Chapter 56

OPHELIA “I brought supplies.” Cadence shakes a bag of Tate’s chocolate chip cookies. I pull two glass bottles of soda from my backpack and hold them in the air. “Me too.” Giggling, she drops into the chair beside me. “Girl, we make such a great team.” A smile lights up my face. Visiting the library has always been one of my favorite ways to pass an afternoon, but with Cadence, it’s become a hundred times more fun. And after everything the professor told me yesterday, I could do with a distraction. There is no way on earth that I’m one of those elementai beings he spoke of. No way at all. We’re done with the pledges for today, baby. You need any company? Malachi’s voice in my head fills my stomach with a warm flutter. I’ve grown used to their presence in my mind—surprisingly fond of it too. They are never far from me, whether in thought or in physical form. I’m okay. Cadence is here, and we’re going to hit the books … and the cookies. Hard. He laughs. Yeah, cookies are a good idea, you