Chapter 31
Cass’s heartbeat was frantic and erratic as she crossed campus.
She’d completely bombed the aptitude test. There had been several haunted objects and pressing questions, but she couldn’t concentrate. Do you sense anything? What do you see? the professors kept asking. Cass had just stared at them blankly, her heartbeat racing in her ears, threads glowing all around as she fought the urge to look at Professor Clemens.
Other students had gasped when they registered whatever was in the hedge maze with them, their eyes alight with wonder and excitement. Several had left with shiny new pins, talking about the houses they’d be moving into.
Cass didn’t really give a shit about the house she lived in, or the pin she wore. As far as she was concerned, she could stay in Wayside for the rest of her years at Else Bellows.
All that mattered right now was exposing that asshole Clemens, and stopping him from hurting anyone else.
The sky was completely dark now, and it seemed everyone had drifted inside or gone off somewhere else. The campus was still and silent as a graveyard. But the old lampposts lining the brick paths glowed bright, and Cass stayed in their light as she hurried toward Old Main. She was going to tell Headmistress Crane everything—about Karen, and about Professor Clemens. Then she’d go back to Wayside and watch for police lights from the safety of her room. Maybe she’d even get to sneak down and see the murdering prick get arrested.
“He won’t get away with it, Karen,” Cass muttered.
When Old Main came into view, her heartbeat became deafening. She sprinted up the steps and yanked the door open. There was no one else in sight as Cass’s shadow slanted over the shadowed, gleaming floor of the hallway. She reached the doors to the admissions office, and relief expanded in her chest when she saw a student behind the front desk. The girl was obviously about to leave, judging from the jacket over her arm. She seemed to be looking for something. Cass rushed across the room and gripped the edge of the counter.
“I need to speak with Headmistress Crane,” she said without preamble.
The girl straightened, and concern made her forehead wrinkle. “I’m sorry, the headmistress left for the day. But I can leave a message on her desk so she sees it first thing in the morning.”
Cass swallowed a curse. Then she remembered—she had Crane’s home phone number. She just had to get back to her room. “Never mind,” Cass blurted. “Thanks anyway.”
She whirled from the desk and hurried out. When she reached the hall, Cass gave in to the urge to run. She reached the exit within seconds. Cass hit the door with both hands, palms out, and exploded back into the night.
She’d gotten to the bottom of the steps and halfway down the path when she saw him.
A figure stood on the path. He was just beyond the glow cast by a streetlight, and Cass couldn’t make out his face. She slowed, hoping it was just paranoia that made her uneasy.
“Hello there,” the dark figure said.
Cass felt her stomach sink when she recognized that voice again. A moment later, the voice’s owner stepped into the light. He wore a polite smile, but the shadows made his curved lips look threatening and eerie.
Breathe, Cass. Play it cool. Cass’s voice belied the fear gripping her throat. “Professor Clemens. I don’t think we’ve officially met.”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he studied her. “You know,” he said, his voice soft.
Cass kept concentrating on her breathing. Making sure it remained quiet and steady. Her tone was a blend of nonchalance and curiosity as she replied, “Know what?”
“I saw the way you looked at me earlier. There is only one plausible explanation for someone I’ve never met to be so terrified. You know.” The professor sighed.
Cass’s instincts screamed at her to keep playing dumb—she’d seen what he was capable of. This man wouldn’t hesitate to kill her, too, if he thought she was a threat. Cass raised her eyebrows as if every inch of her body wasn’t shrieking at her to run.
“I was terrified because I was about to take the aptitude test, and I don’t perform well under pressure. What am I supposed to know?”
“I always wondered if Karen had stuck around,” Professor Clemens said, acting as if Cass hadn’t spoken. “Even after decades passed, I searched for any sign. Any hint that she could be here. Because I was worried about something like this happening, you see.”
He shook his head with an air of regret. Cass could feel her heartbeat in her ears, but she pasted an expression of confusion on her face. “Something like what? I think you might have me confused with another student. I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about, man.”
She’d taken a half step back when Professor Clemens said, “You’re going to die either way, Miss Ryan. Do you really want those to be your last words?”
His voice was utterly devoid of humanity. When Cass heard that, her fa?ade cracked. Her posture changed, and then her entire body began to shake. “Killing me won’t do you any good. Karen is here, and she’s pissed. So the truth is coming out, asshole, and it’s just a matter of time.”
She’d expected Professor Clemens to say something back. In all the movies, the bad guys made a speech. They were supposed to justify the terrible things they’d done.
Instead, the professor flew at her.
He moved so fast that it took Cass’s brain an extra beat to register that he was coming. Adrenaline and terror gushed through her, pulsing like blood and pounding in her ears as she whirled.
She’d only gotten a few steps when he slammed into her from behind.
Cass screamed as the ground flew up to meet her, instinctively throwing her arms out to soften the landing. Pain shot through her wrists, but Cass barely noticed—she was already twisting, kicking her feet out to get Professor Clemens away. One heel sloppily made contact with the side of his face and slid off, but the other hit home. Cass felt something crack, and when the professor let out an agonized bellow, a streak of vicious satisfaction went through her. The feeling immediately gave way to panic when she saw the knife in Professor Clemens’s hand, just as she’d feared. As he brought his arm up, the blade flashed red. It was covered in fresh blood.
He’d nicked her in the fall. Cut a neat slice up her ribcage, Cass discovered as she glanced down. There was no time to care. She was still scrambling backward, watching in helpless horror as Professor Clemens plunged the knife toward her for a second blow. She rolled, trying to avoid it, but Cass knew it wouldn’t be fast enough. Her last frantic, terrified thought was of Cal.
Someone hit Professor Clemens from the side.
Cass caught a glimpse of blond hair as Professor Clemens went rolling. The figure on top of him was almost as tall as the professor, and the two of them grunted as they fought. At the same moment the knife glinted in the moonlight, Cass caught a glimpse of her rescuer’s face.
It was Teddy. Teddy had just saved her life.
She watched them fight on the night-darkened lawn. Teddy was holding his own, but Professor Clemens still had the knife. Everything inside Cass shrieked at her to run, but she hesitated. She couldn’t leave Teddy. She had to help him. Pain shot through Cass’s side as she shifted her feet beneath her.
She was about to stand when Teddy pinned Professor Clemens down, drew his other arm back, and hit the professor so hard that his head smacked against the ground.
Professor Clemens stopped moving.
Cass stopped moving, too. The silence rang in her ears as she knelt there, frozen and terrified, waiting for the professor to pop back up. But he just laid there silently. It must’ve been enough to convince Teddy, because he put one leg beneath him and began to stand. Then he tipped to the side, as if he’d been hit by a wave of dizziness. Cass was too far away to catch him.
She was about to shout Teddy’s name when he caught his balance, pressing his palm into the grass, and forced himself up. His eyes met hers. Cass saw relief cross Teddy’s expression, and she could practically hear the thought going through his mind—she’s okay. He tried standing again. This time he succeeded, and Cass felt a burst of her own relief. He was okay, too. They would survive this. They just had to get the fuck away from Professor Clemens and call the police.
Teddy had only taken four steps when he crumpled.
Cass swore and scrambled over to him, holding one hand against her wound. White-hot pain blazed through her with every movement. She ignored it and shook Teddy’s shoulder as hard as she could. She didn’t see any blood, so he must’ve taken some hits of his own.
“Teddy, hey. Wake up. Open your eyes, Teddy. Come on, come on, come on.” Breathing hard, Cass glanced back at Professor Clemens. He hadn’t moved, but that could change any second. Her eyes darted down to the knife, which glinted in the grass near the professor’s hand. Teddy mumbled something, and Cass bent down, putting her ear next to his mouth. “What?”
Teddy’s throat worked. His eyes didn’t open, but his voice was slightly louder as he rasped, “Don’t… don’t let them take me to the hospital.”
Before Cass could respond, something moved in her peripheral vision. She jerked her head up, and her eyes widened in horror. A few yards away, Professor Clemens was getting to his feet. A line of blood trickled from a gaping cut beside his eye, and his broken nose was already swelling.
“Teddy, we have to go,” Cass said under her breath, shaking him again. “Get up. Please.”
Teddy was out cold. Cass looked up again, and a whimper caught in her throat. Professor Clemens was coming toward them now. His gaze latched onto her face, and that was the moment Cass decided to run—Professor Clemens wasn’t interested in Teddy. She knew if he got his hands on her, she’d have the same fate as Karen Watkins.
Cass gasped at a shock of pain as she pushed herself up, slick grass clinging to her palms, and bolted in the opposite direction. There was no one else within sight, and for a split second, she considered making a run for Wayside. But Professor Clemens’s long legs were already eating up the distance between them—Cass would never make it. The closest building was Old Main.
The girl at the desk, she thought wildly. They could lock themselves in and call the police. Cass aimed for the front doors again, screaming as she went, “Help! Someone, help!”
She got inside and flew down the hall, her shoes squeaking against the floor. But when she wrenched at the office door, it was locked. Cass desperately peered through the window. The room was empty, every light turned off. The student worker must’ve left. Cass made a choked, panicked sound and swung away. She could see the back door at the other end of the hallway. Indecision tore at her. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, making it hard to think, to do anything except panic. Should she keep running and pray that someone heard her cries for help in time? Cass glanced down, noting the trail of blood she’d left on the floor. Her head was swimming. What if she passed out? Maybe the best option would be to hide.
No, she didn’t want to trap herself, Cass decided, lurching toward that far door. No one would hear her in here, and she’d be a sitting duck for Clemens. She flew down the hall. But when Cass got closer to the door, she slowed. No. No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening.
It had been boarded shut.
An “out of order” sign was taped to the wood. Cass realized she must’ve damaged the lock the night she broke in. She wasted precious seconds desperately yanking at the boards, but they held fast. Cass spun around and darted to the closest door, then found that one locked, too. A frustrated, terrified scream rose in her throat.
Hinges whined into the stillness.
Terror roared through Cass. She whirled and raced to the door that would take her upstairs. She almost sobbed when the knob turned in her hand. Cass slipped through and closed it as softly as she could. Hopefully Clemens hadn’t seen her, and it would take him some time to figure out where she’d gone. She needed to make a plan.
When she got to the second floor, Cass kept going, knowing all the doors here would likely be locked, too. Seconds later, she reached the attic. Cass began to hurry across the dusty space, instinctively putting as much space as she could between herself and the door.
She’d only taken a few steps when she halted. If she was going to survive, Cass needed to be smart—she had to go on the offense. Her chest heaved, and she looked around frantically, hoping to spot anything she could use as a weapon. The attic was just as empty as last time. Think, Cass. Think!
Louis was writing something. Cass could hear the tip of the chalk making its scrapes and taps. She spared a moment from her frenzied search to glance at the board.
Hide next to the stairs.
“He’ll find me there,” Cass hissed. But her mind worked, considered it. Maybe she could hit Professor Clemens while his back was turned…
The chalk clicked again. Trust me.
Cass knew she was running out of time. She stopped arguing and moved to do what Louis said. As she tucked herself in the narrow space between the wall and the stairwell, Cass struggled to control her breathing. It felt she couldn’t get enough air into her lungs.
Silence swelled in the attic. Cass’s entire body shook, and she strained to hear the creak of stairs or distant footsteps. But there was only the ringing in her ears and the wild cadence of her heart. Her loud, ragged breaths. Now that she had a second to think, Cass wondered if Cal had felt her terror, like he did before. If he was far away, she got why he hadn’t come. But where was Michael? He could vanish and reappear at will. He’d helped her at the Haunting. Was he—
The attic door opened.
Panic burst inside of Cass, and every bone in her body wanted to bolt like a terrified rabbit. Slow, heavy footsteps began to ascend the stairs. Cass choked back a sob and clutched her knees. Louis had told her to hide. He’d said to trust him. That meant he had a plan, right? Right?
The footsteps reached the top of the stairs and stopped. The silence returned. This time, it felt menacing, like a predator lying in wait. Cass almost gave in to her hysteria then and there. But she forced herself to stay. Maybe Clemens wouldn’t check this corner, she thought shakily. She just had to be quiet. She had to trust Louis. Don’t move, don’t move, don’t move…
Then Professor Clemens stepped into Cass’s line of sight. His cold, pitiless eyes met hers.
“Found you,” he said.
Cass jumped up in blind terror, a fresh burst of adrenaline roaring through her. But Professor Clemens only took a single step before he froze, a strange expression crossing his face. His body rose into the air without warning. His feet dangled at least a foot off the floor, and in the next moment, Cass heard another cracking sound, like someone closing their fist around a soda can. Professor Clemens’s head snapped to the side and flopped at an unnatural angle. Cass gasped and tried to recoil. Her back slammed against the wall, her eyes wide. He was dead, she knew he was dead, but she’d lost the ability to move or speak. Cass couldn’t fight the illogical, all-consuming fear that if she left her hiding spot, Professor Clemens would get up or Louis would come after her, too.
She was still staring when Karen appeared.
The young girl looked the same from the day Cass had first seen her in the chapel. The broken toes, the uneven shirt, the sad eyes. Well… maybe not quite as sad, Cass thought distantly, watching Karen study her killer’s crumpled body. Slowly, the glowing threads around Karen’s feet shortened and shrank, like shriveling roots or rivers running dry. She raised her gaze back to Cass. The revenant didn’t try to say anything, but the gratitude in her expression was unmistakable.
And then she was gone.
Cass knew she would never see Karen Watkins again. It was also undeniable proof that Professor Clemens was gone, too.
She felt something in her chest loosen, and suddenly she could breathe again. The terror lost its iron grip on her mind. Cass finally left her hiding spot and crept into the open, still pressing down on her knife wound. She edged around Clemens, glancing down at his face as she passed.
Yeah, definitely dead, Cass thought. She began to turn toward the stairwell. Something made her pause, though. Cass glanced over her shoulder at the chalkboard.
She knew she needed to go downstairs. She had to check on Teddy, and get this cut taken care of before she bled out. But she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the object that contained such a powerful revenant. Cass reread the instructions he had written when she’d burst in here a minute ago. Unease slid through her.
She should get rid of it, Cass thought suddenly. She hurried over to the board and swiped the eraser back and forth. The white letters smeared, then became dust. Cass’s mind raced. Was it normal for a spirit to have so much power? To be able to kill someone like that? Why had Louis helped her at all, and risked exposing himself to an entire school full of voyants? If they found out he could not only hurt the living, but actually kill them… the professors would renew their efforts to untether Louis, and they’d never let another student near the chalkboard again.
But Cass didn’t ask any of those questions. There wasn’t time. Instead, she just asked one.
“Who are you?” Cass whispered.
She didn’t actually think he would respond. But the chalk rose again, and Louis’s handwriting dipped and looped across the board. Cass stared at the words, unsure how they made her feel. Confusion. Pity. Gratitude. By the time she turned away again, and finally went down the stairs, she could see them so clearly in her mind that it felt like a tattoo.
A friend.