Page 41 of Rogue Witch

“That’s what they do,” he says.

A realization strikes. “You fought in the Shadow War.”

He pushes off me and sits on the bed. “We all fought in the Shadow War.”

I sit up. “Not true. Most of us just tried to survive.”

“Is that what you did?”

My cheeks warm with embarrassment. “I was four when the war ended. I wasn’t old enough to do anything.”

“I bet you still practiced magic.”

“Grams told me not to, but you know how toddlers are. They’re dumb.”

He shakes his head. “Not dumb. Children do what comes naturally, and magic comes naturally to you.”

I tense. “How do you know?”

“It’s obvious by the way you handled magic out there. Not a smart move, by the way. Shadows are drawn to magic. Didn’t your grandmother teach you that?”

“Don’t be an ass,” I say. “I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t let that mob kill Chelsea and that guy.”

But I had let the mob kill that guy. I am useless.

“You should have saved him,” I whisper.

“I’m sorry about your friend.”

“He wasn’t my friend.”

“Okay, I’m sorry about that guy. Not everyone can be saved.”

I pin him with a glare. “He could have been saved. I didn’t need protection.”

What would he do if he knew a Shadow had entered me? Was it inside me still? Am I a bad person now? I don’t feel any different. Do I? Out there, my fury had consumed me. Is that how infection begins, we tell ourselves we have a right to feel extreme anger?

The wolf is staring at me.

“Where are we?” I ask.

“A farmhouse.”

“A farmhouse, that’s it?”

“It was the first house we came to.”

I frown. “We? Who else is here?”

“Academy students and a kid named Jonas, who says he knows you.”

“Jonas is here? I’ve been worried sick about him.” The wolf starts to answer but I say, “The mob who tried to hang them isn’t here?” My heart pounds.

His expression softens. “They scattered.”

“They better fucking scatter,” I mutter.

He studies me. “You sure none of those Shadows touched you?”