Page 11 of Mortal Blood
“Alright, alright, I’m going. Geez.” I pried myself from the wall and pulled open the door. “And Ling? Thanks.”
The corridors were busier now, which came as no surprise—students would have been arriving throughout the afternoon in preparation for the start of the semester tomorrow. And if you told me last year that that would be the least of my problems, I’d have called you a liar. If you told me I’d be all tied up in knots at the idea that my fated mate might have had a change of heart about me, I’d have laughed in your face. And yet, here I was, and I didn’t feel much like laughing. Ifeltlike a woman headed for the gallows and actually I was starting to think that might have been preferable. Death was one thing, but I didn’t think that I could deal with rejection all over again. I kept my head low, and if I was traipsing along the corridors at a snail’s pace, it was only because I didn’t want to bump into any of the students and inadvertently start a war. We’d all come close enough to that last semester, and I didn’t much care for a repeat.
Then I collided with something solid.
“You might want to watch where you’re going, pet. This is becoming a tradition.”
I swallowed hard as Davorin’s imperial tones washed over me. Shit. So much for not bumping into anyone…and of all the people to bump into, it had to be the fae prince with a penchant for compelling people. And by people, I meant me. Great start to the semester.
“You know, you have a point. Maybe we should just make more of an effort to avoid each other.”
“Aw, and here I was thinking that you’d missed me.”
“Yes. Ritual humiliation is exactly what has been missing from my life these last two months.” My stomach churned abruptly as I thought of the last two months…that I’d spent with Cole. Cole who might not want me now… No. I had to go and find him, and get to the bottom of this, now. I cut across whatever Davorin was saying. “You know what? Let’s try for a new tradition. I’ll pretend I don’t know you, and you can do the same.”
I brushed past him and made it two steps down the corridor.
“Stop.”
I ground my teeth together as my feet came to a halt of their own volition.
“That wasn’t very polite, pet.”
He circled round to stand in front of me.
“And besides, there’s a flaw in your new tradition.”
“Oh?” I rolled my eyes. “Please, oh mighty prince, enlighten me.”
Something heated flashed through his eyes at my words, butwas gone before I could pinpoint it.
“This time last year youdidn’tknow who I was…and look how wellthatended for you.”
He had a point, loathe as I was to admit it. Pissing off a fae prince on my first day in the academy had not been amongst my smartest moves last year. It hadn’t been amongst my dumbest, either, so there was that. Still, in the interest of avoiding that whole ritual humiliation thing, it might be best to try out a new tact.
“You know how we finished up last semester, you know, not actively trying to kill each other? Any chance we could pick up there?”
“Where’d be the fun in that, pet?”
Tension rattled across my shoulders. I didn’t have time to be trading smart words with this idiot. What I needed was to find Cole.
“For once in your life, would you just leave me alone?” I snapped. “I don’t want to play your stupid games. I don’t want anything to do with you!”
Anger marred his perfect face, and he leaned in close.
“Well, that’s too bad, pet, because I’m not done with you yet.”
He caught a strand of my straight black hair between his thumb and forefingers, skimming it with his nose before tucking it behind my ear. I resisted the urge to bite his fingers on the grounds I was pretty sure he’d do something to me ten times worse—like make me parade around the academy naked.
“Not by a long shot. So be a good little pet and run along, and I’ll catch you later.”
He straightened with a smirk and walked away, leaving me staring in his wake. Well, that had been easy.
“Are you checking out that fae’s ass? Because I think your mate would have something to say about that.”
I twisted round, cursing my lack of supernatural senses, to see Thaden watching me with an amused expression playing across his lips. I rolled my head back in a silent appeal to the heavens.
“Great. Just what I need. Another jackass.”
