Chapter 22 Runes and Ruin
RUNES AND RUIN
Blank.
Everett’s arm remains blessedly blank of an imprint.
“You have Rune Studies and Alchemy together,” Scarlet says. “Everett’s a master at runes.”
“Do you know if there’s a rune that could reveal a curse?” I ask.
His expressive brows lift. “What kind of curse?”
Before I can admit that I don’t know, a guy with bright blond hair and sky-blue eyes steps beside me, so close, the heat of his body presses against mine. “Mo chroí,” he says smoothly. “I’m Theran. Have you had breakfast yet? What can I get you? A house? A new glider?”
Scarlet rolls her eyes. Theran laughs. “I’m kidding. Kind of. Seriously, though—a Soul Elemental. I could feel you the moment you walked in. Did you transfer? How have I never seen you before?”
Confusion, fear, and hope muddle my thoughts.
“What’s your name, beautiful?” Theran asks.
“Brielle, and she’s my cousin,” Scarlet interjects. “Try anything, and I’ll bury your ass below the ocean.”
A cocky grin splits his face as he nods. “Heard.” He extends his hand to me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Brielle.”
Every cell in my body protests as I slip my hand into his cold, clammy palm. I barely suppress a sigh of relief when no imprint forms.
He doesn’t even glance for one. “I have to run, but I look forward to learning all about you.” With a wink, he turns and heads for the doors.
“That was awkward,” I say, wiping my hand on my jeans.
Everett snorts. “I’ve got to go, too. I’ll see you two later.”
Scarlet slips her arm through mine, directing us toward the short line for food. “I told you.”
Relief pirouettes in my chest, but a new question takes root. “What did Theran mean when he said he could feel me?”
She rolls her eyes. “He was referring to a mating connection, which you clearly don’t have since there was no imprint.”
“How long do I have to touch someone for an imprint to form?”
Scarlet shakes her head. “Fractions of a second. You just need direct skin-to-skin contact.”
“What are we going to do if I do imprint on someone else?”
“You won’t. You can’t. That’s the point.”
She orders eggs and fruit. I give the excuse I’m not hungry, and we find seats at an empty table where she maps out my routes for all my morning classes.
“All right,” Scarlet says. “Sleeves up and elbows out, let’s see how many people you can touch.”
“I can’t just brush up against them,” I object. “I have to be able to see if there’s a marking.”
“You didn’t feel it?” she asks. “Most say it feels really warm, some claim there’s a buzzing or slight shock.”
I couldn’t feel anything but pain when Daire first touched me. But I vividly remember the pulse of pleasure and pain that had me wanting to drop Griffin’s hand and never let go at the same time.
She nods, recognizing my awareness. “Elbows out.”
And so I do.
I graze twenty-three strangers on our way to Charms class, located on the far end of campus in what Scarlet explains is one of the original buildings.
“Anything?” she asks, pausing outside the room.
I shake my head. “Nothing.”
She grins. “Willow just messaged. I’m going to call her to confirm my schedule, but I’ll be right in.”
“Take your time.”
The college I attended in Vermont had a beautiful main building, but the classrooms were all cramped and outdated, the carpets and ceilings often held together with silver tape, teeming with asbestos and strange smells.
So, I’m stunned when I step into the opulent classroom.
The first and most prominent detail is that the room is oval-shaped, lined in dark wood.
Ornate, arched windows give the room a medieval Gothic feeling, which the soft music playing in the background only heightens.
Students gather at a large, circular table, talking among themselves. I shove down the nerves threatening to crawl into my stomach and take an empty seat.
“That seat’s reserved,” a glossy-haired brunette behind me says.
“Sorry,” I murmur, sliding over a spot.
Her brow lowers as she shakes her head. “That one’s reserved, too.”
Nerves escape the barricade I’d forced them into, flooding me as I stand, feeling too many sets of eyes watching my every move.
I walk to the other side of the table, ensuring there’s an empty chair on both sides of me before sitting down.
The brunette sits across from me and begins touching up her makeup.
More people file into the room, including a platinum blonde who sits beside the brunette, who suddenly becomes animated as the two engage in conversation, giggling and whispering before turning to look at me.
The blonde casts the same silencing charm Holden used, but this time it only encircles the two of them, muting their conversation and laughter.
I hate the cloud of self-consciousness settling over me.
Scarlet and Gwen lulled me into hoping that mean girls didn’t exist here.
I should have known better, considering one of the first Elementals I met broke my bones without so much as a question, and the five men I’m allegedly tied to seem increasingly suspicious and disinterested in me.
A guy with curly blond hair and bulky muscles sits on my left, seconds before Scarlet hurries into class, giving me a silent apology with her eyes as she slips into the seat on my right. “Sorry. Willow’s tougher to evade than my tidescast coach.”
“Good morning, class.” The greeting comes from a woman who looks barely older than me.
Her fiery red hair is braided over one shoulder, and layers of long skirts sweep the floor as she strides inside.
Her amber gaze settles on me, bright and unflinching.
“My dear Soul Elemental, welcome to Lowick. I’m Professor Anara.
” She makes a flourish with her hands. A flash of orange light ripples through the air, and a thick leather-bound book materializes in front of me.
“Since you’re accustomed to print, I thought you might prefer this version,” she explains.
“A digital copy’s been added to your library as well.
” The book flutters open, the scent of fresh ink and paper curling through the air.
“Stop by before class tomorrow, and we’ll catch you up. ”
Whispers circulate around the table as several exchange glances in my direction, fueling the unease in my chest.
The door opens with a groan, and Kai steps in. My pulse stutters at the sight of his muscled shoulders, tapered waist, and chiseled jaw. Then those impossible blue eyes find mine for a fraction of a second.
“Nice of you to join us, Mr. Rurik,” Professor Anara says dryly.
He mutters an apology, settling into the seat beside the platinum blonde.
Of course he’s friends with them.
He leans back in his seat, spinning a pen—a rune stone, I’ve learned—around his thumb, looking equal parts bored and agitated.
“Brielle, you’ll observe for now,” Professor Anara says, looking at me. “Charms can be quite fickle and backfire if not done properly.”
“You’ve never done a charm?” the curly-haired guy beside me asks.
“She was raised on Earth,” Scarlet says.
“Damn. When did you come to Bryxton?”
Spin. Catch. Spin. The movement of Kai’s rune stone catches my eye again, only this time, he’s staring at me.
“A week ago,” I answer, turning to the stranger.
He blinks. “This must be wild.” He extends his hand. “I’m Nick.”
Catch.
I shake Nick’s hand, heart thudding as I wait to see if a mark appears.
Nothing.
Spin. Catch. Spin. Catch.
“Why is she in our class if she was just recovered? Shouldn’t she be with the first years?” the brunette asks.
Professor Anara shrugs as though she is wondering the same thing, but isn’t allowed to ask, or maybe she did. “Unusual situations sometimes call for unusual circumstances, Miss Levine.”
“I can’t feel a pulse of power from her. Are we sure she’s an Elemental?” the brunette asks.
Spin. Catch. Spin. Catch.
The blonde laughs. “What a defunct.”
Catch.
“Say that again, and I’ll drown you.” I don’t know if it’s Scarlet’s threat or her vicious tone that surprises me more.
“She’s an adult,” the blonde counters. “Call it whatever you want.”
It.
Spin. Catch. Spin. Catch.
“You just can’t help but lower yourself to the bottom feeders, can you, Veronica?” Scarlet fires back.
Veronica’s blue eyes turn icy before the water from Nick’s cup rises.
“Enough,” Professor Anara demands. The water crashes back down, splashing onto the table and my arm. “Thornhurst doesn’t tolerate violence. If either of you moves water in my class again, you’ll be dismissed.”
“Have you been in D&C?” someone asks, eliciting a train of dry laughter and jokes.
Spin. Catch. Spin. Catch.
Professor Anara moves to stand behind a high table. “We’re continuing our work with shields, but today, we’ll be working with nullite.”
A quiet groan leaves Nick as a swarm of dark planks floats high overhead. I stare, wide-eyed, as Professor Anara reminds the class of the importance of visualization and focus.
A soft snicker has my gaze deviating from the nullite to the brunette and Veronica, who are still staring at me.
“I’ll create a diversion if you want to light them on fire,” Scarlet whispers.
I smirk. “I had no idea you shared homicidal intentions with one of my least favorite people.”
She scoffs.
“Who are they?”
Scarlet releases a heavy sigh. “Cassandra Madden and Veronica Levine. Veronica’s in love with Kai, so I knew she’d be a pain in the ass. Unfortunately that means Cassandra will be, too, because they never do anything alone. Even more unfortunate for you is the fact they already hate me.”
“I could tell they were awful.”
Scarlet nods. “They are. But it’s been worse since last semester, when I received the healing center position over Cassandra. They tried to crush the water pressure around my cindrel after tidecast practice one day, and nearly killed me.”
My gaze snaps to the brunette again, revenge plots forming in my thoughts.