room still, Lewis has stopped. Hands still on the laptop. I ascend the steps and walk through a row of seats to the middle. My spot.

From some reason, being higher than Lewis makes me feel like I have at least some semblance of control over what happens between him and me. The fact I can't control my reaction or response to him undermines the fleeting sense of security every time we are close.

I pull my notebook and laptop out and set up before returning my gaze to the man behind the lectern. He brings up the PowerPoint, starting the lecture. After a slow forty minutes of Lewis fumbling through a process that he usually has down to the second, he waves us all off. I pack up my things and wait for the room to empty a little before leaving my seat. At the bottom of the stairs, I give him one last look. His gaze is focused on the students leaving the hall, so I head for the door.

"Samantha." His voice is raw.

A pang of guilt impales my gut. I feel responsible for his current state; at least a little, anyway. I turn back, letting straggling students pass me as they walk out the door.

Then he's in front of me. He swallows, and I force out a breath. I don't understand why, but the previous evening has both of us rattled. Me, fair enough. But I don't understand why he is so upset.

"About... last night," he says, meeting my gaze.

His brown eyes tighten, brows lowered. Oh god, I don't want to talk about the many ways I epically failed to do even the simplest of magic.

"I don't want to talk about it, Lewis."

"You're not safe in that house. You need to leave and find another place to live."

"What?! No way, Serena and I are perfectly fine where we are."

"No, you are not. It was too close. The guy was a demon, Samantha. They don't pop over for a friendly visit. They work for the Council."

"I—" Breath leaves my chest and doesn't return.

"Like I said, you need to find another place to live. Something more secure and unknown. They will keep sending more, until they achieve their goal."

"What? What goal? What are you talking about?"

"The Council uses demons as assassins. They will keep sending them until the job is done."

"What job, Lewis? What are they supposed to be doing?"

My gut sinks, acid crawling through my veins. Does he mean they are trying to assassinate me? For what?

His jaw clenches. His hands, which were hanging by his sides, lift to fold over his chest. "You really want to find out?"

"Why?" The word is little more than a breath.

"Why, what?"

"Why are they sending demons to my house?"

"Because of involvement with Anjelica I'm guessing." His gaze hits the floor.

"What involvement with Anjelica? I saw her once. What is going on, Lewis?"

"Anjelica has been at odds with the Council for centuries. They track almost everything she does and who she is involved with, which is you and me. Me because of the curse she put on me, you because she seems to think you are going to be useful to her and has been keeping tabs on you."

"Oh."

"So, you need to find somewhere else to live, at least for a few weeks."

"No. I'm not leaving Serena; she's a witch, too. Who's to say they won't hurt her by proxy?"

"They won't."

"Why not?"

"Anjelica is not interested in her, is she? You have to listen to me."

I shake my head and grip the strap of my bag. "I don't have to do a damn thing you say. Stay away from me and maybe the Council will, too."

I spin and stalk through the door. Arrogant ass. Telling me what to do and where to live. I march down the path littered with rust-colored leaves. A hand grabs my arm, and I stop, spinning back around.

"Samantha, stop. You don't have to like me. You don't even have to believe me. But please, do this one thing." His face is etched with worry. Those brown eyes burn into mine. I look down to the hand gripping my arm, and he releases his hold, dropping his hand to his side.

"Why? Why do you care if the Council has some ridiculous vendetta out against me? I haven't even heard of them until the other day, for god's sake!"

His eyes widen. "Your family didn't educate you on the laws we live by?"

"Obviously not." I roll my eyes at him.

"Samantha, please." His words are laced with annoyance.

I move into his space, inches from him. "And what if I do as you ask? What becomes of my studies? What about Serena?"

"You don't need to move too far, but somewhere you haven't lived for weeks, so there is no scent to follow."

"I'll think about it," I say, inching closer, if only to make him squirm.

He goes rigid and his face falls to indifference. He looks past me, fixing his focus beyond where we stand.

"Why do you care so much, Lewis? Do you do this for all your students?"

His brown eyes are laced with something like fire when they meet mine. "No."

"No, you don't care? Or no, you don't do this for all your students?"

"The latter, Samantha."

His smell, sandalwood and cologne, envelops me. Butterflies frenzy around my stomach, and my heart flings against my chest. I try to think of something sarcastic to respond with, but words clog my throat.

"I can hear your heart racing." His words are gravel.

"I—" Breath catches in my throat, most likely slamming in the unsaid words. I swallow and suck in a breath. "So can I."

I can hear my own heart racing? Urgh, Sammie. Heat flushes my face.

"You should get to your next class."

I nod, not trusting my words anymore.

"I'm going." I stay rooted to the spot.

"You will find another place to live?"

It's not that easy. I gave up my spot in the dorms; I highly doubt I could get it back. "Maybe."

"Not maybe!" He grinds out. "You have to do this; it's not optional!"

My brows lower, heat coiling in my center. "I don't have to do it because you say so, you arrogant ass, this isn't the 1950s!"

He moves into my space. The veins in his neck thunder and his chest heaves. "Do it, Samantha."

"Huh. And because you told me to, I'm not going to." I turn on my heel and stalk off. I half expect him to grab me again. The thrill of his hand on my arm gives me a heady rush. But nothing comes, and I glance back.

He doesn't call out.

Doesn't move from his spot.

S erena shifts on the bed, tucking her feet underneath her. "Where the hell would you even move to? And are you sure he is right? I mean, I have lived by the laws my whole life and never heard of a demon coming after a witch." "Well, there was one in my bedroom, and it attacked me. So, I am inclined to believe Lewis." Despite the fight I put up about being told what to do, I know he is right. I couldn't even hold my own against one demon. If he is right, more will come. I am not sticking around to find out.

I can't rely on my magic to save me. It's not like I have a live-in vampire to be my bodyguard. The thought takes off on its own, creating more scenarios than I would care to admit. I shove the last of my clothes into my bag and grab the pile of books from the desk.

"Please, don't do this. Don't leave. If another demon comes, we can handle it together," she begs.

"I am not putting you in danger because I have some demented shadow witch stalking me."

The second the words leave my mouth, I regret them. I haven't told Serena about Anjelica and hate that she might assume because I called one shadow witch demented, I think she's that way, too. I so don't think that about her. She is my best friend. I grab the pendant on my necklace, rubbing it as I bite down on my lip. She stands and grabs my hand around the pendant, stilling it.

"You have a shadow witch stalking you? Why didn't you tell me?" Her face is a mix of hurt and annoyance.

"I didn't have time to think about it. And it wasn't a big deal until last night, apparently."

"Sammie, girl, who is hunting you?"

"Anjelica someone . . ."

Serena goes rigid.

"What? Is that bad? Is she dangerous?" I grab her shoulders and tilt my head.

"Yes." She removes herself from my grip and sinks onto the bed. I sit next to her, not taking my eyes off her. "Did she do something to you, too?"

Judging by the look on her face, it's not good. Serena breathes through a few shaky breaths before turning to face me. "I know her."

"You have had contact with her before?"

She huffs a strangled laugh. "You could say that."

"What do we do?"

"If Anjelica is after you, there isn't much you can do, Sammie. She is the most powerful shadow witch on the planet."

"Surely, someone else must be a match for her powers?"

"Maybe. Only an elemental can defeat a shadow witch. An epic elemental witch." Her eyes bore into mine. A warning, a plea.

"She is after Lewis, too." The words are all but a whisper.

"I know."

I search her face. She knows about Lewis's curse?

"You know about Lewis?"

"I know about the curse." She hesitates, dropping her hands in her lap and setting her focus on the door to my room. "Word gets around about that kind of thing."

"Oh."

She is quiet for a time. I mull over the new information. Serena knows Anjelica and about Lewis. About the laws. She is a shadow witch. I am an elemental witch. Only an elemental witch can cure Lewis and take out Anjelica, who's a menace to all species. What if I could train and fix both problems with one solution?

If Anjelica is gone, Lewis is safe. All other witches and vampires she has preyed on would be safe. The Council would have no reason to send around demons to take out anyone associating with her.

"Promise me you will keep your head down and stay out of her way," Serena says.

Why is everyone telling me to run and hide? Their absolute lack of faith in me is starting to grate. I pluck my bag from the bed and lift the books from the desk. I will find another place to live. I will keep to myself. But I will not sit by and let some self-absorbed, too-big-for-her-boots bully of a shadow witch hurt my friends or my family. If she thinks she can manipulate me, she has another thing coming.

I stalk out of the bedroom, march through the front door, and toss my bag and books into the car. I twist the ignition like it's Anjelica's scrawny, ancient neck and sink my foot onto the accelerator. The car peels from the curb and flies down the street.

Game on, bitch.