Page 69 of Rogue Witch

Stony snorts a laugh, then farts. She does that sometimes when she’s really amused.

“Christ, Stony.” I wave a hand in front of my face, despite the fact there’s no odor.

“Now you know why they chose you,” she says in her piggy language.

“That’s not possible,” I whisper, but the chills that roll down my head and arms says she’s right. “No.” I shake my head. “I’m not Nova.”

Stony’s forehead stretches in an approximation of lifting her brows.

I sit up. “I’ve got to get out of here.”

Stony pushes up onto her forelegs.

I shake my head. “You don’t have to go. You can rest. I’m going to go back to Grams’ place. I can work on the spell book there much easier than here.”

“Blood pact,” she says.

“Fuck.” The pact stipulates that I have to get their permission to leave Academy grounds. I cut my gaze to Stony. “Wait a minute. The pact says I must ask for their permission. Oh my god, we didn’t stipulate that they had to give their permission.”

Stony laughs again.

“It might work,” I shoot back in defense.

I jump up and pull paper and pen from the desk drawer. I spot one of the hard cinnamon candies I left there. I love cinnamon. I unwrap the candy, pop it into my mouth, and write,

Raith, Ethan and Blade,

I request permission to leave The Academy.

Leilah

A light knock on the door causes me to freeze. I look at Stony, then the door. I stuff the note into the front desk drawer, then cross to the door.

“Who is it?” I ask.

“Blade.”

I mouth to Stony, What does he want?

She shakes her head.

I stare at the door. How can I face him?

Chapter Twenty-Five

BLADE

Ethan wants to see Leilah as badly as I do, but I left him and Caleb to argue with Raith over whether or not Caleb should be allowed to stay on Academy grounds. If Raith thinks he can order Caleb to leave Leilah, then he’s forgotten who the wolf is. Caleb is angry enough with Raith to push the issue—or let Ethan push the issue. Caleb knows that his insistence he stay on Academy grounds is pissing off Raith.

I plan to pay Chelsea Nightlow a visit, but first, I have to see Leilah. I hurry from the building along the pathway toward her dorm. I’m still in shock that Caleb has spent the last fifteen years as a sheriff in a small Colorado town. He’s perfect for the job, of course, but he might have dropped us a line to let us know he was alive. That’s a wolf for you.

I catch sight of Watchmen in the trees. Aside from them, not a soul is walking the grounds. The students who returned from the Reaping are being cared for by staff and friends. The friends are sticking close in an effort to reassure themselves that their returned friends are really safely home.

Five minutes later, I reach Leilah’s dorm and take the stairs two at a time. What will I say to her? How will I explain my need to see her? She witnessed a student get hanged. She can’t be in good shape emotionally, yet Raith—and Caleb—let her go off alone. Not quite alone. She’s got her familiar.

I reach her room and knock. A rustling in the room is followed by her calling out,

“Who is it?”