Page 72 of Firestorm
The best dreams were where she threw herself into my arms in the alley after the storm. The worst were when her lover was there, scowling at me.
I squeezed my hands into fists just thinking of the fucker. His smooth, dark skin. His perfectly coiled hair. Their easy smiles toward each other. He couldn’t bethatgreat. Who dates their employees, anyway? And shelivedwith him?
I dressed quickly, shaking off my irritation, and started off across campus from the teacher’s dorms, making my way toward my office. It was early, still before eight, and the day was already gray.
It was usually damp in the mornings, with dew beading the grass. Today, it was drizzling softly with some even softer thunder in the distance. Fall was cold, but winter would be freezing. I ignored the coldrain splashing on my face, allowing my mind to be consumed with the one face I really wanted to see today.
Skye.
My mind replayed all our memories together, which were not many, and quite short.
Her sad, watery gaze while I told her about the academy. The anxiety that seized the oxygen in her lungs when she panicked. How she’d melted against me, kissing me like I was the answer to her prayers.
I’d been a fool to run. Who the fuck runs from a woman who kisses them like that?!
But there was only one reason why she was so immediately comfortable with me after only meeting me the day before. One reason why I couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her. One reason I’d been able to hear her thoughts, even if just for a moment.
And there was only one reason she’d had the thoughts she’d had.
Skye was hiding something big, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it was. She was lying about something big…and that scared me. Did she have more than the two affinities? Had she lied about when the water manifested?
Either way, she wasn’t safe with me. My father had been waiting years for me to find my Key, only so he could see what my power-up would be after connecting. I’d been passive about his secret activities, telling myself I didn’t care what he was up to, but it was all a lie.
My father, while he mostly ignored me, was a dangerous man.
He was good to my sister, doting on her and giving her anything she wanted or needed. Willow didn’t struggle the way I did growing up. Willow didn’t understand why I was so quick to refuse help and money, focusing instead on my own path in life. My job at the academy was everything to me. It was the first job I managed to get all on my own, without having to mention my father’s name. Sure, I could have joined the military or the Royal Guard. Though, with the Royal Guard, I’d only be mentioning a different name to get me the job I wanted.
I sighed at the morbid turn my thoughts had taken, sending Willow a quick text to let her know I’d accepted the emergency session request and that I’d update her if anything went wrong.
I was glad Skye had made friends with my sister, as aggravating as Willow could be. Skye needed good people to have her back during confrontation.
Skye was doing well in class, skirting by just well enough not to be noticed. Clearly, she was enjoying her time as a student if she’d been out to a party with the likes of Aiden Brandt. I ignored the small flare of unease that settled inside me with the thought.
Were he and Skye…involved?How was that her type?Her lover at the café and Aiden couldn’t look any different from each other, but…maybe…
I blew out a breath. Her lover from the café could be one of her Links. They were close, I could tell that much when I saw them together. But I knew we’d shared something special that day at the café, too. I’d never been so completely consumed with someone after only speaking to them for a few minutes.
When she’d finally shown up at the academy, I’d expected her in my office immediately, if only to scream at me or slap me. But as time dragged on, I realized that probably wasn’t happening.
Skye hadn’t come to a single one of her counseling sessions. She hadn’t answered any of my inquiry emails, though I’d admit I also hadn’t tried very hard to get her into a session.
She also hadn’t tried to have her Link-testing redone. Seems she was serious when she told me she was afraid of needles.
I figured she’d already found out who I was from my sister, then decided I wasn’t worth the fuss, and I couldn’t blame her. What kind of a woman would chase after a man who ran from her after a kiss? I was sure Willow told her the whole sordid story of my childhood, too, because why wouldn’t she? The best excuse for bad behavior was trauma. I was a counselor. I knew that.
I anxiously swallowed a painful gulp of hot coffee as I made my way into my office.
Guilt niggled at me.
The moment I’d seen my name on Skye’s list of Links, I’d deleted the results. Three slots had appeared before I was able to look away, so now I knew I had two other fuckers to watch out for, and they could beanyone. That asshole from the café could be one. Fucking hell,Brandtcould be one.
A loud knock sounded at the door, and I sighed. “Come in,” I called out.
“Mr. Craig, thank you so much for seeing me.” Lana Iykos strode into the office, plopping down on the couch and dropping her bag on the floor by her feet. The force of her drop onto the couch had her heavy bangs flying into the air, and she quickly smoothed them over her forehead while I sipped my coffee.
“Hello, Lana. I was shocked to see your request come in so late. I’d have expected you to be out at a party on a Friday night. Has something happened?”
Lana’s brow furrowed slightly, and she sat for a moment while considering what I’d said.
