Asshole.
Aduetof assholes.
There wasn’t a chance in Hel I’d be taking those extra training lessons with him. Not now, and not at any point in the future.
I hugged both of my parents, furious our time was cut short, but happy they’d be away from the spellcasters. “Be careful,”Mom whispered as she held on tight. “Don’t go anywhere alone while he’s here.”
“I promise,” I whispered into her shoulder, the warm clean scent of her clothes comforting.
My parents didn’t exit the gates until they saw me reach the steps of the front entrance, and that was when I turned oncemore, and made sure they got out safe. Logan and his father didn’t move, and their conversation didn’t look pleasant. Probablydiscussing how they planned on taking over the world this weekend.
I was briefly distracted when Trevor and Jensen stepped down the main steps, followed by Alice and Jenna. I’d been early to meet our parents, which was lucky considering whatI’d walked in on. Not that my presence did anything at all, but I was there for support.
“Where’s Mom?” Trevor asked, looking around.
Shaking my head, I quickly detailed exactly what I’d walked in on. “Fuck,” Jensen muttered, and that pretty much summed itup.
For the rest of the day, I had a four-person bodyguard team. We skipped out on the shows and feasts to stay in the twins’dorm, as it was larger than the normal rooms. By the time Jensen and Trevor deposited me at my front door, the school wasonce again locked down to everyone except students and professors, and I found myself pulling crystals from my desk and placingthem on my bed.
I needed comfort tonight, and wished I could sneak to the phones and call Mom to check on her. But along with a blanket onour energy, there was also a curfew in the halls at night, so the call would have to wait until morning.
Eventually, exhaustion dragged me under, but it only felt like seconds later I was startled awake, my breaths coming out inrapid huffs. I still had periodic nightmares from the attacks, and at first I thought that was what woke me, until I felttingles racing down my spine. Along with those fear-inducing tingles, I noticed immediately that there was also no cloyingpress of the blanket against my power. Ever since that magical protection had been enacted, it felt like my powers were containedin a small space. Whenever I expanded them, they’d collide with the walls of the blanket, but now... there was nothingholding them back.
Fear held me in place for a second, before I crawled out of bed and crept to the door, listening closely.
Too afraid to venture out, I hurried back to my bed, prepared to hide under the covers like a proper five-year-old afraid of the dark. Lifting the crystals I’d fallen asleep with, becausethey were scattered everywhere now, I moved them back to the desk, catching sight of a shadow outside the window.
Wait, no. It wasn’t a shadow. It was a monster.
Holy fuck!
It slipped into the forest, and then another emerged, and another. Over and over. Closing my eyes, I forced my pulse to slow,wondering if I was dreaming. Pinching my arm hurt a lot, and I knew that this was no nightmare.
When I opened my eyes again, the monsters were still there, emerging from the forest and drawing closer to the buildings.
There were too many. They were going to destroy the school and kill everyone inside. Who had lifted the magical blanket overthe college? Had it been Rafael before he left? Was this his way of telling us he was responsible for the monsters?
Knowing that I had to warn someone before they got inside, I opened my door and glanced along the hall to ensure they weren’talready here. I huffed out in a rush when the hall was clear of any darkness, and taking a fortifying breath, dashed out ofmy door and sprinted, turning right. It was only when I reached the black curtains that I realized I hadn’t headed for theprofessors’ dorms.
Despite my fears and misgivings about him, instinct had still sent me straight for Logan.
As frustrating as it was to ask this asshole for help, he was thus far the only warlock or witch to be able to banish themonsters. He would know what to do.
Lifting my hand to knock, I noticed my blood had been cleaned from the door. Why that bothered me I had no idea, but therewas no time for a mental break here. I had to save the school. Before I could knock, the door was opened, and this time hewas dressed in a pair of pajama pants. Just pants.
Holy fucking goddess.
The ink. His ink was . . . everywhere.
Monsters, Paisley.
Right, right. I needed to get my head in the fucking game. There were monsters surrounding the school and this was no timeto be devouring the broad expanse of bronze skin, marked with an array of darkly enticing tattoos. The few images I couldsee spoke of a true artist’s hand, with the soaring raven across his right shoulder drawing my eye.
“Paisley,” he said, his gaze sliding down my body as if he was checking for injuries. I looked down as well, cursing whenI noticed I wore his hoodie.
“It’s fucking comfy, get over it,” I snapped, before he could say a word.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against his doorjamb. “And you’re here for more of my clothes? I don’t wear underwear,if that’s what you’re after.” His gaze rested on the bare expanse of leg sticking out from under his hoodie, as if he waswondering whether I had panties on under there.
