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The teacher didn’t look so curious. He gave her a knowing look. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, Miss?”
Kate slid the phone into her bag and flipped blond hair out of her eyes. She could charm anyone. She had a bedroom answer ready, but the way this guy was looking at her told her it wouldn’t be appreciated. She slapped a distressed look on her face and yanked at one of the sheets the secretary had given her.
“It’s my first day,” she said, making her voice plaintive. “The secretary said she’d have someone escort me to my first class, but then she got busy . . .”
The teacher nodded and snapped his fingers at a student in the front row of the classroom. “Nick. Show her where she needs to go, and come right back.”
Kate slid the map back into her bag and laced her words with sugar, touching the teacher on the arm. “Thank you so much. I’ve been so lost.”
He hmphed and stepped back into the room, ignoring her.
Wow. So much for charm.
“Hey. I’m Nick. Where do you need to go?”
She blinked up at the boy who’d appeared in the doorway—and almost dropped her bag.
Not just because he was a looker—though that was part of it. Dark hair, blue eyes, a few freckles across his cheekbones. Taller than she’d expected.
Because she’d seen his picture before. It was in a file on her phone, right now, in fact. She almost wanted to yank it out of her bag to double-check. Nick. Nick Merrick.
Kate locked down any trace of her abilities, though it was a challenge. She wanted to touch him, to see if she could sense his power right here in the hallway.
He sure didn’t look like part of a band of marauding killers.
She’d expected to hate him on sight. She knew what these full Elementals could do—those lessons had been drilled into her head since day one. Hell, she had firsthand evidence: her mother had lost her life trying to destroy one of them.
Right in front of Kate.
But this guy standing in front of her seemed so . . . normal that she was having a hard time dredging up a powerful emotion like hate. He had an easy, engaging smile that made her want to smile back.
But she’d seen the news footage of the recent tornado damage in town. She’d seen photos of the bridge that had been destroyed in an earthquake and the resulting flood.
She’d seen newspaper articles showing the victims of the recent arson attacks—all caused by these Elementals.
She had to stop staring at this guy. She dug through her bag for the blue sheet of paper that had her class schedule.
The teacher cleared his throat. “Is there a problem?”
Kate shook herself. She was better than this. “No. Sorry.” She found the paper and yanked it free triumphantly.
Nick pulled the classroom door shut and took a glance. “This is on the other side of the school. We have to go under the library. I’ll show you.”
She should thank him. Flirt. Try to get close.
She just couldn’t get past the fact that she’d pretty much walked in here and he’d fallen into her lap.
Kate just nodded and walked alongside him. Her nerves were screaming at her.
This boy is a killer! Do something!
Don’t engage don’t engage don’t engage.
“I didn’t get your name,” Nick said.
“Kate.” Finally, her brain decided to work. “Is that guy always such a tool?”
Nick shrugged. “Dr. Cutter? Nah, he’s all right. Anytime someone interrupts a lecture on inclined planes, he gets all flustered.” He caught the door at the top of the stairwell and held it for her.
