Page 8 of The Mist of Stars
Crap. Crap. Crap.
What the crap just happened?
Did my brain attempt to convince me I have a crush on Alex?
No, there’s no way. Sure, I think he’s gorgeous, but he’s also annoying, and I’d never date him.
Right?
More than frustrated with myself for not being able to answer that question, I take a seat at the back table, drop my pack onto the floor, and slump in the chair. Then I prop my elbows on the table and rest my head in my hands.
“You look tired,” Alex states from right behind me. “Rough night?”
“Go away,” I mumble, massaging my temples.
“Can’t.” He pulls out the chair next to mine. “We got assigned as partners.”
“Great. Just what I need right now.” I lower my arms onto the table and stare ahead at the front of the classroom where a podium and desk are, along with a massive fireplace. The teacher hasn’t arrived yet, but several students are taking seats at various vacant tables.
“You know, we don’t have to be enemies, Gemma,” he eventually whispers under his breath. “We’ve known each other since we were kids, and you’re Aislin’s best friend.”
I twist to face him. “What does that have to do with us not being enemies?”
He shrugs and rests his arm on the table. “It just feels like this years-long vendetta you have against me has gone on for a long time. And you’re my sister’s best friend, so I feel likewe could be friends … if you’d just stop being mad at me for whatever reason.”
My nostrils flare. “Are you seriously trying to say that you have no clue why I don’t like you?”
He hesitates before nodding. “I really don’t. I mean, you used to talk to me when we were younger, but then you just stopped, and every time I try to speak to you, you get annoyed.”
His confusion over this fuels my annoyance.
“Maybe you should rewind over everything you’ve said or done to me and go from there.” I face forward in the seat again.
I’m not only puzzled about what he said, but I also don’t get that, after years of us tolerating each other, he’s suddenly speaking openly about the things we both silently agreed to not speak of. At least, that’s what I believed was going on.
Now I’m wondering if I was living in my own alternate reality or something.
He releases a quiet sigh then fiddles with the leather band around his wrist. Again, I wonder what’s up with him. My thoughts also travel back to earlier when I overheard him talking about dreaming of stars.
I glance at him from the corner of my eye. Has he been having recurring dreams, as well? If so, and if we were friends, I could talk to him. But I don’t trust him. I hate that I don’t. It’s difficult to be around someone so much when you feel as if they will talk about you behind your back the moment you walk away.
Maybe I should tell him that is why I don’t like him so he’ll at least understand.
I part my lips. “I?—”
“All right, class.” The teacher briskly waltzes into the classroom, interrupting the words before they can even leave my lips. “Today, we’re going to be practicing self-defense moves against witches. As you know, this is one of the most difficulttasks since witches’ power derives from magic, not their fighting skills or strength.”
Aislin crosses my mind. It’s bizarre to talk about fighting witches when I’m best friends with one. However, there are good and bad ones. That can be said for all different creatures. Although, a lot of keepers believe evil doesn’t exist in our kind. I’m not so confident I believe that. In fact, sometimes, when I’m around certain keepers, I get this odd feeling of darkness flowing off of them.
And the truth I’ve never even dared say aloud is that one of those keepers is Aislin and Alex’s father, Stephan. Every time I’m around the guy, this prickling sensation rolls through me. It’s the exact opposite of what I feel whenever I’m around Alex. It’s like my body is trying to warn my mind about him. It makes no sense, though—he’s their father.
“Told you we are partners,” Alex remarks as he pushes his chair back from the table.
I realize I’ve zoned out and have no clue what’s going on, other than everyone is getting to their feet.
“Um …” I stare up at Alex stupidly. “What’re we doing?”
The corners of his lips tug up into an amused grin. “We’re practicing self-defense moves against witches.”