“Was that sigil also one of Parris’?”
“No, we believe it was placed there by Rebecca Nurse, but we don’t know why. Zehra saw it too, but the guys couldn’t.”
“Interesting.” Deborah studied my face, like she was searching for something.
“Is it?” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. My head spun. I was tired of all the wondering, tired of not having answers.
“Yes. I don’t know what it means, but it means something.” Deborah tapped her nails against the spines of the books as she searched through her titles. “What is it you want to do, Hazel Waite?”
“My friends, Greg and Andre, they’re still at the school,” I said. “I want to save them. I want to stop the Eldritch Club from ever hurting another person.”
“And…”
“And…” My nails dug into my wrist. Pain jolted down my arm, stoking the fire within me. “I want to free all the Miskatonic Prep students from whatever spell or curse or crazy voodoo has trapped them as revenants.”
“Are you prepared for what that might mean?” Her voice was gentle. “They have died. Their souls have been separated from their earthly bodies. To be free may mean they will pass from this world.”
The knot in my stomach tightened. I didn’t want to be without the Kings. Trey, Quinn, Ayaz… even Ayaz, because in the deepest recesses of my heart I still clung to the person I thought he was.
And anger, because they had their lives stolen. Trey should have had the chance to be the CEO of a super-important company. I could picture him now in an immaculately-tailored suit, all sharp edges and cruel intellect, going into battle in the boardroom like Caesar subduing the Gauls. Quinn should be in entertainment – a movie producer or talent scout or a comedian if he could ever suffer the idea of being poor, and Ayaz… he should have had the chance to pursue his art, to see where his creative mind might have led him.
I could have had a future with them. With any one of them. Withallof them.
“That’s not fair,” I growled, my nails scraping over the stone. “Their lives were stolen. They should get the chance to live them out.”
“I agree, but that might not be the way it works.” Deborah went to her bookshelf and pulled out a slim leather volume, thumbing through the pages as she returned to her seat. “We’re dealing with uncharted territory here. No one has ever done what Hermia has achieved, so even if I had access to her lab there’s no way to know what reversing her Dr. Frankenstein work will do. Zehra called themedimmu– an ancient Mesopotamian myth that may be the origin of our modern vampire stories. Corpses buried without the proper rites who rose again with insatiable rage.”
“Yes.”
“From what little I understand about edimmu, there are spells and rites that destroy them, but in all cases, the dead will return to the ground.”
No.I wouldn’t accept it. I’d lost too many people I loved. I couldn’t lose more.
“There’s got to be a way. You have one of the edimmu you can test.” I pointed to Trey, who nodded.
“That’s helpful. However, I’ve shifted jobs recently. I’m an administrator now. I don’t have access to the kind of facilities we’d need to conduct experiments on your friend here. I’d have to get my friend Gail to help us. She’s a phlebotomist and could give us access to their lab and diagnostic equipment.”
Trey and I exchanged a glance. I didn’t like it. Deborah was talking about bringing another person into our circle of trust. I didn’t know this Gail from Adam. But what choice did we have? Besides, Zehra trusted Deborah, and I trusted Zehra.
“Fine,” I said between gritted teeth.
“Can you also test Hazel?” Trey asked.
“Me? Why would you test me?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” The corner of Trey’s mouth tugged up into a half-smile. “Maybe because you set fire to an entire building using only your mind.”
I nearly swallowed my tongue in shock before realizing he was talking about Dunwich Institute. I never told him I set that fire. He’d guessed I was responsible. Of course he had. Trey Bloomberg was nothing if not clever.
Deborah glanced up at me, studying my face. My cheeks burned under the scrutiny. “You never mentioned this before.”
“It’s not relevant,” I muttered.
“It might be very relevant. You can set fires with your mind? How long have you manifested this power?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I growled. My fingers flew to my wrist, where I pressed the scar.
Trey grabbed my arm, prying my fingers away one by one. He circled my wrist, jerking my arm in the air. “Don’t do that, Hazel. Don’t escape into your head because you’re afraid. What ifthisis the key to saving us all?”
