“Exactly,” Eras said. “There’s an incubus or succubus out there working with druids, and I plan to find out who. If anyone has information to help me do that, I’ll make it worth your time.”
Miranda’s gaze slipped over the crowd and found me. A slow smile spread across her lips and showed her pointed teeth. I steadily met her gaze, doing my best to seem indifferent despite quaking on the inside. I wasn’t stupid enough to think the mermaids hadn’t noticed the use of their bathroom last Monday. Not with the way she was currently looking at me. And while I knew my business with the druids had nothing to do with Eras’s memory wipe, the mermaid wouldn’t. All she knew was that the five of us had used that bathroom together and only four had come out.
Retreating from the crowd, I made my way to my first class and tried not to panic.
I couldn’t stop Miranda from telling Eras what she’d seen. And once he knew, Adira would know soon afterward. I almost hoped for it. How much longer could I keep silent? I wished Adira was the type to actually help. But knowing her, once she found out, she’d try to blackmail me into appropriate succubus behavior in exchange for not telling Megan about what the druids and I had done. I’d rather tell Megan myself.
Only a few seats were occupied when I entered the classroom, including the one next to mine.
“I’m sorry, Fenris. I told her not to do this.”
I didn’t need to clarify who as there was only one person who liked messing with our lives to this level. He didn’t seem to mind the meddling, though, based on his easy grin and shrug.
“I don’t mind the time away from my schedule.”
I knew he meant his pack of females and sighed, doubting very much that they’d be as accepting of the change.
Fenris’s smile slipped, and he leaned toward me, sniffing.
“You smell different. More…”
While he struggled for the right word, heat scalded my cheeks, and I covered my mouth with my fingers. Piepen’s taste still coated my mouth and apparently lingered on my breath despite all the minty gargling.
“It’s not bad,” Fenris said, taking in my flush. “Only different. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Not with me.”
I snorted but kept my fingers in place as I spoke.
“You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew what happened.”
“I look forward to hearing the story.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
His grin widened.
“But you will because you’ll want my help to get rid of what I’m smelling.”
I wrinkled my nose at him and faced the front of the room where Belemina watched us from her seat. She winked at Fenris.
“Adira swapped out the human for you? I’m not sure if I should pout or cheer.”
“Cheer. That’s what Eliana’s doing.”
Her gaze flicked to me.
“Yeah, real cheerful there,” she said before focusing on the instructor.
I shot Fenris a dark look before lowering my hand from my lips. Though I tried, it was impossible to pay attention to a lecture on how humans like to congregate in parks, which made for easy feeding. Instead, my thoughts drifted to where I should start looking for the druids.
The class ended with me hearing very little.
Fenris stood and waited for me.
“Care to tell me a tale while we walk to Self-paced Science and Algebra?”
“Once, there was a werewolf who was too nosy. He died. The end.”
He chuckled and tucked his hands into his jean pockets, in that relaxed way he had about him, and followed me from the room. I, however, moved a bit more aggressively through my peers than normal, and a few stepped hastily out of my way after a glance at my expression.
