Page 110 of Shadows of Nightshade
Unlike when hetriedto flirt.
“Are you ready now?” he asked.
There was darkness in a corner of the room—the overhead lights could only reach so far—and my attention lingered there—in the basement.
Now that Damen’s shikigami was gone, the space didn’t feel quite so innocent.
But basements were creepy anyway, especially this one. It was probably one of the oldest places in the original house, with low ceilings and muddy, dirty walls—plus, so many bugs.
I was just making myself paranoid.
“Sure.” I squeezed Damen’s hand. I’d never been one forphysical affection, this sort of touching was beginning to grow on me.
Maybe hugging, handholding, and maybe even snuggling weren’t such terrible things to do with the right people.
Damen walkedwith me from the parking lot to the corner of the library building. It was still very early—even the sweatpants-and-boot-clad overachievers who braved the eight o’clock classes hadn’t infiltrated the courtyard yet.
I could take a left and go to the science building, but if I went right—which was exactly my plan—I’d be able to stop by the coffee shop before the morning rush. That would give me more than enough time to down a few lattes.
Perhaps then the chill that’d settled in my blood might pass.
“You’ll be fine,” Damen told me.
Damen’s sudden reassurance surprised me, and I glanced at him as my thoughts turned from which coffee flavor combination to request first. He looked at me and squeezed my hand once more, smiling. “I know what happened is a lot to process, but don’t worry. You’ll be able to tell everyone soon enough.”
About which part? The two ghosts, the continuing mystery at Professor Hamway’s house, or the fact that I was the long-lost member of their fancy man club?
Who was I going to tell? Nobody would believe me anyway.
“Sure,” I agreed. I didn’t have the experience to argue yet, so for now, I would concede until it made sense not to. However, admitting to something of this magnitude was also sure to change the dynamics of my life and throw me into the public eye.
And that didn’t sound very pleasant. I was more than happy to stay in my little bubble.
“Don’t be scared,” he told me.
I nodded.
I wasn’t scared. I was hungry. His worrying had better not cost me the last cheese danish—only the luckiest and earliest customers got them freshly baked. Then I’d just be angry.
“I’m sorry. Things should have been different,” Damen continued monologuing as he gazed past me with a regal, unhurried expression. He was clearly not great at reading facial expressions. “We should be different. Everything would have been so much easier if you’d been with us from the beginning. You should have grown up with us.”
I fought the urge to sigh. What a time to be melancholy. “Maybe,” I humored him.
I mean, personally, I wasn’t sure what wondering would accomplish. That was over and done with. And if there was one lesson I’d learned in life, it was there was no point in lamenting the past. Cry once, then let it wash away. Bury your feelings, and then nothing can bother you.
A perfect example was of how perfectly I’d gotten over Finn. What happened last night hadn’t been confusing at all.
But even more important were my plans for the future. It was obvious that I was going to be around these men quite a bit, and I had a few things to figure out.
There was no order of particular importance, but first, I needed to understand my abilities. I had to learn about the fae. Then, second, was the truth of my biological roots—a subject I’d mostly ignored or avoided throughout my life. But considering that this sort of thing might be a potential liability, at least in my conspiratorial opinion, now was the time to learn.
I did not like surprises or potential weak links.
And third…
It was now even more important than before to become self-sufficient. And that meant that I needed money, and fast. But what were the most efficient methods of establishing a large income in a short period of time?
Still, Damen’s voice was strange. Why did his shoulders seem weighed down with guilt? Was he hiding something?
