14. Thea
Thea
The Problem With Process of Elimination
Istare down at my list, debating on who to interview today.
The first cross-offs were easy. If Vero or Nico were Lazlo, well, to say I’d be devastated would be an understatement. But honestly, I’m probably mated to an asshole. It would explain why we got along so well.
Julian is a solid choice; he’s in potions with me, so it wouldn’t be completely out of character for me to approach him and ask one of the make-or-break questions.
It’s strange to try to recreate a person with nothing more than vague traits and a list of funny stories.
How do you look for someone who could be anyone?
I leave my dorm and head to the dining hall for breakfast and literally run smack dab into Levi. Well, that worked out well.
He stumbles back, steadying himself with a quick grin. “That’s one way to say hi.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say, blushing slightly. “I was a little lost in my head.”
He looks me over for a second. “It’s Thea, right?”
“Yeah.” I nod, surprised he knows my name. I decide to feign disinterest. “Is it Lex?”
He chuckles softly. “No, it’s Levi. But close enough.”
I follow him into the food line.
As we pass the fruit station I notice the strawberries. The perfect opening. “When I was little, I called bananas ‘banana-B’s.’ My sister never let me live it down.”
He laughs, but it’s a short, polite chuckle, and he doesn’t elaborate. “Siblings, right?”
Not a definitive no.
“You were in my statistics class last year, right?” I ask, trying to keep him talking.
“Yeah. You were the only freshman. What’s your power, math?” he jokes.
I laugh. “There is a statistical probability that it could be. Though statistics is just logic. Calculus is a whole other beast. I’m probably going to fail.”
“I don’t understand it at all,” he agrees. “But if you sit by the shadow freak in the library he will give you the answer. I know it’s gross to sit next to him. But the loser—”
“—stop talking,” I cut him off. “Mavrik is twice the witch you are.”
I stomp past the cashier and have to double back to pay. My eggs slip off my plate as I slam the tray down. Before I take a bite, I pull out my notebook and furiously scratch off Levi’s name.
Then I stare at Mavrik’s name. I should’ve eliminated him a few times. But I can’t.
There’s something about him and his shadows. I scan the room but don’t see him. Maybe he already went to calculus. I eat quickly and make my way there.
“Hey,” I greet Mavrik, who’s the only person already in the classroom.
He looks around the room, then back at me. “Hi.”
“I didn’t see you at breakfast.”
“You looked for me?” he asks, then shakes his head for a second. “I make a protein shake.”
“Oh, no way you’d get me to skip breakfast. I love waffles,” I toss out, holding my breath.
“Waffles are—” a nightblind girl enters and slams her bag into the back of Mavrik’s seat. He snaps his mouth closed and looks away.
Damn, that was the easiest question.
One of his shadows snakes around my wrist as I concentrate on my school work. Even my second time through calculus isn’t any easier. And I don’t want to give Vivien any excuse to undo my schedule changes.
Mavrik is out the door the second the bell rings. I try to catch him, but he’s gone, so I head over to English.
“Adora,” Anita says in a stage whisper as she sits next to me. “Are you sick?”
“Huh?”
“It’s been a week since you wore an illusion, and you’re wearing jeans again.” She shudders.
“Not sick,” I reply plainly. Hoping she’ll leave it alone.
“I get that you’re depressed, but this isn’t a good look… I saw what you ate at breakfast today… you’re going to gain weight… is your magic failing again? Is that why you don’t have any illusions?”
She reaches forward, her magic dancing. I swat her hand away.
“I’m fine, Anita.”
“I’m trying to help you, you look awful. Stop by the market today if you can’t cast anything yourself.”
She stands, straightens herself, gives me a pitying look, and heads back to her seat. A shifter with dark side bangs slides into the seat beside me.
“You okay?”
“Yes.” I offer her a small smile.
“Why they insist we all fit into the same mold is beyond me,” she says as she adjusts her fishnets nervously.
“Because they’re vapid and plain and can’t imagine a life with anything resembling a personality.”
The girl coughs, covering her mouth as she attempts to cover her laugh.
“That was vicious.”
The teacher walks in, a shifter who scowls at us. We both giggle.
“Why thank you.” I smile at her. “I’m Thea.”
“Fable.” We continue to whisper through class until the teacher turns and stares at us again. We both snicker. “Class, I think it’s time for a pop quiz.” Everyone groans and takes out a piece of paper, shooting daggers in our direction.
We’re going to get in a lot of trouble this semester.
The rest of the day passes quickly. The next afternoon, as I sit in Advanced Curses my phone vibrates.
GhostChat pops up.
Prof-Tea:
Misfits in Stine Building. Room 6.
MarkedMan:
Pass
Roomba:
Pass
Six more passes come in.
Strange.
I look up the Stine Building and it’s the building that houses the nurse. Oh. They’re probably going to have us do healing.
That won’t go well.
When my class is over, I make my way there, head in the side door, and look for room six. I have to stop and ask for directions and am a few minutes late when I find it in the basement.
The sign says morgue.
Fucking wonderful.
A dozen school officials are talking inside the door. I move past them and push my way inside. Professor Tennant gestures me towards some benches before turning to look through a glass window.
Vero is on the other side of the glass, standing over a body. I back up and take a seat without looking away. There’s a weird burn around his head.
“You okay, Little Firefly?” Mavrik whispers, scooting into the seat behind me.
I nod slowly.
“What’s he doing?”
“Someone’s been killing nightblinds. They’ve been asking Vero to check the blood for clues.”
“This isn’t the first time?”
“No, the rest of the class knows to skip these days.” I pull my eyes away from the body and look at him.
“Why didn’t you?”
“I knew you’d be here, and I don’t really have anywhere else to be.”
I gape at him. That was such a Lazlo answer. He gives me a half smile, a dimple flashing.
I look towards the body. “Will it be bloody?”
“Yes.”
“Can we leave?”
“Yes.” He grabs my hand and leads me outside. I’m still frozen. I tighten my hold on Mavrik’s hand.
He sits me down on a patch of grass somewhere outside. I don’t remember getting here. I take a few deep breaths, head between my knees, trying to settle myself. Mavrik sits beside me and rubs my back.
“So fire and blood. Good thing witches aren’t anything like the movies or you’d be an awful witch.”
I snort. Then start laughing and can’t stop.
“What?”
“I am an awful witch,” I laugh. “By all definitions.”
“You?” he teases. “I can barely cast. Only thing I'm halfway decent at is scrying.”
That sets me off again. “I can’t heal!”
“Me either,” he laughs.
After a few minutes of us trading our ineptitudes, I finally stop the hysterical laughter.
“Thank you.”
“For?”
“Being as bad of a witch as me.” I elbow his ribs and he grimaces like I mortally wounded him. I stand and offer him a hand up, his shadows curl around my arm the second he takes it.
“That’s still so weird,” he comments. We must’ve been sitting in the grass longer than I thought because most of the classes have let out for the day.
“Hey shadow boy!” A girl calls out and Mavrik turns as a witch hurls a potion in his direction. His shield comes up, blocking the both of us as we stare at the potion now bubbling on the sidewalk.
“Fucking freak.”
The group of girls cackle as the smell hits us, it was a skunk potion.
“Girls? I think you dropped this.” I blast wind in their direction too hard. The girls are hit with potion and flying glass from the passageway.
“Oops!” I call as they scream. I look at Mavrik, whose face is lit up. I smirk. “What?”
He shakes his head, still staring at me.
“You heading to dinner?” I ask.
“I usually get something to go,” he tells me and I can hear the unspoken truth, that he doesn’t get to eat in peace.
“I can’t promise that I won’t get my share of stink potions thrown my way.” I wink at him. “But let me buy you dinner.”
He studies me for a moment. “Okay.”
He grabs a plain chicken breast and vegetables. His eyes widen at me piling up two servings of enchiladas. We make our way to a corner table and I ask him about his favorite trips to buy time to inhale my enchiladas.
When I look up he’s staring at me.
“What? Not my fault you didn’t order anything with flavor.” I smile, wishing I’d grabbed more.
“I’ve never seen a witch eat like that,” he finally says.
“That’s a them problem.”
He laughs. “Really, you—”
“Adora!” Anita’s shrill voice invades our space. Guess I should’ve expected that.
“Anita,” I greet calmly. “That isn’t my name.”
She looks around the room before casting an illusion to muffle our voices. That’s ominous.
“You ditched me to hang out with this… thing.” She sneers at Mavrik.
“We had plans?” I ask. Honestly, I have no clue.
“It’s Thursday.”
Ah yes. The day I go clean her room and do her homework. Thinking I’m special.
“Is it really?”
“Yes!” her voice carries even with the spell. “And I find you here, with him.” She looks Mavrik over in disgust. “I know you are lonely since Ethan dumped you, but letting yourself go.” She gestures to my empty plate. “Going out with someone who’s mentally disturbed—”
“Enough,” I snap. “I don’t want to hang out with you. Not today. Not any other day.”
“Theadora, sister,” she says softly. I risk a glance at Mavrik who’s wide-eyed. Crap.
“Go away.” I let the malice show in my eyes. She studies me, then huffs out a breath.
“You are obviously distressed. I’ll see that you get help.”
She turns on her heels and leaves. Once she steps outside, the illusion spell snaps. The normal noise of the cafeteria rushing in.
Slowly I peek over at Mavrik, unable to hide the grimace. He stands and leaves.
My head hits the table hard. The cold linoleum not helping the feelings of disappointment. He was my best candidate for Lazlo, already scared away by Anita.
I focus on my breathing, remind myself there are still other candidates.
The sound of a plate being set on my table makes me jerk upright. Mavrik passes me a plate with two more enchiladas and then sets another identical plate in front of himself.
“Witches should live for themselves,” he says. Taking a bite, he makes a face of pure pleasure. “Oh my god.”
My heart thuds for a second as I stare at him.
“What?” he asks.
“You just remind me of someone.”