Page 6 of Exordium

“Why do I find your gesture strangely sweet?” I mused.

“Because it is sweet. But also, extremely sexy.” He waggled his eyebrows, adjusted his pants, and pulled me on his lap.

“How are you settling in?” I leaned my head on his shoulder and stroked his chest.

“It’s going good. You know how lovable I am, it’s the usual. Girls want me, and guys want to be me.” I rolled my eyes and pinched him.

“Hey now! There’s no need for violence. You know I only see your sweet face.” Nathan grabbed my hand and kissed the top of my head.

“Seriously, is everything going well? Do you remember everything we told you?” I snuggled closer breathing him in.

“Yes, my Nexi. Everything has gone smoothly. No questions asked after your dad enrolled me and explained to the Dean about accidentally stumbling upon our family.” He nuzzled his nose in my hair and kissed the top of my head.

“So, was the story about the blood test my mom conducted in her office believed?” I asked.

“Yes. We explained that I had visited her office for a physical, and after she got the test results, she researched my family background and found my Aurathion ancestry.”

“Fantastic!” I kissed his chest.

“Give me one more kiss, and I’ll return to my room... Pucker up buttercup.” I leaned my head back and gave him a kiss, and then, being the psycho he was, Nathan leaned forward and bit me hard in the juncture between my neck and shoulder, drawing blood. It should have hurt but instead sent a jolt of heat through me.

“That’s new.”

He grinned, showing slightly extended incisors coated in my blood. “The taste of your sweet blood on my lips is euphoric.” He groaned in ecstasy looking a little confused. “It seemed like the thing to do so I just rolled with it. I like seeing my mark on you, especially since I can’t claim you publicly yet. Until we meet again, Nexi mine.” He saluted me then teleported out.

It was just like Nathan to go with whatever he was feeling without question. It looked like we were dealing with another ability. I would need to contact my parents about this new development. I suspected some of the possessiveness stemmed from him knowing that we would be growing our Faction soon. I grew up in this culture, so multiple mates were the norm for me. Nathan had not, and even though my fathers had assured him on multiple occasions it would feel natural, and no jealousy would be involved, he was having a hard time with the idea.

I got back out of Precious and headed to the hall for check-in and room assignments. Hopefully, I got a roommate that was nice and not some snotty, assface. I had met plenty of those at the few Aurathion gatherings my family had attended. Entitled Passives, who believed they were better than average Aurathions just because they had powerful parents.

As I walked under the giant arched door and into the building, I admired the marble floors and the massive chandelier fifty feet above my head. A beautifully, curving staircase was in front of me with a railing made of the same black stone as the Academy. It had a gothic elegance that I appreciated. Signs were directing new students where to go, so I headed toward the register office. Pushing the door open, I saw a blonde lady behind an elaborate counter talking to a massive guy.

“You’re in dorm A, and your room number is 402.” The blonde lady batted her eyes and sent him a flirty smile. I could see why the lady looked so Twitter-pated. The guy had muscles upon muscles with dark hair that reached the top of his shoulders. Ifthe view from the front was as lovely as the back, any woman would be the same.

“Thanks,” Mr. Muscles turned after grabbing his packet and walked right into me.

“Whoa, sorry!” I exclaimed, realizing I had drifted too close, I was a little distracted when I realized goosebumps had broken out all over my body at our brief contact. When I didn’t get a reaction, I looked up and froze. Wowzah, he was H-O-T! All Aurathions were attractive, that was a fact. But this guy was at the next level: dark brown hair, deep brown eyes, full lips, all on an outrageous body. Also, damn, he was huge. Granted, compared to me, most people were tall, but the top of my head barely reached his nipples. He had to be 6'7″. I realized we were staring at each other without speaking.

“Hi, I’m Reverie. And you are…?” He stared a few moments more, then slowly backed out of the office, never breaking eye contact. When the door closed, I turned to find the woman behind the desk staring at me.

“Well, that was rude.” She didn’t respond and I noticed her gaze was trained on my face in confusion, “Do I have something on my face? Is it a booger? Oh shit, I’m so embarrassed!” I started wiping my nose frantically.

The blonde woman blinked, “No, but the pink princess crown sticker on your forehead is a strange fashion statement.” I blinked my eyes slowly, exited the office, and entered a small restroom I had spotted on my way in. Looking in the mirror, I saw the sticker on my forehead; peeling it off, I screamed so loudly that it would make Jamie Lee Curtis proud.

“NATHAN!”

After pulling up my big girl panties and returning to get my packet and dorm assignment, I headed to dorm B to check out my room. I was on the fourth floor in room 410, the last dorm. I stuck my thumb to the scanner, and the door clicked open. Iwalked in and was amazed at how big it was. I didn’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. My dorm had a central living room with heather grey walls, an oversized brown sofa, a glass coffee table, and a small kitchenette on the left side. As I walked further in, I saw a small hallway with two bedrooms off to each side with what I assumed was a bathroom at the end. The rooms had a small scanner beside each door that had initials on a plaque above it. The room to the right had my initials R.H. in bold letters. I saw C.M. on the door to the left. I sincerely hoped my roommate was a good match. I put my thumb to the scanner, and my door clicked open.

The smell of home put me at ease immediately. The fabric softener my mom used and a vanilla candle on the nightstand made me release tension I didn’t even realize I’d been holding. My parents and Nathan must have decorated my room as a surprise for me. They truly were the best. The large double bed was covered in a fluffy pink comforter that went well with the same grey walls from the living room. Pink and grey pillows were scattered at the top of the bed, and a grey throw blanket was draped at the end. Two small side tables occupied the space on either side of the bed with a pink lamp on each, a desk, and a large closet finished out the room.

I threw down my backpack with a few essentials: my blades, a laptop, a few snacks from Buc-ee’s (the best gas station in the world), and a photo of me with my parents that we had taken at the state fair. I looked around the room and realized this was my home for the foreseeable future. The next phase of my life was starting now, falling back on my bed I thought, bring it on!

Chapter 3

Reverie

Iwoke to a light tapping at the door. It took me a minute to remember where I was.

“Hey, roomie. I’ve got donuts out here from Java and Jam. Wakey, wakey. We’ve got some bonding to do.” A cheerful, feminine voice yelled.

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