Chapter 11
Dumplings Are A Must
Sinta
“So, this all comes from the cafeteria?” I ask, amazed.
“Yes. It’s a huge facility, they constantly upgrade it to serve both students and staff. If you go into the cafeteria, you’ll see all the different sections – fruit, meat, seafood, salad, bakery. Even an allergy section for the human staff and halflings.” Fade divulges.
“They’re damn good cooks.” I praise before shoving another dumpling in my mouth.
It didn’t matter the occasion, or the restaurant, you always got dumplings with the meal. Most times they came in frozen packaging and were just warmed up by the cooks, so if the rest of the meal sucked the dumplings would at least be edible.
Some of the boys laughed, and I glanced around the table with a smile.
They’d been surprisingly welcoming after confirming I wasn’t an intruder – aside from Tomashi – and had switched their personalities from combative to mannered so quickly I’d been wary at first.
Although they still acted reserved and watched me as if I might attack at any moment, they hadn’t been rude.
I felt like a snake in the grass with how Tomashi watched me. Like he was waiting for the moment I lunged and filled him with venom.
He was at least partly Asian in appearance, maybe Japanese or Chinese.
Tall and slimly muscled with wide shoulders and achingly stiff posture that just happened to show off his strong back, he had black hair with red tips and scarily dark eyes – I swore the orbs were facets of a void.
I could see Markings on the sides of his neck, they looked like the ancient Asian art I’d seen in a gallery once.
He appeared ready to fight at a moments notice, his muscles coiled, expression severe and lips tight.
He dressed like a rock god in worn leather pants and a grey t-shirt with some band name on it – not one I recognised. His boots were leather and scuffed with a chunky sole.
Maybe I should feel offended he was so stand-offish, but I watched them just as carefully.
These were strangers. Male strangers at that.
And one of them had been ready to kill me a mere hour ago.
Mr Orichalcum may have vouched for them, but that did not create an instant trust between us.
So I pretended I didn’t notice their wary looks and probing stares – and they ignored it when I was caught between drooling over them and glaring at the asshole.
We’d chatted while the food was ordered, and then once it arrived Elijah – the golden lion male – had set the kitchen bench up like a table and even set out plates and cutlery with the boxes of Chinese in the middle.
Fade had even pulled my chair out for me, seating me between him and Rapid, with Elijah on Fade’s left and Tomashi on Rapid’s right.
He'd placed a palm on my lower back as I went to sit.
Goosebumps had erupted over my flesh, but I ignored it.
“You said you were studying art?” Rapid drawls, practically lounging in his chair, his plate held against his chest. “You aren’t one of those stuck up historical art types, or worse, a hippy interpretive type?”
I choke a little on my dumpling, chewing deliberately so I could swallow without dying.
Fade is rolling his eyes, Elijah gives me a concerned look, and Tomashi is just ignoring the conversation. Or pretending to.
“Neither, really. I can’t say I have a specific art taste.” I muse and lean forward to scoop some fried rice onto my plate. Tomashi snarls, his glaring eyes locked on the food.
I tense.
Fade nudges the rice towards me, staring his friend down.
A little confused, I cautiously scoop some and push the container away. “I like everything, have tried sculpting, painting, sketch, impressionism, realism, I even did a body-paint exhibition when I was in High School.”
A human friend, the son of a congressmen, had volunteered to be my canvas for our final art presentation in my tenth year.
It'd looked amazing, until one of my many bullies threw red paint on him and told the teacher I was trying to re-enact the Carrie movie. She’d given me 50% for imagination and creativity, and I’d only passed the grade because I’d performed well throughout the rest of the year.
Not a happy time for me.
“Are any of you taking an art course?” I ask the group.
“Oui. I am in my second year of Formative Sculpting.” Fade admits.
“Oh, I wish I was good at sculpting. Mine never turn out how I want them to, though.” I laugh, and he shares a smile with me.
He had a sophisticated, almost worldly air that matched his stunning looks. His accent was also very sexy.
Every time he rolled his R’s I flushed and struggled against fanning my face.
“I would be more than happy to give you some advice. Are you taking a general art course?”
I nod. “Intro to the Arts.”
“Our friend Bastien, your fifth roommate, takes an art course too. Something to do with sketching.” Elijah tells me. “Rapid is into music, he’s kind of a famous rockstar.”
Turning, I glance at Rapid in surprise.
He gives me a cheeky wink, his smile slow and sexy.
I ignore the hand he brushes down his bare middle, especially since he’s a bit of a slob and is wiping food crumbs off his stomach. But Gods, what a stomach.
Abs for days on that one.
“I’m shocked you didn’t recognise me. I thought all women knew who I was.” He chuckles.
“Can’t say that I do.” I drawl. “My tastes run a bit older when it comes to music. ACDC and I go way back.”
His eyebrows wing up. “Led Zeplin?”
“A must.”
“Nickelback? Cold Play? Imagine Dragons? Aerosmith? Guns ‘N’ Roses? Def Leppard? Bon Jovi? Metallica? Iron Maiden? Kiss?” He lists, leaning forward.
“I like some Styx and Journey as well. Throw in Linkin Park, Rammstein, Eminem, Florence and the Machine and some Evanescence and you have a perfect playlist.”
“Fuck.” He mutters, staring at me like I’m wearing a halo. “Marry me and have my kids? They’d grow up to be rock gods, I swear it.”
I laugh so hard I nearly bust a gut. “Dream on, lover boy.”
“Every night from now until eternity, I swear.” He flirts.
“Elijah is taking Magical Beast Care, he wants to look after animals of all sorts.” Fade interrupts, his earthy eyes giving Rapid a censuring look.
Rapid raises his hands in surrender and leans away from me, stealing a bit of pork from Tomashi’s plate.
Tomashi’s snarl rattles the cutlery.
“Like a veterinarian?” I ask Elijah.
He nods, his high cheeks pinkening and his gold locks framing his face. “Exactly like that. Just with more magic and a lot more danger involved. I love animals though.” He mumbles the last part, eyes dropping to his plate.
Almost like his confidence had run out and he was crawling back into his shell.
“That sounds amazing. I’ve never been around a lot of animals, living in a city doesn’t really give you the chance to.” I admit. “But I think I would’ve liked to have a pet. Do they keep animals on the Academy grounds?’’
“Yes. There is a stable of sorts behind the school, between the teacher’s village and here. It’s full of all sorts of creatures, but Elijah will have to escort you if you want to go.” Fade tells me. “Not all of the creatures are friendly.”
Tomashi mumbles something from his spot, and even though I don’t catch all of it, it sounds an awful lot like ‘hope she gets eaten’.
I scowl at him, but I don’t say anything.
He had a right to be uncomfortable with having me as a roommate— all the boys did.
But if he went beyond grumbling and ignoring me, then we’d have a problem.
“You know, I’m kind of tired.” I sigh, pulling my phone out and seeing it was 9:30pm. “I think I’m going to head to bed. Fade, you promised to show me where the extra blankets were?”
“Of course, I’ll grab them for you.” He jumps up and is gone before I can protest, so I wait and glance around at the others.
“Well, thanks for dinner. It was nice getting to know you all.” Tomashi snorts, and Rapid cackles when I glare at the asshole. “Goodnight. I’ll, ah, see you tomorrow?”
“Sure will, Devil Eyes.” Rapid purrs.
“Good night, Sinta.” Elijah says quietly, giving me a little shy smile when I glance at him, which I return.
“Here you go.” Fade comes back into the room and holds out a dark grey comforter, two more pillows, and a soft throw blanket all piled together. “Can you handle this on your own, or do you want me to carry it up for you?”
“I can—”
“She’s tiny, Fade. You might need to give her a hand. Hell, she might even need a hand getting into bed.” Rapid drawls with a baiting grin.
I whip around to light into him, but Tomashi beats me to it.
Standing abruptly and smacking Rapid across the back of the head, he storms out mumbling and growling, leaving me frazzled from the quick burst of Dominance.
It’d felt like he’d socked me in the stomach.
“I was just playing.” Rapid mumbles.
I take the stack from Fade with a smile and a thank you, ignoring the strange zap that transfers from his hand to mine, and ‘accidentally’ hitting Rapid in the head with my pillow on the way past.
His low laughter follows me up the stairs, along with Fade’s chastising.
Quickly spreading the comforter over my bed, tucking the pillows behind mine, and laying the throw blanket over the bed’s end, I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face.
I wanted to explore the campus tomorrow, find my classes so I didn’t get lost when the courses started on Wednesday – the day after tomorrow.
Maybe I’d see if I could find Kenya, I’d liked her and it would be nice to have a female friend—
Jerking to a halt in the bathroom doorway, I take in Tomashi standing at the sink in nothing but his leather pants. They were practically indecent despite how much they covered.
He was lean, but carved with muscle and tatted up like the ultimate bad boy. Every girls wet dream.
“S-sorry.” I stutter, taking a step back. “I can come back later.” I say as he stares at me like I’ve personally ruined his life.
“How about fucking never?!” He snarls and storms out of the bathroom through the other door, slamming it behind him.
I blow out a breath, my head falling forward. “Great, I’m sharing a bathroom with the asshole.”
Fade
“Well?” Elijah prods, clearing the Chinese packages from the table.
“I sense no ill intent. And her thoughts revolved around her courses and getting along with us.” Frowning, I toss a look at Tomashi as he storms back downstairs and throws open the fridge.
We all wince when the door slams against the wall.
“She was also quite unimpressed with Tomashi’s behaviour. I only glimpsed a sliver of her conversation with Mr O, but it seems he told her we were all decent, gentlemanly males.”
Rapid chortles a laugh.
“But did you see anything important? Something we can use?!” Tomashi demands.
I grimace. “No. It was only two brief touches, and her shields are surprisingly good. We may have to try other avenues to have her removed.”
“If we have her removed.” Rapid hums.
We all turn to study his nonchalant form slumped against the counter.
“What?” Elijah murmurs.
Rapid shrugs. “I mean, if she’s crazy toss her out. But if she’s not? Could be fun to have someone new around.”
“She’s fucking going, and that’s the end of it. We don’t need some random bitch all up in our business.” Tomashi seethes, crushing the water bottle in his hand.
We all tense as his hair starts to smoke, Elijah subtly reaching for the kitchen towel by his plate.
“Good luck with that. Fade said she isn’t a psycho—”
“I said I could not determine if she was or not.” I correct. “I saw too little. We need more information.”
“Then I will get it.” Mashi intones. “And she will be gone by the end of the fucking week. No matter what.” He snaps when Rapid opens his mouth.
Pouting, Rapid turns away and plays with the left-over rice on his plate.
It was really for the best.
Even if Sinta isn’t a danger to us, we had plenty of other dangers to worry about. Keeping her around would only expose her to our enemies.
The poor powerless female did not deserve that.
“Well, fuck you all, I’m going out.” Rapid announces, leaving his plate on the counter and flouncing up the stairs.
“If he passes out on the front lawn again – leave him there.” Elijah huffs and heads up as well.
Tomashi leaves without a word.
Sighing, I scoop up Rapid’s abandoned plate.