Amara

Chapter Nine

Phina's POV 

Amara

"Don't make me regret it."

The door clicked shut behind him.

I stared at it for a moment.

"Don't make me regret it," I repeated under my breath, mimicking his deep voice. "As if I woke up this morning and decided to become your personal financial burden."

I dropped my bag onto the nearest bed.

Then I paused.

Was it actually mine?

I looked at the other two beds, suddenly uncertain. The one nearest the window had a neatly folded blanket at its foot, while the bed across from it was bare except for a pillow. The third, tucked behind the wooden partition, looked untouched.

Three beds. Two missing roommates.

And one very expensive room I had no idea how to pay for.

I sighed and lowered myself onto the edge of the bed nearest me.

The mattress dipped beneath my weight.

For a few seconds, I allowed myself to enjoy it.

No loan sharks knocking on the door. No landlord threatening to throw our belongings onto the street. No sound of my mother's alarm going off before dawn because she had another shift at the hospital.

Just silence.

And a bed that didn't feel as though its springs were plotting against my spine.

Perhaps Veyra wasn't entirely terrible.

A knock interrupted my thoughts.

I straightened immediately.

"Come in?"

The door swung open, and a girl stepped inside, dragging a large suitcase behind her.

She looked about my age, perhaps a little older, with warm brown skin, a cloud of dark curls tied into a loose puff, and a smile that appeared before the rest of her face had fully entered the room.

She wore a cream cardigan over a white top, dark trousers, and a pair of trainers that looked far more comfortable than the expensive shoes I'd seen on some of the students downstairs.

Her gaze landed on me.

"Oh! You're here already."

I blinked. "I live here. Apparently."

She laughed.

Not the polite, careful kind of laughter people used when they weren't sure whether something was funny. A proper laugh, bright enough to make the room feel less unfamiliar.

"I like you already."

"You've known me for approximately three seconds."

"Three very entertaining seconds."

She released her suitcase and extended a hand.

"I'm Amara."

I shook it.

"Phina."

"Phina," she repeated, as though testing the name. "Pretty."

"Thank you."

"Which bed is yours?"

I looked around helplessly.

"That's an excellent question."

Amara's eyebrows rose.

"Wait. You don't know?"

"The very handsome, extremely unpleasant man who brought me here seemed to think information was a luxury I hadn't earned."

Her lips parted.

Then she grinned.

"Leander brought you?"

I immediately regretted speaking.

"Unfortunately."

She stared at me for a second before a strange expression crossed her face.

It was gone almost as soon as it appeared.

"Interesting."

I narrowed my eyes. "Why did you say it like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you just discovered something you weren't supposed to know."

Amara laughed again and waved a hand.

"Forget it. Leander doesn't usually escort people to their rooms."

"Well, congratulations to me. I've apparently won a prize."

"Something like that."

She bent to retrieve her suitcase.

I watched her for a moment, wondering what she meant. But she seemed determined to leave the subject alone, and I wasn't about to chase after information from someone I'd met less than a minute ago.

I'd had enough of mysterious people for one day.

"Anyway," she said, straightening. "Welcome to Veyra. I'm guessing you're a freshman?"

"What gave it away?"

"The confusion. The suitcase-less arrival. The fact that you look like you're considering climbing out of the window."

I glanced at the window.

"How high up are we?"

"Third floor."

I looked back at her.

"Then perhaps I'll reconsider."

She laughed so hard that she had to grip the handle of her suitcase.

For the first time since arriving at Veyra, I smiled without forcing it.

Amara seemed to notice.

Her expression softened.

"Don't worry, Phina. Your first few days will probably be overwhelming, but you'll get used to it."

"Everyone keeps saying things like that."

"Because it's true."

"Or because everyone here knows something I don't."

The smile on her face faltered.

Only slightly.

But I caught it.

She looked at me more carefully then, her gaze moving over my face as though she were trying to remember where she'd seen me before.

Something about her expression made the back of my neck prickle.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"That's the third person who's told me that today. I'm beginning to think nothing is a very important subject at this university."

Amara didn't laugh this time.

Instead, she tilted her head.

"Have we met before?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"I'd remember meeting someone who laughs at her own jokes."

That earned me another smile, but her eyes remained thoughtful.

For a moment, she seemed to be searching for something she couldn't quite name.

Then she shook her head.

"Sorry. You just seem familiar."

"Maybe I have one of those faces."

"Maybe."

She turned away, unzipped her suitcase, and began unpacking.

I watched her for a moment longer.

There was something about the way she'd looked at me. Not recognition exactly. More like she'd sensed something and was trying to decide whether it was worth investigating.

I knew the feeling.

I'd been experiencing it since the night my camera broke.

Since the blue eyes.

Since my mother looked at a letter and whispered that they'd found me.

I shivered.

"Are you cold?" Amara asked without looking up.

"No."

"Good. Because we need to talk."

I stiffened.

"About what?"

"Rules."

I stared at her.

"Rules?"

"Red rules, specifically."

I looked around the room.

"Are those different from regular rules?"

"Very."

She abandoned her suitcase and sat cross-legged on the bed opposite mine, suddenly serious.

"Listen, Phina. Veyra isn't like other universities. People here have families, histories, obligations, and abilities they don't discuss with strangers. Some things are none of your business, and some things can become your business without your permission."

I folded my arms.

"That sounds reassuring."

"I'm trying to keep you alive."

My arms fell to my sides.

She held my gaze long enough for me to realize she wasn't joking.

Then she raised one finger.

"Rule number one: don't wander outside alone after dark. Especially when there's a full moon."

My stomach tightened.

I thought of the moon I'd seen over Veranis. The strange pull in my chest. The impossible wolf on my camera screen.

"Why especially then?"

Amara hesitated.

"Because the grounds aren't safe for everyone at night."

"Everyone?"

"Rule number two." She raised another finger before I could question her further. "If you hear someone calling your name from an empty corridor, don't answer until you can see who it is."

I stared at her.

"You're joking."

"I'm not."

"Is this a university or a horror film?"

"Some days, there's very little difference."

I couldn't tell whether she was trying to frighten me or prepare me.

Possibly both.

"Rule number three," she continued. "Never enter a restricted building, no matter who tells you it's fine. If a door is marked, locked, or guarded, you leave it alone."

"Fine."

"Rule number four: don't accept food or drinks from someone you don't know well."

I frowned.

"That seems reasonable enough."

"It is. Until you learn why it's necessary."

I decided not to ask.

My head was already beginning to hurt.

Amara leaned forward, her expression turning more solemn.

"And rule number five. This one matters most."

I waited.

"Whatever you hear about Leander, don't repeat it. Whatever you think you know about him, keep it to yourself. And if he tells you to stay away from something, don't assume he's being arrogant just because he enjoys sounding like an insufferable prat."

I stared at her.

"That last part sounds personal."

"It is."

"Do I want to know?"

"No."

"Wonderful. We're making progress."

She smiled, but the tension hadn't entirely left her face.

I looked down at my hands.

"Amara?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you telling me all this?"

She was quiet for a moment.

Then she glanced at me, and for the first time since she'd entered the room, her friendliness seemed to carry something heavier beneath it.

"Because you're new," she said. "And because something tells me you're going to attract more attention than you want."

I swallowed.

"That's a strange thing to say to someone you've just met."

"I know."

"Then why say it?"

She looked at me for another long second.

"I haven't figured that out yet."

The room fell silent.

Outside, somewhere beyond the tall windows, a bell rang across the grounds.

Amara flinched.

It was quick, almost imperceptible, but I saw it.

She turned toward the window, her cheerful expression disappearing as she counted the distant chimes beneath her breath.

Then she looked back at me.

"One more thing, Phina."

I was beginning to hate those words.

"What now?"

Her eyes settled on mine.

"If anyone asks, you and I met for the first time today."

I frowned.

"Because we did."

"Exactly."

She held my gaze for another moment before forcing a smile.

"Now, come on. Let me help you settle in. And please tell me you brought something to eat, because the food here is an actual crime."