Silence greets me.
“Why?” Callahan’s voice is scratchy. Probably from all the crying. “Why does it happen? Why do you go there?”
Technically I could say this wasn’t part of the deal. I answered the question. I said what happened, I was in the sun death realm. The how and why weren’t part of the question.
But. . .
Golden eyes tug at something and Iwantto answer him. I want to ease him – not that the answer will do that for him. Sometimes it’s better to stay ignorant. At times I wish I still was.
Shifting my weight from foot to foot, I look anywhere but at them. This new feeling of something towards Callahan, I’m pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that his eyes and aura were the last thing I had seen before all I knew was pain. It still lingers in fantom ripples through my body.
Not that you’ll see a scar or mark or anything letting you know it. Afterall, it may have been another realm but it is still just a nightmare. A twisted psychological game because it’s technically all in your head and yet your physical body and spirit and soul are still there experiencing everything.
Sighing, I roll out my neck again and hold in my groan. Today is going to be a long day.
Shrugging, I gesture to nothing. “I don’t know.” You can hear the exhaustion in my voice. “It’s probably a rem – “
I abruptly stop as I snap my eyes up to Professor Asier, D’etre, and Thorne before over to Callahan. My heart trips a beat and I force it to be steady instead of racing like it wants to. I almost just said it’s probably a remanent of my curse, but I had only told Callahan about that.
“I don’t know,” I repeat, giving Callahan a look that says he will understand. My tone clipped and my words final.
Thorne’s face twists into a look of distain as he slides his hands into his pockets. Then there’s a nearly audible crack and the room fills with the scent of metallic blood and ozone before he straight up disappears.
It shocks me for a moment. I’ve seen Rosemary and Nana fold before – a type of portaling where they open an invisible door into what’s called the fold, a place in between existence and time and space, and then they open another door within that leads to their destination. I’ve also seen Cordellia create elemental portals from water – though they can be created from any of the elements.
Butthat.
The smallest wisping of opaque black and gray twist for a moment before disappearing too. It all happened too fast. I’ve never seen someone shadow twist before.
A type of portaling that aligns with whatever your magic is and flows with your aura. The scent that’s left behind is like a calling card of sorts. It’s the scent of your aura. And his smells like blood and thunder.
Blood and thunder.
It smells a lot like freedom and peace.
But I shake that random, bullshit thought from my mind and look over to the professors. One who’s holding onto his feigned confusion and curiosity, though now bordering on suspicion. And the other who’s now just blatantly glaring.
He shifts and pulls his arms up to cross in front of his chest. They stretch out the white button up he’s currently wearing and I most certainly do not look at the way his muscles bulge. Because that would be inappropriate, and he gets off on runes, and he’s not my type anyway.
What a fucking load of shit, the damned man could be anyone’s type.
But that’s not the point.
I mirror his stance, not wavering or breaking eye contact because I’m sure he’s going to say something and when speaking directly to me I make sure to look at him. Per his demand, of course.
Pompous asshole.
He arches a brow and rumbles out, “Want to try saying that out loud?”
I tighten every hold of my shields within. Like trying to wrap a blanket around yourself, grabbing every corner and edge still you’re cocooned in a ball.
That’s how you know I’m really tired. My shields start teetering and minute thoughts slip out.
“Say what?” I test. He glowers harder. I roll my eyes, then I face Professor D’etre. “I answered your question. We’re even now. Everyone is fine, we all have to get to our classes soon, you can leave.”
He looks over to the devil I’m clearly ignoring and then hesitantly nods towards me before shifting towards the door. Professor Asier is still glaring at me – his gold ringed red eyes feeling like a furnace on the side of my head. But eventually, after the world’s longest minute, he concedes and stomps over to the door.
Both professors leave and I exhale a breath I had been holding.
