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She dips her head in a nod. “I want to say yes, to take him up on his offer,” she says, expression relaxed.
She seems so calm about it, like the decision was easy and I can’t help but prod at her. “You’re not upset about having to hand over so many years worth of work over to them?” I ask, shock thick in my voice.
Lexi’s jaw tenses, nostrils flaring as she finally meets my eyes. “No. No, I’m not. I have been done with everything like that for a while.” She lets out a breath, fingers drumming against her thigh. I can’t believe it, my chest locks up, my entire body tensing. My reaction has her rubbing a hand over her face. “Nessa, I loved Anna. She was my best friend, but I never had the same drive as you. Never had the guilt. After the first year or so it became more of a chore for me, a painful reminder that we hadn’t come any closer to catching who hurt her and the fact that she was gone. As the years went by I continued to help you with it, because I love you. You’re my best friend—no, more like a sister, but I can’t keep doing this. I don’twantto keep doing this.” She sucks in a shaky breath while I struggle to absorb her words.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I whisper, but even as I say it, I know why, because she knows that I wouldn’t have handled it well. I would have seen it as her abandoning me when I’d already lost Anna, and screwed up our friendship. Her lips part to explain what I already know and I cut her off gently, shaking my head. “It’s okay, I… understand.”
It’s quiet between us for a few long minutes as I sort through my emotions and accept Lexi’s feelings. Eventually, I clear my throat, drawing her attention to me. “I’m sorry for making you feel like you had to help me. For forcing you to do something that brought you emotional pain like that. I’m not mad at you—not that I have any right to be—for needing to leave all of that behind. I love you, and I hope that this doesn’t come between us,” I say, chest pinching as I study her.
Her face lights up, grey cheeks flushing pink slightly as a smile curls her lips. “It won’t, and I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you the truth.”
Her soft words have my more cuddly side coming to the surface and I leap at her—careful of the empty coffee cup in her hand that she sets down so she can wrap her arms around me. I squeeze her tight, my relief at us being okay, swirling through me. She laughs. “Okay, get off me you brat, I want another coffee.”
I draw back, but I can’t help the giddy smile that curls my lips.
I shove my fingers in my pockets as I trudge through the bush. Unicorn stayed back at my dorm, napping on her favourite windowsill and Lexi left my dorm a little while ago. The path ended about half a kilometre back, the forestry and wildlife having destroyed it years ago. I’ve finally made time to test a theory of mine, and a thrill of anticipation runs up my spine as I step over another large root and push away a branch. As I do, I silently thank my enhanced vampire eyesight for allowing me to see in the dark. Without it I would’ve fallen on my face at least ten times over by now. I tilt my head back to try and glimpse the sky through the treetops, but am unable to spot the moon or any stars, just small patches of dark blue. It’s that time right after dusk as the stars wake up and the moon begins its ascent so it’s dark as hell, but if I really focus, I can hear students still mingling on the campus.
I’ve been trying to be more transparent with the guys since we had our chat, so they know I’m out here to use my magic, they just don’t know exactly what I’m planning to do with it. I also may be avoiding them, just a little which is the only reason I didn’t ask them to tag along. Corin especially. I’m not sure how to process the fact that we’re mates and that the bastard didn’t fucking tell me. My nostrils flare, but I force my anger away and focus my thoughts on Oscar and Dylan. Ever since they—and Corin—basically told me that they want to all be in a relationship with me it’s been a thought in the back of my mind. I swallow and let out a careful breath. I think I’m ready to give it a go. I need to sort out my feelings about Corin keeping our mate status a secret from me, but I’m willing to give them all a chance.
I am terrified though—yes,meof all people—because I don’t want to lose the three men in my life that have become very important to me. If—no, when—I screw up, I need to know that they’re not going to run away. That they’re going to give me a chance to get used to having them there as support that I can trust completely.
I scowl, brows drawing down. Oh who the hell am I kidding, clearly I just need to stop being a wimp and go for it. With a decisive head nod, I make the decision here and now that the second I get back from this little trip I’m going to agree to date them. Or ask them to date me? Hmm, Goddess, I can already tell this is going to be an extremely awkward experience for me. I suck at this sort of stuff.
Shaking my head, I refocus on real life rather than my chaotic thoughts. I’m not too far away from the edge of the school so I have my eyes peeled for the guard that should be stationed not far from here. They’re supposed to be patrolling a certain area, but from what I’ve observed on my nightly explorations, this particular guard sleeps away his shift, which works perfectly for me.
A twig snaps behind me and the corner of my mouth kicks up. Foster is following me. I noticed his presence a while ago and am curious as to what he’s up to. At first I was worried that it was a random person, but then I caught a hint of his mouth-watering vanilla scent and realised it was him. He’s kept enough space between us for me to assume that he wants to keep his presence hidden and if I wasn’t so attuned to his scent then I doubt that I would’ve noticed it. I bite my cheek and mentally shake my head. I’m really not sure what to make of the man from the limited interactions we’ve had. I do firmly believe that he isn’t a threat to me though, he’s had far too many opportunities to kill me for that to be his goal.
Blinking out of my thoughts, I duck behind a boulder and ignite a new rune circle that I’ve been fiddling with to create an undetectable barrier. I carry the best version on my person—a small stone for me to activate whenever I want. Foster was far enough back that I know he couldn’t have had eyes on me, so he should be rather dumbfounded.
When he cautiously steps into view I bite my lip. His eyes are glowing. It sends a shiver down my back and I suck in a sharp breath when a wave of his magic washes over me. It’s like a vanilla cupcake that’s fresh out of the oven. Fucking delicious, a little warm, sweet, and something I very much want to take a bite of. All of which aren’t good thoughts to have when I recently decided to pursue a relationship with the guys. Damn it, I’m going to have to tell them that I may have a teensy-weensy crush on Foster, aren’t I? I let out a little huff, but add it to my mental checklist. I have a feeling that Dylan already suspects it too.
I refocus on the man in question. My eyebrows furrow as I watch his expression tense and I wonder if he can sense me or not. The rune circle isn’t perfect yet, so he should still be able to magically sense that I’m close, but not my exact location, and I should be invisible to all his other senses.
“Looks like you caught me,” he says casually, shoving his hands into his pockets before leaning against a thick tree trunk. A smile curls my lips as I watch him. I feel like I should probably be embarrassed to be in his presence since the last time we spoke, I was practically running away from him after I drank his blood, but for some reason I’m not. There has always been something soothing about his presence, like I’ve known him forever. And I’m not embarrassed—okay maybe a teeny-tiny bit—but I don’t feel awkward or uncomfortable around him.
Still smiling, I walk towards him and deactivate the rune when I’m in his line of sight with only a few feet of space between us. “Yes, I did. I sincerely hope that that wasn’t your best attempt at following someone unbeknown to them.” I cock my head to the side. “I would have thought you’d at least have used your disappearing trick from the first time we met,” I say, smile widening at the little jump he does when I appear out of thin air.Hah, it’s not fun is it! People just appearing and disappearing randomly.I snort at my own thoughts and shake my head.
Foster grins, and it reminds me of the cheshire cat out of the human Alice in Wonderland movies. “I guess you’ll never know.”
I roll my eyes and turn around to continue on through the woods. I still have a plan to enact, of course. His footsteps sound behind me and for some reason that has bubbliness rising up in my chest. I internally scoff at my emotions and try to refocus.Theory to test Nessa. Tons of other stuff to work out. Plus let's not forget about a certain conversation with the guys you have mentally agreed to have.
“So whatcha doing out here again, anyways? Or do you just have something for walking through forests after dark?” Foster inquires after a few minutes of quiet.
I snort, and peer at him over my shoulder. He’s standing on a large fallen branch, head tipped back to look at the night sky and I pause to watch him. “I have something I want to test out with my magic,” I murmur, eyes still locked onto Foster. His features appear sharper in the darkness, his eyes more like black holes.
Straightening, his eyes land on me, catching me staring. I don’t drop my eyes or look away, instead we end up trapped staring at each other. “Is this something you are testing out, safe?”
I grin and finally manage to tear my eyes from his. “Where would the fun be in that?”
I can practically hear him shaking his head as I walk through the forest then pause at the edge of the tree line. Past that there is an open, grassy area about thirty feet wide and spans the entire outer edge of the island. On the very edge of that is the barrier. My fingers curl into fists when I get my first real sense of it. I’ve never been this close to it in a calm moment like this to really get a read on it, and my chest pangs at the state it’s in. It’s weak, barely a gentle brush of magic from its greeting of me, when it should be humming with power.
I forget about Foster, as well as keeping a lookout for the guard. I forget about everything except getting to the barrier. Itneedsme. I stride towards it, Ghost Girl’s magic instantly flooding me. My magic is drowned out, as is rational thought. All I am and all I know is that I need to touch the barrier.Now.
In my peripheral vision I see Aurora manifest, her arms outstretched towards the barrier and it only makes the need to touch it stronger.
I vaguely register Foster calling out for me, but it’s not enough to snap me out of the desperate haze and I press my palm to the barrier.
For a moment, nothing happens, and then I’m being torn apart. I scream, body seizing, back arching in pain as Aurora’s magic is torn from me. It’s awful, like thousands of sewing needles pricking my nerves over and over, before having my insides ripped out.
