Chapter 42
“Yes! Incredibly bored, do you have something I could do?” I asked, and Nicholas sent me a smile, motioning me closer.
“Yes, I’m not really supposed to do this, but it will give you something to do,” Nicholas said, and bent to my ear, making me shift on my feet with anticipation.
“There is a quiz on Monday, I would study up on your history and math,” he murmured, then pulled back.
I crossed my arms. “Bullies, the lot of you,”
Nicholas looked at me with warm eyes and hesitantly kissed the top of my forehead, which I also just as hesitantly allowed. “Where is River?”
I pointed upstairs. “His office, I’ll show you, since I have to go to my room to study anyway,” I sent him the stink eye, but he just smiled. I moved up the stairs quickly, Nicholas following close behind me.
I knocked on River’s office, and he opened the door slowly. “Raven, oh Nicholas,” River sounded surprised to see the man, and I would dare say he also looked agitated as well. “What brings you here?”
I looked between them curiously, and Nicholas glanced down at me. “Pop quiz,” he reminded me, and I scowled, turning to go to my room. I opened and slammed my door before pulling out some of the worksheets I had saved.
“Who invented school anyway? Why didn’t they just create something so you could automatically learn everything?” I grumbled to myself and placed a pencil on the paper.
I tried to study, I really did, but instead ended up doodling, when ended with drawing, which turned into my head on the paper, nearly asleep and perhaps even drooling.
Math always turned me to mush, it was special like that. I envied the people who enjoyed it, or even the people who hated it, but could actually do it! What can I say, I’m just a Jax with no tutor.
I paused, head lifting when I heard River raise his voice. Which happened quite frequently, but not to anyone who wasn’t in his household. I stood and walked to my door, slowly easing it open.
Even the slightest noise could give me away, thanks to stupid vampire hearing. I slowly creeped into the hallway and made my way towards River’s
door.
“I understand where you’re coming from, but I won’t let you take Raven anywhere.” River said coldly, and I went pale,
Was Nicholas planning on taking me after all? I wondered and listened intently.
“She was already kidnapped by slave traders on your land, unless the one who took her was taken by the police, I think you know what that means.” Nicholas said coldly, and I placed my fist over my lips anxiously.
“I think she would be safer with people she trusts, rather than a group of strangers,” River hissed, and Nicholas scoffed.
“She went to school with no one there to watch her, she even ran away from home to go on a field trip, you haven’t exactly been watching her very
well.”
I heard River laugh, but it was cold and dry. “Yes, well, at least she has freedom, she’s not a bird, she’s a growing girl, how was I supposed to luck her up, and her not figure it out? She’s not stupid, Nicholas, she’s already started asking questions, it wouldn’t surprise me if she figured the whole thing
out.”
I felt my hand shake. River never lies to me, that’s why I know things. Instead of lying, he sits me down and tells me what he can. I bit down on my fist, happy they were to preoccupied to think to see if I was listening in.
“She’s eighteen now River, things are only going to get more complicated, you know that, it would be safer for someone else to handle things now.”
My eyes went huge. What? First of all, how did he know that? Second, Missy said my birthday was in the summer, not Winter,
River seemed to also share some of my thoughts. “How do you know her age?”
Nicholas made a sound in his throat. “Missy’s son, remember? So, what will it be? We can do this the hard way,”
Chapter 42
River growled. “You know, things were fine until you showed up,”
Nicholas scoffed again. “Events would have gone the same way even if I wasn’t here. Raven can’t live like a normal girl anymore
The lights flickered, and a soft rustling made my wide panicked eyes sift to a side table, where a clay pot slowly fell and crashed to the ground. The door to River’s office flew open, and I glared at Nicholas with fear filled eyes.
“Fuck you!”
River rubbed his temples. “As much as I love your iconic statement, you know better than to listen in to private conversations.”
I crossed my arms and felt my entire body quiver as I glared at Nicholas. “Raven, don’t act as though you understand,” Nicholas’s voice was almost soothing. “There are things at play-”
“What things? Is someone trying to hurt me? Someone who hated my family or something, and they want to kill me?!” I asked, rather hysterical
River gave Nicholas a pointed glance before gently grabbing my shoulders and turning me towards my room! River looked over his shoulder at Nicholas. “Old friend,” his voice was deceptively soft. “You’ve overstayed your welcome, come back another time and we’ll find a way to compromise.
