I turned back to him. His gaze had been on me, not the view.
Okay, that dedicated adoration was kind of nice, but… also a littletoomuch. I laughed it off and headed into my dorm.
I stopped at the locked door. “How do I…?”
“The symbol on your palm, wave it over that glowing pad there.” Myel indicated a small box next to the door with a glowing surface facing out.
I waved my hand over it.
The door clicked and swung open for me.
Oh. Nice.
The stairs were just inside the door, and we went up three flights to the fourth floor, the top.
My room was on the south side, with another glowing pad next to the door. Another wave of my hand and the door swung open.
A smile grew on my face as I took in the room. Most notable was the floor-to-ceiling windows with a view over treetops to the ocean.
Wow.
A bed sat along the left wall closer to the window. On the same wall, at this end of the room, was a closet, largerthan the tiny one I’d had in my studio apartment. On the right side of the room was a desk and shelves. Down by the window was a door. That would be the shared bathroom. I’d check it out later.
Something was wrong, and I cocked my head as it came to me… no curtains. Being four floors up I wasn’t worried about privacy so much, but what about light?
Myel must have sensed my confusion and followed my gaze.
“The windows are one way, and…” He went over to them, laying a finger on the glass. “To adjust the lighting, touch the glass and think about how dark you want it to be.”
He demonstrated. There was no warning before the view vanished, going opaque, plunging the room into darkness.
Whoa.
Then slowly the window lightened by degrees, before returning to being completely transparent.
I shook my head. All this magic was going to take some getting used to.
I went over and flopped on the bed with a sigh.
Soft.
Myel stood awkwardly to one side. “I… should get back,” he said, voice stiff.
Right, he had to go. Though I had no idea where. We’d had sex and I felt perfectly normal around him, but I knew virtually nothing about this man.
“What do you do? Are you a student? A teacher?”
He shook his head. “Beastfolk aren’t worthy of an education.” Of course. God, this world infuriated me. “I’m part of the local defense forces. I work here,” he said.
He didn’t seem happy about it either. I had a feeling it was more than just a lack of education which distressed him.
“What is it?” I asked, sitting up, concerned.
He let out a shuddering breath. “If you are not of an upper caste in this world, then life is… harsh. You have to fight to gain status and only the strong survive. Every day I train with other beastfolk… but we don’t just spar. We use real weapons. Training is brutal. Death is always an option. No one cares if the weak die.” Even quieter, “And I am far from the strongest in my cohort.”
Jesus fuck!
Really?
