The Necromancer's Dilemma by Alyssa B Cole

Author:Alyssa B Cole [Cole, Alyssa B]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2020-04-04T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

This may not have been the best idea.

Runesmith Academy is usually filled with students, but there are no more than a thousand of them. Split between six grades, that isn’t terrible. When I go to Italy, I often take a fairy path, which I’ve been assured safe passage through thanks to Emmeline. That leads to less exposure to anyone at all. And my villa is taken care of by the undead, so I never have much for company over the summers.

Mall of America is a cacophony of noise, attractions, busy people, and capitalism. For some reason, there is an amusement park in the center of the mall. I find this very odd.

However, I think most of my anxiety is from being alone with the small woman next to me, who’s flipping through outfits in a Macy’s.

“You really don’t have to be here with me,” Willow says, peering up at me after she inspects a price tag and shoves it away in disgust. “This has to be boring for you. You can do something else or wait outside.”

“It’s fine. I was the one who insisted we still go to the mall.”

“Which is pretty weird,” she says, her pretty lips pursing. “I did not expect you’d want to see MoA, especially without Ben and Sarah here.”

Ah yes, the traitors. To be fair, they couldn’t help it. There must be a wolf pack in the area, because it triggered Ben into nearly transforming last night. To be safe, they snuck out and texted us that they were heading out early. Willow had shown me her phone this morning while she snacked on some bacon.

On my phone, when I checked later, Sarah had left an extra little message.

Shoot your shot, Luigi.

Perhaps I was not exactly as subtle as I’d thought. The idea makes me wince. These past twenty-four hours have been a mess…

“Did my parents say something?”

I turn to Willow. She fiddles with her purse strap, and I find my fingers flexing. I’ve gone about this the wrong way. I rushed things. No, perhaps I didn’t rush them enough. I should’ve asked her out as soon as I knew she was going to keep teaching back in September. No, I should’ve have done anything at all. I should’ve given up, understood that she and I were too different, yet too similar with our quiet personalities to make it work. I’m going to ruin our work relationship, our friendship. I…

Willow takes my hand.

It’s smaller than mine, and so warm I almost want to weep.

“Come on,” she says in her soft way that makes me wonder how on earth she manages so many children. I let her lead me out of the store, and eventually my fingers curl around hers. The action makes me think of the resurrected spider’s limbs, and I try not to shudder. But I can’t let go; she doesn’t let me.

She drags me to Cold Stone Creamery. The scent of waffles is dull to my deadened senses, but pleasing nonetheless. “Food always cheers me up,” she says.

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