Page 19 of The Cursed Fae

“The rumor is that Ewan's here as part of some treaty between the Taurus wolves and the High Fae Council,” Astrid said at last. “It's all very hush, hush.”

That seemed to be a common theme in Arcane Landing. Growing up, I'd thought Mom was a secretive person. But it seemed all fae were like that. Why, though? What was so hard about the truth?

“I heard someone caught him with a vamp,” Astrid added.

My eyes widened, and the room felt thirty degrees colder. Was that why Morgan had warned me away—because Ewan was friends with vampires? Was that even possible? Vampires were soulless bloodsuckers. Were they capable of friendship?

“Even I'm not kinky enough to try fang,” Astrid continued.

Blood rushed to my cheeks. Not because of her choice of words, but because I should have realized he was in bed with a vampire and not just hanging out with one.

A knock on the door sounded as my thoughts spun out of control. Was the vampire connection the reason Ewan had shown interest in me? Did he know the vampires from California? Did the fact that Ewan found Missy mean that there was a vampire link to her death, despite my family's claims to the contrary?

Fern and Belle entered the room, each holding a plate of brownies pilfered from the kitchen. Astrid made us all cups of hot chocolate with pods that fit in her one-cup drink maker, and I tried to swallow the mounting unease over Ewan.

“We were just talking about your cousin,” Astrid told Fern when she handed her a steaming mug.

Cousin? Fern was fae. How were they related?

Fern wrinkled her nose. “Ewan? Why?”

“The rumors,” Astrid said with a shrug.

“Did he really hook up with a vampire?” I blurted, voice thin and strained.

Fern looked like she'd smelled something foul. “Who cares? He's a shifter.”

This seemed progressive at first, before I reconsidered her words.

“It's a big deal, Fern,” Astrid said with a frown. “It doesn't matter what sort of supernatural he is.”

“Shifters aren't fae. They're animals. They act on impulse. Screwing a vampire is the sort of twisted thing they do.” Fern crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to back down, even though the other girls didn't seem to share her opinions. “That's why they're subservient to fae. And they should be. We created them.”

Astrid rolled her eyes. “You need to move past the dark ages.” She turned to address me. “I've dated a few shifters, and I highly recommend it. The lack of impulse control makes for a good time. Ignore Fern.”

I replied with a tight smile. Fern's attitude regarding shifters was the least of my concerns.

Around ten, I called it a night. I still had reading to do, and I wanted some alone time to think about the Ewan rumors.

“Goodnight, don't let Lucifer bite,” Astrid called as I left.

Waving over my shoulder, I called back, “I've dealt with worse than Tina Keene.”

I returned to my new dorm room to find the door locked.

Had this been a normal school and Tina a normal girl, the door would've opened when I picked the lock. It seemed my roomie had cast a spell to keep me out. Blowing out a long breath, I slumped against the wall and slid down until my backpack hit the ground.

Now what?

Chapter six

Distractions are a Girl's Best Friend

Going back to Morgan and Astrid's room was an option. Though they would let me crash for the night, I had a pile of make-up work and my calculus homework was only half finished.

I headed for the library to hole up and hit the books. Three steps inside the noisy entranceway, and I promptly turned around. “Nope. Not going to happen,” I muttered under my breath.

There were a few scattered lounges throughout the dorms, and I could've always found an empty classroom. But I wasn't that familiar with the school's layout and worried I might get lost. So, I headed to the one place I felt confident I could find and get back from: the astrology room.

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