“Does your familiar always stare like that?” Maya asked, giggling.
“Yeah, he does.”
“It’s creepy. I mean, mine is always around, obviously, but he doesn’t just like, stare.” Maya looked over fondly to her crow, throwing him a piece of popcorn that he gracefully caught midair.
“He sleeps sometimes.”
“I’m glad you got a familiar, but I’m sorry it’s that one.” Maya snorted.
Avery made a fake gasp and hit Maya lightly with the back of her hand. “He’s just…attentive.”
Felix’s amusement rumbled through the bond. He was far more than justattentive.
Maya raised her eyebrows and then looked away. She was smart; she definitely sensed something was wrong with him. Maya had always been able to read Avery like a spell book; she could see through her bullshit before Avery even opened her mouth. Luckily, the alcohol probably dampened that worry. Who would ever suspect that a shifter was in their goddess-damn dorm room?
“Have you decided what you’re going to wear to the Spirit Night party?”
Spirit Night. Ugh. That was right. There was always a massive party during Spirit Night; they went together every year. Even after Avery’s dad died, she didn’t skip it. It wasn’t a fun one, but she still went. And they had to solve the final riddle. And break the bond. Avery drank from the bottle to fill her chest with a burning that drowned out the other feelings threatening to bubble to the surface.
Two days. That was all they had left.
“I haven’t had anything made yet. I was thinking of just wearing the same costume as last year.” Avery said.
“Boooo, that’s so boring,” Maya said, pouting and putting her thumbs down before sitting up on her elbows. “Also I knew you were going to do that, so I had something made for you to match.”
“Maya,” Avery said, throat tightening. Maya had commissioned a costume for her. While Avery had spent the week lying to her face. Goddess, she really was a horrible friend.
“Avery,” she warned. “I’ll surprise you on the day.”
She smiled softly, putting her hand over Maya’s and squeezing, which squeezed her heart just as hard. “Thank you.”
At least she would still have her.
Maya smiled back and then brushed her off. “Ugh, enough mushiness, come on, you know I hate that.”
There she was.
“Okay, let’s play a game. You have to answer the question or take a drink,” Maya said.
Avery did not like where this was going, but agreed. “I’ll start.”
“Best hookup?”
“You better say me, little witch, or I’ll be offended,”Felix said through the bond.
Avery made a gesture that her lips were sealed and took a swig from the bottle. It was not like she could say the shifter currently on the bed.
Maya’s mouth hung open. “You sly little wench, I knew you had been seeing someone!”
“What!” Avery squealed. “How could you possibly know that?”
“Well, for one, you just confirmed it with your reaction. Two, you would have just said Julian, because that was your tried and true answer before.”
Fuck. She had her there.
A rumble came from Felix’s throat.“Really? You went back multiple times to Julian and his punchable face?”
“Shut it, it was a mistake.”
