Chapter 25 #2
“Slops and sluts?” I choke out while moving my mouse and accepting his request for no other reason but to block everyone else from having to listen to Emrys.
“Completely derogatory but entirely accurate,” he reiterates unashamedly.
“Women in our world want two things—powerful alignments and an invitation to the next social event. They’ll bed or screw over any and every being they meet to get what they want, including their own family.
Seriously, there’s no boundary they won’t cross to obtain their end goal.
So, yeah, the name fits. Similarly, slops work for the males, particularly those at Thales, because comparatively, they’re piss weak and have no drive.
They live without questioning authority and are distracted by the lure of pussy.
Neither will ever find the fortitude to break free because they are locked on the chase, missing what’s going on around them. ”
I can’t help but sputter a boisterous laugh at how cocky and condescending he is without trying.
“Oh my god, Emrys, how offensive can you be?”
“On a scale of one to ten?” He grins at me as his witty comeback causes me to smile.
It is amusing, but I cut him off, continuing with what I wanted to say. “I know how offensive you can be. And look, I agree there’s an awful lot of self-opinionated, egotistical assholes at Thales, but there’s always good people in any community.”
“We’re not people, though. We’re other. You need to stop thinking like a human, because you’re not one of them anymore. Assimilate and quickly, new girl, or you’ll be another statistic.”
“I disagree. The way I think and feel is always going to reflect my humanity. Before you tell me it’s a weakness, it’s not.
Even if I lean into the inhospitable nature of a lot of the beings I’ve had the pleasure of meeting here, I’ll always see things differently, which is going to give me the edge. ”
He looks unconvinced.
“Besides, there’s nothing wrong with being a kind and considerate being.”
“I’m never going to agree with you. Goodness isn’t a quality that will get you far in our world. In fact, I don’t know any beings who I could say are good-natured.”
“Ha!” I grin triumphantly. “Rodderick is a good guy. So is Orion.”
Emrys recoils as dark emotion washes through his pretty-colored eyes. “Who is Orion?”
I turn slightly so he doesn’t notice my eye roll. “My friend.”
Emrys leans across the desk we’re working on, catching my face in his hand and pulling me around until we’re eye to eye. “I’m sorry, what?” he hisses.
I slap his hand away, talking at the same time he does. “What are you doing? Let me go.”
“Did you not hear a single thing I’ve said, Maya? You shouldn’t trust anyone here. I guarantee he is not your friend.”
I twist out of his hold before pushing my seat back so he can’t reach me again. “And I guarantee you’re wrong.”
His eyes harden, and tension radiates from him. “Don’t come crying to me when he sells you out. Because he will.”
“Trust me, I won’t, because he won’t.”
Emrys’ purple energy is all over the place, exactly like his emotions. And mine. My argument dries on my lips when I realize I’m as bad as he is at talking calmly when I’m with him.
“Why are we so volatile together? It’s exhausting, Emrys. It really is.”
He doesn’t answer right away, though I know he heard me because his aura ribbons through the air, like he’s offering me a hug and an unspoken apology. Which annoys me no end.
“You know you can simply apologize,” I bite, showing my teeth, which is probably more a sign of my own frustration. “I mean, I know you’re sorry, your aura radiates it.”
Emrys swings back around without trying to hide his patronization or skepticism. “I’m sorry, what?”
Of course I take offense, and it happens as quickly as he flips his mood. “You’re seriously going to start up again, as opposed to saying sorry?”
He holds out his hand, signaling for me to stop talking, which is rude. But I do because I want him to get on with whatever he has to say, so I can move on with my day.
“What do you mean my aura radiates it?” he asks abruptly. His question has an edge to it.
I take a slow inhale to control myself before answering. “Can’t everyone see auras?”
“No,” his response is immediate. Of course.
I seize onto my calmness, talking softly and not rising to the bait. “Can you?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
“‘Oh’ is right. Have you told Cane?”
I snort a laugh at his question. “Listening doesn’t seem to be his strong suit, if you know what I mean.”
He grins, all but confirming he gets me in that regard. If only he got me in other ways.
Emrys sits back in his chair. Perhaps he’s trying more than I give him credit for. “Describe what you mean. Maybe you’ve got your terminology wrong.”
“Yeah, maybe. It’s not like there’s a lot of opportunity to share with others.” I take another look at the light shimmering around him, trying to find the best way of describing what I see. “Yours, for instance, is neon purple. The vibrancy and flow changes depending on your mood.”
“Do you see everyone’s?”
“Not everyone’s. Although I feel like my ability to see auras is changing.”
I definitely do not mention the other things that are manifesting—using his energy to shore up my shields, pulling birds from the pages of tomes, making antique tea chests appear like boxes, or having the ability to find ancient relics.
“Aura reading is an old magik. But I’m not convinced you’re actually seeing auras, you had pretty bad injuries when you first arrived, including a concussion to both your frontal and rear lobe.”
“How do you know that?”
“How do you think?”
“Cane.”
I don’t bitch. It’s none of my business how Thales operates, and if I were a teacher here, I’d want to know who I was dealing with.
But Emrys has clearly read my file too, which is wrong on so many levels.
It’s not as if the admin would listen if I were to complain that a student had access to confidential files, perhaps if I wasn’t a Nom, but even then I wonder.
Emrys’ comments about Cane were merely a tangent. “Head injuries are really difficult to diagnose because some recover quickly without any lingering symptoms, but others can suffer a brain injury and be changed forever.”
“You think my concussion is the cause of now being able to see colorful light around some people?”
“I think it makes more sense. There’s no other explanation really, because the test Cane did earlier conclusively confirmed your designation. Noms cannot do what you’re describing.”
I get up and walk to the window, pushing up on tippy-toes so the fresh air can blow across my face and chase away the hollowness currently settling in my bones.
It’s not that I need to be anything other than what I am, but him not hearing me exacerbates a lot of my insecurities.
I seriously wasn’t exaggerating when I mentioned to Arlan I was regressing.
Behind me, I hear Emrys speaking with someone, and given the nature of what he’s saying combined with how he’s speaking, it’s an easy guess it’s someone from class. I let him do his thing while I stare out the window a little longer.
I feel a push against my shield. Twisting around, Emrys is still talking, but he flicks his head, indicating it’s time for me to get back to studying.
He’s bombarded our private chat with links. But I’m not sure where to start, if I’m honest, so I stare at them, overwhelmed.
“I’m taking pity on you, new girl. That’s all the information you need to complete the assignment.
I’m expecting average things from your paper and don’t want anyone thinking it was due to your lack of knowledge.
” I catch a brash grin before he turns his focus to the other students needing his help.