Page 57 of Made in Malice

“Why are you here instead of in the library? Isn’t that where nerds go to study?” Lucian is watching her closely, which tells me I should too. When I glance over, I see a slight shifting of her features right before her chin tips up just the tiniest bit in defiance.

“If I were a nerd, I wouldn’t need to study. Nerds don’t get placed in remedial classes.” There’s a sour note in her tone. It makes me think he said something to her about her classes, and that one must have hit home.

“Still, why aren’t you in the library?” he presses, ignoring the remarks about her not being smart.

“Not my scene.” She shrugs, but it’s forced.

“Does it have anything to do with you running out of the study room scared with your arm all scratched up?”

“I wasn’t scared,” she counters while blinking rapidly. “I may have been startled, but not scared.”

“What are you talking about?” I question Lucian.

“Ask her.” He doesn’t take his eyes off Nova.

“What’s he talking about?”

Nova’s eyes shift from left to right as she looks at both of us. I can see her mind working, but I have no idea on what. “If I tell you, will you leave me alone for the rest of the day?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Lucian and I answer at the same time.

“Which is it?” she questions, watching us again.

“For the day,” Lucian concedes, but I can tell by his tone he has other ideas.

Nova flicks her tongue in her mouth but answers soon after. “There was someone in the room who grabbed me and tried to pull me in.”

“Who was it?” Lucian asks, leaning forward.

“I don’t know. It was dark, and all I cared about was getting away. They were gone by the time I went back.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder while admitting the last part, as if it bothered her to disclose that she ran away in the first place.

Lucian stands abruptly and grabs Nova’s wrist. I don’t miss her flinch, as if she thought he was going to do more than circle his fingers around her arm. “They did this?” he questions darkly, running the fingers of his free hand along some light red marks on her arm, then higher to push the sleeve of her shirt up, exposing little freckles all over her arm and a slightly yellowish bruise.

“Mostly, why?” She shimmies her shoulder, making her sleeve drop to cover the bruise while trying to dislodge his touch at the same time.

“Because I want to know whom I need to hurt. Nobody touches what’s mine, and what do you mean, mostly?” he asks, still all up in her space. I doubt he even realizes how possessive he’s gotten of her and why.

“The bruise was a result of me provoking you.” She’s glaring up at him with unrefined anger.

“What?” Lucian freezes as if he’s not even breathing.

“Forget it, it was an accident.” She tries to sit back in the chair, but there’s nowhere for her to go to get away from my suddenly nosy brother.

“What does she mean, Lucian?” I question, because she’s acting like he did it to her.

“You can tell me what happened, or I will follow you around until you do, or maybe I’ll just take you home until you’re ready to talk.” I know which option he would like best.

“I told you it was an accident,” Nova grates out through her teeth.

“How did this accident happen?”

Her nostrils flare as she inhales deeply. She’s probably trying to decide if not telling him is worth the fight. “In the cafeteria.” The lilt of her voice suggests she’s trying to remind him of something.

LUCIAN

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