Page 31 of Wicked Chains (Serpentine Academy #2)

Twenty-Nine

Rose

I’m still shaking as I climb the stairs to the fourth floor.

Hank seems fine; he doesn’t seem to care that he was almost a goner, or if he does, he’s really good at hiding it.

I thought about poofing him away, but I think he wants to stay close to me after what happened.

Or almost happened. I don’t even want to think about what Helena would have done, if Ash hadn’t stepped in.

I don’t want to feel anything but hate towards that man, I’m having trouble wrapping my head around him actually doing something decent.

Self-serving, sure, but it still saved Hank’s life.

When I get to the floor, I head for the windowsill and perch there, wiping the dusty window with my hand so I can see out. The snow hasn’t melted yet, but it’s trampled down by all the foot traffic from the students going back and forth.

It is insane to me that everyone seems oblivious to the fact that their headmistress is a psychopath who would kill a harmless frog to make a point. I gently lift Hank up in front of my face.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I didn't mean to put you in danger."

Hank blinks. He looks okay physically, and I hope he’s not traumatized. Hell, I'm traumatized.

"We need to do something about Helena," I tell him. "She's not going to stop. Not until she's broken me completely."

Or killed me. For all Ash's possessiveness and cruelty, at least he wants me alive. Helena, I'm not so sure about. There's something in her eyes that's colder and emptier than a black hole. Like she'd snap my neck and not feel a thing.

Fighting Helena head-on would be suicide. I need leverage, an advantage, something she doesn't see coming.

Could this third sister be useful? An enemy of Helena's would come in pretty handy right now.

The temperature drops a few degrees, and I don't need to look up to know Drake is here.

"Fancy meeting you here," he says, materializing beside me.

"Hey."

Drake's eyes narrow as he studies my face. "What happened?"

I swallow hard, fighting back tears that have been threatening since Helena grabbed Hank. "Helena tried to kill Hank."

"What?" Drake's form solidifies fully, his anger making him more corporeal than usual. "When?"

"After class. She cornered me in the hallway, said I needed to be taught a lesson. She was going to crush him in front of me. Would have, if Ash hadn't stopped her."

"Ash?" Drake looks surprised. "He stepped in?"

"Only because it might have affected my magic, which he considers his property." I stroke Hank's back again. "But yeah, he stopped her."

Drake reaches for me, his cool hands framing my face. "Are you okay?"

I nod. His thumbs brush my cheekbones, then his mouth dips toward mine. For a moment, I want to lose myself in him, to forget everything in the comfort of his touch.

But I pull back. "Wait. I need to talk to you about something."

A moment of something that almost looks like fear crosses his face before he masks it. "What is it?"

"Do you know anything about a witch named Jasmine Wickersly?"

Drake's brow furrows. "Wickersly? As in, related to Victoria and Helena?"

"Apparently. One of the cleaners overheard Helena on the phone, talking about someone named Jasmine. She said 'Jasmine always the favorite'." I watch Drake's face carefully. "Have you ever heard of a third Wickersly sister?"

Drake shakes his head slowly. "No. There was only Victoria when I was alive."

"Are you sure?"

“Victoria Wickersly was headmistress, but I never heard any mention of a sister other than Helena."

I deflate a little. "So it's a dead end."

"I didn't say that." Drake takes my hands in his. "Just because I don't know about her doesn't mean she doesn't exist."

"But Helena mentioned her like she's someone important, someone with power." I pull one hand free to rub my forehead. "I thought maybe she could help me fight back."

Drake considers this. "If she's a Wickersly, she's probably just as terrible as the other two."

"Maybe," I concede. "But she might hate Helena enough to help me.

“Amicus meus, inimicus inimici mei.”

“Say what?”

“It’s Latin. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That's a dangerous game, Rose." Drake's eyes are serious. "Witches like that don't help people out of kindness. They'd want something in return."

I groan in frustration. "I know. But I'm running out of options here." The ticking clock the Crescent Moon Coven had on my head may have been stopped, but Helena is just as ready to shorten my life span.

Drake is quiet for a moment. "Soren might know something. He's been around a long time."

"Lucien too," I add. "He's worked for the Crescent Moon Coven for centuries."

"Exactly." Drake's gaze turns curious. "Speaking of Lucien, how did it go?"

The memory of Lucien's lips on my throat, the delicious sting of his fangs, the erotic sensation as he drank from me—all of it rushes back, making my cheeks burn. "It was fine."

Drake's mouth curves. "Just fine? You're blushing."

"I am not," I protest, even as my face gets hotter.

"You are. Your whole face goes pink when you're embarrassed. It's adorable." He touches my cheek.

I swat his hand away. "Stop it. I am not adorable.”

"What happened, Rose?" He’s teasing now. "Did the big bad vampire finally make a move?"

"You're enjoying this way too much," I grumble.

Drake laughs. "I'm just curious. You can tell me, you know. It's okay."

I study his face, looking for any hint of jealousy or hurt, but all I see is genuine affection. "You're really not bothered?"

His expression softens. "I told you before, Rose. You're not mine to keep. Not really."

"But, what about, you know… us?"

"I don't resent you having feelings for Soren and Lucien," he continues. "I want you to be happy. You've given me more than you could ever know."

His words make my heart ache. "How did I get so lucky?"

Drake scoffs. "Lucky? I wouldn't call hooking up with a ghost who can't even take you on a proper date 'lucky.'"

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly a prize either," I say. "Considering I'm basically a human puppet to an evil warlock."

"We're quite the pair," Drake agrees. "The ghost and the witch on a chain."

I lean forward, resting my forehead against his. "You've made this place bearable, Drake. You know that, right? I don't know what I would have done without you."

A shadow passes over his face, and there's a sadness in his eyes that wasn't there before.

"What is it?" I ask, pulling back to look at him properly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He shakes his head. "Just thinking how after a century of being alone, with no one, I found you."

But I know that's not it. There's something he's not telling me, something that's been bothering him since he disappeared that time.

"Drake—"

"Let's not do this now," he interrupts, pulling me closer. "We have more important things to worry about, like keeping you alive.”

I want to push, to make him tell me what's wrong, but he's right. Helena is the immediate threat.

"You should talk to Soren or Lucien," Drake says, his fingers threading through my hair. "Find out what they know about this third sister."

"I will."

Drake's eyes meet mine, serious now. "Be careful, Rose. Helena is dangerous. If she was willing to kill Hank just to hurt you..."

"I know." I swallow hard. "I'm not safe here as long as she's in charge."

"You're not," Drake agrees.

He kisses me then, soft and sweet. I lean into him, lingering in the moment.

When we break apart, that haunted look is back in his eyes, a sadness I can't quite reach.

"Drake, please tell me what's wrong."

He touches my cheek gently. "Later. I promise. After you've talked to Soren and Lucien." His gaze drops to Hank, who's still sitting quietly on my knee. "Keep him close. Don't let Helena near him again."

I nod, scooping Hank up. "I won't. Will you be here when I get back?"

His smile doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I'll find you."

And then he's gone, leaving me alone in the dusty hallway.