The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4 by Carissa Andrews (graded readers txt) 📕

“Sounds good. We’ll come find you,” I say, waving.

Cat waves back, but Colton grabs hold of her arm, dragging her down the hallway in the opposite direction. He leans closer, whispering something in her ear, and she glances back at us with a confused look.

Shaking it off, we walk through the open door to the admissions office and get in line. There are a lot more people here this semester, and a lot less panic going on in the halls. It’s a nice change. My spirits lift a little bit.

Maybe this semester will be different? Maybe I’ll finally get into a groove, learn more about my powers, and get to have my boyfriend by my side. Maybe…all of my worries are completely unfounded.

Leaning in to Wade, I whisper, “I promise you, I have only said good things to Cat.”

A soft chuckle escapes his lips. “I’m not worried about that.” He shifts to his other foot and itches his eyebrow. “I am, however, still concerned about her brother.”

I swallow hard. “Why?”

“I read people pretty well, and there’s something going on with him,” he says.

“Well, his twin sister recently died and came back,” I say under my breath. “I’m sure that messes with a person.”

Wade shakes his head. “No, that’s not it. I mean, maybe it’s some of it—but he’s not weird with her. He’s weird around you. Or maybe just me. Either way, it tells me he’s still got a thing for you. He hasn’t tried anything, has he?”

My eyes widen and my pulse skyrockets. This is hardly the time or place to explain everything that happened. “I uh, what do you—”

“Next,” Ms. Cain calls out in her bored drawl.

“I think she means us,” Wade says, leaning in and tilting his head toward the desk.

Surprised, I twist around him to have a look. Ms. Cain’s eyes blink slowly behind her thick-rimmed glasses, and she waves us forward.

“Oh, yeah. Hi. Hello, Ms. Cain. How have you been?” I sputter, trying to reign in my racing pulse.

She quirks a mousy-brown eyebrow over the top rim of her bold, black glasses.

I clear my throat. “This is Wade. Wade Hoffman. He’s a new student and taking part in the festivities today.”

“Festivities? Haven’t quite heard it put that way before. Are you trying to be humorous, Ms. Blackwood?” Ms. Cain says, narrowing her gaze.

I sit there for a moment, trying to decide if she’s messing with me, or if she’s serious. It’s so hard to tell.

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist. Breathe—you’ll live longer,” she finally says, passing a packet of information over the granite countertop. “Mr. Hoffman, if I could get your ID and signature on the top form, I’d greatly appreciate it. It allows us to bill the card on file for tuition.”

Wade’s complexion pales and he licks his lower lip. “Uh, sure. Absolutely.” He reaches into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet and sliding his driver’s license across to her.

“Thank you,” she says in her slow lilt, taking the ID and running it through a tiny scanner on the side of her desk. “Should all hell not break loose, you’ll be taking pictures today for your student ID. Just in case, and until it’s ready, this will help me put a face to your name. Plus, if we need to hunt you down, it has your address on it.”

Wade glances my direction and tilts his head to the side. “Well, actually, this address will be changing soon. I’ll be getting an apartment here in town, so…”

Ms. Cain’s lips curve up into a creepy grimace of a smile. “Isn’t that lovely? Well, be sure to update me when this momentous occasion occurs, would you?” She hands his ID back without even blinking.

Wade nods, accepting the card and putting it back into his wallet. “Of course. You’ll be the first to know.”

“I’m sure,” Ms. Cain says, letting the sarcasm drip heavily from her lips.

Wade shoots a wide-eyed gaze in my direction. I shrug in return.

She is who she is. You get used to her style eventually.

He turns back to the stack of papers, flipping through the first few pages.

“You just need to sign the top one, Mr. Hoffman. The rest are just copies of what I’ve already emailed to you,” Ms. Cain says, leaning to the side to view the line behind us.

“Right, okay,” he says, swallowing hard. His lips press into a thin line and he signs his name on the line, as asked. Dropping the pen, he slides the stack of papers back to her.

“Just the top one is mine, dear,” she says, handing the other back and grabbing a few more papers she had off to the side. “Here’s your orientation packet. Take it to the Auditorium Hall. Everything starts in there. This day is fairly open. Once you perform the Witching Stick ceremony, you’re free to roam the school and grounds in whatever fashion you deem necessary. I’m sure Ms. Blackwood here can show you around,” she says, eyeing me. I smile in return and she flits her bored gaze back to Wade. “Welcome to Windhaven Academy, Mr. Hoffman. I’m sure you’ll fit right in.”

Wade grabs the packet of papers and holds it to his chest. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” she says without a hint of a smile. “Next.”

Looping my arm through his, we leave the admissions office and head back out into the hallway.

Wade’s silence fills the space and I turn to him. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. For sure. It’s just… I sure as hell hope my inheritance covers the tuition. This has an awful lot of zeroes,” he says, making a face.

My insides twist and I can’t help but sympathize with him. I’d been saving for ages to go to the U, simply because I couldn’t afford to go straight into it from high school like everyone else. There was no way Mom was going to let me take out student loans, either. She’d have a conniption and