Page 27 of Shadowed Whispers

This entire situation is awkward. Never in all the years I’ve been here has anyone shown up at my dorm room to walk me to class.

“Right,” I drawl, letting the door shut behind me with a soft click that seems to seal my fate for the day. Stepping around Leo, I begin to walk down the spiral staircase. Most of the students are as awake as they can be at nine in the morning, their steps echoing in the hollow space, a symphony of the daily grind.

“What’s your major?” Leo asks, his tone casual, trying to pierce the veil of awkwardness that hangs between us.

It’s an innocent enough question that I don’t hesitate to answer. “Security. Cybersecurity.” I sip my coffee again, the bitter warmth a stark contrast to the crisp morning air.

“Coming from the girl with no phone,” he jokes, bumping my shoulder lightly, a touch that sends a surprisingly pleasant jolt through me.

“That’s exactly why I don’t have a phone,” I respond, smiling at the irony. The truth is, everything can be hacked. Everything. No matter the device. No one is safe, and I don’t need anyone knowing my secrets. The less I have, the safer I am.

“Not even a burner?” he asks, his voice tinged with genuine curiosity, attempting to make small talk as we step out into the courtyard.

It’s too damn early for small talk.

“Not even a burner.”

He grunts in response. The sun is already bright, casting long shadows across the brick paths, but there’s a chill rolling off the ocean, sweeping around my legs.

“What’s your schedule like today?” Leo asks, his voice carrying over the chatter of other students and the distant calls of birds.

“Ah…” I honestly only know what class I have first. Reaching into my bag, I pull out the small piece of paper that I’ve folded a hundred times. “Psych with Professor Blackwood, then network security before rounding out the day with discrete math.”

Matteo whistles behind me, a sound that feels oddly like approval. I look over my shoulder at him to find his dark eyes on me. It’s almost unsettling, as though he’s reading me like a book. Turning back around, I see Leo smiling down at me, his expression open and inviting.

“I’m an environmental science major.” He gestures at a far building I’ve only ever been in a few times. The science building. Well, to be more specific, the labs. Shadow Locke has a different building for those just-in-case moments where a student tries to blow something up. “Have lunch with me,” he blurts, pausing on the walkway.

“Lunch,” I parrot, because listen, it’s too damn early, and I am not firing on all cylinders yet. It’s going to take me until at least noon to wake up, and by then, I’ll already be two classes deep.

“Yeah, lunch. You know, that thing people do when the sun is at its highest peak in the sky?” He winks at me, and I can’t decide if he’s trying to make a joke or not.

See, not awake yet, which is probably why I say, “Yeah, sure.”

Those dimples pop out. “Perfect, I’ll meet you right here at twelve.”

Shaking my head, I turn toward my building, my little entourage following me closely. I don’t say much, but I notice students staring at me, their eyes looking from me to the guys at my back.

“For fuck’s sake.” I step off the path and turn to them. My voice is sharp, slicing through the early morning air as crisp as the breeze that toys with the edges of my sweater. “I’m good. You two can go now.”

Raising a brow, Leo sips his coffee. He glances at Matteo once before he turns back to me. I bet it’s full of cream and sugar. “Anyway,” he drawls, his tone smooth and unruffled, a stark contrast to my clipped irritation. “So, Frankie, have you always been into cybersecurity?” Leo asks, his curiosity apparent, completely ignoring my statement.

Rolling my eyes, I adjust my backpack on my shoulder, scanning the morning crowd. I’m enveloped by the hustle of students, their laughter and chatter blending into a cacophony that feels a world away from the isolation of my thoughts. I begin to walk again, feeling as though the entire moment is too surreal to acknowledge. Maybe I’m still dreaming.

No, I’m not, because I’m here at Shadow Locke and not in my foster family’s home or anywhere else for that matter—not to mention Bishop is nowhere near me.

“Yeah, sort of fell into it actually. Started with puzzles, then coding, then hacking. Ethically, of course,” I add with a small smile because that’s a lie—one he buys easily. The truth is, I got into it to cover my ass. I didn’t do it because I wanted to. I did it because it was necessary for survival and to erase my first foster father from this earth. I have no regrets.

Matteo’s eyebrows rise in amusement, his first real expression of the morning. It’s subtle but genuine, a flicker of intrigue in his usually stoic demeanor.

“What about you, Matteo? Environmental science seems like a leap from rugby.” I turn my attention to the quieter of the two. He looks at me, his head tilted to the side, and I wonder briefly if he knows I just lied.

Impossible.

Matteo shrugs. “I like being outside, and there’s a strategy to it, understanding ecosystems and predicting changes. It’s not that different from sports, really. You’re just playing a long game against nature.” His voice is calm and pensive, mirroring the patience of someone accustomed to observing the slow growth of the natural world.

Surprise flickers through me. That’s the most he’s said to me since I met him. Granted, I avoided them for two weeks straight.

Leo laughs. “He’s being modest. He interned with a major conservation project last summer and helped reintroduce a species of frogs back into their natural habitat.” Leo’s pride in his friend’s accomplishments is palpable, adding a warmth to his voice that makes him seem more approachable.

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