Born Wicked

XXIV

When we pull into the school parking lot, Julian snatches his bag out of the back and slams his door shut. I scramble out after him. He presses a small silver charm into my palm and then walks away. Not one word uttered. How petty is that? I call after him, but he keeps going and disappears behind the athletic building.

I look down at the charm in my hand. It's a dream catcher, the size of a dime. Cute. There's another tiny stone in the center of the catcher's weaving, a sapphire. No doubt, this charm does two things, I wonder what the second spell is?

I sigh and sling my backpack over my shoulder. Can't ask him now, can I? He's had a fit and run off. I scowl. Whatever. I've got time before class starts and I have another project to look into. I quickly attach the charm to the bracelet at my wrist and saunter over to the south west doors.

Instead of climbing the stairs, I head through the glass doors and go to the library. As I suspected, Ms. Day is already here. She's sitting behind the front desk reading and sipping coffee.

Ms. Day is one of those hipster types. She's young, in her early twenties, she has short brown hair, spiked haphazardly and huge black framed glasses. I've had a feeling, since I first saw her in ninth grade, that she's a Sorcer. I'm not privy to these things, and I'm not allowed to ask, so I go with my hunches. I have no idea which kind.

"Ms. Day?" I say softly. It's silent as a crypt in here.

She looks up from her book. "Yes? What can I do for you, Miss Price?"

I grimace, "Jayme, please," not knowing exactly when I decided to use Ethan's nickname, I offer it without thought.

She sets her book aside, spine up to mark her page. "Okay, then, Jayme. What can I do for you?"

I take a deep breath. "I found a book that was my grandfather's and it's in Latin. I was wondering if you knew where I could either find a Latin-English dictionary, or if there are any classes in town?"

Her eyes narrow shrewdly and she looks around before she speaks. Okay, maybe this was a bad idea. If she is a Sorcer, then she knows about me, right? Shit.

"Did you tell your grandmother?" she asks me.

Damn. Yes, she knows. Why else would she ask if I mentioned it to Gran? I shake my head.

"Good," she says. "It's the book you took from here the other day, isn't it?"

I blanch. "I don't—"

She holds up a hand to stop me and whispers. "I put the book there on purpose, Jayme. I wanted you to find it."

I feel my eyes widen. "Who are you?"

"Georgia Day," she replies with a smile. "I know all about you, Jayme-Lynn Price. And I can help you with that book, but not here." She takes a piece of paper from the recycle bin under her desk and scribbles on it.

Without another word she folds it and stuffs it in my hand. She winks at me and then picks up her book like I was never here. I take the hint.

I rush to my locker. There's no one up here yet. I throw open the door and dump my stuff, slipping the note from Ms. Day into my pocket. I also pocket my cell phone and then pull out my books for class.

The best privacy I'm going to get here is in the Girls' Washroom, so that's where I go. Locking myself in a stall, I pull the note out of my jeans pocket and read it.

Home 164 Sycamore Street.

Come this weekend. Bring the book. Text this number, it's my cell, let me know when you're coming. Destroy this as soon as you can.