His eyes narrow and he tilts his head. “Autumn, I don’t know what to tell you.”
I double-take, stumbling backward. “I swear I heard him arguing with you.”
Wade stands up, his eyebrows tugging in, but he doesn’t respond.
“I’ve seen him before,” I say. “He spoke to me when I was at Cat’s accident.”
“How do you know it was the same guy? I mean, there are lots of—”
“He billowed in from some sort of portal and…took the souls from the Vodník’s jar. He’s not just a person, he’s something else, but I don’t know what. When he left after the conversation with you, he vanished the same way. I know it was the same guy,” I say, jutting out my chin.
“Okay? People get around, especially travelers, if that’s what he was. So, what did he say to you?” Wade asks, his face still stoic.
“He told me he’d be back. And that I can only meddle for so long…”
For the first time, his face flickers. “Well, that seems ominous. Did he tell you why? Or who he was?”
“No, but he knew I was a necromancer before I did. I mean, before I ever used my powers to save Cat,” I say. I watch his mannerisms closely, but Wade remains an unreadable statue. My shoulders drop and my eyebrows tug in.
Why is he lying to me? What on earth is he hiding?
Chapter 2
Witching Stick, Take 2
A snow-covered Windhaven Academy looms in front of us and despite its serene appearance, anxiety can’t help but make a home in my mind.
The last time we tried to attend a Witching Stick orientation day, the school was in total chaos. Intellectually, I know this is a new day—a new semester. But a part of me is still on edge, like something could go sideways at any moment. If for no other reason than the weird vibe growing between Wade and me.
I’d thought we’d be growing closer by the time he moved here. Not the other way around.
“You ready to head inside?” Wade asks, putting his Impala in park.
I turn to him and chuckle softly. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
“It’s just a school, right?” He shrugs, then quirks an eyebrow. “Besides, it’s not like I haven’t been here before.”
“Yes, but this is literally as far as you got last time,” I say, shooting him a knowing look. “Well, okay, so you made it inside the doorway.”
“True, true,” he nods. “On the upside, it still stands. No hellmouth or anything. And it is a pretty nice door.” His grin beams back at me and makes my heart flutter.
I shake my head, trying to chase away this anxiety and let his lighter mood take root. Yet it still sits there like a rock in the pit of my stomach. I want to reach out to him, touch his face, and tell him how I’m feeling, but…
“Come on,” I finally say, kicking open my door.
Wade follows after me, circling around the front of his car and reaching out to take my hand. I slide my palm against his and we walk through the sea of cars toward the massive structure. Our feet crunch against the snow glittering the ground, and I tug my coat in tighter.
“So, anything I should know? Best people to go to for help, or places to avoid when I don’t want to study?” Wade asks, nudging me in the shoulder.
“Well, for sure, the person to talk to is Ms. Cain for almost everything. She’s a strange duck, for sure, but she’ll know how to point you in the right direction. I swear, she’s a walking encyclopedia.”
“Good to know. Can you point her out when we get inside?” he says, his breath billowing out in clouds in the chill morning air. Even the tip of his nose has begun to turn pink.
“You can’t miss her. She’s the main admin. We have to go to her to first,” I say, reaching for the handle of the massive door.
“Cool. Makes things easy,” Wade says, grabbing hold of the door as it opens and shooing me through. He gives me a sideways glance and shakes his head. “That’s my job, woman.”
My lips curve upward and I step to the side, allowing people to go around us. “I know how to open a door, Angel.”
“I’m sure you do. That’s not the point,” Wade says, giving me a knowing look.
“Hey there, guys,” a familiar voice rings out.
I look up, surprised to see Cat bounding down the hallway and heading toward us. Her black hair is twisted into a bun on the top of her head and she’s dressed up like one of the head mistresses you’d see in Harry Potter or something. Regardless of all of that, she looks good. Like she’s finally gotten the rest she desperately needed so her body could heal after the car accident and everything that followed.
Trailing behind her is Colton, dressed in a grey suit and a tie that doesn’t exactly look uniform. Despite his obvious attempt at also dressing up, he remains ever the same when his gaze locks on the floor as he shuffles toward us.
When Cat reaches me, she wraps her arms around my neck and holds on tight. My eyes widen as I look at Wade, whose eyebrows rise into his hairline. I wrap my arms around her, returning her embrace.
“Cat, why are you here? You don’t need orientation. Besides, shouldn’t you still be in bed?” I ask, pulling back. “I thought the doctors were giving you a couple of weeks more before your system was back to normal?”
“I couldn’t spend another day in that room. I was about to climb the walls. Besides, Ms. Cain asked Colton and me to help with new student tours, so…here we are.” She beams, turning back to Colton. “What are you doing back there? Yeesh, you’re so awkward.”
Colton juts out his chin, but his lips slide into a
