I ran through the rain with my bag clutched close to my chest.

The storm came down suddenly without warning. The rain pelted me as I ran across campus, pushing past the other students that ran for cover. I ran blindly to the Administrative building, trying to make my meeting with one of the counselors on time.

I avoided a large puddle only to run into another one deep enough that it submerged my entire foot. I could barely see through my soaked glasses.

Why didn't I specter between ladies rooms? That was what I would usually do to practice some of my magic. I knew what the Admin buildings restrooms looked like, I could have done it, but why didn't I?

I ran onto the street to cross and as soon as I did, a bright light flashed before me. A loud horn blared in my direction.

I turned to the loud horn and lights. A car was barrelling towards me. I froze on the spot, unable to move out of the way. It was so close.

I shut my eyes tightly and braced for the impact when something strong grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the way. The man's grip was like iron as he pulled me from the street and back onto the sidewalk.

He didn't let me go as the car continued through as if I wasn't even there a moment before in the first place. I breathed a sigh of relief as my heart thundered in my chest. I moved my soaked glamoured brown hair out of my face and looked at my rescuer.

I frowned when I recognized him. "Asmo? What are you doing here?"

How did he know? Damien and I had been so careful. No one knew about me being back in the human world.

He nodded towards a covered hall between two buildings. "Let's get out of the rain."

He let me go and I followed him until we were both under the the tin roof of the passageway.

A brilliant flash of lightning illuminated the dark hall. It was dark for being the middle of the afternoon. As if on cue, the orange halogen sconces of the hall turned on.

I swung my messenger bag back on my side, letting fall against my body. I closed my eyes and leaned against a metal pillar of the cover as I caught my breath. I placed my glasses on my head and moved the hair out of my face. "What are you doing here? How did you even know-"

He chuckled. "Thank you, Asmo," he said instead, "for pulling me out of the way of an oncoming car."

Despite what happened, I laughed. The laughter bubbled through me. "Thank you Asmo."

He smiled back. It was a genuine smile, it even creased his eyes. The rain had soaked him from head to toe. I could only imagine how much worse it was due to the heavy coat he was wearing.

I laughed. "You're soaked."

He answered by throwing his head back. The excess water in his long hair splashed me as he did, making me jump back in surprise.

"Hey!" I giggled.

His dark eyes met mine. I'd never seen him smile this much before.

I shook my head trying to clear my head. "What are you doing here?"

"I was asked to come to get you."

I frowned. Damien usually texted me, he wouldn't have sent Asmo. I shrugged it off.

"And I'm glad that I came now, who would have pulled you out of traffic?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm usually not this clumsy."

His eyes scanned mine. His voice was soft. "How are you, Emylin?"

I frowned. His question so out of place. "How am I?" I shook my head. "We should go. I'm sure they're waiting for us in the Underworld."

I moved to go inside one of the buildings but he stopped me. He grabbed my wrist gently as I moved past him. When I stopped and looked at his hand on mine, his fingers curled into my hand, grabbing my fingers.

The move was sudden and so unexpected, I was again frozen to my spot.

"No one sent me, Emylin."

I looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"You called me here."

I frowned again. "I didn't call you."

He shook his head. "Your magic did."

I looked at him incredulously. "My magic?"

He nodded. "Our bargain. It allows me to feel your emotions to a degree. It called me here."

"How?"

"I felt your loneliness."

I watched him, stunned. "I'm lonely?" The idea seemed preposterous. I didn't feel lonely at all. Just moments before he showed up, I felt rushed and anxious. Not lonely. Something gnawed at me, tugging at my mind. It was like worms moving through my brain.

The thought wasn't ridiculous. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was lonely.

But how did he know? How did he know before I did?

"Where is Damien?" He asked softly. "He hasn't been ignoring you, has he?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing like that. We're not together. Not since Paris." I met his eyes. "We knew it would never work. We're better as friends."

Just like you said, I mentally added.

I bit my lip as I shrugged. "We're happy, actually. I think I convinced myself that I loved him as more than friends when, really, I didn't want to lose him."

Something was...off. I couldn't put my finger on it. Something didn't seem right. Why was I telling Asmo everything?

His eyes rooted me where I stood. Why were his eyes suddenly so alluring? Why was the darkness I'd seen there before all of a sudden enticing?

He moved closer to me and I was still unable to move. The back of his hand brushed against my wet cheeks softly. "I don't want you to be lonely, Emylin."

I was shaking under his gaze. My senses buzzed with danger, I felt the adrenaline pump through my limbs. I should be scared. I should push him off.

But I didn't want to. I was being drawn to him despite my body screaming at me to stop.

"I don't want to be lonely," I found myself whispering.

His thumb brushed my lower lip.

I grabbed the lapel of his coat and pulled him to me.

Surprise shone in his eyes but a smile tugged at his lips. He placed his hands on my shoulders as he leaned down towards me and kissed me gently.

His lips were soft against mine. It was innocent, chaste, yet my senses were screaming. I frowned against the way my magic cried out begging me to stop. I frowned again as he deepened the kiss.

Something was wrong. So wrong.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

His hands didn't move from their place not until I pulled him closer. His hand did move then, cupping the back of my head gently and holding me in place.

Thunder rocked everything around me waking me with a startled start. Thunder rolled again reverberating through my chest. I pulled myself out of my dream, sitting up in my bed in my small studio apartment.

I looked around and took a large, gulping breath. I wasn't on campus. I wasn't trying to make it to some meeting I never scheduled. I was in my small apartment, dark with the rain clouds that rolled in through the afternoon sky as I took my nap.

I studied the details of the apartment. Nothing looked amiss.

I looked at the pillow I'd been hugging against myself in my sleep. In my dream, I'd been pulling Asmo close to me. It had actually been a pillow.

I pushed it away, disgusted.

Mehnit stirred from her slumber as I kicked it off the bed when it wasn't far enough away. Her sleepy eyes looked at me questioningly from her sleeping position curled up at the end of the bed.

I rubbed my arms trying to rid myself of the disgust I felt.

I never felt anything for Asmo. In fact, when he had given the slightest hint in Paris, I'd basically kicked him out of the room and made sure there was always someone with us. I wasn't ever alone in a room with him lest he had different thoughts.

Why was I all of a sudden having a dream about him kissing me?

And what made it even worse, I was returning that kiss with the same intensity.

My skin was crawling and I needed to shower to get rid of the feeling. A hot, scalding shower with sandpaper and bleach.

Maybe Asmo was a Dreamwalker like Robyn had been.

It didn't feel right even as I thought about it.

The dream felt like a dream. I had learned how to distinguish Robyn's Dreamwalker powers and the regular dreams I had in the weeks after I'd been released from his influence.

I walked from the bed over to the window nearby. I watched the people below run for shelter as the rain came down in buckets. I sat down on the small bench near the window trying to shake the dream off.

What happened? What would cause a dream like that?

I wasn't lonely. I was too busy to feel lonely. I actually relished in the freedom I had been granted since Paris. I wasn't in the Keep that had more bad memories than good. I wasn't around anyone trying to use me or deceive me for my power.

I was back home. I was doing what I wanted to do for the first time in what seemed like forever. I was already lining up an internship in a good company nearby that would hopefully turn into a full-time job once I graduated in four months.

The headache from the morning returned. The drilling behind my eyes was incessant. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I placed my fingers to my temples and rubbed them.

I needed to practice my magic more. The small apartment wouldn't do.

I'd noticed the headache before. It happened in the last month when I only was around humans or the Underworld and didn't practice.

I had to go somewhere to practice. I had to go to the only place I'd found actual peace in.

I let out a long breath turning to Mehnit. "Would you like to go to Skryen?"

Mehnit stretched on the bed and trotted towards me. She jumped on the bench in front of me and watched me with a tilted head.

I sighed. "Maybe we can avoid seeing Julian."

She tilted her head again.

I looked away from her. "I know. I'm a coward."

I was a coward for avoiding him. I was a coward for not telling him about Damien and me.

Julian and I were different from everyone else. My magic would sing when I was near him. My heart would beat wildly. And despite what I told myself at the time I lived with him and trained, I was sure I had some sort of feelings for him.

My attraction to him was undeniable.

And I'd been stupid and naïve and stupid and stupid and I lost him.

He was back with Vyssen, his ex, who was in every way his equal. I had no business in saying anything to him that would jeopardize any happiness he wanted with anyone he wanted.

He had given me everything just for me to throw it back and stay with Damien.

I didn't deserve him. I didn't deserve his kindness.

I had been avoiding him. I didn't want to face him.

I shook my head. Even I hated myself for what I did to him.

I sighed and opened my arms to Mehnit. "Come on."

Mehnit jumped into my arms and, hesitantly, I spectered to Skryen.

I'm evil. I know.