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Dylan perks up. “I’m always here if you want.”
“Me too,” both Corin and Oscar say at the same time, drawing a laugh from me.
“Thanks you guys, but I think I’m going to try and figure it out on my own first, and if I can’t get it, I’ll let you’s know.”
“Are you ready for the assignments? Mine’s ready,” Oscar says, changing the subject.
My eyes flit to Corin, then my runes notebook that’s sitting on the kitchen counter. I was feeling confident about our runes assignment, even with it having been pushed back because of the incident with Ethan,but with my magic going so haywire all of the sudden, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do my part. I swallow hard. Worrying my bottom lip, my eyebrows draw down as I force myself to think positive thoughts.It’ll be fine. Upside, I didn’t kill anyone today.And I have help literally all around me if I can’t figure it out by myself. It’ll be fine.
I don’t realise I’m pulling a face until Dylan chuckles and my eyes jump to him, only to find him already watching me. I flip him off and return to my burger.
“I’m pretty sure I’m ready,” Dylan says, before taking a bite of his food and I realise I never actually answered Oscar’s question out loud.
I swallow then add, “Yeah, we’re ready.”
Corin nods, though his piercing eyes remain on me, searching my face as though he’s trying to pick my brain to see how I really feel.The opposite of confident.With a mental groan, I slap mental me’s face and eat the last bite of my food. Goodbye heaven. I get up and wash up my plate, packing up the empty takeout bags in the trash before rubbing my hands together.
The shakiness to my limbs seems to have disappeared and the room is thankfully no longer spinning when I turn my head, so I count that as a win. Checking my watch I figure I can be showered, dressed and ready to follow the Drákon group’s leader tonight. After how shitty and out of control today was, I’m craving the simplicity and accomplishment gathering information on the Drákon group will bring me. I had already planned to go out tonight too and I abhor not doing something that I’ve put on my mental calendar.
I scratch my temple, taking note of how gritty my eyes feel and check my watch again. I might even have time to nap between then and now.Hmm.
A throat clearing behind me has my head jerking around though and I groan when the room blurs. Damn it, so much for the spinning being better. When the room comes back into focus, I find myself staring at a very firm T-shirt covered chest. Damn those are some broad shoulders. I reach out to touch them without conscious thought, before jerking back.Okay, maybe I’m not quite as alright as I thought. I completely forgot they were here.Whoops.Corin’s eyebrows raise and before I can try to explain my actions, I’m scooped up in his arms in a bridal carry. I let out a shriek that I’m not proud of, but the Mountain Man just lets out a low rumble.
I peer up at his face, brushing his hair out of the way so I can see his eyes. “Excuse me, are you going to tell me what you think you’re doing, big guy?” I murmur, not willing to admit how much I want to curl into his chest and take a nap. He’s like a damn space heater.
Footsteps behind Corin have me straining to see over his shoulder, only to find Dylan and Oscar sharing a look with each other, close lipped smiles on their faces, shoulders shaking.The bastards are laughing at me. I narrow my eyes and melt into Corin’s arms. “You have to relax,” he finally says, his voice rougher than usual. “Take a break, before you fall over.”
I scoff and wiggle in his arms, the urge to prove him wrong taking precedence over my health. “I’m fine and I have plans tonight.” I wince as soon as the words leave my mouth, knowing saying them was a mistake. It came out more suggestively than I meant to. As though I have adateor am meeting up with someone when that’s not the case at all. As one, Corin stops and the footsteps behind us cease.
Cautiously, I drag my eyes from Corin’s throat, up his cheek, until I reach his intense gaze. His features are drawn tight, eyes narrowed, head cocked thoughtfully.Uh-oh. Mountain Man’s grumpy.Now how to get out of this without explaining…
Before I can think up an excuse, I’m gently set down and Corin draws back to stand beside Dylan and Oscar, putting a few feet between us. “Alright, well we’ll leave you to it then. Give us a call if you need us. I mean it.”
My eyebrows draw down at their sudden three-sixty when it comes to protecting me, but I don’t look the gift horse in the mouth. “Okay. I will. Thank you,” I murmur slowly.Odd.
Corin dips his head, expression blank as he nods and grabs his phone, slipping it into his pocket before gripping Dylan and Oscar by the shoulders and leading them from my dorm. They’re tense, faces contorted in disbelief as they stare at Corin, but they don’t resist him, then the door is closing, cutting off my view. I blink rapidly as the click of the door latches loud in the resounding silence. Clearing my throat, I shake my head and run my fingers through my hair, frazzled by their sudden departure. My emotions are too muddled from everything today to send me into a confused spiral. I’m just… exhausted.
Unicorn chirps at me before leaping out my open window, presumably for her evening hunt. I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly feeling alone.No, Nessa. Get your shit together, you have work to do. Plus you wanted this, dumbass.Letting out a controlled breath, I force my shoulders back and lift my chin—ignoring the pounding in my head and slight weakness to my body. Plus, doing something that I excel at is exactly the confidence boost I need right now.Time to get to fucking work.
Smothering a yawn, I roll my shoulders, peering through the binoculars. Unlike my reconnaissance in the club, this surveillance takes a more… spy-like touch. Which means, I’m freezing my ass off, perched on a rooftop squinting through a pair of high quality binoculars to watch the local Drákon group's leader meeting up with a group of people in a downtown street cafe.
I’m in the city that’s closest to the Academy and using the portal to get here was torture. I grimace at the memory. It increased my dizziness tenfold and had my stomach rolling for the next ten minutes. It’s been about an hour since they got here and so far I haven’t seen much. Leaving things the way I did with the guys isn’t sitting great with me either, but I also don’t want to drag them into my shady hobby any more than they are already involved. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. Since going to the Travelling Marketplace with them, that’s been seeming more and more like an excuse. Unicorn had left to hunt by the time I left the dorm so I left her a magical message. Chances are though, that she’s going to be pissed when I get back that I left without her. She won’t care about my hesitance to let her tag along when I go through portals of my creation, just in case the Academy’s wards decide to react.
It’s fucking miserable up here and has a part of me wishing I’d stayed in my dorm with the guys and let them take care of me. A shiver rolls down my spine and my eyes narrow as I glance around the rooftop. It’s bare, with no places to hide, but for some reason I swear I can feel eyes on me. I have since I left my apartment.Like what the fuck is going on?I was especially careful because of Ethan. I went in circles once I left the school via the portal I have set up in the forest—one that no one should be able to follow me through, yet the feeling hasn’t gone away. I’m also not sure if others can leave the school or not through portals like me, so I need to be extra careful. Gritting my teeth, I set my binoculars back in their case and throw it in my spelled pants pocket. I reach over my head and stretch, ready to stalk the leader from the ground for a while. Since placing the tracker on her, it’s been a lot easier to find her location and watch her movements, but it has no speaker or camera so I need to watch her in person to gain knowledge on these things.
I was hoping that I’d be able to figure out enough of what was happening by just observing, but this meeting seems like it could be important so it’s better that I go listen in, just in case. If I don’t get anything then this is pretty much a wasted trip.
After double checking I haven’t left anything in the spot I was sitting, I mutter a basic spell to wipe away any evidence of me being here as well. It’s a handy thing to know in my line of work—or well, when you have hobbies like mine. I also take a moment to wonder at the fact that I’m able to do something like this so easily when six months ago I was barely able to do any magic.
Shaking my head at my own thoughts, I scale down the side of the building and drop into the dark alleyway. My dark, spelled clothing should guarantee that I’m noticed by no one. The enchantment means that unless they’re looking for me specifically their eyes will glance off me without actually seeing me. Straightening my jacket, I slip into the flow of supes in the street, flopping into a seat at the table directly behind the Drákon group in the coffee place. Setting my book down on the table, I grin at the waitress, order my drink, then settle in to read. Thanks to the soft lighting floating around the dozen or so tables I can see the words easily enough.
Fingers crossed they say something of interest and this isn’t just a waste of my time.
Chapter Eighteen
Corin
Iduckoutofthe dorm room, keeping my body languid and unbothered so Nessa thinks I’m fine with leaving her alone. Yeah fucking right. Letting my hands fall from the guys shoulders, they round on me the moment we’re out of hearing range.
