Page 19 of Darkness and Deceit
“We should go,” Simon says gently.
“To class?” I blink at him. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” Vaughn says, already moving. “Bennett said things are going back to normal.” He makes air quotes aroundthe word like it’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard. “Whatever the hell that means now.”
“She’s still watching,” Kai says quietly. “We make it look like we’re fine. Or she’ll come for Lilith next.”
I press my lips together. “So we pretend.”
“No,” Simon says. “We adapt.”
I don’t answer. I just move, one step after the other, until my feet are carrying me forward again.
Toward whatevernormalis now.
We don’t make it far before we hear the voices. “Guess the rumors were true.”
The voice is too loud to be a whisper. Too casual to be innocent.
“... Can’t believe they’re lettingherroam free.”
I don’t recognize the speaker, but I know the tone. That’s the tone people use when cruelty makes them feel brave.
“Careful,” another voice says. “She might call her Shadows. Heard she’s got two. Like some kind of cursed collector.”
Vaughn stops walking.
Kai does too.
Simon’s knuckles go white.
“You want to say that again?” Vaughn calls, already stepping forward. “No? Didn’t think so.”
“Keep walking,” I say under my breath. “It’s not worth it.”
“You’re worth it,” Simon says quietly, eyes still on the group ahead.
Kai’s jaw ticks. He shifts, subtly, putting himself between me and them. The moment they see him, the whispers vanish. They shuffle off like smoke.
“They’re scared,” I murmur. “They have no idea what they’re talking about.”
“They don’t need to know,” Kai replies. “They just need to remember who they’re speaking about.”
The students glance back once—eyes wide, words caught behind their teeth—then scatter like smoke curling away from flame.
Kai doesn’t follow their gaze. Doesn’t raise his voice.
He just says, softly enough for only me to hear, “My mate.”
My breath catches and the hallway suddenly feels too bright, too still, like it’s holding its breath with me. I stop walking. My heartbeat thuds loud in my ears.
I turn to look at him,reallylook at him, and he’s just standing there, steady as ever, dark hair falling into his eyes, broad shoulders tense beneath the black fabric clinging to him like shadow. There’s always been something feral about the way he holds still, like movement is optional until it’s not.
He doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t soften. But something flickers in his eyes when our gazes lock, somethingreal.
“Kai…” I whisper.
His expression doesn’t change. But he doesn’t take it back, either.
