Free Archon by Sabrina Benulis Page A

“Haven’t you heard the news? What if I’m the serial killer that’s been murdering people in the city? What if I’m going to cut your throat this very second?”
    The crow screeched in the background, frantic. Warning Angela away.
    Even a bird had better survival instincts than she did. She grabbed Kim’s collar, pulling him closer. “Then do me a favor and get it over with.”
    He stared at her. Perhaps trying to gauge how serious she was.
    A second later, he let go, stepping away from her and back into his smooth, gentlemanly persona as if there’d never been a change. Too bad. She was hoping he’d actually follow through on the threat. Unless he was holding back simply to spite her. “Brendan,” he said gently, running a hand through his bangs again, “has been missing for at least a week. We were under the assumption he took a vacation at the start of the semester.”
    “So you do know him?”
    “Not very well. I’m somewhat of an outcast in his social circle. I can’t imagine then”—he sounded satisfied with himself—“why his girlfriend would cheat on him with me.”
    “Just like I can’t imagine why the Vatican tolerates her witch sorority. That is, if what I’m hearing is true.”
    Kim was silent for a short while, but at last he approached her more slowly, reaching out to touch her long hair. Angela let him examine it, softened both by his attractive eyes, and the delight of knowing that—at least in Luz—she might actually be a step above a typical beauty like Stephanie in desirability. Dating Kim was still a bad idea. And it was hard to figure out why she felt so guilty about this when Stephanie was also two-timing Brendan. Maybe it was because, despite being called a witch, the girl seemed somewhat normal. But there was always the chance that if Angela played the game well enough, Kim would give her information about Stephanie that could prove useful in the future. If Nina was telling the truth about her, it never hurt to threaten blackmail when the situation turned foul. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Angela said. “I might be insane, just like you said. I could be even crazier than a serial killer. It’s not smart to get involved with someone like me.”
    “You said keep my eyes to myself,” Kim replied, “not my hands.” He tugged on the lock of her hair and let it slip through his fingers. “Stephanie told me you refused her invitation to join the sorority.” He shook his head. “That wasn’t very smart either, now was it?”
    “Is that why you’re interested in me? Because I said no?”
    “Your paintings helped,” he said, his tone cool. “I’d planned on asking you that night—if I walked you back to your dormitory—what your source of inspiration happened to be? Certainly no one you know?”
    He was interrogating her. Perhaps just like he interrogated Stephanie whenever he got a chance. The only difference was that he and Angela weren’t in a bed. Yet. “Is there really any way of knowing them?” she said, taking the chance. “Angels, I mean?”
    “Perhaps.” His smile laughed at her. “Although I’m not about to tell you here. I’ll be late for my class if you don’t let me go. Student teachers are bound by the general rules of the Academy.” He tapped his wrist, sighing. “There are penalties, none of them very fun.”
    “Then why don’t you come to my dormitory tomorrow night?”
    “Alone?” His face was even more handsome in the dim light, the shadows hollowing out the sharp angles of his cheekbones. “That’s not a smart thing to do either, Miss Angela Mathers. We could get into trouble, you and I. What would your friend think? I don’t believe she’s very fond of me.”
    Whether he was talking about Sophia or Nina, it didn’t really matter anymore. Angela had made up her mind. “I’ll make sure that nobody bothers us.”
    Kim examined her for the last time. Then, apparently deciding to take a chance himself, he took her hand