A low murmur of approaching conversation could be heard outside, stopping abruptly as it reached the classroom door. Already waiting in silence, all eyes turned to Adele and the young man who had accompanied her. He passed a hand through his ear-length brown hair, his cheeks flushing slightly as he realised he was now the centre of some curious expressions.
“Very well, be seated there. Partner with Tess’s group and we can arrange an orientation after. We can discuss the other matters later.” Adele gestured towards the empty seat beside Ashley. “Tess, can you give Mr Mendel this term’s notes since he will be joining us.”
Tess nodded as the young man took his appointed seat and flashed Ashley a guarded smile. His gaze seemed to linger a little too long, causing her face to flush and an unnatural warmth to spread through her core as her vision fixed on his lapis-lazuli-shade eyes. This unnatural heat was a new sensation, clean, not like the cold pressure she felt when she was near an Atelís, or the icy caress of a vampire’s gaze. A warm sensation was something new, something she had felt from no one else her path had crossed. For a moment, she found herself drawn into his eyes, noticing the flecks of gold burning like embers amidst the brilliant blue as he looked upon her with something that seemed akin to recognition. A new heat flushed through her as she wondered if their paths had crossed before.
“Conrad,” he whispered, nodding his head in introduction as he took his seat, breaking the tether between them.
“Ashley, Tess, Jack,” she introduced, as Adele began to load the lesson into the digital screen. “Have you transferred from another session?”
“No, late enrolment. We just moved here last week.” She could see him studying her profile in her peripheral vision, but when she looked at him he lowered her head towards his notebook, a slight frown furrowing his brow.
“What do you think of our city so far?” Ashely whispered, her attention split between Conrad and the digital board, where the lecturer had launched into an explanation of cell mutations. There was something about him she couldn’t place. Whenever she felt strange feelings around someone, she always tried to discover what was behind them. Something told her being aware of who she was around was the only way to keep herself safe.
“Different to what I’m used to.”
“Yeah, it can be a bit much here sometimes. If you’ve no other lectures, I could give you the tour and transfer class notes. I’m free after this until work,” Ashley offered, glancing down at her digital notepad, making sure she had captured all the key points on the diagram.
“Sounds great,” he said, but she heard the slight hesitation in his voice.
“Lucky you. I’ve been pestering for months for some girl time,” Tess teased, flashing a smile that showed she knew her friend had sensed something unusual from this stranger.
“You’re welcome to come,” Conrad said, a little too quickly. “Far be it from me to come between two ladies.”
“Pass. I’ve got engineering mathematics after this. Next time, though.” Tess turned her focus back towards the lecturer as Ashley, while making notes, was still trying to formulate an opinion about the newest member of their study team.
Conrad smiled as he watched Ashley close her eyes with delight as the rich flavour of ice-cream teased her tongue. He had insisted, in thanks for her showing him all the best places in Overton’s city centre, that she allowed him to treat her at the dessert parlour. His offer seemed to spark a small internal battle within until finally, she nodded her acceptance.
“You weren’t kidding, this place is amazing.” He broke the silence almost regretfully, seeing how much she was savouring this treat. The way her eyes seemed to sparkle suggested this was something of a rare indulgence for her. If this was all it took to earn a smile so vibrant, he would bring her here every week. Except he couldn’t. For his own sake, if not for hers. Even if there was something about this rusty-haired beauty that stirred his other-self, as if that part of him called to her, knew her, he couldn’t allow it. He knew better. Besides, she was simply human, and that one fact ensured that no matter how he felt, they could never be more than friends. Never, he asserted. His stern thoughts didn’t change anything, though. His temperature still rose a fraction whenever their auras crossed, but no matter how desperately he tried, he could scent nothing on her that was causing him to react this way.
He needed to know more, understand the hold she seemed to have on him. It wasn’t right, it wasn’t fair. He should not be feeling this way. From the moment her eyes had met his, and shifted from their beautiful grey to the stormy shade of rain clouds, it was as if a tether between them had been formed. Her gaze was mesmerising, inviting him to reveal his every secret, and having been caught so unaware he had almost complied. His mother had a name for eyes like hers—witch eyes—although he tasted no magic from the air around her.
“So, what brought you this way?” Ashley asked. He found himself smiling at her innocent pleasure as her finger traced around the edge of the ice-cream glass carefully to ensure she removed every trace of caramel.
A shiver passed through him, his gaze imagining her touch upon his flesh for a moment before berating himself silently. What the hell was he doing? He was not one to be infatuated with another, and that’s all this was, infatuation towards the first person to show him any kindness after the hell he had suffered for so long. A relationship was the furthest thing from his mind, but she had only smiled at him and he was already in trouble. No, he asserted. He wasn’t willing to be make himself vulnerable again, to face another rejection, especially not from her. Not from the person whose disarming smile had made him feel as if he had finally come home.
He realised he was staring, and her question had gone unanswered.
“Mum’s work,” he admitted, tearing his gaze from her to the dessert before him. “She’s received a research grant from one of the centres outside Overton. It was too far a commute from our old territory, plus the place they’re renting us is amazing. She can work from home most days, it has everything.” He cringed, knowing he had overcompensated for the silence with too much information.
“She must be talented to be offered something like that.”
“She’s renowned in her field.” Conrad turned his penetrative gaze towards her again, watching the subtle undertones of her eyes shift as if they mirrored her every thought. “Why don’t you ask me what you really want to?” He instantly regretted asking, wondering exactly what he could tell her, why she filled his thoughts with such confusion and contradictions.
“I don’t know what you mean.” The blush that chased across her cheeks would have put the stars to shame.
“I’ve seen how you’re looking at me, how you’re trying to see me.” There was no other way to describe it; the intensity with which she beheld him felt as if she was trying to peer into the deepest region of his soul, to see everything he was. Everything he kept hidden. Worse still, that part of him responded to her scrutiny in a way he had never before experienced and he knew if she were to see him so completely, look beyond his defences, she would not like what she found. Maybe that was the answer. Perhaps he should let her; do away with the charade, scare her away. But then, why bother moving here at all? He closed his eyes, envisioning her gentle features twisting into hatred and disgust the way Rei’s had. His resolve faltered. Besides, she was only human, they were incompatible. Everything he was feeling now was because she smiled, because he had gone too long without an ounce of kindness from his peers. It would soon pass.
“I look at everyone like this.” She shrugged, tracing her finger around the glass once more.
“I noticed. What is it you’re looking for?” He inhaled, once more trying to sense any power she exhibited, but the only scent from her was the soft aroma of lavender clothes powder and the delicate fragrance of honey released from her hair as she shook her head softly.
Ashley looked at her watch, her eyes widening. “Gosh, is that the time? I should get going or I’ll be late for my shi
ft.” Seeming flustered, she gathered her things together, slipping on her jacket. He glanced at the clock behind the counter. Six o’clock. How was it possible for four hours to have passed so quickly?
“Is it okay if we talk tomorrow? I may need some more notes since it seems we’re studying along the same lines.” There was no hesitation in her answer, and yet he felt as if he had held his breath indefinitely.
“Sure. Tomorrow then.” The promise left a brief tingle of electricity hanging in the air between them. He wondered if she felt it, too, or if it was a torture reserved only for him.
Conrad watched as she left, finishing his ice-cream. He had never seen anyone so invested in their surroundings before. It was as if she kept vigil on everyone around her. He was certain even she didn’t realise the extent of her observations. As she reached the door, she held it open for a young couple, their eyes briefly meeting in thanks. He felt it again, the change of pressure from within himself as she glanced back and his whole self begged to be revealed, causing a dull ache behind his eyes as he forced it back down, back in its place where it would stay hidden. “What are you doing?” Conrad scolded quietly as he caught himself watching her walk past the window. He shivered, running his hands up his bare arms. He never normally felt the cold, so he wondered why it was that when she left, a chill had raced through him.
Glancing at his watch, he reached for his device, sending a quick message to his mother, confirming his enrolment had gone smoothly. She had been unnecessarily distressed about this move, but the anomalies here warranted further investigation. Not to mention they had been summoned; the pull of the dead had been too much for his family to ignore.
Emily strained against the thick leather cuffs, attempting to shift her body. Tears streaked her face as she fought, causing the single-framed bed beneath her to vibrate and its locked metal wheels to grind against the concrete floor. Her skin felt warm against the metal at her back, as it reflected back what little body heat still remained.
The scratchy sound of a hoarse whisper was all that remained of her desperate screams for help. Every muscle burned under the stress of her constant resistance. It could have been hours or days since she had awoken, time here had no meaning. She scanned the small concrete confines, deliberately trying not to focus upon the thick bindings securing her, yet still seeing the heavy-duty cuffs strapped to the thick belts around her waist and securing her to the bed. They reminded her of how she had seen her aunt restrained after her violent breakdown.
Tears escaped the corner of her eyes, while she forced herself to take in her surroundings, to look for something, anything, that could help her escape. Walls surrounded her and the only light came filtering through the single cage door on the furthest wall, although from what she could see, this room had lights, too. They were just off, creating a dismal image of being forgotten, abandoned, and alone.
Trying to focus on thoughts other than her own helplessness, she wondered if her parents were looking for her, if they had even realised she was missing yet. The thought caused a glimmer of hope to shimmer through the darkness. As soon as her parents realised she hadn’t come home, they would contact the Blue Coats, and this nightmare would be over. She needed only to survive until she was found. Help was coming.
A chuckle from the darkness behind her startled her. Its deep, resounding tone echoed through her body, causing the fine hairs on her arms to stand. “I see that glimmer of hope a lot in you wretched creatures,” came a gravelly voice from the shadows. Her strangled whimper seemed to please him, his lips turning into a smug smile as he moved from the shadows so she could look upon her captor. “You are falsely contemplating the notion that the Blue Coats will find you. Do you think we would go to such measures as to stage an abduction if we didn’t possess a way to deactivate your identity chip?” The words struck her like a physical blow, stealing what little breath remained. “Devon, add this one to our Black Card Menu for now.”
Another figure approached, entering the concrete confines through the steel door. Her body grew rigid in response to his eyes meeting hers. For a moment, everything was still, her body ceased its protest. For several long seconds as he walked around her, she felt nothing. Not the sharp pricking of her finger, or the probing of his fingers as he examined the area on her wrist where her chip had once been.
“FB+NM64V.” Devon read the figures from the device before discarding the tab he had affixed to it.
“We have had ample interest in the training and acquisition of a Lightning Flash. Let us see what we can do with this one.”
“Patch or pipette?”
Emily felt the moment Devon released her from his thrall. Her muscles strained as the resistance in her renewed.
“Patch. Start with micro doses and increase from there. We don’t want a repeat of the last Tabu.” The one called Devon nodded, casting but a dismissive glance in her direction as she felt the warmth of urine pool beneath her, soaking the off-white gown. “Have one of the underlings get the hose and attend to that first. It won’t do to have such odours lingering.”
Chapter 3
The weeks flew by and, to both his pleasure and distress, Conrad found himself studying alongside Ashley for many of his lectures. Those not with her seemed to, by some fortune, have either Jack or Tess in attendance, and so he had quickly found himself welcomed into their small group. A blessing and a curse. His infatuation had not passed as he hoped. If anything, her grasp on him increased as she became a shadow in his every thought, always present, haunting him.
Seeing Ashley each day was sweet torture. Every time her witch eyes locked on him he lost a little of his resolve to stay hidden. To his frustration, he adored her, everything about her from her messy rusty locks to the way she always found a smile. She worked hard and most days seemed on the verge of being burnt out, and yet she never once complained. She was everything his old friends were not, and part of him wondered if she would be able to accept him as easily as she did everyone else. He banished the thought as soon as it surfaced.
A silky voice beckoned him as he stepped from the faculty lounge, where he had once again refused Adele’s suggestion that he should consider changing his discipline. Everyone, in this academy and his last, thought he should follow in his mother’s footsteps, but that was not the future he wanted. He knew what he wanted—an image of Ashley surfaced in his mind—“No,” he growled almost silently before turning to see who had called him.
“A group of us are getting together at Michaela’s house tonight, will you come?” The brunette knew she was attractive; whether it was the nymph in her or just her own confidence, he couldn’t tell. But Conrad knew her type. She belonged to the popular cliques, just as he had in his last academy. He had been just like them, confident, outgoing, and always engaged in one activity or another, that was, until Rei had turned everyone against him. What had happened to her hadn’t been his fault, he’d had no part in it.
“So are you coming? I can send the invite through the—”
“Can’t. Sorry, excuse me.” He hurried past, head down. It was not the first invite he’d had to one of the social events; in fact, they seemed to come in an endless stream. No one seemed to realise he preferred his current companions, the genuine kindness. He would not repeat his past mistakes. His old friends had been popular, too, part of the clique everyone craved to be in. Friendship didn’t matter there, not really, or his childhood friends would not have turned on him so readily. Something had altered in him the day he saw their once-friendly expressions marred by hatred.
He had always been proud of what he was—proud of their heritage, their calling—but her words had cut deep and were echoed on everyone’s lips. He was a monster, an abomination, disgusting, unlovable. He had trusted Rei so completely. Yet she destroyed him and he had never quite found balance since. It was one of the reasons he was finding his growing attraction to Ashley so distressing. She haunted his thoughts, rekindled everything within him he thought he’d lost. He felt who
le, complete, at ease whenever she was near and such a pull terrified him. She was human, it could never be, and even if there was a way, he couldn’t face such rejection again, not from the person who had possessed his heart with a single glance, from someone who felt like home. To see her look upon him as Rei had, as his friends had, would be his undoing.
In a country where preternaturals were accepted without question, he wondered why what he was earned so much ire amongst his so-called friends. He had sworn never again. Never again would he reveal himself to another, never again would he be judged in this way. He could still see the fear in the eyes of those he had called friends before they turned on him. The popular crowds were fickle. This time, he would make certain he could truly trust the people he chose to associate with and even then, he would never show them his other-self.
He sped into the lecture room, not quite as early as he’d intended. His face brightened as he saw his friends deep in conversation, and the pang of disappointment on discovering Ashley wasn’t amongst them was buried before it could be noticed. Even he tried to ignore it. As he pulled his seat around to sit opposite them, his gaze flickered to the corner as his hackles rose and he recognised the heavy aura belonging to the vampires. They were part of the reason his mother had moved here. Not this group per se, but she had uncovered something interesting about this locale. Of all the country, this one territory had the lowest reported numbers of non-consenting preternaturals and PB affliction statistics, with the highest rate of missing persons. His mother was investigating if there was any correlation, while his father, a renowned Blue Coat, looked into the missing persons. The call of the deceased had been loud, impossible to resist. His parents had agreed to share information given that the chances were, with such combined statistics, there was a dark angel at work putting those suffering from unwanted transitions out of their misery. Together, they were certain to find an answer. His parents made a formidable team. His smile faltered as he caught the tail end of Jack’s sentence before his words stilled mid-word, as if not wishing to share his conversation. Normally, he would have pleaded ignorance, but the topic intrigued him.
Salvation's Kiss (Tales Of Mython Book 1) Page 3
