Nana chooses that moment to come check my arm, her fingers gentle as she peels back the towel.
Her eyes widen when she sees the wound. At least, what’s left of the wound. Apparently, I was distracted enough with Callie and Oliver that it healed more than it should have.
“Remarkable.” She runs a finger near the cut, not quite touching it. “Given how much blood there is, I’d say you heal faster than most.”
I steady my breathing, trying not to panic.
“Good genetics?” I offer weakly.
“Very good genetics, apparently.” She tapes fresh gauze that smells like cinnamon on the wound, even though an extra-large Band-Aid would be more than enough at this point. “It should be good as new before you go to sleep tonight.”
The moment she finishes, Oliver’s already standing. “I’ll walk you back to Phoenix Hall,” he says, offering a hand.
“That’s really not necessary.” I slide off the bench, testing my arm. It barely twinges.
At the same time, I don’t want to go back to the greenhouse, where everyone is probably talking about me. What I need right now is space. Lots and lots of space. Space from Oliver, from Logan’s voice in my head, from the fact that there’s a murdererwandering these halls, from the possibility that my pilot could be a goddess… fromeverything.
“You lost blood.” Oliver’s hand hovers at my elbow, and I move my arm away before he can touch me. “You need rest.”
“Oliver.” I keep my voice gentle, but firm. “I appreciate the concern, but I can walk across campus without fainting. I’m not a Victorian lady with the vapors.”
“I know that. But what kind of person would I be if I let you walk back alone after an injury?” he says with a charismatic smile.
The kind who listens when someone says no,I think, but don’t say aloud. After all, he’s Evie’s brother, he’s shown me nothing but kindness for weeks, and I don’t want to be rude. Especially since I truly do consider him a friend.
“Fine,” I agree, and thank the gods, he returns to normal chatter while we walk instead of pushing me to give him an answer about the Halloween ball.
We eventually turn into the covered walkway that leads back to Phoenix Hall, only to find Logan standing near the fountain, watching us as if he already knew we were coming. And there’s something in his eyes as they sweep over us—specifically when he looks at Oliver’s hand that keeps drifting to my elbow—that makes electricity crackle beneath my skin.
“Ashford.” Oliver’s grip tightens slightly. “You always know exactly where to be, don’t you?”
“Let’s call it a perk of being proctor.” Logan’s voice is neutral, but I know him well enough to hear the edge underneath. “I’ll take it from here.”
Oliver bristles, and I can practically feel the testosterone poisoning the air between them.
“Jade doesn’t need?—“
“What Jade needs,” Logan cuts in, “is to return to her dormitory without causing a scene. Which is exactly what willhappen if you continue hovering over a first-year who’s capable of walking unassisted, even though you nearly mutilated her whilecarving pumpkins.”
He knows. Of course he knows. Logan knowseverythingthat happens in this damn school.
I wave to get their attention. “I’m right here, and I can speak for myself.”
Both men turn to look at me, seeming surprised that I’ve reminded them of my existence.
Logan’s eyes soften—a rare occurrence, especially in public. “Of course you can,” he says. “Would you prefer to continue with Oliver, or should I escort you the rest of the way?”
Oliver’s hand tightens where he’s managed to touch my elbow again, Logan’s eyes burning into that point of contact.
I want to stay exactly where I am, to see how far he would go to stop Oliver from touching me. But it’s best to not cause a commotion where other students would see.
“I think,” I say carefully, extracting myself from Oliver’s grip, “that I’ve had enough escorts for one day. I can make it the rest of the way on my own.”
“Jade—” Oliver starts.
“However,” I continue, looking at Logan, “if the student proctor insists on doing his job, I suppose I can’t argue with academy protocol.”
Oliver’s jaw tightens. “There’s no protocol that says?—“
