Lying Liars Who Don't Tell The Truth

Chapter Five

I didn't mean for the word to come out so croaked and helpless. Amar's hands slid off my shoulders and he moved in front of me, though I could only make out the general shape of his silhouette. Then, as if it had never been there at all, the heavy air pressing down on me dissipated instantly, leaving my vision and head clearer.

"Did you miss me?" said Amar, grinning.

I stood up quickly and threw my arms around him, welcoming the familiar feel of his body and skin against me. I didn't realize how much I actually missed him until my arms were around him.

"Of course I missed you," I said breathlessly, relishing in the familiar smell of mint that wafted around him.

"I missed you too, Cora," he said, wrapping his arms around me.

We stayed like that for a few long moments. I knew that once I pulled away we would go from two old friends hugging to a student and the man that had snuck into her school to visit her. It took all my might to unwrap my hands from him after I realized he was not going to be the first one to pull away.

I watched his eyes travel around the classroom and over my body. "How very suburban of you," he said and I suddenly felt a tad self-conscious about my cardigan.

"Did you get my letter?" I asked, hating how childish I sounded.

Amar held onto his smile, but his eyes turned downward. "I did," he said, offering no further explanation.

"How did you know where I was?" I asked, the question nagging at me too much to be ignored.

"Were you hiding?"

I was afraid he would ask that.

"Of course not. I told you all of this in my letter."

Amar's gaze wandered. "It was nearly illegible."

"I'm sure you could have deciphered it if you put your mind to it."

Amar's lips pressed into a thin line and he was quiet for a moment. His behavior seemed strange and I wondered if he could sense something I couldn't.

"You're going to get me in trouble, by the way," I said, trying to break the tension.

Amar chuckled darkly. "I wouldn't worry about your Professor."

This alarmed me slightly. "Why's that?"

"Trust that I'm keeping him occupied."

The temptation to believe him was too much to overcome. "How did you even know I would be here tonight?" I asked, trying to put whatever had happened to Elrik out of my mind.

Amar shook his head dismissively. "There are many ways in which Demons can locate each other, Cora," he said. He looked at me sadly as he said, "I would have taught you."

My chest tightened. "Wouldn't you believe me if I told you I didn't have a choice? Don't you trust me?"

I got the sense that he didn't, or was too hurt by my leaving to use that rational part of his brain. I began to remind him that I sent him a letter more than a month ago and received no reply when he responded to my question with, "Of course I do," before offering me his arm.

I stared at him. "Where are we going?" I asked, not yet taking his arm.

Amar scoffed. "Anywhere but here." He looked around the dark classroom with contempt. "This place is reminding me of my own school years. Absolutely vile."

"I'll be expelled," I lied.

"Don't worry about your Professor, Cora," said Amar, seeming annoyed that I had brought him up twice.