AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That would fit with what I saw,” Talia confirmed.
“If it’s anything like a curse, I could break it,” Nadine said. “But I’d have to know who he’s targeting… and break the spell before someone else gets hurt.”
A hopeless feeling settled over the room.
“Mandy and I will keep researching Nex demons,” Grant said, but it was the only thing any of us could offer. The alternative seemed impossible. “We’ll do our best to figure out how his spell works.”
We had no idea when Professor Leto might strike again. We had to break the demon’s spell…
Before another innocent person died and Professor Leto became even stronger.
CHAPTER 4
NADINE
The atmosphere around school seemed to grow even darker over the following days. By now, everyone knew there was a murderer roaming campus, and no one knew who they could trust. Headmistress Verla was shoulders-deep in parental complaints, and she’d canceled my mentorships indefinitely until things got sorted out.
I didn’t mind, because I already had a paper to write for my Criminal Justice class. Professor Clarke assigned us an essay where we had to detail how the coven’s judicial system differed from that of the United States’ government. He spoke highly of the priestesses, and I had to be careful about what I put into my essay, because I knew he was looking for specific answers. The more I studied Miriamic law, the more I found that the coven could really get away with anything. It made me sick to think about what the priestesses might do with their power.
I finished the essay during my dialysis on Friday. The nurse didn’t say anything as she unhooked me from the machine, though she kept throwing glances at the cauldron tattoo on my arm—the one I’d gotten to fool everyone into thinking I was an Alchemist. Everyone knew it wasn’t my real Cast mark, and she looked pretty bitter about it. I noticed the same cauldron tattoo on the back of her neck. She was obviously really offended that I’d tried to cross Cast lines.
Bitch, I’d just been trying to survive.
Isa growled lowly at the nurse, sensing her hostility. I nudged my cat with my foot, and she quieted.
The nurse turned away from me as I started gathering my things. I stood, and an intense wave of dizziness passed over me. I immediately sat back down, because I thought I might pass out. My vision went black for a moment, then settled. Isa meowed loudly, sensing something was very wrong.
“Excuse me,” I called to the nurse. She barely looked my way and obviously didn’t care.
“You’re all done. You can go now,” she said harshly. She clearly didn’t want me here a moment longer.
“I’m really dizzy,” I told her.
She frowned, but she didn’t say anything as she brought over a blood pressure cuff and placed it around my arm. “Low blood pressure,” she announced. “It’s a common side effect caused by a drop in fluids during dialysis. Drink some water, and you’ll be fine.”
That’s all she said before turning away from me. She didn’t even offer me water. If it wasn’t obvious before, it was clear that the coven wouldn’t hesitate to take sides. This woman couldn’t care less if I dropped dead on the dialysis floor. It was ironic that the very people who were supposed to keep me alive were the same ones who’d be cheering for the noose the second the priestesses sanctioned it.
I left the dialysis room, because I didn’t want to be around this nurse longer than I had to. I found some water near the registration desk and sipped on it in the waiting room. It helped.
“Come on, Isa,” I told my cat as I stood. “We better go, or we’re going to be late.”
The sun had set by the time I left the hospital. I drove to Octavia Hall, where the priestesses had ordered a meeting. I had no idea what they wanted to discuss, but I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders and walked inside.
When I entered the Imperium headquarters, the priestesses were already there, but they weren’t the only ones. At the fireplace, a man with an Alchemy tattoo stirred something inside of a cauldron. He was short and plump, and his hands shook as he added ingredients. He wore a white coat and a chef’s hat. The man shot a nervous glance at me before returning to his potion. He picked up a wand nearby and waved it over the cauldron. Magic swirled into his brew. When he set the wand aside, I realized with horror that I recognized it.
It was the Alchemy Wand. The priestesses were using one of the Oaken Wands… for what?
Another woman sat at the meeting table, laughing with Margaret like they were old friends. The woman had to be in her late fifties, with long black hair and sharp features. She sat straight with her shoulders back, commanding everyone’s attention. She wore a black dress and dark eye makeup.
She poured wine into four glasses while she laughed casually, then distributed them around the table. I noticed there wasn’t a glass for me. I didn’t drink alcohol and would’ve refused anyway, but it was a clear way of excluding me.
The woman stopped laughing as soon as I entered the room. Her features fell into a frown, and she eyed me up and down. She shot a quick glance at Isa, before looking me over once more.
“This is her?” she asked the other priestesses. Her tone was full of judgment.
Tingles spread across my arms. Hell, that look was worse than the one Lilian gave me. Put them both together, and I was ready to crawl out of my skin.
“Yes, this is Priestess Nadine,” Charlotte answered.
