We’re stopped outside my dorm when Brian speaks up. “That guy has a serious problem. Be careful around him, Harleigh.” He truly looks concerned as he levels his eyes with mine. “I don’t trust him.”
“Bry, it’s fine. He’s a self-entitled rich prick who thinks he owns the school because his name is on it. Bullies are all the same. I’m just going to ignore him like I did all the idiots at my last school. I’ve got this.” I give him a small smile to try and reassure him.
I want to have this, but Colten is more intense than anyone I’ve ever dealt with before.
“Bry, huh? I like it. See you in the morning?”
“Definitely. Have a good night.”
He leans down to kiss my cheek. “You too, beautiful.” My eyes follow him until he turns the corner and out of sight.
Can this day get any stranger?
Unlocking the door and stepping inside, I stare at the boxes in front of me and let out a sigh. Packing and unpacking isn’t something I enjoy doing, and I get to do it for the next four years.
I get to work on the boxes so I can try and make the best out of being here, but I miss home. I’ve never been away from my parents for long.
Brian
Walking away from Harleigh feels like I’m walking away from a piece of my soul.
I don’t understand the intense feelings I have around her, but I make a mental note to ask my father if it continues. It could just be an infatuation, but something deep inside tells me it’s more than that.
I’ve been trying to figure her out all day and get a read on what she is, but to me she just seems human even though I know that’s not possible.
Humans aren’t allowed at Connerton Academy. It’s too dangerous for them while we all discover more about our powers and abilities, and train to gain absolute control over them.
Harleigh though? She even talks like someone who doesn’t know our world exists in reality. When I said Colten was demon earlier, she played it off as a joke.
A feeling of unease settles over me as I realize she may not even know what she is, and that poses a serious danger to her life.
You have to protect her, teach her.
I hear the voice clear as day.
My first angel command. I’ve never had one before, but I feel it deep within my soul.
Dad taught me well; trained me to understand anything that may come from being part angel. I’ll definitely need to call him, but I need to find Colten and have a chat first.
It doesn’t take long to find him.
Every demon has a slightly different feel that’s similar to a unique fingerprint. I’m not very good at noticing the subtle changes between demons yet, but I can feel Colten.
My anger toward him seems to amplify his aura making it easier to track. The closer I get, the more every nerve ending in my body is on edge, and hyper aware of his presence.
When I reach his door it’s so strong, I can sense his every move behind the door.
Knocking, I take deep breaths to work through the anger and annoyance I feel toward him.
When he opens the door, the smug smile on his face disappears and is replaced with a look of disgust. “What the hell do you want? You didn’t get enough earlier?”
“We need to talk,” I say, trying to keep the bite from my voice.
I’m not used to being this close to demons, so I haven’t had the chance to hone my skills so that being near them doesn’t set me on edge. That can only happen with time.
“Why the hell would I want to talk to you? You are nothing.” Typical demon douchebag.
I can’t leave things like this, though. He needs to back off of Harleigh. There is nothing good that can come from the intensity in which he looked at her earlier.
“Be that as it may, we need to talk about Harleigh.”
His eyes actually light up at the mention of her, and not in a good way. No, it’s more like he recognizes a challenge and he is determined to be the winner.
“Come in then. Let’s discuss your little girlfriend.”
I hide the shock I feel from his invite as I walk into the room and he closes the door.
“What do you want to talk about then, angel?” he says this last word with disgust as he sits down and motions to a chair across from him.
“You know what I am. Good, we can skip the pleasantries. You need to back off and leave her be.”
“Why would I want to do that?” he asks, smirking like he knows I can’t tolerate his presence. He can sense I haven’t gotten control of my power yet and he’s going to make my life a living hell until I do.
I’m going to need to make it a priority to find control and balance.
I take a deep breath before I speak. If I’m right, and she doesn’t know what she really is, then he needs to stay away from her long enough for me to find a way to help her. I just need to figure out how to get him to back off.
“What do you think she is?” I ask him because I’m curious, and he may know something I don’t. He’s a legacy here, which means he probably knows everything.
