Page 104 of Bonds of Magic
Was there some way that I could use Cory’s dreams to set myself free? Was that even a fair thing to ask?
The last time I’d fought Argus, I’d removed his ability to leave the dreamworld. His and all his children’s—his army. I’d assumed I would get trapped in there with him as well, and be killed. But he’d fought back, and had severed my connection to the dream world itself. I’d been spat out, wounded and bleeding, never to return.
I didn’t want to get my hopes up for something that could never happen.
The dinner bell had rung when I was in Isaac’s office, so I walked down to the refectory to find Teresa.
She wasn’t there.
I scanned the hall twice, then walked through it and checked a third time. She was nowhere to be seen. I checked the food line and all the student tables. Neither was Rekha. That wasn’t good.
Cursing myself for the time lost in Isaac’s office, for my stupidity in not realizing I needed to see him sooner, I left the refectory and headed for the freshmen wing on the third floor. Rekha’sroom was down a long hall and around a corner, not far from the smaller staircase that led me towards Sebatian’s quarters.
I strode down the hall and knocked loudly. There was no response. I waited ten seconds, then knocked again. Still no reply. I waited another thirty seconds, contemplating the doorknob. Student doors didn’t have locks.
“Rekha,” I called. “Adenike. Meredith. Anybody home?”
I knocked a third time, then opened the door. A soft golden light emanated from a ball of magic hovering below the ceiling. The lights in Vesperwood were tied to the time of day, and once it was dark outside, they never illuminated anything fully.
The room was empty—and it was a mess. I stared at it for a moment, trying to decide if it was the kind of mess that looked suspicious, or the kind of mess that three teenage girls created just by living together. The beds were lined up on the left wall, one set of bunkbeds and a single. The bunkbeds were unmade, and the third bed’s neatly tucked and folded bed linens were covered in tossed aside shirts and jeans.
The right side of the room had scratched and dented desks fixed to the wall. The far wall boasted two large windows that looked out onto the evening’s dusky light. The desks were covered in piles of papers, precariously balanced textbooks, and makeup. There were three large wardrobes on the wall next to me, their doors hanging open, more clothes hanging halfway off their hangers. The room smelled faintly of nail-polish remover.
Rekha wasn’t here, and she wasn’t in the refectory. It was possible she was in the bathroom or showers, but my gut said no. Which meant there was only one other place to check.
I headed for Hex Haven. I jogged through Vesperwood’s halls, passing small groups of students who gave me strange looks but kept walking. The closer I got to Teresa’s rooms, the faster I ran, until I skidded to a stop in front of her door.
I put my hand on the knob, then heard Teresa’s voice coming from the other side. Maybe—just maybe—I should exercise a bit of caution. I was concerned, yes, but if Teresa were just talking to another faculty member, I was going to look like an idiot if I burst in.
I inhaled deeply and listened.
Teresa’s words started off innocuously enough. She was saying something about the pride of Vesperwood, its venerable traditions, its lineage that stretched by centuries.
But then her tone changed.
“You will pledge your allegiance to a cause greater than yourselves,” she said. “And I will mold you into who you need to become. It’s best that you follow my lead in all things as you begin this journey. You’re very bright, but I have decades of magical experience that you lack.”
The confidence in her tone, the stridency of her voice, made me uneasy.
“If you accept this gift, you will be obligated to obey me in all matters, to let me guide you. You will not question my decisions. I know this will be difficult, but you must trust that it is for the best to accede to my will.”
I stopped listening as the image of Erika lying dead in the snow flashed into my mind. Erika, who’d gone out into the woodsbecauseshe’dbeen guided by someone else,she’dbeen obligatedto obey.
Fuck. It was Teresa this whole time. Teresa had bespelled Erika, and she was about to do it again to Rekha and who knew how many others.
“I can make you great,” Teresa continued, “but you will have to submit to—”
I didn’t wait to hear the rest. I turned the knob. It was locked. Teresa had stopped talking, though. Shit. What would she do now that she’d been interrupted? The students in her rooms were in danger.
I threw my shoulder against the door. It didn’t budge. I backed up, took a running leap, and slammed my whole body against it. The door crashed open, bouncing against the wall. I barrelled forward and ran straight into Teresa, knocking her to the floor.
21
NOAH
This time, I didn’t let Teresa up so easily. I pinned her with a knee and brought her hands behind her back, holding them there.
Most witches used hand gestures along with words to cast spells. The more powerful you were, the less you needed those crutches. Teresa was pretty powerful, but I grabbed her hands anyway, hoping it would keep her under control. She squirmed underneath me, trying to get free.
