Page 17 of We Hunt the Night

I stare at him, understanding what he’s implying. It’s dangerous to talk about stuff like this. He whispers more words in Latin, and the sound barrier disappears, the world fading back with the heavy noise of everyone in it. He digs into his food with a grin on his face, which I’m not sure is real at all. Maybe there’s more depth to him than I thought, and I don’t know why that interests me far more than the flirty side of him. The depth, the mystery, the bond, goddess help me, all of it is going to get me killed.

Chapter 11

The weeks pass at Bloodstone like I’m living the same day over and over—my bonded ignoring me in class and following me around outside of it. Maz is the only one who speaks to me and eats lunch with me every day, often with Wini and Aster, sometimes with Rue. It’s the only part of the day I enjoy.

I look up at the leaderboard. My name is around the middle, thanks to the amount of coursework and bonus work I’ve been doing for my healing and history classes. It’s still not enough to climb to the top because the training lessons are pulling me down. I turn to look at the shifter leaderboard on the other side of the room. Aster is at the top, which makes sense with how high up Wini is on our board. My dragons are in the top ten though, and Vale is nearing the top of the board…even with failing the training class. How the fuck is he doing that?

My legs are aching from training because Tutor Den is making me work on my physical strength since I can’t get my bonded to shift and they won’t teach me combat training without my bonded joining. I take a step forward and pause, sensing a small creature. I look down, finding a watch lying by my foot. I lean down, picking up the leather watch and smile. “Is this agift?” I see the shadows in the corner of the room move a little, again those sweet cat ears poking out. It doesn’t approach me, and that’s okay. Everyone has boundaries. “Well, thank you. I won’t be asking everyone for the time now. You’re very smart.”

The creature is gone and I’m sliding the watch onto my wrist when I see something on the inside. I turn it over, frowning at the word.Tempusfinis. It’s Latin…and I don’t know what it means. That’s nearly impossible. I’m fluent and yet I can’t read it. I’ll have to see if a resource at the library can tell me. I head through the academy, knowing and trusting that I’ll find my own way to the library. Thankfully, everyone is at dinner around now and I’m not hungry, so it’s quiet in the corridors.

I open the midnight-blue door at the end of the corridor and step into the small library. I kind of expected it to be bigger, but it’s long instead and every bookcase is pitch black. The books in them are covered in thick rails and bars, as if they might drop out and run away all on their own. In front of the rows of books is a small half-moon-shaped silver desk, and an old lady is seated behind it, looking down at a book in her hand. She looks up, her blue eyes locking on me, and she waves me over.

“Good afternoon,” I begin. “I wondered if you had any books on Latin words. Not regular ones, but maybe rare and forgotten words?”

She sighs for a long moment. “Yes. Wait.” I blink at her sharp tone. She begins whispering a spell under her breath, and suddenly the rows of books shake, right before one book comes flying through the air, literally flying on its own, and landing in front of the woman with a bang. “No books leave this library. Read over there.” She points to a small table by the door. “Leave it on the desk when you go.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, because it feels illegal to speak as loudly as she does in this quiet space. She ignores me, and it’s kind of refreshing after all the staring. Maybe I should come heremore often. I was worried the stories Melody told me of growing up in the library would be real, the ones where she said it was horrible in here. It’s not. Against the madness of Bloodstone, this is peaceful. There is an open book on the table when I sit down, a book on the three faced goddess. One page is a beautiful art drawing of her in shades of red, yellow and black. The other is a bunch of poems and prayers to her. I almost want to read that book, but it flies up into the air the moment my butt hits the seat.

I open my book instead. I take the watch off, leaving it on its side to compare the unknown word with the entries in this book. Hours pass easily as I read, lost in the words that are not used in spells or the witch world anymore. Most are outdated or simply replaced for better pronunciation, but others are useless. When I get to the last page and know I need another book, I finally see it.

It is a word used for time. Practically the most important time in your life. I smile, putting the watch back on, only then continuing to read the book’s entry. “The word for time was replaced because using this in spells turned out to destroy bonds between our races. It was deemed too dangerous—” The rest is blurred out.

That’s strange. There are no spells to destroy bonds… Have I accidentally gotten close to what Vale wanted in the first place? I shut the book and walk out without looking back. I’m in a daze as I go through the academy and to my room. Well, our room. I’m not sure I like that we share a space, but they do stay out of my bathroom/bath bed. My back might hurt from sleeping in there, but it’s fine.

I walk into the room and pause. It’s been getting messier and messier as the past two weeks have gone on, but this is far worse than it has been. There must be a hundred weapons thrown about on the floor, as well as books and bedding left on the floor. It isn’t dirty; there isn’t food or worn clothes lying about,but it’s nearly impossible to walk through without accidentally chopping off my foot.

“Vale!” I shout. He’s sitting on the bed, polishing one of his swords.

“This is ridiculous. The mess is everywhere. I can’t even get to my wardrobe. Do you ever pick any of your shit up?” I snap.

“I need to know where they are,” he coldly replies.

No, he doesn’t. This is insane. He doesn’t need this many weapons. “Yes, but can’t you hang them on the wall, do anything about them? I’m sure the small creatures could help?—”

“They know better than to touch my stuff. That’s why they’re not helping. Learn. From. Them,” he deadpans.

“You scared them?” I snarl.

Vale lifts his eyes from his sword for the first time since I came in here. The room smells like them all, fire and forest, something earthy, and it annoys me that they smell good. “Don’t tell me you have a soft spot for them. I already embarrass you in every class. Do you want me to tell the academy you have small creatures as friends?”

I shake my head, and my cheeks burn. “You’re an insane bastard.”

“No, you’re a bitch, Hex. This is my room, too,” he growls at me.

I grit my teeth together and go back to my bathroom, where I plan to ignore him for the rest of the night. I open the door and see the bathtub is gone. Just gone. The shower is still there, with a new glass wall built around it with a door. It’s not big enough to sleep in, though.

“Where is the bathtub?” I protest, turning around and walking out. “You know, where I sleep?”

“Kane decided that you didn’t need to do that anymore, so he threw it out,” Vale explains, sounding bored.

“Fine, I’ll sleep in one of the other bathrooms,” I say out loud.

“I wouldn’t suggest that. He’ll get rid of all of them, and I’ll be more pissed at you. I like a bath.” He waves at the untouched bed I only slept in once. Never with them in the room. “Sleep in the bed. We like to know where our enemies sleep. We need to know what the fuck you are doing at all times.”

I look around me. “Where’s my bag? Where are my clothes?” I search for them, but my wardrobe is empty other than the uniforms. My heart races like a wild horse as I keep searching.

“Don’t ask me,” Vale yawns.

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