Page 38
Taking it from him, I shove it into my bag. “Do you see this area?” I gesture in front of myself.
He glances up from the book and nods.
“Good. That’s my business.” I point to the other side of the library where a cluster of Foundations sits. “Yours is over there.”
A deep, booming laugh rumbles out of him, and if anything, my words only seem to charm him. “You and I are going to have so much fun.”
“I’m literally dreading every moment,” I admit, gathering the last of my things.
Bellamy pushes to his feet, blocking my path out of the library.
My heart pounds in my chest. I don’t like feeling trapped. I scowl up at him. I’d have to drop my books to grab my dagger. “Move.”
“Say please.”
“Fuck you.”
“See, I knew you’d want to,” he says, voice rough and rasping.
It dawns on me that he honestly thinks I’m flirting. There’s no adequate way to describe the sound that comes out of me, but it’s half feral and full of frustration. I shove past him, clenching my jaw as he chuckles and steps aside, though not before brushing his knuckles down my arm. A caress meant for a lover, even when we couldn’t be further from that.
“I’ll see you around.”
“Go die.”
“Love you too!” he sing-songs as I leave him behind.
He’s deranged. Fully, completely unhinged. Irritation stalks me into the cafetorium. I balance a tray on top of my books, don’t even look at what I put on it, and join my friends at the table we’ve claimed as ours.
Bree, Ever, and Eli pause mid conversation when I drop into my seat.
“What happened?” Bree asks, gaze shooting to Melody and her cronies. “Whose ass do I need to kick?”
“A six-foot-two vampire’s,” I grumble, taking a drink of water.
“It wasn’t me.” Eli holds his hands up in surrender.
“No, it wasn’t you,” I agree.
“Bellamy?” Ever guesses.
My narrowing eyes are answer enough. The three of them trade looks, which I pointedly ignore. “Anyway, how are you guys?”
“Bree’s hooking up with someone,” Eli says gleefully.
A burst of laughter erupts from a few tables over. The more people pour into the cafetorium, the louder it gets, and the twitchier I feel. I do my best to stay focused, glancing at Bree. “Oh? Who?”
“Someone in my spire,” she says with a shrug.
“Please,” Eli begins. “The shifter is obsessed with her. I swear if I didn’t know better, I’d think Bree used her mindcraft on her, but this is pure puppy love.”
“She’s an avian shifter and wouldn’t like the puppy reference.”
Ever nods knowingly. “I hate puppy references too.”
“Anyway,” Bree says with a smile. “If things go well, you all can meet her at the fall bash at the end of October.”
While we don’t celebrate Halloween like humans, we do celebrate the Goddess and the spirits who have passed on to the afterlife.
