Chapter 18 – Wave
In the end, it only took breaking one toy to get her siren side somewhat under control. That part of her wanted to call in the men waiting on the other side of the door. It was a wonder she hadn’t slipped in her haze.
When she emerged, Jarred and Risha just hopped off the floor where they had been sitting and walked her back to campus. Neither said a word about what happened. Both kissed her cheek before leaving her with Salis.
Wave looked after them, her mind still spinning.
She had missed two classes and fully expected to get endless shit comments from Salis, who eyed the scarf around her neck. The bruises around her neck weren’t healing as quick as she had thought.
They made their way toward her next class and she tried to concentrate on pulling her aura down when yet another student, fire demon, two years higher class than her, slipped into a bathroom to get out of her way.
“Don’t make me call His Icicle,” Salis said as soon as he noticed the difference.
“But—”
“No. I don’t want to have my wings frosted over. You are going to let your aura breathe.”
“Everyone is acting fucking weird,” she harrumphed but didn’t try to damp down as hard. Just a little, to see at what point Salis noticed her trying. It wasn’t like her entire aura was rolling freely anyway. She’d tucked half of it away before exiting her bedroom.
She’d wrapped her stormbringer powers around her siren heart and pushed until there were no traces of it left. The trouble was that her control kept slipping constantly. On both sides.
Salis flicked her nose. “Well, you did just flatten everyone in that courtyard with your aura.”
“I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s a good thing, Way. It puts an end to the shit going around that you aren’t powerful enough to keep Powerhouses’ attention.”
“Who cares?” Wave griped.
“Most do,” Salis said, nodding sagely. “Then you made out pretty publicly with the Ice clan heir apparent and one of the Powerhouses. At the same time. And they didn’t try to kill each other.
That will have gossip running for years.
Well, weeks. Maybe days, until you manage to pull off something even more scandalous. ”
“Not funny.”
“Just stating facts, buttercup. Normally, the attack on the Academy grounds would be the only thing people talked about for a decade. Somehow, you manage to divert their attention in a day.”
“Hmpf.”
“Seriously speaking, though, Way. Are you all right? What’s going on with you and Irishen? I mean, Jarred I can understand, but—”
“He’s my maybe-fucking-mate,” Wave grumbled out loud before she could check herself. Salis stopped in his tracks.
“Wait! What? I mean, I know you implied it. But really? Are you sure?”
Wave groaned and tugged at his arm. “Keep it moving. I can’t be late for Kilkenny’s class. He’s an ass enough as it is.”
“Wayla.” Salis pulled her to a stop.
“What?”
“You can’t just drop something like that on me and then ignore it.” Salis breathed in deep. “I mean, yeah, you kinda said it before, but I didn’t really believe you. Really?”
Wave decided to ignore everything else and reacted to the first part of his word vomit. “Sure I can. I’m ignoring him, too. Mostly.”
“Oh, denial,” Salis said and released her arm, hurrying to catch up to her when she marched on. “This is going to be fun. Or a catastrophe. I’m betting on catastrophe.”
“Not helpful,” Wave groaned. “I’m not claiming the bond.”
“Definitely a catastrophe.” Salis nodded to himself.
Wave glared at yet another student diving out of her way. This would get old fast. She hurried her steps, eager to get out of the hallway. As soon as she spotted her classroom, she nudged Salis, ending the conversation.
“This is me. Run along now!”
“Don’t forget that I’m walking you home after! And this discussion is most definitely not over, lollipop.”
“Yeah, it is,” Wave murmured and rushed to class. There was nothing to say. Her hand rose to her neck and shivers ran down her spine. The bruises were still there.
But there was nothing more to say about Irishen. Or Jarred. Or the fact that she had broken her favorite vibrator by squeezing too hard as she came.
Not. A. Word.
The living room was empty when Wave slipped inside after Salis dropped her home after school. Bracing herself for a moment, Wave made her way over to Diana’s door and knocked.
“Come in!”
She cracked the door and peeked inside. “Do you have a minute?”
“Sure, come on in,” Diana replied. Where Wave’s room was really generic, even after Chrissy’s color modifications, Diana’s room was a garden. Or jungle. Wave looked for a place to sit and decided the floor was her safest bet.
Carefully, she folded down and looked up at Diana, who was sitting by her desk and fiddling with some plant that had a spot of brown on its green leaf.
“What’s wrong with it?” she asked, curious.
“It got into a fight with a fern over there,” Diana replied and pointed at a plant that was sitting in one corner. It almost looked like the plant had been placed on a time-out.
Wave’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
Diana laughed. “No. I just accidentally crushed this leaf when I dropped one of my books.”
Wave narrowed her eyes. “I’m not so sure I believe you,” she said and pointed at the fern. “That looks like a time-out to me.”
Diana’s eyes sparkled, but she didn’t refute Wave’s claim. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
Taking a fortifying breath, Wave blurted out, “Irishen.”
Diana stopped fussing with the plant and turned to fully face her. “Okay,” she said carefully. “You think he might be your mate?”
Wave groaned. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Now Diana smiled. Wave kept going, regretting the words even before they left her lips. “I think I’m starting to like him.”
Diana rolled her eyes. “Starting to? I think you’re at least halfway there.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“It’s all right, Wayla. Really. I told you he apologized.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re over it or okay with me spending time with him,” Wave argued. Diana fell silent for a moment and scrutinized Wave before speaking.
“Do you want me to give you an excuse to avoid your possible mate bond, or do you want to hear what I really think?”
Wave gulped. “Hit me.”
“I think we were never right for each other. Under different circumstances, we might have made it work, but after he explained what was going on—and I’m not going to tell you, it’s between you two what you share—I understand that I wasn’t the right match for him.
” She held up a hand to stop Wave from speaking.
“I also realized that he absolutely wasn’t the right match for me. ”
“Okay,” Wave said hesitantly and Diana continued.
“Risha is wild, brash, and arrogant even on the best of days. He needs someone who can keep up and stand up to him. I’m quiet, a bit shy, and I hate confrontation, especially the shouting kind.
I need—want someone like Salis. He makes me feel comfortable enough to come out of my shell and he makes me laugh, even when we’re arguing. ”
“Are you two…”
“Friends. I’m not sure if we’ll ever be anything more, but being friends with him has shown me what I really want. Not what I think I should want. I want a partner, not a statement piece.”
“Risha is not a statement piece,” Wave said, feeling suddenly defensive. Diana’s giggle made her feel foolish, and she hung her head.
“To you, no. You are on his level, well, maybe even higher. With the two of you, you make statements together. I’m not saying this right, but you get what I mean, right?”
Wave rubbed at her temples. “I think so. Not that I’m happy about it, but I think I get it.” She groaned. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it, though, does it?”
Diana shook her head and turned back to her plant. “It doesn’t, but I think you still do. Your eyes sparkle when you talk about him.”
“They do not!” Wave protested.
“They do.” Diana nodded sagely. Then her hand stilled, and she turned back toward Wave. “What about the rest of them? Jarred, Marc, Hellion?”
Now it was Wave’s turn to shake her head. “I don’t know. I don’t think it’s going to… They won’t… Jarred—” Wave choked off and her fingers drifted over the bite on her neck. Diana reached out and patted her shoulder sympathetically.
“You’ll figure it out, eventually.”
“I made out with both of them. Today. At the same time,” Wave blurted out.
Diana’s eyes widened to comical degrees, and she spun back to face Wave so fast she almost fell off her chair. “What?”
Wave rubbed her temples. “I’m insane,” she said and lay on the floor, preparing for a long talk. Hopefully, Di would be able to talk some sense into her.