The Witches (Book #1)

ℜ𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔬𝔫𝔰 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔇𝔦𝔰𝔩𝔦𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔐𝔢

I grip the paper written in my handwriting and take the last seat in the last row of the auditorium. People speak in hushed voices, but the energy is high.

Principal Byun clears his throat at the podium. "As you all know, one of our own students died tragically yesterday."

I tune him out and look over my speech. My hands shake and the paper rustles. Just don't let me faint—which I have done twice since I came to Manyeo for some crazy reason. And don't let anyone throw anything.

"Sooji, if you are not careful, it will tear," Joohyuk warns. I ease my grip.

I look at the backs of the students' heads and involuntarily begin to count them. When I get to five hundred, I start to dry-heave.

Joohyuk appears calm, but I can tell by the slight wrinkle in his brow that he's worrying. "If you must regurgitate your food, I suggest doing so before the speech."

"I didn't eat anything today," I say.

He lifts his brow. "I suppose that is good fortune."

I can't help but agree.

"Now I would like to hand over the microphone to some of Kai's closest friends," Byun says, concluding his brief introduction. The Lineages take the stage wearing floor-length black dresses and appearing almost to float. Soojung carries a bundle of roses such a deep shade of purple, they look black from a distance. She places them near a picture of Kai on the stage.

Those roses! They're the same kind I saw by the lamppost in town. My mind races. Could they have been from her as well? Seulgi did say that Soojung's been affected more than most and that she blames me. Did something happen to someone else she loves?

Soojung takes the podium with the three girls behind her. "I cannot give you a carefully constructed speech about how special Kai was, or what a good life he had until yesterday. You all knew him, You all know." Her demeanor's cold and commanding. "I'm not going to make you laugh or cry or even tell you how I feel without him. My feelings are obvious. I can sum them up in one word—anger."

The Lineages, behind Soojung, glance at each other. I guess she's not giving whatever speech they were expecting.

"He shouldn't have died. It was not an accident. And the responsible party must pay. We all know who that is: Bae Sooji."

Sweat breaks out on my forehead, and I slink down in my chair as far as I can. Nausea throbs through my body, and the edge of my vision flickers like camera flashes.

"Seulgi was there when Sooji tried to attack him in the hallway. I was there when she threatened him in class. And Sehun was there to discover her bite mark on his lifeless palm."

My heart nearly stops when I hear Sehun's name. He talked to the Lineages about me? He was the only one there when I told Ban about biting Kai's hand. Has he been lying to me all along? The betrayal stabs at me, and all I want to do is run. Surprised reactions ripple through the crowd in gasps and whispers. Many turn around and search for me, Joohyuk fumes. This is my conviction. Byun stands, looking like he is going to interject.

"That's all we have to say." Soojung turns away from the podium. Seulgi hesitates near the microphone, but Soojung grabs her arm. They follow her off the stage. Soojung convinced them I had something to do with Kai's death. And Sehun . . . I want to cry.

A flustered Byun takes the microphone. "Uh . . . I would just like to say that the police report indicated that Kai's death was most likely an accident, as I said earlier. Now I would like to introduce Dr. Mang, a grief therapist, to the stage." Mang takes the microphone.