“I have a feeling you use that word a lot. Please don’t use it with me unless I actually deserve it. In fact, I kind of feel like I owe you an apology.”

  “Me?” I ask a little too loudly. “Whatever for?”

  She gives a small one shoulder shrug. “My behavior when you stopped by my place. That wasn’t a good night for me. You never texted me, but I kind of don't blame you. I'm pretty embarrassed.”

  “I didn’t think you actually wanted me to text you,” I admit. “Sometimes women give me their number and then laugh at me when I use it. Thought it was better to be safe than sorry.”

  She shakes her head, looking a little bit amused, though her hand is clenching the desk like she's angered by my words. “Don’t play dumb.”

  I’m leaning towards her; somehow I've put myself closer to her without meaning to.

  “First thing we have to do,” she says, biting on her pen which somehow makes my body feel things that confuse me, “is decide our origin story. I’m a fan of the truth, what about you?”

  I just stare at her because everything about her is dang near hypnotizing.

  “What?” She laughs. “The assignment, Will. Look at the assignment!” Her hand, nails painted in rainbow colors, lands on my page and taps it.

  “Oh. Right. The assignment. Yeah, that’s fine I guess.”

  Now I can feel her staring at me as I read through the questions. “Is there something on my face? Is my hair sticking up again?”

  Her hand rises and sweeps my messy, curly hair back a little. “Not at all. Just admiring the view.”

  I freeze. “We should get to work. Really—"

  “Wow. Are your eyes turquoise?”

  I fidget with my thick glasses. “Lots of people have blue eyes.”

  “Not like that, they don't. So, out of curiosity, what made you take this class? What are you studying? When I was signing up for classes, my mom said she would have fought anybody that made her take a class like this—no offense, Ms. K!”

  “What's your mom like?” another conduit in the class asks, dreamy eyed as she pops up next to Delaney.

  Delaney freezes and looks to the girl without moving her head. “She’s uh…mom-ish? But like, extra cringey because of how obsessed she is with all my dads…”

  The conduit sticks her hand out for a shake. “Shelly. Look, I know you’re new here, so you should come over to my place sometime. I have some of the other girls over every Thursday night for a conduit support circle— we can give you the low down on the school and who to avoid if you want to attract high value mates. You can bring those sexy guards of yours if you want, we're always open to a little eye candy.”

  Guards?

  I look around the room and see someone that clearly isn't a student here, so intent on Delaney that I think I get secondhand feelings for the guy. There is another shadow across the hall, outside the door, looking up and down the hall for threats. Or maybe he's just neck dancing.

  Delaney sinks back into her chair, taking up a relaxed posture while she thinks the offer over. “High value mate? That seems a bit subjective.”

  Delaney's foot lands right next to mine, comforting me as I get snubbed by this conduit. I don't dare talk—never interrupt conduits unless asked for your opinion. I’ve learned that lesson way too many times.

  “You should have taken Brad up on his offer to pull him into your group for this project. At least then you'd have one viable option to do these activities with. Wilford doesn't know what to do with boobs or the people attached to them. Brad though?” She fans herself and leans closer, cupping her mouth with her hand so her voice doesn't carry too far. Unfortunately, it carries far enough for me to hear, forcing visuals on me I’d rather not have. “He’s got this tongue technique he invented that does wonders for stress relief. He's always up for a little fun.”

  Delaney looks across the room to this Brad fellow, mortified. “That's disgusting.”

  “Don't be a prude. We've got to sow our wild oats before we choose our forever bonds. Men like him will do anything to court us. You should be enjoying the perks your station offers. We can lay it all out for you at our meeting this week. I have a five-step plan for testing out interested parties, and it's fool-proof. That's how I met my Joseph. He graduated already and is busy launching his career so we can have our bonding ceremony.”

  Wow this girl likes to overshare.

  “Tempting, but I'm actually busy that night,” Delaney says with a contrite smile.

  Shelly narrows her eyes. “I didn't tell you when the next one is. How could you possibly know you're busy?”

  I can actually feel the brain cells de-activating in my head as this conduit talks. “You literally just told her you met every Thursday,” I interject. I'm starting to get irritated that this conduit is stealing my little bit of class time to talk to Delaney.

  “Ew, it smells up here. You should come sit it in the back, Delaney. We don't have walls that interrupt conversations and all the people you need to know are there.”

  I sink into my seat, then start making notes on the assignment. Delaney doesn't seem like the type to sell out and join bullies, but I guess I don't really know her yet.

  “Don't talk about Wilford like that. He's a human being and deserves respect.”

  “Don't, Delaney. It's not worth it. I'm fine. I shouldn't have interrupted. I'll just get started on our assignment while you go hang out. I'll have it ready for you by tonight, if you want? You can look over it before we turn it in.”

  “See? He knows what's good for you. He's got you covered. Come on.”

  “No thank you. Wilford is my friend, and we're trying to get our work done. I don't think you’re the type of friend I need here, but thanks for the offer.”

  Shelly sneers at her, and I look around wondering where the heck the teacher is. Why do teachers never care when conduits start being pushy like this and socialize instead of doing the work assigned?

  “You need me. Let's go.”

  The bodyguard from across the room is next to Delaney without me having heard him move, massive hands peeling Shelly’s hands off Delaney. “You don't touch her.”

  “Ow! You scratched me, you psycho! How dare you touch me! Ms. K., this man assaulted me!”

  “Good goddess! He barely touched you. Maybe next time you'll listen when I tell you no. Now move your spoiled-ass self back to your group so I can give my neglected partner the attention he needs. You can just fuck all the way off.”

  “You have no idea who I am. You do not want me as your enemy.”

  “Who the fuck said anything about an enemy, you psycho bitch? I'm literally just trying to mind my own business.”

  “Ms. K., may I please be excused from class? I need to go visit the nurse and have my hand looked at. Her guard dog might have rabies!”

  The teacher looks exasperated, but unfortunately used to such an outbreak. She waves off the terribly distressed Shelly, with an escort of course so her group can pretend to be supportive of their fake mate, and then the room is silent. I do note that one of the guys in Shelly’s group keeps looking back at Delaney, trying to catch her eye, but she never notices before the guy is forced to keep following and disappear. That feels like an apt metaphor for what would happen to someone that mated a woman like Shelly.

  “What the fuck just happened?” Delaney asks. “Was that like a hidden camera prank or something? Why is she so crazy? Please tell me that wasn’t normal conduit behavior, because yikes.”

  I'm nearly done with the first side of the assignment by now, so I pass it to her to check over. “Have you not been around a lot of conduits? Because that was par for the course. It’s why a lot of folks think I'm crazy to want to work with them, but I feel called by the goddess to.”

  “I…have actually been incredibly sheltered, Wilford. I cannot apologize enough for everything she just said to you and about you. I would never and I mean never, willingly sit with her, or purposely show up to her conduit suite and cross the threshold, especially if hanging out with you is the alternative. Seriously. Fuck that bitch.”

  Now I'm blushing again. “Could you not speak of the conduit with such crass language? It makes me uncomfortable. I know she is unpleasant and incredibly difficult to be around, but she is still one of the goddess’ chosen ones.”

  Her mouth opens and closes a few times before she just nods and starts reading over what I did, adding in a few notes. “I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable,” she says softly.

  “Just be careful, Delaney. I know you’re the princess and are a conduit yourself, but her brother is the headmaster and he dotes on her. She could very easily get you into a lot of trouble. This is her domain, and she's well protected.”

  “I'm not scared of her,” Delaney says, dismissing the threat I know is there. “Now. What do you think about having dinner together on Friday? I'm unavailable Saturday.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  August

  “Are your sulking?”

  I kick my brother’s shin. “No.”

  “Liar.”

  We both look up as a couple pebbles fall onto Delaney's balcony, as if in support of my brother’s claim.

  “See? Even the balcony agrees with me,” my brother says like an idiot.

  I stare out the window that we just got fixed yesterday after it was splintered. “Doesn’t that thing freak you out?”

  He shrugs. “You know your girlfriend has sex magic and there are shifters all around us, all kinds of who knows what type of supernaturals within the walls of this school. Does an eccentric statue that may or may not be alive freak me out? No.”

  “That’s actually a good point. I'm going out there.”

  I lift up the window that’s way too quiet for my liking, thinking I should throw some sand on it so we’ll be able to hear when it’s being opened. We’ve gotten down to having to sweep this little balcony multiple times a day, because Delaney loves it out here so much and it’s always full of sharp rocks now. I’d be worried about the integrity of the stone façade, if all the stone refuse wasn’t just superficial damage.

  I snap a picture as I bark out a laugh, because the gargoyle is now flipping me off. “You know,” I tell him “You’re obviously made of stone, but you could be a little sweeter. What did I do to earn your ire?”

  “You actually talking that to that thing?” my brother asks as he pokes his head out.

  I show him my phone. “Look, he’s flipping us off.”

  My brother studies the picture “Huh. I guess it is alive. Do we know anything about the gargoyles on this school?”

  “Bring her to me.”

  The words that sound inside my head catch me completely off guard. “Did you—"

  “Imbecile. Bring me what’s mine.”

  “Are you hearing this Jackson? Or is it only me fortunate enough to be insulted and commanded by a stone man?”

  “She does not trust him. Therefore he is useless to me. You however, well. I’d rather she didn’t trust you either, but beggars can’t be choosers. I require my mate. Please produce her.”

  “And if I don’t?” I ask, just because I feel a little threatened by him.

  The head on the gargoyle turns, but it doesn't move like a normal, warm-blooded human moves. One minute his head is facing away from me, and the next it’s just not. He's now looking right at me with his creepy, pupil-less eyes. The tips of his wings poke out behind his shoulder blades, and they ruffle ever so slightly, sounding like a very minor earthquake.

  “Whoa, did he just—" my brother asks, clearly as baffled as I am.

  “Hey Jackson, do me a favor? Can you tell Delaney she needs to cut her study session early?”

  “Not going to interrupt her study session, bro. Besides, I’m pretty sure she’s sweet on that kid. They were kind of fucking cute together, I don’t want to ruin whatever bonding they’re doing.”

  “My window of activity is limited,” the voice says again in my head. It sounds exactly like you would assume rock would sound if it had a voice. “It is vital that I see her before the sun sinks.”

  “Okay, okay,” I tell the stone man. “I’m calling her, geez.”

  She picks up right away, but this is about to be a weird conversation. “August? Is everything okay? Usually you just text.”

  “Actually, we have a bit of a situation.”

  She pauses. “Oh no, what happened? Did your brother find my stash of toys and get something stuck up his ass?”

  What the fuck? “Um, didn’t realize that was something you were worried about. But no. Jackson's literal ass is not in a medical crisis.”

  I wave off my brother’s confused as hell face and it’s silent for a beat as I process her concern, and then I have to shake my head and remind myself why I called her. “So, would it freak you out at all, if, hypothetically let's say, I was to tell you the gargoyle on your balcony was speaking to me? And maybe demanding that I quote, ‘produce you or else’?”

  I can hear her talking to her friend Wilford as they shuffle papers up and stuff them in bags. “We’re coming. What do you mean you’re hearing his voice? And if you’re just trying to get me away from my homework session, you should know I’m bringing Will with me so that we can finish in our room.”

  I’m absolutely going to be an adult here and not turn that into a sex joke. “No, I didn’t want to interrupt your work, and neither did Jackson.” I pull the phone away from my mouth for a second. “Jackson, go meet her. They’re heading up.”

  They’re only a couple floors below us, but you never know.

  “On it,” he says, jogging out the door.

  “Okay, Jackson’s going to meet you just to make sure you guys are safe. And when I say talking, I actually mean talking.”

  “Tell her I have a glorious dick for her to sit on.”

  “Gross bro, no. I’m not telling her that.”

  “Tell me what?” Delaney asks through the phone, completely invested now.

  “You will give her my words or I will stick my big toe somewhere very disagreeable while you sleep. You are the one conversing with our female, you will do my bidding.”

  “Fuck you, rock boy. Stay away from my ass.”

  “What does your ass have to do with anything? What do you take me for, a complete pervert? I was threatening to stick my toe in your jar of fruit preserves. As if I would enjoy having my toe in your arsehole!”

  “Okay, okay, calm down,” I tell Rocky. “I'll tell her, but it's on you when she feels as violated as I do and wants to move out. Delaney, he wants me to tell you he has a glorious dick for you to sit on.”

  “Thank you. I wish to smell her arousal fluids.”

  “We need to work on your dirty talk brother,” I tell him before returning to my conversation on the phone with Delaney.

  “Oh my gods. The gargoyle is actually taking to you? You mean he’s actually talking to you? How?” Notice she doesn’t respond to the whole ‘I have a glorious dick’ thing. That seems condemning.

  “Jackson and I heard some pebbles fall to your balcony so I went to check it out, and when I got out there, your stone perch was flipping me off, which I thought was funny. So I took a picture, and— you know what? He’s just talking directly in my head. That’s it. That’s the whole story.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right there,” she says as she hangs up.

  “You must have a glorious mating rod as well, if I’m to go by the sounds that emanate from our female when you are mating. The sounds from her are always quite complimentary of your skill.”

  Yeah, I'm not touching on that topic. “How long you been stuck up here, man?”

  “We do not need to talk about why I’m up here. It involves a witch and a very large anal plug. Also a large quantity of mashed potatoes. I do not wish to discuss how I came to be cursed. But having my mate nearby is slowly breaking it.”

  “Yeah, there’s a lot to unpack there.”

  The bedroom door crashes open but even discounting the fact I heard it, I can just feel that Delaney’s closer to me. She doesn’t wear my mark yet, but my whole soul is attuned to her.

  It's only been a couple of hours since I saw her last, and maybe it makes me really lame to need her so badly already, but I can’t help but to yank her through the window and pull her to me, taking her mouth in a possessive kiss because I won’t be able to talk about anything until that’s out of the way.

  Like always, she’s panting instantly and clawing at me, wrapping an arm around my neck to pull me tighter to her. She presses her chest against me so I grab her hips, and we’re two seconds away from stripping just like we always are.

  That’s when I recall that we have an audience.

  “You smell delicious, my lady.”

  Delaney's eyes open in shock and she pulls away from me, whipping her head so fast to look at the gargoyle that her hair gets me in the eye and renders me blind momentarily.

  “Oh shit, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

  My eye tears up as I rub it. “Fine, fine. I’m assuming you heard that wanker too?”

  “My queen, I would never forsake you for a cauldron full of mashed potatoes. That is my most sacred vow. Or frogs. Frogs are included in that promise.”

  “…Thank you?”

  “You’re most welcome, my queen. May I see your breasts now? I’ve been wondering what color your nipples are since you moved in.”

  Her jaw drops open, clearly not okay with the way this strange being talks, but I'm still stuck on the potato thing. “I feel like you want to talk about the mashed potatoes,” I say once I'm able to see again.

  “How is this possible?” she asks, completely not addressing any of the weird and inappropriate shit he just spewed like cheap taco diarrhea.

  “You are my mate, and there's a slight window of time every day that I may converse with you before I freeze again. You are just usually asleep or not in the room when it happens so I have been unsuccessful in conversing thus far. Also, the curse makes it so that the time I am allotted is unpredictable. I do not know it will happen until I’m suddenly free.”

  “What the hell is happening right now?” Jackson asks, looking so damn confused that it’s actually hilarious.

 

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