Page 10 of Revenant

A chuckle sounds from the peanut gallery, and I know it’s not Pryce. Despite my appearance, my head whips up, and I shoot daggers at Koen, who is acting so smug and nonchalant. Pryce’s hand rubs down the length of my arm, bringing my attention back to him.

“You’re safe. I’ve got you, tesoro,” he reassures.

“I don’t even know why I’m crying,” I admit honestly, a tear breaking free. I would laugh, but I can’t bring myself to do so; it’s as if my body is conspiring against me. Heat creeps up my neck, into my cheeks, my ears burning from sheer, crushing embarrassment. “I’m being so serious right now; I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” The silence that follows is worse than any reaction. Pryce takes a moment, studying me, witnessing the pleading in my eyes. Then he turns around, his head cants, and Koen plasters on a shit-eating grin.

“Why don’t you see what the others are up to?” It wasn’t a suggestion, but an order. One that doesn’t sound threatening, but I can only assume that it is. Koen doesn’t seem bothered though; in fact, he seems rather pleased with himself.

And I still don’t understand what he’s doing here.

“I’ll catch you at the bonfire, yeah?” Koen asks, pulling the door open. I’m not sure if his question is directed at me or Pryce.

“Bonfire? I don’t—”

“We’ll talk about it later,” Pryce interjects through clenched teeth, annoyance weighing on his words. After Koen leaves, it feels like a weight has been lifted, and I can finally breathe.

“Shit, what time is it?” I blurt, searching for my phone.

“2:05,” he answers, checking his watch.

“Fuck! I’m late. I have class in ten minutes!” I jump off the bed, frantically searching for my shoes.

“Slow down. You can miss one class. You’ve had quite the day.”

“I can’t just skip; it’s the first day!” I hear the panic in my voice before I feel it. “First I miss orientation, my blood screening, then I’m late for my first class, which has all but guaranteed the professor now despises me!”

“Professor Eldritch hates everybody.”

“Not helping.” I glare. “Then I pass out, and now you want me to just skip my second class?!”

“You don’t realize what that glare does to me.” A pulse shoots through to my core, igniting a flame that will only intensify the longer I stand here. With him. Alone. He steps toward me, gripping my chin between his two fingers, tilting my face so he has the perfect angle to see into my soul. “What are you doing to me, tesoro?” His eyes bounce between mine and my lips, and for a fleeting breath, I think he’s going to kiss me. But he breaks the connection, creating space I didn’t ask for. Space I so desperately want him to fill with his presence again.

Clearing my throat, I bend down, grab my bag, and make a mental note to check that everything is there. “Thanks for, uh, taking care of me.” A blush creeps up my cheeks, not knowing how to handle this situation. “I’ll see you around?”

Pryce laughs, and I’m starting to think I’ve read too much into…whatever this is. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He takes my bag from me, hoisting it over his shoulder as if it’s second nature. “I’ll take you to class because now you have five minutes.”

I don’t know how he managed it, but Pryce got me to my lecture just in time, slipping away like he was never there at all. The class itself is uneventful, a welcome sense of normalcy that dulls the lingering tension I hadn’t realized settled into my bones. I pack up quickly, excited to check out the library on campus. I don’t have any other classes for the rest of the day, which, in hindsight, could be a blessing or a curse. I’ve always taken my studies seriously, but it never comes without challenges. I never lack good intentions. Execution, on the other hand…is where things fall apart. Instead, I cram the night before, fueled by an unhealthy dependence on caffeine.

Overcast clouds cover the sky, holding promises of more rain. I make sure to take my map out before stepping out from under the archway and track which general direction the library is. Feeling confident, I stuff it back into the safety of the inside pocket and get on my merry way.

My ankle boots pound against the paved cobblestone, carrying me to the hall across the quad. Each building is magnificent, breathtaking in its own right, yet somehow, they blend together as though their histories were meant to intertwine. Opening the library door, I’m instantly hit with the smell of old paper and leather bindings, musky pages that hold the remnants of history and time.

Soft pools of light from floor lamps and overhead fixtures warm the room, complementing the dark wood and towering shelves that stretch from floor to ceiling. I can’t help but take my time, look around, and take it all in. The architecture of this building feels out of place in the modern world, seeped in a history I can almost feel pressing in.

An elegant staircase curves upward to the left of the front desk, leading to the second floor. I climb it slowly, gently gliding my fingers along the railing, and when I reach the top, I pause—momentarily taken aback.

Circular tables are laid out around the floor. Some hidden behind bookcases and others out in the open next to the expansive windows. I weave between the shelves until I find a nook tucked into the far back corner. Dropping my bag on the table, I pull out a chair and finally let myself breathe.

I pull out one of my many notebooks, flipping it open to the notes I took this morning in Psych. My hand hovers over a pen for a moment before I start scribbling, trying to make sense of the lesson. Behavior. Growth. Cause and effect. The words line up neatly, predictably, and for the first time since I arrived at this school, something feels like it’s within my control.

I work through the pages in silence, half expecting my thoughts to scatter, but they don’t. They focus. I focus. The confusion from the first lecture recedes, and an hour passes before I notice the shift—a presence beside me that isn’t just someone passing by.

When I glance up, Moriah is leaning over the edge of my table, smirking like she knows a secret. “Mind if I join?”

I offer her the tiniest shrug. “Go for it.”

She slides into the chair across from me without hesitation, and suddenly my little corner feels much more open.

“You made it through lunch, then.” Moriah giggles, amused, genuinely curious, but clearly having a bit of fun.