Emperor of Annihilation

ELEVEN

she was beautiful.

🦢

I checked the time on my phone for the sixth time since arriving at the Archive. Nothing. A part of me began to doubt that he'll even show up. At this rate it would be a miracle.

As I sip on the end of my straw, devouring my coffee as I scan the contents of my book over with my eyes, that began to haze with nausea, a shadow hovered over me.

Ezekiel.

I turn around in my seat, and the moment I do, I meet his eyes. Cold. If the gigantic scowl on his face didn't make it obvious that he didn't want to be here, then his distant body language did. I hid my panic behind a neutral expression as I eyed his tall figure.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up." I say as he goes to sit down in the chair in front of me, manspreading.

He tsked. "Well here I am." His voice dripped with unwanted sarcasm. "So get on with it."

I could tell this was going to be a long study lesson. "Where's your notebook?" I ask when I don't see anything remotely similar to a book on the long desk.

Ezekiel gives me a long once over before his hand slowly raises with a smug look on his lips. He taps at his forehead with a slender finger, all whilst a slow, yet calculating smirk sits on his lips. "Right here."

No wonder this guy is failing. Relying on your brain capacity to store unlimited knowledge without jotting any notes down was stupid. Even more stupid if you think you'll accomplish anything with that mindset.

Sighing, I reach into my tote bag. I grab my notebook with a bright yellow sun in the middle, ripping out a piece of paper and hand it to him, ignoring his obvious stare. "Still haven't grown up, rainbow?"

"I'll grow up once you learn to show up to class once and a while."

"What the hell are you talking about? I show up to class."

I give him a blank look, clearly showcasing that I'm not amused. "Lunch doesn't count as a class period."

He just stares at me so I let it go before we fall even more off track. I hand him a pencil and he takes it, inspecting the end which so happens to be another sun.

I began reading over the contents to him, occasionally looking up from the paper to see him in his own little world. With the way this is going, I should be getting paid or at least extra credit. A tiger has more patience than he does.

"Flip to page five hundred and forty-seven in your textbook and start answering the questions on the left side." I instruct in a firm tone after I'm done reading.

He does so without complaint. I watch him, my eyes unmoving. His chestnut-like hair fell over his forehead and the sunlight from the broad window behind me blew on his silhouette. He looked like an angel. A corrupted one.