Waysider (The Voyants Book 1)

Chapter 26

The palm tree above Cass rustled.

She sat in its shade, resting her spine against the ridged trunk behind her. She held an envelope in her hands. Cass had meant to tuck it away in her backpack and pull out some homework. But Cass just sat there, holding the envelope and thinking about its contents. A breeze rustled the ends of her loose hair.

As other students walked past, bits of their conversations floated over to Cass. Excitement clung to the air, along with scents of autumn. The others talked about parties and going home for winter break. Cass would be staying on campus, of course—she couldn’t afford any plane tickets, and she still wasn’t ready to see her family, despite all the weeks that had passed since she left. Every time Dad called, Cass gave him a reason she needed to stay in California. There was an event she wanted to attend, she had a test coming up, she wasn’t feeling well. Thanksgiving had been particularly tricky.

But now excuses were wearing thin. The last time they talked, Dad had told Cass he’d be sending her money for Christmas flights. It wasn’t a request.

She still hadn’t heard from her mother.

They’d never gone this long without speaking, and Cass was avoiding that fact almost as hard as she’d been avoiding other things. At the thought, her gaze returned to the envelope in her lap. A sigh filled her throat.

A moment later, a shadow fell across Cass, slightly darker than the palm tree’s silhouette. Cass arched her head back, and somehow she wasn’t surprised to see that it was Sinister Gray.

“You look worried,” he said.

Cass wordlessly held out the piece of paper she’d found on her bedroom rug last night. Someone must have slipped it beneath the door while she was in class. Cass had immediately recognized Headmistress Crane’s handwriting from the note in her welcome packet.

Sinister took the headmistress’s latest communication and settled on the ground beside Cass. As Sinister’s lips moved, she mentally recited the words with him. She’d read the message so many times that she had it memorized.

It has come to my attention that you haven’t attended any of the aptitude tests. Attendance is vital to determine your specialty and proper housing placement. Please report to the next scheduled test.

“Guess my first aptitude test is happening this week,” Cass said dully. “I’ve been avoiding them so long that I actually started to think I’d gotten away with it.”

Sinister handed the note back to her, then put his wrist on his knee, allowing it to dangle. Cass steeled herself, expecting him to ask why she didn’t want to take the test. Then she’d have to reveal the true depth of her fear when it came to revenants.

“You handled your first Haunting pretty well. Compared to that, this is nothing,” he remarked.

Cass scoffed, relaxing a little. “You’re kidding, right? I puked all over my shoes that night.”

“You didn’t run, though.”

Only because she’d frozen, Cass thought. But she couldn’t bring herself to admit that to Sinister. She wanted to be the brave person he seemed to think she was. Cass looked away, and her eyes caught on two Airweaver boys nearby. They passed a football back and forth between them, and the sound of their voices floated toward the tree. “I guess,” she said.

She felt Sinister studying her. One of the Airweavers laughed, his white teeth gleaming. “Is something else going on?” Cass heard Sinister ask.

She was so tired that she told him the truth. “I just haven’t been sleeping. A fucking ghost is tormenting me.”

Even though Cass had used the forbidden word, Sinister didn’t correct her. “Sounds like it attached to you. Sometimes all it takes is eye contact,” he replied, shrugging.

Cass’s voice was bright. “Great. Any ideas how I can get rid of her? I’ve tried ignoring her, and clearly that isn’t working.”

“Here’s a crazy idea.” Sinister leaned closer, as if he were telling her a secret. He paused dramatically before saying, “You could ask Headmistress Crane for help.”

Cass immediately shook her head. She didn’t want the headmistress anywhere near her or Cal. “No. Not Crane.”

Sinister straightened. There was a thoughtful look in his eyes, which meant he’d noticed her reaction. “Well, if you can’t untether her, there is another way,” he said.

“Another way to what?”

He reached down, almost absently, and pinched some grass between his fingertips. Sinister tossed it into a fresh breeze and said, “To free her.”

As the grass swirled away, Cass realized the two Airweavers had finished their game and left—she hadn’t even noticed. Cass returned her focus to Sinister and raised her eyebrows. “What is it?”

“You’re taking Hauntings 101, right? Have you gotten to the reasons a revenant sticks around?” Sinister asked.

“There are six.” Cass’s response was instant. She’d read that chapter backwards and forwards.

Sinister nodded and said, “You could find out why she’s here.”

“Unfinished business,” Cass murmured, remembering Professor Harkens’s lecture.

“Most of what the world believes about revenants is bullshit, but that part is true.”

“So if I figure out this spirit’s damage, you really think she’ll leave me alone?” Cass said slowly. Her mind began to race, her heart becoming the hard, fast beat of realization.

“What’s the alternative? Do nothing and let her torment you for the rest of the semester?” Sinister pointed out.

“True.” Cass fell silent. Sinister didn’t say anything else, either. He probably thought she was mulling over what he’d said. But Cass didn’t need to think about it, because she’d already figured out what Karen Watkins’s unfinished business was. It was obvious.

Cass needed to find out who had killed Karen and expose him.

Cass’s pulse quickened when she realized how dangerous it could be. Then she remembered that everything was dangerous. Cass knew that better than anyone. And as Sinister had just pointed out, what was the alternative?

There was one pretty big problem, though. How was Cass going to figure out who had killed Karen if she could barely make sense of her memories? There was never a face or a name in them. Not to mention that Karen’s visits were sporadic and unpredictable.

Maybe she shouldn’t depend on a revenant, Cass concluded. Maybe there was another way to learn about what happened. There had to be someone who knew more, like Professor Harkens or a voyant who’d been a student here at the time of the murder.

The thought was like a trigger, and an idea shot through Cass’s mind. She scrambled to her feet, then paused to look down at the Shadowripper still sitting beneath the shade of the tree.

“Thanks, Sin,” Cass said, touching her chin.

He looked startled, and it took Cass an extra beat to realize that she’d used his nickname. It just slipped out. They were friends, Cass thought as she turned away. It was normal for friends to use nicknames, right? She didn’t exactly have a lot of experience, other than Teresa.

Whatever. Cass put the moment with Sinister from her mind, and she began to form a plan for the evening ahead. Because there was someone who might know Karen’s story. Someone that had been here for a very, very long time.

Louis.