Double Dead Magic: A Witchy Urban Fantasy Mystery by Wentz Maaja

Author:Wentz, Maaja
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Loon Lake
Published: 2023-10-06T00:00:00+00:00

30

In the hallway, Priya heard a murmur of conversation and student laughter. Intuition drew her to the common room between the wings of her dorm, where three varsity hockey teammates played video games on the couch. It was a strange sensation, but not like the nudge her subconscious gave her when an art project was going the wrong way. This intuition felt like magic, a spell cast on her feet that drove them to this room.

But why? And where did this urge come from?

Priya sank into an upholstered chair and watched the future graduates demolish each other in a clichéd battle royale. These were the leaders of tomorrow, hooting over digital explosions?

In the kitchen, a cluster of young women gathered at the counter, eating popcorn and subtly checking out the gamers. There was a microwave, sink, and a few cupboards with plates, but no food in them. For good reason. At midnight, hungry students attacked unguarded nibbles faster than zombies ate brains.

Magic tingled here, like when Roberto made energy to flow through her. What an oddball. Guys hit on her all the time, but his attentions weren’t ordinary flirtation. His obsession with her dreams, the way he knew too much about her … in the moment it had felt good, but in retrospect, Roberto set off her creep alarm.

And the nightmares she’d been having? They were his fault, too. The one where her sculpture came alive and smashed through the studio window felt so real, she’d checked for damage the morning after.

On the kitchen wall, a bulletin board shimmered into existence. The women didn’t react, even though two were facing it. Was she trapped in yet another dream? Lately, there had been too many.

Priya blinked, but the cork board remained, sprouting flyers and pinned notes. She approached, expecting the object to fade like an illusion. Slowly, Priya ran her finger along the cold aluminum frame of the impossible cork board.

“Ouch!” Blood sprang from a cut on her finger. She had nicked herself on the unfinished edge. “Who knew magic stuff was so cruddy?”

“I’m sorry, what?” The student wore short pigtails and a Blue Jays shirt.

“I cut my finger.”

“Want a Band-Aid? I have one in my room.”

Priya sucked blood off her finger. “No thanks, but was this here before?”

The girl stared at the wall where Priya was pointing. “Was what there?”

The others had stopped watching the guys and turned their attention to Priya.

“Nothing.”

“It was an ant, wasn’t it?” The girl traced a finger down the kitchen wall, her hand passing through the cork board like it was a ghost. “They get into everything, and now I find out they bite!” Her panicked voice drew the other girls closer.

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t an ant. I must have given myself a paper cut.”

“On the wall?”

“Maybe I did it earlier and just noticed now.” The tip of her finger looked fine. Had it been a hallucination?

“Thanks anyway.” Somebody must have slipped something into her tea. When she found out who, she was going to break the spectral bulletin board over their head.

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