Page 3 of Origins

“Nope. I’m not allowed to have friends.” Her tone was dry, not even a hint of humor in her words.

But... How could that be? It seemed almost barbaric to not let your kid have a social life. Maybe Callie was some kind of adorable sociopath—why else would they keep her hidden from the world like this?

“...Why? Jack has friends.”Somehow.

Callie tensed at my question, and part of me thought she wouldn’t answer. Her ocean eyes met mine with a fleeting glance.

“Jack is... different.” She whispered, hugging her arms even tighter against her chest.

“Yeah—He’s a dickhead.” I snorted.

My comment caused a tentative smile to quiver on her lips, one she had the audacity to hide by turning her face away from me.

“He takes after my dad,” she joked. “Dad says I’m a liability. Big family name, and no way to protect myself, so they’re hoping to train me to take over their public relations. That way, they can keep me locked away in a gilded cage to keep me safe.”

“Wait, how are you supposed to handle public relations if you’re not allowed to have friends?”

She shrugged. “PR is different, I guess.”

I had a feeling she was leaving out some details, but I had no desire to press her on the issue.

“Well, if you’re ever allowed to spread your wings, Ican keep you safe.”

Her eyes widened. I wasn’t sure if she was reacting to my words or the sincerity behind them. If she truly was an empath, she had to know that I wasn’t the type to sit around and watch people get hurt. Especially ones who couldn’t defend themselves.

“I’d like that.”

She turned away again, but I was sure I saw another smile creeping onto her face. My heart did a strange somersault as she accepted my offer, and I quickly stifled my reaction. At that moment, I realized I’d have to try really damn hard to hide how much I wanted to hang out with this girl. She was practically a stranger, but some irrational part of me was dying for a chance to get to know her better.

The headmistress’s door came into view, alerting me that our conversation would soon come to an end. The very thought made my steps slow, but that’s when I realized that if Callie and I were to officially become friends, I should probably formally introduce myself.

So, I stopped on my heels and extended my hand.

Her eyes flickered between my hand and my face as her brows knit together in confusion. Oh, right—if she wasn’t allowed to have friends, she probably wasn’t familiar with handshakes. So, I gently took her by the wrist, guiding her palm to meet mine before wrapping my fingers around her hand. She followed my lead.

“Sulien Seo.” I said as I shook her hand. “Hopefully, one day, I’ll be known as the hero SmokeShow.”

“Callie Voltaris. That’s my full name.”

“I don’t believe you… What’s Callie short for?”

“Calculator.” Her smile was dazzling as she shrugged, and I choked on a laugh.

“I’m serious. If we’re going to be friends, I shouldknow your name.”

Once again, she shrugged. “If we’refriends, you’ll have plenty more time to ask that question. Maybe the answer will change.”

The mischief in her expression caused an unexpected rush of blood to thewronghead. I knew Flora had a soft spot for me—she’d told me as much. Still, I’d rather not walk into her office sporting a chub,especiallynot one caused by her daughter.

“Now, come on in. My mom is expecting you.”

I released her hand and tried to shake off the awkwardness I was dangerously close to causing. It was her turn to lead the way as we walked directly into Flora’s office. Callie didn’t knock, which momentarily threw me for a loop. I had to remind myself that Flora wasn’t just the headmistress to her.

Flora’s office was tastefully decorated with various flowers. The pastel petals and vibrant green leaves were beautiful, but the heavy combination of scents was strong enough to give me a headache each time I walked in.

She looked up from her desk, green eyes bouncing between Callie and me as I took my usual seat across from her.

“Sulien.” Flora’s face morphed into the same warm smile her daughter had tried to hide from me earlier.

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