CHAPTER 71: CHAPTER 71

"Then does this mean you are dating Rhea?" another student said to Zeenare.

Zeenare and Rhea looked at each other for a long moment, a private understanding passing between them. He then looked away and said, "No."

He paused, his eyes sweeping the room, his gaze not resting on anyone in particular. "I will not let a malicious rumor such as this destroy a talented student’s future, and certainly not mine either. That’s what this is about." Then he turned to the student, his expression turning cold and serious.

"My relationship with Ms. George is professional," He let the words hang, his gaze grazing over Tiffany with contempt. "I don’t know where Tiffany got that idea from, but my personal life is not up for discussion. So let’s move on."

The silence in the room cracked almost immediately. A low tide of whispers rolled across the class, some students exchanging glances, others sneaking looks at Rhea as if she suddenly carried a crown they couldn’t see.

"Professional, huh?" someone muttered under their breath, just loud enough for Rhea to catch. "Then why’d he sound so damn protective?"

A few giggles followed, but they died quickly under the weight of Zeenare’s gaze.

Tiffany’s face, however, wasn’t as good looking as it was before the confrontation, her jaw was tight, her eyes glassy with the humiliation of being called out. She fidgeted in her seat, every shift mirroring her shame.

Zeenare adjusted his glasses, pretending to refocus on his folder. But when his gaze lifted, it snagged briefly on Rhea. A flash of something prideful flickered in his eyes before his cold demeanor slid back into place.

"Now, where were we?" he asked, calmly as if nothing had happened.

"At least we know for a fact that Rhea’s toxic and a sociopath." A girl voiced, "Stabbing Athaliah is one. And she can’t denial that though." The class started murmuring again.

"Athaliah’s who’s that?" Zeenare eyes swept over the class and landed on Athaliah toward whom everyone’s heads had turned towards.

Immediately Zeenare’s eyes landed on her, his skin crawled, at the sight of a creature sitting between Luke and Tia. Why is that here? Was the shocking question that kept echoing in his skull.

Its eyes were icy blue, its sharp, dark claws in a choke hold around Luke and Tia’s throat. Its skin was achy pale, Its chest was hollow, and its frame extremely thin.

That shouldn’t be here. Zeenare gagged as a sickening stench from Athaliah hit him. Athaliah intense gaze directed on the opposite side of the room. Stole Zeenare attention, he followed it stare and it was fixed on Rhea.

"Oh no Rhea," He concluded under his breath. "Why is this after you."

Another student challenged cutting Zeenare’s attention from it. "Sir what do you mean who is that? Are you saying she’s not a human enough to be acknowledged?"

"Is she Athaliah?" He asked calmly not staring away from it. "And Ms George stabbed her?" He trailed his hands to her bandage palm.

"Yes." Almost all the students replied.

"Ok, that would be the end of today’s class. Ms George come with me. You have work to do." His lips were tight with worry.

Hey we shouldn’t be anywhere close to each other right now. Rhea thought. The rumours are still flying around.

"Yea Sir," she replied picking her bag.

I can’t leave her in that class alone with that thing, he reasoned. It shouldn’t be among humans; shouldn’t they sealed away. So why is it here?

His gaze swept to Rhea who was by his side, is it here for her or for someone else? You have up to a year to live and yet what could easily kill you keeps circling around you.

"When you said you were going to take care of it I thought you were going to utter their memories or do some magic like you did Tia at Miami. But it turns out it was a recording." She said immediately they stepped into his office.

Zeenare rest his butt on the table edge, worriedly watch Rhea, "I saw what that cost me and I don’t intend to take that lane again. He hesitated then continued, "And there was no recording."

"What do you mean." Rhea asked, her brows knitting together.

"I mean exactly what I said." He stated.

"So you were bluffing!" She asked in incredulity, "What if she didn’t take the bait?" Her hands found her waist another on her forehead pacing the office.

"I know she’d take the bait." He said confidently.

"You sound so sure. What if—"

"Come now. No more what if’s. I know she’d take it... Because of what she did, so calm down." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "What I want to know is Athaliah."

"Athaliah? Why?" Her head cracked to the side in confusion her eyes narrowed.

"What happened between you too?" He asked.

"It’s just some dumb long story between girls." She said.

"I have all the time, so tell me everything about this dumb long girls story and don’t spare any details."

Rhea looked at him and for a beat she saw traces of fear in his eyes, a slight tremor moving across her body from his hands on her shoulders.

Why is he so shaken up. She thought.

"Okay I’d tell." She said softly.

Rhea recounted everything that had happened, to him.

"So its really here, because of you." He blurted out.

"What did you say?" She questioned, slightly catching a part of what he said.

"I need you to stay away from her no matter what. Do not confront her for any reason and do not— especially don’t let her be anywhere privately near you."

"Why? What’s wrong." Rhea asked, Zeenare’s unease evident in his tone.

"I’d tell you when after I have better info."

If you should know anything about it. It would only put you in more danger, because then it would be able to sense your fear.

"Now go home and wait for me their if I don’t come to you tonight, don’t come anywhere near this school." He ordered.

Rhea stepped back, confused by the sudden change of his turn. She wanted to ask more questions, but he didn’t give her the leverage.

"Something is definitely wrong. I’ve never seen him like that before all shaken up."

*

As Rhea walked out the elevator she spotted Zack at her entrance. She walked forward, moved past him, then turned to open her lock. Not saying anything to him.

"You seem so happy and over the stars, because your boyfriend saved your ass." Zack said. "I bet you sucked his dick last night begging him to help you."

Rhea was tone deaf, she was just focused on opening her door, not reacting to anything as if no one was even their talking to her.

As the door lock clicked, Rhea twisted the knob took a step, but was stopped by Zack shotting his arms right across her face, blocking her path.

"What’s your problem Zack? Because that’s one thing I still can’t understand." She paused then continued, "is it that you want me back but you can’t say it or what?"

"Dream on, why would I want you." He fired back, shifting from her a little.

"Good, so why do you keep gravitating towards me? What is wrong with your ego? You dumped remember."

"Which was the best decision I’ve ever made." He replied.

"So you shouldn’t be so sucked up to me like your life revolves around me. Find a life or I might start thinking you can’t leave without me that’s why you are so obsessed with me." She pointed her finger at him, taking a step at a time as he backed away.

He’s a coward. And he’d start running away if I say things that made him feel less himself.

He stepped back away from her with scoff, his lips twitching as he fumbled for words. Rhea leaned against her door, blazing a pointed look at his direction.

Zack like wise, stared at her for a beat then sighed wearily stepping into his apartment.

"Good gracious." Rhea heavily sighed, closing her door behind her. "When I thought my day was going smoothly I didn’t know an irrelevant obstacle was waiting at the door for me. " She muttered, taking off her footwear.

"I need something cold to cool of." She stood heading towards the fridge.

"You performance today was quite a show but it was intriguing." Athaliah stepped into the living room from Rhea’s room.

"Athaliah!" She called almost choking on her spit. ’"what are you doing here— No how did you get inside?" She asked stepped backwards as Athaliah took heavy steps towards her.

"Does it matter." Athaliah moved with an impossible speed, in a blur of motion, her hand clamped around Rhea’s throat with no struggle, no sound of effort, just a casual flick of the wrist. Rhea’s feet left the ground, then her body was tossed across the room like a rag doll.

The world went silent as her back slammed into the sharp, unyielding edge of the dining table. The impact was a searing white-hot jolt, a shock that felt less like a hit and more like her bones snapping in half. The air was violently expelled from her lungs, and her scream was a choked-off gasp, a guttural, raw cry that never fully escaped her throat.

She collapsed to the floor in a heap of shattered agony, her body folded over itself. Through the haze of pain, she saw Athaliah standing over her, revealing it’s true self, the creature’s icy blue eyes gazing down with an expression of cold, detached boredom.

Rhea’s face was a mask of torment. Her eyes, wide with shock, staring at the ceiling, her mouth locked in a silent, gasp, as the searing pain spread like fire across her back.