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27
Raven
“Raven?”
I looked over at Ben, who was sitting next to me at dinner. His forehead was lined with concern.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Fine,” I said. “Just distracted.”
Luka and the twins had skipped dinner tonight to prepare for our big plans of the evening. While Ben had been talking with the other shifters, I’d apparently zoned out.
“You’re not looking so hot,” Makayla said, narrowing her eyes. “What are you hiding from me?”
I laughed. She knew me too well. “Nothing.”
“Something,” she said with a sigh. “Fine, tell me when you’re done saving the world or whatever the hell it is you’re doing.”
“I’ve got that test coming up, that’s all,” I said.
Makayla shook her head, clearly not buying it tonight. But she didn’t bring it up again. She passed me her plate. “More fries?”
“I’m good, thanks,” I said.
Ben stood and then leaned down to kiss me on the cheek. “See you later.”
“Bye,” I said.
“Poker tonight?” Jamal called.
“Maybe,” Ben said. “You guys start without me.”
“Wait up, Ben, I’ll walk with you,” I called as I grabbed my plate. “Catch you later, Makayla?”
“I know what that is,” Starla said. “Booty call time.”
“Not everything is about sex all the time,” Makayla said.
I shrugged and lifted my eyebrows. “Sometimes it is.”
My friends around the table cat-called after Ben and I as we left the cafeteria. He slid his arm around my shoulders. “I wish you wouldn’t have said that.”
“Why not?” I asked. “Now they’ll just think we got stuck in bed if we don’t make it to poker.”
He paused for a second and glanced at me. “Good point. But I think we should try to squeeze in some one-on-one time just for the sake of authenticity.”
“I support that plan,” I said. “I mean, it’s for the benefit of everyone, really.”
He laughed and pulled me closer. Then he started walking again. “I’m going to be so glad when this is all done and we can go back to normal.”
“Me too,” I said. My stomach tightened as I thought about what the rest of the night would bring. Zach had Ben’s spare key and if everything was going to plan, he was getting the book from my room right now.
Ben and I walked past the stairway to the shifter dorms and headed toward the entrance to the lower levels of the school. I’d been down there twice before. Both times for confinement.
This time, we were using something that Professor Halifax mentioned to me when the time thief had stopped time inside the school. There were a few old dungeons, mostly used for storage. From what she’d said, they were impenetrable from the outside for magic to get in.
The rest of the group was already waiting for us inside the ancient dungeon. A chill ran up my spine as Ben closed the door behind us.
