Rage chuckled, but the sound held no mirth. “You and every girl in school. It’s common after the masquerade party for people to try and find out who they got together with, but it’s against the rules. It’s why we have it masquerade-style. And it’s why the Samhain party will stay fun too.”
My throat went dry. “You do a party like that for Halloween?”
He nodded. “In the past, it’s been a regular costume ball, but we’re thinking about making our Samhain masquerade-style too.”
That was months away, but it gave me something to hold on to, a date to put in my calendar when I could walk up to my fated mate and punch him in the face.
“You totally should!” I blurted out too eagerly.
“Yeah?” He drew back, his expression suddenly serious. “You really wanna see this guy that bad again?”
My body gravitated closer to him, and my gaze dropped to his lips. It wouldn’t be Rage, right? He’s not that good of a liar.
“Rage?” My voice was small.
He swallowed hard, and I fought the urge to reach up and trace his jawline. “Yeah?”
“Where were you last night when that fight broke out downstairs?”
Something flared in his eyes, a flash of yellow, then it was gone. He cleared his throat, heat pinking his cheeks. The silence stretched, growing awkward before he muttered, “Hooking up with a redheaded chick. But some hothead ruined that, and the party broke up.”
My heart plummeted into my stomach, and I took a step back. I hated Rage, so why did I want it to be him?
“Right.”
Before I could further my interrogation, Master Carn was back. He dropped a five-billion-page book onto the desk in the corner and glared at me. “Read the entire thing three times … and then,maybeI’ll let you try fire magic.”
I eyed the four-inch-thick spine. “That’ll take me weeks!”
“Then you’d better start reading.”
He couldn’t be serious, but by the way Rage was grinning, he totally was.
Master Carn turned back to Rage, and they resumed their lesson, talking about balancing heat and light.
Great!
I spent the next three hours reading an ancientlamehistory of fire wielders and all they could do. Occasionally, I stole glances at Rage making cool fireballs in his palms.
So cool. Ever since I was a little girl, I’d longed to do what my father could do. Boil water with a thought, toss a fireball into the lake on the Fourth of July, boil a rogue wolf’s blood and kill him instantly. Fire magic was arguably the strongest element, and I was sitting here, reading a book. My father’s magic had trickled to me as a member of his pack, but other than making my index finger a lighter, I couldn’t do much. And apparently, Master Carn wanted it to stay that way.
When the bell rang for lunch, I was nearly catatonic from boredom.
“Don’t you need to go, Nai?” Rage asked, tapping the schedule that I’d set at the edge of my desk, one he’d obviously been nosy enough to read.
I blinked and—Crap!I was serving lunch.
Without a word, I bolted toward the cafeteria that Kaja had pointed out on our way to campus. Darting through the courtyard to the right, I opened the large double-doors and was greeted with a legit movie-style high school cafeteria—Formica tables and everything.
“Umm, hello?” I called out, scanning the large and—thankfully—still-unoccupied room.
Crossing the space, I stepped behind the counter of the lunch line. Kids piled in behind me, but no one was here.
Please don’t tell me I have to do this on my own!
“I’m guessing you’re Nai,” snapped a woman. Her tone held zero tolerance.
I froze, spinning on my heels, and faced a terrifying woman.
