Epilogue

Six weeks later

The sun spilled bright rays through the café window, where I worked during my study breaks and the regular, badly paid performances my band mate, Aaron, set me up with. We were still a team, albeit a more efficient one now that Gael was no longer here to monitor my every move. With experience, my voice had gained in depth, and with every gig I felt more confident. Aaron said if we kept up the exposure we'd be a household name soon. I trusted his knowledge of the business, so I focused on using every opportunity to perform while staying away from the usual industry parties fueled with sex and drugs.

In the last six weeks, my inspiration had been at an all time high. I had been missing Thrain so much that I poured everything I had into songwriting. Like promised, he had called but our conversations had been brief and superficial. Several times I wanted to ask when I'd be seeing him again, but I chickened out. The only glimpse I caught of him was at Cass's birthday party, followed by a heated kiss and yet another painful goodbye. He hadn't called in a week now, which made me wonder what he was up to and whether he had already forgotten about me.

I wiped the counter to finish my morning shift, then hurried home to get changed for my first class. A few days ago, I had moved into a room on campus, figuring I was closer to college and could fully focus on my studies. Besides, I would be safer here. My new roommate would arrive today, so I made a quick stop at a convenience store to get coffee and cake. A good first impression could decide whether sharing a room with a stranger for the next four years would be bearable or pure hell.

As I opened the door to the dorm room, the bathroom lights were already switched on.

"Hello?" My voice reverberated from the walls, making me cringe because it sounded so insecure. Truth was, I wasn't over the fact that Gael had tried to kill me.

A girl dressed in jeans and a long sweater, black hair in a ponytail, appeared in the doorway and held out her hand. "Oh, hi. You must be Sofia. I'm Liz, your new roommate." She was pretty with tiny freckles covering her cheeks, a bit taller and more athletic, but she didn't look like she was the chocolate-skipping kind. I instantly warmed up to her.

Grabbing her hand in a tight grip, I looked behind her at the things cluttering the bathroom floor, then back to her. "Sorry about the mess. I didn't expect you before eight."
She nodded, her eyes shimmering. "Yeah. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all."

She grinned and something flickered in her gaze. I thought I recognized her from somewhere, but it couldn't be. I had never met her before.

"So we'll be roommates, huh? How cool is that?" She pointed at the box in my hand. "Is that cake?"

I smiled. "Chocolate topping. Figured you'd like it."

"Love it. I got you a gift as well," Liz whispered, her tone growing a little husky.

"Really?" I raised my brows at her broad smile and her sparkling eyes. There was something weird about her. She was staring at me strangely, like something was wrong with me. It freaked me out a bit.

"It's on your nightstand."

I nodded and walked past her through the tiny hall into our bedroom. It was quite spacious with two beds and desks as well as a tiny walk-in closet and a few bookshelves. What I liked best, however, was the view on the communal garden that I knew I would frequent often. As soon my gaze fell on the huge, hideous thing on my bed, my heart almost stopped and I let out a loud shriek. There, right next to pillow sat a butt-ugly gargoyle with shiny, red eyes peering right at me. Its mouth hung slightly open, revealing a long string of sharp teeth. I swear for a moment I thought it grinned at me, but it might as well been a silent growl. Either way, this thing looked very much alive—I could tell from the way its ginormous head cocked to one side to get a better glimpse of me, probably considering whether to have me for lunch now or a bit later. I took a step back, unsure whether to dash for the door in case it might give chase.

Something touched my shoulder gently, startling me. I turned sharply and peered into the most gorgeous green eyes ever.
"You don't like your gift?" Thrain asked with a grin playing on his full lips. Lips I wanted to kiss that instant.

"You scared the hell out of me," I said, catching my breath. "How did you get in here?"

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close until our lips met. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

"My roommate might not like it." I peered behind him, where Liz had just been standing a minute ago. The hall to our en suite stood empty. "Where did she—" My gaze wandered back to him, regarding him, his gorgeous smile, the way he carried himself, so confident, amused, mischievous. Something flickered in his eyes, reminding me that I had seen it before. I could feel my brain working, putting together the missing pieces of the puzzle. Thrain was a demon, but what did he say he could do? Tracking and shape shifting. Realization kicked in when I remembered the girl in the woods on the day Gael tried to kill me. She had been the spitting image of me. Later, while Gael kept me hostage inside the circle, Thrain had been standing in the girl's place, next to Devon. Thrain had tried to fool Gael in order to save me.

"You're my roommate," I said, not trying to hide the surprise in my voice.

Thrain's grin widened. "I thought you'd never figure it out."

"So, are you staying?"

"For as long as I can." He moistened his lips as he drew me down on the bed. I settled into his arms, inhaling his manly scent, as I tried to ignore the gargoyle inching closer to sniff my hand. "Since you saved Cass, the big boss has decided to give me a bit more free time. I'll have to leave every now and then, during which Bonnie—" Thrain pointed at the gargoyle "—will be taking care of you."

Bonnie? He couldn’t be serious. More like Monster or Craze. The gargoyle grunted and slumped down on the bed, snuggling next to my thigh like a cuddly cat. I wasn't sure whether to rub her head or run away, screaming. I figured it might take me a while to warm up to my new pet. Particularly at night.

"Guys aren't allowed to spend the night," I said.

Thrain nodded. "Which is why I'm going to be Liz most of the time."

The thought almost made me burst out with laughter. "You want me to make out with a girl?"

"You would do that?" Thrain cocked a brow.

I slapped his arm. "Just so you know the rules. First, no touching when you're Liz."

"Come on, admit it. You thought she was hot."

He couldn’t be serious. I slapped his arm again, this time harder. "I mean it. Second, I'm not cleaning after you. And third—" I took a deep breath to steady my racing heart "—I'm not going to bed without a goodnight kiss every night."

"Rule number three is definitely a must," Thrain whispered, cupping my face in his hands. "Unless you have other plans, I hope you don't mind we start practicing now?"

I shook my head then pulled him down to kiss him, my first class of the day forgotten.

THE END…for now.

Read on for an exclusive excerpt of The Divorce Club, a fun chick-lit novel by Jayde Scott