I just have to figure out how to learn magick after living twenty-three years in the mundane darkness, decipher Mom’s cryptic prophecies before everyone freakingdies, steer clear of the bobbleheads, and—most importantly—convince my libido to run for the hills, batten down the hatches, and take cover, shoving Kirin, Baz, and Dr. Devane so far into the friend zone they’ll need to take a fucking bus just to say good morning to me.
Yeah, I got this… Said no one, ever.
Twenty
STEVIE
Dr. Devane totally lied to me.
This isn’t a college dorm suite. It’s a goddess-damned luxury apartment straight out of Architectural Digest, with brick red Spanish tile flooring and hand-woven rugs, walls the color of freshly churned butter, and furniture as gorgeous as it is cozy. Tarot-themed paintings hang on every wall, and there’s a bright, playfully oversized novelty deck on the coffee table next to a stack of board games. Throw pillows in reds, turquoises, and oranges accent the couch and chairs in the living room, which opens into an island kitchen with granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances, and blonde oak cabinets. Huge, floor-to-ceiling windows dominate the north and west walls, giving me a million-dollar view across the Petrified Forest and the Towers of Breath and Blade, just like Kirin said.
Standing in the middle of the living room, I feel like a peasant who accidentally wandered into the palace, and though the suite unlocked for me when I placed my hand on the security scanner outside, I keep looking back at the door, half-expecting Trello to show up and tell me they’ve made a terrible mistake.
After a good ten minutes, when it seems no one’s coming to kick me out after all, I finally allow myself to venture as far as the bedroom.
Make that bedrooms. Two of them, fully furnished, connected by a huge white-and-turquoise bathroom complete with jetted soaking tub, separate shower, and dual sinks.
At the edge of the tub, there’s a tray with a few candles, a jar of bath salts, and a book with a post-it stuck to the front. I recognize it from that day in Kettle Black—the paperback Kirin was reading, with the old farmhouse on the cover.
The invitation still stands,the note says, and my heart does a little flip, remembering all the good things about that day, those sweet moments before the cops showed up and hauled me out of my life.
I just thought it might be fun to hang out. You know, outside of Kettle Black. We can talk about…books! Or, you know, anything you like. What do you like? Other than tea, I mean. Okay, I’m rambling. Save me, Stevie. Say something before I make an even bigger fool of myself…
I leave the book on the tray for now, but grab the note, bringing it into the bedroom and sticking it on the dresser mirror, my cheeks aching from the dopey smile on my face.
Reflected in the mirror, set up on a white wooden desk in the corner, I spot some computer equipment and—thank goddess—a phone.
Jessa!
I power on the device, letting out a little victory yelp when it actually blinks to life with my name on the screen. Just as Kirin promised, his number is already programmed in, along with the office numbers for Dr. Devane, Anna Trello, and Professor Phaines. They’ve included a few of the campus restaurants too, and there—between Hopscotch Brewery and Jumpin’ Jack’s Java—is a name that brings tears to my eyes.
Jessamine Velasquez.
I hit the button for video chat, holding my breath as I wait for it to connect.
“You’re alive!” Jessa’s smile takes up the whole screen, tears running down her cheeks, her perfect eyeliner wings melting before my eyes. “Holy shitcakes, Starla Eve Milan, I’m going to kill you! I would’ve killed you a lot harder if you were dead, but I’m still—”
“Yeah, I miss you too, Jessa.”
“Less missing,” she says with a laugh, sniffing and swiping her hand across her eyes. “More talking. Kirin told me you were safe, but I didn’t let myself believe it until now. I need to know everything.”
I curl up on one of the soft chairs in the living room—holy balls, I have a living room!—and pull a fleece throw over my shoulders, settling in for the tale.
In a breathless rush, I tell her everything—prison, Dr. Devane, mom’s prophecies, Lala, the Academy. My vision and the spirit-blessed thing, all the people I’ve met so far, this insane apartment. By the time I stop blathering on, the evening sun is no more than a memory, a pale purple mist creeping in across the Towers and forest beyond my windows.
“Your turn,” I tell her, stretching and heading into the kitchen for a snack. The fridge and pantry are well-stocked, but I grab the first thing I see—a box of crackers and a jar of natural peanut butter. “How are you holding up? What happened after I left? How’s… how’s Rita?”
Jessa’s face falls, her eyes watering once again. “It’s not great here, Stevie. Rita’s a mess, to be expected—the town is really rallying behind her, doing fundraisers and stuff. But you should know… She doesn’t believe for a minute it was you. The thing with Luke… She said she knows you always loved him like a brother. She wanted me to know that. When she heard the news tonight about your so-called suicide, she was devastated.”
My throat tightens. Poor Rita. The whole thing just… I still can’t wrap my head around it. “I wish I could talk to her. But that’s impossible now. I’m not sure when—or if—I’ll be able to come back.”
Jess nods, tucking a lock of black hair behind her ear. She looks exhausted; I can only imagine what it’s been like for her.
“Stevie, I’m sorry to say this, but since the arrest and the uproar about witchcraft…” She closes her eyes, shakes her head as if she can’t believe what she’s about to tell me. I know what’s coming next, and I do what I can to brace myself.
“No one’s been in Kettle Black aside from Rita,” she continues. “The landlord said they have to re-let the space. He was nice enough to give me till the fifteenth to get everything cleared out, but there was nothing I could say to change his mind. To changeanyone’smind.”
I’ve got no words for it, nothing but a sad resignation.
