Chapter 9
I'm Fine
IRIS
Something must be wrong with Argent. He’s only looked at me three times since I walked in. That brings his total to twenty-two times in the last month. That’s nearly half his daily quota, and somehow still not low enough.
Maybe he’s finally grown bored of me. Or maybe his age-adled brain has caught up to him, and he’s realized that drooling over his students is not polite. Or maybe it’s the moon. Whatever it is, it’s freaking me out because it’s not just him.
Ever since Fright Night, people have been acting weird.
Kitty can’t stop fidgeting. Elsie’s practically missing. Dame’s grouchy because I’ve ruined the “sanctity” of his man cave.
Even Elliot’s been acting strange. Stranger than usual, that is.
He’s adopted an annoying habit of checking on me every few hours, and when I don’t respond, he just shows up.
So far, he’s interrupted my potions lab twice and ancient alchemy once.
He gets a pass for the full hour he spent standing outside of my charms class. He knows a slew of Blackclaw sit right behind me, and they only stopped pestering me after they saw him lurking outside the door.
Honestly, the check-ins I can live with. What’s really grating on my nerves is the fact that he now insists on escorting me from class to class. The whole time keeping me tucked under his arm like a dog with a bone. It’s suffocating.
I see the man so often, I think I’m starting to smell like him.
“Hey,” Kitty chirps, dropping her things on the desk.
Her pretty pink glasses sit on the edge of her round nose, and she fusses with them as she smiles at me.
“Hey. Where’s Elsie?” I ask, noting the silence.
“I thought she was with you.”
My brows knit together as I shake my head.
“No, she told me she was meeting you at the library before class.”
Now it’s Kitty’s turn to be confused.
“Mm-mm.” She shakes her head. “I was in a pack meeting until five minutes ago.”
“Maybe she’s just late,” I say.
Kitty nods, but we both know Elsie’s never been late a day in her life. Neither of us says that part out loud, though.
I pull out my phone, shooting off a quick text.
Where are you?
It goes unread for the next fifteen minutes. After that, it goes unanswered entirely. That is, until my phone buzzes across the desk, interrupting Argent’s lecture.
I cringe as I look up at him, but he’s already glaring at me.
Twenty-three.
“Sorry,” I mutter to the few people frowning in my direction. But I mostly ignore them as I fumble for the right buttons.
Only, when I manage to pull up the message, it isn’t from Elsie.
Eater #1
Princess, do you know where I can get a tall, brown-skinned baddie with a mean mouth? It’s urgent.
I shake my head, rolling my eyes at the screen.
Nah. I hear they’re running low on stock.
Eater #1
Damn. What about one of those hardheaded ones that bite?
You’re in luck. There’s one left.
Eater #1
Perfect. That’s all I need.
May I ask what it’s for?
Eater #1
Dinner.
A laugh escapes me, and Argent hits twenty-four.
You’re disrupting my education. Get off my phone.
Eater #1
My bad, baby.
We still on for tonight?
I hesitate, fingers poised over the screen, and warmth blossoms between my legs as I type.
Absolutely.
I set the phone face down in an effort to stifle the growing hunger pains. But Elliot is relentless, and barely a minute has passed before it vibrates again.
“Fates, this man…”
Reluctantly, I check my phone. But this message isn’t from Elliot. It isn’t from Elsie either. I’m not sure who it’s from.
There’s no name and no text. Only a photo attached.
As I open it, I think I stop breathing.
“Oh, my gods.”
Kitty twists in her seat, frowning.
“What?”
Before I can answer her, a chorus of chimes and vibrations echo through the room as every phone rings simultaneously.
People scramble to silence them, fishing them out of their pockets, only to gasp a short moment later, followed quickly by murmured whispers.
“I’m not surprised.”
“I mean, what did you expect?”
“Holy hells…”
Heads swivel in my direction, and Argent bangs his fist on his desk, trying to regain control of the room. But the voices only grow louder.
There’s no use in trying to rein them in. The excitement of a scandal has already swept through them.
“Iris…”
Kitty’s voice is low as she looks up from her own phone to rest a hand on my arm. I shrug her off, rising to my feet.
“Iris, wait—”
“Don’t,” I snap. “I’m fine.”
Gods, I’m not even sure I believe those words anymore.
I collect my things and avoid the eyes that follow me as I make my way down the center aisle.
Somewhere behind me, I can hear Argent calling my name, asking me to return to my seat, but I ignore him, too.
I ignore all of them.
Every face I pass outside, and every whisper I hear as I make my way through Crescent House.
I don’t stop in the den, and I don’t head for the ranked floor. Instead, I head straight up to the dormitory, and I don’t slow until I find the door that reads, “CROSS.”