The Unlikely Resident of Room 313

Chapter 36

Black clouds blotted out the afternoon sunshine as rain poured over the streets of Oracle University. An icy chill wavered over the campus, both from the storm and the sinister sensation threading through campus like a sickness. It was enough to make both the natural and the supernatural bristle. As we rushed to Lana's shop, I overheard two students talking about planetary alignments while another blamed the turn in their gut on lunch.

"Asteria!" Lana exclaimed when Melody and I burst into Luna's, the loud crack of thunder on our heels. When she wrapped her arms around me, my knees buckled, and I blinked back tears, suddenly remembering the horrified expression on my parents' faces back at the hotel. "Oh, my sweet girl! Are you okay?"

"I'm not sure," I told her numbly. Behind her, Olivia waited in the shadows, the golden glow of her eyes reminding me of lighthouses in a treacherous ocean. "Where's Roy?" I asked, alarmed.

"He said he needed to stop somewhere," Olivia answered. Incense filtered through the dimmed lights of Luna's Magic Emporium. There were stacks of books on the counter, cardboard boxes were strewn along a changing display case, and—right on the highest shelf above the register—Winston watched the shop, tail pointed to the ceiling with alertness.

"A detour?" Melody said. "At a time like this?"

"Probably for a good reason," I replied. We both stripped off our raincoats and followed Lana to the main counter.

Settling onto the stools at the counter, we went over the details of Zara's possession: when I noticed the dark cloud, the way she acted with the art history professor, and our encounter in the dorm. Melody filled in a few gaps of Zara's behavior. Anna was ready to report her to the RAs. There were others in the dorm that were completely over the sudden change in her personality. Yes, she was vicious when she wanted to be. But not in the way she became over the last week and a half. I couldn't believe the Dark Man had his minions working on her for that long.

"Do you think other students have been affected?" Melody asked, gnawing at her bottom lip. "I think one of the boys in my English class might be possessed."

"I would not doubt it," Oliva said. "There are two more of my acquaintances missing: Mrs. Danfield from the Tetley House. Jonathan Roland from the old Sigma Delta Mansion. They have always kept to themselves. The cemetery was his original hunting ground. Now, he is moving across campus. I believe, Asteria, he may be attempting to create a distraction."

This time, the thunder shook the building. I blanched. "What kind of distraction?"

"The last time he caused trouble, he did much of his dark deeds of his own accord. Miss Lana's mother put an end to that fairly quickly. But now..."

"If there's enough of a distraction," Lana added solemnly, "the easier it would be to take you. There would be too much at risk for everyone to put all of their energy into ensuring you are safe."

Fan-fucking-tastic. Burying my head in my hands, I sighed. "I still don't understand why he's going through all of this trouble just to get to me."

"Dark creatures, especially those as demented as he, do not have much reasoning."

Yeah, I heard that one before. It still didn't make me feel even the slightest bit better.

Melody leaned her head on my shoulder and patted my hand. "We're not going to let him get you," she assured me. "I promise."

I hugged her tight.

Sweetness burst on the tip of my tongue, followed by a cool sensation along my cheeks, reminiscent of a summer's breeze. Without turning around, I sensed Roy entering the shop, and when the bells announced a visitor, I glanced over my shoulder. With the sound of the rain came my own startled gasp. Standing next to Roy Teller were my parents.