Page 31 of Of Bone and Ash

“I. Don’t. Like. To. Be. Touched,” I grind out, leaning into my sword as I spin my scythe in an arc behind my back. His gold eyes move to the curved blade, then to the giant sword clasped in my hand.

“Two weapons?” he asks in confusion.

“Female Reaper. I’m not limited to a single weapon. You should already know that, Professor,” I rasp, watching as a small drop of blood beads on Amell's throat before slowly inching down his golden skin. “Touch me again, and this will end very differently,” I growl, releasing my weapons, letting them melt into ether, and spinning to head outside. I ignore Teagan's horrified expression as she gapes at the two of us, my heart beating so rapidly it's all I can hear.

“You shouldn’t rush outside when you don’t know what’s out there,” I hear Amell grind out, anger thick in his voice as I shake my head.

“If it's strong enough to take me out, you have bigger problems than worrying about me!” I shout back, eyes darting around, before they land on Atlas. What!? How the hell did he get down here that quickly? I look up at the tower where I left him and then back at him. What kind of freaky magic did he use to get down here that fast? As far as I’m aware, Atlas doesn't possess the magic to teleport.

“How?” I say to Atlas as another roar echoes through the night air, making me wince. My head is already throbbing from the excess magic used today.

Students slowly emerge from their dorm buildings, the noise and commotion drawing a crowd. A flash of bright red hair catches my attention just as Adam's bright blue eyes meet mine, and he smiles and waves, heading in my direction.

“SERAFINA!”

My stomach drops as my heart soars, and I close my eyes, both relishing and hating the familiar voice that bellows my name behind me. I gasp when the ground shakes, making me open my eyes in time to see several large shapes fall from the sky, landing in the courtyard.

Twisting on my heel, my eyes widen at the group of Dragons on the grass. They range in size and color as they slowly shift back to their human forms, but it's the swirl of royal blue magic that has me stunned, frozen in place as a tall man steps out of its depths.

Long black hair whips in the night air as bright gold eyes pin me in place. His broad shoulders are tense as a low growl floats through the air toward me.

I take a step back, not scared of this man but surprised to see him here. It's been years since I saw him last. Years since I looked into those dark eyes… years since I last touched him.

Holy shit! Did he get taller? I missed him so damn much.

The small, broken girl inside me cries for me to run to him, to throw myself into his strong arms, which only pisses me off more. Ryland Evans doesn’t deserve for me to miss him, not when he’s the one who put this distance between us. Not when he broke all the promises he gave me and left when I needed him most.

All the ignored messages—the voicemails that I left begging him to call me back. The days I stayed in bed crying, trying to figure out what I had done wrong that made him want to leave. Ryland started out as a brother, then he became my best friend until he was more. We were inseparable; I didn't know a version of myself without him.

As I grew, I couldn't stop the attraction I felt. And yes, there may have been a slight obsession from my teenage self, but Ryland was my rock! He had always been there for me, and I was there for him. Through thick and thin! I thought he would have my back, and I would have his. My family hated it, knowing if one of us was upset, the other one would be as well. Then, one day, he wasn’t there. He left, and then he forgot I existed. After a month of no contact, I was heartbroken. After six months, I fell into a depression that almost took my life. Then after a year… I realized our friendship and dependence on each other was a lie. He never cared about me the way I did him, and I needed to grow up.

Ryland’s eyes snap to my feet, watching my retreat with a gleam in his eyes, and I glare at him. His Dragon is out and running the show, which is going to make things interesting. I shake my head at him, earning a puff of smoke from Ryland’s flared nostrils as he stomps over the grass and closes in on me.

“Oh, Jesus, here we go,” Atlas mutters as he wheels himself closer to me. “Ryland! Don’t,” Atlas warns as the enormous man stalks away from the other shifting Dragons, all of whom are naked and yanking on clothes. I can hear the giggles from the students gathering on the nearby pathways.

“Don't you fucking dare!” I snarl at him, taking another step back as my magic dances around my fingertips. The only problem is that it's not mad; it's fucking ecstatic.

Nope. No, I can’t.

I reach into the small pocket of my leggings, clinging desperately to my blade. I take deep breaths while attempting to control my magic. There are students out here, and I can’t risk losing control and hurting someone.

As subtly as I can, I flick the blade open and slide my thumb over the sharp edge of the knife, biting back the moan that tries to escape while concentrating on the burst of pain that lights up my body like it’s the damn fourth of July. It’s not much. I need so much more to regain all my control, but it’s enough for me to take a shuddering breath and open my eyes again. My eyes immediately clash with Ryland’s, his shimmering gaze drawing me in like a magnet. I hold my breath, focusing on the pain as Ryland's nostrils flare, an ominous growl cutting across the space between us.

Shit! He can smell my blood! Why didn’t I think of that before I cut myself? Using my magic, I quickly heal the small cut, then glamorize the new scar so it hides with the others.

“Ryland! What the hell is going on?” Boris growls from where he stands next to the other shifters. He tosses his hands in the air and mutters something under his breath as one of the other guys hops after Ryland as he tugs on his pants.

“Dude, what the fuck!?” the guy shouts, but Ryland ignores them all, his eyes glued on me. Out of nowhere, a bright ball of gold slams into Ryland's chest, sending him flying back into the shifter who’s chasing after him. My mouth drops in surprise as I watch Ryland and the other man tumble over the grass.

What the hell? Did Amell just attack Ryland?

“Oh, fuck!” I whisper, knowing that all semblance of control we may have had just flew out the window. My eyes dart from a growling Ryland, to the now light brown-haired man, who smirks, leaning against a nearby tree, his glamor once more in place as he watches Ryland jump back to his feet.

“Boris!” Teagan shouts, pointing to Ryland as if to say, ‘handle that’ before she stomps to Amell, who now has gold magic sparkling in the air around him. Boris’ face has turned an ugly shade of purple as he glares at Amell, and I start to wonder if we need to worry about him freaking out as well. He seems super protective of his shifters, and I’m pretty sure Amell just made himself enemy number one.

“Are you out of your mind? There are students out here!” Teagan shouts, pointing to the dozen students gawking at the scene in front of them. Some have pulled their phones out of their pockets and started filming, making me purse my lips in frustration.

“I was protecting your student,” Amell points out, making Teagan growl in frustration.

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