Page 23 of Immortal Sins
Olson’s part to play was the damsel in distress, a role he played to perfection. He missed a few weeks of school, but he’s alright. I return to sit by his bed. “I’m sure you’ll be asked to testify at the trial. This isn’t over.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” His warm hand rests on top of mine. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
The intimate gesture sets me on edge. I smack my lips together and jump to my feet. “Well, I have to go. Visiting hours are over.”
“Won’t you stay just a few more minutes?”
“You know I can’t. Dr Chen is very strict. Goodnight.” The doorknob clicks into place behind me. I close my eyes and lean against the door I just closed.
Olson is terrible at keeping secrets. What happens if he spills the beans to Jules about the love potion we prepared together?
The commotion that awaits me outside sparks electricity at my temples. Students gather on the cliff, and red hues light the night sky with fiery tints.
I run to the huddle and find Trent there.
“There’s a fire in the forest.” The vampire’s ashen face wrinkles with fear.
I dig my nails into my left wrist. “Do you think it’s Jules?”
“I don’t know.”
Was Jules angry and crazy enough to set fire to the forest? Pent-up emotions are known to set her—and her surroundings—ablaze.
Brie dashes to the edge of the cliff, her eyes red and black. “I got it.” The mermaid raises her arms to the sky, and thunder answers her call as scales appear on her arms.
A salty mist drugs my senses. “Check Summer Hall,” I tell Trent.
He nods gravely before running down the main path.
I pull my hoodie over my long, blond hair and retreat into the line of trees. Once hidden by a shroud of darkness, all eyes turned in the other direction, I let my magic build in my palms and rise into the air.
Humidity condenses on my cheeks, the barometric pressure wacky and unnatural, and a pesky wind threatens to blow me off course. My ankles skim the treetops as I fly, hell-bent on avoiding attention. Even under the current circumstances, elation sizzles through my blood.
Flying came naturally to me. Daniel taught me how to channel my magic, but even he was astonished by my speed and expertise.
Raindrops pound my arms in a rapid rhythm. As I get close to the fire, my heart accelerates.
Flames rage above the ancient cave at the foot of the mountain, and the heat expands the pores on my face. Mom took me there on my first day to explain the origins of the school and the legacy of our presence here. The tepid current of power that usually emanates from it ripples in sync with the flames. Dark Falls’ darkest and deepest mystery pulses in trepidation like it’s…excited about the fire. Like it can’t wait for the whole forest to burn.
Just as I’m about to turn back, a deafening crack splits the air, and not from the clouds above, but from the earth below. The deep bedrock of the mountain rips in two under my frozen stare, and white fog slithers out of the stones. The strange shimmer dissolves quickly, but the smoke from the fire billows above the burning trees.
A line of liquid shadow glistens in mid-air, right above the rock slab. It beckons, but I know better than to blindly jam my finger into Dark Falls’ power outlet.
The rain intensifies, so I land near the trail that leads back to the Academy to escape the icy kiss of the storm. Wet, cumbersome clothes stick to my skin.
I watch the trail for signs of life, knowing I shouldn’t be found drenched to the bones near the fire, and swerve toward Daniel’s cabin to check on him. The fire is on the opposite side, but he said he had an important meeting tonight and shouldn’t be disturbed. Maybe he doesn’t know what’s going on.
As I near the cabin, a soft, strangled cry reaches my ears, and I search the forest for the source of the sound. A few paces to the left, Jeremy lies on his side among the ferns. I glance over my shoulders. I shouldn’t be seen here, but his laments quicken my pulse. Had Cole’s demon cat started to hunt on its own?
I approach slowly.
He whimpers, all curled up in a fetal position. A sheen of sweat shines over his tall forehead, and decomposed leaves pepper his bare chest.
I sprint through the last few steps and kneel at his side. “What happened to you?”
“There was s—something in the woods. I—Ice and a twinkle of light. It bit me—I think.” Vicious shivers rock his body.
“Did you see what set the fire?” I observe the woods again, but as far as I can tell, we’re alone. Magic prickles the nape of my neck. A restless current of energy still lurks in the air, but I can’t pinpoint its origin. “Can you walk?”
