I stayed in Nancy's room for the rest of the night. It wasn't that I was afraid to be alone, but why would I choose to be if I didn't have to?

It wasn't like I really slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the dead girl staring back at me. It wasn't the first time I had seen a dead body and I very much doubted it would be the last, but it was the first one I identified with and that shook me.

The other two bodies had been homeless strangers, much older than me. One who had frozen to death, and another who had overdosed. The frozen one had been unnerving. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought he were sleeping. Snowflakes caught on his lashes and his face tucked down into a scarf too flimsy to protect him from the elements. He was the first lesson I got on the real dangers of living on the streets.

The one who overdosed was a year or so later. I had seen him around for a few months before he passed. We never spoke, but that haunted look in his eyes had told me everything I needed to know, and I didn't begrudge how he chose to handle his time on the streets. It's easy to judge how someone chooses to escape until you're trapped in their shoes.

That was why this death got to me, maybe. She was my age, a little taller perhaps. We wore the same uniform, walked the same halls and took the same classes for all of a day. I didn't know her past, but it hurt to know she would never get a chance at a future. Did she have family waiting for word on how her first week went? A boyfriend or girlfriend she had made plans with?

I let my eyes fall closed and took in her terrified face which had imprinted itself on my brain. She had deserved better than she got and I hoped they found whatever took that away from her. When I finally saw the first hints of morning slipping through the curtains, I climbed out of the little nest I had built at the end of Nancy's bed and wrapped my duvet around my body.

Nancy was still asleep. Snoring softly, not that she would ever admit it. Her forehead was creased into a frown, as though she couldn't even escape her worries in her dreams. That was something I could understand.

I tiptoed to her door, careful not to wake her, and made my way quietly back to my room to get ready for the day. Even the hot showers couldn't bring me joy as the steaming water cascaded over me, washing away the last traces of dried blood that had coated my hair. My fingers touched the edge of the wounds, surprised to find them already mostly healed. Whatever was in that tonic was good stuff.

Wrapped in a towel. I made my way back to my room slowly. The quiet hallways were kind of peaceful and I had appreciated not having to wait in line for a shower, so there was that. Still it felt strange. Like walking through a dream where the lines of reality and my mind blurred.

Back in my room, I dressed quickly to avoid the cold and set to work, covering up the dark shadows under my eyes. They were more pronounced than they had been the previous day, which was understandable considering the events last night. I doubted I'd be the only one showing the effects, but still, I didn't want to show a sign of weakness if I could avoid it.

Brushing my hair back, I flinched as it caught the healing scabs. I wasn't weak and I'd find a way to defend myself so those witch bitches would never be able to get one over on me again.

The reflection looking back at me from the mirror was determined. Her uniform and hair were neat and she looked like she belonged. It was a lie of course, but fake it until you make it. Isn't that how the saying goes.

Kneeling on my bed I pulled back the curtains and looked down over the courtyard. It quiet, which was unsurprising given how early it was. What was surprising was the people that were there.

Mrs Kennedy and Professor O'Connor stood, looking out towards the gate that was just out of sight for me, around the corner of the building. I watched their tight smiles as they welcomed two cloaked figures who appeared to glide over to them. They looked like they had stepped out of some sort of video game.

Professor O'Connor wrapped an arm around one, knocking their hood back to reveal a man who looked so similar to him I had to double take. That had to be his brother or some sort of relative.

I watched with fascination as they shook hands and exchanged serious nods. Then they lined the edge of the path and began watching the gate again. My eyes kept pulling back to the other cloaked figure, wondering who was beneath it. What were they here for?

Whoever they were waiting for came into view and my heart stopped. A red-haired woman, being supported by a man who carried a small child on his hip. I knew without a doubt they were the dead girl's family.

All of a sudden, my watching felt intrusive, and I turned away, dropping back onto my bed and allowing the curtain to fall closed.

After a few moments I checked and saw them disappearing into a building. With a sign I rested my head on my arms braced on the windowsill, my breath fogging the glass as I watched the world go by.

The cloaked people must be the investigators Mrs Kennedy had requested. She hadn't looked too happy to see them though. I suppose it was embarrassing for her to need to bring anyone in to help at the school.

A light knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts, and I hurried to answer it.

"Blake." I blinked up at him, startled to see him this early and in these dorms. I thought the fae and shifters weren't able to get into our tower and vice versa.

Relief flooded Blake's features. "It wasn't you." he whispered, closing his eyes for a minute in what looked like a silent prayer of thanks.

"It wasn't me." I confirmed quietly.

My mind flashed to the memory I had rediscovered yesterday. It felt like a lifetime ago, and I wondered how to bring it up to him.

His eyes were locked on mine, both caught in our own thoughts until I forced out a whisper, "I remembered a bit of when we first met."

Blake's body language changed, leaning on the frame of the door, a cocky smile curving his lips, "I knew I was hard to forget."

I shrugged, an answering smile lifting the corner of my mouth, "I've literally not been able to remember it for five years so I don't think you're as memorable as you seem to believe."

His smile dropped, and he looked concerned. "Really. What did you remember then?"

"Just a snippet I think. You were fighting something shadowy and then looking round at me." I decided to leave out the fact I thought he looked concerned for me. Who is to say that was even directed at me? Could have been someone he actually cared about behind me and I just don't remember it.

He made a face as he took that in. "I don't know why you wouldn't remember it. We didn't do anything to make you forget, especially as you ran off before we could talk properly and refused to give me your number." he chuckled.

"Give you my number, I don't even have a phone." I laughed back and his face became serious as though that were the first time he had thought of that.

"Do you want me to tell you what happened the way I remember it?" he offered.

I nodded eagerly. I had been dying to rediscover those memories for years and now they were in reach and available.

"Would you like to walk and talk?" He offered me his arm, like someone out of a historical movie.

"Sure." I said, stepping around him to shut and lock the door behind me.

He didn't look offended, stuffing his hands in his pockets and shooting me an easy smile. "Do you know how much of your memories you lost?"

I nodded, "I remember waking up and walking to the station and then it's blank until the next morning when I woke up with...ummm."

"My wallet you stole?" He supplied with a grin.

I nodded, "I didn't know if I had stolen it but I guessed as much. Sorry, I guess."

"I'll have to have a think of what I'll need as an apology."

I snuck a sideway glance at him and realised he was teasing. "Well, I'll have to see if I think you even deserve an apology once I've heard the story." I threw back.

"Fair play. Well, to start, the reason I was in London was because I was on a placement with an active guardian to see if it's something I might like to train for."

"Is that something everyone gets to do?"

He shook his head, "No, my Mum thought it would look good if she showed I was aiming for something that helped people. I had been in... ah a little trouble for getting caught kissing more than one diplomat's daughters so she wanted some good PR about me. I wasn't happy about it at first, but Kayla, the guardian they paired me with, was an eagle shifter and absolute badass. It started out as a thing to get Mum off my back and then became what I wanted to do."

A faint blush rose in his cheeks as he explained the reason for going, but I listened with a smile as he passionately explained how he had ended up loving it. There was something about hearing him talk about it that reminded me that no matter how tough he pretended to be, this boy was there underneath. I wondered how often he revealed this side to others as we paced the hallways with no real direction in mind.

It briefly occurred to me that it wasn't the best idea to go off with someone I hardly knew when something was killing students, but something in me said I didn't have to worry about Blake hurting me and I was willing to take my intuition's advice on this one.

"So on that day I was on a hunt using a device we have to detect demonic energies. I was pretty focused on finding them. They had been causing trouble with local supernaturals so I was excited to be a part of the team putting a stop to them."

I nodded, that did sound exciting all things considered. If I remembered rightly, my biggest concerns that day had been getting a meal and something warmer to wear before the winter really set in.

"I noticed you behind me, but I didn't really think anything of it."

Of course he didn't. They never did suspect me, not until it was too late to do anything about it at least.

"You stumbled and then started hurrying off which seemed weird until I realised my wallet was gone. I called out to you and then everything happened really quickly. The demons I had been tracking appeared out of nowhere and I realised you could see them too. Hitting my panic button for Kayla I started to fight them as best I could. As a human, you shoudn''t have seen more than shadows, but I could see in your eyes you could see them."

He stopped, and I did too, tilting my head to look up at him. "I tried to question you on them and ask you for your number but you looked at me like I had lost my mind and made a run for it. Kayla said there was no point following you, as no one would believe a human street kid even if you did say something."

She had a point and who would I have told, anyway? The police so they could force me back into the care system. No thanks. Better to keep my head down and my mouth shut.

"It sounds familiar but I don't really remember it happening. It's almost like it happened to someone else." I explained.

That same snippet of memory from the day before played on a loop in my mind. Blake's fingers caught my chin and his eyes and the eyes in the memory blurred together.

"I didn't have any right to find you as fascinating as I did back then." he murmured and my heart stuttered in my chest.

His face was so close to mine I felt sure he was about to kiss me.

Then a soft tinkling music played on an intercom system I hadn't realised the school had, "Would all students please report to the hall for an announcement by the Head Mistress."