Page 13 of The Soulless Witch

“Yes, Professor?” The girl turned and my heart dropped. I recognized the face then—Lily, one of my students who was actually eager to learn instead of just getting a passing grade, like the others who only wanted to move on with their lives. She had stayed behind several times to help me with paperwork and always volunteered for the extra projects I gave for more credits. She was sweet, a bit closed off perhaps, but for a human, she was a tolerable person. Yet, for the first time since I met her, I wanted her gone just so someone else could take her place.

But I was right. Celeste’s scent stuck to her shoulder, and it was definitely fresh. Could it be that they passed each other outside? But why would Celeste go near the university? There was nothing here for her.

“Hello.” I smiled, quickly composing myself. Everyone around us had stopped talking, watching us curiously. “I have a dissertation coming up and I will need help with the research. I’m thinking of giving a few students a chance to earn some extra credits. Would you be interested, Lily?” I said the first thing that came to mind. Technically, that wasn’t a lie, but I had already finished all the work and was just putting it off because I didn’t want to deal with all the attention. But as far as excuses go, this was a good one.

The way Lily’s face lit up confirmed that.

“Yes! Oh, yes! That would be awesome!” she laughed, clapping her hands. “Thank you so much for considering me, Professor! I’d love to help! Just tell me what you want me to do! I can start right away!”

Her friends giggled, one of them pushing Lily’s arm and murmuring something about being too eager to work. I gave them an indulgent smile.

“Splendid. I will let you know by our next class.” She beamed at me, her enthusiasm almost staggering. “Now get into your seats. I’m about to start the lecture.”

They all hurried to their benches while I motioned to one of the young men by the door to close it. I waited another minute for everyone to settle, then, reluctantly, started my lecture on‘Nazism and the Construction of the Occult.’

I could barely focus on what I was saying the entire time, my thoughts forming speculations about where Lily could have met her and how far Celeste could have gone, while I was waiting for the damn sun to set. My eyes kept darting to the light peeking through the blinds, watching it fade away until only the fluorescent lighting in the room illuminated the place.

Finally, the allotted time ended, and I left before the students, letting their surprised whispers wash over me. I rushed out of the building, using all my will to make myself walk at the appropriate human speed. There were still too many people on campus and I couldn’t afford to blow my cover yet.

I followed Celeste’s fading scent to the main street, but I lost it in the smell of exhaust, trash, and people. Cursing, I twirled around, trying to figure out where she might have gone. There was nothing except offices around the university, but the main street was nearby. Still, Celeste wouldn’t have gone somewhere so exposed, unless she wanted to be noticed.

“Bye!” Lily’s voice came from behind me and I turned, just in time to see her waving at her friends. She didn’t notice me, looking down at her phone and frowning. “Damn it, where would she have gone? Why isn’t she waiting there?”

“Is everything alright?” I asked, and she immediately looked up, her nervous expression softening. “Do you need help?”

“Ah, no, it’s just that a…friend was supposed to wait for me here.” She shrugged, putting the phone in her pocket.

“Another student? They might be inside,” I replied, glancing back at the university building. My eyes returned to the girl, lingering on her shoulder. What if it wasn’t a brush? What if they were together before Lily came? The last thing someone would expect Celeste to do was to hide among humans. She had made it widely known that she hated humans and thought them inferior. I wasn’t entirely sure she was telling the truth even though she hadn’t reacted when I fed on them, but it was always hard to tell with her.

“No, not a student. A…family friend. She just came to visit, and we were supposed to go shopping, but the lecture was pulled earlier…not that it was your fault, Professor! It’s just that she doesn’t know the city well because she is not from around here.”

“I see.” I nodded, the mark on my chest suddenly feeling hotter. A family friend who arrived recently and didn’t know the city. It could just be a regular human, but still…

“Why don’t you call her?” I suggested, nodding toward the phone in her hand. Lily hesitated.

“She doesn’t have a phone.” She grimaced. “Anyway, she probably caught the bus home. I’ll just call my mom. Thank you again for the opportunity! I won’t disappoint you! Good evening!”

I watched her hurry toward her bus stop, but the moment I knew which bus she got on, I was running back to my car, not caring if anyone saw me. The engine purred as the vehicle glided out of the underground garage and joined the traffic. Pretty soon I was driving behind the bus Lily was on, tapping impatiently on the steering wheel while I waited for it to make stop after stop.

When I noticed Lily getting off, I found a space to park. As I followed her scent, a thrill I had nearly forgotten awoke in my chest. It had been so long since I hunted a human until their blood stank of horror and hopelessness. My meals in the past several decades had been provided mainly by blood banks, which was enough to sustain me, but it made everything dull. Chasing prey and drinking from them while they expired in my arms was a different experience entirely.

I shook my head. I wasn’t planning on attacking Lily, even if the thought was enticing now that it was in my head. I needed to see if my hunch was right.

Lily stopped in front of one of the houses, so I did the same from across the street. There was a car parked near the front entrance, its engine still running, where a man was plucking armful after armful of bags from the trunk. Another person stepped out of the vehicle, and I sucked in a sharp breath when I spotted a head of long coppery hair. The woman circled the car, heading toward Lily, then pointed at the man and laughed. Lily gawked at the human as he continued to take more and more bags out of the trunk.

That laughter. I knew it. It was most certainlyherlaughter.

Just as the thought crossed my mind, the red-haired woman turned to face the man as he finished piling the bags on the sidewalk. The delicate line of her nose, the soft cheeks, and the long lashes—they were all hers. It was her.

“Celeste.” The mark burned even harder when her name slipped from my mouth. I took a step forward, ready to rush to her side and make sure she was real, when I activated her ward, the spell rippling around the street in a quiet warning.

It wouldn’t stop me from entering. It was only set to alert her of my presence, but I still took a step back, slipping behind the nearest house as Celeste’s head snapped in my direction. Her face was pinched with unease while she scanned the street for danger. Her magic flared, enveloping her in a soft glow, but she let the spell drop when the door of the house opened and an older couple stepped out. They joined Celeste and Lily on the sidewalk, gawking at the bags lying at their feet before each of them got an armful of the purchases, and headed inside. Celeste lingered on the threshold and looked back wearily before following them in.

A pebble rolled over the cemented pathway, and I spun, ready to attack. I saw no one in the dark space between the houses, but when a low growl reverberated through the narrow space, I immediately found the source. Foundhim.

Stepping out of the shadows, the cat strode toward me with slow, deliberate movements, watching me with a pair of black eyes that made the hair on my neck rise. Most animals were afraid of me, of what I was, their instincts telling them to run away. But not this one. This thing was as much a predator as I was, even when it was masking itself as an adorable, defenseless kitten.

“Long time no see, Nym,” I said, forcing myself to relax. The familiar stopped, his bottomless eyes still boring into mine. “I thought you’d drop by for a visit. We could have reminiscent about the old days when we were both enjoying your Mistress’ company.”

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