Remmy frowned, but he pressed on carefully. “I'm sure you're tired and just want to go home, after all of this. I hear you're a hero.”
“Not really,” I muttered, though I felt a flicker of pride at the word. “I just acted on instinct.”
“She says you pushed her out of the way.”
“That's right.”
“Well, then take the title for what it is,” he said, sounding like he was trying to be humorous.
I wasn't in the mood for any sort of ribbing. Especially not after being brushed off at the station earlier.
Standing with a groan, my body sore from all the stress I'd put it through, I looked at the detective warily. “Is there something you needed?”
He considered me a moment. “After seeing you only a few hours ago, I was just surprised to come to this scene and find you here. Call it coincidence, but I thought I would take the chance to make sure this wasn't connected to what we talked about earlier.” He shot a meaningful look at Becky, who leaned away and passed that look on to me.
I wished the migraine medicine would kick in faster. “She knows about Nethiun.”
“You actually reported him to the police, then?” she asked, staring at me incredulously.
Folding my arms, I looked from her to the detective. “Yeah. And I was told they couldn't do anything about him until he did something 'illegal' or whatever.”
Remmy sighed in exasperation, glancing over his shoulder at the wreckage. “Listen, Gale, I'm only following procedure. So, unless you want to tell me this Nethiun fellow had something to do with this accident, I'll leave you be so you can go get some rest.”
Hesitating, I followed his eyes to the place I had almost had my life cut short earlier. Nethiun did have something to do with this, actually, but not in the way you're thinking, detective.
He actually saved me.
“Detective,” I said slowly, forming my words precisely. “I do want to amend my statement, actually.”
“You do?” he asked, seeming surprised.
Nodding, I adjusted my backpack, looking him straight in the eye. “I'd like to remove my statement entirely. I don't want to report anything against Nethiun any longer.”
“I—excuse me?” he blurted, freezing his hand on the pen in his chest pocket. “You want to remove the report? Why would you do that?”
Turning on my heel, I half faced away from Remmy. “Please, just get rid of it. It was a mistake to report him, that's all that matters. Come on Becky, I'd like to lie down now.”
Her face was blank, I caught the wide eyed look she offered the detective. “Uh, okay. I guess... um, bye, detective?” Even her words blared her uncertainty to the world.
As I walked off down the side of the road, she followed after me with loud clicks of her heels. When we had left the scene far enough behind, she grabbed my upper arm and hissed out a stream of surprise. “Gale! What the hell was that all about?”
“What do you mean?” I grumbled, shaking off her hold.
“You know what I mean!” Flipping her long curls of hair, she easily kept pace with me. She was a master at walking in those stilettos. “Why would you report the guy stalking you, then just... randomly revoke it?”
Shrugging, my mind flashed with those unnerving white eyes that held no shine. “I just don't think it matters. I was... too quick to make a report, I think.”
“You think.” She repeated me, words soaked in disbelief. “You think? Gale, what happened that you aren't telling me?”
Crossing under the lights of the housing district, I moved faster at the promise of reaching the campus. “Nothing happened.”
Beside me, the heavy clacking of heeled shoes stopped. I kept on a few more steps, before finally giving in and turning around. Becky was standing still, staring at me with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity. “What? What is it?”
Pointing accusingly, she covered her mouth. “Oh my goodness. You met him again, didn't you?”
“I—what? No, I mean, no!” Dismayed by how on target she was, I knew my reaction was giving me away.
“Yes!” She crowed triumphantly, jumping my way with delight. “Yes, you did! You can't lie to me! When was it, when did you see him? It had to be before you met up with me, right?”
Shaking my head, I continued on my path towards the college. “Drop it, Becky.”
Laughing, she bounced around me like a puppy dog. “I figured it out. I was right all along! You thought he was some creep, but it turns out he's a guy with a crush, and now, after your near death experience, you want to finally give in and date someone! I cracked the code!”
Holding my temples, I didn't correct her. It was easier to lie by omission at that point. Ignoring her giggles, we climbed the grassy hill and slipped back into our dorm.
She continued to babble about how happy she was I'd 'finally met someone' long after we'd changed into clothes for bed.
Falling back on my mattress, I covered my face with a pillow. “Becky,” I begged, “please stop.”
“Fine, fine,” she sighed. I heard the springs of her bed creak as she laid down. “You have to promise that you'll introduce me to the guy that finally got your guard down, though.”
Closing my eyes, I just pressed the pillow harder against my face. The cool blackness was extremely welcoming.
Introduce you to him? Thinking about how much Becky had gotten wrong, and how much she had gotten right, made my stomach ripple.
Yes, I've decided to give him a chance... but it's because he saved my life, not because of some mistaken idea of dating or something.
Recalling his hard jaw, the wicked curve of his grin when he looked at me, I shivered down to my toes.
Dating is the last thing I'm worried about.
Right now, I need to understand who the hell Nethiun is, or at the very least, WHAT he is.
He called himself a twaelin, I've never even heard of that before.
My head filled with the images of the two of them fighting in the sky, the pure rage that had surrounded me when those gold eyes looked my way.
It was a wonder that I even fell asleep at all.
****
Walking across the commons the next morning, I was relieved to not have any classes on a Saturday. Sleeping in till the afternoon was barely enough to make me feel revived.
Clutching a cup of coffee from the free dispenser in the college's mess hall, I strolled over the grass towards the library.
Steam tickled my nose as I nursed the hot liquid, bitterness rolling down my throat. I finished it before I even entered the doors of the building, throwing the cup into the trash.
Inside, it was virtually empty. No one comes here on the weekend, I mused. Heading to the front desk, I caught the eye of an older woman.
“Hey there,” I said politely, fingers gripping the edge of the counter. “Um, I'm looking for books on a certain topic. Can you help?”
“Of course!” Beaming, she adjusted her spectacles. “Tell me what you need, I'll look it up right away for you.”
Huh, this seems too easy. Where's the catch? Wrinkling my forehead, I pulled out the piece of paper from my pocket. “Here, this is the word I need to check out.” Sliding it across to her, I watched her squint at my writing.
Quickly, her smile fell into an unsure wrinkle. “What does 'twaelin' mean?”
“That's why I'm asking you,” I said, my cheeks flushing pink. This is stupid. “Can you look it up, see if you have any books about it?”
She made a small noise in her throat, then began tapping into her computer. “Let me see... hmn... Well,” she laughed, clicking the mouse loudly, “we have books on 'Twilight' and 'Mark Twain' but otherwise...”
Of cours
e, that's what I expected, I thought in frustration. “Alright, thanks anyway. Mind if I look around?”
Waving her hand to indicate it was fine, I strolled off to wander the tall shelves of books. Not even knowing where to start, I headed to the mythology section.
I found all sorts of books on monsters, demons, fae... everything but what I was after.
Dropping a heavy book onto the stack beside me, I stood on tip toe, trying to reach a red tome just out of reach.
Grunting, I strained harder, finger tips just brushing the binding. Almost got it, come on...
Long, elegant, a pale hand slid past mine and gripped the book. Spinning away, I stared up at the tall figure of my English teacher. “Mr. Birch!”
Smiling pleasantly, he offered me the thick book. “Miss Everette, good to see you spending your time in the library.”
Blushing furiously at his backhanded comment, I took the tome and slid it under my arm self-consciously. “Uh, yeah. Why are you here, though?”
“Research for the class, that's all. However,” he said, drawing out the word as he stared down the bridge of his nose, “what are you researching?”
“Oh, uh, I'm not researching anything,” I said quickly, glancing down at my tower of books. It almost reached my knee. Peeking up through my lashes at Mr. Birch, I gave a defeated sigh. “Alright, yes, I'm researching something. It's just a little silly, is all.”
Folding his hands behind his back, he tightened his mouth into a tiny dot. “Well, now I'm curious. What's so silly?”
Ugh, dammit. Scratching the back of my neck, I offered the heavy book up so he could read the cover.
Leaning in, he pushed his glasses up his nose. “Hmn. 'Ancient Devil Lore.'” His grin was far too amused for my liking. “Miss Everette, are you honestly researching demons?”
“Not exactly,” I answered, thinking about how offended Nethiun had been last night. “More like something... similar.” Reaching down, I gathered up my collection. It almost blocked my vision, so I turned sideways so he could see my face. “Anyway, sorry to be so weird. I need to go through these, so. Yeah.”
Mr. Birch was staring at me, reminding me of an owl who was debating striking its prey. It was a look that made my pulse thrum erratically. “Something like a demon?” he asked softly.
My throat felt as if I'd swallowed pure flour from the bag. “I—yeah.”
“That's a dangerous thing to go digging up,” he whispered, glancing around like someone was listening.
Uneasily, I followed his example. “Is it?”
Chuckling, he leaned back and let the mood return to normal. It happened so fast, I wasn't quite ready to relax. “Only if you believe in such things, perhaps.”
“Do—do you believe in those kind of things, Mr. Birch?”
His face smoothed, his expression placid and unreadable. “There's a bit of truth in all myths and legends. But,” he said, tapping my stack of books and nearly throwing me off balance, “you aren't likely to find anything useful in those.”
Gaping, I had to fight from dropping the heavy load in my despair. “You're sure?”
“Quite sure. You'd need to find a collector of rare old books to discover even a glimmer of useful information.”
Sighing, I lowered the tomes back to the floor. “Wish I'd known that before I'd picked all these out.”
“It wasn't a total waste,” he said softly, watching me shove the books back onto the shelves.
Blinking, I reached up, trying to shove the thick red book back into its slot. “How so?”
My professor took it from me, easily sliding it back like a puzzle piece. “Miss Everette, you're forgetting who you ran into today.”
Lifting my eyebrows, I stared at him with rising excitement. “Are you trying to tell me... that you collect the kinds of books I'm looking for?”
His large hand clasped me on the shoulder firmly, making me jump. “I do believe you're in luck, Miss Everette.”
Chapter 5.
Gale Everette
Mr. Birch's house was only a thirty minute drive away from the campus. Even so, the road felt like it went on forever.
With my hands balled up in my jacket pockets, I alternated staring sideways at him as he drove, and out the window as we crawled away from the city and further into the stretch of secluding trees.
I almost asked how much longer we had, but before that was needed, the house came into view beyond a covering growth of bushes.
“Wow,” I said stupidly, staring at the large building in admiration. “Your place is gigantic!”
His laugh made me flinch, until it was clear there was no malice. “I guess it is.”
Rolling into the driveway, he stopped the engine and climbed from the bright red vehicle. Following suit, I left the warm pocket of air and stood in the crispness.
Standing at the base of the large house, I looked straight up and tried to whistle; all that came out was a weak puff of air. “Um. Maybe this is rude, but please tell me you don't live here alone.”
“It's not so bad,” he said, striding for the front door. Shaking my head, I brushed back my hair, following him.
Inside the mansion—for what else could it be?—the place smelled like... nothing. So much so, I wondered if he ever spent any time there. Maybe he just orders in a really good cleaning lady.
Mr. Birch led us up a set of stairs, looking out of place in his own home. “This way, in the study.”
The study, I thought in dulled shock. Who has a study these days?
Glancing around at the dark walls, the lack of pictures or decoration, I felt a pit grow in my belly. It was weird to be in a place that felt so empty.
No photos of anyone at all?
Rounding the corner from the hall, the burgundy carpet eating up the sound of my boots, I found myself staring into a curved study with books rising along the walls.
Standing in the doorway, I looked upwards as I whispered. “This is all yours?”
“Correct,” he said, moving to a wall and thumbing over the bindings of some thick tomes. “Here, this should do.”
With my excitement making my skin tingle, I approached him carefully. “You're really okay with letting me borrow these?”
“This,” he clarified, offering me a book so large I needed both hands to hold it. “Just this.”
“Just this?” Laughing, I arched an eyebrow at him. “Mr. Birch, this is gigantic.” Peeking at the shelves, I wondered where he had taken it from. It didn't seem to fit among the other literature I could see.
Folding his arms, he looked at me over his spectacles. “Do you want it or not?”
My shoulders stiffened as I hugged the book close, the scent of old leather and dust threatening to make me sneeze. “Sorry, yes. I'd love to borrow it, if you're really alright with that.”
Grinning, he brushed a hand over his strands of dark hair. “I'm always happy to encourage young minds to pursue the world of research. Just be careful with it, it's rather old.”
“I can see that,” I murmured, peering at the yellowed pages. “Seriously, Mr. Birch, thank you so much.”
His smile was gentle, smoothing his normally hard face. “We're not in class. Call me Wallace.”
“Thanks, um, Wallace.” The name felt awkward on my tongue. He's seriously being way friendlier than I've ever seen him before. Maybe I just needed to spend time with him out of class to see it?
“Anyway, I shouldn't take up anymore of your day. Can you give me a lift back to the campus?”
Gesturing to the door, he bowed his head. “Of course, after you.”
Heading down the hall again, I once more noted the empty walls. Slowing, I stared closely at the square pattern near the stairc
ase entrance, a section that seemed cleaner than the rest. “Mr. Birch,” I said, pointing. “What used to hang there?”
Behind me, he stood like a silent sentinel. The prickle that crawled up my neck came so fast, I found it hard to make myself look over my shoulder at my teacher.
Expecting to find him angry, for the vibe in the air had suddenly begun to feel like something preparing to strike, I saw his expression was neutral.
What was that about? Why does my stomach hurt?
“Forgive me, Gale,” he said gently, “but I would prefer to not talk about that. It's... a private matter, to put it mildly.”
The wave of guilt was heavy, I hated the thought I'd made some sort of faux pas. “Oh, no! Sorry, I shouldn't have been so nosy. Let's just... yeah, sorry.”
“No,” he assured me, smiling sweet as cake. “It's nothing. Come along, let's get you back to the campus.”
Too busy gnawing my bottom lip and beating myself up mentally, thinking I'd perhaps stumbled across the painful memory of someone Mr. Birch had been close to, I hurried to follow him from that quiet house.
****
The drive had not helped clear my head. It'd sent me down a road of my own painful memories.
I tried quite hard not to think about that man, and how my mother had spoke with both disgust and sadness all through my childhood about him.
How she, too, had empty spots on our walls where photos must have been.
Forcefully, I pushed aside the wandering string that was taking me down a morose path.
After all, I had never even known him.
Climbing from the car, I waved after Mr. Birch as I stood in front of the commons. With a giant smile on my face, elated by what felt like a glimmer of hope in finding out what was going on around me, I turned with the book in my arms.
I found the students in the area all staring at me.
Maybe Fate: A Novel (New Adult Paranormal Romance) Page 5