Chapter 4

“What’s up, pretty girl? Haven’t seen you around in a while.” Malia-Tarni stares at me blankly and there’s an awkward pause that lasts a beat too long.

Once the prof left and didn’t return after a couple of days, we had to come up with a plan of action without him. As the second eldest, Reef stepped up as leader. Before he left, the prof told Reef that time moves differently in our world, which is why the prof wouldn’t be back as soon as initially expected.

So it was decided that in his absence we should keep an eye on Malia-Tarni. The best way to do that is in person. As the one previously closest to her, and probably least likely to piss her off, Reef sent me over to her dorm this morning.

Only, the welcome I’m getting is the polar opposite of when I last saw her and we were making out under the stars at Iron-Bound Cove.

Just thinking of that night brings up feelings of guilt for the poor girl who was attacked and almost lost her life…and everything that followed after.

I’d nearly lost my mind when her agonised screams cut through the speaker on my phone as I played back her panicked voicemail. We all raced over to her dorm in the prof’s car – he deemed it enough of an emergency to warrant using it – and my stomach was churning with dread over what we would find when we got there. I could already tell we were too late to save Malia, I just wasn’t sure what the damage would be. Please don’t be Shikari, I kept saying over and over again in my head. I couldn’t handle seeing…that done to her body.

“She’s gone,” Reef said, pulling me from my mind-prison of what if’s. “What? What do you mean?” I demanded, looking around the room for a body.

“She’s not here. There’s no body. It almost looks like there was no intrusion at all.”

“Almost?”

He was right. The room looked pristine. There were no signs of a struggle other than the comforter on her bed being unstraightened, and what college student makes their bed immaculately every day?

Malia. That’s who.

“Look again. We must be missing something,” I insisted. The lock on her door was broken, the plaster behind damaged like the handle hit it wall with force.

Some toiletries were on the floor, like they’d rolled off the top of the dresser when it was banged into. Maybe.

There wasn’t any blood.

Thank god.

“Do I know you?” Malia frowns at me and uses her body to shield the small gap that would lead to her room if she were to move out of the way.

I guess we’re back to playing hard to get then.

I laugh but she doesn’t crack a smile.

‘Erm yeah, I’m Cove. We went out a couple of times, surfed together…ring any bells?” I tease but it’s met with stone.

“I don’t surf. I hate the ocean. You must have me confused with somebody else.”

“I don’t think so, Mai-Tai. I think I’d remember the girl I’ve been thinking about non-stop since we kissed.”

“That definitely wasn’t me. I don’t kiss strangers. I don’t kiss anyone. And that’s not my name.” She looks mildly pissed off now, and it dawns on me that she might not be joking.

I pull out my phone and quickly text her, and as soon as I hit send her phone beeps. I watch her intently as she pulls it out and opens the link to the playlist I just sent her. She scowls when Dean Lewis’ ‘Seven Days’ begins to play, and she quickly hits pause. Bummer, it’s a great song and I’ve been looking forward to sharing my new playlist with her for weeks.

“I don’t know where you got my number from, but please delete it.”

“Wait!” I cry as she begins to close the door against me, and I feel a kind of desperation slipping through my fingers like sand. “At least listen to the songs, yeah?”

“I hate music.”

My jaw slackens, and without giving me a backward glance, she slams the door right in my face.

She really doesn’t know who I am. Fuck.

I dial Reef and don’t bother with pleasantries when he answers. “Put me on speakerphone, we have a problem.”

“Shoot.”

“Malia doesn’t remember me. I think her memory has been wiped.”

“Shit,” Reef hisses. My thoughts exactly. “Really? Who could have done that?”

“Besides you?” I joke, even though it’s no joking matter. “I don’t know.” Memory manipulation is rare, even within the wider supe community – not that I’m an expert or anything – but Malia’s either human or the Star. Why would other supernaturals be getting in her business and wiping her memories?

“What do we do?” I ask.

“I feel like I need to see for myself. Damn, I wish Vance were here. He’d know what we should do. I didn’t expect his visit to take so long. I think the university is getting suspicious of his absence. There’s only so long we can keep using the vague ‘family emergency’ excuse.” Reef sighs, and I can just picture him on the other end of the line, pacing and pinching the bridge of his nose. It has been over a week and still no sign of him. If Reef is getting impatient, perhaps there’s something wrong? “Maybe I should send Bhodi over to see if he can pick up any traces of magic.”

“Because he’s proved so useful at that in the past.” I snort.

We’re not all gifted like Reef is, but Bhodi claims he can detect traces of magic. Claims being the key word, as he has about a ninety five percent fail rate, and I swear the times he’s been right, it’s down to a fluke.

If Reef is even willing to buy into Bhodi’s bullshit, then he must be desperate.

Reef sighs again and I cave. “Okay, I guess it can’t hurt to try. Just make sure he’s not hungry when you send him over, you know he can’t do shit on an empty stomach.”

“Please, I may not be the prof, but I’m not completely useless.”

He hangs up, and I’m left wondering what the hell I’m supposed to do now. Maybe I should speak to the best friend. Or maybe I should try again with Malia. Maybe she doesn’t remember me, but she was reluctant to get to know me once before, and I didn’t let that stop me. I won her around once, I can do it again.

Deciding to persevere, I knock on her door once more. It takes a little time, but she eventually opens the door just a crack.

“Go to the movies with me?” I quickly ask before she can slam the door in my face.

“I don’t like going out.”

“But you like movies?”

“I like some films.” She puts a slight emphasis on the final word, almost stressing that she prefers the British term.

“Well, name one and we’ll watch it.”

“I don’t like going out,” she says again. “Sitting in the dark surrounded by strangers is creepy and weird.”

“Who said anything about going out? I can bring the film to you.” I flash her a winning smile. It’s pure genius really.

“I’m not allowed boys in my room. I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t even be in the dorm corridor right now.” She starts to close the door and I throw my foot out in a panic to jam it.

“Wait!”

She stops the door a split second before it hits my foot, but she doesn’t look happy about it.

“Do you have a laptop?”

“Yes.” She regards me with suspicion, like she thinks I’m going to steal it or something.

“Netflix?”

“Yes.”

“Perfect. Then I’ll go to my room and call you, and we can watch a film together, but separate.”

“I don’t have any snacks.” She’s frowning but there’s also a slight pout to her lips which is adorable.

“Leave that to me. Give me an hour, which should give you time to get ready too.”

“Get ready for what?” She crinkles her nose up. She needs to stop being so cute. I want to kiss her so bad right now.

“Our date of course.”

“D-date?” She blinks at me in confusion. I’m railroading her but it’s working. She’s not slamming the door on my foot, or screaming in my face, so I’m going to push my advantage.

“Together yet separate, but still a date. As friends or strangers who have potential. Whatever. It doesn’t matter.” I start to turn away but this time she calls out to me.

“Wait.”

I turn back and watch her expectantly.

“What should I wear?”

“Whatever’s comfy. We won’t be leaving our bedrooms.”

Her cheeks tint a slight pink, which looks way better than the pale and pasty girl who answered the door. And is that a glimmer of excitement I see in her eyes? I’d like to think so.

Now, it’s time to put together a snack basket, get home and get ready for my date.