“There’s a lunch break after the next class,” Naveen assured me. “I have Restoration next, too.”
“So do I,” Florence said. “Although, Medra, I’m surprised...”
But whatever she’d been about to say was cut short when Naveen elbowed her in a friendly way.
“Of course, you’re in Restoration. Florence here is a brilliant student, you know. She has her pick of specialties,” Naveen explained to me. “She’s smart enough to be a strategist or a healer. Now she needs to pick between the two. Unless they approve her for both.”
“I didn’t know that,” I said, raising my eyebrows. “But I’m not surprised to hear it. So is that why she’s a warden? She made it sound like it was because her mother...”
“Was a librarian,” Naveen finished. “Ha! No, that had nothing to do with it. You’re too modest, Florence.”
“Well, I’m not about to go around bragging about myself, Naveen,” Florence said, blushing madly. “Or telling people I have two specialties.”
“That’s why I’m here to do it for you,” Naveen said, grinning at me.
“Are you two...?” I looked between the two of them, suddenly wondering if there was more to this playful banter.
“Oh, no,” Florence said, her eyes widening. “We’ve been friends since we were children. Naveen is like my brother. There’s a dwarven stairwell to his city near the town I grew up in and we would visit each other. I met him at a market day when his people came above ground to sell some dwarven wares. Mostly gold, of course.”
“I’m single,” Naveen said, putting his hands up. “I had a girlfriend back home but being accepted to Bloodwing... Well, that kind of put a damper on things. Long distance and all that.”
I nodded sympathetically, as if I understood, deciding not to say anything about my own limited experiences with the opposite sex.
“Goodness!” Florence exclaimed. “We have to get to Restoration. Now.”
I looked around and noticed the hallway around us had emptied out.
“We have five minutes to get to the south tower,” Florence sputtered, already almost sprinting away from us. “Hurry!”
CHAPTER 6 - MEDRA
Of course, after the hell that History of Sangratha had been, my life wouldn’t have been complete without running into Blake Drakharrow on the way to Restoration.
As we half-walked, half-ran down the halls towards class, I nearly collided with a tall figure emerging around a corner from the shadows.
The breath was knocked out of me. As I gasped and tried to regain my footing, strong hands gripped me by the shoulders and yanked me upright.
I felt a jolt as my eyes connected with a pair of gray, steely ones, then Blake’s hands dropped away swiftly.
“Oh. Pendragon. It’s you.” Blake couldn’t manage to keep the disgust from his voice.
I stared up at him, letting myself get a better look than I had that morning in the refectory. He wore a black, tailored suit that fit him impeccably, accentuating his tall, lean frame, the jacket hugging his broad shoulders and chest, tapering in at the waist to hint at his muscular, subtly defined torso.
“See something you like?” Quinn neared, stepping out from behind Blake as he pushed a lock of sleek pale blond hair off his forehead.
Coregon Phiri had appeared behind the pair, too, along with some other students. He nodded to me briefly.
I rolled my eyes. “Hell no. Just trying to get to class on time.”
Quinn laughed nastily. “I hear you got off on the wrong foot with Professor Hassan.”
“I asked some pointed questions about vampires that I guess she didn’t appreciate,” I said, with a shrug.
“The mortals worship us,” Quinn said, studying her nails. They had been sharpened to points and painted bright red. “And soon you will, too. Good thing you’re about to getschooled.” She said the last part in an annoying, sing-songy voice that set my blood boiling.
“I have to get to my next class,” I snapped, looking at Blake. “I suppose you and your little gang had better get a move on, too.”
Blake smiled lazily. “Good idea. Best not be late again, Pendragon.”