Page 79 of Alchemy of Souls

“It’s getting late, Claws,” he says through the closed door. “Our friends are going to be awake soon.”

His words send a jolt of adrenaline through me. Maggie! She’s absolutely going to kill me.

I jump out of bed, running a brush through my hair and pulling on my uniform.

“We need to get moving,” Grayson says through the wood. “Our friends are going to come looking for us and—”

“Good,” I say, throwing open the door. “BecauseI’mlooking for Maggie.”

“I understand that you—” he starts, but I brush past him.

“That’s the thing. You don’t understand. Or you would have changed the door spell,” I say back, not rudely but not friendly, either. I need a break from Grayson Stone and I need it right now.

“Claws,” he says, sounding apologetic.

I don’t know if it’s his tone or the nickname, but whatever steely calm I was mustering goes right out the window.

“Don’t call me that,” I say in a huff.

“Eloise Belrose, friends are not the priority right now and you know that,” he says, and I want to bop him and his logic right on the head.

“It’s early. I can apologize to Maggie before we even finish breakfast,” I say back stubbornly.

“Can you?” he challenges. “Can you actually explain something that barely makes sense to us without telling her things you shouldn’t or lying to her?”

“I—” I close my mouth and glare at him.

“We made a scene last night,” he presses, and now this feels a bit like war.

“Correction,youmade a scene.”

He has the nerve to smirk. “You’re right. Nobody noticed your daggers in the middle of the dance floor or you threatening to skewer everyone’s balls.”

I will kill this boy. “After you challenged the host to a magicalduellike a caveman.”

He shrugs. “Never said I didn’t. In fact, I wish you’d let me hit him.”

There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe how much he frustrates me.

“As I was saying,” he continues. “We made a scene and our friends are going to want to know everything. If the Key was real, for starters. Rumors are probably flying.” He lifts a knowing eyebrow and I’m just grateful he doesn’t mention the kiss. “And if that weren’t enough of a motivator, my uncle shortened our timeline to a week.”

I swallow. “A week? Why?”

“Because he’s a prick,” he says bluntly. “And he likes toying with people.”

I pause, unsure. Did Grayson really just say that?

I rack my brain, trying to come up with a way I can both apologize to Maggie and not lose too much of the day. But even if we talk it out in less than an hour, she’ll want a full update. And then she’ll be pissed again if I run off. Damn him for being right.

“Even if I agree, I think you’re seriously underestimating Maggie,” I say. “We can’t just stay holed up in this room all day, door shield or not. If I don’t find her, she’ll start belting out songs in the hallway with increasingly embarrassing lyrics until I walk out that door.”

“Which is why I’m suggesting we go to my house.”

“Yourhouse?” I say, not sure if I’m horrified or tempted.

“Unless you’re uncomfortable?” he qualifies.

“Why would I be uncomfortable?” I say, finding it easier to be standoffish than deal with my feelings. He’s beautiful. He’s horrible. He’s everything I should hate.