Page 213 of Sigils & Spells

“Give it to me later. Keep it for the rest of your classes.” His gaze drifted to Aoibhe, and like the two of them had formed some sort of telepathic bond, Aoibhe smiled and waved at them.

“I’ve got to run. Talk to you later.”

And there Ravyn was. Abandoned to figure out how to form words with Daniel even though she longed to spend time alone with him as much as she dreaded it. It made zero sense. She turned to face him, and her breath exhaled in awhoosh. He was staring at her as though no one else in that hall existed. His hazel eyes sparkled somehow in the fluorescent lights, and he smiled as he flicked a strand of his light brown hair out of his eyes. He either needed a haircut or was attempting to grow it out; it was in the awkward stage where it wasn’t actually long, but wasn’t quite short.

“So, uh…Ravyn.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Their entire class had exited the hall and the dean passed them with an amused smirk and a wink. “I was wondering if, maybe, you’d like to go out to dinner with me Friday. I know a great Italian place on the mainland. It would have to be a somewhat early dinner, so we could catch the ferry back.”

Somehow, his nervous rambling made him even cuter. “I’d love to.”

“I mean, I get it if you don’t…” He closed his mouth. Opened it. Shut it again. “Wait, did you just say you’d love to?”

She giggled. “Yes, silly. I thought you’d never ask.” Not knowing what to do with her hands, she had them clasped tightly together in front of her. The sleeves to his jacket were too big, so they covered her hands completely. Ravyn hoped she didn’t look as nervous as she felt. Her mother would have a cow if she found out she was going on a date less than a month after leaving home.

It’s a risk, Ravyn. You know what the cost is if you fall in love.

She didn’t truly believe in curses, despite what she’d been taught. Despite that the very mention or sight of Apollo’s name made her want to throw up and hide. Or turn into a bird and fly away…

Okay, she was not going to scare herself into being single the rest of her life. No one was asking her to fall in love and get married. It was a date.Justa date. Nothing bad was going to happen.

CHAPTER5

Daniel couldn’t keephis eyes off her. As Ravyn directed the server in the amount of grated cheese to add to her pasta dish, he wondered if she really wanted to be there with him at all, or had she only come because she was nice? He didn’t think she noticed the way other guys stared at her when she entered a room. Honestly, he hoped she never noticed it.

The server walked off and Ravyn lifted her gaze to his. Her blue eyes sparkled in the flickering light of the flameless candle in the center of the table between them. “I may have gone overboard.” A small mountain of grated cheese covered her dish.

“No. It’s not possible to have too much cheese.” If it were though, she might have come close.

She nodded. “I think so too. My arteries probably think otherwise.”

“So…” he changed the topic, sounding awkward. Was it awkward? “How are you liking Kasper Island so far?”

Ravyn covered her mouth with one hand as she laughed around a bite of fettuccine alfredo. “I still haven’t made it out to do much exploring, but I love it here. Very different from Arizona.”

That had to be rectified, and who was the better candidate for the job than him? “I can show you around. I mean, if you want.”Confidence, Daniel! Don’t backtrack.“It’s not a large island, but I know where everything is. The best places to swim in the summer if you take a semester during that time. The best, er…” He bit his tongue, feeling heat rise up his neck. Unfortunately, Ravyn was hanging on his every word.

“The best…what, Daniel? What were you about to say before you turned redder than a lobster?”

He chuckled nervously and stabbed one of the meatballs in his spaghetti. “Uh, the best places to be alone.” Where the security cameras couldn’t catch students making out. Or…other things.

She grinned. “And how would you know that?”

“Uh….” Would she believe him that it was because other students had told him? “I know people.”

She lifted a piece of broccoli on her fork and pointed it at him. “I just bet you do.”

“No, honestly. My dormmate last year was quite the player it would seem. Took me around and showed me everywhere he deemed ‘date’ appropriate. And I use the word date sparingly.”

For whatever reason, Ravyn found this absolutely hysterical and burst out laughing, having to lower her fork to the plate and cover her mouth. Not sure what had been so funny, all Daniel could do was watch her, laughing at her amusement and hoping he hadn’t really put his foot in his mouth so soon.

When she calmed down a bit, she brushed her dark hair out of her eyes and grinned. “I’m sorry. I’m picturing this Cassanova of a college frat boy dragging you around by the shoulder of your sweatshirt and pointing out all the make-out spots like the lions in that animated movie where ‘everything the light touches’ is apparently their kingdom, but instead you two were seeking out all the shadowy places.”

Now he did laugh. The picture she painted was mildly accurate. “You laugh now, but don’t you wish you knew what I know?” It was more of a taunt than a question.

A peculiar expression he couldn’t place crossed her face. She leaned forward and whispered, “Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep, Daniel.”

His own humor dried up, as did his throat.

“Oh, don’t clam up on me now. We’re going when we get back.” She nodded, as though answering for him.

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