Insidious Winds by Rain Oxford Page A

there are some
fae missing.” Amelia was with her roommates, but there was definitely a few
missing.
    “They’re probably in class,” Henry said.
    “Fae prefer earlier classes,” Darwin argued.
    “It’s the nature fae that are missing.”
    “It does feel like something is wrong with nature,”
Darwin said. “It’s upset.”
    My instincts caused me to turn before I even heard
the commotion. I saw Jackson and his gang surrounding someone. Everyone except
the first circle students knew not to be alone with those guys.
    “Why are you always getting involved?” Henry asked.
    Only then did I realize that I had stood up. “I’m not
sure this time.” My instincts were telling me to get over there.
    “Hey, someone has a mobile,” Darwin said. “That’s
what Jackson said; ‘hand over the phone.’ But why have it out in the open?”
    Instead of answering, I approached the group, and
froze in shock when I saw who they were surrounding. The man had scruffy black
hair, bright blue eyes, and sharp features that made him appear older than his
twenty-five years. He was about six foot tall and athletic in an oddly lithe
way, since his long sessions of sitting in front of the computer were only
interrupted with short bouts of running for his life, jumping at every
unexpected sound, and setting traps in his own house for intruders.
    Marcus, a pure human, was in the dining room. “What
are you doing here?” I asked, pushing Jackson out of my way. It wasn’t the
first question that came to mind, but there were few I could ask that wouldn’t
give him away.
    “I followed you.”
    “Give me the damn phone!” Jackson said, interrupting.
    “What’s your problem?” Marcus asked. He clutched his
cell phone to his chest. It was beeping quietly.
    I put myself between them and turned to face the
temperamental wizard. “Turn it off, take the battery out, and stick it in your
pocket,” I told Marcus quietly.
    “Why?”
    “There are several students here who would maim you
for it.”
    “Hey, it’s okay. It’s a burner phone; I have no
attachment to it. Obviously, he needs it more than me. Give me a second to wipe
it and I’ll hand it over.” Just as he said, he held it out a moment later.
    Jackson took it impatiently, dialed a number like his
fingers were on fire, and put it to his ear. “Maddy?” he asked after a second.
“How’s the baby?”
    The relief on his face was out of character. “I told
you he needed it more than me,” Marcus said.
    Jackson’s gang dispersed and I turned to Marcus. “How
did you follow me? I didn’t even take my car.” When he smiled proudly, I looked
down at my dark blue shirt and checked my silver buttons, which were all
identical.
    “No, not that shirt. The dark green one you always
wear.”
    “You tagged my favorite shirt? Why did you follow
me?”
    He glanced around nervously. “That problem I told you
about? It’s my father. He found me. All my computers, my code names, every
camera I avoided… none of that stands a chance against money, apparently. I
need your help.”
    “I’ll help you, but you should have called me instead
of showing up here.”
    “What’s wrong with here? It’s just a school, right?”
    Darwin approached us on my left and Henry on my
right. “What’s up?” Darwin asked. “Who’s this?”
    “I’m…” Marcus trailed off, unsure whether or not to
lie. He hadn’t given his name to anyone in years.
    “Come to my room and I’ll explain everything.” After
all, if anyone in the world could keep a secret, it was him. He turned and went
out into the hall. Just as we started up the stairs, there was a shout from
outside.
    Becky came in through the exterior doors, started for
the dining room, saw me, and stopped. “Hey!” she whispered urgently.
“Something’s wrong with the weather. Where is Professor Watson?”
    I knew no skepticism showed on my face. “The weather?
Is it snowing or something?”
    She rolled her eyes. “Would I be trying