I glanced down at the lavender blouse I wore, startled.
While it was one of my favorites, there was nothing particularly special about it. It was one of the many Alaric had picked out for me, so I supposed it must be flattering. Even so, I almost wondered if he was taking the piss.
“Thanks.” I looked up. “You have a decent summer break?”
“Can’t complain,” he said, grinning wider. “I spent most of it playing as a alternate for The Bánánach.” At my probably-blank stare, he added, “My father’s Skyhunt team? Dublin, you know. That took up most of my time, and hanging out in the Maldives and Ibiza for the after-parties. You going to this second year’s thing on Friday?”
I hesitated again, this time thrown by the abrupt change in topic. It hit me again, how on edge I was, and how completely out of step I felt with most of the students here.
“I’ll probably make an appearance.” I forced a smile, trying my best to sound as lofty and light as he did. “I’ve been persistently sold on the idea that I simply must go and at least check it out. By Mir, mostly.”
“You mean Miranda Rook?”
Something about the way he asked made my hackles go up slightly, but I only nodded. I’d noticed a number of guys were strange about Miranda this year. I had absolutely no idea why, since they were all over her during first year. I guessed it was because she was outspoken and fearless and gorgeous andnotbloke-obsessed, and, unlike me, not quite academic enough to have that as an excuse.
She’d also turned a lot of them down by now, maybe Graham, too.
I wished like hell she’d notice Luc one of these days.
I’d known about his desperate crush on her almost since the first day I met the three of them. I was just enough of a romantic to want them to be together, and just enough of a realist not to meddle in any way that might spoil it.
“Miranda’s the party committee of one in my dorm,” I added, still gauging his expression a little warily. “Are you going?”
“Absolutely. Interested in going together?” He must have seen a reaction on my face. “…As friends, Shadow. Just friends,” he clarified. “I just thought it might be fun. We could all go in a group, if you already had plans with Rook and Harringbone? I assume Joran and Mocking are going with your lot, too?”
“Probably,” I agreed.
I was hesitating. Why was I hesitating?
“I might be going with Alaric,” I blurted, a blatant lie, but Alaric might be convinced to go along with it. “Just as friends,” I added. “But, you know, we’d still be going together. As friends,” I repeated, remembering what Alaric told me the other night.
“Greythorne?” Graham blinked at me.
His hawk-like primal blinked at me, too.
“Yes.” I frowned at his expression. “Why?”
He wasn’t looking at me like he thought Alaric and I were sleeping together. He would look less surprised that I’d mentioned Alaric as my date if he thought we were shagging, wouldn’t he? Or maybe he thought Alaric would never take me out anywhere publicly, given who he was, and what I was.
Either way, Strangemore’s blank, confused stare made my hackles rise more.
“Do you know him?” I asked, sharper. “Alaric?”
“No.” Graham’s mouth pursed. He didn’t seem to notice my tone, but something about my question snapped him out of thatblank look. “But, I mean… he’s gone, isn’t he? He left campus this morning. There was a whole scrum about it at breakfast. His father came to get him, and didn’t tell anyone beforehand, apparently. Old Greythorne practicallydraggedhis son out of the Valarian dining room, causing a big scene, and now there’s a rumor going around he’s out for the rest of the term.”
I stared at him.
My mind went totally blank.
“Alaric?” My voice sounded as if it came from far away. “No.” I shook my head, feeling my lungs clench in my chest. “No. That can’t be right.”
Graham frowned at me like he wondered if I was simple-minded.
“Alaric Greythorne. There’s only one Alaric I know of.” He continued to study my eyes. “You really hadn’t heard? It’s all anyone’s talked about since it happened. There’s all sorts of rumors about why his dad would show up here like he did. Alaric’s been odd since we were kids, so some think he must’ve had some kind of magical insanity break… like maybe he wrote something positively barking to his father, or did something…”
I lost a few more seconds of time while he spoke.
Somewhere in that, Graham must have noticed my silence, or remembered who he was talking to. He laid a hand on my arm and I jumped.
