Of Life and Death: [A Dark Academia Paranormal Romance]

Chapter 24

RYLAN

The mock tournaments mark the wrap of another semester. It's a series of playoffs done by opposing Houses in preparation for the main sports. In mock tournaments or 'mocks', each team gets to weigh the skills of the counter House by undergoing challenges--in the hopes of mapping out a way to use it to their advantage. So it goes without saying that no one goes all out during mocks.

Which is why Malkar's coach wanted to rip my head off when I went at Ezra with everything I had, giving him a black eye in the process.

I don't want to look into what it is about the amber-eyed fiend that gets my blood boiling. But I know that with each moment I see him and Emma engaged in unending discussions, or laughing together at something either of them said: it f*cking grew. 

Each time he apoke to her, I wanted to tear his tongue from his skull.

"Rylan, are you listening?"

I bring my attention back to Cal. "What?"

He laughs. "You have a thing for Elmloch boys now?"

I lift an unimpressed brow.

"Or is it a certain platinum blonde?"

Like clockwork, my eyes land on Emma. Her lithe form makes its way through the bleachers. Something in my stomach twists when I see it's the section Elmloch House is sat at. The expression on her face is troubled. As if aware of my stare, her eyes sweep around the field to connect with mine.

My breath hangs. 

Looking away, she continues around the corner, advancing toward the school.

"Hey, where are you going?" Cal calls after me, watching as I leave the field.

I cut across the lawn, swinging over the racks. As if aware I'm tailing her, she looks back. When she sees me her eyes widen a fraction. Saying nothing, she continues on, disappearing behind the large double doors. I follow like a dog on a trail. She continues down the hall, and heads into a deserted room.

Once we're both inside the dim room, I shut the door behind me. The distant sound of cheers floats in through the window. Emma walks to the other end of the room, crossing her arms. Tired blue eyes stare up at me. 

Unbidden, my eyes trail down, seeing her in an oversized hoodie. The masculine prints has a spike of jealousy running through me. Affecting a false air of indifference, I lean back against the wall, fitting my hands into my pockets. "You want to talk to me."

The fleeting feeling of jealousy is wrestled down by reluctant concern when an anxious expression crosses her face.

"What's wrong, Emma?" I ask gently.

"Um, so long story. I kind of found this... Book. I swear I wasn't sticking my nose where it shouldn't have been so don't look at me like that. The book found me. 

"And? What's in this book?"

She lifts wary eyes to me. "How to use my powers."

Immediately, anger sizzles through me. I struggle to keep my tone calm. "Are you practicing on school grounds?"

"Uh, no," her eyes flit away. "It's why I wanted to talk to you actually..."

A galling realization sifts through me. She'd known I'd follow her. That speaks volumes. Has she been aware of the long glances I shoot her way during class? At the dinning hall? The f*cking tournaments when she practices cheerleading with her House?

It's irritating. The feeling I could be so easily predicted.

My voice is flippant. "What do you want to talk about? Make it quick."

Her tongue darts out to wet her bottom lip and just like that, tension rips through the room. My muscles tighten. She starts to speak but her voice fades to the back of my mind. Faced with seeing her up close in what has been weeks, I let my eyes rove her entire face, a burning throb taking up my insides. I am snapped back to reality by something she says. "What?" I ask, not sure I'd heard right.

"I want you to teach me fire maneuvers. You're a drago--"

"No," I snap in a raw voice. Memories rush to the fore. I see mother's face clear as day, an expression of abject fear and loathing highlighted by the raging fire she'd started around me.

Something on my face causes her eyes to narrow suspiciously. "Are you... Scared?"

My eyes snap to hers. "No," I grit.

Her face brightens. "Perfect!"

My eyes narrow. I've been played. I don't know why the realization causes the corner of my lips to twitch. 

"Why do you want to learn to control fire?" I ask. "You can't wield it."

Her eyes turn weary again. "I know. It's just..." She lowers her voice. "In this book, it kind of says dark matter is similar to fire and there are a lot of similarities in the way they're wielded. So it makes sense that if I learnt fire maneuvers, I'd at least be able to control dark matter."

I tilt my head to the side. A logical conclusion. 

"So when can we start?" she asks eagerly.

I look at her hopeful gaze, blue eyes shinning up at me like I'm some kind of saviour. I hate the way my chest constricts. "Tonight," I say.

She blinks, taken aback. "Tonight? Tonight I've got to get back to Ezra an--"

"Do you want to learn fire maneuvers or not?" I ask harsher than I intended.

Frustration sparks her gaze. "Fine. Tonight then."

With that, she marches toward the door. When she passes by me, I catch a trace of her scent. Without thinking, I drag in a whiff, eyes sliding close. 

The slamming of the door has my eyes opening. I hear the receding sound of her footsteps and can't help thinking what the hell I've gotten myself into.