Fang-Kissed

Chapter 8

I plan my day around going to Fortitude's Archive and Library, in order to read as many books as possible about Fang personalities. Especially the Fang Gold blood-line.

But the moment I return to my dorm to grab my knapsack, Kami is back in there packing a backpack.

"You going for a morning picnic or something?" I ask casually as I come in, noticing her thick pants, old sneakers and a giant green coat.

Kami hesitates and watches me with stone cold calculation.

Seconds later she walks across to my knapsack on my bed and turns it inside out, emptying my books onto my bed, she turns to me and walks to me, giving me the empty bag.

"Pack, we're all going camping today," Kami explains, "You're officially invited."

"What –?"

"Two nights only, Toni and Raph have the next few nights off, as the Runners switch round. They give the young-bloods their training by letting them run in the safest part of the year, and the elder Runners take over for this process," Kami explains, "Pack, Clary Smith, we're going into the wildest gardens you'll ever see."

She has never been so animated.

"...y-you're just telling me this now?" I stutter.

"Tradition, I've been here a lot longer than you," Kami turns toward me, "This is my first year as a second-hand. Before that I was a hostage for three years."

"You what?!"

"Toni fell in love with my good looks," Kami says, emotionless, as she walks past me into our small bathroom, combing through her greasy straight brown hair. I follow her and watch her smiling at herself in the mirror, "I am incomparable. For Toni's eye anyway. Raphael Fang Gold... I could not care less for his attention."

"You need to rewind and tell me why you were a hostage?" I whisper, feeling genuinely shocked that she was keeping all this from me.

"Ray Fang Gold caught me," Kami actually smirks as she looks back at me, "He... now he is handsome," I blush with jealousy and she eats it up, "I'm teasing you Clary Smith. Besides, your mate is dead. I am inviting you to the camping trip because I decided this morning that I do like you. I wasn't sure before. But I decided you are well-intentioned... I had doubts after Raphael was to be your –" Kami suddenly shuts her mouth, her eyes wide as she glares at herself in the mirror.

She let something slip she was not supposed to.

I am still rather speechless as she turns to walk past me, "Pack, Clary Smith."

"You keep using my last name," I accuse her, "Why?!"

"Smith," Kami abruptly laughs and she even grins, a beautiful white toothed smile as she rummages through my other small bag, "Oh there's nothing of use here. Wear my seconds," she turns with her hands up as she walks to the closet and takes out a coat and spare pants, tossing them at me, "Put them on."

"Um, camping..." I hold the coat and pants to me, "Camping... like in nature..."

"A wild garden," Kami raises both her brows, and suddenly I know why she is so happy. She's going home.

"I'll pack," I agree, "We don't have to share a tent with the Fangs, do we?"

"We all share the same tent," Kami explains, "Don't worry, Toni and I won't participate in any... shenanigans."

Kami is a flurry around the room, as she picks up all the stuff she wants to take with her. A small shovel. A little notebook she holds protectively to her chest before she places it in her pocket.