The Innocent: Chapter 11 (Patreon)

Index

Chapter 11

Camille

The next morning, I woke in the same slouched spot on the library floor that I’d fallen asleep on. Comfortable warmth surrounded me, and we’d been up so late that it was hard to crack my eyes open.

“Don’t move,” Luna murmured, a playful tenor in her voice as I focused my sleep-blurred vision across the aisle at her, “you’ll wake your girlfriends.”

“What?” I asked groggily, but then I picked my head up off the shelf behind me enough to see where all the warmth was coming from. Kyla had deliberately situated herself between my legs and fallen asleep with her head on my thigh, but Abby – it seemed unwittingly – had fallen over onto me too, and I was slouched enough that her head was on my stomach, her arm thrown across my hips.

Luna let out a quiet laugh. “Looks like when you and Kyla got back together, you got a two for one.”

“Shut up,” I mumbled, raising one hand to rub at my eyes. “If I could move, I’d smack you.”

“But you won’t,” she teased, “because you don’t want to wake your girlfriends.”

I couldn’t help chuckling a bit, but the movement woke Abby. She stirred, shifting on my abdomen while her hand set on my hip, pushing herself up an inch as if trying to figure out where she was. But then she realized, and she pushed off of me quickly. “Sorry,” she said, and I couldn’t tell if her cheeks were rosy with sleep or a blush. She also shivered with the sudden lack of heat I’d been providing and pulled her knees up to her chest, and I kind of felt the chill too…

Luna was laughing about the awkwardness of it, so I glared across the aisle at her and mouthed, “Don’t,” because I just knew she’d tease one of us. She rolled her eyes. "What time is it?" I asked.

Luna didn’t bother checking a clock before answering, “Time to eat.”

I bent forward, brushing Kyla’s hair away from her face and pressing a kiss to her temple. “Hey, wake up,” I whispered, “we have class soon.”

She hummed her acknowledgment, nuzzling against my leg with reluctance to rise while she asked, “Do we have time for breakfast?”

"Like I’d let you sleep through breakfast," Luna answered.

While each of us rose and gathered our stuff, Abby added, “We can go over what we found while we eat.”

We all left the library and headed to the cafeteria in our dorm building to get some food. Constance wasn’t working any of the lines, which was expected seeing as we still hadn’t seen her since the junkyard. After filling our trays, we wandered to the most secluded table we could find in the otherwise full cafeteria, plopping down around it and ready to debrief.

"Luna," Abby prompted, "did you find a connection between Patrick and Constance?”

Luna hummed a negative through a full mouth, swallowing down the pancake before answering more wholly. “I searched through every yearbook since they’d been here, scoured the school newspaper to see if I could find any pictures of them even close to each other… nothing. They weren’t friends or followers on any social media accounts either, barely even friends of friends. Only connection I could see is that their dorms were next to each other.”

Abby visibly held back a sigh, and then glanced between Kyla and me. “Did you find any suspects for her next victims?”

Kyla nodded. “She might be close to exhausting her pool of killers at this school, but there was one other death that Constance might want revenge for.”

"What was it?"

I filled in with what I’d found on my laptop, “It’s a pretty obvious one, I think. Noah Guerrero. He’s a senior now, but when he was a sophomore on the baseball team he struck a ball that accidentally hit a player on the other team in the head. Kid died.”

“And Constance doesn’t care about accidents,” Kyla added.

"I know him," Luna said. “He’s in one of my classes. That’s why he looks like he’s got baggage…”

“Is that the class Constance is in too?” Abby asked.

“That’s the one,” Luna answered. “She hasn’t been showing up though.”

"Can you keep an eye on him? As regularly as possible? I can get you a copy of his class schedule.”

Luna shrugged. “Sure.”

While I took another big bite of my breakfast and washed it down with coffee, Kyla asked Abby, “What did you find out?”

"I got a text from my police contact,” she answered. “End Mountain gave the police as little as possible, but they’ll work with the Council. Alexa Payne, she was a friend and coven sister of Bonnie’s, she agreed to talk to me first thing this morning.” Abby glanced at me. “If you want to ditch history, you can come.” I nodded my agreement. “I also skimmed my digital translated copy of the spell book we found in Patrick’s room… again… but everything in it is so vague. If our spell is in there, there’s nothing about the marks on any of our victims.”

I sighed, wondering aloud, “Where did Patrick get the spell if it wasn’t in that spell book?”

“I don’t know,” Abby mumbled. She shook her head, abandoning her fork to stare at the surface of the table. “It has to be that book, but none of the spells required suicide, and all the herbs in that bowl in Patrick’s room were too charred to know what they were.” Her phone started ringing, and she looked confused about who’d be calling her this early until she glanced at the screen. She put the phone to her ear. “Dad?” Whatever he said next, her face fell. “Last night?” He went on for almost half a minute. “I’m trying.” There was another long pause. “Yeah, I’ve made progress, but-”

She pulled the phone away from her ear because of how loudly her dad yelled, “Stop playing with the wolves and close the damn case, Abby!”

He wasn’t finished, but Abby hung up on him and dropped her head onto the surface of the table. “Shit.”

“What happened?” Kyla asked.

Abby sat up and sighed. “Constance broke into the office last night.”

“What?” I asked. “Why?”

She shrugged. “She got into the arms room, but she broke the camera and they can’t tell what she took.”

"That’s good though, right?” Luna asked. “All the weapons are still there?” Abby nodded.

"Why'd she even need to go there?" Kyla asked. “What’s the Council got to do with any of her next victims?”

"I don't know," Abby whispered, shaking her head in frustration. "Fuck, I don't know." She pushed her food away. “I need to see Alexa.”

We’d eaten enough, and it was clear that Abby wouldn’t be able to stomach anything else through the stress. Kyla and Luna had to go to their first periods anyway, so I took my coffee with us as Abby and I headed out of the cafeteria and to the elevator, going up a few floors to the level that Kyla and Abby’s rooms were on. I’d thought we were going to Alexa’s room, but then we stopped in front of a somewhat familiar door, though it was one I’d never been on the other side of.

“Oh,” Abby said, realizing she hadn’t explained because she’d been so deep in thought while we walked. “I wanted to change really quick, if that’s okay.”

I nodded, and she led the way into her room. I shut the door behind us as she dropped her backpack and laptop on the desk on her side of the two-person dorm. While she wandered over to her dresser to begin fishing out fresh clothes, I went to sit on the edge of her desk and wait. But I noticed something while I plopped down – the protection charm her father had given her was missing from the handle of her bag. Part of me wondered if it had anything to do with the fight they’d had about me being at the Council office, or even about her not having solved the case yet.

I met Abby’s gaze, and she could hear me thinking about it, but she gave an awkward smile and said, “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” There was something in her eyes that told me I should worry about it, but I didn’t get the chance to ask before she murmured, “Um,” and gestured awkwardly with the clothing in her hand, “I’m not used to stripping with an audience…” Maybe it was my distraction with that unfamiliar look in her eyes, but I simply blinked at her because it didn’t register right away what she was implying. “That’s more of a werewolf thing,” she added.

Then it dawned. “Oh, right.” I stood up and turned around while my cheeks shaded, too embarrassed now to worry about what she wasn’t telling me. “Sorry.” But even though she let out a soft laugh, I felt so awkward, and being in here when this happened felt completely different than it had outside Alvin’s house when I’d been about to Phase. “You know what?” I said hastily, “I’ll go change too.”

I hurried out and down the hall to Kyla’s room, dropping off my backpack and computer and then changing into fresh undergarments and a simple three-quarter sleeve shirt and jeans. Abby was already finished and was waiting for me when I went back into the hall.

“Have you ever met Alexa before?” I asked as I followed her back to the elevator. I was somewhat curious, but mostly I just wanted to help get her mind off the stress her father was putting her under.

“Not personally,” she answered. “But I know who she is, I’ve seen her around.” She pushed the button for the first floor. “I should warn you… you know how my dad and some Council members have a certain mindset about some supernaturals?”

“Yeah.”

We stepped off the elevator, and she led the way toward the exit so we could go to another dorm building. “Well,” she said, “a lot of witches and warlocks tend to think of themselves as an elite species, and End Mountain is sort of a connoisseur of the mindset.”

“And the Council wonders why we’d rather live in blissful ignorance than assimilate,” I mumbled.

“If you don’t want to come…” Abby said apologetically.

I shook my head. I was involved in this case whether I'd wanted to be or not, and I wasn’t supposed to be alone and Kyla and Luna were already in class. "It’s fine, I’ll come.”

We walked the rest of the way to the farthest building, and then strode through the first floor to the dorm’s common room. There was a girl in there already, sitting on one of the two couches with a coffee and a magazine. She looked up when we walked in, and stood to meet us halfway on our trek over, tossing her magazine onto the table a couple of feet away.

“Abby?” she asked.

Abby nodded, sticking out her hand. “Thanks for meeting with me.”

“It’s not like I wanted to,” Alexa answered without shaking, “but Mina’s furious that I knew about Bonnie abusing magic and didn’t tell anyone, so she’s giving me no choice.”

“Okay,” Abby murmured, “well-”

“Who are you?” she interrupted, eyes training on me. “Mina didn’t mention you, are you Council?”

“Camille,” I answered.

“A woman of many words…” She looked me up and down with a critical review, her focus eventually fixing on the tattoo on the inside of my left arm. “A werewolf?” she asked, meeting my gaze again, her eyes glimmering with some sort of new excitement that I immediately didn’t like. “I always wondered who on campus was Pack, but you’re so good at hiding the animal in public, I could never tell.” She brushed between Abby and me to work around me in a slow circle, and the scrutiny and condescension in her stare put me on edge. “You are a specimen.”

“Alexa,” Abby said, and I was getting to know her well enough that I could hear the irritation in her voice, “we’re here to-”

Alexa held up a hand, the pure entitlement of the gesture cutting Abby off short. “I’ve heard that parts of you are always mostly wolf,” she mused, coming back around to the front of me. She got inches from my nose, studying my eyes and the rest of my face. “Like your senses.” Then she eyed my throat, a look that set my instincts into an anxious defense mode. “Or your vocal cords.” Her lips pulled into a smirk. “Give me a growl.”

I wanted to growl ‘fuck off,’ but I was here with Abby, which meant that in some way, I was representing the Council too. Nor could I truly react, especially physically, because if I lashed out or responded the way my instincts wanted me to, word would undoubtedly get back to Abby’s father. I couldn’t do that to her. Couldn’t get her in more trouble with him than she already was.

“Growl,” Alexa said again, but this time the demand was almost aggressive.

“Stop,” Abby told her. Alexa ignored her, staring me down, waiting. “Alexa, do not-”

Alexa gave a flick of her right wrist, her voice firm as she commanded, “Dhiet.”

A growl swelled in my chest and was ripped from my throat, but I’d already been tense, and the instant realization that she’d just used magic on me made my instincts rage. Halfway through, my fury turned the growl into a full-blown snarl. Before Abby even had time to react, I’d surged forward, backing Alexa into the heavy table beside her with my teeth bared. And I don’t know if it was my anger or the magic, but I could feel the tingle of a Change rippling beneath the surface of my flesh.

Horror had crossed Alexa’s face the moment I reacted, but it faded into an amused laugh not seconds later. “That was brilliant.” She eased forward to back me up a step, apparently not feeling as threatened as she should’ve, because had she actually felt like a threat, then I would’ve already had my teeth in her throat. “You really would make amazing sentries for the rest of us.”

She reached out, seeming intent on grabbing my upper arm to feel the muscle beneath my shirt, but Abby snatched her wrist in an iron grip before she could put her hands on me. “If you pull something like that again,” she spat, throwing Alexa’s arm away, her voice low and her eyes narrowed with rage, “I’ll let her break your magic wielding wrist, and your reprimand for keeping Bonnie’s abuse a secret will come from the Council level. Don’t ever touch her.” She tossed a deliberate look at the couches. “Sit down.”

Alexa brushed past us still looking smug, and Abby maneuvered into her place between me and the table. “Camille?” she whispered, voice low enough that she knew only I could hear. “I’m sorry.” She grabbed my face to get me to look at her, and god, if only she knew how dangerous it was for her to touch me right now. I no longer doubted whether it was my anger or the magic. It was the magic. It’d pulled the wolf to the surface in a way that I couldn’t control, and this was why I hated the occult. My fists were balled at my sides as I fought the itching of my skin, and having heard my thoughts, Abby pulled her hands away swiftly. “I’m sorry,” she repeated under her breath, “I didn’t think she’d do something like that.” She reached out like she wanted to touch me again and was struggling not to. “I need you to relax, please. I’m sorry.”

I shut my eyes tight and took in a deep breath, using the air to will away the need for Change. It took a few moments, but I managed to relax and regain the control that the magic had stolen, and Abby sighed with relief when I opened my eyes again and met her gaze. The first coherent thought that went through my mind afterward was that bitch.

One corner of Abby’s mouth twitched with a smile, but she said, “I won’t let her do that again, I promise.”

“Is that even legal?”

She cleared her throat uncomfortably. “You’re not protected by Council law…” I rolled my eyes. “But if she tries it again, I give you permission to hurt her.”

I shook my head, tossing a scowl over my shoulder. “I won’t stoop.”

“Okay,” Abby said, “then I’ll hurt her.”

I couldn’t help chuckling a bit, and Abby’s defensiveness over me helped make me feel better. “It’s fine, I don’t want you getting in trouble.”

“I’m waiting,” Alexa called.

Abby’s lips pursed with annoyance, but we both turned to head to the couch opposite of the one she was sitting on. Instead of following me straight to a seat, however, Abby passed by behind her. She leaned down by Alexa’s ear and whispered with a disturbing amount of calm, “Next time you want to play dangerous games with a werewolf, just remember that they don’t answer to the Council.” But while she whispered, she was looking across at me, and she winked at the same time as Alexa’s eyes widened with realization.

I held back a smirk, and it seemed a more than appropriate time to let a rumbling growl emanate from my chest. Alexa swallowed visibly, and even though she said, “You don’t scare me,” her voice wavered. That was satisfying, and I nudged Abby gratefully with my shoulder when she plopped down on the couch beside me.

"So," Abby began, sounding as pleased as I felt, “you and Bonnie were friends?”

It took a second for Alexa to recover, but then she went back to that same defiant attitude. “We weren’t friends anymore,” she answered. “Just coven sisters.”

“Mina said you were close,” Abby pointed out.

“We were,” she answered impatiently, “but then she found out I slept with her boyfriend.”

Aw, I thought sarcastically, just when I was starting to like her… And having heard it, Abby jammed her elbow into my ribs, barely managing to suppress a snort. “Regardless of whether you were friends or not,” she said with some difficulty, “I was told you had information relevant to this case.”

“That was relevant,” Alexa sneered. “Bonnie killed him because of it.”

“She-” Abby hesitated in disbelief. “She killed him for cheating?” Alexa nodded. “Let me guess, with a hex?”

“Under his car seat; never knew what hit him.” Alexa shrugged. “She told me it was my punishment for being a backstabber.”

There was a long pause, and then Abby repeated, “Punishment?” under her breath.

“I didn’t even like him that much,” Alexa continued. “I didn’t think she did either.”

“Punishment…” Abby muttered again.

“But she was so pissed that I was still kind of waiting for her to punish me too.”

Abby’s hand slammed down over my thigh, fingers grabbing my knee and scaring me so badly that my stomach flipped. At the back of my mind, I registered another spark at her touch that didn’t feel entirely like shock, but it was clear that she’d thought of something, something important, and she asked Alexa, “Anything else you need to tell me?”

“No…”

“Okay,” Abby took her hand off my thigh to wave it toward the door, “go away now, thanks.” Alexa scoffed and stomped out the door, but the moment she was gone, Abby rose. “Oh my god.”

"What?" I asked.

“Oh my god,” she repeated, pacing in front of me. “So stupid, Abby.”

“What?”

“Of course it’s punishment. So freaking stupid.”

“Abby.”

She stopped pacing. “What building is Luna in right now?”

“…Literature…”

“Come,” she said urgently, grabbing me by the wrist and yanking me off the couch and out the door. “I have to go to the Council office, right now, but I can’t take you in case my dad’s there.”

“Okay,” I agreed, beginning to follow her across campus. “You want to shed some light on this revelation you just had?”

"It's not revenge," she said. “Ugh, we’ve been looking at it all wrong. Revenge is personal, and often messy, and unique to a circumstance. Constance doesn’t know these people, not really, and her process is meticulous. It’s punishment.”

“How does that help?”

“You remember the spell you were looking at in Patrick’s book when my dad caught us at the office?” I hummed a noncommittal agreement. “Deof nos neadwoz,” she said, “demon of inevitable punishment.” My eyebrows furrowed with surprise. “And the charred piece of paper in the bowl in Patrick’s room? It wasn’t for Devon Nealy. D-E, N-E-A. Deof nos neadwoz.”

“Holy shit,” I breathed. She threw open the door of the literature building, and I trailed her in. “But wait, that demon was supposed to be summoned through an act of murder. Patrick committed suicide.”

“I know,” she agreed, catching sight of Luna through a windowed door and stopping outside it. “That’s why I need to go to the office and figure this out. I’ll come meet you guys as soon as I have answers, keep your phones on.”

She was already jogging back down the hall, and I called after her, “Be safe!”

Having seen us, Luna slipped out of her class with her backpack over her shoulders. “What’s up?”

I watched Abby disappear out the door before meeting Luna’s curious gaze. “I think we just had a breakthrough.”

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Abby's Journal #6

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