Cursed to the Bone

16. The Epitome of Discretion

My return to the dorm was met by Naomi, Blake, and Rhett, which ruined my plans of going unnoticed until I had some time to myself. I groaned. "What are you doing here, Rhett?"

"Waiting on you. Just had to go and find trouble again, hm?"

"Ignore him, Vee. What happened?" Naomi bounced in her seat, her hands gripping her knees and her double-buns bobbing on her head. "By the time the last senior arrived at the lake, you weren't there. We checked the room and searched for an hour before they forced us all inside."

Goddess, why? I dusted my hands off on the dirtied, white robe, feeling overly conscious of the earthy smell emanating off of me. It wasn't exactly how I wanted to be seen, especially not by Rhett. "I need a shower."

"Save it for later," Rhett said, arms crossed. "I know you were in the infirmary."

"Yes." I leaned against the wall with a great, heaving sigh and curled my toes into the carpet. "Someone tried to bury me. It was hell to get out of."

"I can't believe this," Blake said, her voice quivering as she hugged herself. "Are you okay? How did you even escape?"

"I used elemental magic." Warmth dusted my cheeks and I looked anywhere but at Rhett. "Then I fell asleep by a tree. Professor Lacroix found me with his . . . Shades."

"All that whining and look how it paid off in the end." The grin in Rhett's voice made me crave, so badly, to cross the room and smack him. "I guess next time we're in elemental you'll treat me nicely?"

"No."

Blake stood with a groan and paced along the shelf. "This is so ridiculous. I don't understand why out of everyone, it had to be you."

"Surely you know she's been unlucky all her life," Rhett said with a chuckle. "Must have broken a mirror or something."

Naomi blinked at Rhett. "Are you superstitious?"

"Mm. Depends on the superstition."

"I get that."

"All right." I pushed off the wall and started down the hallway. "I'm taking a shower."

"Fine," Naomi called after me. "But when you're done, let's go eat!"

My stomach curled with hunger as I opened the door to our room. "Deal."

Deciding my new lease on life was worthy of celebration, Naomi insisted we bus down the mountain to a town just outside the Sages. The road to Strathton was cobblestone all the way down, and lined with colorful, Tudor homes. A bridge crossed a wide, roaring river that connected the two halves of a brick town that screamed of a history I knew nothing about.

The mall, as they called it, was more of a town square. A variety of old shops and restaurants faced the park with sidewalks covered in display stands and outdoor seating. The only cars that traversed the square were horse-drawn carriages—a tourist favorite, apparently. The Park itself had picnic tables, gazebos, and ponds. It looked especially pretty with the yellowing trees on the outskirts.

Cold wind ducked into the valley from the height of the mountains, chased away by the heaters positioned nearby. We sat comfortably on the patio of a restaurant with a menu for witches. I ordered a large bowl of Roque stew. It had a light gravy and the lean meat of winged serpents.

"Have you tried these?" Nix said through a mouthful of french-fries. "Why don't we have them at the school?"

"Because it's a Mundane dish," I said, stabbing my fork through a piece of meat.

Grinning, Naomi stole a fry from his plate. "If you want to try more Mundane food, I could recommend some."

"My mother would kill me," Rhett said while eyeing Nix's plate. "She says it's unhealthy."

"Oh?" Naomi said dryly. "But Crystal straws are okay?"

"That's different, it's candy. What about you, Vee?"

"I thought you knew, Rhett." I met his gaze. "My family is rooted in mundane practices. I'm only a third-generation witch."

"Oh." Rhett frowned. "Well, nothing wrong with that."

An awkward air loomed. Personally, I didn't mind letting uncomfortable silence linger, but Naomi cleared her throat and said, "It's a shame Blake didn't come with us. I've never seen her so rattled."

"It's worth worrying over," Rhett said, leaning back in his chair. He crossed his arms and looked up the mountain. "There was a killer among us this morning. Does it have something to do with the people who want to control you, Vee?"

"It's a little confusing, right now." I shifted in my seat. Those metal chairs were really uncomfortable. Probably on purpose. Discomfort was a great incentive to eat fast and move on. "Professor Lacroix says it's the same person who messed with the wards, though. A student. Probably."

Naomi gasped.

Nix leaned forward, his eyes wide. "Someone messed with the wards?"

"Was this the night the Headmistress was slain?" Rhett asked.

"Did I not tell you?" I looked between them, and when they shook their heads, I set my fork down. "There's someone inside helping the people who killed the headmistress. Tell anyone, and I'll kill you myself."

Naomi zipped her lips. "Our secret."

"Do we have any idea who?" Nix threw some bills on the table. "We should find them."

I shrugged. "A senior, I think. Female, probably. Skilled in the elements."

"How do you know she's skilled in elements?" Naomi asked while twisting her spoon in her soup.

"She covered my grave with grass."

"Oh."

"As curious as I am," I said, pulling out my wallet. "Don't make it obvious when poking around. I don't want us to get murdered for snooping."

Rhett stood and drove a hand through his short curls. "I don't know about you three, but I'm the epitome of discretion."

"Just be careful."

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