Concealed (Unbound, Book 4)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

From school, I drove to Celestial Java and sat in the back room, absorbing the calm from the room filled with pillows. Piling them behind me, I pulled my new Book of Shadows out of my bag and began a new entry, detailing how to recognize someone's magical signature. It was something my mother had neglected to share—at least, in the book I had possession of—and I thought it should be one of the first things someone learned. Beneath the passage with knowledge anyone could find, I completed another hidden entry to describe what Zachariah had explained during our visit.

This led to the essence of someone, which I didn't know enough about to record, so I started a heading on the next page to serve as a reminder to figure it out.

Packing everything away, I glanced at my phone and was surprised to find I had been in the room for four hours and had missed multiple texts and call from Calin and Maible. I turned the ringer back on and texted them in a group message to apologize that I'd forgotten to turn the ringer on after my test was complete. I quickly said I was tired and that I was headed home to sleep, then threw my phone back into the bag and let myself out the back door of the café.

Once I reached the Manor, I went straight to my bedroom and did as I had said.

*****

The next morning, I woke to ringing.

I groaned and tried to reach onto the beside table to shut my phone off, but I couldn't feel it. Shoving the pillow over my head, I ignored the sound until it stopped. A second later, it began again, and I screamed into the pillow, hugging it tighter to try make it serve as a set of earplugs.

It didn't work.

The moment the ringing stopped, it started again.

Finally, I turned over and sat up before sliding out of bed to get my bag. Just as I dug my phone out, the ringing stopped and, this time, it didn't ring again.

"Really?"

I rolled my eyes and went into my missed calls, noting that Maible had called five times and it was only eight in the morning. I shut down the home screen and turned to Onyx, who had lifted her head to watch me lose my marbles.

"What do you think? W.A.L.K?" I spelled out her favorite word, and she jumped up.

Laughing, I started to head into the bathroom and my phone dinged. I looked down and saw Maible's text asking what I was doing. I quickly replied that I was sleeping and that I'd call her later.

No sooner had I pressed send, my phone began to ring, and Calin's face popped up on the screen.

"Hello, Grand Central Station, this is Nora. How may I help you?" I asked in an overly cheerful tone.

"I—"

"I'm sorry, all tickets are booked for today. Would you care to try tomorrow?" Smirking, I pressed end, hanging up the call.

Not knowing how long it would be before I was interrupted again, I quickly brushed my hair and teeth in the bathroom, and then went into the closet to get dressed. It wasn't a school day and all I wanted to do was take Onyx out, so I dressed down in jeans and a hoody with a pair of sneakers so that I could run. Back in the bathroom, I put pigtail braids into my hair and pulled a plain black toque down to hide my bangs.

Picking up my phone as I went back into my bedroom, I sat in the chair at my desk, bringing my foot to rest on the edge as I used the other to twirl in circles. I felt guilty since Calin hadn't called me back, and I opened up my contacts. Before I could change my mind, I pressed call and stared at the ceiling as it rang and rang.

No answer.

Okay, so I knew I had been a jerk, but it was supposed to be in fun. By not answering at all, Calin was ruining it. I shook my head and stood, shoving my phone into my back pocket.