Page 29 of Fallen Gods

“Tell me, Rey,” he murmurs, eyes dark and dangerous. “Have you ever beenruinedby a story?”

My throat tightens, and I glance away—only to see Ziva waving at me from the trash cans behind him. She dumps her tray with a flourish, taps her chest, and points at me in the universal gesture forneed me to come over?

I hope to every God in the Nine Realms she didn’t hear Aric asking if I had ever been ruined.

Aric glances over his shoulder, his eyebrows shooting down. “Hey, Z,” he says, voice flat and cool. Like he’s already bored with whatever history they share.

“Hey, Douche,” she answers, and I choke on a fry.

If Ziva hadn’t already pronounced us best friends earlier, I’d have gotten on bended knee right then and begged to worship her for life.

Aric ignores both of us and picks up his burger, taking a huge bite.

“Catch you later, Rey.” Ziva tosses me a wink before heading out of the dining hall.

“I see you make friends as well as I do,” I say, breaking the silence.

“Apparently not,” he says. “She likesyou.”

I shrug and snag the ketchup bottle from the caddy of condiments. “You’re being nice. Why?”

“Don’t get used to it.” He grins, and this time it’s pure malice. “I don’t want to be anywhere near you. But at the same time, I find myself unable to stay away until I can figure out why you’re really here. I know you don’t give a shit about anything, least of all your education.”

I force a polite smile. “Who says I don’t give a shit?”

“I do.” He makes a fist on the table. “You only learn what he tells you to. Everyone knows it. So what is it? What’s the reason this place suddenly matters to the Stjernes?”

“You’re paranoid.”

“This school is my family’s legacy. The only thing not tainted byyourfamily.” He looks down. “And I won’t let you poison it.”

A shiver runs along my spine, and I reach for another fry. “I can’t tell if you’re trying to intimidate me or seduce me.”

“You’re pretty,” he says, standing. “But the prettiest toys always come with teeth.”

“So I’m both a toyandpretty?” I bat my lashes at him. Jackass.

He raises his arms above his head like he’s frustrated, giving me a view of his abs before he turns and walks away.

I refuse to be affected by muscle. That would be ridiculous and weak. Just because my mouth went completely dry, that’s not my fault. It’s the weather.

So he likes working out.

Maybe hiking.

Hates me but is drawn to me.

I push back my chair and stand. I guess I’m about to find out how well he plays with others.

Chapter Fourteen

Aric

I feel rather than see Rey follow me through the rest of my day. Does she seriously have no pride? I spend hours in my room, failing to focus, sensing her mere inches away on the other side of the wall. When I leave, I hear her door open to follow me before I’m in the stairwell.

I lose her on my second run of the day, as dusk begins to settle like a blanket over the forest. Guess her little black shoes weren’t enough to keep up with me. Into hiking, my ass.

But she’s waiting outside the dorms when I return.Shit.She’s not looking at me, though. She’s shaking her head at the students walking toward the path that leads into the woods and down to the lake, through an ancient archway.