Too late. She was already knee-deep in it.
Chapter Eight
Scarlett
As Mason walked Scarlett to class, clouds gathered, dark and low, on the horizon. She wasn’t 100 percent sure if it was her or Mother Nature brewing the storm.
“I am so sorry I missed our breakfast, Scar,” he said again. He’d been brimming over with apologies since they’d left the cafeteria. “Let me make it up to you. Why don’t we skip? We can go down to Miss Deenie’s and get some real food.”
“I would, but one of us is clearly already full,” Scarlett said icily.
“Scar, it was just breakfast.”
But it wasn’t just anything. Some of us don’t skip. Some of us care. Some of us show up where we are supposed to be instead of making waffles for wide-eyed freshmen. It wasn’t just that she’d found him playing waffle sous-chef for that unfortunate freshman charity-baby witch. She could usually set her watch by Mason.
“I can’t skip,” she said firmly.
“Scar . . .” he pleaded. But when he realized that she was standing her ground, he sighed, gave her a quick peck on the lips, and moved on, his shoulders slightly slumped.
After he disappeared into the fog that had suddenly descended like a curtain, Scarlett couldn’t bring herself to go into the lecture hall. Instead, she strode back across campus toward Kappa House, clenching her fists so hard, her nails left crescents in her palms.
Just who the hell does this Vivi girl think she is?
How could Mason stand her up for the same irritating girl whom Scarlett hadn’t even wanted to vote into Kappa? She was beneath them, this girl with her ratty clothes and childlike innocence. Was this what Mason was talking about when he’d asked her if she ever thought about just saying screw it all and traveling the world? Screw that. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and she forced herself to take slow, calming breaths. She could not use major arcana right now. Not with so many witnesses. But she felt the magic itching in her veins, begging to be let loose.
It wouldn’t take much. Not at this point with her nerves as frayed as they were.
“You might want to get inside soon,” a surly voice said.
Great. Jackson had just jogged up beside her on the quad.
“Why’s that?” she replied coldly.
“Don’t witches melt in the rain?”
Scarlett nearly tripped over her sandals. She forced her expression to stay calm, removed. Forced herself not to study him too hard out of the corner of her eye. “Someone’s been reading a little too much urban fantasy.”
He kept pace with her. “Just calling it like I see it.”
“Jackson, I’m not in the mood.”
“Come on, Scarlett. Take a joke.”
She whirled on him finally, her hair whipping as the storm kicked up more power. “Leave me alone,” she growled. If not for the burgeoning thunderstorm soaking up all her power, she would have already cast a distraction charm to send him away. But her control would be tenuous right now. Irritating as he was, she didn’t want to make a mistake and hurt him. She couldn’t go through something like that again.
Jackson set his jaw. For a moment, she thought he’d refuse. But with a deafening clap of thunder, the rain began, and he scowled, flung up the hood of his sweatshirt, and stalked away.
She watched him leave, every muscle in her body taut. She crossed her arms over her chest, cut off the quad, and headed into the forest that ran alongside campus. It was a slightly longer walk to Kappa this way, but the trees provided cover from the worst of the storm.
Normally at this hour, the path would be crowded with students who lived in other parts of campus. Right now, thanks to the rain, it was abandoned. With the dark clouds above, it looked like nighttime almost. Scarlett picked her way through the gloom, scowling.
At least the weather matched her mood.
Vivi. What the hell was she going to do with her? She’d known she wasn’t Kappa material from the moment she’d set eyes on her. She was rude and unstylish, and she had flirted with Scarlett’s boyfriend right in front of her.
Sure, Mason had apologized for flaking on her. But she couldn’t help noticing the way his eyes had tracked that Vivi girl as they left the dining hall. Or the way he’d been smiling and laughing before Scarlett approached their breakfast table . . .
And the way he’d stopped smiling and laughing when Scarlett took Vivi’s place.
It’s just all the distance. The summer apart had been a mistake. She’d have to remember that going forward. Because they would go forward. They had their life plan all set. This? This was nothing more than a blip. Hardly worth worrying about, really.
Tell that to this thunderstorm, she thought wryly, cutting through a small wooded park that led to Greek Row. Another rumble of thunder sounded, followed by a crack. Like someone stepping on a branch.
She whirled around, but the path remained empty. Gloomy. Too dark to see more than a few feet in front of her. Her breath started to come just a little faster.
Snap.
Behind her again. She turned, slower this time, eyes fixed on the trees. There. A faint shadow in the distance. Skinny, tall. She began to whisper under her breath, a low, humming protection charm. But most of her magic had already been poured into the storm, and what remained would barely be enough to light a candle, much less protect her against . . .
What?
She was at Westerly. A few steps from her sorority house. What did she honestly think was out here, stalking her through the forest?
But she knew better than anyone that bad things could happen at Westerly. She could never forget the night with Harper. It would haunt her forever. But Harper was gone. And Gwen was gone too. And while witches were real, ghosts were not . . .
Still, she looked behind her once more and then—
“Boo!”
Scarlett screamed and whirled back around to find Tiffany beside her. Her heart still racing in her chest, she glared. “Not funny.”
Tiffany grinned. “Wasn’t it?” One glimpse of Scarlett’s expression, though, and she sobered. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist. You just looked so tense.”
“I thought I heard . . .” Scarlett glanced back through the trees. No one was there. “Never mind.” She shook her head, willing her pulse to stop pounding. “What are you doing out in this?”
“Coming to find you, of course.” Tiffany pointed at the sky. “I figured something must be wrong. What happened?”
Scarlett crunched on through the woods, toward Kappa House, grateful to have her best friend at her side. At least it would stop her from jumping at every shadow. “Just . . . Mason.” Scarlett sighed.
“Am I gonna need to hurt our resident campus pretty boy for messing with my girl?” Tiffany arched a brow.
She almost smiled. Almost. “Not yet. But I need you to help me dissect what’s going on.”
“Well, then.” Tiffany looped her arm through Scarlett’s. “You’ve got me. But I’m also available for actual dissection if need be.”
Scarlett laughed and felt a surge of gratitude for her friend.
“I’m serious, Scar. Dahlia had me help her dissect owl pellets last night for some spell she’s working on.” Tiffany wrinkled her nose. “I think she was annoyed that I wasn’t more grossed out, but she forgot that I was a biology major for a hot second in freshman year.”