The fact that he's wary is good. Maybe Dirk is right, and he's not an unmitigated douchebag after all.
He sets the food on the nearby dining room table and glares at me. "You got a reason for being here? If it's to lift that damn hex you put on my dick, don't bother. The healers finally got rid of it, so fuck you very much."
I take it back. Douchebag is a mild term for him.
"Luka," Vivienne sighs. "Don't be rude."
He folds his arms. "Whatever. What are you here for, Minerva?"
"I just said don't be rude!" the petite air elemental chides.
"I wasn't," Luka huffs. "I was just asking a fucking question."
Dirk snorts, leaning down to scratch one of his calves. "Calling people by the wrong name on purpose is rude, man."
Luka looks so confused that I could almost laugh. But the longer I stay, the longer I go without knowing whether Kenzie is alive, so I hold up the bag to show him the single strand of pale, curly hair.
"I'll do a spell to look for her."
"We already asked another caster to try that shit," Luka gripes. "It did nothing."
Probably because they were using common magic, which I can barely use in general. Fortunately for Kenzie's quintet, I'm far more skilled at other types of magic.
Specifically, the forbidden kind.
"No harm in trying," I muse, turning.
But Vivienne grabs my arm to stop me from leaving. Even through Baelfire's sleeve, the familiar discomfort skitters over my body, prickling the back of my neck as I go stock still. She doesn't notice that I'm immediately desperate to escape her touch. This is Kenzie's most gentle match, who was just bawling her eyes out, so breaking her hand for touching me is probably not the best course of action.
"Wait! I just remembered that Kenzie and I got something for you. A dress. We went on a shopping spree a couple of days ago, right b—before she…"
Her eyes water again, and now I'mreallyuncomfortable. Trying to ignore the cold sweat breaking out over the back of my neck, I slip away from her grasp and retreat closer to the door.
"Thanks, but I'm good."
"But she said it was perfect for you for the Matched Ball, and that's tonight! I'll go get it. She was going to leave it in your dorm room as a surprise when you got back from Pennsylvania, so she wrote a note for you and everything," Vivienne adds before rushing out of the room again.
A note from Kenzie? I hesitate.
My skin is crawling from all the unintentionally nauseating touching I've been subjected to, but if I find out that Kenzie is gone for good…
I've never been sentimental, but suddenly, I want to read anything she left for me. After all, these may be her last words to me.
When Vivienne returns with a large pink shopping bag and a note, I accept the note first, trying my absolute hardest not to visibly flinch when her bare fingers brush against mine this time. I read quickly over the bubbly scrawl of words.
SURPRISE!
Okay, so I know I just bought you a dress a couple weeks ago, and you totally haven't even worn it, but this one is so freaking gorgeous, and you are going to SLAY at the Matched Ball in this. It's so your style, and it's going to show off how hot you are (yes, I said it, you hot little monk), so please, please, please wear it even if it's just to watch your guys' jaws drop (yes, I said it again, they're totally your guys even if you keep denying it).
Love, your favorite pale-assed bestie
P. S. I call dibs on doing your hair and makeup! Let's get ready together while we watch that sexy human-legacy forbidden love drama I told you about.
P. P. S. Just wait til you see my dress... ;) It makes my tits look WOWZA.
I crack a smile.It makes my tits look wowza.Of course, these would be Kenzie's final words to me. Screw sentiment—this is much better.
When he sees my grin, Luka blanches. "You're smiling? That's fucking creepy. What did she even write to you?"
