Page 17 of Of Bone and Ash

When I saw her out in the courtyard, I thought I was hallucinating! But there she was. My sweet, beautiful, deadly Belladonna. My Bella. She always acted like she hated that nickname, but I noticed the way her cheeks always turned warm. How her cold eyes would soften just the slightest amount when I used it.

The thought of her beautiful face makes me groan and close my eyes. It's been too fucking long since I’ve seen her, and now that I have, I can feel the obsession I’ve tamped down roaring back to life.

My heart is pounding in my chest, and it's not because I’ve been running around this stupid building for the last fifteen minutes. When I woke up this morning, I didn't think I would end up in this situation, but damn! I'm not mad about it. Well, I’m frustrated as hell losing Fina, but now that I know she’s here, I’ll be able to track her down.

Besides, it's not sitting right with me how she's walking around here by herself. I know the school board said it was safe for the students to return to school this year. That the missing girls are not linked to the school, but I have been wary of ever leaving any of my female friends alone.

The thought of Fina walking around unprotected makes my teeth clench and my hands ball into fists at my side. Honestly, it's a stupid Neanderthal reaction on my part. Serafina Covington doesn't need my help or protection. Out of all the girls—and probably boys here at Silverwood—Fina is probably the one who is the most apt to deal with a psycho serial killer.

I grin at the thought. My girl is a fucking badass. And yet, I know I won't be letting her walk around without me now. I need to know what she's doing and where she's going to be at all times.

Is she a student or just visiting someone here at Silverwood?

My mind immediately goes to Ryland Evans, and jealousy cords through me as my stomach drops.

Fuck. She’s probably here visiting him, isn't she?

Dammit!

There is no doubt about it. Those two were joined at the hip ever since her uncle adopted the damn guy years ago and moved him into the same house as her. They grew up as best friends. I had to watch as Serafina fell head-over-fucking-heels in love with that bastard from a distance. Even back in grade school, I always had a thing for her when she would glare at everyone on the playground.

Watching her fall in love with another man broke me, and when Ryland left four years ago, I thought I had a chance, so I made my move. Little did I know that watching the girl I love become a broken shell of who she was because she had been abandoned by her biggest support person would make my anger toward Ryland even worse. Not only was I jealous over their relationship, but I was livid that the man who had everything I only dreamed of left her alone and broken, never to reach out again.

It was so confusing. I was a boy in love with a girl and finally had my chance. Yet I prayed for the damn dickhead to come back so she would stop hurting. I even contemplated going after him and forcing him to come home. Only I was a seventeen-year-old Phoenix Shifter that hadn't even come into his immortality yet, and Ryland was a full-grown Alpha-class Dragon Shifter with magic that tripled my own. Plus, the dude is six years my senior and has direct ties to our world's strongest Fae family group.

I roll my eyes at my own pathetic thoughts, still hating Ryland Evans as much now as I did then. If Serafina is here to see him, that means they must have mended their relationship in my absence, and I guess I’ll just have to deal with it. But she’s going to have to realize that there is more than one man for her. Despite my reservations about him, I know Ryland will have to be a part of her life. I refuse to watch her stay broken over that dickhead. Not even my jealousy is worth her pain.

Unless she’s not here for him? I don't see Ryland letting her wander around here without him.

“Shit. I need more information,” I grumble, striding back through the halls I just ran through like a madman, a plan now running through my mind as I go. Serafina Covington is not a person I can just track down. She’ll have me pegged the moment I get within a hundred feet of her now that she knows I’m here. I'm guessing the only reason she didn't realize we were so close before was because of the crowd we were in.

The moment my magic perked up, twisting in excitement and rushing to be set free, I knew something was up. I was confused since I hadn't had that reaction in over four years when Fina broke my damn heart and walked out of my hospital room.

“Teos?” I wince when I hear Tessa’s soft voice.

Shit. That's a problem I’m going to have to deal with before Fina sees her. Tessa and I have been friends since my mom took me from the States after Fina’s accidental murder attempt and moved us here so she could become the Dean at Silverwood at the headmaster's request. Tess was pretty chill, and I was still stinging over Fina ripping my heart to fucking shreds. I latched onto her as a friend, and about a year ago, Tess approached me, wanting more than just friendship.

I tried… honest to god. I tried so fucking hard to be a good boyfriend to her.

Tess is pretty and super sweet. She was the one person who helped me feel like I was functioning again when all I wanted to do was drag my miserable ass back to Montana and beg Fina to let me stay in her life.

I held Tessa’s hand even though my skin crawled at the feeling of her tiny one in mine. Every time I tried to hug her or hold her close, I ended up sick to my stomach. I thought I could do it, but after two weeks of dating, she leaned in for a kiss, and I jerked back like she was the damn devil. I still remember the look of hurt that flashed across her pretty face.

I immediately apologized, feeling like the world's biggest prick. Tess knew about my history with Fina. I got drunk one night after first moving here and spilled every damn secret I was holding about the beautiful young Reaper that held my heart hostage. I think that's why it took so long for Tess to ask me out. She knew I was hung up on someone else.

After that fuck-up of an attempted kiss, I told Tess we needed to remain friends. That she deserves better than a boy who couldn't figure his shit out. She disagreed, but it didn't matter. I had made up my mind. I couldn't date her when I was still thinking about another girl. No girl deserves a boyfriend who would do that to them.

So we stayed friends. It was weird for about three months after our failed attempt at dating, but we quickly fell back into our close friendship, and it's been perfect since.

“Teos! What is going on? Why did you take off like that?” Tess asks, rushing down the hall in a whirlwind of long blonde hair and worried, bright green eyes. The soft scent of lilacs hits me, making my nose itch, and I have to suppress the urge to sneeze as I look down at her. She’s decked out in her cheer tracksuit after our win last night; the entire school still riding the high of our win.

“You should have stayed outside with the others,” I chide, not liking how she chased after me with no one to watch her back. I told her at the beginning of the year that she needed to stay with someone at all times. The buddy system was now in place, and I didn't want to see her alone.

“Teos,” she whines. I roll my eyes and sigh as I try to figure out what to say. Tess is a good friend, and I don’t want to cut her out of my life. I’m sure we can work it out if I explain things to her and Fina. In fact, I bet they will end up being friends. Fina never minded my other friends in high school. It was her magic that started to get possessive there at the end. Something I took great pride in since the girl herself was so damn cautious with me. Always reminding me to be careful around her.

Looking back, I wish I had listened. Not that I regret kissing her. I still have dreams of that day—of her soft lips and dark, crisp scent. But the look of pain and guilt on her face when I was in the hospital had devastated me. I should have listened to her. If only to protect her.

I was drawn to Tess because of her magic. Tess is an Elemental Witch with an affinity for water, though she excels in the frozen variety. I once watched her turn a summer's day into a full-blown winter storm in a matter of minutes. The cold tinge of her magic reminded me of Fina, prompting me to start a conversation with her that day.

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