Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“Yeah, no. It’s sexy when I do that. It’s creepy if you do.”
He pushed out his lower lip, nodding. “Okay, good note. What about two truths and a lie?”
“What about if you have something you want me to know, you just tell me?”
“All right,” he mumbled, “another good note.” Paxton flipped over, facing me properly. Lips parting, he said—
Nothing.
“This is weird,” he burst out after a long stretch of silence. “I’m not just going to sit here, mindlessly babbling, and pouring my heart out while you eat my food.”
I gnawed on his steak with no regrets.
“I need some back-and-forth here.” Grasping my legs, Paxton turned me to face him. “Talk to me. Tell me what you want to know.”
“Have you seen Badr in the last twenty-four hours?” I asked with no hesitation.
“Badr? No. Why?”
My eyes narrowed, studying him, but he seemed genuinely clueless.
Paxton’s a fake, a voice reminded. You don’t know when he’s being genuine.
“Because he attacked the whole school with his power, and then took off.” Like I said, I was talking to a fake. The last thing I was going to do was tell him about the graveside conversation Badr and I had in the woods. “I’d like to look him in the eye when I throw his expulsion letter in his face, but I can’t find him anywhere.” I paused to take a sip, studying him closely for the slightest reaction. “Do you know where he is?”
Paxton shrugged. “No clue. I wasn’t upright and off the bathroom floor until this morning. I didn’t even see his on-stage meltdown—although I’m told it was a next-level party-killer.”
Paxton scarfed down the half a meal I left him. Behind him, the sprites were doing acrobatics—spinning, flipping, soaring, and tossing each other through the air.
The corners of my mouth quirked up looking at them. They really were the most extraordinary, and adorable, displays of magic I’d ever seen. It was hard to believe creatures so wonderful could come from someone I distrusted so much.
“But does it matter?” Paxton went on. “He’s around here somewhere. Someone will sniff him out eventually.”
My gaze slowly shifted in the direction of the front gates. It most definitely did matter where Badr was, what he was doing, and who the hell he was talking to.
I chose Corvin Academy to make my stand because it was the most impenetrable fortress in all five dominions. The gates looked like nothing more than rusting iron, but they’ve stood tall and undefeated through every war, every battle, and every attempted coup. They were filled with magic that couldn’t be fathomed or replicated.
But all that astounding power didn’t mean shit if my greatest enemy could strut in and out as he pleased... and bring whoever he wanted in along with him.
“Where would he go?” I ventured. “If Badr did get off the grounds, who would he run to? Not his father, so who?”
“Definitely not his father,” Paxton muttered. “Evil bastard.”
It was no shock to me that everyone who had the displeasure of meeting Cygnus Tahan hated him. I knew from listening to his confessions that he was always an irredeemable shithead, so I genuinely had no idea how or why he was chosen for clan alpha.
“What about his mom?”
Paxton shook his head. “Badr never talked about it, but I got the sense he and his mom aren’t close. C—” He sighed. “Castor was the only person in his family that he was close to.”
I looked away, heart squeezing at his name. “What about friends?” I rasped after catching my breath. “Other than you guys. He must’ve talked about the people he hung out with before he wound up trapped in that safe house with the four of you.”
“What about your short time knowing Badr gave you the impression he’s an open book?”
I gave him a look. “An entire year and he didn’t open up about a single thing to you guys? Seriously?”
“Seriously,” he replied, tone flat.
Blowing out a breath, I let it go. The guy was right. I didn’t know Badr long, but I did know him long enough to believe his thoughts, feelings, emotions, and secrets were locked, bolted, sealed, and hidden away on an uncharted island surrounded by man-eating krakens.
“You suck at this, you know.”
I choked, swallowing a sip the wrong way. “What was that?”
“You’re a terrible date.” He snuck some bok choy off my plate. “Here I am, hot as hell, and wowing you with my extraordinary magic, and instead of trying to get to know me, you’re spending all your time asking me about another guy. Was it the whole being-locked-away-in-a-temple thing?” Paxton asked, cocking his head. “Is that why you suck at dating?”
Flames licked my cheeks. “I won’t suck at breaking this bottle over your head!”
Paxton howled, bursting out laughing.
“When exactly does the debilitating pain start?” I gritted. “Because I’d be happy to carry you to your room and drop-kick you on the bathroom floor myself.”