Then I strode out of the university for the rest of the day.
Chapter 5
Lacey
“Happybirthdaytome,”I said, throwing my legs over the edge of my double bed and extending my arms over my head as I stretched my body to take away the aches from another crap sleep.
“Lacey, you should have said it was your birthday. I could have made you a cake,” Polly said, standing over my bed. Her voice was so sweet it sounded like she singsonged. “Now I’ll have to magic you one.”
I grinned as I walked past the small sofa she was sitting and watching the television. We also had a small table with two chairs on the other side of the sofa. I wished we had a small private kitchen, instead; we had a microwave, kettle and toaster on a counter in the corner. A kitchen was a luxury this student accommodation lacked.
But it had a kettle, and I flicked it on.
“Magic me a cake. Can you do that?” I asked as I walked to the bathroom I was glad we had, now that would have been a deal-breaker, and I would have refused and I’m not normally one for throwing tantrums, but running down a hallway for a pee would have been a reason for me to have a meltdown.
Polly grinned, she was magical and from our Kingdom. But each magical person had a different magical ability. Nobody could do everything. Not even I could do that, and I could do more than most.
“No, I can’t. I’ll buy one.” She laughed and flicked her hand in the air and rolled her pretty brown eyes.
I’d been living and sharing with Polly for over a week now. Which seemed absurd, because I could afford a room of my own. Hell, I could afford a house of my own, but a decision by my uncle who, in his wisdom, decided I needed a buddy. But it was fine because Polly was turning out to be a nice girl and I couldn’t believe how happy she was. She made me smile, which was amazing after how my life changed this past year.
But I was glad Clay bunked me up with Polly, though I knew Clay would never put me in a dorm with any of the other supernaturals. Regardless of the need to get along with the other kingdoms, my safety would always be his priority.
He wanted all the kingdoms to be civil, but he didn’t trust them. This university was to keep the peace among the different paranormals and up to now it worked, there hadn’t been trouble for years.
“Your birthday is a good reason to go out and have a drink. And as tonight is not only student night in The Clockhouse, it is also nineties music night. And I’m taking you for a birthday drink.”
“Now that sounds like my type of birthday night. No cake needed.” I grinned.
I loved listening to nineties music, well actually, I didn’t really get a choice growing up because my dad was an avid fan, but I grew to love it too. And I knew it was going to be the perfect night out. I liked Polly, she could be my new best friend, or maybe my only friend.
“Really? I expected you to say no.” She shrieked too loud, and I grimaced at the shrill.
“Yes, but I’m having dinner at five with my uncle.”
She danced around the apartment. “Fabulous, I’m so excited. We’ll leave for eight o’clock.”
At five o’clock sharp that same day, I sat waiting for my uncle to turn up as I sipped at a bottle of water and flicked through my various social media apps. I wasn’t a social media user; I preferred to keep a low profile, but I liked an account to stalk everyone else, seeing their lives, the fun, the freedom.
Everything I liked.
I glanced outside as a dark coloured SUV with blackened windows pulled up against the pavement, but it wasn’t my uncle. I sighed and went back to my mobile.
We’d arranged for my birthday dinner in the Lotus Chinese restaurant in the centre of town. Clay wanted me to have a large party at his house, but I couldn’t do it. Not having my parents there to celebrate the special milestone with me would have been too painful and all I wanted was to spend a little time with my uncle. Who was now very late.
I knew he was a busy man, but he could at least have turned up on time because I still needed to shower and get ready for my evening out.
I wasn’t a big drinker or one for going out partying, and this would be my first evening drinking without a chaperone and tonight I was going out and having fun—and lots of it.
“Hello,” I heard a man’s smooth voice. It wasn’t Clay’s voice. No, Clay’s voice was much deeper and scarier. Not to me though, it was others that thought that, but I understood what they meant.
I kept my face on my mobile.
“Hi, can we sit here while we wait for our takeaway to be ready?” the same voice said.
I peeked through my eyelashes. Flitting my eyes from one man to the other, and smiled. “I’m sorry, they’re taken. I’m waiting for my uncle to arrive.”
The chair next to mine dragged out. “We’ll move when he gets here,” he said, taking the seat. A tall blond-haired man of well over six feet with a very toned muscular body sat next to me. He grinned the largest smile at me. I smiled back and my eyes roamed down his black T-shirt that covered his wide chest. I could only imagine what it contained inside.