Gunner.
He looked worse than he had the other day.
Unhinged almost.
His brown hair stuck out wildly like he’d been dragging frustrated hands through it for hours while dark circles shadowed his eyes.
His jaw remained bruised faintly from where Sten had punched him.
Good.
“Your little boyfriend isn’t here to protect you this time,” he sneered.
Instinctively, I stepped backward.
Not because I was weak.
Because something in his expression genuinely frightened me.
Obsessive.
Wrong.
Predatory in a way that made my stomach turn.
“Amrin Cordoza.”
Relief nearly knocked me over when Professor Wainwright appeared farther down the corridor.
“You need to come with me,” the professor called sharply. “There’s an urgent portal call waiting.”
“Coming, Professor,” I said immediately.
Gunner leaned closer as I moved away.
Too close.
His breath brushed my ear.
“Run along, Witch,” he whispered. “I’ll find you later.”
Revulsion crawled down my spine.
I backed away carefully, refusing to turn fully until enough distance existed between us.
Only then did I pivot and hurry toward Professor Wainwright.
My pulse didn’t fully calm again until Gunner disappeared behind the crowd.
Gods.
What was wrong with that guy?
An hour later I stood alone inside my dormitory room staring at my reflection while replaying my mother’s voice over and over inside my head.
“You are a Cordoza, Amrin. Try to remember that and act accordingly.”
The words still burned.
