I probably sounded like her mother. If only Bayla knew that she had hired me to babysit her...

“Especially after you told me it had something to do with the Quatura Circle,” I added quickly.

All of a sudden, Bay looked unsettled.

“What is it?” I asked with interest and when Bayla wanted to turn away, I hurried to her side. “Come on, tell me.”

“I just don’t trust them...”

“That makes two of us.”

Bayla looked up at me, confused.

“Aren’t you enemies?”

I realized that Bayla knew next to nothing, which was actually a good thing. The more she knew, the more stressful it could become for her. And yet there were things she simply had to know.

I quickly looked around to see if Nash and his guys were around and caught a glimpse of Emely.

I was sure she could hear every word, but I didn’t want to forbid her from doing so. Ever since she was somehow involved, I was careful how I interacted with the Quatura and especially what and how I communicated with Emely.

It was bad enough that I had to deal with both fronts at all.

Bayla did the same, and her gaze lingered on Emely as well, causing her to look at me once more before turning to the guys she spent most of her time with.

She definitely enjoyed a special status as the only known female Senseque in the entire territory of Canada, next to my sister, I might add. Something like her was so damn rare in the inheritance system of these genes. It would have been a curse for me to have other male Senseque cavorting around me all the time. And with all certainty, I would keep Mia away from that crap.

“I don’t know if I should be afraid of her or not,” Bayla whispered softly, as if she wanted only me to hear.

“Emely is no danger to you, believe me.”

I looked again at Emely, who seemed to be struggling not to turn around because she heard us. I knew that. I’m sure she didn’t like what I said.

Bayla looked at me again.

“That’s what someone who can turn into just such a monster tells me...”

Ouch. Her words really did hit me again and again. It was a slightly painful reminder of the truth.

“Just the fact that you haven’t run away from me yet shows that your fear is weaker than your curiosity.”

Bay scrutinized me with an insistent look. As so often, my gaze lingered on the different-colored eyes and the cute snub nose.

“You should try to stay away from all that witchcraft.”

I was sure Diana would be proud of me right now.

“Do you think they’ll give me a choice?” Her gaze was insistent, and a few cloud shadows darkened her delicate face. “They still think I’m one of them.”

I almost told her that maybe that wasn’t so far from the truth, but I kept my mouth shut.

All this was foreign to her. Unlike people like Julie, Grace or Vivienna, who had grown up here, Bayla was an outsider. Just like me.

“You’re not one of them...” I began slowly. “Even if you could do everything they ask of you, you’re not used to any of this.”

She looked at me as if I had somehow understood her.

Then, all of a sudden and only in the corner of my eye, I noticed the football flying straight toward Bay and me.

I caught the ball with one hand just before it could hit Bayla.

“Wow” Bay was a bit perplexed by the speed of things. “How the hell...”

“Hey! Bardot!”

Bayla and I looked at the source of the voice.

What a jerk.

None other than Nash Copeland stood shirtless and with both arms crossed on the green open space of campus, grinning condescendingly at me.

“Good catch!” he shouted loudly, and his guys laughed.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Emely shake her head and put on her pine green Vanderwood baseball cap.

Bayla looked first at Nash, then at me.

“Do you know each other personally?”

“You bet we do,” I gritted.

“Don’t always flirt with the girls, Bardot!”

Again, his guys laughed.

“Don’t take it personally,” Bayla said, and I tried to listen to her, but Nash didn’t seem to want to stop.

“I’d like to know if you can play as well as you can flirt.” He looked at his friends. “So, obviously, not at all...”

“Oooh!” It came from Noah and also from a few others around us who had paused in their actions and were now looking at me and Bayla or at Nash.

“Julian, let’s go.”

Bayla grabbed my arm, but I stood still. More than that. I looked at Nash.

“Come on, Bardot!”

“Bardot, Bardot, Bardot!” he shouted, clapping his hands, and his friends joined in.