Page 71 of Fallen Gods

“Whatever.” Reeve stands just as my phone buzzes. “You canall come, just don’t ruin the vibe.”

I glance down. Unknown number.

Unknown:Done with my classes. Want to get our assignment over with or did you have another day in mind

Rey. Of course it’s Rey.

And of course, she chooses that exact moment to walk into the dining hall.

Ziva waves her over. I flip my phone face up, leaving her on read, but when her eyes drop to the screen, then snap to me, her glare cuts deep.

And suddenly, I can breathe. Or it feels like I can.

“Just texted you,” she says flatly.

“Yup.” I smile back, cool as I can manage.

“Hey, Eira.” Rey’s voice is deceptively casual. “Can I borrow Rowen really quick?”

The flare of jealousy hits so fast, I almost choke on it. No—not jealousy. Just anger. Irritation. Annoyance.

Eira shrugs like she couldn’t care less, and Rowen walks over to her, throwing a casual arm around her shoulder.

My hand curls around my Coke can until the aluminum creaks. Frost blooms across the surface in thick veins, ice racing up my fingers until the whole can is frozen solid.

Eira gasps. “Wow. That must be really cold. I’m gonna grab one.” She scurries off.

But I can’t move. Can’t breathe. All I see is Rowen and Rey walking out together.

Something’s going on.

And the rune on my back—it burns. It’s alive. I can feel it clawing under my skin, demanding to be noticed.

I keep telling myself it’s nothing. A trick. Some accidental magic Rey stirred up in the Hall of Ormir.

It started there. But it needs to end now. A small voice reminds me it started years ago, but it wasn’t like this then. Back then, Icould still control things, but now? Now things are…changing. I shift uncomfortably.

Tonight, I’m done pretending. Tonight, I’m asking Sigurd why the hell I’ve got a living, breathing rune carved into me like a brand.

And how the fuck I get rid of it.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Rey

“What’s up?” Rowen crosses his arms and leans in. “You’re not really squashing down the wholeI was in your room and we broke a bedrumor right now.”

My eyebrows shoot up as I self-consciously look around the dining hall. People are staring. Great. Perfect. “There’s a rumor about us?”

He nods. “Though in the rumored version, you were naked.”

I slap a hand over his mouth, then drop it. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Welcome to college.” He almost seems sad when he says it. “You’re young and pretty, and I’m not a troll, so people put two and two together. And I mean, the bedwasbroken. It doesn’t matter, anyway. Better than them talking about you and Aric.”

Fair point.

I hold up my phone. “Keep yours on you. I kind of told Aric we could do our assignment now. Field trip to the Ice Caves.”