Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE HIGHEST BIDDER
“I never knew Thales had this many students. Where have they been hiding?” I ask, making Orion mutter something under his breath.
Admittedly, it might be the fourth or fifth time I’ve said the same thing since we left Nomina, but I’m nervous.
And he’s hangry, so I know his fuse is short, and I’m leaning into that because it’s a good distraction.
At the same time, the sheer number of students making their way to the dining hall is mind-blowing.
Like what happened every other time, Orion vocalizing his frustrations is over in an instant, and in the next he’s making amends. “Sorry. I need food.”
“No apology needed. I’m sure I’m driving you crazy. But there really is…”
Rage baiting my new best friend really is the perfect stress reliever.
He twists around, a sarcastic retort already forming on his lips. Before he can get a word out, I flash an overdone grin with lots of teeth, letting him know I’m only winding him up. Then, because I’ve probably pushed the whole thing enough, I pretend to zip my lips, making him visibly relax.
We get closer to the stairs where there’s a bottleneck. I think we’re going to stop and wait, but Orion squeezes my hand before he increases our pace. I tuck in closer, and we dodge and weave around students, all with the same intent as us of having an early dinner.
Exactly like the sheer number of Thales’s students heading to dinner, the energy they bring is impossible to ignore. It’s as obvious as the first warm day after a long, cold winter. The buzz should incite a sense of excitement in me, but all it does is feed my paranoia.
Orion moves us out of the crush, allowing a group of female shifters through, which saves us from being shoved out of the way.
Their conversation is full of boisterous laughter and offhanded comments thrown at anyone who challenges their line jumping.
I’m not a fan of their attitude, but today it’s better for me to let them believe they are too good to wait like the rest of us do.
The added benefit of waiting for them to pass is that it gives me the chance to look for fingers stained with red. So far, I haven’t seen red paint on anyone.
As soon as the group of shifters are past the doors, everyone else falls back into a semblance of order. It’s slow going, but eventually we get inside. But as soon as I do, I wish I wasn’t.
It’s an assault on my senses.
The noise level is at a fever-pitch, matching the energy pulsing off everyone.
I’m caught at the entrance where the crowd is thickest, stuck and unable to move, overwhelmed by the sheer number of auras convalescing and vying for attention.
I wonder if this is what mediums have to deal with when walking through a cemetery.
Orion tugs on my arm, snapping me out of my trance, but our hold is broken when a magikal shoves her way through the small space.
It’s like water escaping from a breach in a wall, and before I can rejoin Orion, a rush of students fills the path she opened up.
Despite my best efforts at waiting on the edge, I get swept up in the crowd and quickly lose sight of Orion, then I’m spat out in the worst spot possible—the table where Bael, Arlan, and Emrys sit.
Seeing them flicks a switch, and my emotions collide. They haven’t noticed me yet, which pisses me off more. I never believed I knew them or had any claim over them, but when Seraphina and a few of her besties glide closer, something in me snaps.
“I know it’s not jealousy, I’m pretty sure it’s disgust,” I mutter, and don’t care at all that I’m talking to myself. It’s that or throwing up.
The minute Seraphina parks her butt on the edge of their table is the minute I let myself get swept up again by another wave of students.
Thankfully, this time when I get spat out of the crush, I end up facing a table of shifters.
They glare at me like I’m trash stuck to the bottom of their runners, but I’d take their scowls and growls any day of the week.
I set my course to the edge of the dining hall, where the crowd is thinnest, keeping my sights locked on Orion’s flaming red hair as a guide to where I need to be.
Thankfully, today everyone is too busy socializing, so there’s no designation-based slap downs, even when I accidentally bump into others going in the opposite direction.
Then I come to the invisible line no one else crosses—the Nom section. The aversion of the other students to the boundary is offensive, but it’s also a welcome reprieve. I stumble into our small area with a smile on my face.
Not even knowing my shitty ex-housemates are slumming it with the celestials can dampen my spirit.
“Take your time, why don’t you?” Orion smarts before I get the chance to even say hello, but he also waits for me to get in front of him and then directs me forward with a touch on my back. “You okay, shorty? I thought you might have been squashed.”
“You know I nearly was. I know I asked before, but really, why are so many students here today?”
He waggles his eyebrows. “Mandatory attendance, but also, your friends are here.” Orion bursts out laughing at the sudden flip of my mood at the mention of them.
“Not my friends,” I growl, and Orion laughs some more.
Our conversation comes to a stop when we both spot the spare seats at the same time.
“There.” We point and talk over each other.
“Jinx!” He grins, before he races away to claim the seats.
Sadly, they’re not at the same table we usually sit at, but beggars can’t be choosers. I drop my jacket over one of the spare seats and peer up at Orion, who’s looking in the opposite direction to where the food is served. “Do you think one of us should stay here to save our seats?”
I barely get the question out when the other Noms sitting at the table stand abruptly.
Each of them acts like they’re sucking on sour lemons as they scrutinize me from top to bottom.
In typical asshole style, they do it while talking to each other, loud enough for me to pick up when one of them says, “I refuse to sit with the human. She’s the reason we’re dealing with a whole lot of extra drama and bullshit. Let’s move.”
I know nothing I do or say is going to change their misguided judgment, plus, the lure of eating is too great, so I go to walk off, but Orion steps around me to face them.
Even without seeing his expression, only from his body language, I know he’s about to make a point, but hopefully not cause a scene.
“You know what I like most about you, Myles?” His question is deceptive in volume and tone because it lacks the derision of his posture.
The guy standing in the middle of the group is obviously Myles, given he freezes on the spot and turns slowly to face Orion. Myles must be a year or two older than me, he’s okay looking but nothing out of the ordinary, and as Orion walks closer to him a guilty flush paints his face.
Orion doesn’t wait for Myles to answer, admittedly, I don’t think he was going to.
But Orion hooks his arm around me and pulls me into his side as he says, “Nothing, not anymore. No, wait, that’s not entirely true.
I really like your dog. And I think what your parents are doing about trolling and doxxing is pretty amazing after that thing that happened to our cousin.
That thing where she got judged by those who do not know her.
” Orion keeps his voice low and his tone light, but you’d have to be stupid if you thought he was being friendly.
Myles goes to say something, but Orion holds his hand up, stopping him.
He’s about to strike like a snake. “I get it’s on me to think you were one of the good ones, Myles, because here you are, choosing to be an asshole to Maya without knowing a thing about her.
I want you to remember, no one forced you to be a dick.
That’s on you. Please don’t make family gatherings awkward, but you and I are done. ”
“No, Orion.” I move out of his protection, ready to argue that he should let it be.
He looks down at me, and that burn in my chest returns.
I don’t hide my emotions from him because I can’t.
His voice drops low, but not so low that the others can’t hear.
“I’m not letting anyone steal your sunshine.
You’re a breath of fresh air, May-May. A welcome one.
It’s been stale here for a while. Come on. ”
He drops his hand to the small of my back and pushes me away from the drama. I try to twist around again, but he silences my argument with a playful scowl. “Nope, don’t want to hear it. I need food.”
I don’t get time to process Orion’s words or actions because he shuts me down each time my mouth opens, but also the ladies behind the counter are waiting. Thankfully, tonight it’s the same staff as usual in our section, and they greet us warmly.
Our station is overflowing, and there’s so much to choose from. As usual, it’s mostly white or light-colored food. I take a slice of the mushroom pie I’ve had before and mashed potatoes because it would be criminal not to have some at each meal.
Orion leans in. “Get some of the fish too. It’s northern pike, caught locally. It is always good.”
“Just a little, please.” I hold my plate up as the server picks up a piece, but I shake my head, pointing at a piece half the size. “No offense, but how can you fill up on fish when you have the option of white cake!”
The lady smiles as she switches pieces of fish before she disappears for a moment, coming back with the biggest slice of cake I’ve ever seen. “You’ve got your priorities straight. Just be careful, supposedly our white cake isn’t white enough.” She flicks her head in the direction of the celestials.
“How sacrilegious of you,” I say, amusing myself with my cheesy pun.
She laughs but doesn’t say another word.