Page 128 of Angel Lost

“Here you are,” she says, glaring over Kai’s shoulder. “Now I don’t even have time to go back to sleep before class.”

She steps past Kai and wraps an arm around my shoulders. “The dean sent a hada to our room. He wants to see you. In his office, yesterday from the sound of it. But are you okay? Didn’t the plan work? You look like shit.”

Harsh. And I thought I looked better after a shower and cake. I ruffle her hair. “Doing better than you. Think you still got some drool on your face.”

She swipes at me, narrowing her eyes.

“I’ll tell you later.” If there is a later. What if this is it? What if someone found out? What if the king is in the dean’s office? Kai’s hand lands on the small of my back.

“I’ll come. Leave the others.”

Quickly, I grab my bag, sheathe my still-bloody dagger, tucking it out of sight, and follow him out of the dorms. Val, playing with a guitar pick, watches me go.

“Enter,” the dean booms, and we sidle into his posh office. I only relax when I realize there really isn’t anyone else here.

“Miss Bal.” He steeples his fingers, leaning back so far in his chair I’m surprised it doesn’t topple. “Miss Bal, I am very disappointed in your behavior.”

I straighten.

“I need an explanation.”

Kai digs his nails into my hand, and I manage to keep quiet.

“An explanation for yesterday.” He lets it hang in the air. “Why exactly did I call Dean Davina here for nothing?”

The ley line tangle. It seems like a lifetime ago. Of course the dean would be embarrassed, furious even. He glares over the top of his glasses.

“I didn’t think anyone would get you involved, Dean. I just needed some space from Hewie.” I swallow.Hewie, forgive me.“I didn’t mean for him to get all ‘screamer’ on me. I figured he’d look for me and then just give up.”

The dean rocks forward on his chair.

“Space, Miss Bal?”

I nod, frantically searching my brain. “Hewie is a bit of a fanboy since he learned about my aether. I needed space to work something out. I made a tangle in the ley lines, made Hewie think I got lost.”

The dean pulls his glasses off and rubs the bridge of his nose. “I was made to look like a fool. Magic is not a toy, Miss Bal. What exactly did you need to work out?”

I turn wide-eyed to Kai. What the fuck now?

He offers a slow wink and pulls our interlaced fingers into view. “We wanted some privacy, Dean,” he says, then he grips the back of my head with his other hand and plants a kiss on my lips. My breath catches, my lips part. His tongue traces my top lip.

The dean coughs and I pull away, startled. My lips tingle. My whole body tingles.

“You do understand you don’t have to have ‘relations’ withallyour allegiance?”

I follow his gaze to my wrist, dropping Kai’s hand like it’s on fire.

A mark for Kai. An allegiance mark. Bold as day, there’s a mark for Kai on my arm.

Kai breaks the silence. “Uh, we realize, sir. We were working through it. Hewie was in the way.” He stares at the floor. “It was my idea, Dean Emrick.” He offers the dean a sly smirk. “It added a bit of spice to things. Didn’t expect anyone would get Mom involved.”

How much did it cost him to call her that? I slip my hand back into his.

The dean shoves his glasses up his nose and stands, exasperated. “What exactly am I meant to tell your mother?”

Kai pulls his best contrite expression. “I’m sorry. Look, I’ll tell Mom.”

The dean puffs his skinny chest out, hands braced on his lapels. “You better. That is not a conversation I want to have with Davina. ‘I called you in because your son was having sex with our star pupil. In public.’ No, no, no. I’m not telling her that.” He walks to the door, gesturing for us to leave. “Make sure you deal with it, Kai. Soon.”

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