Page 38 of Fire of the Fox

I pushed the thought aside and went to make my way up the stairs but stopped short. My eyes were drawn to a shadowed figure lurking in the parking lot. It wasn’t odd to see people hanging around so late, but something felt off. This figure was too dark, almost like an inky black shadow covered them, obscuring their features. Not only that, but they seemed to be staring at the dorm, and a shiver ran down my spine as I realized it almost looked like they were staring right at me.

Unease blossomed in my chest, so I quickly spun away from the door. After reporting the weird person to dorm security, I headed upstairs. Even as I got closer to the safety of my own room, there was something I couldn’t shake after seeing the dark figure.

I briefly recalled this same feeling of unease when I’d seen the stranger across the club, the one from the tattoo shop. Worry pricked at my insides, but there was no way it could be him. It had to be someone else—or something else. After learning all I had today, there was no telling if the figure outside was a person, a Fae, or if it was my mind playing tricks on me.

Chapter Seventeen

SINCE IT WAS late when I got back, I opened the door to my room quietly. The dark silence greeted me, and I kept my steps measured to avoid waking Dallas. I could see her sleeping form lying beneath her blankets, but what really let me know she was already asleep was her snoring. I giggled softly as I shut the door behind me.

I placed my purse down at the foot of my bed before falling back onto the mattress. My eyes were fixated on the ceiling as I dug my phone out of my jean pocket. Flipping through my contacts, I clicked on Rune’s name to send him a text.

Thank you for seeing me home.

My phone landed beside me with a muted thud after I clicked send. I pushed myself back up to grab a pair of my flannel pajamas. It was a relief to get out of the clothes I’d been wearing all day and slip into the soft, comfy material. I yanked back the covers of my bed and slid underneath the warm blanket. At the same time, my phone lit up with a text from Rune.

You’re welcome. See you tomorrow ... Kitsune-chan.

I smiled and rolled my eyes, ignoring the warm feeling in my chest, and placed my phone back on the nightstand. I snuggled deeper into the covers, and for some reason, the buzzing giddiness in my chest wouldn’t go away. Why was I so happy because of Rune’s stupid little text? I wiped away the look and shook my head to clear all thoughts of him. Everything was still too new right now for me to even consider how I felt about any of them, especially Rune.

My mind raced to wrap around everything I’d learned. It seemed so unreal, yet I knew it had to be true because I had seen it with my own eyes. Either it was real, or I was crazy.

I didn’t know which of those scenarios I would rather be true.

Somehow, I managed to drift off to sleep, dreaming of the only thing in the world that I could seem to count on. It was still a mystery as to why water seemed to be such a part of me, but it was. Water was my anchor, and in my dreams, it was like I became a part of it. It wrapped me in its cool, easy current, and all the worries of the day slipped away until it was full of nothing but tranquility.

The sound of my alarm ended the peaceful sleep the next morning. Yawning and stretching my arms above my head, I groaned tiredly and climbed out of bed, grabbing clothes. Once I was dressed, I hauled my backpack onto my shoulder and looked at Dallas, who was still lying in bed, snoring. She had an hour before her first class, so I left, hoping she would wake up to her alarm this time.

When I got to my art class, I took my usual seat at one of the long, wooden tables. They were stained with paint, and all of them had shapes and words carved into them from years of use. My personal favorite was a note made by some lonely soul who’d carved his cell phone number with a message requesting any “hot, single babes” to text him. The clutter of the table’s surface made you really think about how many people created masterpieces in those very same spots before you, or how many were just here for another college credit. I had a feeling Mr. Hot, Single Babe was of the latter group.

As soon as class started, Professor Lichen informed us that the next project we’d be working on would be pottery. Dread filled me with ice at this news. Clay was not my friend. Painting and works of 2D were definitely my strong suit, not 3D pieces. Sighing, I put on my mental big girl panties. I could do this if I tried. The only thing I needed to figure out was what I could screw up the least.

A vase? A mug? Who knew!

The rest of class was spent picking our brains for A-worthy ideas and sketching said ideas in our portfolio pads. Some students went to the library for inspirational references, and others walked around campus, looking for key elements in nature to replicate.

I remained seated and stared at my blank sketchbook. I chewed on my lip as I grabbed a pencil and started making a rough outline of what was supposed to be a bowl. That should be easy enough to make.

I made quick jerks of the pencil, and after a few seconds, I got lost in my own head. Rune and the world of Fae slipped back into the forefront of my brain. That wasn’t helping me right now, and by the time I shook away those thoughts, a fox head stared up at me from my book instead of a bowl.

Groaning, I mumbled, “Get it together, Bria.”

The fact that I couldn’t focus on anything besides Fae made the day drag by. It felt like I’d aged years by the time four o’clock came. I was beyond relieved when I left my last class of the day, but that also meant it was time to get ready to meet up with Rune. I couldn’t tell if I was dreading it or actually looking forward to it.

My emotions and thoughts were a jumbled mess.

I went back to my dorm room, knowing that Dallas would be in her usual Monday afternoon science lab. My reflection in the mirror caught my attention, and my eyes were drawn toward the jeans and school-themed t-shirt I wore. For some reason, I felt like changing. I wanted to look a bit more put together for this meeting. Something more professional, since what Rune and I had was a business deal. Hopefully, he’d see I was taking this seriously, and he’d decide to let me play the part of his girlfriend because I needed the money.

The jeans stayed, but I switched out the t-shirt for a nice pale pink dress shirt. I yanked on a jean jacket over it and pulled my hair out of its ponytail. Slipping on a pair of brown ankle boots, I gave myself an approving nod.

I swapped my textbook-laden backpack for my purse before heading to my car. The sun beamed down on me. I still wasn’t quite sure what I’d seen the night before lurking among the shadows, but the bright afternoon made me feel braver to traverse the area.

By the time I parked at the mall, it was five minutes ‘til our meeting time. I shot Dallas a text, letting her know where I was and what I was doing, before making my way inside.

The crowd of people was heavy as I neared the coffee shop where Rune and I had met before. Rune was just starting to sit down at a table with his coffee. I held my head high and walked straight to his table. I could play nice. He looked up at me, and my triumphant smile could blind the dead.

He glanced at the time on his phone then back at me. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. “It’s only 4:59. I said I’d meet you at five.”

My grin cracked, and I had to fight to hide my eye twitch. Was he serious? Working to keep the venom from my voice, I bit out, “Are you kidding me?”

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