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“What is it that you want anyway?” I asked.
“I want to work at Jinshu Security.” Cory moved his arm up and looked at me. “You’re buddy-buddy with the Xing. Put in a good word with Titus.”
I choked on a laugh, turning it into a cough instead.
He’d already gone on one date with Bianca, and it seemed like he was planning to keep asking.
Having Cory and Titus in the same place probably wasn’t the best idea.
“Then stop bugging Bianca,” I told him. “It doesn’t matter if you’re being nice, or if you’re picking on her. Leave her alone in every aspect.”
“I can’t do that.” Cory’s smug expression dropped. “How else are we supposed to be married?”
Oh, for the love of God.
“You’re not marrying her.” It was getting harder to remain patient, but it was growing increasingly obvious that Cory just lacked common sense.
“Shut it.” Cory frowned at me. His skin was beginning to tinge green, but that probably had more to do with withdrawals than this discussion. “You just want to marry her.”
Before I could stop myself, I snapped, “She’s not allowed to get married.”
Cory and Drew, who’d been silently standing at the foot of the bed as he followed the conversation, looked at me curiously. My heart lurched as I realized my slip. They might not be able to put two and two together, but I had still made a huge mistake.
My skin grew hot, and I glared out of the window, trying to steer the subject back to something safe. “She has an overprotective family,” I added. “Just focus on getting through school and your internship—I’ll talk to Titus.”
It wasn’t like the dragon would listen to me, and this promise should keep Cory busy.
“Oh—” Cory’s skin was definitely off-color, and his eyes had glazed over. “—good. Thanks.” Then, without another word, he rolled off the bed and pulled up the trash can. I turned away just in time, but the sound of his retching still made my own stomach churn.
Once the noise finally tapered off, Drew cringed before grabbing a folded washcloth, wet it in the freestanding sink, and tossed it at the bed behind me. There was a shuffling, and I tried to ignore the sour smell as the bed squeaked.
“Thanks, Abernathy,” Cory was muttering, and I looked over my shoulder. He was on his side, towel over his face. “I just don’t have the energy right now—let me do this first.”
I studied him—he did sound a little better.
It only took a few seconds before he dozed off. I was slightly jealous—because why could I never fall asleep so easily?
“Abernathy—” Drew said suddenly, not looking away from his sleeping friend. “—I think you should get to Brosnan.”
The room suddenly grew colder. “Why?”
“He did come to school today,” Drew ventured. There was a short pause before he added, “Cory reamed into him about how he’s been with her. He got angry and took off. I don’t know where he went.”
He… Adrian? A feeling of dread passed through me.
“Adrian is my friend,” Drew said in a low voice, “but he’s not himself. I’d never seen him like that before. I don’t think he’d do anything too stupid, but—”
I left, not even staying to hear the rest of Drew’s warning—at that moment, every debt that he’d ever owed me had been repaid. I knew how much it had taken for him to say anything at all.
The last bell had already rung while Cory was puking his guts out—which meant that Bianca should, by now, be waiting by my car.
‘I’ll go see,’ Kiania said, and I whistled, bringing her here. She moved past me, bounding down the hallway, before disappearing from sight.
I felt a brief swell of gratitude toward the shikigami—even though she neverhadto do it, Kiania had always, inevitably, helped me keep an eye on Bianca.
I headed back to the locker rooms, which were in an adjoining hallway to the pool. Bianca should have been long gone from there by now, as she didn’t have to linger in order to change.
But just in case.
