Page 295 of Blood & Betrayals

“Differently how?” he asks.

I play with the ends of my hair. “He was just acting all serious with me. Wouldn’t verbally jab back at me the way he usually does.”

“You provoke him too? And here I thought I was special.” The smirk is back, but there is a dangerous edge to it.

I bristle. “I don’t provoke him. We spar. Today, he obviously wasn’t in the bantering mood.”

He takes a drink. “You sure it had to do with the ring?”

“Pretty sure. It was after he noticed it that he went weird.” I shake my head, “Anyway, it’s whatever. I saw the headmaster afterward.”

“Ah, about the page?”

“Yeah, he was pretty dismissive, but I can’t really blame him. I told him not to meet with Luke until I’ve spoken to him.”

“Dismissive?”

I shrug. “Honestly, he’s probably just sick of the sight of me. I don’t imagine he sees a student in their whole time here as much as he has me in less than a year.”

“Ah, but you’re not just any student, are you?”

I scoff. “No, I’m the student who’s getting stalked by a crazy serial killer.”

The stranger laughs, and my lips twitch. “Well, that’s one way to put it.”

“Not exactly his favorite student. When he sees me, it’s because someone has been brutally murdered or I have another scrap of evidence for him.”

“But you’re also insatiable for knowledge. I’m sure that is not the case with most of his students.”

I groan. “I just fucking love learning.”

It’s true. I always have. Not only are innocent people being killed, and I’m being toyed with by some crazy fucker, but I’ve also not been able to sink properly into my studies. I know it is the least of my worries, but I miss it so much. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the classes and I’m still performing well, but I miss having endless hours to spend with my nose in a textbook or fucking about with rune creations. Though, even if a murderer wasn’t stalking me, my life is infinitely different from what it used to be. Where I used to only have learning, that’s not the case anymore, and I’m not sure if I’m ready to admit how wildly my priorities are shifting.

When I accepted my place at Avalon, I decided I would spend the next four years here working hard and learning, and then I would end this thing with Torin one way or another. But in my first year, while I have learned a lot, I’ve also fallen into all these relationships.

“Is that right?” the stranger asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Yes. There’s something so fucking empowering about it.”

“Explain.”

I shift on the couch and lie down, lowering my voice slightly. “You know when you’re in a library and find a book with all this information you know little about? Doesn’t it just give you a… buzz? Or when you’re one-on-one with someone and they’re teaching you something new… so hot.” I stare at the ceiling. If anyone can relate to my crazy, it’s the male I’m currently talking to.

The stranger clears his throat. “So you’re attracted to intelligence?”

“Extremely. It… does something to me.”

“I have the same,” the stranger growls, “thirst.”

“You do?” I whisper, anticipating his answer, anticipating the thrill of finally being understood.

“I do. Knowledge has always been something I crave.” The way he says the wordcravehas my womb clenching.

“Teach me something,” I whisper, the sound barely audible, and my breaths shallow.

“Something?”

“Anything.”

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