Page 24 of Spellcaster (Weatherstone College #1)

The next few days I was jumpy but managed to keep it together for my friends. I got through my classes in a daze, trying to

figure out who hated me enough to dabble in dark magic and create monsters.

Logan was the obvious choice, and later that evening when I was racing through the hall to shower, he stepped into Florence

Hall and we almost collided. He caught me with ease, before I lost my footing and toiletries. “Precious,” he said, voice a

smooth rumble. “Why are you sprinting like you’re being chased?” He looked over my head as if checking for a pursuer, but

clearly there was none. I was just a hot mess seeing shadows and monsters everywhere.

“You don’t already know?” I choked out, because he was far too close, and I was far too frazzled to hide my usual reaction

to his presence and magic. His touch confused and destroyed me in equal measures, and maybe I was actually losing my mind.

His brow wrinkled as he shook his head. “You’re just as fucking weird as you were as a child. You’re making less sense than

usual, Paisley. Are you injured? Did you hit your head?”

I’d show him who was weird. “No, I didn’t hit my head. I don’t have to injure myself when there’s someone else out there ensuring

it happens. Now, if you’ll excuse me...”

I tried to wrench myself free, but his grip tightened. “Who?” he asked, in a softly dangerous tone. “Who injured you?”

This guy did my head in. “I don’t know, Logan,” I replied. “I mean, last time it was your bestest buddy, so maybe this time

it’s you. Or... your other friend.”

No change in expression. “Walter was taken care of long ago, and if Noah wanted to hurt you, you’d be in much less—” he eyed

the long expanse of leg exposed by my shorts “—pristine condition. So, I repeat, Precious, who the fuck hurt you?”

The way he said Walter was taken care of settled uneasily in my chest. “You got rid of Walter? Did he end up in prison?”

His eyes twinkled, and I could have sworn he was amused. “No, he’s missing. No one has seen him in weeks. Answer my question,

Paisley.”

Missing. That wasn’t good when I felt a stalker on my ass. Was it possible for him to sneak into the grounds somehow and try to take

me out for good this time? Or was he sending the monsters through the barrier?

“No one hurt me,” I said, desperate for Logan to let me go. Or pull me closer. Fuck. I was such a mess. “Can you let me go...?”

For a moment, it didn’t seem he was going to release me, but then he relaxed his grip and stepped aside. I scampered away

before he could say another word, and forced myself not to look back, even as I felt the burn of his gaze on me.

Tomorrow, no matter what classes I had, I’d find time to research the magic required to create monsters. And find out if it

had to be a spellcaster.

After that night I did nothing except go to classes, see my friends, and live in the library.

I had all but exhausted the supply of dark magic books, and had a ton of theories about how the monsters were being created, though nothing concrete.

It didn’t take a spellcaster per se, but it did take a dark warlock or witch to be able to bring nightmares to life.

In a text on the history of dark magic, I’d found an obscure paragraph that suggested there was a way to draw beasts from

one of the planes that none of the affinities could touch. Which should eliminate Logan as a suspect, but the part about going dark was the key. If you dabbled in magics you shouldn’t, you touched energy you shouldn’t.

“Pais!”

I lifted my head, rubbing at my bleary eyes. Half of these texts had tiny freakin’ writing. I was going to need glasses if

I kept this research up.

“I’ve been waiting for you for an hour.” Belle’s voice was low and vibrating with annoyance. She placed her hands on the back

of the chair opposite me, and I noted how nice she looked. Her hair was shiny and straight, makeup darker than usual and on

point, and she was in a cute little black dress and heels.

That was when it clicked on, and I let out a gasp. “Holy fuck. I’m so sorry. I got totally caught up in this research and

spaced on the time.”

I’d promised that I’d ditch the library for one night and go to a party in the gardens. This one was school sanctioned, so

I’d felt safe in attending, but then the library books had dragged me in and time had slipped away.

Pushing to my feet, I started to apologize again, but she got in first. “Honestly, I’m worried about you. You’re obsessed,

not sleeping, and barely eating. You look like shit, friend.”

Her bluntly honest words hurt, and I felt the need to react defensively.

“There’s a darkness stalking my steps, Belle.

I’ve felt it, and I think . . . maybe I’m in danger.

” This was the most I could tell her without coming out with the whole monster thing.

“I need to know why and how, so that when it happens again I can deal with it.”

She just shook her head. “I’ve never felt what you do. None of us have. I’m not saying you aren’t in danger, but I think this

might be PTSD from Walter’s attack. That’s all. You need to talk to someone.”

This wasn’t the first time she’d suggested I get help from a professor or maybe a magical therapist. They could use healing

energy to soothe the brain, especially when there had been real trauma.

“I don’t think it’s PTSD.” I rubbed at the ache in my temples. “I’m not crazy. I know what’s been happening to me.”

Belle nodded, without any real emotion. “Okay, Paisley. I get it. But I’m done waiting for you tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She was gone before I could open my mouth to offer another useless apology. Her words, though harsh, were not unfounded—I

hadn’t been a very good friend for a while now. That recent attack in the graveyard had taken a piece of me, and now I didn’t

feel safe in my own life.

The lake I’d excused away, and Walter was a deranged psychopath, but a legitimate monster had me spiraling... and keeping

it all to myself wasn’t getting me anywhere.

Knowing I’d get nothing more productive done tonight, I returned all the books and left the library. As I stepped outside

in the balmy night, I basked in the glorious warmth, the chirp of cicadas off in the distance. Party sounds echoed across

the grounds, resurrecting my guilt and sadness. I hated letting my friends down.

Maybe I should have gone into more detail about the graveyard attack with her. I’d mentioned that I thought I was in danger, and that someone had been there with me, but left the monster part out completely, lest she think I was crazier than she probably already thought.

Heat swirled in my chest as I fought my emotions, trying to calm down. I’d been practicing calling my energy and had improved

enough that there was a whisper of talk that I might possibly be a late-blooming spellcaster. I could touch most of the affinities,

but I hadn’t found the key to my power yet. It was as if I forced small slivers out through the keyhole, but it was never

going to be enough for an affinity.

Dad was proud, glossing over my lack of true active magic. Mom, when I called her last, had been just as excited. “I told

you, honey,” she’d said. “You will grow into the amazing witch I always knew you could be. But don’t let the pressure of being

a spellcaster get to you. Your path is yours alone, and it will be clear when the time is right.”

Then she’d promised to send a batch of my favorite choc-chip cookies with Dad, and I’d found myself desperate for home, for

one of her hugs. The reality of maturing and searching for my future, while simultaneously missing my childhood and old life,

was disconcerting to say the very least.

In my dorm, I opened my window for one last breath of summer air and let the moonlight wash through the window. My crystals

sparkled, and I picked up the large moonstone piece, with its unusual emerald flecks embedded. This was my most comforting

crystal, and here, in my room surrounded by its energy, I felt a peace and safety that was lacking outside these walls.

As I went to return the moonstone to my desk, a scream rang out so loud that even in my dorm I could hear it.

I almost dropped the crystal, catching it before it slipped through my fingers, and placed it back in its spot.

Another scream echoed through the room, fracturing the peace I’d found, and unable to stop myself, I raced to my door and peeked out to see what was happening.

The noise amplified as soon as I cracked the door, and there were dozens of students streaming along as more screams rang

out—this was not a normal fight.

Stepping out of the room in my skimpy pj’s since there was no time to change, I joined the crowd. Most of them wore pajamas

and confused expressions too. No one knew the source of the chaos.

When we crossed into Aura Hall, the screams were so loud they were almost deafening, and as a shadow reared up, I choked on

my breath, grinding to a halt. A creature filled the hallway, squished down by the ceiling, as it jabbed claws in front of

it. At first glance, it looked like an armored praying mantis, its grasping legs serving as serrated weapons. It was black,

just like the last two monsters I’d seen, and it was grappling with a warlock in the hallway.

The relentless screams came from a group of witches, who were using elements and other magic to try to knock the beast off

a warlock. I caught a glimpse of Jenna in the group, and panicked that she was about to get hurt, which was the only way I

could move again.

“I’m going to fetch a professor,” she shouted before I got too close, and then she was gone. Alice joined her at the last

minute, and I was relieved that they were out of harm’s way.

“Use air to send it flying backward,” a witch shouted.

The air elementals moved closer together, and the wind in the hallway picked up until my hair flew around me. They blasted

the creature in one shot and managed to send it skidding back only a few inches. These monsters were strong, and as I tried

to push through the crowd, my newly procured defense spell burning a hole in my pocket, the monster lifted its head and screeched

loudly.

“Watch out,” I screamed, but it was too late. The creature struck out with its grasping leg, the serrated edges slicing through the warlock, tearing him near in two.

If I’d thought the screams were loud before, it was nothing as the blood spattered across the walls, covering half the students

standing nearby. It wasn’t just blood either. The monster viciously tore that warlock into so many pieces there was no way

he’d survive.

As shock and terror held most of the students immobile, I was able to move this time, because I’d felt this before. I knew

the fear tracing my spine, and I knew how to push through it.

We could mourn that student later, but right now everyone here was in peril.

The incantation raced through my mind as someone grabbed my arm. I spun to find Belle, her eyes filled with tears, clinging

to me. “I’m so fucking sorry,” she sobbed. “This is the feeling, right? That scary shit that has been chasing you. I can feel

it now, Paisley! I feel it!”

She was half-hysterical, and I knew we’d debrief later, but I couldn’t let anyone else die. “This is it,” I confirmed. “I

need you to get back to your dorm now. This monster is deadly.”

She didn’t release me. “Not without you.”

“I know how to get rid of it,” I said in a rush. “Wait here.” I turned to wade through the crowd, which was harder than it

should be as students moved in both directions—the braver ones toward the creature, and the rest away. The creature scuttled

across the hall, and everyone backed up.

“Let me through,” I called. “I know how to get rid of it.” In their panic, no one was listening to me. Or more accurately,

I couldn’t be heard above the screams.

The scent of death, a heavy copper, amongst other disgusting aromas, had me gagging, but I didn’t back away.

One warlock was dead, but it wasn’t too late to save everyone else.

When I finally got close, a familiar ash and sulfur smell filtered through the death, and I had no doubt this was created through the same energy as the one in the graveyard.

The beast let out another ear-piercing screech that almost drove me to my knees. There was power in both their presence and

their calls, and wishing I could press my hands to my ears, I instead uncorked the vial, and tossed the ash at it, repeating

the incantation.

My panic this time was less intense, having faced a creature like this before. My brain knew what to expect already, and how

to deal with it.

As the ash landed on the monster, I sent my energy out with it, but I was too far away to touch it. My hands lit up, illuminating

the hallway, and I lost sight of everyone. When my energy eased, I expected the monster to be gone, only to find a massive,

serrated leg jabbing right for me. There was a split second where I registered that I was about to die, a-fucking-gain , only to feel a solid weight slam against my side, knocking me out of the way.

We landed hard, the air forcibly ejecting from my lungs until I gasped and flailed like a fish out of water. Whoever had saved

my life was on their feet in another heartbeat, and I managed to roll over, clawing my way into a sitting position.

A deep, familiar voice rumbled throughout the hallway, and once again it was Logan who’d ripped me from death’s grasp. “Everyone

get down,” he bellowed.

We were all blown back by his power, and the light it emitted made mine look like darkness. I shielded my eyes until the radiance

faded, and when I opened them again, Logan was gone, and so was the monster.