"What?"
"Can you do it again? The hand thing."
Is she serious?
I searched her face.
She wasn’t joking.
Her expression was open. Curious. A little nervous but not scared.
"Why?"
"Because I want to know if it feels the sa twice."
"ra that’s a bad idea."
"Why?"
"Because I don’t know what I’m doing."
"So? Neither do I when I open gates to new places. That’s how you learn."
She held out her hand.
Palm up.
Sa position I used.
"Co on. Just for a second."
I looked at her hand.
At the red skin and the black nails and the thin fingers that were steadier than they should be.
But I need to know how it works.
Need to know the limits.
Need to know if sustained contact does more than a quick touch.
I reached across the table.
My fingers brushed hers.
The pressure ca back imdiately.
Sharper this ti. Faster.
My vision shifted again. Colors got brighter. The edges of everything ca into focus like soone dialed up the resolution.
I wrapped my hand around hers.
ra sucked in a breath.
Her back arched slightly. Her free hand gripped the edge of the table.
"Oh."
The sound was soft. Breathy.
I felt the flow start.
Her Essentia moved through our joined hands and into my chest. Warr than before. Smoother. Like the channel between us was already open from the first connection and now it just needed permission to continue.
Her eyes fluttered.
Her lips parted.
"Ro."
My na ca out like a question.
I squeezed her hand.
The flow increased.
Not by much. Just enough to feel the difference.
Her whole body tensed.
Her tail went rigid again. Her breathing turned shallow. The flush ca back across her cheeks and down her throat and I watched the red darken as the energy poured into .
I let go.
Her hand stayed on the table.
She didn’t move.
Just sat there with her eyes half closed and her breathing uneven and her whole body still wound tight.
"ra."
She blinked.
Looked at .
"That was."
She stopped.
Swallowed.
Tried again.
"That was more than the first ti."
"I know."
"What are you?"
"I don’t know yet. But I’m going to find out."
ra touched her neck.
"You felt that right?"
"Yeah."
"The pulling thing."
"Yeah."
"And the other thing."
I raised an eyebrow.
"What other thing?"
Her face got redder.
She looked away.
"Nothing. Forget it."
ra grabbed her bag.
Stood up.
Her movents were careful. Controlled. Like she was compensating for sothing.
"We should go back."
"Yeah."
I stood and followed her to the door.
The sunlight outside was bright. Too bright. My eyes adjusted faster than they should have and I realized that was probably the Essentia I just absorbed.
Her spatial awareness.
Her ability to process multiple points in space simultaneously.
I can feel it working inside .
ra walked ahead.
Her tail swayed behind her. Her hips moved in a way that was either natural or completely deliberate.
I couldn’t tell which.
We walked back toward campus in silence.
Students passed us going the other direction. A few of them looked at ra and then at and I saw the calculations happening in their heads.
Rich transfer student having lunch with the demon girl.
That’ll be all over social dia by dinner.
ra stopped at the campus gate.
Turned around.
Her yellow eyes t mine.
"Ro."
"Yeah."
"Don’t do that to anyone else."
"Why not?"
"Because whatever that was it’s not normal. And if the wrong person feels it they’re going to report you."
She’s not wrong.
"Noted."
She bit her lip.
"I have a theory."
"About what?"
"About your Essentia. I want to test it."
I crossed my arms.
"Test it how?"
"Can we go to your dorm after school?"
"I don’t live on campus."
"Oh."
She looked down.
Her tail curled around her ankle.
She muttered sothing under her breath that sounded like that might be better.
I caught most of it but not all.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She looked back up.
"Got any plans after school?"
"Yeah. Cheon is showing around campus after classes end."
Her face brightened.
"Great. I’ll co with you."
"Pretty sure she didn’t invite you."
"I’m inviting myself. And after we can hang out and I can help you with your math and Essentia."
The way she said it made it sound like a done deal.
No room for negotiation.
She’s determined.
And probably curious as hell about what just happened at lunch.
I checked my phone.
Twenty minutes until next class.
"Fine. But if Cheon kicks you out that’s on you."
"She won’t."
"You sound confident."
"I am."
ra grinned.
Her teeth were sharper than they should be. Not fangs exactly. Just pointed enough to notice.
"Besides I’m the only person in class who actually likes math. You need ."
"I need to pass. That’s completely different from needing you."
"The outco is what matters."
She turned and started walking toward Building A. Her ponytail swayed with each step. The navy blazer fit perfectly across her shoulders. Her skirt was regulation length but sohow still managed to look deliberate.
I watched her go for three seconds before realizing ra was watching watch her.
"Interesting," ra said.
"What."
"Nothing."
Her grin said otherwise.
She turned as well and headed in the sa direction. Her tail flicked once before she adjusted her bag strap and picked up the pace.
I followed.
The campus courtyard was packed. Students sitting on benches. Groups clustered around trees. A few people playing what looked like a modified version of volleyball except the ball floated without anyone touching it.
Essentia volleyball.
Of course that’s a thing.
ra walked fast.
Her tail swayed with each step and I watched it move before catching myself and looking sowhere else.
Focus.
We reached Building A and ra pulled open the door.
The hallway inside was cooler. Air conditioning running full blast. The floor was polished tile that reflected the overhead lights.
ra stopped at the stairs.
"What class you got next?"
"Hero Studies."
"Ugh. Lucky."
"Why lucky?"
"Because Professor Reeves is hot and you get to stare at her for an hour."
I raised an eyebrow.
"You into won?"
"I’m into attractive people. Gender is irrelevant."
Fair enough.
"What class you got?"
"Combat Drills. Building E."
"That the practical combat class?"
"Yeah. We’re doing hand to hand this week."
"Fun."
"Not really. My sparring partner keeps trying to grab my tail."
I snorted.
"That a problem?"
"Yes."
She glared at .
"It’s sensitive."
"Noted."
The warning bell rang.
ra checked her phone.
"Shit. I gotta run. See you after school?"
"See ya."
She turned and jogged down the hallway.
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