Page 24 of Of Bone and Ash

Wait, it’s not Adam.

The magic is strong, and I instantly go on guard. My magic springs forward, rushing out of me without my permission, and makes the girl sitting in the seat to my right squeak in surprise and jump to her feet.

I slowly set my phone down and look up through my lashes, studying the girl who is staring at me curiously. She's pretty—no, scratch that. She's stunning. Her skin is a light golden color. Her long, multi-colored hair is curled and hanging around her shoulders. Bright jade eyes sparkle like jewels as she tilts her head, her beautiful face guarded but soft as I look up at her. She’s wearing a deep purple knit dress and maroon dress coat that looks like she was about to take off when my magic scared her since it’s halfway off her shoulders.

“Um, hi. Sorry,” she says, tilting her head in the other direction. Her bright eyes never leave my face as she studies me like a puzzle she's trying to solve. “I didn't mean to startle you.”

“Neva?” Adam says, making the girl and me jump in surprise when he randomly pops out of fucking nowhere. Neva spins, her multi-colored hair fanning out around her as she grins at Adam.

“Hey,” she greets him, yanking her coat off and tossing it on the table beside my bag. “I got the right table, right? Girl with long dark hair and murdery vibes?” She giggles, winking at Adam before nodding back to me. “I’m Neva, by the way. Adam told me to meet you guys here since I don't have any classes today,” she says, watching Adam like a hawk as he sets down a black tray in front of me before fishing out a wipe from his bag and proceeding to wipe the surface of the table, including his seat and the one next to him.

“I think it's clean,” Neva teases as she laughs, looks up at me, and winks as Adam sighs, but nods.

“As clean as it will get, I suppose,” he admits, taking two of the bowls as he sits in the chair Neva was just in and setting them down—one in front of himself, the other to his side, where Neva plops down.

I nod as I struggle to regain control of my magic. I notice how Adam and Neva don't seem to be phased by its presence, which makes me question everything I know.

“Are you okay?” I ask to ensure she's not putting on a brave face. My magic wasn't in attack mode when it came out, but was trying to protect me. Odds are, it didn't leave any injuries, but it probably hurt when it brushed against her skin.

“Me?” she asks, pointing to her chest, and I nod. “Of course,” she says with a friendly smile, leaning into Adam and whispering. “You’re right; she's cool.” Adam nods, not looking at either of us, but his cheeks are flaming red, and I’m worried he might spontaneously combust or something.

There is something about Neva's magic that reminds me of a shifter, but with much more magic than I’m used to feeling from them. It winds through the air, wrapping around our table protectively before snaking back to Neva. Then, it brushes over Adam’s feet while keeping its distance from me.

“Hands,” he instructs, and Neva immediately holds her hands out in front of her as Adam pops open a small bottle of hand sanitizer and drops a large amount in her cupped hands. Neva’s not paying him a lick of attention at the moment. Her eyes dart to the people in the dining hall with us, her gaze suddenly cold and assessing as she looks at them all.

“Serafina,” Adam mutters, drawing my attention away from Neva. “Hands,” he says with a small smile, and I hesitantly hold out my hands, letting him drop some of the cold, clear sanitizer in my palm. The smell of lemons and alcohol fills my senses as I rub my hands together.

Adam sets some spoons in front of us, then places a large wheat roll on a napkin before he nods and digs into his food.

“So, it’s Serafina, right?” Neva says, grabbing her roll and dunking it into the fragrant stew.

“Yes. And you're Neva. The one who tells Adam he’s bad with people?” I ask, and Neva gasps, then whacks Adam on the shoulder with the back of her hand. My magic instantly rises at the motion, not liking how she just hit him. It springs out and makes Adam blink at me in surprise when he feels it. “Are you talking badly about me again?” she whisper-shouts into his ear. Adam shoots me a glare as he shakes his head.

“No. How is it talking badly if it's the truth?” he asks, confusion written plain as day on his face as he looks down at her, adoration practically oozing from him. I swear I can see the heart eyes from here. Adam is in love with Neva. Well, shit. Not that Adam is bad-looking; he is adorable in a unique way. His eyes are way too big for his face, and his bright red hair looks unnatural. Pair that with his god-awful clothes, and Adam looks like some cartoon character you can’t help but like. However, Neva is in a league all of her own. I don't think many girls could outshine her.

“He didn’t,” I reassure her, trying to calm my magic into submission so it doesn't go after Neva for hitting Adam. “He mentioned I was weird before declaring we would become friends. When I mentioned it was an odd conversation for two people who had just met, he admitted he wasn't good with people and that it was something you had mentioned.”

Neva laughs and pats Adam's shoulder, and I watch them, trying to figure out if she returns those feelings. She seems to care for him, but it looks platonic on her end—no blush, no rapid pulse, no lingering looks.

Well, shit.

I hope my friend doesn't end up with a broken heart. Neva seems nice. I would hate to have to kill her for hurting him. I make a mental note to watch her closely as I try to wrangle my magic. It's continuing to strengthen after being triggered twice in such a short period of time, and I’m now biting my bottom lip in an attempt to control it. My hand moves to the pocket of my slacks, and I freeze when I realize that in my hurry this morning, I never swapped my knife from my cardigan to my pants.

No blade… no pain… no control.

With a shaking hand, I reach out and take the spoon Adam set in front of me, take a large bite of the food, and chew without tasting it. My stomach hurts from going so long without a proper meal since I only managed to eat a few bites of the sandwich yesterday. My appetite was well and truly ruined after seeing Teos. But I need something in me before I rush back to my apartment. My magic presses against me again, and I grit my teeth as I shovel the food from my bowl to my mouth.

“Serafina?” Neva says, jerking me from my distress as I look up at her. Her jewel eyes are locked on me, and worry shines from their depths. “Are you okay?” she asks, and I nod.

“Of course. I just forgot something back at my apartment that I need to grab. Thanks for the food, Adam,” I whisper to him, and I stand. Adam nods, assessing eyes on me as I grab my bag and shoulder it.

“Leave the dishes. I’ll get them,” he says, a knowing look in his eyes. Relief rushes me, and I nod.

“Thanks. See you tomorrow,” I tell him, nodding at Neva and then striding from the dining hall as fast as I can without drawing extra attention to myself.

ELEVEN

Serafina

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