A couple of times, I feel that familiar cold creeping closer—lurking.
And just as many times, I feel a familiar current of air bringing the heat back, along with a faint smell of something burned.
Immediately, I get a message.
You’re welcome.
The first time, I reply with a sticker.
The second time, I don’t. It’s obvious he’s showing off.
It’s lunchtime. I glance toward Lorcan and see him getting ready to leave. Almost automatically, I prepare to go with him—until I remember something.
Carmen and Gabriel, right next to me.
“This class is so boring…” Gabriel says.
“Elena, lunch?” Carmen asks.
“Pasta again?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Maybe because I’m gaining weight…”
While they argue, I glance back to where Lorcan was.
He’s gone.
“Uh… go ahead,” I say. “I need to use the bathroom first.”
I leave the classroom. Once I make sure they’re not following me—because I know them—I start looking for Lorcan. He can’t be far. He promised.
I find him a few minutes later, sitting at one of the wooden picnic tables. Sunglasses on, carefully unwrapping what looks like a sandwich. I take the opportunity to approach him.
“What are you doing inside my class?”
“Protecting you. Two demons in four hours. You’re welco—”
“I know,” I interrupt. “I get it. But do you really need to be in class? I’ve been handling myself pretty well these past few days.”
Lorcan finishes unwrapping the sandwich. Studies it. It’s one of the faculty cafeteria sandwiches.
I already know how this ends.
“You can never be too careful,” he says. “Those two probably weren’t trying to possess you, but they were too close. And you, Elena—” he points at me with the sandwich “—you’re no longer a beacon. You’re a laser beam aimed at space…”
He takes a bite.
Big mistake.
“This sandwich is awful! What is this? It tastes like wet cardboard.”
“It’s soy meat,” I say. “You’d know if you listened to our podcast.”
“Great. I’ll add it to my list…”
He takes the rest of the sandwich and tosses it into a trash can several meters away.
“Subtle isn’t really your thing, is it?”
“I am being subtle.”
“I felt an air pressure shift.”
“It’s not my fault you’re already sensitive to magic.”
“Technically, that is your fault.”
“Yes,” he admits. “It absolutely is. Sorry.”
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He pulls his tablet out of his sling bag and finally peels off the protective plastic.
“Is it new?” I ask.
“I told you I had something to pick off. My previous tablet didn’t support a stylus.”
“And you bought a thirteen-inch one?”
“More space to write. The point is—given your current state, I don’t need to be glued to you. I don’t even need to be in the same room to sense you.”
For some reason, heat rushes to my face after that line.
“And that’s exactly why I prefer staying close,” he continues. “I can’t work precisely if I can’t see. I would’ve burned the entire classroom.”
There’s a dull sound behind us—like a bottle hitting the ground.
I turn around.
Gabriel and Carmen are approaching with their lunches.
My stomach tightens.
“Hey guys,” I say, trying to save this. “Uh… we already grabbed a table.”
Carmen has that look—the one that clearly says I don’t believe you.
Gabriel, on the other hand, studies Lorcan silently, evaluating him.
They sit on the benches across from us. Lorcan doesn’t flinch.
“So you’re the new guy,” Gabriel says.
“Yes,” Lorcan replies, removing his sunglasses. “My name is Lorcan Kestrel.”
Carmen coughs.
“The one from the hill?” she blurts out.
“Carmen!” I say—too late.
Gabriel frowns.
“What hill?”
“The hill,” Carmen says, like it’s obvious. “You know. The entity.”
Gabriel’s eyes go wide.
“The entity on the hill?!”
Lorcan sighs, like someone tired of explaining something he never wanted to explain.
“I was checking out the campus before enrolling,” he says. “I like football, so I stayed to watch the matches late. And I guess… my eyes are more noticeable than I thought.”
Gabriel blinks.
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t have… I don’t know. Something better to do?”
Lorcan looks at him for a second. Honest.
“Would you believe me if I said I don't?”
Gabriel hesitates. Then shrugs.
“Well… I guess you get bored eventually. Being rich and all.”
Lorcan smiles faintly.
“Man. You have no idea.”
I glance at Lorcan. Somehow, he’s successfully dodged the interrogation.
An awkward silence settles.
Gabriel looks at Lorcan. Then at me.
“Okay,” he says finally. “So it’s not a cult.”
Carmen smiles, satisfied.
“Told you,” she says, victorious.
“That doesn’t change the fact that he’s still a mysterious, rich guy who appears out of nowhere, watches you, and says things like ‘I prefer staying close.’”
My face burns again before I can stop it. I open my mouth to protest.
“We’re not dating.”
“Oh really?” Gabriel says, raising an eyebrow.
Lorcan intervenes, completely calm.
“We didn’t discuss it.”
“Lorcan!” I snap, turning on him, shooting daggers.
I don’t know if his powers include mind-reading, but I’m broadcasting a very clear , followed by several creative insults. Just in case.
Gabriel freezes.
Carmen covers her mouth to keep from laughing.
“So you’re not dating…”
“Correct,” Lorcan says.
“But you’re also not not dating.”
“Also correct.”
Carmen has been waiting for this.
“And there might be secrets involved,” she adds.
“Carmen, no.”
“Technically correct,” Lorcan says.
He is not helping. At all. The mental insults continue.
The awkward silence is broken by a buzz.
Lorcan’s phone.
He looks at the screen, and his expression changes completely. Serious. Professional. He puts his sunglasses back on.
“Excuse me,” he says, standing. “I have urgent work to attend to.”
“You have a job?” Gabriel asks.
“The car wasn’t free,” Lorcan replies with a smile.
Before leaving, he leans slightly toward me and whispers. I can feel his breath.
“It’s the Council. I need to see what they want. I’ll find you later.”
“And what about the whole ‘laser beam’ thing?”
“You have the ring. And the taser.”
“Very funny.”
He leaves.
The beast wakes up once more, drawing the attention of the entire campus.
Definitely not subtle.
Carmen immediately scoots closer to me.
“What was that?” she asks.
I just cover my face with my hands and let out a muffled sound.
“Let’s… just go back to class.”
The afternoon classes pass without incident.
After walking with Carmen for a while and stopping by an ice cream shop, I finally return to my old apartment—just like Carmen expected me to.
Lorcan doesn’t contact me all afternoon. Whatever it was, it clearly worried him.
I can’t help wondering what could possibly worry someone like him.
I try not to think about it while making tea. Most of my things are already at the mansion, but some are still here—to keep up appearances.
Then my phone buzzes.
It’s Lorcan.
I’m downstairs.
I look out the window. Sure enough, I see the familiar dark gray car parked by the curb, and Lorcan standing by the passenger door.
Both, as always, drawing attention.
I grab my things and head down.
When he sees me, he opens the passenger door automatically. Closes it carefully once I’m inside, then walks around to the driver’s side.
The beast comes back to life.
We drive in silence for a bit.
Then my phone vibrates again.
I cover my mouth.
“No, no, no, no…”
It’s Carmen.
A photo of me getting into Lorcan’s car.
And a message:
“Everything's normal, huh?”
I sink into the seat.
Goodbye, normal life.
“You know you don’t have to drive me everywhere,” I say, embarrassed. “I can always call a taxi.”
“It’s more fun this way,” he says, smiling.
I nod.
Maybe he’s right.
Or at least… it’s more honest.