Daphne has her hands full between her meddling brother, his overprotective best friend, and her best friend crushing on her twin...can she manage her date with Heath too? Find out in the complete Grimalkin Academy: Catacombs series! Read on for a teaser!
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Copyright 2019 Laura Greenwood
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"Daphne..."
"Yes, brother? Are you finally taking an interest in my love life?"
An odd growl came from Cade's direction. Hmm. Strange. And not what I expect.
"Only when it's serving a purpose."
"Wouldn't my love life always serve the purpose of making me happy?" I ask sweetly, setting down my bag next to Mona.
"That's not what I mean, and you know it." He swings his legs around and puts them on the floor, suddenly looking a lot more serious now that he's sitting.
I sigh. "Not that it's any of your business, but I have a date on Friday," I admit. "Now go away so I can talk to Mona about it."
I give him my best pointed look, but Ryan being Ryan, I don't think he understands that it means he needs to disappear. There's girl talk to be had, especially as I haven't been on a date since getting to Grimalkin.
"That doesn't sound like you're keeping our goals in mind..."
"Listen to me, Ryan, I will keep what you want in mind, but I'm also damned well going to go on this date for me too." And if it doesn't feel right, then I definitely won't be using Heath like that. I'm not going to be that kind of person.
"Why do you need to date him at all? Can't you ask him for help?" There's something in Cade's tone that I can't quite put my finger on. It's almost as if he doesn't want me dating at all.
"I have one brother already, thank you. I don't need another one," I respond coolly.
He opens his mouth to respond but shuts it after another stern look from me. I wish my brother was as easy to keep quiet as this. It would make my life a whole lot easier, though I doubt our parents would approve.
"Just don't lose sight of things," Ryan warns as he picks up his jacket and walks towards the door.
"I wouldn't dream of it," I mutter under my breath. Family can be infuriating. Who did he think he was asking me things like that?
"What's up with him?" Mona asks once the two guys had left.
"Maybe he got dumped again?" I shrug. A big part of me doesn't care what Cade's problem is.
"I did hear things went south between him and Shelly."
"Oh?" I thought they were still going strong.
"He walked in on her with one of the third years. At least, that's what I overheard in the bathrooms. I couldn't ask for more, though." She glances away, focusing on the rain falling outside.
I want to tell her it'll be okay, but we both know that's a little bit of a lie. Her magic was in a bad state.
"No wonder he's so moody."
Mona lets out a light-hearted laugh. "I don't think that's his problem."
"You don't?" I turn to her and cock my head to the side. "Did they change the brand of tea in the canteen again?"
"You really don't know, do you?"
"I know a lot of things," I insist. It's a matter of pride for me, though I try to cover up my swottishness by using spells to make my hair pink and wearing clothes that don't look too preppy.
"But not when a guy has a crush on you," she half-sang, finally jumping off the desk.
"Wait...what? No."
She digs through the box under my nightstand and pulls out one of the chocolate bars I stash there. What she doesn't know is that I only put them there because they're her favourites and her parents refuse to buy them. Mona tears open the packet and begins munching on it.
"He doesn't have a crush on me," I insist.
"Are you sure? He's showing all the signs. Sneaky glances, getting annoyed when you talk about other guys, always coming around when Ryan does..."
I snort. There's an irony that she acts almost the same with my twin, but I don't mention that. She has enough stress going on without me adding to it.
"It's pretty obvious. I'm surprised you haven't noticed."
I don't say anything. We both know that she's only focusing on things like this because she can't spend all her time dwelling on her problem.
"What do I even do about that?" I've never had to deal with an unwanted crush before. Would he ask me out?
"What do you want to do about it?" she asks.
"Erm..."
Mona flops down on my bed, not unlike Ryan had been doing before. They might be perfect for one another. Perhaps I should do something to nudge him in her direction. Making Mona part of the family for good might be nice.
"Do you like him?" she asks.
"I don't think so. I mean, he's attractive?" I phrase it as a question, unsure whether or not that's the right answer. Sometimes, it's confusing to have the guys around so much, even if I am related to one of them.
Mona chuckles and pats the bed next to her. Not a bad idea. I go over and sit beside her, then lie down and look up at the ceiling. I really should put something interesting up there for us to look at while we do this.
"He is," she admits. "Not my type, but I can see what others would like him."
"What is your type?" I ask, curious if she'll tell me about Ryan.
"I don't have one. I'll die a spinster with dozens of cats," she jokes.
Grimalkin Academy: Catacombs
Paranormal Academy, Complete Series
A completed paranormal/fantasy academy (non-bully) series following witch, Daphne, as she searches the vampire part of the academy for an old family spell that'll let her turn into a cat. Part of the Obscure World.
Series Overview:
Heat Level: Low - Relationship Type: Whychoose - Build: Slow - Point of View Character: Single first person POV, same throughout the books - Cliffhangers: Yes (complete series) - Tense: Present
