Void(72)

He didn’t say yes, but he didn’t deny it either. “Work on your power. Appease the council. That’s what you need to focus on.”

“I am focusing on that,” I insisted, getting pissed.

“Good. Don’t let other...things distract you.”

I didn’t like the implication of what he was saying. But instead of drilling him on it, I switched gears. “You’ve been weird lately. Distant.”

He didn’t even try to deny it. His head dropped, and he kicked at the bannister with his shoe, making the wood thunk. “I apologize, Miss Cainson.”

The corner of my mouth tilted up. “Haven’t we moved past Miss Cainson yet, Mr. Selik?” I asked teasingly, hoping we could slip back into our easy banter that we’d once shared.

His lips parted in a smile, and relief flooded into me. “Well, I am your teacher.”

“Is that all you are?” I asked. I really wanted to know the answer to that question.

Instead of replying, he closed the distance between us and fingered the amulet hanging on my neck. His blood-red lips were pressed in a thin line. “You’re doing very well in your lessons,” he said quietly. “But the council will want more from you soon.”

I deflated a bit. The last thing I wanted to deal with tonight was more talk of the council’s expectations of me. “They always do,” I replied.

Banner let my amulet drop and then brushed my light blonde hair off my shoulder. A shiver travelled up my spine when he let his finger pause against the edge of my neck, his touch skimming up and down. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said quietly.

Gods, the way he said that made butterflies swarm through my insides.

“Thanks,” I said lamely, too caught up in the moment.

He swallowed hard, stepping away from me, taking his cooling balm with him. “I’d better get back.”

I nodded, and he turned and walked away, leaving me behind with more uncertainty than I’d had before. “Fucking men,” I grumbled to myself as I turned to the cabin. I just wanted this day to be over and for it to take all of the confusing males with it.





Chapter 18





Loud banging on my door woke me up the next morning. Afuckinggain.

I slept well, thanks to my active night, and the cabin had even been cleaned up a bit while I was gone. I wondered if the quirky necromancer was responsible for my new chair and blankets. There was even a stack of new uniforms folded on the dresser, too. When I got dressed, I found that the clothes were actually in my size, instead of those ill-fitting second hand uniforms I’d been wearing. But looking down at my legs, it seemed like the skirt was significantly shorter than what was regulation for the school. Either way, it was better than what I’d had, especially considering it had gotten bloody and shredded from the attack.

I was also feeling good about my new outlook. I let Render get me off last night because I wanted it. I no longer cared if he thought I wasn’t worthy of his odd cravings and attention. If he didn’t want me, fine. But I’d take advantage of the fun while I could. I was also going to focus on my powers. Not for my mother, not for the council, not for Banner. For me.

I opened the door, wearing my new uniform that I’d hastily pulled on, and squinted at the moody shifter on my porch. “What took you so long?” he asked as I flung open the door.

“I was getting dressed,” I mumbled, pulling at the hem of my skirt as I walked outside. The words were barely out of my mouth before Gritt was suddenly in front of me, blocking my path.

Startled, I looked up, and Gritt was staring down at me, nostrils flared, chest heaving, eyes flashing with reflective fury. “Did you touch yourself?”

I blinked at him in shock, my mouth dropped open. “What?”

He honest-to-demons growled at me, a noise so predatory that it made the hairs on my arms rise. He took a step forward, crowding my space. “I said, did you fucking touch yourself? Did you use your hands to rub your pussy until you creamed all over your fingers?” His voice was low, his breath hot on my face. He was every bit a dangerous predator. That, coupled with his dirty words, had my heart racing. “Because I could smell you all over the damn school. In the dorm corridors. In the dining hall. In the fucking library, which I’ve never even been to until today. Shit, I even smelled you in the godsdamned men’s bathroom, and you sure as fuck better not have been in there. So you need to tell me that you just like to get yourself off in public places, because if you’re fucking Selik all over the damn school, we’re going to have a problem.”

Outrage spurred to life inside of me, and I brought both hands up to shove him back. “How dare you. You don’t get to ask me questions like that, and you sure as shit don’t get to threaten me. Who the fuck do you think you are?”

He opened his mouth to answer, only to shut it again and let out another growl. He was obviously shocked by my new take-no-shit attitude, and it bolstered me.

“That’s what I thought,” I snapped. “We’re right back to where we started, because you can’t admit otherwise. So you have no right to talk to me like that. And for the record, I do like getting off in public places. But it was Render that had the pleasure of dipping his fingers inside of me, not Banner.”

I spun on my heel and started storming away, cursing the academy building for being so far.