Verum (The Nocte Trilogy 2)

And he has found me.

What a strange thought.

But then again, I’m a strange girl.

* * *

Breakfast and lunch are just as formal and uncomfortable at Whitley as dinner is.

After a morning of sitting uncomfortably alone, I manage to slip away without Sabine noticing. She’s been watching me, and I fear that she’s waiting for her chance to pin me down, to talk to me more about my mother.

I can’t do that.

Not yet.

As I burst into the fresh air of the outdoors, I tilt my face to the sun and draw in a deep breath.

God, it feels good to be free.

Startled, I realize that even though I’m nervous of this place, it’s still a welcome break from my reality back home.

The suffocating daily life of a girl who lives in a funeral home.

Back home, everyone knows what I am. A sad girl who lost most of her family and went crazy. I’ll never shake those things off, I’ll never just be normal.

But I’m free of it here.

For now.

Until I’m here long enough and they figure it all out.

Sighing, I head down the cobbled path toward the stables, intent on exploring the property, on seeing everything there is to see.

My feet crunch on the stone, my lungs expanding as I breathe.

I’m startled when a shadow steps out from the building.

My gasp is louder than I intend, and Dare looks up.

He’s dressed in dark jeans and a black shirt. The pieces fit him so well, they look tailored specifically for him. It seems that no matter what he wears, he’s perfectly at home in the clothing.

He arcs an eyebrow as he pauses on the path.

“Are you lost?”

His tone is careful, almost abrupt. He’s giving me space, trying not to crowd me, just like I requested. He’s hesitant to open himself to me now, because I’ve already rejected him.

It feels odd, like he’s a stranger, and I don’t like it but I don’t stop it.

Because it has to be.

It has to be for now.

I shuffle my feet nervously.

“No. I’m just looking around.”

“Woul