I do, bitches.
Not interested in hearing any more, I slipped into my robe, twisted the towel around my hair, and tucked it up high on my head, then padded out. When they saw me, they both rounded their eyes and fell mute.
I smiled sweetly as I addressed them. “Be careful what you say in public, girls. We witches take shit to the next level when you talk about us behind our backs. Abraca-fucking-dabra.” I waved my hand and sent water spraying out of the showerheads above them, drenching them in their robes. My smile grew as they both squealed so loud, so high-pitched, I was pretty sure dogs on the other side of the island heard them.
Jebus jumpin’ Jehosophat. I think they busted an eardrum. I plugged one ear and shook my finger in it to get it to stop ringing as I walked down the hall and back to my room. When I got there, I was surprised to see I had company.
Stace rose from my desk chair as soon as I entered the room. Her dark eyes danced with uncertainty, as did her troubled expression. Her brunette hair, always back in a bun while at school, seemed exceptionally tightly knotted today. She’d donned her Cat Woman suit, reminding me we had another awesome day of tribunals to get through. On a Sunday. Yay.
“To what do I owe the honor?” I set my shower caddy on my desk.
“Where’ve you been?”
I waved at my robe before pointing to the towel on my head. “At the prom, of course. What do you think of my gown?”
“Katy, I’m serious.”
She was always serious. With a groan, I conceded, “I was in the shower. Geez, isn’t it obvi?”
“No, I mean where’ve you been since we talked last night?”
Oh, that. Whoopsie. “I sort of forgot to tell you I was going to the cabin to hang with the guys.” I braced myself for her to lecture me on leaving the academy grounds without her permission.
“And they’ll tell me the same?”
“Yes.” It came out as a question.
Something wasn’t right. She wrung her hands in front of her while pacing the length of the room. “There’s been an incident. Two water elementals were attacked early this morning.” She stopped and rested a worried gaze on me. “They claim it was you who attacked them.”
“Me?” My mouth fell open. Why did so many students at this academy hate me? I’d done everything in my power to protect our world, and yet they still found reasons to turn me into the bad guy. “I didn’t attack anyone.”
“That’s her!”
Ah, crap.
I winced and turned, smiling sweetly as the two bitches from the bathroom stood dripping in the doorframe. The tall boney one extended her index finger, pointing right at me. “She’s the one who attacked us in the shower.”
I stand corrected. That attack was totally me.
“Katy?” Stace prodded.
This was not going to end well for me. I just knew it. “Okay, yeah. I did douse them, but you should have heard what they were saying.”
“You don’t attack other students.”
“I know, but—”
“This is serious.”
“They’re fine.”
“The two water elementals aren’t.”
“I didn’t attack them,” I shouted, irritated I had to defend myself for, well, defending myself.
“But you did attack these two?”
“We’ve already established that.”
“I’m sorry,” she said with a shake of her head. “It’s hard to keep track of everyone you’ve attacked. I’ll need to verify you were with the guys all night.”
The two girls in the doorframe gasped. It was no secret I had four boyfriends. They’d even pointed out as much. Still, we didn’t advertise it. It was unconventional, sure, and some people were pretty damn judgy over things outside their perceived norm. Like remaining undeclared instead of choosing a primary. Like being decreed the prophecy before I knew how to control my elements. Like being with all the guys instead of forced to choose one over any of the others.
Considering how much the two gossiped in the shower about shit that was none of their business, the news of me spending the night with the guys would be all over the academy by lunch.
Thanks, Stace.
I pulled out my phone and held it up. “Would you like me to call them and put them on speaker?”
“That won’t be necessary.” She moved to the door and grabbed the knob as she regarded the two bitches that got my ass in trouble. “Please go back to your room. Thank you.” She closed the door in their shocked faces and turned to me. “We need to talk.”
“What’s really going on? Do you honestly believe I attacked a couple of water elementals with fire?”
“It wasn’t fire. It was earth. They were buried alive and had to dig their way out.”
Holy crapola. That didn’t sound pleasant at all. “I would never do that. Sure, I turned the showers on the two talking about me, but all they did was get wet. I didn’t hurt them. You know me better than that.”
“I didn’t want to believe you’d attack students. Period. But then those two?” She pointed at the closed door.
“Oh, come on. You should have heard what they were saying. They called my mom a witch.”
“Because she is!” She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out as she rubbed her temples. “So are you. So am I. It’s not a bad thing.”
“The way they were saying, it is.”
“Did the water elementals say something against your mom too? Is that why you attacked them?”
“I didn’t do it!”
“I want to believe you. I really do, and I was fully prepared to come here, get your side, and go up against the Council for you. But then I find your bags packed and you nowhere to be found.”
“Should have checked the showers,” I grumbled and removed the towel from my hair, dropping it on the floor.
Stace called air and draped it
