Page 10 of Vayn

“Not having powers isn’t the end of the world. You should relax more, Des. Just enjoy life.”

Her words seemed positive. Yet, I could read between the lines. What she really thought was that if I hadn’t manifested by now, I never would, so why continue trying? Sometimes, I felt that way, also. Other times, I was optimistic. Tonight, I chose the latter.

“When I become all buff from training, you’ll eat those words,” I joked.

“If that’s what you want me to eat, I’ll do it,” she whispered.

I tensed. Again, I heard the underlying message in her words. Tia has flirted with me a few times recently. I get that she’s into girls now, or at least I thought she was. I’m cool with it. I just can’t see it for myself. I like dick. I’m open to multiple dicks since that’s not frowned upon in this realm. However, I’ve never been attracted to the same sex.

While I think women are beautiful, and I’m pretty sure I’m in love with Beyonce and Shakira, I’m not interested in them in a sexual sense. One night, almost a year ago, Tia and I got drunk together, and she made a pass at me. I didn’t get upset or anything. I just told her I wasn’t the girl for her and that she’d find someone better.

She found a guy. That surprised me a bit. But, hey, as long as she’s happy, I’m happy with whoever she chooses as long as they’re good to her. If I liked women and found one who was good to me, I’d definitely claim her. With the quality of men being produced lately, sometimes I wished I was into girls.

I laughed off her words. “You’re silly,” I said. “Did you all have fun when you went out to eat?”

“We did.” Her voice was cheerful again.

“Did you bring your new beau along?”

After a brief hesitation, she replied. “Not this time. But you all will get to meet him soon. I promise.”

That was her answer every time I asked about meeting her new boyfriend. It felt like she was trying to hide him from us. That rubbed me the wrong way. Not because I was desperate to meet him, but because it made me wonder if he was a good guy or not. If he was good, why hide him? Whenever she talked about him, she did so with a smile on her face, but her eyes dimmed.

That worried me. Like me, Tia had grown up an orphan in the system. That connection was one of the reasons we were so close. We met at freshman orientation and have been tight ever since. I considered her family, a sister. We used to tell each other everything. Though she wasn’t a dud, she’d supported me and hadn’t treated me like an outcast.

However, ever since she’d started dating this new guy, she’d been acting different, distant. She’d started questioning the decisions the council made more. While I always questioned the council’s decisions, Tia had never done so before she met this guy. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was changing her for the better or, the worse.

Which was why I wanted to meet him. I was a pretty good judge of character. If he seemed like a bad guy, I’d let my friend know he wasn’t the one for her. Whether she heeded that advice or not was up to her. I’d remain her friend no matter what.

If he was a good guy, I’d tell her congrats, you found one of the good ones. Now, go forth and be merry. I seriously hoped I was wrong about him, and that he ended up being one of the good guys. She deserved someone who would cherish her.

“Hellooo,” she said. “Are you listening to me?”

“Sorry, I spaced out for a bit. I just left my combat training class. I’m sore all over.”

“Ouch! Get some rest. We can chat tomorrow. I’ll see you in class in the morning. Do you want to get breakfast before class?”

Lately, she and her new beau had been going off-campus for breakfast. So, I’d had to eat alone. Or sometimes I ate with the other late manifesters. I didn’t have many friends at the academy. To be part of a clique, you had to be powerful, or at least have something to offer them.

All I had was a big butt and a smile. Oh, and the whole seeing into the shadows thing, which I’d never shared with anyone other than the dean, Tia, and now my guardian, Vayn. Sooo, no clique for me. Which was why I’d felt sort of left out when Tia started leaving campus for her meals.

But, I was a self-reliant woman. I was okay with being alone. Did I miss eating in the cafeteria with my bestie? Of course. Would I love to get breakfast with her in the morning? Hell yeah. But, I desperately wanted to sleep-in tomorrow. Unfortunately, my body needed rest more than it needed food and bestie bonding.

“I plan to sleep in,” I told her. “I’ll skip breakfast and see you in class.”

“Alright. Good night.”

“Night.”

I ended the call, placed my phone on my vanity, then tried to stand. A groan escaped me. I’d sat down for too long, and now I was sorer than I’d been before. Gripping the edge of my vanity table, I pushed myself to my feet. I’d never felt more human than I did now. Well, maybe when I watched others heal almost instantaneously, I felt a little more human than now.

I limped back over to the bed. Each step pained my leg. By morning, I would feel better. Until morning, my leg was going to hurt like a bitch. Arms full of my clothes, I limped to the shower, moving at a snail’s pace. If Vayn could see me now, he would definitely call me useless. It was a good thing he wasn’t around. That should make me happy.

For some reason, it didn’t.

Chapter Four

Vayn