Page 8 of Monster's Mistake

“Trust me, it’s not much of an advantage,” Nati mutters.

A loud hiss comes from her hair in response.

“Oh shh,” she chides the snakes. “You’re not really useful for much.”

The hiss returns.

“I think they’re pretty,” I blurt out. “Your snakes, I mean.” Great. Now instead of saying something inappropriate about Nati in the shower, I’m just blurting out thoughts that make me sound incompetent of holding a conversation.

All three of them turn their attention to me. Anja and Cethin’s expressions betray their amusement, clearly they’re enjoying my attempt to be more charming to Nati.

The gorgon herself looks confused.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I should go.”

She opens her mouth as if to disagree, but seems to change her mind as I get up to leave.

I’m going to have to try a lot harder to convince her that I’m actually interested in her, because it’s clear I’m doing a terrible job at making it seem that way.

And considering she’s my fated mate, I need to do better.

CHAPTER 4

Nati

Despite knowing it’s foolish,I make my way to the same seat inDivinationas last week, hoping that I’ll end up next to Meic again. I want to pretend that it’s because he seems to be good at reading tea leaves, and I need all the help I can get, but I know that isn’t really it. There’s just something about him that makes me want to spend time with him.

“This is ridiculous, Nati,” I mutter to myself.

Frank slithers out of my hair and gives a soft hiss of agreement.

“Yes, I know you don’t like him.” Which is definitely a bit of a problem when it seems as if there’s a part of me that does like him. Though it’s not a part that I don’t like to give in to.

And I need to get it under control or at some point, his terrible lines are going to work on me. If I didn’t have snakes attached to my head and gorgon magic to contend with, I would probably have done so already and gotten the ridiculous attraction I have towards him out of the way so I can focus on everything else that needs my attention.

Students file into the room and I try not to look at any of them to see when Meic is going to join me. When the ghoul finally enters the room, he seems more serious than normal. I don’t know what it is about him today, but something seems off. Maybe it’s because his tie is actually straight and his top button is done up, which is an unusual sight for him.

“Good morning, Nathara,” he says as he takes a seat beside me.

I frown. “Since when do you use my full name?” I hadn’t even realised he knew it.

“Just trying to be serious.” He sets his books down in front of me.

“Well, unless you’re a seventy-year-old Scottish gorgon who gave birth to my mother, you can call me Nati.”

“That’s very specific.”

“Mmm, and last I checked, you’re none of those things. Unless you’re hiding some snakes somewhere.”

I wait for a joke about the snake in his pants.

“No snakes,” he responds.

I blink a few times. Really? After months of terrible flirting, he’s passing up a line that I’ve more or less handed to him. I should be relieved about that after so long telling him to stop, but instead, I just find it weird.

He may have spent months making crude comments and suggestions, and I’ve spent months rolling my eyes and telling him to stop. And now one missed comment and I’m feeling as if something is off.

Professor Bishop enters the room, making everyone fall silent. “Good morning, everyone,” he says. “We’re going to be continuing to learn about looking at tea leaves today.”

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