Page 73 of First Ritual

The other three snickered.

I gripped my hands in my lap and closed my eyes.

Wild muttered, “You okay?”

“Just about to freak out over all this shit.” My voice cracked. “No biggie.”

“Your mind’s loud,” Corentin grumbled.

I opened an eye. “What?”

“The quiet of your mind is the only redeemable thing about you,” he clarified. “Get it back.”

I clutched the sides of my head.

“Touch her,” Huxley said across the table. Was he eating an ear of corn with a knife and fork?

That almost distracted me from his suggestion.

Wild answered, “Think it’ll help?”

“Might as well test it out.”

“Mind?” Wild asked me.

I dropped my hands and sighed. “Yes, I fucking mind. I mind all of this. Do it.”

He left his hand in the air between us. Growling, I grabbed his fingers and set his hand on my chest.

“Still noisy as fuck,” Corentin announced after a few seconds passed.

“Are you seriously bitching about me thinking?” I threw his way.

“Yes. It’s putting me off eating.”

“Not me,” Sven said, mouth filled with fries.

Wild’s hand was still splayed over my collarbone. I glared at the softness of his gaze. “We’re meant to be helping me, not you.” I threw his hand off and folded my arms.

“I’ve never seen you this irritated,” Huxley said.

I shook my head. “If you want to know why, you know where I’ll be.”

Stalking to the library, I sent out feelers to gauge where the various grimoires were located. Ducking down an aisle, I paced the length of it a few times. Huxley was right. I was irritated. I felt like a caged tiger.

Stopping halfway down, I peeled down the waist of my skirt again and tugged up my top.

There it was.

The tattoo I didn’t have yesterday.

“What is that?”

I spun to face Wild, heart thudding hard. “I don’t know. I found it today.”

“Show me.” His voice was hoarse.

I stepped back as the others caught up. “Why are you suddenly so intense?”

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