Page 6 of My Silent Demon

A few of the students had been in my classes, but I hadn’t been close to any of them. Their murders freaked me out, though. Rumors circulated that the school might even temporarily close. I hoped that didn’t happen; I had nowhere to go.

Since the alert went out, I’d literally gone to class or the cafeteria, but nowhere else. I also only moved around campus during the daylight.

My last class on a Friday, my math class, let out. I slipped my textbook in my backpack, zipped the bag, and stood as the other students climbed from their chairs. The hoodie I wore would be enough to combat the cold outside. I took my time and was one of the last students out of the classroom door into the hallway.

As I walked toward the exit, a shadow fell in step beside me. The smell of peppermint touched my nose.

I glanced to my side to find that Osian walked beside me.

My heart beat faster.

He wore snug jeans, a gray T-shirt, and his leather jacket. The look was complete with his perfectly spiked hair. How could anyone be so handsome? My gaze trailed over his firm lips, and I wanted to kiss him.

I shook my head. He’d stalked me to my classroom.He may be handsome but he was still a stalker. A handsome stalker who had taken up residence in my dreams. But still a stalker.I couldn’t pinpoint it, but as much as I was attracted to him, something about him made me nervous. Maybe the bad boy, dangerous vibes around him?

I shrugged the feeling off. “What are you doing?” I asked.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed, then showed the message to me.Wynn asked to see you. I’ll take you to her.

“Why didn’t she call or text me? I could’ve met her somewhere.”

He typed,1. She doesn’t have your number. 2. Safety. Neither of you should go anywhere alone.

I guess the phone number thing was true. We’d never exchanged numbers. And I understood safety. But it was in my nature to fight with him. How much would he argue?

I rolled my eyes. “We’re grown women, and it’s daylight. We can meet for coffee without bodyguards if we want.”

Osian narrowed his eyes at me. He typed,No.Security alert.

“There may be a security alert, but it’s broad daylight. You can’t treat us like prisoners. I don’t know how Wynn would react to that, but it won’t go well with me.”

Osian raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He opened the building’s front door and held it for me.

I walked through the doorway into the early spring air outside. “Where are you trying to get me to go, anyway?”

Osian stepped away from the door, which closed behind him.

He typed into his phone.Onyx and Wynn’s place.

“How do I know you aren’t the campus murderer out to kill me?”

Osian smirked.You’ll have to trust me.

My hackles went up at his response, and my argument game ceased. “I don’t trust anyone.” I adjusted my backpack onmy shoulders and shifted away from him. If I ran fast, maybe I could lose him.

Osian rolled his eyes and held up a finger in a “wait” gesture. He fiddled with his phone then held it out to me. I furrowed my brows and took the phone to see it was dialing out to Wynn.

I narrowed my eyes at him but put the phone to my ear.

Wynn answered frantically. “Osian, is everything okay? You never call.”

“Hey, it’s Magdalene.”

Wynn audibly sighed in relief. “Oh, good. Everything’s okay, right? What’s up?”

“Your friend wants me to go somewhere with him. He says that I have to trust that he isn’t planning to murder me. I don’t trust anyone like that. You’re his proof that he’s not the campus killer.”

Wynn chuckled. “Osian was supposed to bring you to my apartmentif you weren’t busy. I don’t think that’s how the conversation went.”

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