like someone was pressing on my head with a dark hand, and my chest was swiftly covered in a layer of clammy sweat. I fell forward into the grass and heaved up the little bit of breakfast I’d snatched from the dining hall on the way to first period this morning. And all of Elias’ precious earl grey.
Once it was all out and I could breathe, the feeling subsided, and I allowed the earth’s magic to flow into me again, just a little, enough to help strengthen me so I could walk the rest of the way back.
I wiped at my mouth with the back of my hand and pulled in long, deep breaths. Feeling better in seconds.
Well, that sucked.
I had to pass a trio of Arcane Officers on my way into the academy and bowed my head as I rushed through the doors, hopeful that they wouldn’t try to call me back. Question me.
I needed a damn minute to myself.
Rounding the corner to the Sigils and History hallway that lead to the dormitories, I found Bianca walking slowly towards the stairs.
Strange, I’d thought she was leaving.
“B!” I called to her, lengthening my strides to catch up to her.
Hadn’t she heard me? She didn’t even turn.
“Hey, B,” I said again, clearing the last few steps between us, my voice echoing through the empty hallway. It seemed all the other students had already gone home for the weekend.
Taking her by the shoulder, I turned her to face me. “Are you alright?”
All the heat drained from my face when I saw hers. She looked so pale. Her eyes stared at me, unfocused, the normally bright shade of golden brown was muted, her pupils dilated.
“Bianca?”
She’d stopped walking, but she still looked through me as though she was a zombie or some other equally terrifying thing. My hair stood on end.
“Hey,” I said, this time more forcefully. “What’s going on? I thought you were going to visit your brothers?”
She tilted her head, and a little bit of focus came back into her gaze. “No. I need to go to my room. I’m so tired.” Her voice was a lifeless monotone that only added to the zombie-like effect.
“Is it Lacey? Are you—I mean, are you upset?”
She didn’t answer me, instead looking to where the stairs waited for us only a few more paces down the hall.
Bianca was obviously a lot more shook up than I realized. And there I was worried about my familiars and going to get jiggy with Elias more than I was worried about my best friend. What a shitty person I was. How did I not see that this had bothered her so much? If Sterling was friends with Lacey’s dad, they probably saw each other all the time, right?
“Let’s get you to bed,” I said in the most supportive tone I could muster.
I was always shit at dealing with things like grief and other horrid emotions. It made me super uncomfortable when people cried. Damn, I hoped she didn’t cry.
“I’ll get some of that black forest cake you like from the dining hall and you can just relax. Your brothers can totally wait until tomorrow to get their game. Don’t stress, okay?”
In a daze, she let me lead her up the stairs and through the maze of doors until we made it to our room. She didn’t say a single word as I helped her into her pink silk jammies. She fell asleep before the sun could fully set or her head fully hit the pillow.
8
Harper
It had grown dark by the time I’d finished showering, and I didn’t want to push my luck with Granger or the officers still searching the grounds outside for clues, waiting to see if the animal, or vampire would return. I wanted to go see them. Make sure they hadn’t been questioned, and that they’d held up the lie and were treated with the respect they deserved if they were.
But Granger made the announcement just after Bianca fell asleep. No one was permitted to go outside after sunset.
So, there I was, up well past midnight with a light orb illuminating my father’s journal in my lap and lying in a bed I had no intention of sleeping in. How could I sleep? There were too many unknown factors to sleep. So, even though my body ached to be horizontal, I fought it. My mind was entirely too active to shut down just yet.
I wanted to go out to my familiars the moment the sun rose.
Taking