Shadowed (Unbound, Book 2)

Chapter Forty Two

           

"Nora—"

I stepped away and slapped him with my open palm against his chest. "What the hell?"

"What?" He shrugged. "I had to stop you from going after Duvessa."

"By kissing me?" I blinked rapidly. How did that even make sense? Even when the words coming out of his mouth made me snap with anger, all I wanted to do was kiss him again. That had to be normal. Oh, why had he done it? It was all I was going to think about and it made me even more livid that he didn't even seem phased.

"I wanted to do that," he said. "And it seemed like the perfect time, don't you think?"

"I—you." I sighed. "But why?" Why couldn't he have asked me on a date and kissed me goodnight? That would have been something to remember, if I didn't relapse again.

"You were pegged a prankster, Nora," he said, shifting his weight. "What do you think would happen if I let you go after Duvessa and you got caught? Detention? Try expulsion."

Oh. Right. I had been pegged as the prankster before I'd lost my memory.

Getting caught fighting would surely excuse me from the school.

"Why is she doing this? She said she was my friend! I'm so stupid." I fisted my hand in my hair and turned, bending at the waist. The tension Calin's kiss had lessened began to build again, knotting in my stomach. I stood up and glared at Calin. "You know, I actually enjoyed spending time with her. But now?" I shook my head and laughed. "She is lucky I don't remember anything about the Craft or I would have turned her into a freaking froggy whose only ability is to say ribbit."

He watched me, unblinking. "She helped the boy pretending to be me."

I froze, holding my breath as the information sunk in. Even though I had felt it, I didn't think it was possible. To have Calin confirm it... I turned back to him. "This—how?"

"The Craft." He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Whoever he was isn't strong enough to pull that off. Even if he could make a glamour, he couldn't hold it, especially with your abilities emerging like they did."

I blinked, trying to understand. "So Duvessa gave him a glamour?"

Calin nodded. "I think so."

Taking mercy on my hair, I clasped my fingers in front of me and began to pace. "Why would she pretend to be my friend?"

"She's a creature of habit, Nora. She saw a chance to get close when you relapsed and wanted to know what you knew about the Craft. Or, more specifically, what abilities you have."

"Isn't that universal?"

He laughed. "Hardly. The more powerful you are, the better your social status is. You've never admitted if you have abilities, which drives Duvessa nuts. She knows, given who your parents are, that you'll blow her away. She's nothing but a bottom feeder next to you."

I stopped pacing and stared at him. "She's baiting me and taking your break-up out on me."

"Yes." He nodded.

"And she won't stop?"

"No." He shook his head, never blinking.

The lack of hesitation in Calin's answers solidified my resolve to push my mind as far as it was willing to let me. It was the only way to force Duvessa to back off. Payback was a journey for fools. I would be content to see her held accountable. But to do that, I needed more than the journals Dr. Stanzo prescribed.