Soul Legacy: A Supernatural Ghost Series (The Windhaven Witches Book 2) Page 12

  “Yeah, but did they come back to life? Or are they just…”

  “Revenants?” I say, unable to help myself.

  Colton’s eyes narrow and his eyebrows crease in confusion.

  “Zombies,” Wade reiterates, entering the fray for the first time.

  “Yeah,” Colton says, swallowing hard, “that’s what I meant.”

  “They’re definitely revenants,” I mutter.

  My gaze flits to the group in the corner. The five of them are all turned in our direction, raptly listening to our conversation. Anger flares through me and I stand up.

  “What are you looking at? Huh?” I spit, my fists clenching at my side. “Don’t you have anything better to do with your time?”

  The two girls edge away, clearly startled by my outburst. The three guys, on the other hand, stand up, immediately going to the defense of the ladies in their circle.

  “Haven’t you done enough, necro? You all should be behind bars,” a large redhead says, squaring his shoulders. His dark-brown eyes flash as he shoots sideways glances at the two guys by his side.

  The brunette to his left crosses his arms over his broad chest and tips his chin in approval while the sandy blond adjusts his glasses, clearly not looking for a fight but not willing to back down, either.

  “Done enough?” I sputter, narrowing my gaze and taking a step toward them.

  Suddenly, both Wade and Cat are on their feet, standing just steps behind me.

  “And how the hell would you know what she’s done?” Wade growls.

  “She hasn’t done anything wrong,” Colton says, taking a step out in front of the rest of us. His fist are clenched at his sides, and the chairs around us begin to rattle.

  The guys across the room take a small step back, startled.

  “What the hell, man? We’ve got no beef with you,” the sandy blond says.

  “Colton,” I warn, stepping forward and placing a hand on his arm. Suddenly, I feel the strange, warming sensation again as the iridescent blue and orange flames start to engulf my hand. Startled, I pull it back.

  Immediately, the rattling ceases.

  I twist around, hoping Wade didn’t catch it. Luckily, his attention is centered solely on the group ahead of us. My shoulders relax slightly as I turn back to the threat across the room.

  “If she hasn’t done anything wrong, why does she need everyone else to stand up for her? Huh? We heard about you, Blackwood. All last semester you pretended you had no idea you were a necromancer. What bullshit. Your family practically coined the term and you didn’t know. Then you go and bring this one back,” the burly redhead says, jabbing a finger toward Cat. “So, what…is this some sort of publicity stunt? Or are you really just one of those kinds of people who need to have all the attention all the time?”

  I roll my eyes.

  “You don’t even know her,” Colton says, taking another step forward.

  “Neither do you,” Wade says, a hint of rage boiling beneath his tone.

  Looking over my shoulder, I shoot him a look and mouth, “What the hell?”

  Wade ignores my question, instead taking a step around me so he can put himself between me and the other group.

  The testosterone rolling through the entire commons is so thick I want to barf. I shake my head, unable to deal with any more of it. It’s as if their egos are what matters in all of this and it’s sickening.

  Without another word to any of them, I spin around, pick up my backpack, and walk out.

  There’s literally nothing I can say or do to change anyone’s minds, and sitting in the middle of a boy battle is only going to make things worse. Besides, I have more important things to worry about right now. Like what the hell am I going to do about Wade’s dead grandpa?

  Cat chases after me, rushing to catch up. “Autumn, wait. Just ignore those guys. They’re—“

  “Not now, Cat. I really can’t deal with any more of this shit,” I say, swiping my hand through the air and cutting her off.

  “I know you, though. I know the good you strive for. People will believe whatever they want to. Especially if it means getting attention for themselves. But they’re not who matters here,” she says, her eyebrows tipping in the middle as she tries to reach out for me.

  I shake my head, refusing to stop. Instead, I push open the door to the building and keep walking. When I reach the bottom of the large stone staircase leading to the parking lot, both Wade and Colton burst through the doors behind us.

  “Autumn,” Wade calls out, rushing to make his way to me. “Dru, stop. Please.”

  Despite myself, I pull up short. My anger boils over and I spit, “What, Wade? What do you want? Do you want to beat your chest some more? Knock me over the head with your caveman club and drag me back home?”

  Wade takes a step back, clearly wounded.

  I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I just can’t handle all of this right now. Not on top of everything else.”

  God, I wish I was anywhere but here. Anywhere but under the scrutiny of everyone.

  Other students filter out of the school, some of them eyeing us suspiciously as they walk by. I do my best to ignore them, but I know if I stand here too much longer, I’m going to flip my shit. Big time.

  Colton bounds down the remaining couple of steps, reaching out for my arm the way Cat had. “Autumn, don’t be mad. We were all just trying to—”

  I try to pull my arm out of the way, but it’s too late. His hand comes into contact with my elbow and almost immediately the familiar iridescent flames erupt across my arm and over his hand.

  “Get off of me,” I blurt out, pulling my arm back from him.

  But it’s too late. I look over to Wade’s wide eyes and white face. He scoffs, taking another step back.

  Walking away from Colton, I take a step toward Wade, my hands out in front of me. “Wade…”

  He shakes his head, and his lips tug downward. “So, guess that’s still a thing.”

  “It’s not a thing,” I say, trying to ignore the tremors rolling through my limbs. “You already know it’s just—”

  “What’s not a thing? What are you talking about?” Colton says behind me.

  “Guys,” Cat warns. “You heard the woman. Honestly, the two of you are ridiculous. She doesn’t need any peacocking right now. Both of you need to back the eff up.” Her jaw sets and her dark eyes flash furiously.

  Any trace of the odd version of her I talked to in the woods is gone, and I can’t help but be somewhat relieved. The last thing I need right now is to also be sought after because of a resurrection gone wrong.

  Wade’s jaw clenches and he steps around me. “Why don’t you just keep moving, Colton? Don’t you get it? She’s already got a boyfriend and I’m not going anywhere.”

  Colton holds his chin up, flitting his gaze from Wade to me. His lips curve into a small smirk and he whispers, “We’ll see about that.”

  Chapter 16

  The Jig Is Up

  The next few days fly by as if they’ve been sucked into some sort of fast-forward time warp. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s being under suspicion is not conducive to being in the present moment. I almost wish this renowned psychic would hurry up and make it here. If he’s worth a grain of salt, maybe he can actually prove I had nothing to do with any of this and find the actual asshats who are.

  “Did you hear the latest? More of the dead have risen. Still all freshly dead. They’re pretty convinced there’s a spell on the two cemeteries,” Wade says, joining me in the overcrowded hallway.

  I hike my backpack higher onto my shoulder. “Wonderful. How’d you hear that?”

  “Chelsea,” Wade says, pushing open the door to the cafeteria and holding it wide. “She’s been keeping a pulse on things for us.”

  I shoot him a sideways glance, trying to suppress the flush of jealousy. “You mean for you.”

  Wade’s dark eyebrows merge. “No…pretty sure I
meant us. What’s up with you today?”

  “N-nothing. I just want this all to be over. Sorry,” I say, shaking my head and walking through the open doorway.

  “I get it,” Wade says, grabbing a tray and making his way through the line. “Let me know if there’s anything you want me to do, okay?”

  Shooting him a halfhearted smile, I nod and follow behind him in a daze. Truthfully, I’m not really even sure if I want to eat. My appetite has pretty much gone on hiatus during all of this, replaced instead by an insatiable appetite for worry.

  What if they can’t prove me innocent? What if I can’t convince them? Could I end up going to prison?

  I can’t go to prison.

  We make our way through the line, and I barely manage to go through the motions. Wade and I find an open table by the windows. I shove my backpack to the far side of the bench, and as we settle in, I stare down at my tray. I somehow managed to grab an orange juice, a slice of pizza, and a handful of green peppers. I don’t even like green peppers.

  Pushing the tray aside, I stare out the window. Even without looking, I feel the weight of the stares from people all around us.

  “Not hungry?” Wade asks, taking a bite of his own slice of pizza.

  At least he’s gotten his appetite back.

  I shake my head, letting my gaze filter out across the room. The majority of people have the decency to at least divert their eyes when I glance their way. There are, however, the few who lean in, conversing to someone beside them as they point our direction.

  Rather than turning away, I force myself to look each one of them in the eye. I refuse to back down and shrink from their accusatory glares.

  A few tables back, near one of the enormous stone pillars holding up the space, a student catches my eye. The bright pink chunk of hair tucked behind her left ear is the first thing to capture my attention, but it’s her discerning blue eyes that send chills straight through me. It’s like they could rip me apart and spit me back out. She sits completely alone, and instead of eating, her large black combat boots are propped up on the edge of the table, crossed at the ankles, as if she’s simply here to make me uncomfortable.

  Shuddering at the chill creeping up my spine, I raise an eyebrow and set my jaw. I don’t know who this chick is, but I refuse to be the first to look away.

  Oddly enough, the corners of her lips twist upward into a smirk. But she doesn’t turn away. If anything, it’s like she accepts the challenge.

  “What are you looking at?” Wade asks, twisting his head around and surveying the sea of people.

  Despite myself, I break my concentration and turn to him. “Do you see that chick? Over near the pillar, with the hot-pink hair?”

  “Yeah,” he mutters with a nod. “God, she looks like she could rip us to shreds.”

  “Right?” I say. “Well, she’s been staring at us for—”

  Abruptly, the chick uncrosses her legs and stands up. She pulls her ultra-light-blond hair into a loose ponytail, leaving the pink chunk to stray loose. Adjusting her Pink Floyd t-shirt and the zipper edge of her grey leather jacket, she pushes in her chair as if manners in this place are actually a thing. Without a single air of embarrassment or apprehension, she walks through the cafeteria like she owns the place—and of course, directly toward us.

  “Do you know her?” Wade asks in a hushed tone.

  I shake my head. “I’ve never even seen her before. Have you?”

  There’s an air of power around her that I can’t quite put my finger on. People move out of her way, giving her a wide berth without any verbal request or even really acknowledging they’re doing it. As she reaches our booth, she grabs a chair from the nearest table, spinning it around in her hand and sliding it up to the outward-facing edge of our table.

  Straddling the seat, she folds her arms across the back. “Guess the jig is up, huh?”

  “Excuse me?” I say, blinking back surprise.

  She sighs heavily, rolling her big blue eyes as if my question offends her. “You know, guess I’ve been found out. Exposed. Discovered? Are any of these words ringing a bell?” She narrows her eyes and purses her lips as she waits for a response. “Wow, what do they teach you guys in this place? They really should start with language.”

  My brain feels as though it’s seized up and all I seem capable of doing is staring blankly in her direction.

  “Who are you?” Wade asks, pushing his tray aside.

  Her face brightens a bit as she turns to him, almost peering at him through her pink bangs. “You know, that is the existential question, isn’t it? I mean, who are any of us, really?” She opens her arms wide, as if she’s commanding the space around her in some sort of orchestrated event.

  It’s Wade’s turn to look dumbfounded as he turns his wide, silver eyes to me.

  “Okay, so I can tell the two of you aren’t super-fast on the uptake, so I’ll do you a favor and see if you can play catch-up. My name’s Diana,” she says, as if the word should be completely self-explanatory.

  When neither of us make a move in acknowledgement, she exhales in exasperation, extending a hand and stealing one of my green peppers. She pops it into her mouth, then extends the same hand out to me. Without thinking, I reach forward to shake it. However, Diana places her other hand over top of mine, locking it in place. Closing her eyes, she practically pulls me off my seat as she tugs my hand in to her body.

  Instantly, my entire arm hums with a strange combination of heat and static electricity, igniting a domino effect of goosebumps across my flesh. “Um, excuse me,” I say, yanking my hand back.

  Diana opens her eyes slowly, sitting up straighter in her chair. Evidently finished with me, she turns her piercing gaze to Wade. Her eyes flit from the top of his head downward, but she doesn’t extend her hand to him.

  She shakes her head and mutters, “Angel. How quaint.”

  Wade’s face pales and my mouth pops open.

  How in the hell did she know the pet name I have for him?

  Suspicion dissipates and I lean back in my seat. “Ah…you’re the world-renowned psychic we’ve been hearing about. No offense, but aren’t you a little young?”

  She’s certainly not what I expected. If anything, she’s got maybe a year on me, and if that’s the case, there’s a good chance Wade’s older than her.

  Again, she smirks, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “What’s age got to do with anything?”

  Again, it’s not the response I was expecting. She clearly just likes to turn people in circles. Probably so she can make herself seem more powerful. Despite her knowing Wade’s nickname, it doesn’t mean she has psychic gifts that go beyond Dominic’s.

  What a joke.

  “Well, a lot, actually. Look around you. This school is filled with people our age, all trying to learn how to master their abilities. How am I supposed to believe you can pick things up better than they can?” I say, holding back my indignation as best I can.

  Diana leans forward, with an oddly gentle expression taking over her features. “And you believe a school like this is the only way to hone those abilities, do you?”

  “Well…” Sorta. But with the way she’s looking at me, I’m inclined to keep that to myself.

  “Diana, if you are who you say you are, then you’ll have to give us something more to go on. No offense, but this is a college campus, and everyone here has it in for us at the moment. So, you’ll have to forgive us if we don’t take you at face value,” Wade says, recovering from his initial surprise.

  Diana inhales slowly through her nose, letting her gaze fall to the table then rise up to him. “I understand your hesitation, Mr. Hoffman. I do, but I’m not the one under investigation here.” Diana’s eyes flick to me. “She is. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is…I’m disinclined to acquiesce to your request.”

  Wade inhales sharply and his gaze snaps over to me. I’m not sure if it’s from the fact that she so bluntly said I’m under investigation or the fact that she use
d a movie quote reference from one of his favorites.

  She’s either fishing, a genius, or actually rooting around in his brain.

  “Fair enough. What do you want?” I say, turning to her.

  “Don’t be coy, Ms. Blackwood. You know why I’m here. I’ve been sent to assess your level of interaction with the local resurrections,” she says, turning to me without batting an eye. “So, do you have anything you’d like to confess? Anything on your mind and weighing on you?”

  “I didn’t do anything—” I blurt out. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is Cat’s resurrection and the weird interaction with her in the woods.

  Diana’s blue eyes home in on me. “So, there has been a resurrection, then? Who’s Cat?”

  My pulse quickens, and I gape at her.

  She chuckles under her breath and shakes her head.

  “What are you laughing at?” I say, slamming my hands down on the table in front of me.

  She tips her chin condescendingly and pats the top of my left hand. “There, there, little one. No need to get yourself worked up. You’ll give yourself premature wrinkles.”

  “Ugh,” I moan. She’s just toying with me, but I’m starting to feel like a mouse who can’t escape.

  “See, here’s the thing, kids,” Diana begins, resting her forearms on the table and clasping her hands out in front of her. “There’s only two ways revenants like the ones in this town can be called forth. The first one would take a magician capable of harnessing the higher vibrations of earth energies. We’re talking deep, powerful magic. Not only would that take an incredible skill level of biomancy, but it also requires the use of relics very few have even heard of. Or…the more likely scenario is a newbie necromancer was playing around with forces beyond her capabilities and level of awareness…and who, of course, didn’t know any better. Since all magicians with elemental magic get catalogued and there’s no one in this area with that level of power just yet, it sorta leaves you.” She shoots me a knowing look. “So, you can see our predicament. Now, let’s try this again. Who’s Cat?”