Page 110 of Hidden

A shiver shot down my spine.

“Which brings us back to my curse,” she continued, undisturbed. “It has to be something effective against witches, too. And needs to encourage a man to choose a side.” She glanced at me. “Not that you would know about it. You allow everyone to walk all over you. I doubt there’s a mean bone in your body—”

“Now wait a minute…” I began, ready to set the record straight. Hadn’t I stood up to Finn? That had been mean.

But my words trailed off as a white cat stepped from the bushes and made her way toward us. Hadn’t I seen this creature before?

“Cécile?” The amber-eyed feline stared at me, causing my skin to prickle.

“Ugh,” Jiayi groaned, hiding the book and slipping into her backpack. “It’syou. I suppose that’s my cue to leave.”

“Leave?” I frowned. “But why—”

“Miss Brosnan.” Ms. Protean hobbled toward our bench. I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or upset at her intrusion. “I’ve been waiting for your return. Another word, if you will?”

Jiayi, who’d been in the process of swinging her bag over her shoulder, made a sound of sympathy. “Someone’s in trouble.”

“Trouble?” My heart began to race. But I hadn’t even done anything this time.

“Don’t be dramatic, Miss Chou. Nobody is in trouble.” Ms. Protean rolled her eyes as she braced her weight against her cane. Today she was wearing a floral dress that reached mid-calf, and a white sweater. “And if it’s boils you need, Mr. Kelly is visiting today. He loves calamity. You’ll find him lurking in the History department. But I warn you against messing with witches.”

“Oh, thank you,” Jiayi said, but then frowned sympathetically. “I’m sorry to hear about Mr. Weaver. I know you were close.”

Ms. Protean’s lips pursed. “I wouldn’t write him off just yet.”

I once again found myself in Ms. Protean’s doily and lace-filled office. But this time, had no idea why she’d asked me to come.

Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one confused about my presence here.

“What in the hell areyoudoing here?” Mr. Weaver glowered from the opposite end of the office.

I froze, starting at the ghost, and ignored Ms. Protean as she stepped around me to go to her desk.

He had been attempting to root through Ms. Protean’s bookshelves. However, since ghosts couldn’t always move physical items, he’d been failing at being able to explore much of anything. Yet at my arrival, he seemed to have gathered enough energy to tug a book out by the spine. But his victory was short-lived, and the book fell to the floor with a crash.

He turned his dark scowl to the thick, fallen volume, and a pang of longing stabbed at me.

Mr. Weaver was upset that he couldn’t read? He didn’t seem the scholarly sort.

“That’s what I thought.” Ms. Protean slumped into her chair, her weary gaze on dropped book. “He’s always been this way.”

My attention returned to her. “Sorry?”

“It’s been over a week of this.” She nodded her head toward her library. “I suspected he was haunting me, but I wasn’t sure—”

“I’m nothauntingher!” Caleb protested, uncaring that the woman couldn’t hear him. He was watching me, uneasiness touching the air. “I’m a protector. I’m watching over the crazy old bat!”

“—Any time I ask for a sign of his presence, he goes silent.” She crossed her hands under her chin, her eyes glowing. “It’s rather annoying.”

He’d been haunting her all this time? And wasn’t thisduringthe time he was supposed to be watching Michelle Nolan? “Don’t tell me you were stalking Ms. Protean instead of watching Damen’s suspect?” But why would he hide from her? “Are youembarrassed?”

Caleb Weaver had normal feelings?

“Stop analyzing me. And I amoffendedyou would accuse me of not doing my job.” Mr. Weaver floated above the fallen book, placing a hand to his chest. He was genuinely hurt. “My life has never revolved around an Abernathy spawn, and nor will my afterlife. I’ve always done my work to the best of my ability, which is better than anything you’ve done. You daft girl. Who the devil trained you?”

My lips pursed, irritation causing my blood to race. Technically you were supposed to respect your elders. But he was dead, so did that rule still apply?

“Is he insulting you?” Ms. Protean narrowed her eyes. “Don’t pay him any mind. He’s just an idiot. But don’t feel bad about putting him in his place.”