Page 54 of Slayer

Okay, he wanted a question. Smug bastard.

“Why are you acting mad at me? I didn’t do anything to you,” I growled.

He sighed, relaxing his arms. “I’m not mad. I’m focused. Focused on getting my hunter runes, getting a good position in a hunter unit, and graduating so I can become licensed. You are a giant distraction, and I don’t have mommy’s money waiting for me in some bank account if I fail.”

I gasped, mouth opening at the way his last line cut right into me.

Regret washed over his features, eyes going dark green, and he frowned. “I shouldn’t have said it like that. Stella, I meant⁠—”

He took a step closer to me, and I rushed forward too, getting right up into his face. I could see the fear wash over his features.

Good.

I was pissed.

How dare he talk to me like that?

“I don’t have a mommy,” I growled. “I grew up a ward of the State of Washington. I have a dead lady I’ve never met who left me a ton of money that I don’t want. You know what? Be mad at me. You don’t deserve my friendship anyway.”

I slammed into his shoulder, knocking him back a few steps, and reached for the door handle, tearing it back and stepping inside.

Asher Voss was a complete and total jerk.

I would never speak, think, or talk about him again.

He was dead to me.

When I got inside the portal building, Celia and Silex were talking in hushed voices, their heads bent together, and I caught the tail end of if there is another attack⁠—

But they quieted when we neared, the words cutting off cleanly.

My blood was rushing into my ears I was so angry at the way Asher had just spoken to me, the heat of it buzzing through my chest. I tried to take three deep breaths in and act calm, but I could tell by the way Celia looked from me to Asher, who just followed in behind me, that she knew something was up.

“Okay, ready to go to our first stop, New York City?” she asked.

I just nodded curtly.

She and Silex stepped to the side, and my jaw unhinged when I saw a giant train station behind them with a string of train cars stretching into the distance, metal gleaming under bright overhead lights like something pulled from another world entirely.

Celia seemed to read my confusion. “We portal from here when we need to take large groups of hunters or students to the mortal realm.”

The train car flashed a bright blue light, and then the doors opened with a soft hiss.

There was a woman standing there in the open doorway.

It was the master arcanist from last night when the school was attacked, the one who drew on the ceiling. She stepped forward, her presence calm and grounded.

“Sorry I’m late,” she told Celia, bowing her head deeply in respect.

“No worries,” Celia said and gestured to me. “Stella, this is our unit arcanist, Akari.”

“Hi.” I waved stupidly, unsure how to greet an arcanist.

She bowed lightly to me, hands at her sides. “Hello, Stella. I’m pleased to meet you. Hey, Asher.” She then pivoted and bowed to him.

“Akari.” He bowed back.

Crap. Was I supposed to bow?