boot.
“What? Pants are black. Shirt is white. The blade stays.” I grinned wider. “Because I’m special.”
He laughed, a deep, scruffy sound that warmed me to my toes. “I think our dear Presby principal would miss me if I wasn’t in his office at least once a week,” he said. “He expects me, and I’d hate to upset him. Always thinking of others, I am. . . .”
My laughter felt good and a little foreign. “Right. Your dad told me you only have a few more classes before you graduate. You going to stay on after that?”
“Someone has to keep you in line,” he said. “My dad says you’re a good influence on me. I’m back in high school, going to attend Presby’s college. . . . You might just be his favorite person at the moment.”
“Always thinking of others, I am.” I repeated his remark with a laugh. “So, we’re cool with going into the library?”
“Yeah. My dad already let the teachers know you won’t be in class.”
Sebastian had left the GD early to talk to Michel before classes began, just to make sure I’d have access to the library and not have to deal with any red tape the other Novem heads might have thrown my way.
He shook his head and held out his hand. I took it like it was the most natural thing on earth, and it felt that way too. “Why the funny look?” I asked.
He pulled me toward the school. “I’m pretty sure you’re the only student who ever attended Presby armed.”
I laughed. “Please. Everyone here is armed. Just not with blades.”
The bell rang as we entered. Students hurried to classes, leaving us walking down a very quiet, echoing hallway. We passed classroom after classroom, the lone student or two, snippets of lectures from open doors, the hum of recitals and music lessons, and then we went up a set of wide steps.
“Ari,” Sebastian said, stopping as we hit the turn in the stairs. “I know I can’t go into the library with you, but whatever you learn in there . . . I can help on the outside. Athena screwed up my life too.”
“I know she did,” I responded quietly.
“And I know you’re the type who likes to do things alone,” he said, arching his brow. “It takes one to know one. But”—he grabbed my arm and pulled me into the corner as a group of students went by—“don’t run off and do this by yourself.”
Over his shoulder I spotted a few of the students throwing glances back at me as they went down the steps. I waited for them to disappear before I said, “She only wants me, Sebastian. There’s no point in anyone else getting hurt.”
He actually rolled his eyes. “That’s great. And you’re missing the entire point.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Hell yes, you are.” He grabbed me by the shoulders. We were deep in the corner now. Sebastian’s body blocked most of me from view should anyone walk by. He smelled clean—tiny notes of shampoo, deodorant, and laundry detergent. “If you think I’m just going to say good luck and wave good-bye as you go off facing Athena, you’re dumber than I thought.”
“Gee, thanks.” This was stupid. I understood what he was saying. That we were in this together. He had a stake because of what Athena had done to his father, and because he cared about Violet. He wanted in, and he sure as hell didn’t like the fact that I was the only one who had access to the library.
“You’re just going to have to trust me,” I said. I didn’t want him to get hurt, to be yet another person Athena sank her claws into.
And the bad part about it was that he knew exactly what was going through my mind. I pushed against him, but he didn’t budge, just gazed down at me, his jaw tight, red lips drawn into a firm line, and eyes smoldering.
I shoved harder, squeezing between him and the wall, and ran up the rest of the stairs, my boots pounding in time with my heart.
I went a few feet down the hall before I realized I had no clue where to go, which was totally embarrassing since I had to turn in the
“What? Pants are black. Shirt is white. The blade stays.” I grinned wider. “Because I’m special.”
He laughed, a deep, scruffy sound that warmed me to my toes. “I think our dear Presby principal would miss me if I wasn’t in his office at least once a week,” he said. “He expects me, and I’d hate to upset him. Always thinking of others, I am. . . .”
My laughter felt good and a little foreign. “Right. Your dad told me you only have a few more classes before you graduate. You going to stay on after that?”
“Someone has to keep you in line,” he said. “My dad says you’re a good influence on me. I’m back in high school, going to attend Presby’s college. . . . You might just be his favorite person at the moment.”
“Always thinking of others, I am.” I repeated his remark with a laugh. “So, we’re cool with going into the library?”
“Yeah. My dad already let the teachers know you won’t be in class.”
Sebastian had left the GD early to talk to Michel before classes began, just to make sure I’d have access to the library and not have to deal with any red tape the other Novem heads might have thrown my way.
He shook his head and held out his hand. I took it like it was the most natural thing on earth, and it felt that way too. “Why the funny look?” I asked.
He pulled me toward the school. “I’m pretty sure you’re the only student who ever attended Presby armed.”
I laughed. “Please. Everyone here is armed. Just not with blades.”
The bell rang as we entered. Students hurried to classes, leaving us walking down a very quiet, echoing hallway. We passed classroom after classroom, the lone student or two, snippets of lectures from open doors, the hum of recitals and music lessons, and then we went up a set of wide steps.
“Ari,” Sebastian said, stopping as we hit the turn in the stairs. “I know I can’t go into the library with you, but whatever you learn in there . . . I can help on the outside. Athena screwed up my life too.”
“I know she did,” I responded quietly.
“And I know you’re the type who likes to do things alone,” he said, arching his brow. “It takes one to know one. But”—he grabbed my arm and pulled me into the corner as a group of students went by—“don’t run off and do this by yourself.”
Over his shoulder I spotted a few of the students throwing glances back at me as they went down the steps. I waited for them to disappear before I said, “She only wants me, Sebastian. There’s no point in anyone else getting hurt.”
He actually rolled his eyes. “That’s great. And you’re missing the entire point.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Hell yes, you are.” He grabbed me by the shoulders. We were deep in the corner now. Sebastian’s body blocked most of me from view should anyone walk by. He smelled clean—tiny notes of shampoo, deodorant, and laundry detergent. “If you think I’m just going to say good luck and wave good-bye as you go off facing Athena, you’re dumber than I thought.”
“Gee, thanks.” This was stupid. I understood what he was saying. That we were in this together. He had a stake because of what Athena had done to his father, and because he cared about Violet. He wanted in, and he sure as hell didn’t like the fact that I was the only one who had access to the library.
“You’re just going to have to trust me,” I said. I didn’t want him to get hurt, to be yet another person Athena sank her claws into.
And the bad part about it was that he knew exactly what was going through my mind. I pushed against him, but he didn’t budge, just gazed down at me, his jaw tight, red lips drawn into a firm line, and eyes smoldering.
I shoved harder, squeezing between him and the wall, and ran up the rest of the stairs, my boots pounding in time with my heart.
I went a few feet down the hall before I realized I had no clue where to go, which was totally embarrassing since I had to turn in the
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