“What the fuck is going on?”
Something –somethingwithin. . . or maybe between or after. . . it skips. A fracture line, a hiccup, a choke, a misstep, a single ripple. . . it. . .changessomething.
I’m greeted by pale pink eyes fanned by long lashes and a single dark brow arched high. Something within rumbles as I trace every feature on her face and then down. Her uniform shirt is only held by one button, exposing slivers of skin from her chest and stomach. And that thing within roils with a force that begins to make itself known to more than just me.
There are more scars and bitemarks on her. More than just on her legs. Legs which I can see because she’s only in her skirt and not her tights which normally cover them.
Callahan pushes out of my arms only to immediately crumble to the floor. He crawls – actuallycrawls– to her and wraps the edges of her shirt around her middle before buryinghis head into her stomach. His arms circle her hips as he sits back onto his heels and pulls her with him.
She makes a tiny gasp as she plops down. Her hands going to his shoulders to steady herself as her thighs spread and her knees land on either side of his waist.
Pale pink eyes snap to mine with alarm as she ping pongs her gaze between the other two who are still here. I had forgotten about Mr. Ruleten and Ms. Waterstone. The former who’s shocked state hasn’t wobbled and the latter who slides to her knees as she stares open-mouthed at her roommate.
“What the hell is happening right now?” she whispers with trepidation. Wide eyes sliding back to Callahan as he squeezes her as if he’s never going to let her go.
“D-don’t e-ev-ever leave,” Callahan sobs.
Slowly, some sort of realization dawns on her because a mask slips over her face and body as she hesitantly turns her gaze to her bed. To where pieces of ash still drift. She hadn’t reappeared where she last was, which was closer to the foot of her bed. Instead, she appeared right in front of her desk.
Taking a step towards her, her eyes snap to me and a flutter of fear flashes in her eyes.
So,somany secrets.
“What happened, Mavyn?”
My tone is darker than I intended it to be. My voice lowered and power still thrumming through it. I can physically see her walls building as she neutralizes her face. Then she pushes away from Callahan and he whimpers as the contact between them is lost.
I glance down at all her scars and she stomps over to her wardrobe. Pulling out a long, thick robe, she puts it on before leveling me with one of her signature glares.
“You tell anybody what you saw on my body and I will report you to the Mage Board.”
So much threat in her words, and yet it’s for nothing.
“I have not done – “
“I saw your true devil,” she grits. The color in her eyes fluctuating for a split moment. And damn me but my body flinches. She takes a step back and straightens at it. “You say, think, breathe, out in any way or form nothing to no one or thing.”
Rage burns at the command but also at thewantingto submit. The speck of wanting to bow my head for her.
I decimate it. Instead, gritting my teeth and hiss out an ‘I understand’. Because it would not take much to convince the Mage Board of her truth. Even if I was able to rebuttal it, any devil able to enter minds would be able to see the truth. For both me and Callahan.
Though, I wonder how it was possible she saw it. My true devil only made a flicker of its presence known when I had first seen the scars on her legs. I kept it locked up after that. I kept my control.
Unless she just played me. She took a wild guess and I confirmed it for her.
The fucking brat.
Just then the scent of copper and ozone sparks and Thorne returns with Castiel. Both looking distraught and now confusedas their eyes zip between me, Callahan still on the floor looking mourningly at the bloodsucker, and her.
She puffs out a breath and glares at all of us. “Why exactly are you all in my room?”
She’s got to be fucking kidding me.
Twenty
Mavyn – Septmust 1
My bones ache. My muscles, joints, skin – mybloodaches as it steadily flows through my veins. My heart even with its beats as I force myself to stay relaxed. It had gone on for longer this time. The nightmare lasting for more than just feeling like an eternity.
