4 Waxing & Waning (12 page)

Christmas break couldn’t have come soon enough. The minute I left Covenant College in my rearview mirror, it was like the big, pink elephant sitting on my chest over the past four months just disappeared. I could breathe again.

Kind of.

“I don’t understand why you think this sounds like fun?” Rafael was in my living room sitting on the couch. My parents had decided to go to the Upper Peninsula for three days to visit with friends – leaving me with the house to myself. It made it easier – and more comfortable – to let Rafael in the house. Even though his attitude bothered me.

“It’s skiing,” I replied. “It is fun.”

“I don’t understand the appeal of strapping two sticks to your feet and sliding down a hill,” he said.

“That’s because all you want to do is sit in here and watch television,” I said, gesturing to the remote control in his hand.

“Television is a fascinating invention,” Rafael replied. “I think you take it for granted because you grew up with it.”

I blew out a frustrated sigh. “It’s Friday night.”

“So?”

“So, I want to go out.”

“Why?” Rafael asked. “It’s winter. It’s cold. Why would you purposely want to go outside?”

“Because I want to do something other than sitting here watching you watch television,” I said. “I’m away from school. I’d like to enjoy it.”

Rafael ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t like skiing.”

“I didn’t say you have to go,” I said. “I’m meeting some friends from high school. It will probably be easier if I don’t have to explain you to them.”

“Why do you say that?” Rafael asked.

“Because they all met Aric last Christmas,” I said. “I don’t feel like getting into a big discussion about my feelings.”

“And what are your feelings?”

I froze. “What?”

“You brought up your feelings,” Rafael said. “I’m just curious what they are.”

Yeah, there was no way I was getting into that discussion right now. “I
feel
like I want to go skiing.”

Rafael leaned back on the couch, waiting.

I met his gaze without hesitation.

Rafael crossed his arms over his chest, causing me to do the same.

He narrowed his eyes, and I mimicked the expression.

He frowned, so I scowled.

Finally, it was a smile that graced his handsome face. “You really are a pain in the ass.”

“I’m a pain in the ass who is going skiing,” I said.

“Fine. I think I should go with you, though.”

“You can’t ski,” I pointed out.

“I’ll just hang around the resort,” he said. “No one will see me.”

“Do you think that’s really necessary?” I asked.

“I would rather be safe than sorry,” Rafael said. “Things might have been different if I had helped you walk the dolphin home.”

Suspicion niggled in the back of my brain. “Are you working with Aric?”

Rafael shifted on the couch. “Why do you ask that?”

That was a deflection, not an answer. “Because he said you promised to watch out for me.”

“I think he misspoke,” Rafael said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Yeah, that was an outright lie. I had no idea how I knew – but I knew. I wasn’t going to get into an argument about it, not when I could breathe easily again. When we returned to school in a week, it would be a different story.

“I’m going to go and get ready.”

Rafael nodded. “I shall watch television while I wait.”

I smirked. “You do that.”

“IT’S SO
good to see you,” Cathy gushed, giving me a hug.

A group of us were congregating in the front lobby of the resort to wait out the few stragglers who hadn’t arrived yet. The plan to go skiing had been launched online – and I wasn’t sure who had ultimately agreed to meet up.

“You, too,” I said, giving her a brief squeeze. “How is school?”

“It’s good,” Cathy said. “It’s better now that I don’t have to take so many electives.”

“I hear that,” I said, laughing. “I like my writing classes. I had an oceanography class that was so boring I thought I might fall asleep every time I had class.”

Cathy clucked sympathetically. “Did that fill a science requirement for you?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you take it because you thought it was going to be easy?”

I nodded sheepishly. “Yeah.”

“Those are the classes that always turn into the biggest pains,” she said. “I wish we didn’t have to take science classes at all.”

“I hate science and math,” I said. “I’m fine with everything else.”

“I’m pretty much the same way,” Cathy said. She glanced around curiously. “What happened to your boyfriend?”

I frowned. “What boyfriend?”

“The hot one who was up here with you last winter,” she said. “You two didn’t break up, did you?”

“We did,” I said, avoiding her soft gaze.

“I’m so sorry,” Cathy said. “You guys seemed really into each other. I feel horrible.”

“It’s fine,” I said. “It’s not a big deal. It just didn’t work out.”

Cathy didn’t look convinced.

“Let’s ski!”

“LET’S
hit the moguls.”

We’d been up and down the slopes on multiple runs and, even though it was cold, our activity level was keeping us warm.

I sent a thumbs-up to one of the boys and followed him as he cut to the right so we could track the moguls in quick succession. I let Cathy cut in front of me, timing it so I was just a few seconds behind her. I was so fixated on hitting the right path down the small bumps that I didn’t initially register the movement from the corner of my eye.

When I finally did, I lifted my eyes in surprise as a pair of yellow eyes came barreling down on me. The wolf that jumped out of the tree line wasn’t a regular wolf. They weren’t prevalent in this area. That meant this specific beast was part of the local pack – and he was intent on attacking me.

“Sonofabitch!” I purposely leaned back, my skis spinning out as I toppled over. My right boot detached from my binding, causing the ski to slide harmlessly down the hill. Cathy had seen me fall, and she was about fifty feet down the hill, watching with wide eyes and frozen features as the wolf advanced on me.

This wasn’t good – for a number of reasons.

“I wouldn’t come any closer,” I warned, hoping Cathy couldn’t hear me as I tried to reason with the furry beast.

The wolf growled in reply.

“I’m not alone,” I hissed. “And, if you come any closer, I’m going to burn you alive with my magic fingers.”

The wolf stilled its advance.

“Yeah, you’ve heard about them, haven’t you? Well, if I can turn two vampires into ash in less than five seconds, what do you think I can do to you, fur ball?”

The wolf bared its teeth.

“Who are you anyway?” I asked. “I bet I know you. Why are you hiding?”

The wolf remained where it was, crouching low, watching me with immovable yellow eyes.

“Zoe,” Cathy called. “Are you okay?”

The wolf shifted his head slightly when it heard her voice. “Don’t you even think about it,” I said, keeping my voice low. I moved my gaze to Cathy. “I’m fine. I think it’s just scared.”

“Is that a … wolf?” Cathy’s face was filled with disbelief.

“It probably has rabies,” I said. “Ski down and tell the guy at the chair lift that they should get someone with a rifle up here.”

Cathy nodded, unsure if she should leave me alone. “Are you … ?”

“Just go,” I said. “I’ll be fine.”

Cathy reluctantly agreed. Once she was out of sight, I fixed my gaze on the wolf. “Don’t you want to show me your real face?”

Nothing.

“Do you want me to fry you with my magic fingers?” I lifted my hand up for emphasis. “I think you should just go.”

The wolf glanced to the left and right. I was sure there was some sort of internal debate going on in there – although I had no idea what it was.

“More people will be coming down the hill,” I said. “Do you want to draw a lot of unwanted attention by trying to kill me? Do you want people telling the story of the girl with the magic fingers killing the wolf? And then, of course, there will be the follow-up story about your real-life disappearance. Only a handful of people will ever be able to put the two stories together and come up with the truth.”

The wolf hunched down.

“There’s a vampire in these woods somewhere.” I tried one more time. “Even if you manage to kill me – which is doubtful – he’ll rip you from limb to limb before you get out of here.”

“She’s not lying,” Rafael said, dropping from a nearby tree branch and landing between the wolf and me.

“Where have you been?” I complained.

“I’ve been watching to see what our friend here would do,” he said. “You were in no danger. I was close enough to intervene if I had to.”

“I didn’t say I was in danger,” I grumbled. “I just can’t figure you out sometimes.”

“And what is confusing you, my dear?”

“You’re all ‘it’s dangerous, you can’t be alone,’” I said. “And then, when I’m actually in danger, you decide to take a ‘wait-and-see’ approach. You’re just so infuriating.”

Rafael cocked his head. “Was that your imitation of me?”

“That’s what you’re worried about? Good grief. Handle the ball of fur.”

“Where are you going?”

I popped the binding on my second ski and lifted it up. “I have to go and track down my other ski.”

“I told you this is an insufferable sport,” Rafael said. “We would be so much better off if you’d just stayed in and watched television like I wanted.”

“You have the adventurous spirit of an old woman,” I complained, leaning back on the heels of my boots so I could slide down the hill faster. “Oh, try not to kill him. I probably went to high school with him or something.”

Rafael sighed. “Fine.” He glanced at the wolf. “You can go now.”

I have no idea what the wolf was thinking, but he slunk off into the adjacent trees without a backwards glance. Rafael joined me when I was halfway down the hill. “Can we be done now?”

“Done skiing?’

“Yes.”

I shrugged. “I guess.”

“Good. If we get back to the house in time, there’s a movie I want to watch on AMC.”

“Is it a schmaltzy Christmas movie?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, we’re going to need to stop at the liquor store on the way home,” I said. “If I’m going to be stuck in that house with you for the next week, I’m going to need to be drunk.”

“You really are charming,” Rafael said, snorting.

The second semester of my junior year started with a bang. Not a literal one. Although, to be fair, once I hit my first class I kind of wished I had something that would go bang – like a bomb.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Amy Cooper, my professor for women’s fiction, didn’t understand my complaints. “Do you have a problem with the reading group I’ve assigned you to?”

Oh boy did I ever. “Yes.”

“May I ask why?”

My gaze landed on the girl to my immediate left. Her hair was brown and wild, the curls running rampant around her angular face. She looked just as nervous to see me as I was to see her. I didn’t think the professor would believe me if I told her that the girl was my ex-roommate who’d tried to kill me with a Wiccan spell the previous spring. “We have issues.”

“What kind of issues?”

“We used to live together and it didn’t work out,” I said.

“And that’s your problem with Matilda?” Professor Cooper asked.

“In a nutshell? Yes.”

“And what’s your problem with Caitlyn?” Cooper pressed.

Oh, where to start with that question. What were the odds that the woman currently trying to kill me by fawning all over my werewolf, and the woman who actually tried to kill me almost eight months before would be in the same class with me? This couldn’t be a coincidence.

“She’s jealous of me,” Caitlyn said. “Her boyfriend dumped her for me.”

Professor Cooper rolled her eyes. “Aren’t you guys supposed to be adults?”

“I’m fine being a child,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest obstinately.

“Well, this is your assigned reading group,” Cooper said. “Either suck it up or drop the class.”

I considered my options. Finally, I slipped into the open seat next to Matilda, never letting the scowl slip off of my face. Once Professor Cooper left, I glanced over to my former roommate. “I honestly wasn’t sure you were still here.”

“I’ve been trying to keep a low profile,” Matilda admitted.

“I bet.”

“I … I’ve also been hiding from you,” she added.

Well, I always had admired her honesty. “How are you?”

“Embarrassed. How are you?”

“I’m fairly certain I’m in Hell,” I said.

Matilda glanced over at Caitlyn. “Who is she?”

“The devil.”

Caitlyn was watching the two of us from across the circle. There were five other people in our reading group – and each one of them looked uncomfortable with the overt hostility flying about through shared looks and occasional grimaces.

“Why are you the devil?” Matilda asked Caitlyn, her face neither friendly nor closed off.

“She’s just jealous because Aric and I are together now,” Caitlyn said.

Matilda furrowed her brow. “You’re with Aric? Really?”

“Why are you so surprised?” Caitlyn asked, studying her manicure. “I’m clearly prettier than her.”

Matilda shrugged. “That’s probably up for debate, whether you want to admit it or not,” she said. “It doesn’t matter, though. Aric Winters is in love with Zoe.”

I was surprised by Matilda’s words.

“He is not,” Caitlyn said. “They’re broken up.”

Matilda pursed her lips. “They may be broken up, but it’s not because Aric wants them to be. I have a feeling I know why they’re broken up, but that doesn’t mean he wants to be with you.”

“Well, he is with me,” Caitlyn said.

“Is it against his will?”

Caitlyn leaned forward. “Listen, you don’t know anything about my relationship with Aric Winters,” she said. “He’s crazy in love with me.”

I snorted.

“Do you have something to say about it?” Caitlyn asked.

“It’s just funny,” I said. “When I saw you guys before Christmas break, he was yelling at you to go home and telling you that you weren’t a priority.”

Yeah, I’m bitter. Sue me. I can’t help being catty.

“He was just worried about you,” Caitlyn spat out. “You keep purposely getting yourself in trouble to try and draw him back in.”

“That doesn’t sound like Zoe,” Matilda said.

“No,” I agreed. “Trouble just seems to find me regardless of how I feel about it. I think I may be cursed.”

“Oh, whatever,” Caitlyn said. “I know what you’re doing. Just know that I know what you’re doing. You’re not fooling anyone.”

I shot a sarcastic thumbs-up in her direction. “You go girl!”

Matilda snickered.

“You know that you purposely got in trouble with the police so he would run to your rescue,” Caitlyn said.

“Yeah, I knew that you and Aric would be walking down a strange street at the exact same time a girl dropped acid and completely freaked out,” I said. “I surely am some diabolical mastermind.”

“She dropped acid and freaked out?” Matilda asked. “That sounds uncomfortable.”

“She thought she was a dolphin,” I said. “She swam the whole way home.”

“Oh, fun.”

“Then I’m telling it wrong.”

“She also thought you were a witch,” Caitlyn sneered. “She said that Zoe shot light out of her hands and disintegrated monsters.”

Matilda shot me a worried look. “Oh, that is crazy.” Since she’d seen my powers up close and personal in a different setting, I was surprised she dismissed it outright. Maybe she was trying to make amends.

Professor Cooper appeared at the edge of our group. “I’m going to have to add another member.”

“Oh, really? The only thing that would make this better is if my high school nemesis transferred here and she was in this class, too,” I deadpanned. “Do you think you can get her here to snap my bra strap?”

“Well, you’re in luck,” Cooper said. “Your new member is a boy.”

“There’s a boy in a women’s fiction class?” Matilda asked, clearly confused.

“He must think it will be an easy way to get lucky,” I said.

“Exactly.” I glanced up as Scott dragged a chair over and positioned himself on my right. No way.

“What are you doing in this class?”

“Picking up women,” Scott said, winking. “I hope.”

“Who is this?” Matilda asked.

“Scott,” I said. “He’s been hanging around our parties.”

“And you’re living with Kelsey and Paris?”

“And Tally and Kristy – two of the most annoying people I’ve ever met,” I said.

“I just think you don’t like people,” Matilda said.

“That’s not true. I like people,” I countered. “I don’t like annoying people. There’s a difference.”

“You’re annoying,” Caitlyn said. “You must hate yourself.”

“Go suck on a tampon,” I said.

Scott smirked. “Am I missing something?”

“I hate Caitlyn,” I said. “She’s shallow and irritating.”

“Hey,” Caitlyn said. “You hate that girl, too.” She was pointing at Matilda.

“Ironically, I like her more than I like you,” I said. “And we have a tortured past. So that should tell you just what kind of a complete and total slutbag
you
are.”

“Don’t you call me names,” Caitlyn said. “I’m going to tell Aric you’re calling me names, and he’ll know what kind of person you are.”

“Go ahead,” I said. “I bet he’ll be shocked to hear that I’m calling you names. It’s just going to blow his mind.”

“Isn’t that why he fell for you in the first place?” Matilda asked. “I believe he said that it was your sassy mouth he loved best.”

“He’s a weird guy,” I agreed.

“I’m sorry you two broke up,” Matilda said. “I can’t help but feel a little responsible.”

“You’re not,” I said. “You’re responsible for … other things. Aric is responsible for the relationship stuff.”

“Wait a second, are you trying to pretend that you broke up with him?” Caitlyn looked like she didn’t believe me.

“No one is talking to you,” I said. “Look in a mirror or something. Maybe it will be like the Medusa legend? If you stare long enough, maybe you’ll turn to stone. You already have the brain of one.”

“Aren’t we supposed to be putting together a reading list for the semester?” One of the other members of the group finally spoke up.

“Go nuts,” I said.

“I think we’re all supposed to do it,” she replied.

“Oh, suck an egg,” Caitlyn said.

The girl frowned. I shifted my gaze over to Scott. “Did you really think this was going to get you a date?”

“When I heard you were taking it, I decided to give it a shot.”

I shifted in the chair uncomfortably. “What?”

“I think he’s hitting on you,” Matilda said.

Yeah, that’s what I thought he was doing, too. “You joined this class because of me?”

“I didn’t think it could hurt,” Scott said. “I haven’t seen you since you walked the dolphin home before Christmas. I’ve thought about you every day since. I figured I would give it a shot.”

“I’m … .” What was I? I wasn’t in a relationship. I was kind of in a weird coupling with Rafael, but nothing was official.

“I’m not asking you out yet,” Scott cautioned. “I’m just telling you that I’m going to do it soon. I want to charm you some more before I do.”

“Oh, well, thanks for the heads up.”

“You’re welcome.”

Caitlyn screwed up her face. “What is it with you? Why are all these men just falling all over you? I don’t get it.”

“It’s my sparkling personality,” I said. “Men can’t stay away from me. It’s like I’m … magic.”

Matilda pressed her lips together in an attempt to keep from laughing.

“I think I like your ass,” Scott said. “Don’t get me wrong, I like your personality. You’re funny. You’re a great euchre partner, too. It was your ass I was drawn to first.”

My cheeks started to burn. “I’m not quite sure what to say to that.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Scott said. “I was just trying to be helpful.”

“You’re a weird guy,” Matilda said. “You’re pretty hot, though.”

Scott leaned back in his chair, a lazy grin on his face. “Thanks.”

Caitlyn slapped her knee with her hand. “I don’t like this.”

“No one cares,” I shot back.

“How are we all getting along here?” Professor Cooper asked, sidling up to our group.

“Oh, we’re about to start braiding each other’s hair,” I said. “It’s like we were all separated at birth.”

One of the other girls in the group raised her hand. “I want a different group.”

A few of the others murmured their assent. Professor Cooper fixed me with a hard look. “I have you to thank for this, don’t I?”

“You’re going to learn to love me,” I said.

“Really?” She didn’t look convinced.

“No,” I said. “You’re going to hate me.” What? I know my limitations.