When the hour wraps up, I quickly grab my backpack and head for the door. The moment I step into the hall, the realization slams into me that I have no idea what my next class is, let alone where to go.
“Need some help finding your next class, don’t you?” Cat declares, stepping up beside me with a knowing smile.
“That obvious, huh?” I mutter, moving to the wall and digging for my schedule.
“Only a little.”
Shaking my head at myself, I pull out the piece of paper, staring at it like it's in a different language.
“Mind if I take a look?” Cat asks, holding out her hand.
“Be my guest. Hopefully it makes more sense to you,” I say, thrusting the paper into her open palm.
Her forehead crinkles and she bites her lip as she studies the parchment.
“Mkay, looks like you have Mr. Reed next for Powers & Technology. I'm in that class too. I can show you where it is,” she says.
“Thanks, that would be really helpful. I missed the Divining Rod portion of the Witching Stick this weekend and I’m pretty new to the idea of being supernatural. By the time I got here, they were ushering everyone out. So, I feel like I’m at a total disadvantage.”
“Don’t worry about it. You’ll get the hang of it in no time. Besides, the Divining Rod isn’t always accurate. It’s just a prediction tool. Most of the time, we have multiple powers to develop and which ones we actually take on are up to us,” she says, handing my schedule back. “Like with me, for instance, I can conjure fire.” Opening her hand, palm-side up, a tiny golden flame ignites in the center of her hand. Then, as she closes it, the flames vanish. “But every time I get too close to electronics, stuff goes on the fritz. So, this next class ought to be interesting.”
My eyes widen. “That’s incredible. I mean, at least you know what your powers are. Sort of.”
“You’ll figure yours out, too. It’s what this place is all about,” Cat says, patting my shoulder.
I glance back down at my schedule, trying to decipher how she figured out my next destination.
“They vomit your entire year's schedule onto one piece of paper. See, this is semester one, hour one,” Cat says, pointing at the section with my current classes. “You just need to follow the hour, and cross-reference it with the semester and day, and you're set.”
“Thanks, I don't know why they can't just simplify it,” I say, shaking my head and folding the paper into a tiny square so I can cram it into my pocket for easy access.
Cat shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe it's just a sadistic rite of passage?”
I chuckle. “Yeah, sounds about right.”
A guy with the same dark skin, but a much softer demeanor walks up, placing a hand on Cat’s elbow.
“I’m gonna have a word with Ms. Cain about something. Meet ya in Powers and Tech,” he says to her. His eyes lock with mine for a brief second before he drops his gaze to the floor.
“Okay, Colt. Be right there,” she says, nodding.
“Yeah, all right,” he practically whispers. For a split second, he hangs back as if there's more he wants to say, but he drops his head, pulls up the hood on his hoodie, and walks off.
I quirk an eyebrow. “He your boyfriend?” I ask, watching him turn the corner.
Cat snickers, covering her face. “Uhm, no. Ewww,” she laughs. “I guess I should have introduced him. That's my twin brother, Colton. But pretty much everyone calls him Colt. It’s kind of a big joke around here. I’m Cat, he’s Colt. Funny thing is, neither one of us are wereanimals.”
“Oooooh,” I say, dragging the ‘o’ out, thinking. “So, twin, huh? That’s pretty cool,” I say, trying to shift the awkwardness.
Cat tips her head, suggesting I follow her, and she starts walking. “Yeah, it’s pretty awesome. Colt and I have been inseparable since—well, conception, I guess,” she laughs. “He’s the only one who really gets me. Just like I get him. We can practically communicate mentally, no powers needed.”
“That’s really awesome. I’m an only child, and so far, there’s only one person I feel really gets me. But that’s okay, he’s pretty awesome,” I say, smiling.
“Ah, so my turn to take the leap. Boyfriend?” Cat says, leading the way.
I nod. “That obvious?”
“Well, only because of the shitty grin you have on your face right now. I’d say you’re pretty enamored.”
“Definitely,” I say, blushing.
“Well, I’d love to meet him,” she says. “I’ve lived here my whole life and let me tell you, it’s nice to see some fresh faces.”
“What are you doing this weekend?” I say, shooting her a sideways glance. “He has standing plans to come up to Windhaven Saturdays and Sundays.”
“By the sounds of things, I’ll be stopping by to meet a new friend’s boyfriend,” she says. “I take it he doesn’t live here?”
I shake my head.
She presses her lips tight. “Eh, absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that. Maybe we can all go hunt for the creature they think is loose in the waterways together,” Cat says, wiggling her fingertips in the air in front of her.
“The what?” I say, scrunching my face.
“Didn’t you hear?” Cat says, her mouth slack-jawing open. “There are some two kids missing. That’s the big deal that was going on during the Witching Stick.”
“Oh, yeah. I did hear that. Do they know what kind of creature?” I ask, remembering back to the snippets I heard when we first arrived on campus.
“They’re not a hundred percent. But evidently, there are rumors about the disappearance being similar to one a while back. So they think it might be the same one since it got away. I’ve heard the magical community has been called in on the hunt because time is critical. From what I hear, it’s not the kind of creature that kidnaps to have
