Page 29 of Escaping Hallow Hill Academy
Fuck.
It all collides within me as soon as the vow is spoken. His emotions slam into mine. Our cutting, surprised breaths slice into one another as too many sensations flood my body. It trembles through every single part of me.
But then something I hadn’t thought about makes itself known.
“I can feel your heartbeat,” Rueren whispers with awe and lust shining in his gaze. “It’s . . . it’s so strong.” His other hand pushes over his chest as his eyes close slowly. “You’re scared,” he adds on a worried tone.
Oh. My. Fucking Holy Lady of Death.
No. No. Nonononoooooooo.
I tear my hand from his and turn to look at Professor Sills. He seems oblivious to the emotions inside me. “Now, renounce the binding of souls to break the connection. That’s it . . .”
Murmurs break out of our classmates unbinding their souls.
My voice stutters through the words, and Rueren repeats them, his voice dark and steady.
But nothing fucking happens.
“Unbind yourself from me,” I hiss, loudly enough for it to sound like hysteria. Loudly enough to draw everyone’s attention.
“I’m trying!” Rueren grits out. “It’s not working.”
This can’t be fucking happening. I all but shout the words again and again, but nothing happens. I still feel his soul inside. Stuck, ramming against barriers and invisible walls of my own consciousness.
“Professor!” I shriek.
Professor Sills waddles over on his stocky legs, looking put out. As if he’s the one suffering here. Bastard. “What seems to be the problem, Miss Lucero?”
“He’s stuck! It’s not working!” Panic fills my chest, and I sense Rue’s tranquility inside, stroking as if he means to calm me.
I slash him a glare.
“Now, now, calm down, Miss Lucero. I am sure I can fix this.” He lets his fat palms hover over our joined hands, and he closes his eyes. A deep humming sound fills the classroom, and I wait impatiently, foot tapping against the floor, for him to break this unwanted bind.
Professor Sills furrows his brows. “Huh, I can’t seem to break it.” His eyes open, and his shoulders shrug carelessly. “Seems like the two of you are more compatible than you thought.” He turns.
“Where are you going?!” I demand, nearly choking on the words. “Unbind us!”
“No, sorry. I can’t. Your emotions are too high and your magic is too powerful for my own. You’ll just have to get used to it.” His tone says he doesn’t care and that this whole situation is beneath his pay grade.
So that’s it.
He’s not going to do a fucking thing to pull us out of the messheput us in.
I’m bound to the fucking vampire. If I didn’t trust him before, I don’t trust him now, and yet I feel him embedded into my soul.
“We’ll figure this out, ma chère.” His tone is gentle, but I feel anything but comforted. I feel suffocated. Dread. All these emotions threatening to drown me. Rue senses my panic and smirks, trying to make light of the mood. “At least now, we can dothe thingtogether, and you won’t have to worry about me betraying you because you can feel my intentions.”
It’s all just too much.
“I have to go.” I stand so fast, my chair slams to the ground behind me. My hands push over the notes, and I shove them all together in a mess of crumpled pages as I rush one foot after the other so fast that I stumble on the way out.
“Emmera!”
I run from the room and Rue’s voice. I run down the halls. I run faster and faster and faster. Even when I feel him at my heels, chasing after me, I run.
Until the door of my bedroom is safely slammed shut.
