“I love how easy the cure is,” Camila said, taking a spot next to Sage. “Vervane and the blood of the one who marked them. Simple.”
Nadya slid onto a seat opposite them. Scowling, she hissed, “Except how can we use the blood if we don’t know who marked him,”
Sage looked up, surprised to see the perfect Guardian join their table. Directly behind Nadya, on the other side of the courtyard, two eyes watched them. Mason leaned against the brick wall, thumb running over his bottom lip. A small smile lit his face as Sage’s eyes found his. He wriggled his fingers in a wave.
Caught between wanting to shoo him away and waving back, Sage gave the air an awkward swat. As she did, Caspar took a seat next to Nadya. He frowned and spun around, trying to spot who she was motioning to.
“It was a fly,” Sage said, urging Caspar to stop looking.
It didn’t matter anyway, Mason had already begun walking off.
“This is a bit suspicious don’t you think?” Camila glared at Nadya. “We never hang out.”
Caspar relaxed and faced the table again. “Well, maybe we should start. Maybe we should start acting like a family, too.”
The way he said it sounded so righteous to Sage. It immediately rubbed her the wrong way. Before she could think better of it, she glowered, “Maybe we should have been doing that from the start… not when things got complicated?”
From the beginning of their training Nadya had distanced herself from them, as though she was too good to even speak to them. She dragged Caspar along for the ride and he was more than happy to follow, shunning everyone else along the way. Camila and Sage, and even Arielle, didn’t seem like they’d ever be enough. But now, when things got rough, they wanted help.
“Fair call,” Caspar muttered into his food.
With a lifted chin and no warmth in her eyes, Nadya said, “Well, we’re here now.”
Arielle dropped her tray onto the table and slid in on the other side of Camila. “Oh my… how the heck did we get out of class alive like that? I thought Makoto was onto us for sure.”
Nadya rolled her eyes and picked at her salad, throwing bits of cheese to the side. “You’re lucky I didn’t tell him.”
“Thank you,” Arielle said, placing her hand on Nadya’s shoulder. “We just need a bit of time, that’s all.”
“I feel sick.” Nadya shrugged Arielle off and pushed her tray into the middle of the table.
“What’s wrong?” Arielle picked up a lettuce leaf. “Is there something in the food?”
Sage covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. She couldn’t believe how naive Arielle was sometimes. “I think she’s talking about AJ being marked.”
“Oh.” Arielle gave a sheepish grin.
“There has to be a Fallen on campus,” Nadya said, glancing around the courtyard. “And we’re just here twiddling our thumbs.”
Camila waved a fork in Nadya’s direction. “Exactly. We need to find them.”
Nadya met Camila’s gaze with an icy stare. It was a show down between two of the strongest willed humans Sage had ever met. Nadya softened, nodding in agreement. It was probably the first time they’d agreed on something.
And that would have been great and all, if the task at hand wasn’t completely out of their depth.
“And how do we find a Fallen?” Sage asked.
“Easy,” Caspar said, stabbing a fork into Nadya’s discarded cheese. “From the trail of the dead they leave.”
Arielle shuddered.
Nadya whipped her head to him. “Does it have to come to that? Surely, there’s another way.”
“We could ask AJ who he came into contact with?” Caspar suggested. “Make a list then follow the lead?”
“Yes! That’s brilliant,” Sage said, slamming her palms onto the table. She hadn’t even asked Mason who had touched him in the lead up to being marked. If she narrowed it down and cross checked his list with the list they get from AJ… then, they could find the Fallen who marked them both. The thought both exhilarated and terrified her.
“Let’s do it!” Nadya declared, standing.
“I’m in,” Arielle said, bouncing up.
Caspar quickly shoved the rest of his lunch into his mouth, and muffled, “On it.”
“I’ll meet you guys in the dorms.” Camila’s voice was a little softer than normal.
As Nadya, Caspar, and Arielle rushed off, Camila stayed seated, playing with her salad.
Sage gave Camila’s shoulder a nudge on her way to her feet. “Come on, why so slow? You could find your very first Fallen.”
Camila nodded, head close to her tray. “I’ll catch up.”
Sage straddled the seat and peered around to meet Camila’s gaze. “I thought you’d be excited about this?”
“I am.” Camila swallowed and shoved a piece of chicken in her mouth. “I just need to be nourished, you know. Enough energy to beat a Fallen.”
Shaking her head, Sage collected her tray. “Okay, I’ll put this away and wait for you inside.”
She hurried toward the cafeteria, wondering what on earth had gotten into Camila. As she stepped through the doorway, she glanced over her shoulder. Camila raised her fork in a friendly wave, but her eyes told a different story. Sage couldn’t decide whether it was fear, sadness or concern.
A sudden jolt forced Sage back into the courtyard. She stumbled. Her feet tripped over uneven cobblestone and her knees slammed onto the hard stone. Her tray skidded along the ground, small bits of uneaten lettuce scattering around it.
“Watch where you’re going,” a voice barked.
Bright blue trainers stood on the ground beside her. She traced the body they belonged to, from the un-ironed gray slacks to glaring green eyes and unbrushed hair.
Mason glowered down at her and whispered, “Play along.”
The last thing she wanted to do was play along. She’d had her fair share of pretending already. Plus, contact at school wasn’t part of their deal.
She dusted herself off and rose to her feet. Checking around for any onlookers, she hissed, “What are you doing?”
“I just want to make sure we’re still on for today?”
“You could have texted.” Sage gathered her tray and stepped to pass him.
He grabbed her elbow, clutching tight enough she felt it in her bones. “I wasn’t sure you’d text me back. Did you get your dinner?”
“Yes.” Sage winced, wriggling her arm out of his hold. “You’re hurting me.”
His face dropped, all color washing away. “Shit, sorry. I forget my strength sometimes.”
“Just—” Sage stopped talking as Mason ran a thumb around her elbow. As his concerned eyes studied the marks his fingers made, she cleared her throat. “I’ll heal.”
It didn’t seem to appease him. “Sorry,” he said again. His thumb remained on her arm, grazing back and forth right below her elbow. “It doesn’t matter if you’ll heal. I don’t want to hurt—”
“Are you okay?” Camila asked, taking the tray from Sage.
Seeing Camila, Mason’s face folded in on itself, irate wrinkles forming between his eyebrows. He scowled, “Tell your clumsy friend to watch where she’s going.”
Eyes began turning to them, students whispering amongst themselves. That was it for Sage. Causing a scene was definitely not part of their deal.
She grabbed Camila, and as she rushed past Mason, she whispered, “I’ll meet you after school.”
As they entered the cafeteria, Camila let out a chuckle. “He’s a terrible actor. Pretending to bump into you just so he could talk to you.”
Sage shook her head and sighed.
“Oh my god.” Camila glared at Sage, finger pointing inches from her face. “You like him, don’t you?”
“I do not,” Sage said the words quickly before ripping the trays out of Camila’s grasp and placing them on the serving counter.
“I can see it in your face,” Camila said right behind her. “You turned a boy and now he’s your responsibili
ty.”
Of course he was her responsibility. There wasn’t much that Camila did to annoy Sage, but making light out of something heavy was her worst trait. As she brushed past Camila, she growled, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Camila caught up and playfully locked their elbows together. She tugged Sage in close and whispered, “Plus, everyone loves the bad boy come good.”
“He’s not bad,” Sage argued. “Just misunderstood.”
Camila’s laugh echoed down the corridor. “See.”
Chapter Fifteen
By the time Sage and Camila had gotten to AJ’s dorm, Caspar, Nadya and Arielle were leaving.
Nadya held a piece of paper in her hand and closed the door. Seeing Camila and Sage she waved the paper. “He’s in the delirious stage. We couldn’t get much out of him.”
“Not very helpful,” Arielle said, snatching the piece of paper and shoving it in Camila’s face.
Sage peered over Camila’s shoulder to see. Three names were scrawled in Nadya’s cursive handwriting.
Arielle
Camila
Mason
Sage’s heart flipped. There was no way she would let them chase that lead down. She scoffed, “Well that’s a dead end.”
“Not exactly.” Nadya tapped on a name. “Who’s this Mason guy?”
“He’s the bully, remember?” Caspar said, looking down the corridor. “I could find out his room number?”
Sage took a step forward to nowhere in particular. She had to move, she had to stop this before they followed that path. Almost spitting the words, she shouted, “He’s not a Fallen.”
Nadya staggered back, frowning at Sage’s urgency. Her eyes turned into slits. With that go-to judging face Sage knew so well, Nadya asked, “And how would you know?”
Glancing at Camila, Sage said, “After we saved AJ from him, I followed him to make sure he didn’t hurt anyone else. I looked at him, you know, with my eyes.” Sage half-shifted, quickly flashing her eyes purple, and returned to human form before her wings could sprout. Even though she knew she’d already put too much into his defense, she emphatically added, “He’s not a Guardian, he’s not a Fallen.”
The lie left a bitter taste in her mouth. From the glare Nadya gave, it almost seemed like she knew it was a lie, too.
Camila scrunched the paper into her fist and tucked it into her blazer pocket. “There has to be more people on this list, we need to wait until he’s awake properly.”
“I think so, too,” Arielle piped up. “And, as the leader, this is what I suggest. Around the clock protection. We each take turns sitting with AJ. It would only be five hours each day. Then, at least, we can see if anyone is lingering around and we’ll know when his mark appears.”
Caspar raised his brow as though shocked and impressed. “That’s actually a really good idea.”
“Yeah,” Nadya said, relaxing her stone-cold expression. “I agree.”
Arielle beamed with pride. “Good then, it’s settled. I’ll do the first shift.”
Sage should have been relieved that Mason was no longer the prime objective, but it was too close a call. His name was on the list and eventually, knowing Nadya’s stubbornness, that path would be explored. As though sent from the heavens, the bell rang to signal that lunch was over.
“Better go, class starts soon,” Sage declared, spinning on her heels and bolting down the corridor.
“Be cool,” Camila hushed, as they rushed across campus. “Your nerves will be your unraveling.” She pulled at Sage to slow down. “Now chill, and tell me… what are you?”
Sage slowed her walk. And through gritted teeth, she said, “I’m a bad-ass.”
As the final minute of the last class ticked over and the bell rang out, Sage remained at her science prac table. Vials of hydrogen peroxide and potassium iodide foamed in front of her and she stared at the bubbles, wishing the time away. Her aim was to avoid Nadya and Caspar. Their spying eyes were not wanted, especially when she was supposed to meet Mason.
After the clattering of footsteps in the corridor petered out, Sage made her way out of the classroom. She peered down the hall toward the lockers and decided to turn the opposite direction. Her science prac book was going with her to her dorm room today. She slunk out the building’s back exit and ran around the field toward the dorms.
Slowly sneaking around the back of the boys’ dorm, she eyed the girls’ dorm main entrance, checking for any sign of long platinum hair and steel eyes. Girls rushed in and out but no Nadya. She took sight of the fire escape along the far left wall. Her room was on the second floor and only two doors down from the fire escape window. A much safer option. She stepped out from behind the boys’ building.
“Whatcha doing?”
Sage spun around, fists already clenching. When her eyes landed on Mason, she relaxed. He was dressed in a casual black hoody with ripped jeans and those stupid bright blue shoes. And if she was being honest with herself, he looked nice. Hitting his shoulder gently, she said, “Don’t do that. I almost had a heart attack.”
Mason smiled, amused. “Sorry. But seriously, what are you doing? You look a little stalker-ish.”
“I’m trying to avoid someone... Nadya.” Sage backed herself against the wall, taking a quick peek around the corner. Turning back, she explained, “She’s been asking questions about you. I just wanted to sneak into my dorm without bumping into her.”
“She’s been asking about me?” Mason pointed to his chest, puffing up with pride.
“It’s not a good thing.” Sage glowered.
“Okay.” Mason shuffled to the wall beside Sage and his green eyes sparkled down at her. “So, we shouldn’t be seen talking here then?”
Sage tore herself away from his gaze. “Probably not.”
Mason moved closer, his head hovered to the side of hers as he looked in the same direction. At the girls’ dorm. “Want me to watch your six while you run between buildings?”
There was something about his proximity which made her nervous. And not in a ‘getting caught seen with him’ kind of way, more in a ‘he made her feel vulnerable’ way. Without looking at him, she nodded and made a run for it.
She bypassed the entrance and ran around the side to the fire escape. Entering on the second floor, she was careful to check that the hallway was clear before making a dash to her room. She’d gone two steps before her name was called.
“Sagey?” Arielle cooed.
It could be worse, Sage told herself as she turned around.
Arielle tapped her watch. “Are you right to start your shift in half?”
“Shift?” Sage asked, confused.
“For AJ? We need to keep watch on him, remember?” Arielle said. She gave a sympathetic smile. “You’re not really all in with the assignment, huh?”
“Oh, right. Sorry. I forgot.” Sage grimaced, trying to think of an excuse.
Arielle gave a sympathetic smile. “You want me to cover it for you?”
“Are you sure?” Sage asked, scanning the corridor. “I really do have things I need to do.”
Waving her hand, Arielle said, “Don’t even think twice about it. I’ll do two shifts, three even. I’ll stay round the clock to make sure he’s safe.”
The words gave Sage pause. She’d been so wrapped up in her own mistakes, she never stopped to consider Arielle would be feeling the same. He was marked under her watch. “You’re amazing.”
“No, you are.” Arielle pointed at Sage as she began walking backwards. She lifted her chin and yelled down the corridor, “Everyone, Sage is awesome.”
The volume on that petite girl was loud enough to wake a deceased dinosaur buried twenty feet below the ground. With eyes turning toward her, Sage ran to her room and swung the door open. She collapsed against the door, closing herself inside. She’d made it.
Sage changed into her favorite outfit—light blue denim overalls and a white tee. She pulled her boots on and checked herself in the mirror. Long scru
ffy purple locks wouldn’t do for a training session. She tied her hair into two side braids to tidy it up a bit. Pausing for a moment, Sage frowned at her reflection and wondered why she was worried about how she looked. It was only Mason. She leaned forward and brushed a swoop of foundation powder over her face.
Leaving the building the way she entered, Sage clambered down the fire escape. Alert and taking in every face that surrounded the area, she ran back to where Mason was. As she approached him, her pace slowed.
He had half-shifted. In public. He was facing the wall with his claws out, scraping into rendered brick.
“What the hell are you doing?” Sage scolded.
Mason jerked his head around, eyes glowing red. He opened his mouth as if shocked to see her and his fangs popped over his bottom lip. He blinked and returned to human form.
“It’s okay,” he said, peering over her shoulder. “No one is around this side.”
“That’s not the point. If I could see you, anyone else could have,” she huffed.
This boy was exhausting. He couldn’t stick to her rules. He was always too casual about everything. And his smile made her feel things she’d rather not be feeling.
Mason gave an appeasing grin, like a middle grader who’d been caught putting slime on the teacher’s chair. “I thought you’d be proud of me for teaching myself how to do it.”
Sage felt her mouth drop open. She’d been so worried about him getting caught, she’d forgotten she hadn’t taught him yet. Not many people were able to do that without instruction. “H… how?”
A sheepish smile hit his face. “Well, I got to thinking about what you said, about the Guardian taking over if I don’t control the shift. So, last night I kind of forced myself to sit until I felt the tiger close and called it forward, but not too far forward. Enough to grow fangs and claws. And I practiced it all night until it became a second sense.”
“Wow. That was quite responsible of you.”
Mason rolled his eyes. “Is that shock I hear in your voice?”
Sage shrugged.
“Well, it wasn’t all you,” Mason continued. “It reminded me of this time with my dad. He had to go on some assignment, he muttered something about his clan member getting loose and I never really understood it until you mentioned that.”
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