Page 48 of The Stone Secret
Shar plopped a plate of crispy bacon in the middle of the table, and we all descended on it. The next few minutes were spent in happy munching.
Saffe and Waxen joined us as Touron was doing refills, and the mood in the room immediately dipped.
They’d been friends with Bax.
Bax was dead.
“Where’s your boss?” Shar asked Saffe. “He not joining you for breakfast?”
Saffe hung his head, and it was Waxen who spoke for him.
“Saffe isn’t hanging with the turd any longer.”
“I told him he could say what he liked. I didn’t care anymore,” Saffe said.
“What did he have on you?” Ginia asked.
“Ginia!” Palia frowned. “That’s none of our business.”
Saffe shot her a grateful smile. “Dayn was called in to see Carter this morning.”
“I hope he gets kicked out,” Ginia said.
“He won’t.” Curi entered the room, running a hand through his bed-head hair. “They’ll warn him, maybe, but guardians are too important to throw away without evidence.” He rounded the table to drop a kiss on my head and then took the seat beside me, throwing his arm along the back of my chair.
This time, my body didn’t tense up at his proximity. Instead, I played the part and leaned into him.
“A warning won’t bring Bax back,” Touron said stiffly.
“No. It won’t,” Saffe said. “He was my friend.” His throat worked as he wrangled his emotions. “I’ll miss him.”
A lump formed in my throat. “I’m so sorry, Saffe. But you’re not alone. You have us.” He looked up at me in surprise. “Look, I came here knowing I’d be a target. Knowing I would be treated like crap for being weaker, but I found friends that feel like family. We’re stronger together. We have the same goal. It makes sense to have each other’s backs.”
“Hear, hear!” Curi picked up my coffee mug in a toast. “To not being wankers.”
Palia winced but didn’t protest as we all echoed the sentiment.
“Shit, we need to get to class,” Waxen said. “I got to grab my bag.” He hurried from the room.
I drained my coffee, stomach in knots because the first class of the day was Supernatural Defense.
I’d be seeing Levi again.
* * *
I poppedinto my dorm room and checked on Derek. He was huddled in a corner breathing softly but didn’t wake when I called to him. If I wasn’t mistaken, his form had expanded. Again.
Melanie didn’t make an appearance when I called, so I headed back down to join the others on the walk to the main building.
Curi held my hand, demonstrating our ‘togetherness’ for all to see.
The campus was teeming with activity, training grounds filled with initiates battling it out under Farnell’s watchful eye. I caught a glimpse of Orix running between the masses, barking orders, but there was no sign of Serath.
My pulse spiked as memories from last night flooded me. The way we’d touched, his lips on mine. His cock in my mouth. A rush of heat left me momentarily breathless.
Curi leaned in to sniff me. “Fuck. You smell good.”
The hot, itchy feeling was back. “I don’t feel great.”
