Year Two: Rebels - Cara Wylde Page 0,20

were filled with joy and something I could identify as… relief. He was relieved I was back. More than that. I was back in one piece, and I could tell that they had both hoped for this day to come, yet at the same time, worries that it would never happen had consumed them. It must have been the reason Seth had lost so much weight.

The line moved along. I was standing in front of the veggie section, but I didn’t feel like making myself a salad. After the horrible food at the Karmic Asylum, I was in the mood for something more consistent. Plus, I had to put some pounds back on.

“So? How are you feeling?”

“Better.” I bit my bottom lip. I couldn’t tell them how I’d gotten out of the hospital. For one, they didn’t know about Akkadia Aeterna and that it was the cure to my mortality. And secondly, I wasn’t particularly proud of having used Corri and her magic to convince the doctor to release me. I felt like I’d broken the law. But then again... nothing about the Karmic Asylum should have been legal.

“She’s ready to kick ass,” Corri declared as she eyed the buffet from atop my shoulder.

“Whose ass?” Seth looked slightly concerned again.

Corri was quick to answer. She’d just spotted Domina approaching us, a scowl on her beautiful, angelic face. “Hers, for starters,” she muttered. The pixie didn’t know what had happened between me and the redheaded seraph, but when it came to me, it was as if she had a sixth sense.

I rolled my eyes. What does she want now?

“What a surprise,” Domina said through gritted teeth. Her lips were frozen in a cruel, sinister smile. “You’re back. No one is ever released from the Karmic Asylum, so I’m not sure what to think. You were dangerous before, so what are you now? A ticking bomb?”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Dangerous? How so?”

She stepped closer, leaning in to sneer in my face. “For one, you like stealing other women’s men.”

I heard Davien groan behind me. Good. It was time for him to finally chime in. I stepped aside, so he and Domina could face each other.

“Well? Have I stolen you from your girlfriend, Davien?”

“Jesus, no!” He looked Domina in the eyes. “Listen, we were never a thing, okay? I’ve told you countless times. Please make this be the last time I need to repeat myself.”

“If you could only just give us a chance,” she said in a tamer voice, and that was the first time I saw the vicious, scary seraph show vulnerability.

Davien shrugged. “What we had was fun, but... I’m just not the type who commits.”

Oh wow! Well, I guess I should take note of that. The line moved again, and I finally had access to the pancakes, the bacon, the fried and scrambled eggs, as well as to at least five types of cheese. I started piling as much as I could on my plates, then grabbed a bottle of water. After so much sugar and grease, I was sure to be thirsty.

“Fun?!” Domina was fuming. “Okay, if you don’t commit, then why are you constantly over her?” She pointed at me. “You follow her around all the time!”

“Seriously?” Davien started filling his own plate. “She was gone for half a year.”

“I know you went to the Asylum to see her!” she yelled.

Now everyone was really looking at us. I spotted Adrian coming in and heading to the professors’ table. We exchanged a glance, and I suddenly felt stupid for being in the middle of such childish drama. I decided to just leave them there and went to sit at the MDC table. Silene scooted over to make room for me.

“I’m so glad you’re back.” She gave me a warm smile.

“Me too.” I dug into my breakfast. “So, tell me. Does everyone know I was at the Karmic Asylum?”

“Mmm… yeah… Sorry.”

“Cool, cool… It’s okay. I can handle it.”

I looked around me. Almost all the students were whispering amongst themselves, throwing glances at me from time to time. Did I want to know what they were saying or thinking about me? Probably not. Hayley saw me from the NDC table, waved, grabbed her tray, and came to sit next to me. We hugged, and I held her for a second longer, burying my nose in her dark hair, inhaling her familiar scent. I hadn’t realized I’d missed my only friend at the Academy so much.

“Tell me everything,” I said.

“No, you first.”

I shook