Steel

Chapter 22

For some bizarre reason, the near constant rain of Washington had decided to take a break for today, blessing us with brilliant rays of sunshine that peered through the silvery wisps of clouds above. However bright the weather may be, Grey was still as brooding as always. As we walked from his parked car, he let out a low grumble of irritation.

"You didn't have to come, you know," I mumbled, eyeing him. He merely tightened his jaw and shook his head, glaring ahead.

"You go, I go," he huffed, his pale eyes watching the students shuffling around us like a lion watching herds of gazelle.

To be completely fair, I wasn't even completely sure what classes I was going to. I wasn't a student at the moment, and had no timetable. So I'd just decided to head towards one of the science buildings and sit in a lecture hall there, listening to whatever I could. At this point, I'd been out of classes for about a year now. I had no idea if I'd ever be enrolled again. I wondered if my parents were still buying that whole studying abroad thing.

A pang of sadness echoed through my chest at the thought of my family, who I had not seen in a year. However, I knew I had to stay away. If I saw them, it could draw demons to them, and make them a target. That was the last thing I wanted, especially because I knew I would destroy Heaven to keep them alive.

"What's wrong?" I heard Grey ask softly next to me, his warm hand pressing slightly against my lower back. I swallowed, the burn of my emotions coiling in the back of my throat.

"Nothing. Just- I just miss my family," I sighed, tightening my jaw in an effort to push it all down.

"We'll see them again. When all of this is over. They'll understand," he replied gently, running his thumb in a concentric circle over my back.

We turned a corner onto the main walkway on campus, immediately met with an onslaught of students rushing around us. However, to my utter disbelief, they began to pause and gawk at us as they did so. Grey had been right- they knew we were different, even if it wasn't consciously.

Grey's chest rumbled a bit in annoyance, his lip beginning to curl in a snarl as he glared them down. I chuckled at his irritation. He had never seemed this annoyed with the attention when I'd first met him. As a matter of fact, he seemed to thrive on it.

"Annoying little things," he grumbled under his breath, letting out a little snarl at a guy who'd decided to walk a little too close to me. He'd immediately jumped back and almost looked like he'd pissed himself.

"I was one of those things," I reminded him with a snicker, glancing up at him.

"Annoying little thing," he reiterated, his snarl turning into a playful smirk as his cerulean eyes met mine and twinkled.

"Hey, you chose to sit next to me every single day," I retorted with a chuckle and he rolled his eyes teasingly.

"Semantics," he replied coolly, returning his gaze to the shuffling crowds of college kids in front of us. It was almost hard to believe I was no longer one of them. I remembered what it was like- when all I had to worry about was my next exam, the homework due that night, whether I'd make it to the gym before all the squat racks filled up. Now, the world seemed so different. Everything was bigger, and everything was deadly.

"Jordan? Jordan Greene?" I heard a female voice from behind me and paused, turning to my right to face the owner of the voice.

Petite, blonde haired, and blue eyed Savanna Vince slowly walked down the steps from one of the buildings. She had been the president of the sorority I was in when I was here. I hadn't even known that she'd known my name.