Page 19 of Hexmate (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #1)
Chapter 19
Caden
B y the time we left the library, night had fallen. The snow was drifting lazily downward once more, catching the light of the lamps. Everything was quiet all across campus. Even most of the windows in the dorms were dark. It seemed, in our time tucked away in the library, all the world had gone to sleep. Now it was just me and Atlas, hand in hand, strolling through the ankle-deep snow as we breathed in the crisp night air.
“I’m surprised it’s so quiet out here,” I said, glancing up at Atlas. “It’s not that late, is it?”
“The clock in the library said it was just past ten.” He turned back, looking up and down campus. “But there’s something in the air.” He paused, pulling me to a stop as he sniffed. “Oppressive… like thunder before a storm.”
A chill ran down my spine as his entire demeanor shifted. The afterglow of our incredible afternoon faded, eaten away by the cold of night pressing in around us. I found myself clinging to him, the darkness suddenly more intimidating than it was a moment before.
Atlas pulled me closer, his muscular arm wrapping protectively around my waist. His golden eyes scanned the shadows between buildings, his nostrils flaring as he continued to scent the air. I could feel the tension radiating off him, his body coiled and ready to spring into action.
“We should get inside,” he growled, his voice low and rough. “Something’s wrong.”
As we quickened our pace, the snow crunching beneath our feet, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. A dark shape darted between two buildings, too fast and fluid to be human. My heart began to race.
“Atlas,” I whispered urgently, “I saw something-”
“I know,” he cut me off, his grip on me tightening. “Just run.”
Suddenly the dark shape sped toward us at an alarming speed. Atlas grabbed my arm and threw my backward into the snow, placing his body between me and our pursuer. I watched as his features sharpened, claws extending from his fingertips. He let out a low, but terrifying growl.
The figure skidded to a halt in front of us, breathless with eyes wide. It took a moment for the red hair and green eyes to jog my memory.
“W-Wild?” I gasped, sitting up in the snow.
“There you two are!” he cried, pushing his way past Atlas without so much as a trace of fear. “I’ve been looking for you for the past hour! I was worried you might’ve been attacked!”
“Attacked?” I asked, taking his hand to help me up. “Why would we have been attacked?”
“What’s going on?” Atlas added, still checking our surroundings nervously. “Why does everything smell so strange?”
Wild stood there for a moment, his jaw hanging open. “You… You don’t know…”
“Know what?!” Atlas growled. “Will you please just tell us what’s going on?”
Wild’s brows furrowed and he looked like he was about to yell at Atlas for raising his voice. But I grabbed his hand, forcing him to stay focused on me. “What happened, Wild?”
“One of the students was attacked,” he said, his eyes darting between me and Atlas. “A Beastkin. They don’t know who attacked him, only that he’s lucky to be alive. Someone found him bleeding in the snow in front of the gymnasium.”
I saw the fear in Atlas’s eyes. If he’d been in wolf form, all his fur would’ve been standing on end.
“What’s his name?!” he asked, grabbing Wild’s arm. “The Beastkin.”
“Karrick, I think.”
A shiver went through my body. Even I recognized that name. It was one of Atlas’s friends, a fellow wrestler on the team. I’d met him once. He seemed like a nice guy. So, who would want to attack him?
“Is he alright?!” Atlas asked, fear filling his features.
“He’s alive,” Wild nodded. “But other than that, I don’t know. They took him to the infirmary.”
Atlas’s grip on Wild’s arm tightened, his claws digging into the fabric of his jacket. “Take us there. Now.”
Without waiting for a response, Atlas began striding towards the infirmary, practically dragging Wild along with him. I hurried to keep up, my heart pounding in my chest. The oppressive feeling in the air seemed to grow heavier with each step.
As we approached the infirmary building, I could see a crowd gathered outside. Students from all factions huddled together in small groups, whispering urgently to one another. The scent of fear and anxiety was palpable, even to my witch nose.
Atlas pushed his way through the crowd, his imposing presence causing people to part before him. I followed in his wake, trying to ignore the curious and sometimes hostile glances thrown my way. It was a moment before I realized all of them were monster races. There wasn’t a single witch among the crowd.
Just as we reached the entrance, a stern-looking woman in a white coat stepped out, blocking our path. “No visitors allowed,” she said firmly, her eyes narrowing as she took in Atlas’s agitated state.
“I’m not a visitor, I’m his teammate,” Atlas growled. “I just saw him this afternoon.”
She gave him a long hard look. “Fine. But keep it down. Security will want to ask you a few questions.”
“Of course,” Atlas nodded, pushing his way through. He still had a hold of my hand, pulling my inside along with him before the nurse could stop us.
The infirmary was eerily quiet as we entered, the glaring white walls and antiseptic smell a stark contrast to the snowy night outside. Atlas’s grip on my hand tightened as we made our way down the hallway, following the sound of hushed voices.
We turned a corner and found ourselves face to face with two burly security guards standing outside a closed door. Both of them were Beastkin too. Their eyes narrowed as they took in Atlas’s imposing form, then flickered to me with suspicion.
“What are you doing here?” one of them growled, stepping forward to block our path.
Atlas drew himself up to his full height, his golden eyes flashing with barely contained anger. “I’m here to see Karrick. I’m his teammate and friend.”
The guards exchanged a glance before the second one spoke. “Alright, but just you. The witch stays out here. For all we know, he might be involved.”
I felt Atlas’s body tense beside me, a low growl rumbling in his chest. “He’s with me,” he said, his voice leaving no room for argument.
For a moment, I thought the guards might challenge him, but something in Atlas’s demeanor must have made them think twice. With a reluctant nod, the guards stepped aside, allowing us to enter the room. The air inside was thick with the scent of blood and antiseptic. Karrick lay motionless on the bed, his muscular frame dwarfing the narrow hospital cot. Bandages covered much of his torso and one side of his face. An IV drip snaked into his arm, delivering what I assumed were pain medications and fluids.
Atlas rushed to Karrick’s side, his golden eyes wide with concern. “Karrick,” he said softly, placing a hand on his friend’s uninjured shoulder. “Can you hear me?”
But Karrick didn’t reply. He just laid there motionless, his eyes firmly shut. It surprised me he was still in his beast form through. Most of the monster races had a human form that they used to blend in with the rest of the world. But Karrick was covered in dark brown fur from head to toe, his pointed ears were out, and two large tusks jutted from his lower jaw. I’d never seen any of the Beastkin walk around like that on campus before.
“He can’t hear you,” a soft voice said behind us.
Both Atlas and I turned to see a woman step into the room wearing a nurses uniform. She was petite, blonde, and had an air of timidity about her.
“Why not?” Atlas growled. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s lost a lot of blood for one thing,” she replied, checking the IV bag and machines hooked up to Karrick to read his vitals.
It occurred to me that the infirmary must have been specially enchanted to allow technology to work within its walls. Outside the building, none of those machines would function. But here they seemed to work just fine. I was glad of that.
“And for another, he’s been cursed.”
“Cursed?” I asked before Atlas could reply. “But… that kind of magic is forbidden on campus.”
“That’s true,” she nodded. “And why there’s so much security presence around this. The dean himself was here earlier along with the top three members of the academy board. It was only because of them that we could figure out the curse.”
Atlas’s eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching. “What kind of curse?”
The nurse hesitated, glancing between us. “I’m not sure I should-”
“Tell us,” Atlas growled, his patience clearly wearing thin.
She sighed, relenting. “It’s a binding curse. It’s locked him in his beast form and rendered him unconscious. We can’t wake him or shift him back to human form. If he stays like this for too long… he’ll die.”
I felt a chill run down my spine. Such a curse was not only forbidden, but incredibly complex. It would take a powerful witch to cast something like that.
Atlas turned back to Karrick, his hand still resting on his friend’s shoulder. “Who did this?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
“We don’t know,” a gruff voice replied. We all turned to see a tall vampire step into the room, a badge with the symbol of the Elder Council displayed proudly on his chest. “He was found alone, and there were no witnesses. The security team is investigating, but there are no leads so far.” His gaze landed on me, giving me a good hard look. “All we know is that the culprit is a witch. There’s no other explanation for such powerful magic.”
I felt Atlas tense beside me, his grip on my hand tightening protectively. The vampire’s accusatory gaze made my skin crawl, but I forced myself to meet his eyes steadily.
“Not all witches are capable of such dark magic,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “And those who are, wouldn’t risk using it on campus. The consequences would be severe.”
The vampire’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps. But desperate times can drive people to desperate measures. The tensions between witches and other factions have been rising lately. This could be the spark that ignites a much larger conflict.”
Atlas growled low in his throat. “Are you suggesting this was some kind of political move? Karrick isn’t even involved in faction politics. He’s just a student, like the rest of us.”
“Sometimes, Mr. Faolan, it’s not about who the victim is, but what they represent,” the vampire replied coolly. His gaze flickered between Atlas and me, a faint smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “Speaking of representation, I’m curious about your... relationship with this witch.” He stepped forward, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. “The two of you are clearly involved. That’s rather unusual, wouldn’t you agree?”
Atlas tensed beside me, his golden eyes flashing dangerously. “My personal relationships are none of your concern,” he growled, taking a protective step in front of me. “We’re here for Karrick. Focus on finding who did this to him.”
The vampire’s smirk widened, revealing the tips of his fangs. “Oh, but it may be very relevant to our investigation. A werewolf and a witch, breaking centuries of tradition? That’s bound to ruffle some feathers. Perhaps someone wanted to send a message.”
I felt my blood run cold at the implication. Could our relationship have somehow led to this attack on Karrick? The guilt and fear must have shown on my face, because Atlas squeezed my hand reassuringly.
“That’s ridiculous,” Atlas snarled. “Karrick has nothing to do with us. This is just a pathetic attempt to stir up more conflict between factions. Besides, there are lots of other students in non-traditional relationships here. It’s college for fuck’s sake.”
The vampire opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by a commotion in the hallway. Suddenly, the door burst open and a tall, imposing man strode in. His silver hair and piercing golden eyes immediately marked him as a powerful alpha werewolf. His presence made the room feel suddenly much smaller.
Atlas’s entire demeanor changed instantly. His back straightened, his shoulders tensed, and he stepped slightly in front of me, as if shielding me from the newcomer’s gaze.
“Father,” he said, his voice tight. “What are you doing here?”