Page 24 of Midnight Hunt

“Five people suffered burns but they were superficial. Nothing we couldn’t heal when we were trying to heal the building.” Randolph nodded, running his finger down the notes he had taken on his clipboard.

“And you’re sure it was zombies?” I stood up from my desk. My ire would not be vanquished with the subpar response from admin. As I had ‘taken care of the situation’, they did not feel like a response was warranted. Half of me wanted to tear out of my flesh, become fur and claw and fang. I would show them how their email found me.

However, I needed to go in with all my i’s dotted and t’s crossed. I glanced at Randolph and extended a hand for theclipboard. He turned it over to me. Written statements from both my TA and RA, plus a sworn statement from Valerie and whatever students were awake when I came storming out of the building, all collected together.

“Yes, positive. Kahrina and I both saw them, and when we vanquished them, one of their fingers was left unburned. We put it in this jar as evidence.” He procured the jar from his bag. “Do you require anything else, Professor?”

“No, thank you.” I bowed my head after I took his evidence.

“Of course,” he returned the bow of his head before he pivoted on his heel to leave.

“And I appreciate your discretion, Randolph,” I added.

He tossed me a goofy grin over his shoulder, “Not really my beans to spill, Professor. Though, eventually, I’m going to have to make good on that bet with Kahrina.”

I rolled my eyes, shooing my snickering RA out of my office. I closed out my classroom again. I’d already sent an email to my students for the day that class would be all self-study for that day. As much as I would like the distraction that teaching provided, I needed to fix this.Needed to save her.Valerie wasn’t safe while the necromancer was free to do as they wished. As much protection as The Grove promised, it also added extra targets onto her. Especially while she was compromised with her breeding season, and her focus was split between class and her body’s needs. I could do this for her.

I marched straight to the center of campus. My mind was set on the Admin building. However, as more students passed me, I knew my face said it all. After the third student stopped me to say hello, only to immediately squeak and excuse themselves, I realized my face wasless than enthused.

Which is why I was shocked when the blond haired, purple horned, president of Valerie’s old sorority stopped me a foot from the Admin doors. She’d flown out of the building, wrappingherself up in a heavier coat than the weather required, sweaty and glassy eyed. Only, we locked gazes something surged in hers. She stormed up to me, her face contorted with rage and disgust, “Are you proud of yourself?”

“Excuse you, Ms. McClanes. I don’t know what your professors allow, but a certain level of professionalism is expected at this campus. I do not allow even my grad students to speak to me so callously.”

She snorted, rolling her eyes. Her hair was damp against her head, lips cracked and more blue than I remember them ever being. Amber McClanes was never in any of my classes, but all the tenured professors, especially those of us over the houses, knew all the presidents and grad students by name. Especially when she came from a big-name family like McClanes. Her elder sister graduated not that long ago. I could recall signing a letter of recommendation for Adrianna…I don’t remember hearing any buzz for Amber.

I stared at Amber with suspicion as she opened her mouth to speak. Only, the color washed out of her face and she immediately bent over with an angry sneeze. Chunks of mucus and wasps flew out of her nose. She let loose three more times, her body violently jerking backward every time. I stepped back, hands up like I need to fist fight the massive locusts that flew out of her ears when she tried not to sneeze. Her legs shook as she stumbled back and forth. Then, the sneezing fit seemed to pass.

“Looks like you’ve got a nasty case of the bog hex sniffles,” it came out teasingly only for something to occur to me. As silly as the name was, it was a serious hex to place on someone. It didn’t require the caster—nay, the witch—to know whom they were hexing. It was more of a response. Like a rebuke, it was reactionary hex that traced its way back to the source of a person who harmed the witch. It festers fast and can causeother problems like pneumonia, infections, and harm a person’s immunity to common diseases.

“Yeah, well, that’s what I get for trying to burn a murderous hag!” Amber snarled, rubbing her dripping nose. “This just shows that she’s bitter and petty.”

“Or that she’s defending herself from an attacker,” I raised a brow, my voice lowering to a dangerous growl. “Miss McClanes, remind me again, what is your major?”

Her face twisted up, but as she went to spew something at me, her lips disappeared. Eyes wide, fingers frantically rushed to where her mouth was. We both stared at each other in horror as she tried to pull her mouth apart, only to find there was no seam. My hand jutted out without a single thought and slapped my palm to her forehead. The scent of fresh basil and dew on leaves filled the air as I cleansed her of several hexes.

What was Valerie thinking?The depth to the angry magic that crackled around Amber was intense. The second her lips reformed, she screamed, rushing off. “She fucking cursed me! I told you she was a murderous hag! Burn her! Burn the witch!”

“Miss McClanes!” I called after her, but there was no stopping her. Not as she bolted from the pathway and rushed through the classroom buildings. I exhaled heavily, dropping my hand to my side.

Valerie, is Amber the necromancer? Why didn’t you tell me? Or was this just more self-defense? Was I automatically assuming this was her? I had no proof other than the bog hex sniffles that it was Valerie…was I the problem? Or perpetuating it?

“What is all the—Professor O’Hare? What is going on right now?” Dean Bandur stepped out into the sunlight, his face a mix of disgust and confusion.

“Ms. McClanes, she was hexed. In her panic, she activated a few of them at once. I was clearing her of them when sheraced off in hysterics.” I threw my arms out to the side. “She’s determined to make Ms. Contempt a villain when she’s been nothing but an exemplary student.”

Dean Bandur eyed me before nodding away from the door. Around the corner, behind a willow tree that dangled magic apples, we took up one of the many stone benches that were spread along the grounds. It was secluded from prying ears and eyes. Dean Bandur sighed, folding his hands in his lap.

“That be as it may, she has made this campus hard. During the incident last night at The Grove, another student was murdered.”

“What?” I hissed under my breath.

“We are investigating to the best of our ability, but we only found the lungs and head at the crime scene, which, as you know…” he trailed off.

“Are what is needed to create a wraith. A necromancer is behind this…and we all remember the last time a necromancer scare happened.” I tugged the ponytail free of my hair before I raked my fingers through my hair.

“So, you can see my predicament.” Dean Bandur stared up into the dancing willow branches. “Look, I know you’re furious with me. There’s little I can do about it. If I speak on it, we will have witch hunts.”

“We already have a witch hunt,” I snarled, twisting to glare at him. “Valerie Contempt.”

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