Page 21 of Of Bone and Ash

“His arm?” I ask slowly, bringing my fingers up to rub at my temples.

“Yeah. Thank God one of my moms is a healer. She had him patched back together in minutes,” he mutters as he slowly stands back up to his full height, worried eyes glancing over me as if to reassure himself that I have both arms.

“Damn,” I whisper, rubbing my arms. “I’m kind of glad you didn't tell me that before you transported us,” I admit, and Adam lets out a nervous chuckle.

“Yeah. Let’s not do that again. Now, about your stalker,” he says, and I shake my head.

“Teos isn't my stalker,” I mutter, annoyed by Teos’ ridiculousness. “He’s… well, a person from my past,” I finally say, unsure how to explain our history. “We were friends once.” Adam frowns, studying me for a moment before he heaves a sigh and places his hands on his trim hips.

“So I don't need to find Neva and have her take care of him?” he asks, making my mouth drop in surprise. “She’s not a fan of men who harass women. She’ll make sure no one knows about him or where the body is.” This time, I do laugh. I can't help myself. I didn't realize cute little Adam had something like that in him. And this is the second time Adam’s mentioned this Neva person… She sounds like someone I may like.

“No. Please, no random murders. Trust me when I say I can handle that on my own,” I point out, and Adam's expression softens as if he’s just remembered who I am. Pink tinges his cheeks, and he nods.

“Oh yeah. I forgot,” he admits.

“Thanks for the save back at the shop,” I mutter awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot, my head still throbbing but my stomach settling slightly. It's probably a good thing I haven't eaten today. I would have made a mess throwing it up if I had.

“Sure thing. I’ll see you at dinner?” he asks, and I shake my head.

“I apparently have a ten thousand word report due next week in Professor Hawkins' class. I grabbed some extra food so I could stay in tonight,” I say, reaching down to grab my bag off the floor and then tossing it on the couch. Adam winces and walks over, reaching into his pocket to produce the small bottle of spray sanitizer before covering my bag, and then couch, with the spray. He then turns to me, reaching into his backpack, which is still on his shoulder, and grabs the lint roller before offering it to me.

“Here. You have dirt on your clothes,” he says as he sprays the sanitizer all over himself.

“Thanks,” I say, rolling it over my clothes half-heartedly. I’m just going to change the moment he leaves, but I don't want to snub what I’m gathering as a friendly gesture from him. I hand the roller back to Adam, who then gives me a sanitizer wipe and a tight smile.

“I’ll see you in class tomorrow, then. You remember how to get there, right?” he asks, and I nod.

“Yep. See you then,” I confirm.

Adam leaves, and I finally breathe a sigh of relief, letting my guard down as the inky black swirls of my magic crawl from my fingertips. Walking over, I collapse on the small couch of my apartment, my mind a whirlwind as I go over every word Teos said. Reaching into my bag, I grab one of the pre-made sandwiches, ham and cheese, and unwrap it, taking a large bite while glaring at the empty gray stone walls.

I wasn’t prepared for Teos to track me down that quickly, and I expected more anger than I heard in his voice today. It’s one of the reasons I couldn't bring myself to look at him in the tiny backroom. Even from that distance, I could already feel his presence and smell his beautiful, calming scent. I knew it would hurt to see him that close. I set my sandwich off to the side, no longer feeling hungry as I think, walking myself through everything that happened in the shop. The sweet scent of amber that filled the room the moment he entered. The rough quality of his voice definitely hadn't been there the last time I talked to him. And the sheer dominance of the man as he confidently told Adam to let go of what was his.

I can't decide if I like that he’s that possessive or mad that he's trying to claim me like a piece of property. But that's what's truly confusing! I left him and forced distance between us at the hospital. I told him horrible things, and then he was gone. His family moved him away to keep him safe from me.

Teos should hate me, and I was okay with that because it meant he would stay safe from me. But it seems like that might not be the case, which honestly scares the hell out of me. Teos is my weakness. He always has been, and I know I will cave if I let him near. My whole reason for being at this school is to help my brother stop a serial killer and find myself. I’m afraid that’s not going to happen with Teos here.

“I’m so fucked,” I whisper to myself as my magic encompasses the room, cocooning me in a void of safety as I have a mini meltdown.

He called me Bella… the nickname I hated so much as a teen. My chest tightens, and my eyes flutter shut as I try to calm my racing heart. Images of the young boy I met in high school flash through my mind—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

“Uhh,” I groan, letting my head fall back on the couch as I try and fail to wipe the memories of Teos Ramadan from my mind.

Backpack in hand, I climb the steps of the castle, letting the students skirt around me as I stalk up the steps. Unease fills the air as several students stare at me, but for the most part, the masses of people are too concerned with their own lives to notice me or my magic.

I have my heels back on today, make-up on point, and a comfortable but professional-looking black lace blouse and slacks. After my run-in with Teos yesterday, I was left feeling vulnerable, which pissed me off, so I made sure I had everything put together this morning. My long hair is down and straightened to perfection, cascading around my shoulders like a black wave that sways as I move. Walking into the castle, I look around, trying to remember which way Adam said our Magical Creatures class is.

“Shit,” I mutter, looking left and then right. Math is downstairs, and the Magical Creatures class is up by Atlas’ room… right? Fuck, I should have had Adam meet me so I wouldn't get lost. Rushing up the absurdly long staircase, I move down the halls of the dark castle, eyes bouncing from door to door, wondering why they don't have nameplates or something to label the classrooms. There’s not even a number near the doors to help tell them apart.

“Door numbers are going on the list with the elevators,” I mutter under my breath. I follow a group of girls into a classroom and look around, trying to spot some red hair. After a moment, I cave and step next to the guy sitting at the desk closest to the door.

“Is this the Magical Creatures class?” I ask softly, watching as the guy startles a little, then looks up at me with a big smile, which promptly falls off his handsome face the longer he studies me. His big gray eyes widen, and I swear his nose twitches a little as he swallows, darting nervous eyes from me to the door behind me.

“No,” he whispers, shaking his head. I arch my brow when he says nothing else.

“Could you point me in the right direction?” I ask as a professor walks in through a side door at the front of the classroom, calling the students to attention.

“Y-yeah. Of course. Umm.” He points to the door behind me with a trembling finger. The fear that starts to course off of him is more than normal, and I frown in concern, brushing my magic against him to try to figure out what's wrong. He whimpers a little as I read his magic, and I instantly feel like shit. There is no mental shield and hardly any magic to read. If he had been a regular strength shifter, it would have been hard to pinpoint, but the skittish magic he possesses is easy to recognize.

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