Runaway Mortal (21 page)

He winced in pain, but didn’t stop me. I dug my nails into his skin harder, gripping onto him as we tumbled onto the ground together. He was on top of me, his eyes were bright and I could feel his pulse racing. I could feel it coursing through me like it was a part of me.

My fingers fumbled at the buttons of his shirt, an urgency racing though me like it was a matter of life or death. He kissed the base of my neck, sending a thrill through me; his kisses were getting lower and lower. I managed to get the nuisance shirt off and paused, my breath catching in my throat.

He was beautiful.

His stomach was taut, his entire body encased in firm muscle, no doubt from years of training. My hands found their way up his body, relishing the feeling of the hard muscles. He was one of the hottest men I had ever laid eyes on him.

The fact that he wanted me blew my mind. Not because he was too good for me, but because I never thought he could be this playful, this impulsive. There was something about him crossing a line which thrilled me. And from the way he was pressing his soft lips against my skin, it thrilled him too.

My breathing was ragged as he began sliding my shirt higher and higher, his hands trailing slowly upwards and sending tingles across my body. His fingers teased my skin, making me push against him.

I wanted him so bad. My body was aching for him. I wanted him to go further. I was so sure about this moment, so sure I wanted him.

It was like Loire could read my mind, because he got to his feet and pulled me along with him.

“Where are we going?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

“To my room,” he whispered back.

Before I could respond, Loire wrapped his arms around my waist and slung me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing. For someone so intoxicated he still had pretty good coordination.

We were lucky no one was around to witness our intense make out session because we could both get into a lot of trouble for it. By some grace of the universe, we didn’t run into anyone on the way back to his room either. Which was a good thing because we were half-naked and I didn’t want “skank” added to my current status of killer.

Loire placed me on my feet once we were inside his room, and studied me with a half-smile on his face. I chewed on my bottom lip as I paused to admire his body. The washboard abs were just as I’d always imagined—his stomach was tight and toned, and my heartbeat accelerated as I reached out and ran a hand across his stomach.

Something inside him snapped and he leaned down, pressing his lips against mine. His kisses sent tingles shooting up my spine, and I desperately pressed my body against his. We somehow managed to make it to his bed without breaking apart. Loire pushed me down onto it, his kisses growing more urgent.

“My turn,” he growled.

His hand slid up my leg and underneath the shirt I was wearing. He paused at my stomach, stroking my skin, but then that wild look returned in his eyes and he pulled the shirt off over my head in one smooth motion.

I only lay there in my jeans and bra for a few seconds; he quickly stripped me free of those too.

Here I was, naked, lying beneath a guy who looked like a Greek God. I had to feel a little self-conscious, right? This was too good to be true. I wondered how he saw me. Was I a leggy brunette or a gangly girl?

Loire sucked my neck before his lips went lower and lower. I moaned and dug my fingers into his back and his head snapped back up.

There was a smile playing on those soft lips of his. “Getting a bit catty there, aren’t we?”

His comment made me flush hot with embarrassment, and I bit down on my lip. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” I trailed off.

Loire chuckled and nuzzled my neck. “Don’t worry, I like it.”

Shivers shot through me as Loire kissed me slowly and deeply. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer. Within seconds, his jeans were off and I lost myself in the ecstasy of our naked bodies.

***

During the time that I’d been with Talon, we’d had sex several times, but it was always in sneaky places around school. Once, we’d done it behind the dumpsters. Gross, but true.

I had never had the luxury of waking up in the bed of the guy I’d just slept with. To be honest, when I woke up in Loire’s bed, it threw me a little. I had never thought that things between us would progress to this stage.

We’d always had this love-hate relationship and were both very stubborn. Yet, here I was wrapped up in his sheets revelling in the aftermath of the amazing night we’d spent together.

“Good morning.” I heard his voice across the room and sat up to find him pouring two cups of coffee.

“What time is it?” I wondered, glancing around the room and failing to find a clock anywhere.

“Early,” he said, approaching the bed and handing me a cup. “It’s almost six.”

Yeah, it was pretty early. The first exam didn’t start until nine.

“I want to talk about last night,” Loire said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Surprised, I reached over to place my cup on the bedside table and found the Mortal Blade sitting there. A sudden desire to hold it took over me, and I stared at it transfixed.

“Kat?” Loire’s voice broke into my thoughts.

“Yeah? Sorry.” I turned to find him watching me with a sad smile.

“Power is alluring, isn’t it?” he asked, a knowing look in his eyes.

Feeling embarrassed, I nodded. “But that’s not why I need it.”

“I know.”

We sat in silence.

Then I remembered he wanted to talk about last night. “You were going to say something?” I prompted.

He nodded, taking a sip of coffee, as though it would help him collect his thoughts. “What happened last night probably shouldn’t have happened. Maybe it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been drunk.” He paused, a smirk lurking on the edge of his lips. “Do you always take advantage of vulnerable, drunk men?”

“You are such a jerk,” I said, but my tone was light, playful.

He smiled at my comment. “I want you to know that I don’t regret it. I do care about you, maybe more than you know.”

The playful atmosphere dissolved; we were getting into serious territory now. If he was willing to admit some things, then I was too.

“I care about you, too,” I confessed.

He reached out and stroked my face, and my heart stopped. I had never felt like this before about anyone. I knew he was just a guy, and guys had a way of getting inside your heart and soul and having the ability to crush you, but I felt so differently about Loire. He wasn’t a bad person—there was just so much good he wanted to bring into our world.

“It made me mad when you said I was like your ex. I do give a damn about you.”

I nodded, unable to speak, waiting for him to continue.

His eyes pierced into me. “I want you to know that I’m not that guy—the one who puts his needs before yours. I’m going to be there for you, always. Even when it seems like the whole world is against you, I’ll be there for you. I promise.”

No one had ever said anything like that to me before. I had no idea how to even respond to that without sounding like an idiot. I wasn’t as eloquent as he was. All I could think about was that fateful night when I had walked into
Palace
and made an immediate connection with the bartender—
my
bartender.

In amazement, I watched as Loire reached over and placed his cup down on the bedside table before picking up the Mortal Blade. He turned it over in his hands several times before sighing deeply—confusion, frustration, and regret were etched into his features. Finally, he held out the Mortal Blade to me.

“Um,” I said, because what else could I say? I wasn’t sure what was happening right now.

“Take it,” he said in a whisper, squeezing his eyes shut, like he couldn’t bear to see me take it away from him. “Take it before I change my mind.”

Not feeling in complete control of my body, I reached out and took the Mortal Blade out of his hands. Something shot through me—like liquid fire—as the blade made contact with my skin.

It was beautiful; the vibrant green ivy winding around the gold hilt seemed to be moving as I held it. It was like the blade was connecting itself with my skin—it seemed alive. A surge of power and hope and confidence rushed through me.

I climbed out of bed, reaching for my clothes and getting dressed as the power surged into me. Loire had never described anything like this to me. As I glanced over at him, I wondered if he’d actually ever felt anything like this.

I walked back over to him—he was standing now, studying me sadly—and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.”

Loire wrapped me in a hug, running his fingers through my hair. “Figure this out, Kat. I know you can.”

Stepping away from him, I headed towards the door. When I pulled it open, I hesitated in the doorway, glancing back at him. “Will I see you soon?”

“Yes.” He nodded, and then forced a smile onto his face. “Go kick butt on your exams today.”

Smiling in return, I left him, realizing what a big sacrifice he’d just made for me. I didn’t know how I’d ever be able to repay him for what he’d done. Now I just had to figure out how the Mortal Blade was going to lead me to Melkane’s killer.

I quickened my pace until I was almost sprinting along the dim corridor. Taking two steps at a time, I entered the main courtyard. I couldn’t get back to my dorm fast enough. I was going to pull the covers off Misha and jump on her bed. She was probably hung over from last night, but this was too exciting to not wake her up.

I suddenly stopped, my heart pounding as I heard loud voices coming from somewhere to my right. Soundlessly, I pressed myself against the wall and peered around the corner. There were two figures standing there, huddled together.

Mentally, I swore to myself. I should’ve known people would be up and about already. It wasn’t going to do my reputation any good if someone saw me doing the walk of shame from the direction of Loire’s room in the early hours of the morning.

The voices were muffled now, but I could tell that one belonged to a female and the other to a male.

I squinted, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. The two figures had their arms wrapped around each other and were kissing. I almost laughed out loud when I realized that I’d walked right in the middle of a couple making out.

As I was about to sneak around them, I heard a familiar name. Veritas.

My eyes shot back to the two figures, and my mouth dropped. I didn’t know why it had taken me so long to realize—why I hadn’t recognized them immediately.

The two lovers, unable to keep their hands off each other, their bodies melting into one, were Veritas and Tyrone.

Chapter Twenty-One

The next morning, after breakfast, the eleventh graders filed into the hall for our first joint exam: Supernatural History. The joint exams were spread out over a week and after that, each race had their own exams for another week.

As we entered the hall, Anna was mumbling dates under her breath at lightning speed. In front of us, Misha wore sunglasses to cover her bloodshot eyes. When she’d woken up this morning, she’d discovered that there were massive bags under her eyes that no amount of make-up could cover up.

I’d barely had enough time to shower, get dressed, and scarf down my breakfast—during which time I filled Anna and Misha in on everything that had happened. Well, except for the part where Loire and I had had sex, and where I had walked in on Tyrone and Veritas making out.

The events from last night were still swirling around in my head, making it hard for me to think clearly. At least I didn’t have a hangover like Misha did.

The hall was almost unrecognizable; there were desks as far as the eye could see, spaced far enough so you couldn’t spy on your neighbour’s answers. A large number of exam papers were stacked up on tables at the front where the teachers stood. No, not only teachers; SRECON agents, too. Loire was standing at the front, looking as passive as I’d ever seen him.

I groaned inwardly. The last thing I needed was Loire there as a distraction.

Misha slowed down and nudged me, nodding in Loire’s direction. I grimaced to let her know I had seen him. My expectation of doing well on this exam was already slim, but now I was sure I’d flunk. I mean, I’d just slept with the man and there he was looking hot as hell.

Loire caught my eye and winked at me. Feeling flustered, I weaved in and out of the tables, trying to locate my name. Anna and Misha separated from me, trying to find their own seats. The desks were arranged in alphabetical order, so my friends and I were never seated close to each other.

“Kat, I saw your name back there,” a familiar voice said close behind me. I turned to see Greggy grinning at me.

“Hey, Greggy,” I said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I take advanced classes after school so my curriculum is the same as yours. If I do well then I get to graduate next year with you guys, instead of in two years.”

“Wow, that’s great.” It occurred to me that I didn’t know very much about Greggy, despite him being my best friend’s brother. Then something else dawned on me. “Oh, that’s why you’ve been spending so much time with Anna in the library!”

Greggy nodded. “Yeah, we’ve been studying together. She’s helped me a lot.” I suddenly felt bad for thinking that Anna and Greggy were having an affair.

“Well, good luck,” I said with a warm smile.

“You too.” He headed towards the front of the room and I went in the opposite direction until I got to the ‘L’ section. Walking a few desks to the right, I found ‘Lyrille, Katerina Abella’.

Taking my seat, I looked over my shoulder to find Anna sitting several rows behind me. Catching her eye, I gave her a thumbs up, and she flashed me a smile in return. Then her mouth formed an ‘O’ as her eyes went wide.

Confused by her reaction, I turned around again and froze. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Talon was casually sitting on the desk to my left. Bewildered, I glanced down at my desk again to make sure I was in the right seat. Yep, there was my name, still the same. Had someone switched the labels around?

I leaned over to the desk on my right. It said ‘Mace, Carter’.

“Julianna Lawrence left school last month. Her family moved to Europe,” Talon said calmly.

Ah, Julianna Lawrence; Cedee’s ex-roomie. “That’s good to know.”

Damn. He had seen me freak out about sitting next to him. I needed to be more composed, the way he was.

Then there was Loire, still standing at the front; an imposing figure in black, his expression blank. I really needed to work on my indifference.

Professor Elba was standing at a podium at the front of the hall. She turned on the microphone and tapped it to get our attention. A crackle rippled through the speakers, grating on my ears.

“Good morning, students, and welcome to your very first mid-term exam, Supernatural History. I hope you have all studied your hardest and will try your very best. There are fifty questions that you have two hours to complete. There is to be no speaking or use of phones, technology, or powers during the exam.”

She looked out at all of us and continued. “Do not try to cheat because we will catch you. You may leave once the two hours are up and your paper has been collected. If you need assistance, raise your hand until you are attended to. Now, I wish you all the best of luck. You may begin.”

“Good luck,” Talon whispered.

Acting like I hadn’t heard him, I opened up my questions booklet and flipped through it, trying to get an idea of what was to come. My heart sank. Unfamiliar names popped up, asking me for dates that I had no clue about. Nothing was jumping out at me until I got to page 5.

My mouth went dry as I read the question, and then re-read it.

Question 33: In the 18th century B.C, legislation was passed in Parlum regarding interracial relations. What were the specifics of this new law? (Answer in two pages or less)

An image of Tyrone and Veritas, with their arms wrapped around each other, entered my head. It stayed frozen there, like someone had put it on pause and the batteries of the remote had run out so I couldn’t move forward.

Tyrone and Veritas. Veritas and Tyrone. Veritas. Tyrone. The legislation forbade angels and demons from being together because they were from opposite races. Their powers, their morals, and their backgrounds were too opposing. The punishment for breaking this law was death.

Yet Veritas, a SRECON agent who was so strict about protocol, was breaking a law, and not just any law. This law could sentence both her and Tyrone to death. Playful, carefree Tyrone; one of the coolest people I knew. How could I let something like that happen to him?

Without realizing it, I had written Veritas and Tyrone down as the answer. I blanched, quickly scribbling the words out with my pen, thankful that no one had noticed.

I looked up and froze. Somewhere in the midst of my internal conflict, Veritas had entered the hall, and was now staring right at me with fire in her eyes.

Shit. I was wrong. Very wrong. Someone had heard me.

I knew, without a doubt in my mind, that Veritas had read my thoughts.

* * *

“Pens down, please,” Elba said.

Loud groans and rustling papers echoed around the hall.

“I said pens down, Mr. Woodcroft.”

From somewhere behind me, Nate’s friends laughed at him for getting caught out.

I was too stressed to care, and waited impatiently for my paper to be collected. There was no way that I had passed the exam. I had skipped so many questions and written so many short answers that I was quite positive I had failed. Maybe I should’ve studied more.

My stomach turned as I realized Veritas was collecting the papers in my row. She wasn’t looking at me, but we both knew the reason she was in this row. She wanted to talk to me.

Crap.

I tried to assume the picture of innocence as she reached my table and gave me a tight smile, pausing as she leaned over to collect my exam.

“Take this,” she said, sliding a key onto my desk. I quickly covered it with my hand. “My room is 218 in the staff quarters. Go there immediately and wait for me. Make sure you’re alone.”

Veritas moved on, bringing Talon into my direct view, as I slipped the key into my pocket, hoping he hadn’t noticed.

Talon’s eyes followed Veritas as she walked away. “She’s something else, huh?”

“What?” I asked too quickly. Talking about Veritas was making me paranoid.

“The angel.” Talon nodded his head in the direction Veritas had gone. “All the guys have a thing for her. Too bad she’s not a demon.”

I gave a false laugh. “Yeah, too bad,” I echoed, hoping I sounded convincing instead of terrified.

“So, how’d you do?”

“Pretty bad, you?” I was freaking out so much that I was forgetting to stay mad at Talon.

“The economic downfall killed me. I couldn’t remember what year it happened.”

“Yeah, I know.” Actually, I didn’t know. I couldn’t even remember coming across that question.

“By the way, I meant what I said the other day,” Talon said softly, staring down at his desk. “I’m going to do what I should’ve done since the beginning.”

“Huh?” I said, noticing that Tyrone was also in the hall and that his eyes were fixed on me.

Damn it. Judging from the way he was looking at me, it was clear that Veritas had told him what she’d heard in my thoughts.

Was it illegal if you knew about a demon and an angel who were engaged in an inappropriate relationship? Was this something else I could also be imprisoned for?

“I’m going to talk to the headmaster today,” Talon explained.

“What?” I stared at him. I’d almost forgotten he was there. “Why?”

It looked like he was going to say something, but before he could continue, he was interrupted by Professor Elba. “You may leave in an orderly fashion. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

I was the first to jump out of my seat and run out the door. It sounded like Talon had something important to say, but there was too much going on right now for me to really listen.

Ducking into the nearest corridor, I didn’t stop to look back just in case Anna or Misha caught sight of me. I hated avoiding them like this and keeping Veritas and Tyrone’s secret from them, but I had to speak to Veritas before I did anything irrational.

Voices erupted in the hallway behind me. Luckily, I had just missed the crowd coming out of the hall. Taking a right, I put myself back in the direction of the staff quarters. They were located near the main courtyard, sort of central to the student dorms.

I didn’t meet anyone on my way there, probably because the rest of the school was in second period, and my grade was now relaxing or studying for their next exam. That’s probably what I should’ve been doing too. I couldn’t afford to fail another exam.

Once I reached the staff quarters, I slowed down, trying to figure out where room 218 was. 215. 216. 217. I stopped. There was 218. Taking the key out of my pocket, I unlocked the door and slipped inside.

Veritas’ room was simple and bare, just like I had imagined it to be. She had the standard bed, wardrobe, and basic amenities that the school had provided, but hadn’t added many personal touches of her own. There were a few pictures on the bedside table, so I walked over and studied them out of curiosity.

The first picture was of her and who I assumed was her family. The second one was of her with Loire and Tyrone—they each had cheesy grins plastered across their faces. I’d never seen Veritas smile before.

The final photo was of a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes who looked like she was in her early teens. She’d also been in the family picture and resembled Veritas so much that I was pretty sure it was her sister.

Looking at the images, I couldn’t help but picture Veritas with actual emotions and feelings, as hard as she tried to hide them. There must be some part of her that was vulnerable, human even.

“My sister, Lysantha,” Veritas said softly from behind me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I’d been so entranced by the photos that I hadn’t even heard her come in. Or maybe she was just very stealthy.

She wasn’t alone. Tyrone was with her.

“How did you get in here?” I asked, startled.

“You didn’t lock the door,” Tyrone said. “That’s a basic skill you learn when you’re four.”

He was right—I had forgotten to lock the door, but hadn’t really seen any reason to do so. I guess they were both used to taking extra precautions whenever Tyrone came over for a romantic interlude.

Veritas’ face went red and I realized that, once again, I had been thinking carelessly and she’d heard my thoughts as clearly as if they’d come out of my mouth.

“It must get annoying being able to do that all the time,” I commented.

She shrugged, almost seeming shy. It hit me that I didn’t know much about her. I knew her the least out of her Triad. In fact, I had disregarded her simply for her stiff and withdrawn personality without considering that there might be more to her than her composed front let on. Hell, I was always being judged by everyone else that I should have known better.

“You get used to it,” she said after a while.

An awkward silence filled the air, and I decided that maybe the easiest way to get all this out was by a gentle prompting with my thoughts.

“Is there a reason why you wanted me to meet you here?”
I asked mentally.

She paused and then, with a thrill, she was inside my head. Literally, she planted a thought into my head.
“I think we both know what that reason is.”

“Wow! How did you do that?”

“With practice. It’s a progression of telepathy. I’m a Level 4, the youngest of my age.”
Her face revealed that she was proud of this achievement.