Ceaseless (Existence Trilogy #3)(34)

“Why are you here?” I didn’t bother to announce my arrival.

“Because I owed you one,” was his only reply.

What the hell did that mean? I glared down at him, “Explain that.”

Leif shrugged. “Not much to explain Dankmar. You took Pagan from me. She’ll never remember me. I lost all I’d ever known and loved. So, I thought you deserved the same thing in return.”

He still made no sense. I knew Pagan was safe. He could no longer touch her soul. I held the life of her soul in my hands. “She never chose you. She chose me. You have no power here.”

Leif stood up and took a step back away from me. He nor his father liked to get too close to me. They knew their place in the scheme of things. My power was never-ending; theirs was conjured by the beliefs of humans. The weight of power lay heavily in my court.

“Let’s just say, we’re even now. If you’re lucky you’ll figure it out, but the damage is done. Goodbye, Dankmar,” Leif glanced at Pagan’s dorm one more time before he vanished.

His solemn tone was the only thing that concerned me. He seemed worried about something. Unsure. He only had feelings for one person. No one else weighed on his conscious. Pagan.

I had to find her. Closing my eyes I sensed her soul. It was hurting. She was in the dorm. I snapped my eyes open to find Gee standing in front of me.

“You’re in a shitload of trouble. I can’t figure it out exactly but I know it’s all kinds of f**ked up.” Gee shook her head and pointed back to the window of Pagan’s room. “She thinks you were doing the wild thing behind the library with some chick. She is positive it was you. The girl called your name out and you talked back to her. It ain’t pretty.”

Fuck.

“It ain’t like she is in love with you. Since she can’t remember who the hell you are but she obviously feels betrayed. She is spouting off about listening to her first instincts and how glad she is she found this out sooner. Rockers are shitheads and that you are scum. I think that about covers it.”

I sank onto the bench and buried my head in my hands. How the hell was I going to fix this? I’d made progress. When Jay’s soul started connecting with hers I was going to have the upper hand. I was going to have found a way into her heart again. But now? She thought I had screwed some other girl? Outside? When?

“When did this happen?” I asked Gee.

“She came slamming into the room about fifteen minutes ago. Calling you very colorful names I didn’t know she was aware existed.”

We’re even now.

Leif’s words replayed in my head. He’d been watching the window to her room. He had been acting as if something was bothering him. Pagan was upset. He knew why. He had done this. I’d taken Pagan from him and he’d returned the favor.

“Leif,” I said as I looked back up at her window.

‘What? You think that stupid voodoo spawn did this?”

I nodded, “ I know he did. He was paying me back.”

“Fuck that. I’m gonna go beat his ass,” Gee snarled.

“I need you up there with her, Gee. I need you to make sure she’s okay. Watch out for her. I’ve got to find a way to fix this but she isn’t going to let me near her right now.”

Gee sighed, “I want to go kick voodoo ass. Not listen to a bitching female.”

“Please, Gee.”

“Fine. I’ll go. But you need to think of something to tell her.”

I nodded, “I know.”

Gee left to do as I requested.

Chapter Seventeen

Pagan

Four days of dodging Dank and ignoring Gee when she attempted to bring it up was beginning to wear on me. This was stupid. I’d been on one real date with Dank Walker. I’d kissed him a few times and I’d fallen under the sexy charisma he had going for him. Every girl falls for a boy in a band at sometime. It happens. It’s life. You learn from it and move on. I was ready to do that. Why it had bothered me so deeply was beyond me. Except I’d never actually had anyone betray me. But was that really betrayal? We weren’t a couple. We’d made no promises. Dank could screw a girl outside of a building if he wanted to. I wasn’t going to be having sex with him. He was appealing. It was bound to happen. My pride had been damaged a little but I was ready to bounce back.

I had spent the weekend studying alone in my room. It was Monday morning and Dank would be in my next class. I’d smile and be polite and detached. No reason to act like anything happened. It wasn’t like he had called all weekend or texted me. I was sure he knew about my hearing his sex party outside because Gee knew. Unfortunately she’d been there right after I’d heard it so she had seen my immediate reaction. I really, really hoped she hadn’t shared that scene with Dank. I would have to pretend she hadn’t if I was going to face him today.

I’d gotten a little wrapped up in the romance of it all and that was my first mistake.

Opening the door to Calculus, I realized that last week Dank had carried my books inside for me. He’d brought me to class on the back of his motorcycle. I’d walked on the wild side for two weeks. It was time for me to focus. I didn’t scan the room to see if Dank was already there. I found an empty seat and focused on getting in it to keep my eyes from roving over the room. If he was sitting with this weeks flavor; I may have difficulty paying close attention to the professor.