3 Conjuring (20 page)

“So what do we do now?” Kelsey’s face was a mask of concern. Her odd green eyes were fixed on me and flooded with worry.

“We have to find out what they’re doing with this st
uff,” I said, reaching into my pocket for my cell phone and snapping a photograph of the box’s contents before shoving the box back toward Kelsey. “Put that back where you found it.”

“You’re not going to take your stuff back?” Kelsey raised her eyebro
ws questioningly.

“Not right away. I don’t want to tip them off that we know what they’re up to.”

“We know what they’re up to? When did that happen?”

She had a point.

“Okay, maybe I just don’t want them to know that we know they’re up to anything. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah. Kind of.”

Kelsey got to her feet and took the box back into the bedroom. When she returned, she fixed me with a hard stare. “You took a picture. Who are you going to show it to? Paris?”

I grimaced as an answer pushed to the forefront of my
muddled brain. “Not Paris. At least not just Paris.”

“Then who?”

I jumped to my feet and reached for my coat. “I have to run an errand. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Kelsey’s eyes widened. “You’re just leaving me here? What should I do if the
y come back?”

“Pretend you don’t know anything.”

“That’s easier said than done.”

“I know,” I replied. “I just have to talk to someone. He
should be able to help. God, I hope he can help.”

“Aric?”

“No. And if he calls, don’t tell him what’s going on. Just tell him you don’t know where I am.”

“You want me to lie to him?”

“It’s not a lie,” I replied pragmatically. “You have no idea where I’m going.”

“Are you going to that Rafael guy you won’t talk about?”

“No.”

“You’re not going to tell me where you’re going? Really?”

“I don’t have enough time to properly explain.”

“Oh, man, there’s more? There’s more you haven’t tol
d me?” Kelsey looked as though the world was coming to the end. She was panicking – and I didn’t have time to deal with it now.

“Not on purpose,” I corrected her.

“Just go.” Kelsey waved me off. “Do what you have to do.”

“You’re going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. They don’t view me as a threat. Remember?”

At least we had that going for us.

I left Kelsey and headed across campus toward Professor Blake’s office. I had no idea whether he could help, but I figured he was my best option. I knew he was going to ask questions, but I was hoping he would have a few answers, too.

Professor Blake was grading papers, his office door open, when I made my pre
sence known. I watched him work for a few minutes, his blond hair falling across his brow, his attention trained on the papers and nothing else. If this was a movie and he was a spy, he wouldn’t survive very long. He had absolutely no spatial observation skills.

“Are you just going to stand there?” Professor Blake never looked up from his task.

Okay, maybe he had some spatial observation skills.

“You knew I was here?”

“You have a certain presence.”

I had no idea whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. “I need to talk to you.”

“That would probably explain why you’re standing in my doorway fidgeting like you are.”

“I am not fidgeting,” I protested.

Professor Blake finally looked up from his task. “Why don’t you come in and shut the door?”

I did as he asked, perching nervously in one of the w
ingback chairs in front of his desk. Then I waited.

Professor Blake leaned back in his chair and wat
ched me curiously. Finally, he couldn’t take the silence any longer. “Is there something on your mind?”

“Delta Omicron.”

“They do seem to be the topic of conversation these days, don’t they?”

“I know you’re investigating them.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Everyone on this campus is investigating them,” I
replied. “The wolves are up to something. I have no idea what, but they are working on a plan to take them down.

The vampires are watching the situation carefully. I
have no idea whether they plan on moving on them, but I don’t think they’re just going to ignore them. And you guys, well, you guys are always up to something.”

Professor Blake smiled wryly. “I don’t know whether
I would say that we’re always up to something. I would say we’re always working toward the greater good.”

“Your version of the greater good,” I corrected him.

“It’s funny to me that you’re still under the delusion that there are some monsters out there that are good monsters.”

“And it’s funny to me that you would even say someth
ing like that when it’s humans who are apparently putting this college at risk right now,” I countered.

“Touché.”

“I didn’t come here to fight,” I said. “I came here to … exchange information.”

“Exchange information?” Professor Blake cocked a
n eyebrow speculatively. “That sounds like a covert government op.”

“Maybe,” I agreed. “I don’t know another way to put it, though.”

“You know that you wouldn’t have to come here and beg for information if you would join the cause?”

“I’m not begging. I’m trading.”

“What makes you think that you know more than I do?”

“Because I have two roommates who are full-fledged members of Delta Omicron.”

He was making the rules, but I was winning the game.

Professor Blake flattened his lips into a tight line. “I had heard that.”

“So, I guess you might say that I have inside information.”

“From more than one source, too, apparently.” His ba
rb was pointed. He was casting aspersions on my continued association with both Aric and Rafael. I decided to ignore it. Now wasn’t the time to get into that fight again.

“I’m here just to talk about Delta Omicron.”

“Fine,” Professor Blake sighed dramatically. “What do you know?”

“I know that they’re conducting regular rituals to bo
lster their power base. I also know that to do that they’re draining their new pledges.”

“What do you mean ‘draining them?’ They’re sappin
g power from the other witches in the group?”

“I don’t think they’re all witches,” I replied earnestly.

“Then why would they let them in the sorority?” Professor Blake looked puzzled.

“Because the recruits don’t need power for the witche
s to suck them dry.” How is it that I know more about this stuff than the self-purported expert?

Professor Blake looked surprised by my answer. “I don’t think I understand.”

“The way it’s been explained to me is that every person has a life essence,” I continued. “That’s what the witches are using.”

“So you’re saying none of the new recruits are actually witches?”

My mind wandered to Laura, but I didn’t tell Professor Blake the truth about her. There was still a chance to extricate her from this situation without telling everyone what she really was. “I can’t say that for sure,” I answered carefully. “I think, if they stumble across an actual witch, it’s just a bonus for them.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Professor Blake mused. “
The question is, what is their ultimate goal?”

“I was hoping you might have some insight into that,” I said ruefully.

“All I’ve heard is gossip,” Professor Blake admitted.

“Well, sometimes gossip is true.”

“People are saying that Delta Omicron wants to take over the campus,” he said.

“To what end? It’s not like this is some little fiefdom or something.”

“No,” Professor Blake shook his head. “It is a supernatural stronghold, though.”

“How?”

Professor Blake chuckled dryly. “Look around, Zoe. It’s not a coincidence that all of these supernatural beings have found their way to this exact location.”

I had never really considered it before, but now
that he mentioned it, that was rather odd. “So, why are they here?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? You must have a theory.”

“I have many theories, but none of them have any basis in fact.”

Well that was disheartening. “Still,” I pressed. “You must be able to rule some things out. I mean, maybe the school is built on an old Indian – I mean Native American – burial ground.”

“What?” Professor Blake looked completely flummoxed.

“Haven’t you seen Poltergeist? Whenever something bad or supernatural happens, an old burial ground usually comes into play.”

“The real world isn’t the same as television,” Professor Blake countered.

“That was a movie.”

He waved away my correction. “Whatever.”

“So, is it built on an old burial ground?”

“I don’t think so,” Professor Blake shook his head.

“You should check into it and make sure, though,” I suggested.

“I’ll do that.”

“How can you not know, though?” I asked. “That seems like a gross oversight on your part.”

“You don’t know either,” he shot back.

“I’m just a student. This is all new to me.”

“You really are tiresome.”

“You’re not the first person to tell me that.”

“I’ll bet.” Professor Blake rubbed the bridge of his nose. “So what else do you know?”

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, pulled up the appropriate photo, and then handed it to Professor Blake. He took the phone cautiously and then studied the picture. “What exactly am I looking at here?”

“My roommate had it hidden under her bed.”

“That’s not really an explanation.”

“It’s my stuff. My bracelet. My notebook. My hair – and
I’m still a little freaked out about how she got my hair. I don’t think I’m missing any and yet it still looks like my hair.”

Professor Blake frowned. “Your roommate has been c
ollecting artifacts from your life? That can’t be good.”

“No. I didn’t think so either.”

“Have your roommates been acting hostile toward you?”

That was an understatement. “They’ve been hard to deal with.”

“Do you think they’re trying to hurt you?”

“I think that Jessica is trying to hurt me. I think she’s t
rying to use Matilda and Laura to do it.”

“And you think they’re susceptible to that sort of
mind control?” Professor Blake didn’t look convinced.

“It appears so.”

“So, what are you going to do about it?”

“I have no idea. Do you have any suggestions?”

“I suggest taking your stuff back,” he said. “Right away.”

“Why? What are they using it for? It’s for some sort of spell, isn’t it?”

“If I had to guess? Yes. The only reason they would be gathering your things is to try to take something from you.”

“Like what?” If he said my life, I was dropping out. I swear.

“I think they’re trying to take your power.”

“What power?”

Professor Blake smirked. “Even we don’t know the true source of your power yet. I don’t think you do either. Whatever it is, though, they want it.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because everyone on this campus wants it. That’s the only thing that everyone seems to agree on.”

Well, that wasn’t a comforting thought.

After leaving Sam Blake’s office I was too keyed
up to return to the dorms so I headed to Aric’s apartment.

Professor Blake had given me some things to think abou
t, but the truth was he didn’t have the answers I needed. I wasn’t sure Aric had those answers either, but I figured he knew more than Blake did.

It was time to ask the big questions.

I let myself in Aric’s apartment, expecting to find him watching a game on television. His truck was parked outside, so I knew he was home.

The main door of the apartment opened into the living
room, but Aric wasn’t sitting in his usual place on the couch. I glanced around curiously, figuring he was in the kitchen fixing a snack – or maybe in the bathroom – but both of those rooms were empty, too.

Maybe he was in the bedroom?

I moved toward the door but paused when I heard his voice. My heart dropped. Who was he talking to in his bedroom?

“I told you that wasn’t acceptable.”

Aric’s voice was fraught with anger. I waited to hear who would respond – because if it was a woman’s voice, I was going to kick some butt. If it was a man’s voice, I was going to freak out. Instead, I heard nothing.

“I don’t want to hear any excuses,” Aric exploded.

That’s when I realized he was talking on the phone. Relief washed over me. I wasn’t going to have to kick anyone’s ass today but his. I should have gone back to the living room to wait for him, but I did what any self-respecting woman in my position would do: I eavesdropped.

“You were supposed to get reliable information about what they’re doing,”
Aric said grimly. “Instead I get random reports about hair-coloring parties and nail polish thingies. Well, I don’t know what to call them.”

I figured he had to be talking about the sorority.

“Oh, let me guess, she confused you with sex? Don’t even bother trying to pretend that’s not the case.”

Aric was quiet for a few minutes. I started to move
away from the door but when I heard Aric growl in frustration I realized he wasn’t done. “I don’t want to hear one more excuse from you. If you have to get her drunk to get her to talk, then get her drunk. I’m not joking. We’re almost out of time here.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised when Aric’s b
edroom door flew open, but the sudden motion caused me to gasp as we came face to face.

“What are you doing here?” Aric’s face colored with concern.

“Eavesdropping.” What? It’s not like he didn’t know. I might as well own up to it. We were going to fight anyway.

“Oh, I figured that,” Aric said. “I meant the apartmen
t, not sneaking around outside my bedroom.”

“I came to see you.”

“And decided to eavesdrop?” Aric raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I thought you would be in the living room li
ke you usually are, but when I didn’t find you I started looking. Then I heard you talking and I figured if there was a girl in here I was going to want to contain the blood in one room to hide it from the police.”

Aric smiled weakly. “You thought I had a girl back here? Really?”

“Or a guy.” I shrugged, plastering my best smile of contrition on my face.

Aric rolled his eyes and moved past me, leadin
g me away from the bedroom and toward the living room.

“I’m fairly certain you don’t have to worry about
either of those scenarios,” he replied dryly. “Especially the second one.”

“You should have said especially the first one,” I shot back darkly.

“Live and learn,” Aric sighed as he dropped down on his couch. “So what are you doing here? I was planning on slipping over to the dorms later and enticing you away for dinner and a night of debauchery.”

“I thought we should talk.”

“Oh, good. That’s exactly what I had in mind.” Aric was going for levity, but it fell flat.

I decided to ignore his sarcasm. “I had a little talk with Kelsey today.”

“Well, better her than Matilda or Laura. At least I like her. She and Paris are about the only friends you have that I’m not considering killing these days.”

His words made me go cold. I hoped he was joking. Un
fortunately, I didn’t think he was.

“She showed me something.”

“Is this story going to get sexy?” Aric asked suggestively. “Because if it is, this is exactly the kind of talk I could use.”

I smacked the back of his head lightly and then sat down next to him on the couch.

“Sometimes I think you think you’re living in a porno.”

“Sometimes I wish I was. I’m getting a little tired of the horror genre.”

That made two of us.

“So what did she show you?”

“Matilda is keeping a box of my things under her bed.”

“Like she’s a klepto?” Aric looked confused.

“That’s what I thought, but I don’t think that’s the case.”

“What did they take?”

“A bracelet. A notebook from my poetry class. Some of my hair.”

Aric looked incensed. “Your hair?”

“Yeah.”

Aric started rocking back and forth on the couch. I d
on’t think he even realized he was doing it. It looked as though he was trying to decide whether he was going to get back up, but I knew it was something else.

“I think they’re going to try a spell.”

Aric glanced over at me worriedly. “What makes you say that?”

“Why else would she want my hair?”

“Maybe she’s a lesbian?” Aric sounded hopeful.

“Do you really believe that? You’ve met her. She’s boy crazy.”

“Crap.” Aric leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair tiredly. “This is not good.”

“So I figured.”

“Have you told anyone else?” Aric asked.

“Besides you?”

“Well, Kelsey obviously knows,” he conceded.

“I told Blake.”

Aric froze. “You went to see Blake? Why?”

“Why do you think? I need answers. You’re not very
forthcoming with them. Rafael isn’t very forthcoming with them – although he’s better than you. That left Blake.”

Aric frowned. “I wish you hadn’t done that.”

“I wish a lot of things,” I lamented, shifting my gaze from his.

Aric swallowed hard. “I’m not going to start yelling.”

“That’s good,” I replied blithely. “Because if you start yelling I’m going to start screaming.”

“Let’s take this a step at a time,” Aric said. “What did Blake think?”

“He said he couldn’t be sure, but if he had to guess, he thought they were trying to conduct a spell that would take my power. Whatever that is.”

Aric reached over and grabbed my hand, rubbing his finger over the top of it idly.
“I guess that would make sense. What else did he tell you?”

“He said they’re watching the sorority, but he ca
n’t really do anything because they’re humans. Evil humans, but humans nonetheless.”

“Figures. At least he stands firm on one thing. What else?”

“He did ask me a curious question.”

Aric watched me, waiting for me to continue.

“Why are all the supernaturals congregating here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean this is Michigan. It’s not even a great part of Michigan. Why is everyone coming here?”

“I ... I ... well, crap, that is a good question. I’ve never really thought about it.”

“Why are you here?”

“We’ve always lived in Michigan,” Aric replied. “When it
came time to go to college, it was always assumed I would come here.”

“Because of the supernatural population?”

“Yeah. My dad came here. My mom. We’ve always come here.”

“Okay, that explains the werewolves. I can actually se
e it for you guys. There are a lot of woods around here. When you get away from the campus there’s not a lot of people. But why would the vampires come here? Why would this be a witch stronghold? I mean, I would think they’d be in Salem.”

“Salem, Michigan?” Aric asked.

“No, Salem, Massachusetts,” I countered without a trace of guile.

Aric smiled despite himself. “Give it to you to always go for the cliché.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah,” Aric sighed. “I guess I do. I’ve never really considered it.”

“I suggested this place was built on an old Native American burial ground, but Blake didn’t seem to think that was the case.”

Aric smiled again.

“There has to be something drawing them here,” I pressed.

“You have a point,” Aric agreed. “I’ll ask my parents a
nd see what they know. If they do know something, though, I’m figuring I would have heard about it. My family isn’t great at keeping secrets – at least not from each other.”

“And you’ve never questioned why?”

“I told you, it’s just always the way things were done in my family.”

“Well, I think that’s a question that needs an answer.”

“I agree,” Aric said. “I don’t think the answer to that question is going to solve our current problem, though.”

“It sounds like you don’t have the answers you’re lookin
g for,” I said. “At least from your end of the conversation I heard. It sounds like you’re trying to infiltrate the sorority but your guys are getting distracted by boobs.”

Aric chuckled darkly. “You always brin
g it down to the lowest common denominator.”

“Am I wrong?”

“No.”

“Why did you say that we’re running out of time?”

Aric looked caught. “Because we are,” he finally said. “We don’t know much. What we do know, though, is that whatever they have planned they have it planned for Earth Day, April 22nd.”

“Earth Day? That’s only about a month away.”

“Exactly,” Aric said grimly.

“So what are you guys trying to do?”

“Stop them.”

“How?”

Aric’s face had gone pale. “You know how.”

“You’re going to kill them?” My voice rose in alarm.

“Do you see another choice?”

“What about Matilda and Laura?”

Aric averted his gaze. “If they’re part of whatever happens, their fate is going to be the same as their sorority sisters.”

I felt numb at the coldness in his voice. “Are you sure there’s not another way?”

“Don’t you think I’ve been trying to find one?” Aric’s voice was hollow and sad. “What do you think these past few months have been about, keg parties and fraternity crap? Give me a little credit here. Just once. That would be nice for a change.”

“No.” I was stunned by the vicious nature of his reaction.

“Zoe, I don’t care about anything but you in this scenario,” Aric said, purposely calming his voice. “If Matilda and Laura are a threat to you, I will eliminate that threat.”

“Meaning you’ll eliminate Laura and Matilda?”

“If it comes to that. You need to prepare yourself.”

Things just got a little too real for my taste.