Page 59 of Wicked Ends

A girl with a short pixie cut lets out a heavy sigh, like she’s about to explain something to an idiot. “Like they care. Besides...” She trails off, but her meaning is clear. No one wants to attract Jasmine’s attention.

“Maybe she just went home,” I suggest. “Got spooked by all the trials before break and decided not to come back?”

“Without her things?” The tall guy shakes his head. “No way. And Thorne’s been looking everywhere. She’s really freaked out.”

That last bit gets my attention. Thorne, freaked out? The girl who orchestrated a campaign of torment against me, who allied herself with Jasmine Wickersly? If she’s worried.

I head back to Lucien.

“Ella’s missing.” I keep my voice low. “For days. No one’s seen her, but all her stuff is still in her room.”

“I heard.” Lucien’s voice is calm, but his expression is dark.

I push my plate away. “And Thorne’s apparently really worried.”

“We should tell the others.”

When we reach Lucien’s quarters, Soren is already there in the hallway.

“You heard?” Soren asks as soon as we all enter Lucien’s room.

“About Ella? Yeah, just now,” I confirm.

“This isn’t the first,” Lucien says, closing and locking the door behind us. “There was another. A staff member. Disappeared three days ago.”

My blood runs cold. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was investigating,” Lucien replies. “Staff come and go. I wanted to be certain before causing alarm.”

“And now?” Soren asks.

“Now we have a pattern. And a problem.”

A cold rush of air passes through the room, and Drake materializes right beside me, his sudden appearance making me jump.

I’m filling him in on what’s happening when there’s a thump on the door.

“It’s Ash.” I can feel him, he’s annoyed. Or angry. I can’t quite tell the difference between subtle emotions with Ash yet, they all seem so intense.

Soren smirks. “That’s about right.”

Lucien opens the door, and Ash strides in. He seems unsurprised to find us all gathered together.

“Good, you’re all here,” he says, not bothering with greetings. “You need to hear this.”

Soren positions himself closer to me, while Drake steps partially in front of me. Only Lucien remains where he is, watching Ash with wary eyes.

“There’s been another disappearance,” Ash says, confirming our fears. “And I know what’s happening.”

“Enlighten us,” Soren says.

Ash’s gaze goes to me, then back to the others. “Jasmine Wickersly was imprisoned by her own coven for a reason. She has what you might say are peculiar appetites. She consumes other witches.” Ash says bluntly, no sugar-coating.

The room goes silent as we all process this.

“You’re saying she’s eating people?” Drake asks, sounding horrified.

“Yes, essentially. She absorbs their power into herself. It’s why she was locked away.”