Page 86 of Heart of Mischief

Her voice trailed off as the three of them crossed the parking lot, leaving Charlie and Elias standing beside the Bronco. It was remarkable how quickly her friends were able to move past what they’d seen. Charlie couldn’t stop envisioning that hunched back, those beady yellow eyes, the massive claws digging into the dirt…

“Well, this is a concerning development,” Elias said brightly.

Charlie turned to Elias, narrowing her eyes. “Concerning? That’s the best you can come up with to describe the horror we just saw on Mason’s phone?”

“Yep!” he said. “That thing was obviously creepy as Hel, but I agree with Lou’s assessment: we’re headingawayfrom Rattatosk’s known territory, not toward it.” He sighed. “It’s a shame, though. The way your fear spiked when you saw that photo…” He rubbed his belly, licking his lips. “Best meal I’ve had in weeks.”

“Ew.” Charlie made a face of disgust. “Is that really how it works? Human fear makes you feel full the same way food does?”

“Nah.” He grinned. “I just wanted to gross you out.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course you did.”

“Sounds like it’ll be an interesting weekend, though.” He waveda hand in the direction her brother and friends had gone. “All that stuff about the annual beer pong tournament? And on aschool trip, no less.” He held a hand to his chest, feigning horror.

“It usually is,” Charlie allowed. “I’ve never been, obviously, but last year Mason said that half the class ended up taking off all their clothes and going skinny-dipping at sunrise.”

“Sounds… promising.” His lips twitched. “How are you holding up?”

“Been better. Right now, this”—she waved the paper coffee cup in his face—“is pretty much the only thing keeping me standing.”

“Mmm. Sounds tough.”

“Let me guess: You wouldn’t know?”

“Nope.” He beamed. “I can operate on almost no sleep for days at a time.”

She snorted. “The benefits of being a mare never end, do they?Everyhigh schooler should give up their soul to become a shadow monster that gives away nightmares like cand—”

Elias clapped a hand over her mouth. “Let’s not go yelling my secrets in the middle of the parking lot, shall we?” Charlie made to bite his hand, but he pulled it away before her teeth could do anything more than graze his skin. He laughed, shaking out his hand. “You’re feisty today. I like it.”

She rolled her eyes again.

Elias ducked into the open trunk of the Bronco and emerged with Charlie’s duffel, slamming the door behind him. When she tried to reach for her bag, he shot her a look that said,don’t be an idiotbefore slinging it over his shoulder, even though he was already carrying his own backpack, too. Then he turned toward the bus, offering an elbow to Charlie.

“Shall we?”

“Absolutely not,” she said, starting across the parking lot, Henry close on her heels. “I’ll walk next to you, but I won’t take your arm. We’re not in some Regency drama.”

“Ah, but wouldn’t it be fun if we were?” Elias strolled along beside her, his long legs easily keeping up with her quick pace. Their bags bounced against his back. “You and I would no doubt be Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.”

“Oh, please.” She snorted. “You talkwaytoo much to be a Mr. Darcy.”

His eyes glanced over at her. “But you loathe me just enough to be Miss Bennet.”

“Now,that,” Charlie said as they reached the closest bus and hiked up its stairs, “I can agree with.”

“Back here!” Lou waved at them from the very last row. “We saved you seats.”

Charlie and Elias made their way down the aisle, nodding hello to everyone they knew. Charlie was shocked by how many people greeted Elias; despite how he’d spent barely two weeks total in Silver Shores, he had apparently made plenty of friends.

If only they knew, Charlie thought.

She shook her head. That sentence—if only they knew—used to mean something very specific to her.If only they knew how dangerous he was, orif only they knew he was a monster. Now…

Now she didn’t know what that sentence meant to her.

It still meant those same things, she supposed, as she picked her way down the aisle. But it was starting to mean something else, too.