Chatoyant College, Book 13: The Teeth

Chapter 61: Eavesdropping

Corrie put her phone away and tried to turn the conversation to a more lighthearted topic, but none of them could stay on that for long. Eventually, she found herself telling Edie and Dawn about what Tessa had said.

"So people are looking for a monster," she finished. "And they're not wrong."

"I guess not," Edie said. "But if they think they're looking for something big and hairy, aren't they going to miss the real danger?"

"I don't think they're going to be able to see the real danger coming no matter what," Corrie said with a shrug. She poked at her pancakes. "As long as no one messes with the campus magic, they should all be fine."

"And as long as they don't hang out with Djanaea," Dawn said with a grimace.

Corrie ate some of her pancakes. They were good, but not as good as last week's. "Well, if Troy and Link are still hiding in their rooms, that shouldn't be a problem."

"I hope they're not," Edie said. "They'll have missed their final exams."

"They're probably not doing anything today, though," Dawn said quickly. "Unless they're trying to find out what happened to Payton and Elena, if they've heard."

"I hope if they're trying to talk to anyone, it's the magic professors," Corrie said. "That would make things easier. Then we can just get everybody together for a chat."

"I wonder if we should tell Roe what happened," Dawn said, picking up her glass of milk and staring into it for a moment before drinking.

"Not until we've talked to Troy and Link," Edie said. "And then, maybe let Link tell her if he wants to. She definitely needs to know, but he's her boyfriend."

Corrie tried to focus on her pancakes. "We'll see how the day goes."

The three of them fell silent, eating their breakfasts, and Corrie wondered if she would be able to overhear other people's conversations. She could hear the guys at the table behind her talking in hushed voices. Maybe if she concentrated, she could pick out a few words.

When she tried to listen, though, the voices only seemed to fade into the background more. She sighed and returned her attention to her food. She shouldn't be trying to eavesdrop on other people's conversations anyway.

They finished eating and headed back to Gilkey. Corrie wished she could enjoy the lovely weather more. She'd had a wonderful run this morning, but anxiety about Gerlina and the Djanaea was continually lurking at the back of her mind.

As they walked into Gilkey and passed the short hall where Lorelei and Charlie's rooms were, she saw Charlie standing in the hall, talking to a guy she vaguely recognized from around the building. She gave Charlie a smile and a wave, but since he was busy, she kept going with her friends.

"Hey, wait a minute, Corrie," he called after her. She stopped, surprised, and Dawn and Edie stopped with her. Charlie stuck his head out from the hallway, smiling. "Can you wait for me? I want to talk to you."

"Um, sure," she said, taking a few steps back toward him and raising her eyebrows in the direction of the guy he was talking to. He smiled and nodded.

She turned back to Edie and Dawn, who were still waiting. "I'll come and get you if she calls," she said. "Or call you, if we're in a hurry."

"Okay," Edie said. "See you later, then." They headed up the stairs.

Charlie and the other guy continued their conversation in voices too quiet for Corrie to catch—though this time she was actively trying not to listen in. Thankfully, it really did only take a minute before the guy was heading past Corrie to the stairs, looking anxious.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, walking up to Charlie.

He grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. "A lot of people are freaked out by the murders, and it's gotten worse today—you heard about what happened last night?"

"A lot more than I wanted to," she said. "But there's reason to hope it will be over soon."

He stared at her for a moment, then laughed. "I should have known you girls would be mixed up in it."

She couldn't help grinning back at him. "I wouldn't say we're mixed up in it. But I'm pretty sure we know more than any other students do. We're helping the magic professors."

"You're being careful, right?" He reached one hand out to her.

She took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, we're not going anywhere near danger. I told you about my distance sight abilities, right? I'm going to be using that to help, so I'll be safe in my dorm room, or somewhere."

"That sounds about perfect," he said. "Edie and Dawn?"

"They're being safe, too," she assured him. She wanted to say that the professors wouldn't put any students in danger, but that might not actually be the case. "But enough about that. What did you want to talk about?"