Warrior (Princesses of Myth #2)

“Yes, and it’s about Peacio again.” I pursed my lips, frowning. “You’ve seen those paranormal programs, haven’t you? It’s not uncommon for some of those weird beasties to speak mind to mind. That’s all this is about. I don’t believe there’s another planet like Earth out there.” And I didn’t believe I was a weird beastie either, just a weird human being it seemed.

She chuckled and sighed almost dreamily. “You two are so funny. I only wish I could do what you do.”

Sheesh. I slapped my forehead, dropping my chin. She definitely needed a mind transplant. No one I knew would want to be this different this early on in life. I sat between two crazy people. I shook my head, staring at my scratched up desktop.

“Why I put up with either of you, I have no idea,” I grumbled, then tilted my head to glare at one, then the other. “Oh yeah, that’s right. I put up with both of you because I have no other stinking choice. Can’t seem to shake either of you if I tried.”

Belle smiled and dropped a hand to my shoulder, ignoring my rude comments as she had a terrible tendency to do. “You put up with me because you and I share a common trait. Our home planet–whether you believe it or not.” She paused to peer past me at Silvie. “And you put up with Silvie because she’s like a sister to you. You know I can feel that.”

“Oh, would you just quit with the whole empath thing.” I threw my arms in the air. “I wasn’t exactly asking why I put up with you. I was letting off some steam. I mean really.” Still flinging my arms about. “Talk about a drama queen. You don’t have to over-analyze every single little word I say.”

I fell back into my chair, beginning to count, enforcing more than a little necessary timeout to calm down.

“What are you doing, Faith?” Belle nibbled on her lower lip. “I’m getting such a strange reversal of feelings from you.”

“That’s because I’m trying to ignore your presence. For a blessed moment it worked.”

Silvie chuckled and squeezed my arm. “Faith’s regrouping, Belle. It’s her calming thing. Give her a minute to wind down after all your talk of Peacio. You’ve been infuriating her with it for far too long.”

I rolled my shoulders in an effort to release the tension, hating how Silvie was so accepting of Belle’s talk of all things Peacio and I was not. But then I was the one hearing Belle’s voice in my head along with others’ random thoughts. Yeah, that was lucky old me.

I squirmed in my chair and let out a haggard breath. “Let’s talk about Peacio later, guys.” As Belle would no doubt want to do since she was like a dog with a bone on that subject. “Mrs. Gray’s on her way, and I need to focus one-hundred percent on English and not some mystical otherworld.”

Belle gave me a strange look with her exotic eyes. You can still sense when someone is coming? You’re picking up their thoughts?

Great. She was back to speaking privately. It seemed like it was her job to constantly remind me of exactly how odd I now was. I moaned with great exaggeration.

Only if they’re broadcasting strongly. Mrs. Gray is crossing the quad, examining how to prepare us for finals. I’d latched onto that. So, are you still insisting this grows into forethought, the same thing your supposed King Carlisio has? That was like the proverbial nail in the coffin, for Belle mentioning a fictional king had made me completely desert her farfetched notions.

Don’t flick me off again, she growled. King Carlisio Loveria is a wise ruler and it’s because of his rare skill of forethought. As one of his Peacio protectors, I won’t abide my ruler’s name being disparaged.

Excellent. Now we were back to the whole Peacio protector thing again. I needed to do more than just flick Belle off–I needed to have her locked up in the insane ward. This time I chose to ignore all the impulses to respond, instead busying myself with my workbook. Now was not the time or place. For more reasons than one from what my mind sorted through, because not only could I hear Mrs. Gray’s thoughts, but I heard those of another who walked with her.

A new student.

A male by the tone of the thoughts within his brain.

One who questioned Mrs. Gray about me. No, not questioning–he said he knew me.

Mrs. Gray rounded the corner, her salt-and-pepper hair short, straight and styled up higher over her forehead to add volume to the thinning mass. She spoke nonsensical words I couldn’t for the life of me focus on.

Not when I was too busy ogling the new male student as the room around me quieted. Only I didn’t know him. Had never seen him before, and a specimen of that rugged beauty with that kind of seductive aura I would never forget.

Spellbound, my mind spun with sudden lust-filled fantasies as I took in his staggering height. He must be at least six foot four. His hair held a slight wave and was that teasing shade in between dark blond and brown, the longer length just sweeping his shoulders. His eyes were to die for, their liquid brown speckled with gold, the darker color the same exact shade as his hair.

Yum.

He wore a white t-shirt over broad shoulders and blue jeans that skimmed his hips, the ends tucked carelessly into a pair of black ankle-high boots with thick silver buckles.

Lip lick.