“Do you think it was the same person who killed Trevor?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it was. This was different than the individual attacks, but it was still obviously meant to cause harm. We’re lucky nobody was seriously hurt.”
“We don’t know that,” I reply woodenly, staring at the door the staff took Asher through. God, I hope he’s okay. Head injuries are tricky things. If I’ve caused real damage…
I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive myself.
“It has to be either a student or a staff member.” Dmitri’s gaze shoots around the room suspiciously. “Or else someone from the outside figured out how to get past the protection wards on the school grounds.”
“Well, one thing is damn clear.” For once, Cam’s voice is deadly serious. “Whoever this person is? They need to be stopped.”
A growl rumbles in my chest. Now that’s something I can get behind. Whoever organized this spell put everyone in the school at risk. They put me in a position to hurt my friend, and God knows how many other students did the same thing to their friends by accident.
“Yeah.” My jaw clenches, and my hands curl into fists. “They do.”
I’m going to find out who did this, and I’m going to make them pay.
This nonsense ends. Now.
Chapter 21
You might think petty gossip would take a day off, given the disaster that’s just occurred.
You’d think wrong.
Alyssa and her three minions waste no time, it seems, in deciding this is a damn gift from God, and they’re going to use it to their advantage.
I realize something’s wrong the next day when people start avoiding me in the hallway. Classes weren’t cancelled this time, and I think it’s because the admins want to keep us where they can see us. As I make my way down the corridor after History of Magic class, I can hear people whispering, some of them loud enough that they clearly don’t care if I hear them or not. After all, why be polite when you’re talking about someone behind their back?
To my shame, it takes me a few hours to realize what’s being said or where the rumor is coming from. I should’ve figured it out right away. By now, Alyssa’s made her dislike of me well known, so I shouldn’t be surprised she’d stoop this low to hurt me.
“Do you know what they’re saying about you?” Raul asks in our Physical Training class, his voice a horrified whisper.
“No. What?”
“They’re saying you’re the one who burned off the repression braces!”
Motherfucker. My blood heats instantly, but I do my best to cool it down. We’ve all got our braces back on, and after another dose of healing potion applied this morning, the skin on my forearm is only a little pink. But even with the magic repression tamping down my powers, I’m determined not to lose control again.
“Well, none of the school staff think that, or security would be on my ass,” I murmur.
He shrugs. “I know. But that’s what all the students are saying. I’m sorry, Elliot.”
Now that I know what’s being whispered behind my back, I can’t not hear it.
“It’s because she can’t stand not being the center of attention,” I hear one person say. Another person whispers, “She sent the sonic boom on purpose. I hear she and Asher had a big fight yesterday. She wanted to get revenge, and that’s how she decided to do it.”
“She’s a pyscho.”
“Out of control.”
“Bitch.”
I always thought of myself as immune to gossip and all that stupid high school bullshit. But it turns out, I’m not.
The whispers and muttered accusations hurt.
I would never, ever hurt Asher on purpose. My hands curl into fists on my desk during my last class of the day, and I have to remind myself that turning around and punching someone isn’t going to help the rumors go away. The only thing that matters is that security knows I didn’t do this. They won’t listen to rumors.
They sure as hell aren’t doing anything to stop the gossip from circulating though.
As pissed off as I am about it, Raul seems more upset by the whole thing than I am. He’s a sweet guy, to care about me like that, but I promise him it’s fine.
“My friends know the truth,” I tell him in a low voice. Cam, Dmitri, and Roman believe I didn’t have anything to do with the braces melting off, and clearly, so does Raul. That’s what matters to me.
His freckled nose wrinkles, and he looks doubtful. “I