Page 43 of Faerie Marked

Mike shook his head. “I haven’t heard anything yet, but I’m sure the staff is trying to keep things hush-hush. My guard detail has been extra cautious while the cops are here.”

I started. “The cops are still here? Why?” And also…Mike had a guard detail?

“To continue their investigation, I’d imagine,” Roman answered as though I should have expected the answer.

“I…I kind of thought the Fae would take care of matters themselves,” I admitted.

“And normally they would, but the kid was half-human, and policy dictates the human authorities must be involved in the proceedings.”

I looked at Mike. “You said your guard detail has been extra cautious?” I hadn’t even noticed his guards. Wasn’t I supposed to be on high alert? Apparently, my observational skills were pretty crummy.

“Yes. They want me to leave here and return home until the matter is settled, but…” Mike paused and spared a glance at his friend. “Classes are going on like normal and I don’t want to leave. If the academy is going forward with business as usual, then I’m staying. End of discussion.”

“What do your parents have to say about the incident, Your Hi—M-Mike?” Melia asked. She’d finally found her voice.

Mike shrugged and grabbed a piece of bacon. “They haven’t said anything yet. I’m not sure if they’re just waiting for more info from the police or if they’re trying to formulate a public statement for the benefit of the school and I’m simply not privy to it yet.”

He took a bite and ripped the bacon in half.

“Don’t worry about it,” Roman answered easily. Somehow, he’d become the voice of reason. “I’m sure it was an isolated incident. We were the unlucky ones who found him, but with the security at the school, I’m sure this isn’t going to happen again.”

I finished my eggs and moved on to my hash browns, dipping them in ketchup one by one. “I can’t help but worry,” I told them all between bites. “This kind of thing isn’t supposed to happen. The academy is supposed to be a safe place.”

Mike reached across the table and placed his hand on top of mine for a brief moment, giving me a light pat. “No one is going to hurt you, Tavi.”

I jerked my hand away. “You can never be too careful.”

I’d saved the best for last, taking a bite of my biscuit and gravy, watching Mike and Roman talking to Melia about our game of Capture the Scroll last night and taking her through it from start to finish.

And felt suddenly like a bucket of ice-cold water had been thrown over me.

There was no water, not really. But there was cold. The cold bit down deep to the marrow of my bones and I stared at my hands, the skin rippling before my vision went blurry. I grabbed on to the side of the table when it felt like an earthquake shook me, unable to keep from groaning.

“Hey, girl. Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

I glanced up to see Melia rising, crossing around to crouch at my side to bring her to my eye level.

Clearing my throat, I tried to think of a reason why my potion spell had apparently broken. I felt my shifter senses returning, vision finally clear and sharp, sense of smell rising to the point where I could focus on the sweet-smelling sweat on Mike’s forehead.

“Is there garlic in this?” I pointed to the gravy then hissed as a rush of cold had my fingers shaking. It was the only explanation I could find. Sure enough, the more I tuned in to the scents, the more I could make out the tang of garlic.

Melia reached out to steady me when I tipped to the side, my balance off. “I’m not sure. Why? Are you a vampire?” she joked, though I could hear the concern in her tone.

The rest of them laughed while the whole of me filled with dread. Did they see me for myself? Was there anything different, now that I’d been exposed?

“I have to go.”

I bolted out of the chair, leaving my tray behind and fighting to clear a path out of the cafeteria.

It didn’t matter what anyone thought. All that mattered was reaching the dorm and getting a new vial of potion. I kept one hand raised to my face as though to shield it as I ran. One vial behind already, I thought, pushing through the door to my dorm out of breath.

At least the room was empty.

I fumbled up the ladder and thrust my pillow to the side, flipping the latch on the box and grabbing the second vial. Chugging it down. The concoction again tasted absolutely disgusting but it worked immediately. There were no crazy side effects this time. I didn’t fall to my knees on the edge of death’s door. My head swam a bit and I watched my skin crawl as though an army of ants were making their way from wrist to elbow.

Disgusting.

But it worked.

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