Page 15

Malia

Keahi’s hold on me is tight and unrelenting, his arms staying in place long after the danger has passed.

I’m paralyzed for a beat as well, but as the initial shock passes, I can’t help but burst out laughing.

“Are you crazy?” the boy behind me exclaims, but I can’t stop the laughter bubbling from my lips.

Keahi mutters something under his breath and wraps his arms even tighter around my stomach.

The next thing I know, he’s pulling me back to stand on the floor.

“Hey!” I pout and turn in his hold to look at him, only then realizing just how close we are.

My face is inches away from his, my neck craned so my eyes can meet his.

He holds my gaze for a second, his usually bored expression slowly melting into something else before he visibly shakes himself.

He takes a step back, his hands falling from my sides, and his unreadable fa?ade back in place.

Despite that, his movements lack their usual grace, making me wonder just what his face was about to reveal before he pulled himself together.

“I told you I don’t feel like hearing your groans of pain for the whole night, and if you went to the infirmary, we’d both be in trouble.” He releases an agitated breath and averts his eyes.

As he runs a hand through his unruly black hair, he almost seems flustered, and something akin to satisfaction blooms in my stomach.

“Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep at night.

I know you were scared for me,” I tease and step toward him.

Bringing one of my hands up, I pat his shoulder jokingly only to feel his muscles flex at my gentle touch. I pull away, smiling even as my hand tingles.

“I’d say it’s time for you to sleep because you are getting weird,” he utters, acting all grumpy.

Technically, he’s the one raining on my parade here but I don’t tell him that.

“I’m not tired.

Besides, I still need to do one thing.” I walk back to the railing, but Keahi grabs my wrist before I reach it.

I shoot him an unimpressed look over my shoulder.

“If you don’t want me to fall, help me,” I tell him before he can even think of voicing his complaints, softening the blow of my demand with a dazzling smile.

Well, at least I hope it’s dazzling.

“Tell me what it is,” he demands, still holding my wrist.

“Let me go and find out.” I wink, trying to play it down when I feel my cheeks heat up because of it.

He’s right, I am acting differently toward him than I usually do.

Apparently, I can’t help it. He’s not behaving like his usual jerkish self either.

Still, if he doesn’t cheer up soon, I might have to accidentally put him to sleep.

When I don’t budge under his scrutiny, Keahi rolls his eyes and looks skywards, as if sending up a prayer, before taking a deep breath like I’m robbing him of his last nerve right now.

I think I might be.

Wordlessly and still looking like the grump he is, he walks to the railing with me.

“I need my hand for this,” I tell him when we reach it and he’s still holding onto my right wrist.

He lets go and I place both of my hands on the railing.

“Do you actually plan on doing what I think you are?”

“Most likely,” I say before pushing myself up.

I place one of my knees on the metal pole while the other leg is hanging down.

I take a second to steady myself as Keahi steps even closer, his hands ready to catch me if I fall.

Funny how a few days ago, he joked about his unwillingness to catch me during practice with Eteri.

Now, I’m putting my trust in him and I’m not even scared to do it.

“Give me your arm,” I order.

He extends his arm silently so it’s close to my left one, and I grab it.

With one hand on the railing and one on Keahi’s forearm I slowly place the foot of my previously hanging leg in front of my knee, standing up slowly until I have both of my feet on the metal.

“This is just plain stupid,” Keahi mutters.

“It’s worth it,” I say without looking at him.

I’m standing to my full height now and slowly tilt my head back in my neck with my eyes closed.

I take a deep breath and let the feeling of being free rush through me.

I’m unsteady on my feet and every little sway of my stance sends my heart into freefall, but the knowledge that I could tumble down a full floor at any moment only makes this that much better.

Days at the academy can get awfully dull.

It’s always the same routine, the same days packed with the same lessons and the same people.

Never do we get to go outside, and never is there an adventure. This is the most rebellious thing I’ve done since I got here, so I soak up this feeling.

When I open my eyes again to look at the top of the wall where the window is placed, my heart skips a beat.

“I can see the moon!” I burst out excitedly, and Keahi chuckles.

The sound almost startles me enough to make me take my eyes of the sight to gape at him.

It’s so weird to see Keahi like this, laid-back and chuckling, apparently.

Without all the scowling and death glares he is barely recognizable, and it’s easy to forget our history. He isn’t the guy that burnt my face because he couldn’t take the L, he’s the one letting me hold on to his arm to make sure I don’t hurt myself.

When I do look down, sure I can keep my balance now, I find him already staring at me.

Our eyes lock, and suddenly, the place our skin touches seems to heat up, making my nerves tingle with awareness.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d accuse him of using his powers to cause that. As it is, I know that’s not what I’m feeling right now.

Unease churns in my stomach, intensifying with every second we stay in this position, locked in a staring contest.

Despite that, I can’t bring myself to look away.

Neither can he, it seems. What is happening?

I crouch back down to place my free hand on the railing before jumping to the ground in front of him.

We are standing close enough for me to smell his cologne but once again, he clears his throat and steps back before the moment can become too intimate.

I release his arm, which I just now noticed I was still holding, confused to find myself disappointed at his rejection.

“Ready to sleep now?” he asks, boredom bleeding into his voice once more.

I roll my eyes playfully.

“Already getting sick of my presence?” I don’t know why I ask that particular question when I know he never wanted to be in my presence to begin with.

Even worse, after what Aiden told me, I really don’t want to hear another person tell me how much of a nuisance I am.

So basically, I gave my mortal enemy the perfect set up to hurt my feelings.

Something really must be wrong with the air here.

Surprisingly, Keahi doesn’t go straight for my throat.

“I can’t change being in your presence, but I figure it would be a lot more endurable if you were asleep,” he says.

Warmth spreads through my veins, not that I would ever admit. I shove him slightly as I walk past, looking over my shoulder to send him a smile.

A risky idea forms in my head, something stupid and out of character but still something that might make my night here a lot more comfortable.

I already did several things that Keahi can use against me in the morning, so I might as well give tonight my all as far as future embarrassment goes.

“Here’s a deal. I’ll sleep if-” I start, but he interrupts me.

“There is always the if with you, isn’t there?” He huffs.

“You know what, sure.

Whatever it is, you win. As long as you’ll be quiet, I’m in.”

My smile blooms into beaming at his hurried agreement.

I expected a lot of resistance on this, but I’ll take it.

“Fantastic!” I exclaim, grabbing his wrist to pull him down the stairs. “You just agreed to be my pillow.” I tell him, making him stop dead in his tracks, resisting my tug. He’s like a brick wall when he wants to be, damnit. It’s humbling to realize the strength he acquired during puberty.

“There is no way in hell,” he protests.

I turn around, grinning wildly, so he shakes his head.

“I won’t be your fucking pillow!” he repeats, but I turn my head to the side and keep grinning, giving him what I hope to be efficient puppy-dog eyes. “Malia, no,” he warns me, but I can tell his resolve is crumbling. Who knew that I owned this kind of persuasion skills. Maybe I should try it on the cafeteria ladies to get an extra fruit in the morning. No, that’s crazy.

I don’t give in, and he sighs dramatically.

“This never happened, do you understand? A word about this and I’ll deny it with everything I’ve got.

No one will believe you.” He’s right about that. No one would believe a single thing about Keahi’s behavior tonight. Not that I’d care to share. Whatever’s in the air tonight is just for the two of us. Everyone that knows us and our dynamic would call me crazy for fraternizing with the enemy.

I nod before pulling him back to the corner I found him in.

He takes his blanket off the windowsill and neatly places it on the ground.

“Who’s the princess now?” I tease him.

“Careful or your pillow will be uncomfortably warm tonight.” While he sits down and leans against the wall, I stand for another moment, watching him.

The gloomy glow in the library colors his dark skin in a cool tone, but his warm eyes glow as he looks up at me.

Damn, he’s attractive. I never realized how much of his boyish softness his features lost over the years. Now he’s got a sharp jaw and even sharper cheekbones. It’s a dangerous addition to his muscular build. I suddenly get why Eteri has a hard time looking away from him. If she always gets this version of him, that combined with his looks would wow me too. “Sure, take your time,” he jokes, interrupting my fraying thoughts.

Right.

With my cheeks heating, I get on the floor and lay my head on the blanket that is draped over his legs.

It occurs to me that I’ve never been this innocently close with anyone. How ironic that the first person I’m doing it with is the same one I would’ve least expected it to be. Stars, I need to turn off my head and just enjoy it. Who cares who I’m with. It’s nice to be close to someone.

I sigh in contempt, liking the position far more than expected.

“You are really enjoying this, aren’t you?” he asks, and I hum in response.

After a few beats of silence, I can’t help but ask what’s been on my mind all night now.

“Why aren’t you usually like this?”

“What?” he asks, sounding half-asleep already.

“So far, I’ve only ever seen you act like a bully, but you’re not so bad.

At least you weren’t all night.

Why aren’t you always like this?”

“Why should I be?” Defensiveness creeps in his tone, and since I don’t mean to ruin the last few hours of whatever spell has been put on us, I decide to lighten the mood with some humor.

“For one, you’d have a lot more friends if you weren’t acting so insufferable,” I remark lightly, hoping he notes the teasing lilt to my words.

He chuckles and the sound washes over me like a cool shower after practice.

“Honestly, what do I need them for? I’ve been doing great on my own.”

“But things are more fun with friends,” I argue, only to feel him shrug.

“For you, maybe.

To me, friends just sound like a lot of work and a waste of time.

Now, sleep. This conversation won’t turn me into prince charming overnight, so stop wasting your breath,” hearing the finality in his voice and not wanting to piss him off, I decide to drop the topic. Even though I feel like there might be more to his story, it’s not my place to try and convince him to change his mind.

In the silence, it doesn’t take long until I drift off.

“Malia” It’s the male voice calling out for me again, and the sound raises chills on my arms.

“Malia, find us!”

My eyes snap open and I release a shaky breath.

It takes a moment for me to remember where I am and to become aware of the arms around me.

One of Keahi’s hands is in my hair while the other rests lazily on my arm.

His even breathing tells me he is still asleep and I’m glad for that.

I don’t need him to know I wake up from nightmares every night.

I can already imagine the teasing. We are enemies after all. Even though it doesn’t feel like we are in this moment.

I push these questions away and focus on a more pressing one.

What do the dreams mean? “Find us,” the voice said.

Who is us? Is someone really trying to reach out to me or am I losing my mind? A shiver runs down my spine at the thought, my blood going cold.

At my body’s sudden movement, Keahi’s hold on me tightens.

The hand that was previously in my hair settles on the nape of my neck, and the heat coming from it is enough to fight of some of the chilling dread in my gut.

I smile softly to myself and close my eyes again.

Only for my self-destructive brain to remind me of the date I had with Aiden.

Self-doubt creeps up on me.

“Did you think you were special?” He said that as if the possibility alone was ridiculous.

It was dumb of me to ignore the warnings and gossip about him.

Maybe Aiden was right, and I really have gotten too used to getting special treatment, even if I never asked for it.

Is that why it never occurred to me that Aiden might be using me like he supposedly did to many other girls? That’s mortifying.

Again, Keahi moves one of his hands in his sleep, this time flexing the fingers on my arm before relaxing them once more.

I take that as my hint to stop spiraling, and instead wonder what he might be dreaming about.

I take a deep breath and scoot a little closer to the human furnace, allowing sleep to take me under its loving wing once more.