Page 13 of Merciless Prince
“This is Shay Sinclair,” Killian said before I could speak. His attention was still on me, unwavering. It sent a shiver up my spine.
Against my better judgment, I found myself wanting more.
“That’s right,” I said. I tilted my head slightly to the left. “How do you know my name, anyway?”
“You told me when we met at my grandfather’s party,” he said. He was smiling again, only this time it didn’t meet his eyes. They were cold and devoid of any mirth. Nothing there but darkness. “How else would I know it?”
I briefly bit my bottom lip as I considered his answer. Earlier, I was certain that I hadn’t told him my name on the night we met… but maybe I was wrong. I drank a fair amount of champagne that night, so it was possible that I could’ve told him and forgotten all about it. Besides, he’d made it clear that he wasn’t interested in me after that evening, so it wasn’t like he had any reason to stalk me and figure out my name that way.
“Right. That makes sense,” I said. “Anyway, look… I’m sorry for screaming. I’ll keep it down if you do the same. Okay?”
“Sure. Anything else you need?” Killian asked.
On the surface, there was nothing strange or sinister about his words, but the dread I felt on the train station platform had returned anyway, wedging itself like a blade between my ribs. I felt certain that I was supposed to understand some sort of dark, secret message that he was communicating, but for the life of me, I couldn’t grasp what it might be.
“No. That’s all,” I murmured.
He smirked at me and closed the door. The music went down a few seconds later, and I breathed a sigh of relief. That was easier than I thought it would be.
Instead of going straight back to my dorm, I decided to head down to the admin building to check out the Student Services office and inquire about getting my code changed. It was still busy in the office, but not terribly so. Within forty-five minutes I had a new code, along with a renewed sense of security.
It didn’t last very long.
It was only a quarter to five, but it was already fairly dark outside because of the thick rain-swollen clouds scudding through the sky. The air was heavy with fog, too, which made it difficult to see anything ahead of me.
The path I’d taken was completely devoid of other people. So was the lawn around it. The cold, nasty weather had driven everyone inside.
Without any human activity in the area, the campus seemed eerie. Like something from a post-apocalyptic horror movie. Too empty, and far too quiet. The only sound I could hear apart from my own footsteps was the wind gently tossing the branches of nearby trees.
I sped up, certain that it was about to start raining again. Then I stopped dead in my tracks. Someone had just whispered my name.
Cold shivers raced across my skin as I peered into the fog ahead. “Cori?” I called out, wondering if she’d come looking for me.
There was no answer.
I bit my bottom lip and started walking again, figuring my brain was playing tricks on me and mistaking the wind for a voice. Besides, why would Cori whisper my name? If she were heading toward me and wanted to catch my attention, she’d shout and wave.
“Shay.”
Another whisper cut through the crisp air, and I whirled around. I definitely heard it that time. It wasn’t the wind, and it wasn’t Cori, either. The voice was too masculine.
“Hello?” I said, peering down the path. It looked like I was still alone, but I clearly wasn’t. “Cooper?”
There was no answer, but the hair on the back of my neck prickled anyway, and my throat went tight. It wasn’t just my imagination. Someone was following me. Whispering my name. I could feel it, deep in my bones.
Before I could turn back around, I caught a faint whiff of cologne. At the same time, someone walked past me, behind my back, in several heavy steps.
Panic rose in me, hard and nauseating, and for a moment, I was too petrified to move, mind filling with horrifying images from slasher movies about killers in white Scream masks. When I finally worked up the courage to turn around, I couldn’t see anyone behind me. Then I looked to my left and spotted a guy in a gray coat walking down a path that intersected with the one I was standing on. He must’ve crossed over a few seconds ago.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Not a serial killer after all.
I hurried to catch up with him. “Excuse me. Did you say something to me?” I asked.
The guy stopped and looked at me over his shoulder. “Sorry, what?”
“I thought I heard someone say my name.”
His brows drew together in a quizzical expression. “It wasn’t me. I just saw you walking over there and said hey.”
