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A surprised laugh bursts from me and his mock-serious expression cracks, a smile breaking through. “If I were, do you think I’d tell you?” I waggle my eyebrows when he pauses as though actually considering it.
He looks me up and down, cocking his head to the side, pursing his lips thoughtfully. His shaggy hair flops forward with the movement and I have the strangest urge to step into him and run my fingers through it. I shake it off and realise that he’s sizing me up and the corner of my lip quirks up.
“I reckon I could take you,” he says confidently, then tucks his hands into his pockets, humming under his breath while strolling ahead of me.
I snort quietly. The power of being underestimated is a true skill. We continue to stroll in comfortable silence for a while, and I take subtle peeks at him from the corner of my eye as we do. His tall, yet swimmer-like body leads me to believe that he’s a B-class Monster, but his intoxicating scent and the power that seems to be flowing off him in gentle waves, belies that. I’m pretty sure he’s an A-class and a powerful one at that. I’m not too worried though. I take a right turn when we reach the point that if we were to keep going, we’d hit an Academy stationed guard and I’d prefer to avoid that, so I head back towards the Academy. Unfortunately, the forest isn’t all that large, unless you follow it around the school, rather than towards the edge of the Academy’s land.
During my subtle, or hopefully subtle examination I notice that it’s a notebook of some sort that he has tucked under his arm. My nose crinkles as I cock my head to the side, my curiosity piqued. “What were you doing out here?”
He pauses, that intense gaze locking onto me again and now that we’re closer I can see that his eyes are a dark chocolate brown. The amber sheen is gone without the moonlight hitting them. “What were you doing out here?”
I purse my lips and raise an eyebrow. “I asked first.”
A slow smile tugs at his lips as he hums. “Are you sure? Cause I’m pretty sure that was the first thing I said to you.”
My eyes narrow. “No, you didn’t.”
That smile grows and a spark of irritation hits me. “Hmm, I’m pretty sure it was implied.”
“I really don’t think it was.”
“We’ll just have to agree to disagree, then,” he says with a nod, that infuriating smile still on his face. Obviously he’s enjoying getting a rise out of me.
“Are you going to answer the question, or not?”
He holds up the book with a grin. “I was sketching.” He brushes his hair back to reveal a short pencil tucked behind his ear and grabs it, pointing it at me. “Your turn.”
With a reluctant smile, I ignore the curiosity that pings through me about seeing his art and instead tip my head back to gaze up at the starry night sky that’s peeking out between the treetops. “I couldn’t sleep, and I thought getting some fresh air might help.” I look back at the intriguing man beside me and realise I haven’t even asked him for his name. My subpar social skills are shining right now.
I’m about to ask him when he speaks up. “Hmm, late night stroll in the middle of a dark, scary forest? Yep, that always helps me sleep,” he says, sarcasm practically dripping from his words.
I shove his shoulder playfully, then pause at the friendly action. I feel comfortable around him, like we’ve been friends for years instead of strangers who just met, and that sends a panicky feeling rising up in my chest. I swallow hard and shove it away for now, trying to act normal as I refocus on him.Damn, I really need to ask what his name is.If he notices my momentary weirdness he doesn’t mention it. Instead, he pretends to stumble from my shove and laughs, raising his hands up in mock surrender.
I chuckle, that feeling of ease returning. I’ll examine that odd bout of anxiety later.
A chirp and flapping wings draw my attention and give me a few moments warning before Unicorn lands on my shoulder. She’s larger than normal, and I grunt a little at the weight. Instead of being the size of a small rabbit, she’s that of a large and fricking heavy, Maine Coon cat. I reach up to scratch her chin and study the man’s reaction. His eyes widen as though he’s just realised something and after a moment of his focus darting between me and my creature, his shoulders stiffen.
My eyebrows draw down and I take a step back. For some reason, my hackles rise at the change in body language, and the already wriggling power in my chest edges towards a more volatile state. I don’t know this man from Adam, and I certainly don’t trust him despite how easygoing our banter was. “Who are you?” I mumble, taking another step back. My lips part and I suck in a startled breath as a huge set of black feathered wings unfurl from behind him and he takes a few measured steps back, before dipping his chin to me. “Until next time.”
Then he vanishes. Literally, just fucking disappears. I spin around in a circle trying to spot him, but no, he’s really gone.What the hell?I toss my head back and let out a frustrated growl.I really wish people would stop being so fucking mysterious.As though reading my mind, Unicorn chirps, eyes narrowed at me. Alright, I suppose that’s not fair, considering I haven’t been completely honest with the guys either. Ugh. So much for relaxing.
I honestly have no clue how to feel about that encounter. On one hand, the guy is intriguing, but on the other his quick exit is suspicious and I really don’t need any more trouble right now. I close my eyes and take a few centering breaths. You know what? I’m going to take my ass back to bed and not think about it again until tomorrow. Who knows, maybe I’ll never see the guy again.
Foster
I have no idea why I showed her my wings. If any of my people had seen me… I cringe, and speed up, soaring above the clouds. Once I’m sure I’m high enough that she can’t see me I release my glamour and become visible. My eyes flash to the trees I was under moments ago. She mustn't have learnt how to see through glamours yet, because she’s more powerful than me, which would typically enable her to easily see through my magic. Her power practically radiates off of her.
I shake my head and focus on circling the Academy grounds, careful to stay under the dome of warding that nets the sky above. It keeps us from going out and stops threats from coming in.
Unbidden, my thoughts circle back to the unique creature I just met. Nessa. I honestly didn’t think I’d meet her for a few days, but as luck would have it I run into her on my first night at the Academy. I’m not sure what it is about her, but I’m intrigued and can’t wait to find out more.
Nessa
I’m walking through the forest on my way to go back to bed when I feel it. Ethan’s magic. That same buzz that’s made my hair stand on end every time I find a present or the trail to one.
Unicorn checked in with me then took off to continue her hunting and whatever else she gets up to in the forest, so I’m out here all alone again. It doesn’t bother me, but it does make my eyes narrow. The guy I just met didn’t seem to have any malicious intent when it came to me, but he did depart abruptly and now I’m sensing Ethan’s magic. Is it a coincidence or something more?
I shake my head and silently thank my new vampire traits for my ability to see so well in the dark. Narrowing my eyes, I veer off the path I like to use, following what appears to be glowing, magical dust.
