Page 24 of Wings of Destiny

Derik snorted. “You have no freaking idea, man. This chick can send wild animals running when she’s in a mood. Should’ve seen when we met. She looked like she wanted to kill my ass.”

“You were being an absolute ass and it was during finals my freshman year. Within five minutes of meeting me, you hit on me, gave me the up-down, and immediately moved to hit on the other chick that showed up with Seth’s girlfriend at the time. Not to mention you were shit-faced. You were being a pig, a drunken pig. Of course I was pissy.”

He shrugged. “Eh, it’s alright. The other chick was hotter anyway,” I slapped him on the shoulder. He tried dodging andfailed, being behind the wheel and crammed together on the seat. “What! It’s not like you were interested in me anyway, Snow. You only tagged along because Seth dragged you out.”

He wasn’t wrong. I was in the trenches of studying and preparing for finals with absolutely no interest in leaving my apartment. I had been holed up in my living room for days when Seth dropped in—without warning—and gave me ten minutes to throw on something besides sweats or he threatened to do it himself. In hindsight, he wouldn’t have actually stripped me down but I was so fried from my textbooks, that the threat was enough. I hated finals. We both did. They always stressed me out so much to the point where my ability to eat or even sleep became non-existent.

Finals. Shit.

I slapped my hand on my forehead, startling Derik and Josh. I glimpsed the confused looks on their faces through the rearview mirror in front of me. “I totally forgot we have finals coming up again. I need to get back and cram some work in. Ugh!”

I could picture Jensin’s willowy figure barking at me, his frustration visible in the smallest crevice between the wrinkles of his skin. I shivered. He was an excellent professor and extremely knowledgeable. However, he was terrifying if you fell on his bad side.

“Well, good thing we’re here,” Derik said, parking his truck in front of Seth’s place. I chastised myself for forgetting as I slid out of Derik’s truck.

I need to figure this out.

Just because I was thrust into this whole immortal world, didn’t mean I was about to chuck my education out of the window. I had plans. A quiet life I wanted to build for myself. And I refused to let some literal hell-bent Demon bullshit that I knew nothing about until a week ago ruin said plans.

I followed Derik and Josh into the house, mulling over potential scheduling conflicts.

Maybe if I get up earlier, I can get school work out of the way? Then the “saving the world” gig after class? I only have a handful of classes now, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

Okay. I’ll do that.

I don’t have a choice but to make this work. No matter how much I don’t want to be a part of it all.

I’m going to need to stock up on coffee if I’m going to make it through all of this.

“Woah there, girl. What’s got you so worked up?”Seth slapped his hand on my shoulder, startling me.

I squeezed my lids close before responding, my mind in overdrive. “Derik was reminiscing on when we met and reminded me about finals coming up and all the school work, studying, and cramming I need to do. And how I’m going to work it all around this,” I half groaned. “But I think I have an idea of how I’m going to keep it together.”

A look of pure panic spread across Seth’s face as his body tensed and eyes bugged out from his skull. “Dude, that didn’t even cross my mind. Fucking finals, man,” he ran his hand through his hair, dust that seeped its way into his shaggy strands perfused the air between us. He coughed.“You wanna take mine for me? I might actually pass for once. I don’t want to sit throughanotheryear of the same classes.”

“What, don’t you want to bump it up to graduating college three years late instead of the two you’re up to now?” That earned me a glare from him that had me laughing.

“Maybe I failed on purpose.”

Yeah right.

Seth was smart, actually one of the brightest people I knew. Okay, that didn’t say much, with how small my social circle was, but still. The guy’s always been a bit of a genius. Schooljust wasn’t his thing. Never has been. But with a monumental passion for reading, he’d acquired a whole library’s worth of books in his home, displayed throughout the living room. It's one of the many things we have in common. If I could live in the various realms found within the pages of my favorite stories, I would. And so would Seth.

Derik used the lull between Seth and me to jump into our conversation. “I think you might’ve, Lover Boy.” I swore, some of the most devious looks appeared on Derik’s face. Libby seemed equally as giddy, her eyes bright.

“Wasn’t thereanotherreason you retook your classes this year?” He placed his pointer finger on his chin, tapping it. “It involved someone…” Seth’s face turned a deep shade of red. “Erin? Don’t you guys share a few?” Derik turned to face me. I nodded, not seeing what his point was. “Ah, yes. You wanted to land the same courses as Snow.”

Derik officially lost it. Seth was devastated when he realized he failed most of his classes last year.

I furrowed my brow, questioningly glancing at Seth. “I…I figured if I was repeating, I might as well snag the same classes as her. I don’t see what your point is, Derik. I don’t do school, man. We all know this,” he chattered, avoiding my gaze. Behind Seth, Libby shielded her mouth, fighting to hide her laugh. I felt my cheeks begin to flush.

Okay,but why is he stuttering and being awkward about it?

What does that mean!? There’s no way.

Does Seth…is there more to it? Does he have a thing for me?

My heart leaped in my chest.

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