Page 26 of Darkness Defined

What on earth did Daniel see in me?

A tiny voice in my head supplied the unpleasant answer. Nothing. That’s why he cheated.

I angrily stuffed the redundant book along with the paper and pens back into my bag—I certainly wouldn’t be needing them—and slumped in my seat. I cast a surreptitious glance back at where Matt was sitting. He had nothing to take notes with, but the book was open and he, at least, was paying attention. I let out an aggrieved sigh and turned to the appropriate page.

After class, I found myself once again attempting to catch Matt so we could walk to Battle Tactics together. In continuation of my disappointing day, I had zero luck. Whatever that guy did to get from place to place was making me think he might secretly be some kind of ninja. I shook my head at the preposterous thought and walked myself to class.

A guy that was maybe a year or two older than me was putting up a flier on the bulletin board in the hall a couple of meters away. He caught my glance and smiled. “Hey, you in Hargrave’s class?”

“Yeah.” I stuffed my hands in my pockets and ventured closer.

“I know that tone.” The sandy-haired guy crossed his arms and rested his shoulder on the wall. “Let me guess, already read the book?”

I frowned. “How’d you know?”

He flapped a hand. “Eh, happens to a couple kids every semester. Those books have been reprinted a thousand times, but they haven’t been updated in over a century.” He held out a hand. “Name’s Rubio. I’m a third year.”

I accepted his hand and returned the smile, my funk momentarily lifted. “Alexi. And I’m pretty sure it’s obvious I’m new here.”

Rubio laughed and pinched his index finger and thumb together. “Only a little.”

I tilted my chin at the bulletin board beside us. “What have you got there?”

“I run a tutoring business. The pay’s not great, but it beats nothing.” He shrugged, then glanced from the bulletin to me. “You’re pretty familiar with the material. Would you be interested in being a tutor for the Demonic History classes?”

“Really? You’d trust me to teach other people?”

Rubio’s eyebrows lifted, and he gave me a crooked smile. “Should I not?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “Okay, yeah, that was a weird question. I just didn’t get… the best reception once my local supernatural community found out what I was.”

“You’re one of the Shadow Demons Vera scared up, right?”

I nodded and tensed as I waited for the inevitable rejection.

“That’s pretty cool.” Rubio straightened and pulled out a pen. “How about this?” He grabbed my hand and started scribbling on it. “Take some time to think about it and when you decide you’d be perfect for this gig, call me. Of course, you can call me for other things, too.” He finished writing his name and number, even including a cute little heart over the “I,” and gave me a wink. “See you around, Alexi.”

“Uh, thanks. See you.” I stared at my hand for a second, then reassessed him as he walked away. Rubio was maybe an inch or two shorter than me and had a pleasant face with dimples that popped when he smiled. His deeply bronze skin was intriguing, and he swayed a bit when he walked. Overall, he was pretty cute and friendly, which was a definite plus. I looked at my hand again, then at the flier advertising for affordable tutors. It couldn’t hurt to have a little extra money while at uni, and it would certainly take some of the pressure off of my mom. Plus, I’d be able to put the hours I’d devoted to memorizing the textbook to good use.

Feeling a lot more hopeful, I tightened my hands around the straps of my backpack and set off for Battle Tactics class in Mysterio College. Despite my dalliance with Rubio, I still arrived with plenty of time to kill. Given this was the only Shadow Demon exclusive class, it wasn’t like I had to wait for the room to be available, so I let myself in to wait.

With no chairs to choose from, I found a spot on the far side. My bag slid to the ground with an impressive thump. The wall was smooth against my back as I rested my head against the plaster and watched my classmates trickle into the room. I wondered if I would ever get used to sensing other demons like myself. Shadow Demons or not, though, some things never changed. Already I could make out the beginnings of cliques. There were your shy types, the gossips, and, of course, the bullies. My eyes narrowed as they fell on George and the two guys with him, the same two I’d eavesdropped on at orientation. I wasn’t even surprised that those three had found each other.

On cue, Matt slipped into the room. Despite his unobtrusive appearance, George zeroed in on him like some kind of bloodhound. Cold caressed my back as it left the wall. My gaze flicked between the now advancing George and Matt.

Not again.

Matt glanced up, then back down to his backpack without acknowledging the pending threat.

I took a step toward him and hesitated, his rebuke from last Friday fresh in my mind. He hadn’t said a word to me since that evening. With forced resignation, I stopped my advancement.

“Hey, pipsqueak,” George said, now practically on top of Matt.

Matt’s flinch was barely perceptible before he calmly straightened. Although George was taller than him, Matt met his gaze evenly, defiance written in every line of his body.

“Can I help you with something?” The question was eerily flat. Matt’s presence seemed to swell, though he himself did nothing.

“Yeah. You still haven’t answered my question. Who the fuck do you think you are?” George practically growled.