Two hours later, and I. Felt. Like. Shit. The medicine had finally finished infusing, and my stomach was swollen from all the plasma it absorbed. I took the needles out and placed four bandages over the insertion sites. I glanced at the mirror and had a thought I looked like a little kid.
I threw the needles into a plastic medical box before rushing to the bathroom. I spent fifteen minutes over the toilet gagging, but no food came up, even though I’d been munching for awhile. I’d eaten through all the food in my dorm. The infusions made you like that— inhale everything in sight.
The brain fog was major right now. I could barely string two sentences together… barely remember my name. It was like everything was one majorduh.I felt like little birds were tweeting in a circle around my head. I didn’t even turn the TV off before I curled into a ball on my bed and pulled the blanket over me, closing my eyes.
I woke up from my nap about an hour later. I felt a little better— more energized, though still kind of groggy. Maybe those infusions really were working.
That was one thing to be grateful for. I did some research on magical races that could heal. Healing magic was rare, and the few races that had healing magic at all didn’t have infinite power. There was only so much they could do. They weren’t miracle workers, and couldn’t tackle the kind of illness I had. Magic wouldn’t heal my body, so I’d have to rely on the powers of modern medicine.
I was only a month into these infusions and I was already tired of them. I needed comfort. I wanted to go to the rink, but right now, there was just no way.
The scariest thing about my disease right now, at least to me, was my struggle to continue being active. I had to leave the ice early the other day because my body just couldn’t keep up. The look on Gabby’s face was so smug.
I’d been an athlete all my life. I didn’t know who I was without skating. I wouldn’t let my disease take that away from me, too.
I needed some fresh air, to clear my head. I wished I’d taken up Odette on that walk earlier, but at the same time, I just couldn’t. I wasn’t ready.
Ethan had told me not to go wandering off on my own, and I’d promised him not to. But I couldn’t sit around here. It felt like the four walls were closing in on me. So I resolved to stay inside school grounds where it was… mostly… safe.
It was around three o’clock. I forced myself to roll out of bed and get a shower. I put on a white sweater with an oversized flannel scarf, dark-wash skinny jeans, and knee-high boots. I left my purse, as I didn’t think I would go anywhere I’d need it, and left the dormitories.
I shuddered as I passed the place where Professor Waldron’s body had been found. It’d been long since cleaned up, but if you looked closely, you could still see where the spear had been embedded in the wall. It was really messed up. I’d barely been at this school for a month and a half, and already, murders were taking place on campus.
Well, I guess that was one good thing about Arcanea University. You’d never be short on gossip, and there was no possibility you’d be bored.
I passed through the gardens. I noticed Ethan playing frisbee with his dragon friend, Stefan. Ethan changed from a wolven and back again as he and Stefan tossed the frisbee back and forth.
I smiled. It was nice to see him enjoying himself. He seemed really pent up after what had happened.
“Hey,onawilke,”Ethan called as I passed. He jogged over. “Where you off to in such a hurry?”
I didn’t know I was hurrying. “Just out. Is it any of your business?” I teased.
Ethan blinked before giving a wide smile. “Perhaps I’llmakeit my business.”
He changed into a wolven and bared his teeth. “You better run, onawilke.”
I gave a yelp and made a run for it. People laughed as Ethan gave chase throughout the school grounds. Stefan cried out for us to get a room as we ran past him.
Usually, I didn’t like the attention, but with Ethan it was different. I liked messing around with him. It made me feel better when he wasn’t taking life so seriously. It made me feel like I should be that way, too.
I left the main gardens and went to a part of the school that was more secluded— the outer grounds. They were still surrounded by the school’s fencing, but it was such a long walk to the palace that practically no one came out here. I laughed and ducked behind a hedge as Ethan spun out while trying to catch me. As he launched himself upward, I took the opportunity to hide next to a wolven statue.
I had to hold my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. If he heard me, he’d catch me.
I heard the sound of Ethan’s giant footsteps before I felt his large shadow looming. I squealed and tried to bolt, but I felt huge paws on my back and I went face-first into the grass.
I turned over. Ethan was on top of me, back in his human form and laughing. I punched him in the shoulder and pushed him away. He rolled off, still snickering as he stared up at the sky.
“So I can’t outrun a wolf. Big deal,” I said, though a large smile had spread across my face.
“You could if you had wings,” Ethan said. He sat up, brushing leaves off his jacket. “I’m sorry to say I’m stuck on the ground.”
That wiped my good mood away. My smile fell off my face, and I said, “You’re not the only one. Flight class is currently sucking ass right now.”
Ethan gave me a quizzical expression. “Having trouble finding your wings?”
“Yeah. And Gabby is making sure to rub it in my face at every opportunity.” I sighed as I pushed myself to a sitting position.
