“So, she’s safe at school?”
“No. But she’s safer.” Aym’s ears twitched, like a cat listening for a mouse.
“Why should we trust an imp? He’ll turn on us the first chance he’ll get.” Daggers shimmered in Beid’s eyes.
“He’d never do that,” I protested. “He’s never been anything but helpful to me.” I pinned a glare at Beid. “Unlike you.”
Aym tensed. “Someone’s coming.”
“Aris!” Cas placed a hand on Aris’ shoulder. Witchy clung to Cas’ arm, and Beid grabbed Aris’ wrist.
Lux paused, hand poised over Aris’ free shoulder. The muscles in his back twitched, as if he had to force himself to leave. At least that’s what I wanted to believe.
“Tell will get you back to school. We need to talk.” With that he lowered his hand, and they disappeared.
“Holy crap!” My heart summersaulted in my chest, and I reached for Tell to steady myself. “How did they- What?” Excitement bubbled through my veins. “That was… awesome.”
Tell laughed, and flicked the bangs from his face. “Anno. It’s brilliant innit?”
“What?”
“And there’s more.”
I broke into a jog, a chuckling Tell in tow. “More? Like what? Come on. I want to know.”
Bjorg was easily spotted where she walked, slowly, along the path, lost in her own world it seemed. Long brown hair swayed from a ponytail, eyes glued to the phone in her hand. She jumped in surprise when we came closer, and hurriedly shoved the phone into her pocket.
“H-Hi. Are you headin’ back already?” She looked so lost, her big tawny eyes flickering over the trees and bushes around us. “I lost track of time, I think.” She reached for the phone, but stopped, cheeks flushed.
“Yeah. Think we’ve done more than enough running today.”
I had, at least. Bjorg didn’t even seem to have broken a sweat in her hand-me-down gym clothes.
“Oh? Okay.” She joined us, forcing us to slow our tempo, so she wouldn’t fall behind. Skin crawled at the slow pace.
Come on woman, I have places to be, things to find out.
I shared a look with Tell, who winked at my desperate eyeroll.
I felt bad for Bjorg, she was one of those girls who just never got it right. So afraid to be a burden to anyone, she actually became a burden. What that girl needed was some confidence, and on any other day, I’d be happy to help her out with that, but today…
“Oh, for the love of… I’m sorry, Bjorg. Do you mind if I run ahead? I just remembered I forgot to tell Salma I’m not gonna make it to lab today.”
“No, that’s fine.” She almost looked relieved.
“Thanks. I’ll see you later, okay.” I wiggled my brows at Tell, knowing I’d leave him behind, but this was an every man for himself kind of thing.
Chapter 16
“Hey, monster. Where you running off to?” Kaito caught me slipping out of the locker room after my shower, and jogged to catch up.
“Oh, nowhere.” I reached for my phone, but stopped. “Hey. Could you tell Salma I’ll be missing lab?”
“I’ll let her know. What’s up?” He panted, trying to keep up with me.
“Just… a meeting. You know. Since I missed classes yesterday.”
“What? Altair wants a meeting for that? Doesn’t sound like him. Is something wrong? You’re all jittery, and weird. Okay. Stop!” He grabbed me by the arms and pulled me to a halt. “What’s up with you?”
I opened my mouth, but couldn’t bring myself to lie. So I closed it again. I should be used to lying to my friends, but for some reason it was always hard when it came to Kaito and Salma.
He bent his head to the side, brows furrowed. “Are you in trouble?”
“Mira?” Lux strode down the hall, water shimmering in his ash blonde hair. A white shirt clung to his chest, top button undone, a hand shoved into the pocket of his black slacks.
I just wanted to dip him in chocolate and lick him clean with the way the shirt stretched around his arms as the muscles tensed when he moved, the way his strong hand raked through his hair-
What the hell was wrong with me?
Kaito’s eyes drifted from me, to Lux and back. He let go of me and edged back, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his brows. “A meeting, huh? I get it.” He winked and flashed me a row of nearly perfect pearly whites.
“No, it’s not— “
I lost my train of thought when Lux wrapped an arm around my waist.
“You ready?” He pulled me close, and I forgot what I was saying, and doing. My brain exploded in rambling confetti.
“Yeah. Sure. I guess. I’m… Yeah.” Lux turned us around, and I waved to Kaito over my shoulder, the gleeful expression on his face followed me all the way to the admins office. Lux released me as soon as the door closed behind us, I stumbled.
“Wha’d you do that for?” I grumbled, heat crashing to my cheeks. He just raised a brow in answer, a mocking smile spread along his lips. I threw my hands over my chest and glared back at him.
Cas and Witchy sat in the lounge chair. Tell leaned against the desk, and played with the rings on his fingers, the chains on his pants jingled when he shifted positions. Aris placed his wide frame in the office chair.
One chair remained, and Lux gestured for me to sit. He leaned his hip against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. I hesitated, the seriousness of the group didn’t sit right.
“Do you have any questions?” Cas asked after I’d slowly maneuvered into the seat.
“Yeah. Why do I have to protect this thing?” I shuffled the chair around to face him, well aware of the daggers hurled at me from Witchy.
“Stars and demons can’t touch the key.”
“That’s good. If I’d known that I’d just locked it in a safe and been done with it.”
“It’s not that easy.”
I groaned. “Oh, it never is, is it?”
“Both sides can manipulate humans to steal the key. That’s why it’s important for you to never let go of it. Ever.”
“Wow, okay.”
“Sorry, but we’re running out of time, now that he’s sent demons. We’ve set you up in your own room. Altair has made all the necessary arrangements to make sure there’s one of us in class with you at all times.”
“Altair?”
“He’s one of us.”
“Really?” I tried hard to imagine him as a cool and powerful being, but all I saw was the time he fumbled and dropped Miss Lyra’s birthday cake on the floor.
“You’ll have one of us guarding you at all time, even during the night.”
“What? You’ll be sleeping with me?”
“It’s a necessity, the threat has escalated, and we have to make sure you’re safe.”
“Ya might wanna get a chastity belt for that one.” Tell hoisted a finger toward Lux, who huffed, and shook his head.
“Not my type.”
Ouch!
“We all know the rules. I trust you’ll follow them.” Cas took a moment to glare at each and every one in the room.
I slipped a hand into the air, and fought a smile. “I don’t… know the rules, I mean.”
“You don’t have to know them.” Aris chuckled from behind me.
“Okay, then.” I lowered my hand, eyes drifted to Lux, who replied to my unasked question with an arched brow, and a mischievous curl of his lips.
“We’ve already moved your things. Beid will take the first watch.”
I groaned at the mention of him. The thought of having to spend an entire night being watched by that ass made me look forward to a root canal.
“Rigel will oversee every shower— “
“Hold up!” I slammed to my feet, cheeks flushed. “I’m not, I repeat, not gonna have someone watch me in the bathroom. No way, no how. That part you can forget about, right now.”
“Don’t worry. Rigel can’t see you— “
“No way, no how.” I clenched my fist
s, and gritted my teeth. “If it’s that important to keep me protected twenty-four seven, then let Aym do it. He’s done it until now, and he’s done a good job too.”
“We can’t risk having an imp around you.”
Witchy scooted closer to Cas, her face wrinkled like one of those flat nosed dogs. “If she doesn’t want to be protected, why are we even bothering? We should be down there, fighting. Not babysitting a human.” She spat out the word human, like it was poison.
“Caroli? You know that’s not an option.”
I pointed to her, and couldn’t believe what I was about to say. “I agree with her.”
“Schhh!” Tell put a finger to his lips, and the room fell eerily silent. “Hear that?”
Everyone strained to hear whatever sound he’d registered.
“Hell just froze over.” He started laughing, nodding with pride at the lame joke. A collective groan filled the room.
“It’s decided. Aym’s gonna keep watch during nights and bathroom… Stuff.” I brushed my hand together, showing I was done with the discussion, and stalked over to the door. “Where’s my new room, I need to move my things.”
“That’s already been taken care of. Aris will take you to your new one.”
“Oh, right. I forgot. Wait?” I paused at the door, hand on the handle. “I haven’t asked you about that thing… The thing Aris did, when you all went poof.” I batted my lashes at Aris. “Can we do that?”
He beamed, but sent a silent question to Cas, who nodded. I bounced, joy bubbling through my stomach.
Chapter 17
Ten minutes later, after something other than joy had bubbled through my stomach, I stumbled out of the bathroom wiping the water from my mouth. “Not doing that again.”
Aris bent his head. “Sorry. It’s different for humans I guess.”
I leaned on the doorframe, head still pounding after the ride with Aris. Who knew teleportation could make you so queasy?
“Hey, Aris? I have a question.” I dragged my feet across the floor and toppled on the bed. “What happens with the key if I die?”
“Uhm…” His cheeks flushed, and he wiped his hands against his thighs as his eyes swept across the room. “I… uhm…”
“It’s okay. It’s just… mom killed herself. To protect me. She thought, that by dying, the key would go with her, but it didn’t. It just appeared on my nightstand the morning after, even before the police knocked on the door.” I rolled to my side and propped my head on my hand. “I hid in the stairs when Gran opened the door. I didn’t understand at first.”
He sank into the recliner, his big hands resting on his knees. “I’m sorry.”
Darkness tumbled through my chest. “Who’ll wake up to have their life ruined if I die?”
“We don’t know, and neither did your mom. She thought you’d be free.”
Eyes raised from the thread on the duvet I had rolled around my finger. “How do you know?”
“She told me.” He sighed, and refused to look at me.
“She told you? When?” Pins and needles tumbled through my body. My heart fought the tightness in my chest with every beat. “Aris?” I slid my feet off the bed. “Aris?” I stomped the floor. “Aris!”
He hitched his eyes to mine. They shimmered, and he blinked rapidly. “I’m sorry.” He shook his head, his lips trembling. “I was supposed to protect her. I couldn’t.”
“Oh. Aris.” I padded over the floor, kneeled in front of him, and clasped his hands. His heavy frame shook in deep sobs. “It’s not your fault. Okay?” I caressed his cheek, and bent my head to catch his eyes. “If anything, it’s dad’s fault for giving her the key in the first place. Aris. She made the choice.” With brutal force, I slammed another brick onto the wall around my emotions. No time to feel.
It took the big guy several minutes to calm down enough to be able to talk again. I went to the bathroom to get him some tissues, and he blew the reveille like a frickin boss.
“Better?”
He nodded. “Thank you.”
“Hey, you listened to me hurl, I figured I owed you one.”
He snorted, inhaling a trembling breath. “I feel horrible. I shouldn’t have...”
“Pfft. I was three years old, I barely remember my mom. Gran’s got a lot of pictures of her. That’s how I recognized her in the vision.” I sat down on the floor.
“Yes, Lux… Wait. Vision?” His brows winched up.
“Yeah. Had this vision of her, in the war.” I scooted over to the bed, and leaned against the side of it. “Aym explained about the war. He also talked about getting mom back. Using a portal in the woods.”
“Have you told Cas about it?” Aris got to his feet.
“No.” I ripped a piece of unused tissue between my fingers and curled it into little balls, tossing it across the floor. “Why?” Used to being on my own, it never occurred to me to share what happened with anyone.
“Come on. We need to tell him.” He offered me a hand and pulled me to my feet when I took it.
“Why? Lux was there. He probably told him.”
“Told him what? Lux and Cas might be brother’s, but they…”
“But they, what?” I followed an excited Aris to the door.
“Let’s just say they don’t talk much.” Aris tugged the door open, and was greeted with a closed fist, primed to knock.
Salma inched back at the sight of Aris and his puffy eyes, and her attention drifted to me, the question clearly plastered across her oval face.
“Oh? Hello.”
I patted Aris on the arm. “Go tell Cas, I just need a minute.”
He hesitated. “But— “
“No buts. I’m okay.”
He nodded, and shuffled past Salma, who edged into the room. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”
“You didn’t. Sorry. I didn’t get a chance to talk to you before they moved me.”
“Imagine my surprise when I came back after class, and find all your things gone. I thought something had happened. You didn’t come back after gym, but Kaito said he saw you… with Lux.”
“Yeah… about that.”
“Are you dating? Is that why you moved? To get some privacy?”
I threw my palms in the air. “Woah. No. God no.” I wish. “It’s… I can’t explain.”
She twisted her hands around each other. “Are you okay? I worry. I know you lied about the cramps, and I waited for you to explain, but then we never got a moment alone. I’m just going to ask, and don’t get mad.” She paused, bit her lip, inhaled and blurted out. “Are you pregnant?”
“What?” I snorted in surprise, and hugged her. “No. No, no, no.” I held her out on straight arms. “But, god I love you for asking.”
“Don’t laugh at me. I was worried.”
“Sorry, mom.” I hugged her again, and pulled her to the bed. We sat down, hands still connected. I wished I could tell her what was going on, but I couldn’t. “I’m not pregnant, or even dating. I swear. I’m…” I chewed my lip. Lying to Salma was not something I wanted to do, but with my secrets threatening to spill into my friends' lives, I had no choice. “I… You know… Guys?”
She nodded and swallowed hard. “And that’s all?”
I pushed a stray strand into her hijab, and smiled. “Yeah. I didn’t want you to feel like you couldn’t relax. I remember how hard it was on you when I was dating Daniel.”
“It wasn’t that bad.” She smiled.
“Oh, please. I know it was.”
“So? Nothing else. Just guys?”
I nodded, and bounced to my feet. “Hey. We should head to class, right? I bet Kaito has some equally radical theories about what happened.”
Chapter 18
I was right.
“You’re not dating?”
“No.”
“But--”
“No.”
“Why not? You like him, right”
“Oh, my god, what is this? High school?”
I slammed
the book shut, and glared at my friends. “Give it a rest. I’m not sleeping with anyone, I’m not dating, and I’m not pregnant.”
Kaito turned to Salma. “You?” She nodded in reply. “Sound theory.”
“Really? Really?”
“Who knows with you?”
“Are you calling me an idiot? You of all people know I use protection, always. Not that there’s been much since Daniel, but still.”
“So, there has been some?” The sensational glow in his eyes took the edge off the tension.
“Maybe.” I smirked.
Kaito’s jaw dropped, eyes like saucers. “And you didn’t tell me?” His outburst caught the attention of the entire class.
Miss Lyra cleared her throat, and tapped a pen against the whiteboard. Salma snapped her head to her note book, and started writing. Kaito leaned closer to me and whispered, “You need to tell me everything. Oh, and is it just me, or is Beid being weirdly fixated on you?”
I lifted my eyes and met Beid’s scowl. “I think he is. Maybe he likes my new lipstick.”
Kaito looked down at my lips. “But you’re not wearing any.”
“Maybe he wished I did,” I whispered, a smile tugged at the corner of my lips. This wasn’t going to work for long. Kaito would dig until he found the hidden treasure. Beid’s obvious staring was ruining everything. I found myself wishing that he’d go back to tormenting me instead. I thrust air between my lips when Kaito poked me in the back with his pen.
“What?” I hissed, and spun on my chair.
“Geez, calm down,” he snarled. “Who pushed you on the mood swing today?”
“Sorry. I just need to focus.” I started to turn back.
“That’s it. I know something’s up when you want to study.”
“Nothing’s up.”
“Yeah? So, what’s with the snapping?” he whispered.
This was getting out of hand. Kaito wouldn’t rest until he knew who I planned on seeing, and why I had to switch rooms to do it.
“Mira?” Cas' voice lured the hairs on my neck to rise. I twisted in my seat. He stood in the door, hand resting on the doorframe, his mismatched eyes building to a storm.
Before Limbo (After Life Book 1) Page 7
