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Alright. I could admit it, even if only to myself. I didn’t want to do the assignment because I was worried I would find out the one thing I wasn’t sure I was ready to know yet.
Who my parents were.
Knowing their identity would put a face to my hatred. A face to my abandoners.
What good was that going to do me? I couldn’t confront them, so what was the point?
And yet the curiosity in me burned white-hot.
Assignments given, Professor Zhang finished up class for the day. I gathered my belongings and met Darrio at the door. He took one glance at me and reached down to grab my hand, pulling me to the side to let the rest of the students pass us in their hurry to escape.
This was the last class of the day, so everyone was off to their respective after-class activities. Which made it sound like we had fun things like sports and chess club, but it was more along the lines of going to the library to study or back to their rooms to stress out in private about our current workload.
I would have to ask Kate when the next party was planned. The first one River and I had attended was in the abandoned wing of the school, and she’d refused to go again. Maybe I could get Darrio to come with me so we could blow off some steam.
I knew Rocky and Jesse would be heading to the library along with Ben and River. That was our typical post-lecture activity. Normally, Darrio and I would be joining them, especially when we had a new project assigned. Today, though, I wasn’t in the right frame of mind.
Unsurprisingly, Darrio already knew.
“Where do you want to go?”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know you. So, where to?”
“Can we go outside?”
“I assumed that was part of the plan. I just didn’t know which of the gardens you wanted to go to.”
In spite of my funk, I grinned. I had to give the man credit, he did know me. “The red one.”
He gave me a gentle tug toward the hallway that led out of the west end of the building. The exit was close to the abandoned rooms, near Remy’s suite, and I wondered if we should ask him to join us.
Having already gone through all the classes we had, not to mention being far more experienced than us at being a god, Remy might be able to provide some new insight about my parentage dilemma.
We didn’t make it more than fifty feet before Sam walked up beside us.
“No library today, Puff?”
“No, there’s something else I need to do.”
“And what’s that?”
“Come with us, and I’ll tell you at the same time.”
“So you don’t know either, huh?”
“Nope, just that she needed to get away from the rest of the students.” Darrio’s handsome face was creased with worry, and I wanted to alleviate his concern. First, though, I needed to get somewhere private. Then they could help me come up with possible ways to get the answers I needed.
We didn’t pass Remy’s room on our way out, but since Sam had joined us, I decided he could be our expert for the time being. As soon as we stepped outside into the fresh air and the vivid green of the garden, I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath that soothed my ragged nerves.
“I fucking love that.” There was a deep, growly tone in Sam’s voice that made me open my eyes and look to him. Heat burned in his stare that was locked on my face.
“Love what?”
“The way you come alive as soon as you get out of that building. If I had my way, you would never have to go back inside. You don’t belong in there. You should always be out here, where you can be at one with nature.” His lips tipped up in a dirty grin, and I braced myself for whatever foolishness was about to come out of his mouth. “I could help you with that right now, you know. Keeping these clothes on is definitely obstructing your oneness with the environment.”
“There it is. That’s what I was waiting for.” I tried to scold him, but there was no fighting back my smile.
