The guys were meeting me for breakfast before our first day of classes, and I hurried to the smaller dining hall across campus, excited to see them. As I passed the statue of Cressida Clearwater, I slowed and changed direction. I had time, so I decided to pay her a visit. It was early enough so the only ones out were those students insane enough to run without a wild animal chasing them.
“Good morning,” I greeted and watched a jogger bounce by. He had in his AirPods and didn’t seem to notice me talking to a statue. “I have a question for you. Can a student challenge the decision on their primary if they’re a jumper? How does Professor Layden know which element is your primary if you can jump to more than one?”
I thought about that question and blurted out, “Does she even know? Or is she just guessing based on what she’s sensing? I mean, she didn’t know mine and even told me I got to choose which one I wanted as my primary. But yesterday, I felt the fire inside this student. I felt it, yet she declared him air. Did she really get it wrong?”
A jogger passed, her shoes pounding the pavement the only noise as I kept the next question to myself until she was out of earshot. When I brought my attention back to Cressida, the statue had moved a click, signaling the top of the hour. That still freaked me out a little, a giant stationary statue not stationary at all, her presence watching over the students at Clearwater Academy by becoming the academy. Only those inside the ruins that night I battled Alec knew the truth about Cressida Clearwater and why I’d protect the school to the death if it came to that. Protecting the school protected Cressida.
I grabbed my bag and hiked it over my shoulder. Now that it was the top of the hour, I was officially late meeting the guys for breakfast. I guess I didn’t have as much time as I thought. Resting my hand on the statue, I sighed, centering myself. She always had the power to do that. After a few more seconds, I stepped back and craned my neck to look up at her face. “Thanks. I know you hear me. I know there’s more to you than a statue. You’ve proved that more than once. Things are definitely not what they seem around here.”
Holy hell. When it clicked, I smiled wide and nodded in thanks. Talk about an epiphany. Things weren’t always as they appeared, which meant I couldn’t simply assume Layden made a mistake. She probably had a very good reason to place that kid in Ventus instead of Ignis. “You’re pretty incredible, you know that?”
I swore I caught the statue smiling.
When I got to the dining hall, the guys weren’t there. Frowning, I texted them. Where is everyone?
Rob answered. Extraction.
That was it? No sorry for missing breakfast or sorry we didn’t tell you? Now annoyed, I grabbed coffee and left the hall in search of something to do to kill time before classes started. My annoyance grew to irritation when I caught my new partner walking toward me, sporting the ugly yellow blazer that he somehow made look good. I spun and hurried off in the opposite direction, but my stubby little legs were no match for his long legs and impressive stride.
“Katy, may I have a moment?” He caught up, falling into step with me. My neck hairs stood at attention, as did my arm hairs. And, dammit, other parts of me definitely noticed him. I cursed my lady bits for thinking they had any right to tingle at the sight of this man. I already had four guys to tingle over. My dance card was full enough. “I have a critical question where the answer is of utmost importance.”
I hated how he made anything sound proper with that buttery accent. “What’s that?”
“Is that coffee? Or tea?”
Tea? Who drank tea under the age of thirty? “Coffee. It’s in the dining hall.” With the breakfast I never did get to eat.
“Brilliant. I assume, since it’s a dining hall, it has food.”
“You assume correctly.”
“Care to join me? I hate to eat alone.”
And I hated to eat with pretentious underwear models, yet here I was, contemplating my answer. Before I had the chance to respond, my stomach growled so loud, two students passing by turned and stared. Well, shit. I couldn’t make an excuse that I wasn’t hungry now. I couldn’t just turn him down and make it awkward for us every time we partnered up on whatever it was the Council wanted us partnering up on.
Looked like I was having breakfast with the new shiny coin. “Yeah, sure.”
I ignored the stares and murmurs as we walked to the main dining hall. Everyone stopped as we grabbed trays to gather food along the line. Spencer smiled and greeted every person he caught eyeing him, earning longing sighs from the girls and cautious looks from the boys.
It took forever for him to get through the line since he had to stop and flirt with every single girl that paid him any attention—which was all of them. I was halfway through my frittata by the time he joined me at the table.
“I can’t get over how pleasant all the students are here at Clearwater.”
“Oh, yeah. They’re just peachy.” I shoveled in a huge bite so I didn’t have to talk to him. I didn’t know why I had my bitch switch on with this guy, only that something about him rubbed me the wrong way.
“I’m thinking we’ll begin
