“I refuse to dignify that with an answer.”Wave huffed and barely restrained her urge to punch him.She didn’t need to hurt her hand like that.“Now, I really need to get to class.I’ll text you after.”
Marc let her go, and Wave kept throwing glances at him until she slipped back inside.She didn’t want to make him jealous, but she didn’t know how to reassure him.Not when she couldn’t give him what he wanted.
As if you even know what he wants.Great.And now she was talking to herself.Wave marched into her next class, determined to forget every male that had ever existed.
Studying.That’s what she was here for.
“Hello,morsel.”Risha’svoicemade Wave groan before she even looked up from the pile of books she was sorting back to the shelves from her cart.It was close to the end of her shift, and she had hoped,she must have hoped, that Risha would miss her this time.
No such luck.
“What do you want?”she asked, barely keeping her tone civil.The man just didn’t know how to take a hint.All beauty, no brains.Plenty of beauty, though.
Damn, was she ogling him?And what was with the casual clothing he was sporting?He looked almost sheepish when he handed her a steaming mug.She immediately smelled the mix of coffee and chocolate.
How did he know?
Irishen gulped and then pulled up a dazzling smile.“I—” He didn’t get further than that when Wave felt insidious energy spring forward from one of the books on the lower shelf.It was impossible to see, but she sensed it lashing out and took a step back.
“Get back,” she shouted.To her utter astonishment, Irishen listened to her, somewhat.He grabbed her arm and yanked her behind him, scanning the area.The cup of coffee landed on the floor, but by some miracle, the lid held, and only a tiny splatter escaped.
“What is it?”
Wave blinked, confused.He couldn’t feel the threat?She double-checked herself, and the energy was there, lying in wait.She tried to pull her arm free, but Risha’s hold didn’t budge, and he kept shuffling her backward.
“A book,” Wave finally ground out and refused to take another step.“I need to contain it before it messes up the whole aisle.”
“No,” Risha growled.“Where’s Mrs.Riverson?You don’t—”
Wave cut him off as she finally yanked free and slipped past him.
“Wayla!”
“I can handle it,” she huffed.The book had other intentions, though.The moment Wave moved forward, it lashed at her again.Pesky little bastard.Wave reacted on instinct and clapped her hands, just like Jarred had done that first time.
Instead of a neat containment, not that she really knew the spell Jarred had used, a wall of ice rose between her and the book.Wave almost spun around to glare at Risha, but turning her back to the book would be stupid, so she was forced to address him over her shoulder.
“What the ever-loving fuck are you doing?”
“Protecting your ungrateful hide,” Irishen snapped in reply.
“I can handle it.”
“You are a storm spirit.That book’s so much above your pay grade it’s not even funny.”Irishen wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her back a step again.
Storm spirit, right.Wave blinked slowly, coming back to her senses.She could contain the book, but not with her ruse intact.Except she was tired of holding back and faking all the time.She hissed.
“Let the wall down.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Is there a problem?”Mrs.Riverson interrupted their childish bickering.
Before Risha could rip into her, like he clearly intended, Wave slapped her palm over his mouth and shook her head.
“No, Mrs.Riverson.Just a book acting out.Prince Sleethill was kind enough to help me out.”
