Rooming with the Wicked

37 | sparkly

Haze's words replayed in my mind over and over again while I weaved through the crowd looking for a snack I now desperately needed.

But you won't. We both know that.

Fine, so he'd called my bluff. I wasn't going to rat him out to the university administration, but that didn't mean I couldn't make him sweat a little bit. Rattle that overconfident demon cage of his. Maybe then he'd rethink just how privileged that information was.

But first...

The smell of roasted almonds led me straight to the food section. Platters of cookies, cupcakes, and freshly caramelized nuts covered the entirety of the black cloth covering the table. Colorful drops and small wrapped candies filled the spaces in between, reminding me that Halloween truly was the best time of the year.

I was about to snatch a dark brown cupcake with orange frosting off one of the trays when a familiar head of raven hair caught my eye. He was walking off to the side, glowering at a group of happy students waiting to go into the annual haunted house—which was more of a makeshift tent with who knew what inside, although judging by both the panicked and excited screams it had to be somewhat good—as he passed them. As expected, he wasn't wearing a costume tonight. Too bad for him, I was about to change that.

Not bothering to hide the amusement on my face, I skipped over to Syn. The stone table next to him was unoccupied save for the multitude of empty cups and crumpled napkins scattered across its top. He swept the remnants of a pumpkin bar onto the grass and looked up just as I was about to tap him on the shoulder.

Silly me for thinking I could surprise a shifter for once in my life.

"It's Halloween," I greeted.

"I noticed," he grumbled, and dropped onto the stone bench.

"I got you something." My fingers pulled the small black object out of the scabbard. Making sure to hide it behind my back, I added, "Can you promise not to hate it?"

He gave me a flat look. "No."

"Fine." I took a seat beside him and followed his gaze to the group of laughing seelies that had just exited the haunted house. Two were dressed as matching naiads with pale blue hair and long, flowing silver gowns, but their yellow eyes and pointy teeth gave them away. While the tallest of the group threw his head back and laughed, waving a fake spear around with one hand and wiping his eyes with the tip of his black cloak with the other, the girl next to him smiled a tight-lipped smile and ran her shaking hands through her deep green curls.

"Well...what is it?" Syn prompted after a moment.

The words Aren't you a curious cat almost left my mouth.

"A costume," I replied instead.

"Let's see it then," he said, although his face looked anything but willing.

I slowly revealed the small headwear, already expecting him to protest. Instead, after a moment of stunned silence, he started laughing. It was deep and throaty, but it was a laugh.

"At least you got the color right," he said.

"Does that mean you'll wear it?"

"No."

"Can you at least try it on?"

"Fine," he breathed and leaned forward begrudgingly.

I placed the fluffy cat ears on his head between strands of raven hair. They fit perfectly, sticking out just enough that he could undeniably be identified as a cat. Even in this light, his white eyes were practically glowing, and when he reached up to trace one of the fluffy ears, they narrowed.