Chapter 77 Read Minds?

Chapter 77 Read Minds?
Skylar
Lately, my schedule had gone proper mental ever since I started taking those special vampire classes, tutoring directly under Uncle Kai.
To be honest, wrapping my head around the whole vampire situation before actually turning into one took way more focus than basic spellcasting. Unsurprisingly, it meant the rest of my revision time had completely gone out the window.
And to make matters worse, my intermediate one magic theory exam was just around the corner.
"Skylar, if you don't memorise this counter-pole spell formula right now, Professor Mendoza won't think twice about giving you a D!" Samantha scolded, pointing at the massive stack of parchment cluttering my room's desk. We’d already spent hours stressing over this bloody exam.
To catch up with everything I'd missed, I had no choice but to push my revision late into the night. Lucky for me, I hadn’t been completely on my own these past few nights.
Sometimes, Irlan kept me company. As a vampire nobleman, his nocturnal nature meant he was always wide awake at night, which gave him the perfect excuse to constantly cling to me.
He’d never actually admit it, of course, but it was proper obvious from the way he acted. Just sitting near his quiet presence while listening to the rustle of book pages brought a strange kind of peace.
On other nights, Michael would take over the shift. His protective instincts as my werewolf mate always went completely overdrive the moment he knew I was wandering around alone during the witching hour—even if he usually ended up snoring softly right next to my pile of magic history books.
But my luck completely ran out three nights before the exam.
"Sorry, Sky, I've got an urgent matter tonight with a vampire student who’s been poisoned by a wexhyl cactus thorn," Irlan had told me bluntly earlier this afternoon.
Michael was exactly the same; he had to rush off to an emergency meeting with his pack.
And the most depressing part was Samantha. My best mate had suddenly collapsed onto her bed, curled up in agony with massive stomach cramps because it was the first day of her period.
So, that’s how I ended up here. Completely stranded on my own in a cold, desolate corner of the academy library, surrounded by towering oak bookshelves, trying to make sense of ancient incantations under the dim glow of a magical lamp.
The dead silence of the library was slowly starting to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It wasn't surprising, really.
I was the only one stuck here revising like mad, all because the other witch students viewed me as some sort of freakish anomaly who shouldn't be able to pass.
Suddenly, the sound of perfectly measured, overly quiet footsteps broke the silence.
I looked up and froze instantly when I spotted a girl with straight, shoulder-length black hair standing right by my table. Her academy uniform was spotless, without a single crease in sight.
"Is this seat in front of you free?" Katya asked. Her voice was completely flat and clear, yet it carried a strange, sharp edge.
"Right yeah, it's free. Go ahead," I replied nervously, trying my best to be polite.
The moment Katya pulled out the chair and sat down opposite me, the atmosphere completely shifted.
A sweet scent of lilies mixed with spicy cinnamon and something sharper—almost like a burning smell—began to drift from her. Along with the scent, a bizarre, icy aura washed over me, making both my wolf and witch instincts instantly scream in warning.
Remembering what Irlan had told me about Katya being a proper suspicious witch-vampire hybrid, my heart started hammering against my ribs.
Anything involving mixed bloodlines made me incredibly uneasy, and the discomfort was so overwhelming that I immediately started clearing my books off the table.
I just wanted to get away from her. I needed to get back to the safety of my room.
But before I could even stand up, Katya looked up from her book. Her dark eyes locked dead onto mine, as if she could see right through my skull.
"Don't walk away from me, Skylar," Katya said softly, her lips curving into a thin smile—easily the coldest smile I’d ever seen. "I know exactly what's racing through your mind. And trust me, you don't need to be afraid of me."
Her words did the exact opposite. Could she bloody read minds?
My entire body instantly went into defensive mode. Not giving a toss about politeness anymore, I snatched my tote bag, stuffed the remaining parchments in carelessly, and stood up so fast that the wooden chair made a loud, screeching scrape against the stone floor.
"I... I've got to go. Things to do," I stammered before turning on my heel and half-running out of there, leaving behind an icy chill that felt like it was chasing me down the corridor.
I walked briskly through the dimly lit academy corridors, desperately trying to catch my breath after that irrational panic in the library. The moment I turned the corner heading toward the dorms, I spotted a very familiar face.
Elroth was standing there, leaning casually against a stone pillar while chatting with another incubus student. His silver hair was slightly damp, and frankly, I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.
The second his sharp gaze caught sight of me walking hurriedly with a pale face, Elroth completely ignored his mate and took long strides toward me.
"Skylar, what's wrong with you? You look like you've just seen a demon," Elroth asked, his hand reaching out to comfort me but stopping just short.
"You're the demon," I muttered.
Elroth loyally followed me, matching his long strides to my panicked pace until we reached my dorm room door.
The moment the door shut, locking the rest of the world away, I pressed my back against the wood, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"Katya..." I whispered hoarsely, looking up at Elroth who was now standing directly in front of me. "The new girl, Katya. She approached me in the library. Elroth, her aura is so cold and terrifying. She literally knew I wanted to get away from her before I could even say it. She made me feel proper uncomfortable."
Elroth stared down at me, a serious expression passing over his handsome face for a split second before it was slowly replaced by a very familiar, wicked smirk.
He took a step forward, completely erasing the distance between us until I could smell the intoxicating scent of his skin.
Both of his hands came up, resting against the door on either side of my head, trapping me completely within his space.
"Oh, little wolf, you're overthinking things and letting a new girl spook you," Elroth cooed in a low, raspy voice, intentionally breathing his warm air right by my ear. "Why don't you focus on something much more fun tonight? Like... me, for instance?"