Three hours later the alert went out as I finished homework at my desk. The school’s magical sound system, which apparently didn’t require speakers, boomed through my room.
“Good evening Peel students. Due to the recent murders, all students are prohibited from going near ley lines. Any who are caught violating this rule will be suspended immediately. For your safety, this rule will be enforced until after the close of Samhain. Any students who are unclear what ley lines are or where on the island they are located, we’ve posted a link on our homepage. Happy holidays.”
Outside my room I could hear the groans from my hall-mates just as I released a sigh of relief. At least my school was safe.
Then I glanced to the other side of my dorm room. The desk was empty, the bed unmade. I hadn’t seen Leanne this morning before class, and now that it was evening and she still hadn’t appeared, I was starting to worry. What if she had gone to the ley line? She was the one, after all, who had alerted me to their importance. With Samhain only two days away, the odds of attack along ley lines seemed greater than ever.
My breathing quickened at all the horrific images my mind conjured up. Could she be out there? Should I go check?
I went to my phone to call her when I heard footsteps echo up the stairwell. A few seconds later a key slid into our lock, the door turned, and Leanne entered, the shadows along her face giving her a hollow, tired look.
I didn’t even give her a chance to put down her things. I threw my arms around her and squeezed her tight. “I am so glad you’re okay,” I said, unwilling to let go of her for a few seconds.
“Hey, hey,” she said, patting my back. “What’s up with you?”
I pulled away, breathing in the smell of smoke that clung to my roommate. “Just scared that something had happened to you out there.”
Leanne dropped her bags next to her bed. “Nope. Just stayed out late with other seers helping the Witches Club set up the bonfire for Samhain. The location was changed now that Peel Academy won’t let us hold the Witches Festival on the ley line. What a bunch of tight wads.”
I decided not to mention the fact that those tight wads only put that rule in place because I brought it to the Politia’s attention.
“Where’s Oliver?” she asked. We’d both accepted the fact that he was our adopted third roommate.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think making out and making up with Rodrigo the werewolf.” Poor werewolf. Dating a fairy couldn’t be easy.
She let out a long breath. “Good, I was dreading spending another few hours with him,” Leanne said, plopping down into her desk chair.
I stared at my roommate. Leanne could be sarcastic and cynical, but she was rarely flat out mean.
The smoky scent that clung to her wafted over the room, and my pulse spiked at the smell of it.
I glanced over at my roommate, who was now thoroughly engrossed in her computer.
Something about her unsettled me, but I couldn’t say just what.
***
The evening and the following day passed without incident. No murders occurred, no nightmares—nothing. The absence of trouble should’ve reassured me. It didn’t. It felt too much like the quiet before the storm.
As soon as night fell, my phone buzzed.
“Someone’s hunk of burning love is calling!” Oliver sang from where he lay on his mattress “doing homework.” He hadn’t flipped the page of his textbook in over an hour. His phone, however, had been going off almost constantly now that he and Rodrigo were mending their relationship.
“I picked my phone up, smiling at the two emoticon hearts. “Psychic much?” I asked Oliver.
“What can I say, I have a sixth sense when it comes to relationships.”
From the other side of the room Leanne huffed. “You two disgust me,” she said, slamming her textbook shut and packing up her things. “I’m going to the library where I can get some actual work done.”
My eyes widened and I glanced at Oliver.
She’s cray-cray, he mouthed to me.
Whatever. I shrugged off Leanne’s bad attitude and answered the phone. “Hey,” I said, hearing the smile in my voice.
“Evening beautiful.” My heart skipped at the endearment. “Put on something nice, I’m cashing in on our first date.”
***
A short while later I met Andre outside my dorm, where he leaned against a limo, his hands in his pockets. His hair was brushed away from his face, but a strand had freed itself and hung over his forehead. Behind him a passing group of students stopped and stared.
He eyed my outfit, a wicked smile curving his lips. “Nice dress.”
I self-consciously tugged it down. After checking my closet and finding it bare of any dresses, I enlisted the help of Oliver and Paul, his conjuror roommate, to produce a dress for me. My wallet was now ten dollars lighter, thanks to Paul’s thriving new business of conjuring items for a small fee, and my legs were more exposed than they should’ve been, thanks to Oliver’s overly-skimpy design.
I walked up to Andre and touched the open collar of his form-fitting suit. “You’re not looking too bad yourself.”