Page 96 of Starry with a Chance of Nightshade

She glanced behind her again and then back at me, still shaking at least a little. “Something…or someone was following me. At first, I thought it was in my head, but I’m positive I saw something.”

My stomach tightened, worried the monsters might have targeted her. “Where?”

She pointed across the street, toward the row of homes. “He was partially behind the hedges there. I hurried up and when I looked back, he was closer but partly behind that big tree, just staring at me. He was really tall with broad shoulders and black hair. It was long. Maybe just past his shoulders. He had on a long black leather jacket and biker boots. He was wearing sunglasses too. Even though it’s night. That’s all I saw before I ran across the street and, well, nearly ran into you.”

Instantly, I thought of the biker dude I’d seen driving past the ice cream place the day before. The one I’d been fairly sure had been staring at me.

“I know Bram wanted us on heavy patrol around the campus, but I haven’t seen jack—”

I twisted to find Austin Van Helsing coming around the back of the history building. He spotted us and came to a dead stop. He was on his cell phone.

ChapterThirty-Two

Astria

Cadee moved closerto me quickly and bent her head.

I put an arm around her, holding the broom handle with the other. “It’s okay. It’s just Austin.”

I wasn’t sure what he was doing wandering around the campus, but he was a friendly face. It could have been far worse.

“I’m near the history building,” Austin said into his phone. “Astria is here. She’s with…wow.” He stared at Cadee in a way that said he more than noticed her now. He lowered his phone, his gaze never leaving her.

I hated to break his magik moment, but he was close to embarrassing himself. “Hi, Austin.”

He jerked and nodded to me. “Hi. What are you doing out this time of night? Is that a broom handle?”

I lifted a brow. “It’s not that late.”

“It’s dark,” he said, walking closer, his gaze darting back to Cadee.

She hugged my duster around herself and glanced nervously at him. “Austin.”

His brows met a second before his eyes widened. “Cadee Bass?”

“Uh, yes?” She gave him a questioning look. “Who else would I be?”

He blinked several times, raking his gaze up and down her. He swallowed hard and tipped his head back. “She’s underage. She’s underage,” he chanted so softly that I almost missed it.

Cadee apparently had great hearing. “No. I’m not. I’ll be twenty in a few months. Why are you being weird?”

It was adorable that she didn’t seem to realize the effect she was having on him. I had a strong feeling he’d written her off as being too young for him a while back and was only now realizing she was all grown up.

“The call got cut off and I missed half of what you were saying. And I wouldn’t be so quick to question Bram’s directive. If he wants us here patrolling, there is a damn good reason for it,” Elis Van Helsing said as he came around the building too. He stopped when he saw the three of us. His gaze darted to Austin.

Austin was too busy staring at Cadee to notice.

I cleared my throat. “Hi, Elis.”

Elis’s gaze went right to my arms. “Are you carrying a fighting staff?”

“Broom handle,” I said, really wishing I hadn’t taken off my duster, but Cadee needed it more than me at the moment.

“What happened?” asked Elis, undoubtedly sensing something wasn’t right.

Cadee shot me a desperate look.

I put an arm around her shoulder. “My gut says the truth is probably best here, but it’s your call. You lie, I’ll swear to it, okay?”

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