While I still struggle to get a hold of the deal I had to accomplish, my mind wasn’t as polluted as before. I had plans now. What I needed was a little bit more patience to do what I had to do.
Inigo Remora sat across me on my usual spot in the school’s cafeteria. He wore the same warm dimpled smile, which I started to get addicted to. I know I shouldn’t, and I should put a line between us that I should never cross, but his presence made me feel accepted and normal and good. He made me feel a normal human, and that kind of normalcy was what I wanted before everything became chaotic and hellish.
“How’s your quiz in Physics?” he asked, his manly perfume lingering around us.
I scrunched my nose, seeing a red mark on my paper. “Nowhere near the passing grade. I got all the formulas correct but the answer’s all wrong.”
He snickered. “I guess we need to study more together, you know. Until you can ace the subject.”
A smile crossed my face. “You got a perfect score?”
He shrugged his shoulder, looking away. “I’m on the green light. Not perfect, but I passed.”
“I wish I have the same result.” I shook my head, picking on the burger, the potato crisps at the side left untouched.
“Everyone’s hustling over being queen in the upcoming event, and here you are, wishing a good grade in Physics.”
I nodded, brushing my long hair back, away from my face. “I’m not trying to be indifferent. But I really am the kind that gets worried about grades.”
“It’s fine to be different. You stand out.” He gazed at me, as if I was some star in the sky.
“That’s the problem,” I murmured. “I don’t want to stand out. I want to be part of the crowd.”
He nodded, as if considering my words. Moments like these made me wondered what he was thinking and why he really decided to live in town. I couldn’t match him, in this present time, versus to the old memories that played in my head, the memories I accidentally acquired from him.
Inigo looked aggressive in his past, a vigorous beast, something nobody could tame. Looking at him now, being carefree and at ease, charming and kind. The two scenarios didn’t add up and the nagging voice in my head kept asking me why the devil wanted his soul. What sin did he commit that warranted his death? Am I really the one to bring exile to his existence?
“You’re not an outcast, Tana.” He shrugged his shoulder. “Not to me, anyway.”
I bit my lip, swallowing the smile wanting to cross my face again.
“What do you say about taking a long drive tomorrow?” He looked at me expectantly.
“Long drive to where?” I asked.
“To the city,” Inigo answered, leaning forward, shortening the gap between us. “You know, far from prying eyes. More of having privacy.”
I felt my heartbeat raced, excitement rushed through me. Yet there was another part of me, whispering a warning, holding me back to be cautious. “What are we going to do in the city?”
Inigo shook his head, laughing a little. “This is actually me, asking you out, Tana. Let’s have dinner together. Just the two of us.”
Agatha’s shrieked played in my mind, her voice of teasing bouncing inside my head.
“Okay,” I muttered, not giving it much thought.
****
I was heading toward the exit of the campus when I felt someone following me. Paranoia was something I really hated. The school grounds was almost empty, the academic offices were already closed, but I had to finish some banner designs to be used for the upcoming event. Now that Claire was still in the hospital and had no chance of waking up, I had a lot of tasks I needed to complete.
Before I could even turn to see if someone was following, I heard Arawn’s voice.
“You stick your pretty dragon glass to the alpha’s heart right after he transformed in the full moon.”
I clutched my chest, almost casting a spell at him, baffled at his sudden presence.
“Are you stalking me?”
He raised an eyebrow, his disinterested face faded away. “I’m giving you pointers on how to kill an alpha wolf. I am following you, obviously, but stalk?”
What he just said registered in my head. “A dragon glass?”
“Yes. Your dragon glass.”
I had the dagger with me since I was little but I had never realized it was a dragon glass. It made sense, knowing it came from my father.
My steps faltered, looking at him, trying to read his expression. “Why kill after he just transformed? Isn’t it better to kill while they’re in human form?”
“They heal fast. Witches made a mistake cursing them with long life, you know. Now it’s hard to get rid of them.”
I nodded, taking in the information, letting it sink for a while. Darkness already dawned, the street packed with cars and buses, the surrounding filled with lights and honks.
“Is it a werewolf who attacked Claire?” I asked, tone low, getting goosebumps.
Arawn Rhys just stared at me, like I was some odd puzzle. “You can only assume, Tana Axle. It’s easy to point fingers. But you think they are the only beasts roaming around this world?”
He had a point.
We started walking toward the shed, waiting for the bus. “Why are you telling it to me now? You decided you’ll help saving souls?”
He suddenly looked solemn, his stare lost in the air. “I’m helping no one. I just give you some information but that doesn’t mean you can do the deal and redeem souls.”
I nodded. “It sounded easy, but it’s not, I know.”
Arawn turned to me, his shar grey eyes focused on mine. “You think you can do it?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying hard not to see Inigo’s face in my head. “If it’s the only way to save Erin, then I will do it.”
“Interesting.” He smiled. “You wanna know what’s the plot twist, hybrid?”
The sudden change of his tone made me alert.
“Killing is still against the nature and you’ll be damn for it.”
My throat went dry at his words, the pavement seemed to rock, making me dizzy. A bitter laugh was trapped inside me, knowing how true his words were.
“If I kill myself, my soul will stay in hell. If I do the devil’s deal, my soul will still be damned, ‘cause killing is, yes, against our nature.”
“You got that right.”
“But I get to save Erin if I do the deal.” That part was true was well. I could rot in the underworld but not my godmother. If I could play hero to someone else, I should do too to her.
“So, you see, you’re on a crossroad,” Arawn muttered, waving his hand, as if making me see the picture.
I took a deep breath. “I thought, for the first time, you appeared to give me hope on redeeming my soul.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I gave you a chance.” His tone was hard, his voice deep. “Not all can have that. You’d rather know what’s gonna happen than keeping false hopes.”
Just when I thought I had a good day, he came and ruined it. He slapped me with my own reality. But for a moment, I felt like I finally had someone who I could talk to about things that were not normal conversation with humans.
For a brief second, even though I still had no idea who the guy standing next to me was, Arawn Rhys no longer felt like a stranger.