The Ravens (The Ravens #1) - Kass Morgan Page 0,118
come up for air.’” He stared pointedly over the top of the screen. “That’s hardly an adequate explanation, Ms. Winter.”
Guilt pooled in her stomach. “I heard you came by the house. I’m sorry . . . I . . . It was just too much.”
“I was so worried that something had happened to you.” He scooted a little closer. “I’m sorry about Tiffany.” The public story they’d put out had been that Tiffany died in the freak tornado that touched down just off campus. As for Dahlia, she’d been reported missing and was presumed also killed in the same storm. After all, the Ravens couldn’t exactly explain that Dahlia had actually gone missing days before but had appeared to be wandering around campus looking perfectly fine.
“When the first report came in about the victim of the freak tornado, I thought it was you. I thought something awful had happened to you,” he admitted, his voice gruff.
“The only thing that happened to me was a trip to the police station.” She avoided his eyes. “As you can probably imagine, the cops wanted to talk to me. About a lot of things.”
Jackson looked around to be sure that no one else was listening. “So what really happened? We found Gwen two days ago, and now . . .” He frowned, confused. “The police are saying she died from a gas leak.”
“That’s thanks to me.” Scarlett caught herself picking a nail and flattened her palms against her thighs. Well. Thanks to her and Jess, the best Swords witch in Kappa now that Tiffany was gone. It had been easy enough for her to plant a few suggestions in the cops’ minds to help them close the case. It didn’t sit well with her, covering for what Tiffany did, but it had to be done. The Ravens’ secret had to be protected. “I might’ve helped them come to some conclusions about things.”
“And?” Jackson tilted forward, elbows propped on his knees. “Scarlett, do you have any idea how crazy this has all been driving me? And then to hear the news about the tornado, I mean . . . that kind of coincidence doesn’t just happen.”
“No,” she admitted. “It doesn’t.”
“Was it . . . you know, witchcraft?” he whispered.
When she nodded, Jackson looked at her intently. “Will you tell me what happened?” he asked. “What really happened?”
Scarlett had known he’d ask and she knew she owed him the truth. He listened and reacted to every detail with eerie calm: How Tiffany glamoured herself and killed Dahlia and Gwen and kidnapped Vivi too. How the Ravens had fought her off with their magic. How Tiffany had fallen. How they’d covered their tracks.
When she finished, Jackson took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “Scar, I’m so sorry. And I understand why you needed to cover it all up, but I have to ask: Where does Kappa go from here? I mean, the call came from inside the house. What if another one of your sisters decides a different talisman is worth killing for? Or just loses it on her roommate one day? What if—”
“There will be no more what-ifs. I can handle my sisters. This will never happen again,” she said firmly.
“How can you be so sure?” he asked.
“I’m a witch,” she said with a smile. “We know stuff.”
He laughed. He didn’t look entirely convinced, but he didn’t press her. “Well, I’m just glad you’re okay. I was so worried. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
His warm brown eyes caught hers and held them. And then he leaned forward. He brushed his lips against hers just once, lightly. “I forgot to ask: Are witches allowed to kiss mere mortals?” he asked. “Or is one of us about to melt?”
In response, Scarlett cupped the back of his neck with her other hand and drew him against her. “If we’re going to find out, we’d better do it right,” she whispered. Then he kissed her for real. Soft and slow, the kind of kiss you could drown in if you let yourself.
But she couldn’t. Not right now. Maybe not ever.
She’d broken the first rule of being a Raven. Of being a witch. Don’t ever tell. Telling Jackson about witchcraft was a cardinal sin. She’d done it because he deserved to know about Harper. And because, somewhere, in the mess of all this, she’d developed feelings for him. Because he’d helped her when nobody else would’ve. But she couldn’t risk making things worse.