No matter how carefree, how invincible I played, I was always restless whenever she entered the room. And I hated it.

On top of that, it was damn hard to interpret the meaning of her looks. She knew how to hide her emotions as if she’d been trained to do so. What if she was a spy for the Councils?

I gritted my teeth and tried to banish my paranoia.

That girl there was what was called a vulnerability. She was an Air Quatura and, therefore, a candidate for a place within the Councils. And it was only a matter of time before she would use her knowledge against me, until she ignored my threats and I would regret not having given her the Salma immediately.

I had to come up with something to clear her memory.Quickly.Even if she was harmless – which I doubted – the thought of her breathing down my neck bothered me. It was driving meinsane.

Only yesterday, she had bumped into me. I’d been running late and hadn’t expected her to walk past this passageway – of all places – but suddenly I’d felt her fingers on my upper body, and a few seconds later, she’d been on top of me.

I could only hope that she hadn’t noticed how hard I had become, because I still couldn’t believe it myself.

The only explanation for this physical reaction was that she had also reminded me of J yesterday.

But J was somewhere in Vancouver, probably studying philosophy, judging by how well she knew the texts of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates by now.

I had wanted to ask her, but I always felt hesitant when it came to her personal life. It wasn’t fair to her when she told me about her life and I could only give vague answers about my own. It was fine the way it was, and I was aware that I could never give this stunning human woman what she deserved.

Inwardly, I felt the unease I had been feeling since that night at the Halloween party, which seemed to be tightening more and more around my heart.

What if she sensed that I could never be the man for her that she deserved? What if the gods were on her side? Which I more than hoped…

She deserved the world. Something someone likemewouldneverbe able to give her.

But now I had damaged our friendship just because I had not been able to stand it in that damn car and had desperately needed to touch her.

I was a fool and deserved all the wrath of the gods.

As punishment, they had probably sent this annoying little witch after me, who was now sitting at her table, completely absorbed in the task and writing things down.

She seemed focused, which resulted in her biting her full lower lip until it reddened slightly, just like her cheeks did whenever she messed up my documents.

My cock was still throbbing against my pants.

I tried not to stare, looking away on purpose.

What was wrong with me that I hadn’t been in control of my body since that night? Just because that girl there also had blonde hair and her lips reminded me of how I had kissed J’s?

I was twenty-eight and no longer sixteen,for fuck’s sake.

Ashamed of myself, I took a deep breath and looked over at David, who rose from his seat and walked toward me. As always, the Ruisangor eyed me intensely before placing a paper on my desk.

“Already finished?” I asked, trying to sound impressed.

I was aware that this young man had remarkable intelligence. He had already studied physics and chemistry in Vancouver before joining the DeLoughrey clan in Blairville, which I had found out through painstaking research in the DLSC database.

David just nodded and returned to his seat, so my gaze automatically flitted to Julie.

I Want You Dead

Two Feet, Allie Cabal

She looked dainty, especially in the black skirt, white blouse and navy-blue sweater vest of the uniform, deceptively innocent with her elfin hair loose.

The Salma she had been carrying around had revealed her second side. Not that I hadn’t known what she was before.

She sat leaning back in her chair and I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows.