“Can I have the laptop?”
I look down at my hands in surprise. Right, I’m still holding it.
Shaking my head to try and clear it, I hand it to him.
He takes it and pulls the screen up, his eyes moving as he looks at whatever’s on it. He makes a thoughtful face and taps a few keys, then puts the laptop on the ground.
“Can you get up, or do you need a minute?” he asks.
“I can get up.”
He waits as I try to get my feet under me so I can stand. After my third attempt, he slips his arm around me and helps me to my feet.
5
XAVE
Damon wobbleson his feet a few times as he stands, but the determined look in his eyes tells me he’s going to be okay. He just needs some time to process everything that just happened.
Leaning back against the side of the cabin, he closes his eyes and tips his face up toward the sky, and I can’t stop from giving him a quick once-over as he sucks in a deep breath, then slowly lets it out.
Damon and I might not be friends, or even friendly, but he has a unique look that makes him stand out. While most of the students at Silvercrest are all about high fashion and always looking like they just stepped off the set of a photo shoot, Damon has chosen to go in the opposite direction.
Not to say that he doesn’t take care of himself or he doesn’t put effort into his looks, because it’s obvious he does both; it’s his choices that make him different. And in our world, being different isn’t usually celebrated.
Objectively, he’s a handsome guy, and his “I don’t give a fuck what people think of me” attitude and the resting bitch face he’s known for fit perfectly with the vibe he has going on.
His curly brown hair is so dark it looks nearly black, and it’s cut in a way where it’s short on the sides and long on top, so his curls always look a bit wild and chaotic while perfectly framing his angular face. I’ve always known he has blue eyes, but now that I’m up close, I can see that they’re actually a mix of bright azure and ice blue. Is that natural? Or does he wear colored contacts?
His features are classically handsome and have an almost elven quality to them with his straight nose, perfectly shaped dark eyebrows, sharp jaw, high cheekbones, and full lips. He’s not big and bulky like a lot of guys, but it’s obvious he puts a ton of work into his physique and has long, lean muscles. He’s only about an inch and a half shorter than me, and he probably weighs twenty or so pounds less.
All of that isn’t especially unique, but the small silver stud under the center of his bottom lip, the thin silver ring through his right nostril, and the crystal stud earrings glinting off his earlobes are definitely unique for the average Silvercrest student. I’ve also seen flashes of tattoos peeking out from under his shirts when we’ve been at the same parties and events, but I have no idea how many tats he has or what they’re of.
Tattoos aren’t uncommon at school; my twin cousins are perfect examples of that with their full sleeves and multiple side pieces, but facial piercings are completely out of the norm. As far as I’ve seen, Damon is the only student who has any.
Add in that he’s known for wearing black clothes and black boots, and he has a sexy, metalcore look that gives him a bad boy vibe while still having an air of innocence around him, thanks to his baby-smooth skin and the striking contrast between his dark hair and bright eyes.
He’s also known around campus for being a snarky asshole who likes to party, which is something we have in common.
He blinks his eyes open, and I look away before he can notice me creeping on him.
It’s still a bit of a mindfuck that Damon and Helix are the same person, and I’ve been following the career of my classmate for years while having no idea it was him.
“So, what now?” he asks, still leaning back against the wall like he needs it to stay upright.
“Now we gather what we need, then get the fuck out of here.”
“Get what we need?”
“Evidence, supplies, that sort of thing.”
“Oh, okay.” He pushes off the wall and squares his shoulders. “What do you need me to do?”
“How about we do a quick look around the cabin and see what we find?”
“Okay.” He makes a “go ahead” gesture. “After you.”
The cabin is small and has only four rooms in it, not including the cellar. We start in the main living area, then methodically move through the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.
