While I watched them, Damon strolled into class like he hadn’t missed a day. My breath caught in my throat, and my pen fell to the floor. His brown hair was tousled, his grin was cocky, and his eyes were filled with mischief. He swaggered past the Nephilim and smiled at me.
My heart fluttered. I didn’t love him. I didn’t want him, but I missed his friendship, his carefree attitude, and his sense of humor. A friend I’d mourned was back from the dead, and my heart reacted differently than my head.
Seeing Damon here could mean nothing but trouble. Cody was already on edge with Mavros around. I didn’t need his alter ego screwing things up.
He strutted up to me and leaned against my desk. His cheek nearly touched mine. “Miss me?” His breath caressed my ear.
“Yes.” The word came out huskier than I would’ve liked.
He brushed a strand of hair off my face, letting his fingers linger. Then he sat next to me, throwing his arm over the back of my chair.
“Why are you doing this?” I fought back the tears pricking my eyes.
His fingers tightened on my shoulder. “No choice.” His voice was rough, and he ground the words out through clenched teeth.
I wondered what he was or wasn’t allowed to say to me.
He sat close to me throughout class, twirling my hair on his finger, brushing his leg against mine. I should’ve gotten up, switched seats, or pulled away from him, but I figured he’d just follow me. He had orders and no choice but to obey them.
When class ended, I stayed seated, waiting for the other students to clear out. The Nephilim didn’t leave, but they also didn’t come any closer. The watched us, disgusted by Damon’s presence. Or maybe disgusted with me for talking to him.
I turned to him. “Can I read your aura? Can you let me in your head? Or is that against the rules?”
His eyes lit up, and he nodded. “I’ll direct you.”
I stared into his obsidian irises and hoped he wouldn’t try to control me. His memories were dark and hard to decipher. Mavros held my limp body against him. My head rolled back, and his tears ran onto my face. He screamed into the fading light. The memory ended, and I saw him fighting to tell me who controlled him in my dream. I felt the pain that rippled through his body when he defied orders. I tried to veer away from his chosen memories, but he steered me to the ones he wanted me to see. It went against everything in him to permit the dragons to pull him away from me, but he shoved his hands into his pockets and allowed them to manhandle him.
The emotions tied to his next memory stunned me. I saw Damon and me sitting together on “our” bench. His arm was slung over the back of it, and my head was on his shoulder. A wave of contentment crashed over him, threatening to drown him before he realized what it was.
I pulled away from him. “If that’s how you felt, why’d you tell me I meant nothing to you? Why’d you threaten my friends?”
There was a sadness in his eyes I’d never seen before. “I’d never experienced that, and at the time, I didn’t see it for what it was.” He looked down at his feet, and I followed his gaze. He wore black boots just like the ones in my dreams.
Was Samantha right? Even after what I’d just seen in his memories? Was he playing me?
“I was obsessed with staying on Earth. Then when I held your dying body in my arms, I realized what I’d lost.” He folded his hands behind his head and leaned back. “It was too late. I couldn’t save you.”
His story tugged at my heart. I wanted to believe him, but after everything that had happened between us, how could I?
“I need you to leave.” His eyes pinched shut, and he winced. “Now!” He practically roared the last word.
I grabbed my bag and sprinted past the Nephilim into the hall, pushing through students on their way to class. “Excuse me. Sorry,” I said as I dashed for the doors. Outside, there were four unknown dragons waiting to protect me.
Over the noise in the hall, I heard Damon’s voice. “Dacia, don’t go.”
I slowed, compelled to stop, to turn around and go back to him. I closed my eyes and tried to picture Cody’s face. I held the image in my mind for only a moment before his features morphed into Damon’s. As I turned, someone bumped into me hard enough to break Damon’s hold on me. Before he could regain it, I darted for the doors and thought, Help!
Running outside, I was met by a wall of flesh. I bounced back and looked up at the tallest woman I’d ever seen.
“Where is the danger?” Her voice was low and commanding.
I stared into her luminous green eyes and pointed over my shoulder. “Damon … Mavros is trying to control me.”
She slipped behind me, protecting my rear. I was instantly surrounded by four people. The dragon to my right pressed his hand against my back, forcing me to move at his pace. The dragon in front of me had blue spiked hair. His shoulders were broad, and his tight shirt clung to his muscles.
We jogged toward the dormitory. Students dodged to the side when they realized the dragons weren’t going to move for them.
Dacia, please come back. Damon’s desperate voice echoed in my head.
The dragon to my left growled. “He’s in her head.”
I need you, Dacia, please.
His voice tugged on me. The urge to go to him began to overwhelm me.
Images of Damon and I flashed through my mind. I saw us walking through campus holding hands, lying together under the stars, eating picnic lunches by the lake. I stopped running, and the dragon behind me dodged to the side to avoid plowing me over.
I turned,
