Beneath the stark white lamplight, images flicker over their faces as if they’re being projected from an old film reel.
Superimposed over Casey’s face is a familiar one the professor and I know well.
And one I would like to murder in the most horrific way possible.
“Professor Phaines,” I grind out, barely holding back the tsunami of my rage.
I stare into his film-reel eyes for so long, it takes me a minute to realize Professor Maddox has also called his name.
And that she’s standing over Janelle.
“Both of them?” I shout. “He’s taken over both of them?”
The rage bubbles over, and I grab Casey’s shirt collar, hauling her close.
“Dr. Devane!” Professor Maddox shouts, but her voice is weak and watery compared to the one screaming in my head.
Kill him. Do it now. Kill him!
“Give meonereason why I shouldn’t tear off his head!” I shout.
“It’s not his head,” she says. “Just his soul.”
The image before me flickers again, revealing Casey, her eyes wide with fear.
I take a deep breath and close my eyes, forcing myself to calm down.
“Let her go, Cass,” Professor Maddox says. “Just let her go.”
I nod and do as she asks, laying Casey back on the cot and heading up to the kitchen for some water.
Professor Maddox gives me a few minutes to cool off, then joins me at the kitchen table.
“Can you force him out?” I ask.
“Possibly,” she says. “If we can find some of his old possessions, we can probably figure out a spell. But doing so means we risk cutting him loose.”
“What do you mean?”
“Right now, his physical body is probably holed up somewhere safe. As long as he’s possessing Casey and Janelle, he’s unlikely to leave that location, which means we can try to track him down.”
“I don’t understand. What’s stopping him from taking off, especially now that he knows we’re on to him?”
“He’s essentially in power-saver mode,” she explains. “Possessing even one body is energy intensive, but two? One of whom is actively fighting it? All of his focus and energy is on maintaining those links, and he’s not likely to give them up easily. Binding spell or not, those women are the only reason he’s still got access to the Academy. He’s playing the long game here, Dr. Devane.”
I nod, trying to figure out what this means for us. The last thing I want is Phaines running loose again, getting access to Stevie or any of the other students. But we can’t leave Casey and Janelle in a state of possession either—especially once the binding spell breaks and Phaines is free to take control of their bodies once again.
“There’s more,” she says. “As far as we know, Phaines is still alive. Which means he’s got a physical body to maintain as well. In the semi-conscious state a possession like this requires, there’s no way he’s managing on his own. He needs regular magickal and IV infusions, and that means someone is helping him.”
“Another witch or mage,” I say.
“As much as I hate to say this…” She lowers her eyes, her brow creasing. “It’s likely an inside job.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “And here I thought Professor Phaines was our inside job.”
“I suppose we were foolish to hope he was working alone.”
“So what does this mean? Everyone’s a suspect again?”
