Page 156 of The Holy Academy of Witches

“What are you talking about? What’s going on?” Cillian looked between us, his hand tapping on his thigh the only sign of his impatience.

“Theo’s an empath.” I explained.

“Sage!” Theo exclaimed.

“Sorry, sorry… He needs to know Theo. She’s his best friend… She’s….” Gods could this be true? She’d always been distant, not sleeping well. For as long as I’d known her. But it got worse after Christmas… And again after… The Children’s Hospital. The scratching of her wrist, the irritability, the sunken eyes, the ghostly skin… her curse research. Oh Gods… but why was Theo so concerned? Was he that protective of me that he didn’t even want me around her? Tyler had never physically hurt him. He loved him like a brother… “Why do you hate her so much? In fact, why do you care at all? You don’t know her…” I stepped closer to Theo. He opened and closed his mouth as though struggling to answer. “Or do you?”

Cillian stepped to my side, both of us looking down at Theo as he buried his head in his hands.

“I loved her! Okay?! Is that what you wanna hear??” Theo kicked the coffee table as he stood up, “Yes, I knew her!Knew! Past tense! Because as soon as I saw her at Christmas… As soon as I touched her. I didn’t know her any more.”

“Theo, you’re an idiot.” I said.

He turned to me, anger pulsating off of him. Cillian stepped forward, shielding me behind him. Though the gesture was kind and made my heart tighten in my chest, it was unnecessary. Theo would never lay a finger on me. I squeezed his arm gently, letting him know I was okay.

“And I suppose this is why you’ve both been absolutely horrible to be around since Christmas break? …You are an idiot.” I held my hand up to pause his rebuttal. “You are, because if you’d only taken a moment to stop your pig-headed isolation and speak to her, ask her what was going on. You would know what I know.”

“Oh yeah? And what do you know?” Theo folded his arms across his chest.

“That the reason she’s using dark magic is because she’s trying to save us… Save everyone. Theo, she’s been actively working against the terrorists for years. She’s using dark magic to try and find a cure for the curses they’re using. The curses which are killing hundreds of people. She’s not Tyler. She’s practically killing herself for the benefit of everyone else!” Theo’s face paled as he staggered back. Shaking his head like my words couldn’t be true. If he’d only spoken to her… He could have saved himself so much heartache. They both could. And she doesn’t even know that he knows… She couldn’t possibly understand why he turned on her.

“I need to go!” I faced Cillian, getting on my toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Talk to him…” I gestured to Theo and ran from their dorm.

Eighty-Three

Adeline

Sage burst into my room without knocking as I walked out of the bathroom, in just a towel.

“Adeline! Oh Gods, sorry. I should have knocked.”

“Yes, you should have. What’s wrong with you? Have you no manners?” I pulled the towel tighter around myself, securing it around my chest.

“Shut up,” Sage panted.

“Excuse me?”

“I mean… Sorry, just… Just listen. Sit down.” She pushed me by the shoulders till I perched on the edge of my bed. I raised my eyebrows as I waited.

She was definitely getting weirder. Maybe Cillian was having a negative effect on her?

“I know about the dark magic!” I stiffened, “it’s okay, it’s okay. I won’t tell anyone! I understand! I mean, kinda, but that’s not the point. Theo knows… And I suppose Cillian too but.” I opened my mouth to object. What was happening? How could she possibly know? And Cillian… what would he think of me? And Theo? How the….

“- He’s an empath, Theo I mean. He’s an empath… That’s his gift. He… At Christmas….”

“When he hugged me….”

“Exactly. He is… He’s a great guy Adeline, he really is but… Did he tell you about Tyler?” She asked.

“Yes, well not in detail but he told me his best friend died. He didn’t say how… Wait, why do you think he would have told me?”

“Oh, because I know about you two. Theo said.”

“What did he say?” I interrupted.

“That he was in love with you…” My lips parted in shock, as a pain shot through my chest, my throat tight as I refused to acknowledge the wound he had caused. “But he sensed the dark magic on you Adeline, when you touched. He… Tyler died from abusing dark magic, Adeline. Theo never forgave him and more importantly he will never forgive himself… So when-“

“So when he sensed it on me he thought it was happening again.” I finished her thought.

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