Night Witch (Weatherstone College, #2)(75)

It was early on Wednesday, with most students still in their dorms, but there were enough around that we drew attention. Whispers followed us as we moved along the frozen path.

Seasonally we were past the depths of winter, but remnants lingered in the wind, along with icy snaps of rain sprinkling from the heavy clouds above. Anytime the skies opened up, Logan’s power kept us warm and dry. “Feels weird to be back here,” I admitted, looking around. “It’s still beautiful and intimidating, and I’m glad I was chosen for this college, but I can’t shake the sense of not belonging here now.”

Logan released my hand to wrap an arm around my shoulders. Cradled against his heat and energy, I felt the full force of his love and protection. “You don’t need Weatherstone,” he reminded me. “Neither of us do. But until we decide what to do, I think it’s best that we act as normal as possible.”

“Do you need to be present at the company after Rafael’s death?”

He shook his head. “Our lawyers left a message this morning asking me to meet with them soon. I inherited the full shares in the company. Rafael never allowed it to be a publicly traded entity. He liked control too much.”

“That’s a lot of responsibility,” I said as I tried to wrap my head around running a billion-dollar company. “How many employees do you have?”

“About thirty thousand across the world,” Logan said as we reached the front steps of the main building. “Thankfully, Rafael had decent witches and warlocks running the upper levels, giving me breathing room before I have to step into the CEO position.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah, despite the shit Rafael pulled, his technologies have been instrumental in improving the human medical world. Robotics have increased the success rates in surgery and other fields tenfold. I don’t want it all to fall apart just because he was an evil fuck. Some good should come from that warlock.”

The urge to whisk Logan back to our bubble at the farmhouse thrummed strongly within me. “You’re already the good out of his evil.”

“For you, I’m good. But if anyone stands against us, I will be as evil as my father. Whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

I probably shouldn’t be so turned on by that statement—along with the feral look in his eyes—but here we were. There was no part of Logan that I didn’t love. Even the darkness.

Often, I wondered if it was the darkness that drew me in the most.

“I will destroy anyone that tries to hurt you, Logan. Even if I have to call every monster in existence.” I lowered my voice, but apparently not enough, as a shocked gasp drew our attention.

Belle stood at the top of the stairs, her face completely drained of color. She swayed forward, and by instinct I reached out as if to steady her. Not that she was about to let us touch, wrenching herself backward to fall and hit the ground hard. The simmering anger I’d felt ever since she’d started ignoring my messages and calls over the winter break surged hotter. If there hadn’t been so much going on in my life, I’d have confronted my former best friend weeks ago—I had no idea what she’d been going through, and she didn’t know how close to death I’d come. We were virtually strangers.

I stepped through the doors of the college front hall, and Belle scrambled backward, the skirt of her uniform flying as she moved. She was fast, and when she hit the stone wall, she used it to hoist herself to her feet.

I halted my pursuit, giving her a second to compose herself. “Paisley,” she choked out. “You’re back?”

“I am,” I replied, crossing my arms. “And you’re still avoiding me. Why?”

Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, and to her credit, she got her breathing under control fast. When she looked between Logan and me, I expected her to ignore my question, as she’d done most of my messages through the break, but then she let out a low sigh. “You know why. You’re evil.”

Logan’s magic pulsated around us, his anger as hot as literal flames in the entrance hall. “You have no fucking idea what you’re talking about,” he said, and in a contrast to his power, his voice was filled with cold disdain. “Paisley is the best witch I’ve ever known, and you’ll regret losing her friendship—when you finally pull your head out of your ass.”

Logan’s unwavering support of me eased the hurt I felt facing Belle. Deep in my essence, I’d worried that I was evil. But after Rafael, I understood the difference between making a mistake and making a conscious decision to hurt another. Reapers might not be accepted, but we weren’t inherently evil.

Leveling my gaze on Belle, I let my sadness seep out in my words. “Not that I owe you any explanation, but an affinity doesn’t make you evil. Your father is an elemental, and a horrible warlock. Because he fears me, he hates me, but you have known me for an entire year. We were friends, and yet you believe I would deliberately hurt someone. I’m not a bad witch.”

Color blossomed in Belle’s cheeks. “Tell that to Gerard Donovan. I’m sure the fact that you’re not a bad witch will be a great comfort to his family after your monster tore him to pieces.”

With that blow, she spun on her heels and hurried away from us, heading up the stairs. Darkness blurred the edges of my vision as I fought my own guilt. When Logan wrapped his arms around me, I slumped against his chest. “Donovan is not your fault,” he said with a snap. “You almost died in that attack too. In truth, our world and the council let you down by not assuring you were properly trained in your affinity. By wiping out all the reaper witches, you couldn’t join with your brethren to bloom as you should have done. There’s a lot of blame to go around here, but there’s never been any doubt that not even one speck of your magic is evil. Not a single speck.”