What do I do?
Someone behind jostles me, and I step back against the opposite wall. Memories of Keir’s touch heat my face, and other girls glance at him as they pass, appraising his long legs and killer body, trying to catch his breathtakingly beautiful eyes. Jealousy stabs me—girls who think Keir is available. My eyes settle on his full mouth, remembering their kisses and the smiles he only gave to me. Worse than that, everything I feel for him surges into my heart.
No. I’m not ready to speak to him yet.
I sidle along the wall back, readying myself to turn and run, and bump into the person behind me.
“Get out of the fucking way!” I hiss and push the girl aside
The nearest door. Out. Now. I burst into the fresh air and bend over, trying to calm my hammering heart. The courtyard’s quiet is a welcome relief after the noisy, claustrophobic corridor.
“Ava.”
Keir rushes over and pulls me to him. My face squashes against his jacket and his scent breaks my heart and resolve. Comforting. Caring. An unwanted tear spills onto the leather. Keir holds my shoulders, searching my face.
“Where have you been?”
The violet rimmed, sapphire eyes I searched out the first time I arrived on campus gaze at me in concern. I cast my eyes down.
“You’ve been away almost two weeks. What happened?” Stepping backwards, he looks me up and down. “You’ve lost weight and look ill.” Keir dips his head to meet my downcast eyes. “Tell me what happened?”
Time to tell a fairytale.
“Darius.”
Keir’s hand drops. “What?”
“Yeah.” I chew my lip as I gauge his reaction.
Already the suspicion crosses his face, hidden behind another smile. “And you’re alive?”
“They banished me. I’m stuck here now.”
“Like Dahlia?”
“Kind of.”
“Kind of?”
I suck in the cool air, perspiration growing on the back of my neck. “Dahlia wanted to stay here. This is different.”
A shadow crosses Keir’s face. “You don’t want to stay in the world?”
“I don’t like people making my decisions for me, Keir. That’s what I meant.”
Keir’s brows tug down as he studies me. Shit. He’s suspicious.
“I can help you still, like Dahlia.” I pull my bag onto my shoulder. “But I’m probably not much use to you, now I’m a fucking human.”
He stretches out a hand, brushing my lips with his fingers and I shiver.
“I see your experience hasn’t changed your foul mouth.” Amusement curls one corner of his mouth, and I involuntarily smile back.
His fingers remain on my cheek. “I thought you were dead. That I’d never see you again. That I’d lost a part of myself you took with you.”
I close my eyes, fighting the power of the heat igniting and spreading through my veins. This isn’t desire for his touch, but a burning need for Keir in my life
“I’m tired.”
“What did they do to you?” He cups my chin with his long fingers.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh, Ava…” Keir crushes me to him again, and I fight for breath. I’m held by arms with nephilim strength, which could suffocate, hurt, kill me.
Wriggling out of Keir’s grasp, I place a hand on his warm chest. “I want to be on my own for a while.”
Keir dips his head, mouth closing in. “Oh, Ava, I’m so sorry.”
As his lips touch mine, I duck my head and run.
I lied. I don’t want to be alone in the small room or confined in any space with four walls. Instead, I sit on the bench, beside the fountain, and listen to music on my phone. I remember the night I stood here with Keir, as I watch water shoot skyward and bubble down the stone fountain, circling in infinity.
Here I can breathe the fresh air, smell the distant bonfires of the winter. Until the darkness of dusk arrives and frightens me—then the light and warmth of my room call me.
Returning to the warmth, I kick open the door to the halls block, and the heavy door slams against the wall.
Then pause at what I see. Crap.
Keir waits outside my room—a mirror image of him waiting once before. The day he came back, and I thought he didn’t want me. The evening we became lost in each other, and our worlds were pushed to one side.
He’s even dressed the same as that night, same jacket, and jeans hugging his lean, muscled legs. Keir, so casually, unknowingly sexy, focusing on me, as if I’m the only person he wants to see in this world.
“Ava.” Keir strides over.
No. Don’t touch. I fold my arms across my chest. “I said I wanted to be on my own.”
Keir stops short of me. “Ava, I’m worried about you and earlier, when you told me about Darius… This is my fault.”
“Your fault?”
“I made you release the souls. I shouldn’t have involved you.”
Our voices echo in the silent hallway and I turn away, picking at a notice hanging on the beige-painted wall. “It was my choice.”
“Is that why you don’t want to be near me? Because you blame me?”
“No.” Say yes, whispers a part of me, tell Keir it’s his fault—that he did this. Use the guilt as the easy way to pull in Keir and fulfill my orders before I’m drawn tighter to him again.
“Are you sure?” Keir reaches out and then drops his hand. I cross my arms tighter, before the resolve weakens.
I’m his weakness. That’s my advantage. But not now. Not yet.
“I need time, Keir.”
Keir moves closer. “I missed you.”
I fight the urge to throw myself into his arms. The beautiful, soul-searching eyes focus on me as if he’s found the most precious thing in his life: the Ava he’d lost, who’s now back.
But that Ava has gone.
The energy hums between us, recognisable to us both, and I dig my nails into my arms. Don’t touch him.
“Keir, I’m sorry…” Sidestepping him, I rush into my room, close and rest against the door. I hold my breath and listen. Keir doesn’t leave straight away, and I waver between waiting for him to walk away or opening the door again. Sinking to the floor, I listen as his footsteps squeak back down the tiled hallway and bury my face in my knees. A sob escapes, then another, soaked up by my jeans.
Two weeks of fear in that cell, I never cried. The pain of my time away from him streams down my face, and I lie on the floor, curl up, and wish I had died at the academy.
NEPHILIM HUNTED is available for pre-order.
Click here to preorder your copy.
OTHER BOOKS BY LJ SWALLOW
The Four Horsemen Series
Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy
(COMPLETE series available now)
Legacy
Bound
Hunted
Guardians
Chaos
Descent
Reckoning
Companion books
Sinister and Tricked (Halloween Special)
Bright (The Christmas after Reckoning)
Nightworld Academy
YA Reverse Harem Paranormal series
Term One
Term Two
Term Three
Terms 4 and 5 releasing soon
The Demon’s Covenant Series
Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy
Held by Magic
Elements of Magic
Coming Soon
Shades of Magic
Daughter of Shadow series
Reverse Harem Fantasy romance
Dragon Soul
Silvercrest Guardians
Ebon Queen (coming soon)
Marked Hearts
A gothic paranormal romance
Marked Hearts
The Fringe Realms: Mage
A reverse harem LitRPG
Mage
Academy of Gods
Reverse Harem Fantasy
Written with A
ngel Lawson
Huntress
www.ljswallow.com
LJ Swallow is the pen name for USA Today bestselling author Lisa Swallow… if you like contemporary romance then read on!
Books by Lisa Swallow
Do you like contemporary romance? I write those too!
What would you prefer to read?
British rock star romance?
Try broody Dylan…
Summer Sky
Or bad boy Jax…
Cadence
College romance at an English university?
Because of Lucy
Hollywood romance?
Unscripted
A gamer romance?
End Game
And More….
amazon.com/author/lisaswallow
About the Author
LJ Swallow is a USA Today bestselling paranormal romance and urban fantasy author who is the alter-ego of bestselling contemporary romance author Lisa Swallow.
Giving in to her dark side, LJ spends time creating worlds filled with supernatural creatures who don’t fit the norm, and heroines who are more likely to kick ass than sit on theirs.
If you want to keep up to date with all things LJ Swallow, including early sneak peeks and cover reveals, giveaways and more please join my Facebook group here.
For more information:
ljswallow.com
[email protected]
Soulhunter Academy Page 19