"Why were you waiting for me?" I asked, pretty sure there was something here I was missing.
Hawke pushed himself away from the tree, tossing the last bit of bread at Jack in the process. "Liam wants me to tutor you in math. Aspen said you have a detention class too. Tor said you're the reason Liam's signing for him and his sister to get STI prevention and birth control - "
"I can't believe this fae shit works on guys!" I broke in.
He shrugged almost shyly. "It's fae. I mean, on our world, women are just as powerful as men. For every King, there seems to be a Queen who puts him to shame. Even the monsters often come in female versions. Usually very beautiful ones that are twice as deadly."
"Like sirens?" I asked.
"And mermaids," he agreed. "Harpies, nymphs, and so on. Yes, things on Faerie are pretty, but tricky."
"Are you tricky?" I asked.
He flashed me a smile that was different than I remembered. More relaxed. "I am, actually. I also wanted to apologize for something I said a while back."
"What?" I asked.
He paused, turning to face me. "Aspen made it clear it freaked you out when I said I wouldn't mind kissing you. Or whatever I said exactly." He glanced away, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. "Um, it's just that... See..."
"What?" I pressed. "Hawke, I've learned a lot since then, and I'm mostly just rolling with it all."
"But that's the thing!" he insisted. "You're not scared of us. Not of me, not of Torian, or Wilder, or even Aspen! Not even when you thought you had no magic!"
"But you're my friends," I countered.
He stepped closer, clasping my arm. "I am, but everyone's scared of us, Rain. Everyone but you. I just want to make sure you're truly ok with me tutoring you in math, not doing it because Liam wants you to."
"I'm still not scared of you," I reminded him.
He groaned, just as a breeze picked up - and it was cold. "No, not that. Because I said something about kissing you, and now it's weird."
"I kissed Keir," I reminded him, reaching up to push back a bit of hair trying to get caught in my lashes.
"Hell, I'd kiss Keir," Hawke said, smiling a little bigger. "I mean, I'd kiss Aspen too, if she was into that sort of thing." Then he jerked his chin. "And I'm pretty sure that's her, heading to her botany class."
"What?" I turned to look. Sure enough, that was definitely her. I'd know her coat anywhere. "But her botany class is inside."
"They do plant shit outside once a week or so," he explained, right as the bells rang in the main building. "Shit!"
"Ugh," I groaned - but a gust of wind cut me off before I could complain about being late.
A cold one, and it felt... wrong. Hawke and I realized why at the same moment, turning to each other as fear took over.
Behind us, Jack took to the air, screaming, "Hunt!"
Chapter Twenty-One
RAIN
Turning to face into the wind, I saw the dark clouds rushing in on us. Yeah, this was bad. So very bad. I'd seen the Wild Hunt once, and it had scared the shit out of me. Worse, I'd been inside that time, and now this?
"Hawke?" I asked, backing away from the oncoming storm, "What now?"
"Shit," he breathed, looking around. "Fuck!" Then he grabbed my arm and pulled. "To the gym, Rain. We need weapons."
"Weapons?!" I squeaked - but I sure as shit followed. "That's the Hunt!"
He glanced back. "And Aspen's out here!"
