The Plague Doctor (The Paranormal University Files: Skylar Book 4) Read online

  I took the box to the kitchen counter and made a place for the set beside my electric kettle. For extra insurance, I cast a permanent Bounce Like Rubber glamour over it just in case it should ever take an unfortunate tumble from the counter. Ama couldn’t be trusted.

  “Ready for the last gift?” He brandished the large red and gold envelope.

  Once I rejoined him on the couch, Gabriel carefully unwound the black tie securing the stiff envelope. He tipped it and pulled out two more, smaller envelopes, both white adorned with a colorful floral pattern and metallic gold accents.

  The first one contained more money, while the second, larger one held a thin stack of folded papers.

  “What is it?” I asked, palms itchy as I waited for Gabriel to skim over whatever they’d sent. Wordlessly, he passed the stack over to me. First class tickets for us both to Thailand from Chicago, scheduled for the winter break, and hotel reservations covering our two-week stay. If I’d had any kind of plan at all for the winter break, I’d have canceled them for Bangkok in a heartbeat.

  The handwritten note from his mother had the same effect as a squirt of Tabasco sauce in my eyes.

  Enjoy your first Christmas together. We hope to see you both over the summer.

  With love,

  Mom

  “We have to call them and say thank you,” I finally said, swallowing a few times to force my throat to cooperate. “This is…this is too much.” But it totally explained the luggage. My luggage was old and beat-up and hanging on by threads and glamour.

  “They won’t want us to fuss, but yeah, we can give them a call this evening when they’re home from work.”

  “Oh! There’s actually another gift for us. Hold on.”

  While Gabe gave me a strange look, I leaped up and hurried to the bedroom. When I came back out, he was in the same spot, the same bemused expression on his face.

  “You weren’t back when I came in so I haven’t had a chance to tell you that I saw Dain.”

  “Yeah? How is he?”

  “Looks exactly the way he did last year and is equally as—”

  “Enigmatic?”

  “Yes, exactly that. But he did want to tell us congratulations and delivered a few gifts, one on behalf of King Oberon.” I laughed and held out the little twig for Gabriel’s inspection, taking perverse pleasure in the fact that he looked as equally as confused as I probably had.

  “The fuck is it?”

  “He said to plant it in some soil and water it. I had to borrow the water from your neighbors though.”

  “Uh…okay. I have an empty pot on my balcony with some shit Jada planted and forgot about. We can just pull its desiccated little carcass out, I guess. One sec.”

  I kinda liked the idea of that, tossing the final, decaying remnants of Jada out of his apartment now that I’d technically moved in.

  The plant in question looked like it had once been basil, or maybe mint. He set the terracotta pot on a table near the window in full sunlight, then we ripped the brittle stem out of the dirt. Dry, but not a complete loss I decided as I turned the soil over a few good times with my fingers. Feeling less ungrateful about the wonky stick, I drove it into the dirt and poured the earthenware jug of water into it. Nothing happened. Gabriel and I both stared in silence, glanced at one another, then returned our gazes to the pot.

  “Hrm. Guess it may need a few weeks to root and grow?” Gabriel suggested.

  “Maybe. He almost made it sound as if—”

  In an explosion of color and leaves, dozens of vines burst from the dead little stick, all growing several feet per second. I screamed. I think Gabriel screamed too. We jumped into each other and banged into the kitchen counter as elongating shoots crawled up the wall and across the ceiling. Majestic flowers unfurled from marble-sized buds and their satin ribbon petals glittered in the afternoon sun. The heady scent of them was intoxicating. Roses. I loved roses and orange blossoms. And jasmine. I breathed it in and sighed, lifting a hand to my still rapidly beating heart.

  Gabriel climbed up from the floor. I didn’t even see him fall. “I knew to expect that, but it still got me.”

  “Same, dude.”

  “It smells fucking amazing though.”

  “Right? I never knew roses could smell so awesome.”

  “Huh? Roses?”

  I inhaled again. “Definitely roses and…hmm, is that sake?”

  “I smell duck and…I think I got a whiff of venison. No, rabbit for sure. How the hell does this thing already have fruit on it?”

  “I dunno. Magic?”

  Gabe shot me a look, but I just grinned. He leaned closer to inspect a bunch of little pink fruit clusters, plucking one from it. He took a reluctant nibble, then his eyes half-slit with pleasure and he groaned. “This is amazing. It’s like someone infused the flavor of a raw bunny into a grape somehow.”

  “Ew!”

  “But it’s good. Taste it.”

  “No.”

  “Taste it,” he insisted, chasing me.

  “Ewwww!” I ran from him, but he caught me easily and tried stealing a kiss while I put up a half-hearted, playful struggle. I prepared for the gamey taste of wild prey, but his lips tasted like limoncello. Sweet breath washed over me. I inhaled and kissed him again to confirm I hadn’t imagined it. “What the fuck?”

  “What?”

  “You taste good.” Torn between kissing him again or trusting our unusual fae gift, I chose to inspect the latter before letting him feed it to me. The inside had the squishy yet firm texture of a ripe grape. The flavor, however, was all limoncello and memories of visits to Italy.

  I now knew the plant from which King Oberon produced his amazing brandy.

  “These are from Titania’s garden,” he said suddenly.

  “It is.”

  “Sky, this is a…really kingly gift. I don’t really think there’s any amount of words I can scribble on a thank you note to convey how awesome this is.”

  “Wait until I tell you what Dain offered us.” I smiled. Oberon’s present was a true treasure for the two of us, but the one from my faerie mentor was a gift to be shared.

  I knew, before I even uttered a word, that Gabriel would want to experience Emerald Vale with his shifter brothers. And I did too.

  12

  To Honor the Fallen

  The Wild Hunt Club met up on the boundary between the school grounds and Tir na Nog to honor the memory of our fallen member, Blaire.

  Saying goodbye to friends never came easy. I hadn’t known Blaire well, but he was a member of our group, and a friend to those I cared about. Maybe his loss didn’t move me to tears, but it still hurt.

  “First off, I want to thank you all for coming, and for the consideration you’ve given to Blaire’s family,” Sebastian began. “I know some of you have sent cards or called. The Lawrence family has asked me to express their thanks.”

  “Are they going to have a funeral?” Kitania asked. This close to the boundary, she and Catlyn both sported feline ears.

  Sebastian shook his head. “No. At least not an open affair. You all know what happened. We had to give the Lawrences an urn filled with ashes.”

  From what Gabriel had explained to me, shifters were always returned to the earth. Cremation went against all their traditions.

  “Tonight’s hunt is for Blaire. Afterward, we’ll discuss officer assignments and any other club issues.”

  Sebastian led us into the land of the fae. In true shifter tradition, the hunt remained a fun and boisterous affair. A sophomore named Finn caught the enchanted lure Sebastian set loose in record time, which led to all manner of cheers and future bets. With hours to spare, we gathered around an old campsite alongside a narrow creek and took turns sharing something about our fallen friend.

  “I remember this one time he stole a prize right out from beneath Rodrigo’s claws,” Gabe said when it was his turn. He had a smile on his face, and his eyes crinkled at the corners. “He rushed in at the last second and snatched
the rabbit in his jaws seconds before Rodrigo smashed it. God, he was pissed.”

  “What about you, Sky? Any memories of the big wolf?” someone asked. I thought her name was Megan; she had the look of a vampire despite her bronze skin, a silver sheen overlaid like permanent highlighter.

  “One, but it has nothing to do with hunting.”

  “Don’t keep us in suspense,” Stark goaded.

  “Last year he helped me out with some classwork,” I said, thinking back on the memory with a faint smile. “I was freaking out over an exam in Subterfuge and Surveillance and he happened across me pacing outside the training compound. Talked me down and gave me some pointers. It wasn’t much, but he helped me, and I always appreciated that.”

  “He’ll always be remembered,” Sebastian said, then nodded to me.

  As planned, I pulled enough plastic cups from the Neverspace for everyone in attendance, plus a jug of something Sebastian had given me to hold on to. The moment the wolf pulled the big cork stopper from the top, all the shifters visibly perked up. They must have smelled something I couldn’t. Not until he filled my cup halfway and the strong fumes made my eyes water.

  “To Blaire!”

  “To Blaire,” everyone echoed.

  The warm liquor burned like fire, sweet and strong, with a taste that reminded me of cinnamon toast. It stole my breath away, and left me wanting more. Much to my pleasure, and everyone else’s, Sebastian poured a second round.

  “Right then, before we head back, time for the official stuff,” he prompted. “Catlyn, congrats, you were unanimously voted in as the new president. Not that you hadn’t already guessed.”

  We all cheered and clapped. From what Gabe had told me, they’d never had a fae serve as club president before. Her sister and I whooped extra loud in support.

  “Thanks, you guys,” Catlyn said once we quieted. “As your new president, my first order of business is to announce the rest of our officers. Anji, vice president is yours. I know you’re gonna rock it, girl.”

  I bumped shoulders with my wolf pal and grinned. Anji beamed.

  “I think we can all agree that my little sister, Kit—”

  “Only by two minutes!” Kitania blurted, much to everyone’s amusement.

  “Is not to be trusted with our money,” Catlyn continued. “But she is a meticulous note-taker, so that’s why she gets the secretary job that no one else wants. As for our money, it was another unanimous vote. Congrats, Sky, you get the financial responsibility.”

  “Awesome!” Anji said, raising her hand for a high-five. A few others clapped me on the back and Gabe squeezed me around the waist.

  “Last but not least, our new event coordinator is Alistair,” Catlyn finished up, naming a senior vampire.

  “Congrats to all of you,” Sebastian said. “If I might make a suggestion for your first motion, Cat?”

  “Please.”

  “I would suggest moving your meetings to Friday nights. I know for a fact that most all of you are free that day, so it seems like a better option.”

  Cat jumped to her feet, all grins. “All in favor of moving our meetings to the first and third Friday of each month, raise your hands.”

  Not a single hand was left down. It meant we could enjoy longer hunts without worrying about classes bringing us back early.

  “So…before everyone splits for the night, Gabriel and I have an announcement to make.”

  Brows cocked as curious faces turned toward us.

  Gabe nudged my ribs with his elbow. “Nah. You have an announcement to make. I think this honor belongs to you.”

  I chuckled. “Fine. In honor of our mating, Lord Dain of Tir na Nog will allow our group entry into his territory for two nights of the full moon. During that time, we’re permitted to hunt in the Emerald Vale.”

  Stark made a sound that was suspiciously birdlike. If he’d been in raven form, I imagined he’d be fluffed up. The others look equally as startled, even Sebastian. They all started talking at once, until Gabe held his hands up and managed to get their silence.

  “We have three weeks to plan this out, so clear your schedules.”

  Stark whooped. “Fucking yes. We’ll throw one hell of a celebration!”

  “He didn’t mention any restrictions, but I think it’s safe to say we shouldn’t go overboard and cut a bloody swath of death and destruction through the wilderness,” I warned. Stark’s idea of a party gave me all sorts of crazy ideas. For a raven, he loved to hunt. Sometimes I thought he had the spirit of a wolf.

  “All right. Damn. Fine,” Stark agreed. “No Dothraki-style raiding through the Vale. Gotcha.”

  I snorted back a laugh at the picture in my head of shifters screaming war cries as they sprinted away for the hunt.

  “Thank Lord Dain for us, Sky, please,” Sebastian said.

  “I will.” Smiling, I leaned back against Gabriel and tucked my cheek against his shoulder. I had him to thank for this, for being part of their group. Somehow, the club had become a second family, and being mated to him only got better each day.

  No matter what Dain’s prophecy claimed, I knew we would have an amazing future.

  13

  Moving Out Means Moving Forward

  Unlike Professor—excuse me, Doctor Salvatore, as he refused to answer if we slipped and called him by the wrong title—Professor Tennant spent the first two weeks of class guaranteeing we understood the anatomy of a mortal’s destiny.

  After a five-question quiz, which we all passed, he revealed we’d actively work on the lines.

  Since Dad hadn’t wanted me to be a total idiot, he’d already taught me the basics. I wasn’t as nervous as Lia, who had no magical parent in the home growing up. She’d never even met her biological father.

  I wished I could share mine with her. I wished purebred fae weren’t such selfish pricks sometimes, seducing mortals and spreading their seed but showing no interest in them.

  “Throughout the web, you will see shimmers of light like dew on a spider’s web. These Beads of Fortune may be tied to other webs, connecting certain mortals or even our fellow supernaturals.”

  Professor Tennant may have been dreamy to look at, in a sort of pretty-boy way, but he was an excellent teacher and I appreciated that way more than how easy he was on the eyes.

  “When guiding fortune, the key is to manipulate the lines in as few moves as possible. The more changes we make, the more complicated the web becomes, and the greater the likelihood for snarls, tangles, and tears. Trust me, it’s easier to proceed with caution than to reconnect a snapped line. That’s an effort you don’t want to attempt until next year.”

  Hands shot up. Tennant pointed at a silver-haired faerie girl in the front row. “What if we accidentally snap it?” she asked.

  “Then you’re looking at three to four days of repair work as an inexperienced fae. Possibly longer. I’ll guide you, but I won’t do it for you.”

  Fair enough.

  “How long does it take if you’re experienced?” the same girl asked.

  He grinned. A few of my classmates turned starry-eyed. “A day, if you’re good. And since you have me all year long, my goal is to make all of you into capable manipulators of fate. Now let’s begin.”

  Fae across the room channeled into the Twilight and removed glowing sections of the magical filaments that made up mortal destinies. Curious, I spread Sharon’s fate in front of me and had a look at the web. It sparkled like a diamond, all golden and silver thread with emerald lines and passionate red sparkles sending tendrils of love to her fiancé.

  “There’s nothing for me to change here,” I muttered. Which was good for Sharon, but not so good for my class objective.

  Pilar leaned close and squinted at the web. “Surely there’s someone else you can use?”

  “I dunno, Pilar. I mean, who—” It struck me out of the blue. I had the perfect person to check in on, someone close to my heart with a bond for me to use. As of two months ago, my childhood friend Mindi st
ill didn’t have a faerie godmother, even though I totally felt she deserved one.

  “Everything all right, Miss Corazzi?” Professor Tennant asked.

  “Yes, sir. I was just trying to think of a subject since I don’t have a charge anymore. Is it okay if I use a mortal friend?”

  “Just follow the rules and you’re good.”

  “Great, thank you.”

  Giddy with glee, I focused on my friend and brought up her Destiny Lines. Mindi, my adorable and brilliant klutz, had many. While she had the potential to become a great doctor, she also had a lot of trials along the bumpy path to her future as a world-class surgeon.

  A gold and green line, one that indicated money, had a dull sheen that worried me. Even a middle-class family that didn’t splurge on extras had a shinier wealth line.

  “Dammit girl, not even a lotto ticket?”

  While I couldn’t technically make someone win the Mega Millions or Powerball jackpots, the occasional modest win was allowed if a person really needed it. But Mindi didn’t spend time buying those things, so I had to find another way to put a little helping hand in her wallet.

  After tracing a few connecting lines to their sources, I found a businessman with a billfold of crisp fifties and twenties in his wallet. I couldn’t see much more about him, lacking a connection, but everywhere he went, the guy generously left piles of money. Perfect.

  Professor Tennant leaned in. “How do you know it’s safe to take from this mortal?”

  “His wealth line is pulsing gold. From what I can see, he’s constantly losing money. Dropping a twenty here or there, I’m guessing. Tipping generously. He doesn’t care about getting change. So… It can’t hurt too much if he happens to drop something where Mindi will come across it.”

  “Carry on.”