King Slayer {1} ✓

XXVII

"Nope. I don't even know where they are anymore." Last I heard, they were in Kansas.

"Too bad. You think we'll ever see them again?" Jenny was the only one still sympathetic while Dexter was completely indifferent. I was hurt when Lily ran but I didn't really care. She wasn't my friend anymore.

"Who cares."

"Yeah, who cares." I mumbled.

We reached our cars and parted ways. Isaiah kept his end of the deal and bought Dexter a new car before he left. It wasn't as charming as his grandfather's 1964 Cadillac Eldorado, which Tate was fixing up now, but was still pretty snazzy.

They got in his new car while I got in mine.

"Eight o'clock?" She reminded.

"Eight o'clock."

Listening to classical music, I drove back home in a relaxing mood. When I pulled into the driveway, there was someone waiting by the front door.

No way, was that who I thought it was?

I yanked the door open and rushed up.

Isaiah looked exactly the same. His hair was the same length and he was wearing the exact same clothes paired with the exact same smirk on his face.

"You cut your hair." He stated.

"That's the only thing you have to say after one year?"

"Fine. I liked it longer."

"And I liked it when you weren't an asshole."

"You win." He smiled and I laughed. We walked behind my house and around my backyard.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought it was time for a little high school reunion."

"Usually we'd all have to be out of high school for that."

"You'll be out in a year, close enough."

"Your sense of time is way off." A year could feel like a century but it could also feel like a second. I knew he was here for something important. "Why'd you really come back?"

"Didn't you read my electronic letter?"

"I did. And you said you had news. Were you just lying like the last time you said that?" He sent his last email three months ago and when I replied, he didn't reply back. I figured he was busy.

"No, I really do have news." He cleared his throat. "You mentioned you were taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test in one of your letters and I decided to take it, too."

That seemed kind of strange. Why would he take a college test when he could do whatever he wanted?

"You mean the SAT's? What did you get?"

"A perfect score. And you?"

"Me, too. But why'd you take it? Were you trying to see if you'd beat me?" I grinned.

"Yes but mostly because colleges require it."

"Are you applying to college?"

He nodded, "I thought it would be fun."

"But you could barely tolerate high school."

"High school was fickle. Your classmates were unbearable." He muttered.

"Tell me about it." So many petty people who I still had to deal with my senior year. "If you're thinking about college, does that mean you're giving up on your family?" I asked gently.

"Not quite. Gaia has assembled a few old friends to help. Besides, we've exhausted the west, it's time to search the east." He still hadn't found Cecelia, Hollis or Leif. It also turned out that Caius was missing, courtesy of Riya and Ulrich. "Which colleges are you interested in now?"

"I heard Boston University's pretty good."

"Oh darling, you can do better than that. I assumed your top choice would be Harvard or MIT."

I snorted. "No way, I'm not smart enough to get into either of those. Those are for geniuses."

He winked. "I have my connections."

Suddenly, he stopped walking and looked down into my eyes.

"What?"

"It's strange. I don't even want your blood anymore." When he saw my reaction, he elaborated, "A good thing, have no fear. My bloodlust often consumed me so I had to be careful around humans, but not so much now. I can be very close and no longer feel the thirst."

Okay then. . . "That's good."

He stepped even closer and my heart sped up.

"See what I mean?"

"Uh huh." For once, I couldn't think of anything smart to say.

He was the closest anyone had ever been before. I could see the ring of red around his pupil, blending with the deep brown of his iris. He didn't kiss me but an inch more and our lips would meet.

"You must really hate yourself to go to college." I blurted. I was so nervous of how close he was and needed to talk about something quick.

"I do." He agreed. "But you'll make it bearable."

I will? I mean, sure, I definitely will.

"You'll have to wait another year." I reminded him.

"I can wait. I waited an entire year just for this."

And then he finally closed that tiny gap in between our faces.