Page 44 of Revenge is a Witch

“You alright down there?” I ask, peeking over the edge of the bed, trying and failing to hold back my grin.

Derek groans, rubbing his shoulder as he sits up. “Nothing I can’t handle,” he mutters, though the look on his face says otherwise.

Meanwhile, Sebastian, who is still very much lounging beside me like this is his royal court, tightens his arm around my waist and pulls me closer. “Don’t worry about him,” he drawls, lips curling into a smirk. “Dogs are used to sleeping on the floor.”

Derek shoots him a glare, looking about two seconds away from launching a pillow at his head. “Real original, bloodsucker,” he grumbles, but the effect is ruined by how groggy he still is. I roll my eyes as I reach over and slam thealarm off. Of course, this is my life now. A full-time referee between a vampire and a wolf shifter. Where’s my whistle when I need it?

“Alright, boys, break it up,” I sigh dramatically, sliding out of bed despite their collective groan of protest. I swear, these two would rather I stayed in bed all day, wrapped in their territorial squabbles. Too bad for them, I’ve got stuff to do—like not failing out of school. “I’ve got Elemental Studies,” I announce, pulling my hair into a ponytail while I rummage through my wardrobe. Behind me, I hear the unmistakable sound of chuckling and then the hush-hush whispers of the two boys conspiring about something. Rolling my eyes, I turn around, hand on my hip. “What now?”

Derek, grinning like an idiot, says, “As much as I’d love the entire student body to know you’re mine—”

“Ours,” Sebastian interjects, the word slipping smoothly from his lips.

“—ours,” Derek corrects, with a brief eye roll at Sebastian, “You might want to keep your hair down today.”

“Why?” I ask, suspicion creeping into my voice as I narrow my eyes at them.

I hurry over to the bathroom mirror, pulling at my hair to try and see whatever it is they’re on about. There’s nothing I can see. Sebastian, ever so helpful, snaps a photo with his phone and hands it to me.

My heart skips a beat as I stare at the image. There, on the back of my neck, is a tattoo-like mark, a symbol that’s impossible to miss. It’s intricate—a fusion of sharp lines and elegant curves, a perfect blend of wolf and vampire motifs. The wolf’s head merges seamlessly with what appears to be bat wings, all encircled in a protective ring of flames.

“You practically gave me a tattoo?!” I exclaim, running my fingers over the skin. It’s smooth, no raised edges or soreness—just a permanent, magical mark.

Sebastian grins, stepping closer. “It suits you.”

I blink, still processing this revelation. “How am I supposed to hide that?”

Sebastian shrugs nonchalantly. “You don’t have to. But unless you want people asking questions all day, you might want to keep your hair down.”

Flustered, I tie and untie my ponytail, opting to let my hair fall over the mark as I head to my closet again.

“Anyway,” Sebastian continues, casually leaning against the doorframe, “I’ve got to get ready for class too. I’ll also see what I can find out about Kyla and what she’s been up to with Sam. She’ll talk if I’m careful enough.”

The thought makes me uneasy. “Don’t take any risks,” I say, frowning.

Sebastian flashes me a quick grin, then leans down to press a chaste kiss to my lips before he’s out the door. The entire exchange is over in seconds, the door barely making a sound as he practically blurs out of sight.

Derek, standing now and stretching, looks over at me with a smirk. “I’ve got clothes in my locker, so I’ll get going too. But... I’ll see you later, alright?”

He steps in, pulling me gently into a kiss, his lips soft and warm against mine before he gives me a playful wink and heads out the door.

When I’m finally alone, I stare around my room, at the disheveled bed and the echoes of a weekend that feel almost surreal. Did all of that really happen? Did I just spend the weekend wrapped up in a whirlwind of emotions, vampires, and wolves?

I shake my head, rubbing at the mark on my neck again.

High school is fuckingnuts.

I pull on my red stockings, a black skirt, and a red turtleneck, ready to brave the cold weather. The chill in the air feels sharp as I leave my dorm room, heading towards the central hub before my next class. My head is swimming with thoughts—mostly trying to get a grip on everything that happened over the weekend, but also attempting to mentally prepare forDivination & Prophecieswith Professor Selene. Not my strongest class by any stretch of the imagination. Honestly, if I were any good at reading tarot cards, maybe I could’ve seen my own damn work getting stolen.

Lost in my thoughts, I jump when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I whip around, only to see Sam, grinning and completely oblivious to the chaos brewing in my head.

"Jeez, Sam, you startled me," I say, forcing a laugh.

"Sorry," she says, though her smile tells me she’s not sorry at all. "Guess I’m just that stealthy."

Great. I plaster on a smile and do my best to push the gnawing suspicion out of my mind. Could Sam have really been the one to swap my grimoire? The thought leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and I can't bring myself to confront it.Not yet.Until I know for sure, I can't accuse her of something so serious. It would break her.

“So, how was your weekend?” Sam asks, falling into step beside me, her voice way too chipper for a Monday morning.

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