Chapter 5: Cassandra

"What was that all about?" Ruby asked as we hurried down the stairs, the guys following but lagging behind.

"No clue. He's never acted like that before," I said. "We need to find out who this Sonny guy is. Can you dig around in his records?"

"I did when I saw his acceptance letter. There was nothing. I couldn't even find his transcripts."

"Well, at least we're starting off the semester the right way."

We left the classroom building and bolted across the courtyard to the dorms. Kyler had left behind paw prints, though they were almost ten-feet apart between the front and back, meaning his anger had not subsided. I opened the door to the dorm building, and Ruby followed.

"He called Sonny a witchdoctor," Ruby said. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I shook my head. "The only time I've ever heard that word used was to describe a bad person. Sonny didn't seem like a bad person at all. A bit of an asshole, but not really bad."

"Gotta be a girl," Ruby said. "Guys are always fighting over women. You watch, when we get to the bottom of this there will be a girl involved."

As we headed down the hall and then up the stairs, I considered what Ruby said. My guys had yet to fight and, to be honest, I didn't think they ever would. At the top of the stairs, we stopped at Kyler's room.

"Should we wait on the guys?" Ruby asked. "Maybe Dash knows what's going on."

"I don't think he does," I said. "It looked to me like Dash was sizing Sonny up. As if he was trying to figure something out. Oliver looked completely lost as well."

"I thought Dash was going to pulverize the guy," Ruby said.

I knocked on Kyler's door and waited. "I know he came back here."

"I just hope he's changed back into human form," Ruby said. "I've heard the urge to kill is much stronger when a shape shifter is in animal form." She looked down the hall as the guys hit the top of the stairs. Dash barged forward and started to open the door.

"Wait," I said. "Let Kyler come to the door." I knocked again and heard movement when I said Kyler's name. Dash backed away from the door and stood behind Ruby with his arms crossed and his face full of concern. Tough guy until the bitter end.

The door opened enough for me to see only Kyler's left eye. He had shifted back into a human. "What do you want, Cass?" He opened the door a bit wider so he could see who else had joined me. "Great. Did you bring the entire student population?"

"I just want to talk about what happened with that guy," I said. "Who is he?"

Kyler looked between me and the others several times, trying to decide, I was sure, what to tell who. "Just you," he finally said and opened the door for me to enter. Dash started forward, but Kyler put his hand against Dash's chest. "We'll talk later."

"Cass," Ruby said and grabbed my arm.

"It's okay; we're just going to talk. Everyone can wait in our room." I closed the door against several grumbles from the guys.

Kyler left my side and plopped down on the couch.

"What's going on, Kyler?"

He looked away and rubbed his chin, obviously torn. He was never one to share his feelings, opting instead to run off into the forest when the world was closing in around him. As I stared at him, I noticed somewhere between the classroom building and the dorm his clothes had been ripped.

"It happens sometimes," he said when he noticed me looking at his clothes. "That's why I don't buy expensive clothes." His left sleeve was ripped to the elbow, and I could see the veins in his arm and bicep.

I joined Kyler on the couch, his energy wavering a bit, like some invisible force field had been thrown up briefly between us. Our legs touched, and he looked away again. I placed my hand on his leg, hoping to calm his nerves. He glanced at my hand and then began rubbing his own hands. I thought he wanted to put a hand on mine, but I didn't want to push him.

"It's like I've always told you guys," I said, "you can tell me anything without being judged. I don't mind helping or just listening. It's one of the things we do for each other. I want you to be comfortable around me with all things. Even strange guys from your past." I smiled, but it didn't seem to ease the tension. Whatever was bothering him was cutting like a knife.

"I get that, but it's not easy for me. Yeah, I know we have this bond, but I need you to understand it's going to take time for me to have that level of trust where I just open up." He finally placed his hand on mine, and we both relaxed. "There are some things in my past I would rather leave there and never talk about. But Sonny being here has changed that."

"You used the term witchdoctor," I said. "I've heard it before in passing, but I never thought anything of it."

"Honestly," Kyler began, "witchdoctor is just a shitty way to describe a medicine man. You've probably heard them called shaman as well. It's basically all the same thing."

"Sonny's not a warlock?" I asked. "Why's he in class? Where's he from?"

Kyler shook his head. "Sonny's considered a medicine man, someone who is knowledgeable about the magical and chemical potencies of various substances, like medicines, and has mastered the skill of administering medicines through certain kinds of rituals."

"So, it's magic through medicine?" I asked. "Sounds simple enough."

"Exactly," Kyler said. "In the states, medicine men are usually associated with Native-American culture, but they can be found all over the world and usually are members of local aborigines. And they are not always males."

"In class, I noticed he didn't carry a wand but did notice a small pouch attached to his belt. Is that where he keeps his medicines?" I shrugged. "What are his skills meant to cure or heal?"

"Yes, and his pouch is always full." Kyler gently squeezed my leg. "He spends countless hours developing those medicines and even more hours perfecting the ritual. There are about a third less medicine men as there are witches and warlocks in the world. Depending on a medicine man's skills, he can cure just about any ailment, including hexes and spells."

"I guess all those hours they spend alone explains why I've never run into one." I tried to gauge Kyler's anger before continuing. "He seemed nice enough."

"Give him time," Kyler said. "Throughout history, medicine people were charged with preventing or even healing physical and mental illnesses people had."

"Sounds like a priest performing an exorcism," I said.

"Close." Kyler finally turned and looked at me. "They're also used to rid society of things we could do without, like murder and other things that throw the balance of life into chaos. And trust me, he doesn't follow all the rules."

"Where did he learn the trade, or are medicine men born with the power?" I slipped my hand under Kyler's and our fingers intertwined. He shifted on the couch cushion, and I noticed the bulge between his legs. His anger was obviously subsiding.

"It's rare for someone to be born with the power of a medicine man. The really good ones, like Sonny, are recommended, and then they go through an initiation that lasts months if not years. Some may learn the power through apprenticeships." Kyler released my hand and slid his palm up my leg, stopping inches from my crotch. Inside, I smiled.

"Then what's he doing here?" I asked. "I mean, why the Enchanted Academy; why not somewhere that teaches his kind?" I dropped my hand between his legs, and my fingers brushed against his bulge. He cleared his throat, and I felt his cock pulse.