“You got a crush on her or something?” I ask, half curious, half worried.
“Nothing like that. I’m not sure why but she feels like family to me.” He confesses. I’ve noticed the similarities between them, but my mind still sees a man getting close to someone I’m falling for.
I did not just think that. I’m notfallingfor her. I meant someone I’m interested in. No. Someone I’m so curious about.Yeah, that’s it. Curious.
I breath through my nose, trying to calm my thoughts and mentally take a step back, looking at the two of them again. He’s telling the truth, the way he looks at her, it’s nothing more than an over protective brother.
“That’s not a bad thing.” I agree, watching her as she climbs down off the desk and comes strolling over to us.
“Hi Ty.” She chirps. The sparkle in her eyes doesn’t lie, she really is in a happy mood. I’m curious what changed in the last hour, but the classroom begins to fill up, so I say hi and mutter an excuse to go sit down.
I’m a little shocked that Ryxa doesn’t return to the desk, instead she stands a step behind Junior at the front of the class. As I watch, he reaches back and tugs her forward so she’s standing at his side, close enough that their hips bump. I’m not sure what he says to her, but she nods her head and stays right beside him. Now that my hormones aren’t ruling my head, I notice the far too obvious familial similarities.
Kier sits in the seat beside me, leaning into my space as he whispers, “What’s going on up there?”
“I’m not sure.” I answer.
Seth plonks down on my opposite side and groans, “If I didn’t know better I’d say she’s shadowing Junior.” I’m shaking my head before he finishes speaking, but it does look that way from here.
“Not possible. We don’t get our shadows until next week and Junior’s already graduated.” Kier says with a frown. We’re not the only ones who are watching her, the humanboyhasn’t taken his eyes off her once since he sat down. What worries me the most though is the attention she’s getting from the rest of the females in the room. If looks could kill, my girl would be nothing more than smoke right now.
Kier props his arms up on my desk and whispers, “We have to find a way to convince Ares to let us take her on early.”
I get hung up on his use of the word “We” for a moment, but the more I think on it, the more it sounds right. She’s ours, we need to make it happen.
“If we’re not already too late.” I mutter under my breath. All three of us watch as she grabs the stack of papers from Junior’s desk and begins handing them out. No one dares say a word to her but I can still hear the whispers from everyone once she’s returned to the front of the class.
Once more, Junior whispers something to her and she nods, this time going behind his desk and sitting in his chair. There’s an audible gasp as she not only props her feet up on his desk but she also leans back in his chair and closes her eyes.
Junior smirks and pretends she’s not doing anything odd as he turns back to address the class. “So I guess we should begin with the basics. Everything you’ll learn over the next week will be carried out as a practical for the remainder of the term in the arena. Gods and Goddesses will have their practical hour at different times to humans as they require a more advanced class, but the theory for it all is exactly the same.”
Everyone is dead silent as Ryxa grabs something off the desk and hands it to Junior then returns to her spot. He glances at the paper and smiles, before nodding. “The fundamentals of Power manipulation is fairly easy to understand. You could, as my assistant has just done, explain it all as a simple formula.” He turns slightly and the chalk on the board begins to sketch out what looks like a diagram of a five pointed star.
“There are five basic elements. Earth, Air, Fire, Water and can anyone tell me what the fifth is?” Junior asks the class.
I’m still fixated on Ryxa sitting so casually in Junior’s chair so I miss most of what is being said by the people who answer his next few questions, but I already know all this stuff thanks to our tutoring sessions over the break.
Ryxa goes through some papers on Junior’s desk then grabs a pen and starts writing something. I’m addicted to watching her, it seems. The more she moves around, the less attention I pay to Junior. So much so that Kier thumps me in the chest and hisses, “Junior asked you a question.”
“Sorry, what was the question?” Snickers ring out as I glance back to Ryxa.
“I asked if you were listening, clearly you were not.”
“It’s not like any of this is new to me.” I snap, getting annoyed at the attention.
“Would you like to teach the class then, Mr Typhon?” Junior growls. He holds his hand out and motions for me to hurry up, “Come on, students are waiting.”
“Nah, I’m good.”
“That’s what I thought.” Junior rolls his eyes, before moving on with the lesson. He’s never humiliated any of us before, I really want to punch him for doing it in class in front of everyone, but I let it slide. He can’t help that he has to show authority in front of everyone else. The moment we’re back in the arena he’s in for it though.
Class goes without a hitch after that, everyone is too afraid of being called out to cause any trouble. The chimes ring out, letting everyone know that it’s the lunch break and I hover near the door with Kier and Seth, all of us hoping Ryxa will be coming to lunch. Everyone leaves but Ryxa still hasn’t come out, so I pop my head around the door frame peering into the classroom. They’re gone.
“Where’d they go?” Kier growls right beside me.
“I don’t know.” I huff.
SEVENTEEN