Chapter 15

15

The school waited with bated breath to see if the detectives found any leads, clues, or possible persons of interest for Professor Reeds’ murder.

They did not.

When nothing happened, we all hesitantly moved forward with classes, though the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. Wilson didn’t have anything to say about it, either, and carried out his interview with me with a grim sort of dissatisfaction.

“I’ll let you know if we find anything,” he told me on my way out. Then crooked a finger for Mike to enter the office and give his statement.

Done. Over like I hadn’t stumbled over a half-eaten body for the second time. I walked out of the office in a daze.

What were the chances? These kinds of things I couldn’t make up, honestly. I lacked the imagination.

The exchange students…we barely saw them anymore. They must have damn near gone into isolation. They no longer sat in on academy classes and didn’t even eat with us in the cafeteria.

Whatever the old chaperone had snarled at Zinnia and Saffron must have been a warning given to all the kids, a warning to stay away from the rest of us. It even had me wondering if I’d been mistaken in thinking I’d been singled out. And no way to test that theory since they avoided all of us.

It didn’t make my job any easier, because although the tracking spell for the Augundae Imperium had failed, I still had no leads on the artifact beyond a hunch on the location. Right inside the Fort Knox of dorms.

I couldn’t very well go up to the door and ask to be let inside. I’d need a damn password and a drop of blood as well as an oath to do no harm. And so I told Melia the evening after I finally finished with Detective Wilson, scurrying to her room and spilling everything about what happened. She’d stared at me with sleepy eyes through my first sentence, snapping awake when I mentioned running into Mike, and practically lunging at me when I hit the part about Professor Reeds.

She didn’t understand it any more than I did. My suspicions did nothing but scare her, too. We decided to bide our time, at least for the moment, until we could devise a better plan. In the meantime, I could only hope Barbara didn’t get antsy and pressure me. My normal studies were stressful enough.

And now spring break was just around the corner. In my old high school, I was used to spring break being a time of madness. Kids went crazy for a chance to ditch school even for a week. Here at the academy, that wasn’t the case, and a somber hush fell over all of us once March rolled around.

The day before the official start of break, I sat in my bunk, pressed against the far wall where I thought Persephone couldn’t see me, chewing on a pen and thinking. Not sure why it helped me with the thinking but pen chewing wasn’t such a bad habit to have, considering the many alternatives.

I’d made a list of all the things burdening me. Starting with my number one.

I stared down at Mike’s name, although I’d been careful not to state why he bothered me in case someone happened to stumble on my list. Things with Mike had been tense since the police interviews. Weird and…off, as though we couldn’t find a common ground.

After Detective Wilson pulled us both aside for questioning—spending extra time with me, of course, and sending me on my way with a warning to stay the fuck out of trouble (his words, not mine)—it was like Mike and I weren’t sure what to say to each other. Our late-afternoon study sessions dropped down to twice a week, if that, and our conversations were short. Simple because neither one of us felt like doing anything more than skimming the surface ever since—

Ever since I caught him in the exchange student hall just before we found the half-eaten Professor Reeds.

Did I think he had anything to do with the murder? Absolutely not.

But I also knew without a shadow of a doubt he was hiding something from me. A big something, if his demeanor was to be questioned. Mike was an easy-going guy who usually gave straightforward answers. He was the what you see is what you get type.

Lately he was acting squirrely. Squirrelier than usual, anyway.

I didn’t want to sound like a big old hypocrite, because I had plenty of secrets of my own, but mine didn’t stop me from giving my friendships everything I had. Mike’s apparent secrets, however, seemed to do the opposite. Any time the balance of normal tilted one way or another, he got weird, and it showed.

Hiding something from me, surely, I thought as I continued to chew on the pen. I stared down at the paper until the lines I’d written blurred together. I didn’t think it had anything to do with the Augundae Imperium, either. Still, I couldn’t rule him out entirely. Because I trusted Melia’s skill and the tracking spell had brought me to him when I was looking for the artifact. I couldn’t discount that little nugget of information.

Which brought me to number two on my list.

Between classes and studying and my late-night tutoring sessions with Mike—ones sadly missing in any kind of making out—I hadn’t had the opportunity to look for the Augundae Imperium again. Secretly I hoped I could tell Barbara I tried (once) and it would get me off the hook with her. I knew she’d rather skin me alive than accept an excuse.

Classes earlier in the day had been absolutely brutal as well: number four on the list, because number three began with MUR and ended with DER and I had a hard time writing it out. I didn’t want to look at the word.

With a sigh I slammed the notebook shut, rubbing my eyes. I needed to take a night off and give my brain a break. I’d read so many books and written so many spells, I could use some mindless television and a few hours where I didn’t have to worry about, well, everything.

Although worrying about everything seemed to be my specialty.

I sent a text to my bestie stating my desire, her response arriving in an instant. She could use a night off as well.

Thank goodness we at least were on the same page.

The first-years used a shared common room in the castle outside of the dorms, which were separated by gender. All the first-year girls shared the same living space. Same with the first-year boys.

Mike had been lumped in with the half-human boys despite his full-blooded status but I didn’t think it bothered him. He was pretty good at making friends, as befitted his station.

Nope, not thinking about Mike tonight. I gave myself the night off from him as well. No classes, no boy trouble, and certainly no killers on campus.

I grabbed Melia and together she and I headed for the first-year common room because we had the best television. Go figure. It was probably another kind of test, to see who could focus on their studies rather than spending their time sitting in front of a huge television screen every day. We even got free movie channels.

So far I’d managed to stay away from those kinds of activities, driven by my fear of getting kicked out. Tonight, I simply didn’t care anymore. Everyone deserved a break. Tonight, Tavi Alderidge took one without guilt.

Okay, with only a smidge of guilt. Nothing to worry about.

Most everyone had gone on vacation with their families for spring break, leaving right after the last class ended. Not to mention we’d just gotten through with the latest lottery. Fewer students went home this time, since the major cullings had occurred earlier in the school term; still; those with the lowest points were given the boot while the rest of us held our breath and prayed to the heavens we’d been good.

With the halls nearly empty and echoing, the food pickings slimming down, and the noise level dropping, this was my time to relax.

“This is going to be fun,” I told Melia. Then glanced down at my feet and the adorable pink color of my toe socks. Walking the halls in my pajamas…what a luxury!

“Well, duh. What are we watching? Tell me you have something funny lined up.” She lifted the bowl of freshly popped popcorn closer to her chest before throwing a handful into her mouth.

“Funny ha-ha or funny unbelievable? Because there are options for both. Whatever we choose, I need mind numbing.”

“Agreed. Let’s go with funny ha-ha. I can’t think of anything more mind-numbing than Dumb and Dumber.”

“Except maybe Dumb and Dumber To”. We turned the corner toward the common area and I reached over for my own handful of popcorn. “I don’t care,” I answered honestly. “Whatever you want will be fine.”

“Did you invite Nora?” Melia asked. The three of us had gotten cozy.

“I did. She said she couldn’t make it. But it’s okay. I’m fine with it being the two of us.”

Melia smiled. “We can get some quality gossip time in.”

Her tone had me chuckling. “Just who do you think we are going to gossip about?” I asked.

“Mmm, there are a few people on the list. Nothing serious, of course. Fun and games.”

“Oh, of course.”

The common room was just ahead; we hurried our steps, eager to sit down and relax together.

Things went from great to terrible in a matter of seconds when I saw a familiar blond head already in the room, standing next to the couch facing us. Persephone. By herself, or so I thought. Her gaggle of groupies had probably been given the night off to recharge their batteries.

She wore a pair of black leggings, a green turtleneck, and a leather jacket. Angelic face and devil eyes, although I couldn’t see her eyes at the moment. Only her profile.

But I was mistaken in thinking she was alone. And it didn’t take me long to recognize the familiar blond boy standing next to her with his back toward me.

What was Mike doing here?

Persephone’s red manicured nails wrapped over Mike’s shoulder, her face tilted to the side as she stared up at him.

My body went cold all over and my stomach flipped like it was trying to free itself through my throat. At once the popcorn kernels lodged themselves into my esophagus. I had to fight not to choke.

I couldn’t tell if they were kissing or not…but it sure as hell looked like it.

Some sound most have escaped from me because Mike whipped around and his expression of surprised guilt bruised me.

No, I thought, shaking my head. No, no, this couldn’t be happening. Not with Mike. Not my Mike with Persephone, that nasty jerk.

“How could you!” I had no idea how to handle this.

“It’s not what it looks like!” he said immediately.

Melia let out a low whistle. She knew. She knew exactly what it looked like, too, so at least I wasn’t alone in my assumption.

“Are you seriously sneaking around and kissing her?” I gestured toward Persephone.

A meaningful smirk plastered across her face. An expression of someone who knew she had won.

I wasn’t sure which spectrum of emotions to lean toward, anger or hurt. The anger stemmed from the hurt, yet in the moment my reaction could go either way and I floundered for the right thing to say. To do. My fists clenched at my sides.

“Mike, this is just shameful behavior,” Melia chimed in. “Absolutely disgusting. I thought better of you.”

A warning glance from me had her zipping her lips and turning as though she didn’t want to see what came next.

Neither did I.

Mike broke from Persephone but he didn’t approach me. He stood rooted to the spot, looking at me. Looking at the popcorn. Looking at Melia. Because we’d clearly interrupted something important.

He and Persephone were here together. My worst nightmare come to life. Surely the apocalypse had arrived.

“I wasn’t kissing her,” he insisted with a shake of his head. “You’re seeing what you want to see.”

My eyes bugged out. Seeing what I wanted to see? He had to be joking. I’d never want to see this if I lived to be a thousand years old and had seen it all. “I’m looking at what’s right in front of my face. There’s no way you can spin this situation around to make it better,” I snarled. Because a snarl was better than hysterical laughter.

Melia would have joined in my outrage, surely, and stepped forward to place her hand on my arm like she thought I would attack. I wasn’t sure if she meant to stop me or offer backup.

“I shouldn’t have to defend myself in the first place. We’re just friends, Tavi.” Mike pointed over his shoulder toward Persephone. “You and me?” He pointed that finger at me and back to himself. “We’re friends too, and that means I can hang out with whoever I want to hang out with and without telling you. Or asking permission.”

“Right, you and I are friends. And friends don’t lie to each other. They certainly don’t sneak off to make out with someone like her.”

His words stung, and I took a step back. This was probably playing too many of my cards at once. I didn’t care.

Persephone tried to cover a snort and failed, probably on purpose. One more sound out of her and I’d slash her face with my claws.

“Okay, first of all, I wasn’t sneaking off,” Mike said, holding up that finger again to count the ways in which he had the high ground. A shadow darkened his eyes—regret or anger, I didn’t know.

“And second of all,” Mike continued, “you can’t ‘sneak off’ in a common area. Look where we are. In a very public space. I’m here in a public space with a friend. That’s it. Come on, Tavi. Be reasonable. There’s no need for you to act all pissy over nothing.”

I took a deep breath and held myself erect to shove the queasiness aside. This was a public space and he made a good point. But that didn’t matter right now. I was hurt so deeply even my wolf couldn’t rise to the occasion. I was wounded. This felt like the worst betrayal I’d ever experienced.

Twice he’d called Persephone a friend, and I really hated how he’d lumped her and me into the same category.

“A friend? You think she’s a friend? Oh, no. No way. You’re here with a girl who has made it her personal mission to torture me and you’re going to stand in front of me and lie?” I said, fighting to keep the sharpness out of my voice. “I have eyes, Mike. I can clearly see what’s going on, and your trying to make excuses is only verifying what I’ve already seen.”

Persephone was inspecting her nails. Bored with our argument. I tuned her out.

Mike scoffed. “So what? Does it change our friendship, no matter what you think you saw tonight? Tavi, Tavi.” Mike’s tone went soft and mellow as he huffed a laugh. And it terrified me. It was a carefully disciplined shield telling me exactly where we stood.

It wasn’t good.

“Does it change how you feel about me?” he asked plainly.

I hesitated. “I…I don’t know. Maybe it does. Maybe it means you aren’t the person I thought you were. Maybe—” I broke off suddenly, scrambling to hide my emotions before they leaked out of me, either as tears or a scream. Knowing there was nothing else to say.

Melia’s fingers tightened on my shoulder. A gesture of comfort or a warning not to go too far?

“I’m the same me I always am. For you to come in here and start accusing me— God, I can’t believe this is happening right now.” Mike raised his arms, running his fingers through his hair. “This is completely ridiculous.”

I pointed over my shoulder toward the exit. “You know what? We’re just going to go. You guys can have the room to yourselves. Clearly Melia and I are interrupting something important. Forget we were here. No big deal.”

My lip trembled and I bit down to keep it from showing. Then whirling around, I grabbed hold of Melia, wanting to run out of the room but forcing myself to a sedate walk.

“Aren’t we going to talk about this?” Mike called after me.

I didn’t deign to answer him, tears stinging my eyes and my throat feeling like I’d clogged it with wet cotton. Wet cotton with razor blades embedded in it.

“Messed up,” Melia said under her breath. “With Persephone, of all people.”

With Persephone, of all people. My thoughts exactly.

“I know what I saw,” I replied slowly, forcing every word. Even though I couldn’t swear they were kissing, it looked like they were. That I would swear to. “I know what I saw,” I repeated.

It wasn’t quite the dramatic exit of the century but it would have to do. I was done with Crown Prince Michael Thornwood and his mixed signals. It was time for me to take them as they really were—a big old fat no.

After tonight, I wanted nothing to do with him again.