Page 31 of Shadowed Fate

I nod mechanically, not trusting myself to speak. As I gather my composure, my eyes search the room for Marius. His intensity unsettled me earlier, but now I find myself wondering if he knows something.

But he's gone, vanished just like the other day in the dining hall.

I trudge back to my room, my mind a whirlwind of dark thoughts. The tricksy corridors of Grimstone try to play their games but I’ve finally memorized the way back.

I think.

Relieved to find the right hallway and the right door, I go inside—then I freeze. My bed is covered in bags and boxes, some tied with ribbon, all piled high like Christmas morning.

"What the hell?" I approach cautiously.

I half expect the packages to explode—nothing would surprise me here. But as I poke at the nearest bag, it just crinkles innocently.

Curiosity gets the better of me. I open the first box, revealing a rectangle of fabric that when I hold it up becomes a silky black dress that probably costs more than everything I own combined.

I sigh, running my fingers over the fabric.

Box after box, bag after bag - jeans, lacy lingerie, boots with spike heels that could kill a man, cashmere sweaters, coats that feel light as clouds. It's a whole new wardrobe, and a fancy one at that.

I hold up a buttery-soft black leather jacket, admiring how the leather gleams in the light. “Damn." I toss it to one side and pick up a pale pink silk bra and panty set, trimmed with white lace. Everything is my size, and nicer than anything I’ve ever had.

My eyes narrow as I survey the bounty. "Alright, what's the catch?" I demand of the empty room. "Nobody gives away stuff like this for free."

Silence answers me, broken only by the rustle of tissue paper as I lower the jacket.

I feel the tiniest, tiniest tinge of smug satisfaction as I think about Laria and walking into the next class wearing new clothes.

“Thank you,” I whisper to the walls.

Chapter 15

Brigid

I step into the dining hall, my new clothes feeling soft against my skin.

I chose jeans and a sweater, but the jeans fit me like a second skin and the pale gray sweater is the finest cashmere. My eyes scan the room, immediately locking onto Callen and Lochan seated at their nearby table.

Callen's pale blue eyes meet mine before he skims them up and down my body, his full lips curling into a smile of approval. My heart skips a beat as I realize he must be responsible for my new wardrobe. A mix of gratitude and unease swirls in my chest.

Something tells me Callen would prefer a more personal kind of thank you than the one I’m prepared to give him. And I’m still wary of him, after that stunt in the garden.

I approach their table, forcing a smile. "Thank you for the clothes, Callen. They're... really nice."

Callen's eyebrows shoot up in mock surprise. He raises his hands in surrender. "Wasn't me, darling. Though I do appreciate the view."

Heat rushes to my cheeks.

Lochan is staring at me. It couldn’t have been him, could it? The man despises me. Words falter on my tongue as I meet his death glare. The temperature in the room seems to drop by ten degrees.

"I... um..." I stammer, unable to look away from Lochan.

I shift uncomfortably, acutely aware of the animosity radiating from him. What did I do to piss him off so much?

"Sit down, lovely," Callen says, patting the seat beside him.

As I lower myself into the chair, Lochan abruptly stands. Without a word, he stalks away.

I watch Lochan's retreating back, a knot forming in my stomach.

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