9. Tate

9

TATE

That girl has piqued my interest in more ways than one. I feel like I know her, but I've never seen her before in my life. But that sass, that no-fear attitude, looks strange on her. Slipping down the aisle where she stormed off, I follow silently and see her being pulled into the stacks near the back door, which hold the darkest of tomes. It's also the place creatures go for a quick fuck between lectures.

Narrowing my eyes, I pick up my pace and move down the stacks before the ones I saw her disappear into. If Vex has his hands on her again, I'm going to rip them off. I don't know what it is about her that is turning me into this possessive arsehole, but there is just something I can't put my finger on.

"Talk about what?" I hear Ivy whisper.

"Why you didn't report in last night," a low hiss I recognise as Professor Swann, the Grimoire Level 5 studies professor .

I freeze, pressing myself against the bookshelf to listen. Why the fuck would Ivy need to report to Swann? She is not in his advanced lecture. He teaches one class, and I'm in it.

"I did," she murmurs.

"About the next assignment."

"Should we be discussing this here?" she whispers, lowering her voice so I have to strain to hear her.

"We shouldn't be discussing it anywhere. But the boss is getting very concerned about your lack of forthcoming."

"What lack?" she asks. "I have no choice, so what is there to report?"

"You always confirm. Always."

"Fine, well, here's me confirming. I got the assignment, and I will do it."

"Good," Swann says in a normal tone.

I'm beyond intrigued about this little conversation, so I pull a book out a fraction to peek through the stacks. I see them standing there. He is looming over her tiny frame, and she is glaring up at him with more defiance than any student I've ever seen send his way, including me.

Who the fuck are you? This girl has me completely intrigued. One minute, she's this nerdy, meek little thing, the next, she's standing up to one of the most feared professors at Thornfield with fire in her eyes.

I watch as Swann looms over her, his skeletal frame making him look like death incarnate. But Ivy doesn't back down.

"Is that all?" she asks, her tone clipped.

Swann's lipless mouth twists into what I assume is supposed to be a smile. "For now. But remember, we're watching you closely, Miss Hammond. Don't disappoint us. One month."

"I've got it," Ivy says.

For a split second, I see a flash of something dangerous in her eyes. But it's gone too quickly. She storms off without another word.

Swann watches her go, a calculating look on his face. After a moment, he turns and heads in the opposite direction.

Slotting the book back into place, I consider following her again, but something tells me to back up a second. I've walked into something way bigger than I expected. I thought I'd see her with some guy's dick down her throat, but this… this is dangerously close to being something I should keep my nose out of.

But that look in her eyes... she reminded me of someone else. Someone dangerous and alluring. And now it is going to be my fucking mission in life to see if I'm right. "Poison," I murmur.

"Daydreaming about our little whore?" Bram's voice cuts through my thoughts.

Turning to him, I give him a vicious glare. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"You seriously don't want to know," he says with a dark look on his face. "So, what are you doing back here? Jerking off while you think about our killer?"

"Hardly," I scoff. "Just looking for this." I yank out the book I moved to spy on Ivy and Swann.

Bram glances at it and raises his eyebrow. "Feminine Strengths Tied to the Phases of the Moon."

I feel my cheeks go a bit warm as I glare at the book, but I ride the wave and tuck it under my arm. "Gotta know your enemy's strengths."

He snorts. "Can't argue with that. Have fun, moon boy." He ducks back out, still wearing yesterday's clothes, only slightly dirtier. Whatever he's been up to, you can bet your last quid it's no good.

Dumping the book back on the shelf, I follow Bram out of the library and into the cool autumn day. The leaves are falling from the trees, and it will soon be Halloween. My very favourite time of year. Sure, it's clichéd for supernaturals to enjoy it, but warlocks have their own celebrations that go on underground, which consists of all things dark and delicious. I push that aside as I see Ivy hurrying across campus to her lectures. My gaze follows her moves, lithe and surefooted, across the quad. I watch for any sign that she might be who I think she is. I have thought this for some time now, that Poison is a shifter. She has to be. She just shows up and disappears at random times. It makes sense, doing what she does. She will never be caught unless someone pieces the puzzle together. Before today, I wasn't bothered about finding her, not like Bram, who is low-key obsessed with her. She is hot, gorgeous even, and fucking her the way we do is something that thrills me. But now, after running into Ivy, I need to know if the two women are the same. If they aren't, then I will let Ivy go, but I'm drawn to her for a reason that I couldn't quite put my finger on until I saw that flash of fire in her green eyes.

"Hey, dickhead, why do you look like your head is about to explode?" Torin asks, flicking me on the forehead.

Slapping his hand away, I growl. "Shouldn't you be indoors?"

"Doesn't work that way for some of us. Besides, I've got that dumb magick class this morning. Seeing as most mages are not vampires, it's a daytime activity."

"It really pisses you off that, doesn't it?"

"What?" he asks.

"Having magick."

"It doesn't piss me off. I just prefer to get my hands dirty." He smirks, and I chuckle.

"That has its advantages. I've got to go. I'm late, and Swann is a dick at the best of times."

He nods and watches me saunter off. I know I should come clean about the thoughts in my head, but the truth is, I don't want to. Not yet. I will go to them when, if, I'm right. I want to keep this to myself for now, let it marinate, and see if I can connect the dots. Also, a bit of stalking might be in order.

Approaching Grimoire Level 5, I see Vex entering the lecture hall. He gives me the finger, and I return it before I take my seat near the back and fix my gaze on Swann. Whatever his deal is, he is connected to Ivy, who is possibly Poison as a shifted form. Or maybe Ivy is the shifted form, and Poison is the real one. All these thoughts swirl around and around in my head, and I don't even hear what Swann is droning on about, only realising it's the end of the lecture when Vex slaps the back of my head as he passes, knowing I can't retaliate in front of Swann.

"Fucker," I mutter. "I'm coming for you, Vex. Watch your fucking back."