By Monday morning, Margot and I had fallen into a surly, but silent truce. I anticipated a return from the Sorcerer that never came, I had a paper due in Economics that took several hours longer than it should've to finish, and I was becoming increasingly resentful of my new inability to drink water. Truth was, I missed it. Being unable to drink plain water led to a pang with an echo, which signaled to another problem entirely–I was missing something. A something I had never noticed until now because it was gone. And although I didn't know exactly what that something was... the hole it left behind hurt like hell.
Through my morning classes, I channeled an impressive amount of focus on my classwork, diving right in as if school really was the most important aspect of my day. It kept my mind off of things like magic necklaces and evil Fae, contemplating the Sorcerer, and brooding over Dean. It was strange and almost surreal to ponder things so silly and trivial as teenage social problems amidst my new, paranormal distresses, yet I pondered all the same.
And as if those troubles weren't enough, the first face I had to see in Geometry was Kai's. Our eyes connected, briefly, as I walked past him. I chose the same desk as I had last week–the one directly behind him. Except, when Kai handed back assignments he didn't smile as he normally did, and when he needed a blank sheet of paper he asked Emily Shaw instead of me. That sucked. It was like taking a punch to the gut that you hadn't seen coming.
Needless to say, by the end of third period I was more than ready for any form of escape. Between Kai's coldness and the feeling of Sienna's eyes drilling holes in the back of my skull, lunch couldn't come fast enough. I grabbed a tray, went through the lunch line, and walked down the center aisle. As I approached my usual table, I slowed down, feeling the guilty stares of Jules and Anya. They happened to be sitting opposite Sienna, and a girl named Rachel Cutler. Rachel was a quiet, soft-spoken cheerleader that was righter than rain and sweeter than pie. She was also so non-confrontational and so completely docile, that I knew she would never, ever pose a threat to Sienna in any way, shape, or form. Basically, Rachel was a sheep.
Knowing how stupid and desperate Sienna would cause me to look if I attempted to stop and inquire about my seat, I collected my dignity and simply continued on my way. I passed the table, and two others, before finally stopping to observe the cafeteria for a new place to sit. Seconds passed and I grew more and more self-conscious. I felt like a new kid. I felt... invisible.
Fortunately, that's when I happened to spy Lana in the crowd. She sat alone, in a quieter, less crowded section of the cafeteria, with her tray pushed several inches in front of her. She wasn't eating, but reading a newspaper while taking regular sips of something from a small, thin thermos. Lana was so immersed in her reading, that she didn't notice when I timidly approached the table. I had to clear my throat in order to get her attention.
"Um, would it be weird if I sat here?"
"Yes! Balls!"
"You know, you don't have to answer me," I said, taking the seat opposite hers. "In the future that would probably spare us both a lot of embarrassment."
"Yeah, but I'm impetuous, which I means I often speak without thinking. So yeah--expect a lot more embarrassment in the future."
I gave Lana a rueful smile as she sighed and placed her chin in her hands, staring glumly down at the newspaper before her.
"Whatcha got there?" I asked, taking a cautious bite of something the cafeteria workers had advertised as meat loaf.
"I'm scanning the obits for dead people."
"Umm, why?" Lana paused, forcing me to delay my investigation of the meatloaf. "You don't trust me," I said, more surprised than hurt. After all, we still didn't really know each other. This was to be expected.
Lana bit her lip. "It's just..." Voice lowered, Lana leaned closer before taking a careful look around us. "Normally, this isn't really something I would share with other people. I... I don't wanna get laughed at."
For the first time since getting to know her, Lana actually appeared self-conscious. It seemed almost silly though, considering the fact that her farmer's overalls, maroon Doc Martens, and bright yellow t-shirt pretty much screamed self-assuredness.
"Lana... I looked at my friend with as much seriousness as I could muster. "You can talk to me. I won't laugh at you." She sighed. "Scout's honor."
"Oh really? You were in the Girl Scouts? What was your troop number? Your motto? How many badges did you earn?" I raised my eyebrows. "Oooohhh, fine." Lana relented, ruthlessly kneading the newspaper in her hands. "I've been doing some research on a few really weird suicides that have happened in Harbor".
"Well...how very Sam Winchester of you."
"Don't interrupt. These suicides all started over the beginning of the summer. One, systematically, every thirty days. It's like clockwork--scary, gruesome, clockwork."
"Look, I know people don't talk about it often, but everyone knows Harbor Village is kind of... odd. People die around here, in strange ways, all the time--it's just that no one likes talking about it. So, as much as I hate to say it, I wouldn't be surprised if a few locals decided to check out early. Obviously the weirdness can be... stressful."
"But don't you see? We know more than just about the weirdness, Tamsyn. We are the weirdness. Or, we're a part of it at least. And now that you know what you are, don't you feel an obligation to do something?"
"I admit, I'm curious," I said. "But if there really is this "weirdness", I'm just not sure I'm ready to face it yet. I could barely handle standing up to the Slaugh, I can just imagine how I'm gonna react meeting the Ice Queen."
There was only one more day until the next full moon, and I still had absolutely no inclination of even an attempt at an idea as to how she would arrive. Worse yet, what if she was expecting me? How the hell was I supposed to find her?
"Katelynn Steel," said Lana, breaking my chain of thoughts.
"Huh?"
"Alex Geiger," she continued, halting to take a sip from her thermos. "Carl Mellowitz, Jacob Moore."
The last name struck an immediate chord that was followed by the stark realization of exactly what it was that Lana was doing. I looked down at my tray with a guilty sigh. "The victims."
"Yup. Death by suicide. Two hangings, one overdose, and the person last slit his wrists."
"Go on."
"They all either left behind notes or tried to reach someone, they all died on an Unhallowed Night... and... they all had closed casket funerals."
"I'm guessing that's significant?"
"Very," Lana replied, lowering her voice again. "The autopsy reports all stated that when the victims died, their eyes went completely white and the veins around their mouths turned black. Sam Winchester-y enough for you yet?"
"But, Lana, even if we dig and we find out more--what then?"
"We fight it," she replied, with no hesitation. "Whoever it is--whatever it is--we fight it and we stop it. That's it."
"Yeah, but how?" I picked up my fork. "I'd be like Garth to your Sam--useless. I'm a noob, remember?"
"So what? Tamsyn, you are Fae--that makes you powerful. You have an advantage here that I and most other Humans don't. We can use that--hey. I'm feeling ignored. Who are you looking at?"
I couldn't reply. I had gone catatonic--how else was I meant to respond to what I'd seen? In my line of vision, straight over Lana's right shoulder, was the Sorcerer in broad daylight. He was at the far end of the cafeteria, standing in the middle of a small gathering of chattering, fawning, female teachers. He stood there in black, pleated, dress pants and a dark blue, V-neck sweater, looking for all the world as if he belonged... as if he were staff. He smiled and nodded and appeared completely congenial–a characteristic that until that moment I wasn't even sure he was even capable of exhibiting. And the charming, square-framed glasses he donned? Ugh, they gave him a Clark Kent quality that was as alluring as it was disturbing.
"It's him," I whispered, unable to tear my eyes away, even as dread filled the empty, hollow spaces within me. "The Sorcerer. He's here."
"Wow, really?" Before I could stop her, Lana turned and blatantly stared in his direction. "That's him? Dude, he's, like, insanely hot--why didn't you tell me?"
"Can you get your teenage hormones under control and focus, please? You can't tell, but on the inside I'm freaking out. Why is he here? I thought you said you would find out!"
"But you already figured that out, remember? He's here because he wants his box."
"That's not a good enough explanation. Oh shit, he's looking at me..."
I ducked, but it was too late–the Sorcerer had already noticed me. As I tentatively looked up, he caught my gaze from across the cafeteria and shot me a smile so smug and self-assured, that I had to grit my teeth.
"Don't worry," Lana soothed. "You said the Slaugh called him the Sorcerer Deceit, right? I already gave my friend his name and he's looking him up. So if there's any extra info to dig up on him, he'll find it."
"Thanks," I replied, somberly returning to my meal. What I saw caused my insides to squirm as much as my plate. "What the--" Something long and snake-like wriggled in the center of my plate.
Lana leaned over to inspect my tray. "What is it?" She frowned. "Huh. I don't see anything."
"Worms," I said, watching as several more erupted from the meatloaf and surrounding pile of mashed potatoes. Feeling ill, I pushed the tray away and stood. Locking eyes with the man who was so very clearly determined to ruin both my life and appetite, I finally understand what I hadn't earlier--that he would stoop to any low in order to get what he wanted.
The Sorcerer smiled.
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More magic ahead!