Page 50 of Fallen Gods

Worrying about you? Stalking? A little of both? “I was getting ready to go to the opening ceremony. Reeve already left, and I figured I’d knock just in case you were sleeping and missed your alarm.”

Because I care? Damn it, like he’s really going to buy that.

His lips curl into a cruel smile. “Yes, because we’re close enough that you’d be looking out for me.” His eyes search mine in a cold, unfeeling manner. At least he’s made it painfully known where we stand.

“Like you were looking out for me last night?” I counter.

“That was different,” he growls. “You had a goddamn head wound.”

I cross my arms with a huff. “Well, I feel fine now.” I tilt my head. “And whycan’tI look out for you? We’re all in this semester together. Plus, it’s not like we’re strangers. We’ve known each other a long time, and we’ve already skinny-dipped together, so that basically bonds us for life.” I just had to bring it up, didn’t I? Like my brain needs a solid excuse to remember what his naked skin looked like. My cheeks flush hot.

“That was a mistake.” His words are low and menacing.

“Huge mistake,” I agree, but my voice is barely a whisper.

“You should go. You don’t want to be late.”

I blink up at him. “You’re too tall to climb over, and you’re crowding me against the wall. I’ll leave once you back off.”

“This isn’t crowding.” He presses closer. “This is.” His body is hard and hot against mine. He’s so close I can feel his heartbeat like it’s my own.

My breath catches in my chest. I’m supposed to be the one hunting him, not the other way around.

For a few seconds, I falter, panicking at my own weakness—because while he’s supposed to be this unfeeling zombie, I have to admit I like the way he feels this close to me. I think back to last night, to his hands on my face.

I tentatively run my finger down his chest.

He grabs my hand but doesn’t release it.

No, he grips it. Hard. Like he’s memorizing the way my fingers fit in his palm.

I’m suddenly thrust into a fever dream. We’re against a wall of ice I’ve never seen before, and then, just as quickly, we’re back in his dorm room. His mouth runs down my neck, taking small bites while he rips at my clothes. I tug off his shirt, his eyes burning bright mahogany, lips parting as he lets out a groan that shakes the walls around us.

Next thing I know, he’s picked me up by my waist and set me across his hips. He’s walking me toward…

With a gasp, I come back to myself, still pressed against the wall, dizzy from whatever the hell kind of vision that was. I jerk my hand away from his. “I have to go.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rey

I get off the elevator and stumble across campus toward the Assembly Hall, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

Kissing. Moving toward his bed. And…ice? The vision made no sense. For starters, I don’t get visions. Yes, it’s a power, but it’s not part of my skill set. I’m strong, I’m resilient, and I can glamour people with my Aethercall, making them feel things.

But trippy mental projections? Not on my résumé.

Maybe they were part of Aric’s power? Which then begs the question: What sort of other gifts are lurking beneath his surface, just waiting to burst free once he’s awake and able to access them?

My stomach twists. If that was a glimpse of his power, no wonder the Gods fear the Giants. He hijacked my mind so completely, I wouldn’t have known it was fake even with a gun to my head.

I felt his lips, the way they glided icy cool over mine while his hot tongue invaded.

I felt the heat of his mouth, the scrape of his teeth down my neck.

That, at least, was real.

I shiver and cross my arms, walking faster until I nearly run into someone. “Sorry!”