Page 67 of Twisted Ties
“I’m not leaving the school,” she insists. “It’s gone now, hasn’t it?”
I peer at my friend. “It hasn’t been found, but York will be doubling security as we speak.”
“I’m not leaving you here with that thing still out there, especially if we don’t know whether it was sent to kill you or not.”
Rhi’s gaze falls to the floor. “I don’t think it was going to kill me. If it was going to, I don’t think I’d be standing here with my throat intact.”
I think of those scrape marks on her throat. I see the beast’s face in her mind’s eye.
“Does Marcus Lowsky have weapons like werebeasts?” I ask.
“Lowsky has all sorts of weapons,” Azlan says dismissively. “I’m not leaving you here alone and unguarded.”
I try not to bristle at his words. I was there, right there,saving her neck. I healed her wounds. I am looking out for her, despite my own best goddamn interests.
“I’m not leaving,” she says again with even more force this time.
“Then I guess I’m staying,” Azlan says, glaring right back at her.
“I thought the Chancellor is sending you out West?”
“West?” Rhi says.
“Not yet.”
“Fuck,” I say. I’ve never known Azlan be so dismissive about an order before. “Did you not hear me say the principal will be doubling security? York won’t let you stay, Azlan.”
“She doesn’t have to know about it.”
“You don’t exactly fade into the background, man.”
Rhi giggles and goddamn it, if that cold-hearted bastard doesn’t smile right back at her. I might actually vomit.
“Stone’s right,” she says. “You don’t and I’m in enough trouble as it is.”
“This isn’t a negotiation,” Azlan says.
“And you don’t get to tell me what to do.”
I sigh. “You can stay with me, Azlan.” My friend nods, then opens his mouth to speak. “No, Miss Blackwaters cannot stay at my place too, so don’t even ask.”
I frown and march towards the door. I may be his best friend. I may be prepared to do a lot of things for that man. But listening to the two of them going at it in my guest room, no. No way.
22
Rhi
We followStone out of the mansion and onto the path. The campus is eerily quiet and I’m assuming everyone has been ordered to their rooms.
When we hit the gravel path, we part ways, Stone walking on alone and Azlan and I walking towards my dorm.
“You’re really okay, Rhianna?” he asks, when we reach my building. My name in his mouth sounds oddly tender, like maybe he really does care about me, and isn’t simply bound by some fate of fortune.
“I’m okay,” I say.
He slides his ungloved hand into my hair in that way that has my knees buckling and my insides spinning.
“I don’t like this. I don’t like beingapart from you. Feeling all your emotions through the bond, not understanding what they mean.”
