Page 42 of Every Shade of Shadow

I palm my forehead. “Jesus.”

Lily gives a short laugh. “Not exactly sighted around here, sorry, unless you’re looking to turn water to wine, but there’s a spell for that, as I’m sure you know. Hey, at least we get the day off.”

This place is getting more morbid by the second.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“They always suspend classes when there’s an,” she lifts her fingers to air quote, ‘incident.’”

I’m starting to regret accepting that invitation from Darkwood. Every day seems to bring with it some new, fresh horror.

And then there’s Darkwood himself and his little games.

I recall his hand on my ass, such a display of sadism…could it be he’s dominated by even more savage instincts? Like, and I’m just throwing this out there now, but murder?

The culprit didn’t even try to hide the body—just left it lying out there in the open for discovery. Who does that?

And in such close proximity to my room. That’s a big fucking problem. I didn’t even hear anything. Should I have?

“I’m heading in,” says Lily nonchalantly, the murder clearly old news. “See you at breakfast?”

My stomach gurgles, threatening to eject its contents. “I don’t think so.”

“Later then,” she smiles, hand reaching to my shoulder. “And try not to think about it so much, yeah? You’ll get used to it.”

But that’s the thing. I don’t want to get used to it, to stepping out of my door every morning and wondering if there’s going to be a body there, if it’s going to be mine.

Lily heads back in and I stay out in the cold a little longer doing my best to breathe and compose myself. It’s only when I can’t feel my fingers anymore that I make my way back to my room.

The hallway has cleared, a shimmering screen of magic erected around the body, the bobbing heads of two faculty members behind it examining the victim. Another two guard the scene from the outside—almost looking bored.

A voice comes over the PA, the first time I’ve heard it used: “Students of Lumina, this is your Headmistress speaking. Given this morning’s unfortunate incident, classes are suspended. I repeat—classes are suspended for the day. The castle is in lockdown. No one is to leave the premises until further notice. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Just like Lily said.

The second part of that announcement sounds more like a bad joke. I may not be an all-powerful witch yet, but I sure as hell know how to disappear. If I want to leave, Isadora Lumina ain’t going to stop me. Not that stumbling through the woods going fuck knows where sounds like much of an option either.

I lie in bed and stare at the wooden beams running across the roof wondering how long they’ve been there, how long any of this has been here.

There’s a knock at my door.

“Who is it?” a call out, hoping ‘the murderer’ isn’t the response, but it’s just Lily again.

I raise my hand, unlocking the door from the bed and Lily enters, now dressed in khaki slacks and a shirt that reads ‘Holiday? Si vous plait.’

Lily sits at the desk facing me. She taps her fingers on her thigh.

“That was quick,” I offer.

She shrugs. “Girl’s got to eat. I’m sorry, by the way,” she murmurs, the finger tapping ceasing.

“For what?” I ask, my curiosity piquing.

“I was pretty blunt before,” she admits, looking to the floor. “It’s a lot to dump on someone, I know. It was the second week for me. Someone had pinned this poor bastard to the wall. Took his eyes, too.”

“Fuck.”

“Precisely, but like I said, I should have eased you into it.”

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