“Bay!”
My own words brought me back to the filling campus.
It was Monday afternoon and the still-warming fall sun was high in the sky, occasionally masked by gathering cloud towers.
Bayla Adams walked across campus in black trousers, a brown knitted sweater and a dull dark brown leather backpack on her back. A few thick tomes tucked under her arm.
“It’s easy to see your major,” I joked, grinning in amusement at her appearance. She reminded me a little of Alarik when he was absentmindedly walking around campus or always forgot to adjust his shirt collar. Always carrying some kind of book. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you became Alarik’s favorite student.”
Bayla, who had stopped and turned toward me, gave me an annoyed look.
With her free hand, she brushed one of her dark strands of hair behind one ear, revealing a few more of her freckles and her turquoise eye.
“If I ever get the chance to take part in his seminars...” She actually got in on my joke. “Until now, I’ve either been permanently ill or cursed with all this witchcraft stuff. And when I did get to the English seminar, the professor didn’t show up. But maybe I’ll be murdered by the Blairville Killer before then...”
I had to grin, even though there was nothing funny about that story.
Dad had left early this morning and told Mia and me that it was an emergency. An hour later, he had called me and told me that from now on I would always take Mia home straight after school. The murder of the young woman affected him deeply, and if he was so worried about Mia, it could only mean one thing: There must be a Ruisangor behind the murder.
“You shouldn’t worry about it,” I sighed, because it was enough for me that Emely was already so concerned about this attack. Probably because her father was hitting the roof about it.
“Everything feels surreal right now. One of those fucking ravens might as well be attacking me in the next second...” She pointed to the tower of the east wing, where most of the ravens were circling. “I’d laugh.”
I smirked.
Bay looked at me questioningly. “What do you want, Julian?”
I ran my fingers through the back of my hair, trying to find a phrase that was appropriate and, more importantly, not too awkward.
“I just wanted to check that you were okay. You were gone yesterday and didn’t come home.”
This time it wasn’t me, but Bayla, whose lips curled into a grin.
“Am I dreaming or is Julian Bardot, my cocky neighbor, worried right now?”
I scowled at her, but couldn’t help softening my features.
“I’m being serious. You’ve been away for a long time.”
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.
