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Lucille waved, turned, and walked away. I watched as she headed toward the building beside the town hall, where a coffee shop and a restaurant had been before. Those were also under renovations, but I wondered now if that wasn’t wasted time. I knew people were eager for normalcy, but there was too much to be done everywhere else.
Lucille swiped her blond hair from over her shoulder, a movement I always connected to bitchiness inside my mind, but now looking at her, I wondered if it wasn’t just her way. A habit she had and didn’t even notice.
Oh, Lucille could be a bitch, but maybe, maybe she could be more? Practice together, girls’ night in? I like the sound of those.
With a sigh, I walked into the library and found Lavinia and Almae still hunkered down over a long table covered in books, researching the crystals.
Lavinia lifted her head from the books. She smiled at me. “You look … happy?”
I shrugged. “I probably shouldn’t, with everything going on.”
“Nonsense,” Almae said. She glanced at me. “I’ve lived through many battles and wars, lost many friends … you need to find the light amid the darkness, otherwise what are you even living for?”
I nodded, thinking about Shane, how he made me feel. About Minsi, and Tyren, and even Lucille and her crazy ideas. Tiny moments that mattered a whole lot.
“True, but while we bask in the light, we need to find a solution for the darkness.” I sat down across the table. “How’s research going?”
Lavinia groaned. “Not good.” She pushed a book in my direction. “But you can help us.” She batted her lashes at me.
I chuckled. “I have to take more stuff to the school, but I can squeeze in a book or two before that.”
“I’ll owe you some coffee,” she said. “And some cinnamon rolls.”
Almae shook her head. “You and cinnamon.”
“What? Cinnamon is life!”
I smiled, watching them for a second. Here with Lavinia and Almae, I wasn’t in a girls’ night in per se, but we were also having our own moment.
And I would add those up without prejudice.
18
SHANE
As I arrived backin town with Dom and Vallin, dark clouds seemed to follow me in the sky, matching my mood. The late afternoon darkened. It seemed it would rain soon.
It only got worse when I hopped out of the car and saw Raika leaving the library and Roman running to her with a wide smile. I tried not to, I swear I did, but I couldn’t help it. I focused on my hearing and watched as he walked to the school with her.
“Can you talk now?” Roman started, his voice sounding awkward.
“Sure,” Raika said.
“I was thinking … I’ve prepared a Bolognese lasagna this morning, you know, for tonight’s dinner, but it’s a lot for just one.” Holy shit, I didn’t know if I was more annoyed he was asking my girl out, or at the stupid way he was doing it. “What do you think of stopping by and having dinner with me?”
“Hm …” Raika glanced over his shoulder, right at me. “I’m sorry, Roman, but I’ll have to pass.” She pointed back to the library. “I have a big task I’m working on and I’ll probably spend another night between books.”
“Then I could bring the lasagna to you and—”
They stepped into the school and I forced myself to stop being a creep. I might not trust Roman, but I trusted Raika.
The sky rumbled, announcing incoming rain, and a cold breeze rushed by. Was rain in June normal for Canada? I had no idea what was normal or not anymore. I might have to learn now that we didn’t have a barrier.
If our time here lasted. With the dragon, the poison, the Whitecrests’ threat … I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
I turned to the town hall and Lucille stepped right in my way. “Hi.” She tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. “I heard you met with the other alphas. Everything okay?”
I nodded. “It will be.”
