Richelle Mead owns the VA and Bloodlines series.
This is a short update but I think it's cute. Let me know what you think!
"Shit," I muttered, wincing at the pain shooting up from my now bleeding finger. I was helping pack up all of our stuff at Amberwood now that the hereditary laws had finally been passed and our mission was officially over. I'd already finished in my dorm, but Jill and Angeline still had plenty left to pack, even with all the extra help they were receiving.
I looked up to see everyone in the room staring at me with wide eyes. "Sydney, did you just... swear?" Rose teased, though she sounded half serious.
"Sydney's swearing again?" Adrian asked, walking into the room with a few more empty boxes and setting them down on the bed. He shot Rose a grin. "Got a mouth like a sailor that one, I tell you."
I rolled my eyes, but Rose laughed. "You've corrupted her!" she accused. "The Sydney I know would never use such foul language."
Adrian put his hand to his heart in mock offense. "Why do you think I'm the one corrupting her? Maybe she's corrupting me." He plopped down on Angeline's bare dorm bed, feigning exhaustion even though he'd barely done any real work helping pack. "I used to party all night and wake up in the afternoon with a hangover, now I'm meeting with a study group at eight a.m. and going to bed by midnight at the latest. I'm pretty sure that's proof I've been corrupted."
Dimitri looked up from the box he was sealing with masking tape. "I'm pretty sure that's the opposite of corruption. Sydney's use of the word shit does, however, fall into corrupt territory."
Adrian gave me a curious look, followed by a smirk. "Why'd you say shit?"
"Cut myself on a box." I stepped closer to him and showed him my injured finger. It didn't look bad, but there was a little blood still leaking trough the cut. Adrian gave me a sympathetic look and took my hand in his. He leaned down to kiss my fingertip and I felt a warm heat surge through my hand. It could have been mistaken for the effect his lips always had on me, but I knew better. He was healing me.
"There you go," he said, giving the newly healed skin a quick kiss. "All better." He pulled me closer and I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning down and kissing his lips again and again, forgetting that we weren't alone here.
"Ugh. Do you guys mind?" Angeline groaned. "I had a big breakfast and I'd really like to keep it down."
Adrian laughed and pulled back, brushing a few strands of hair out of my eyes. I gave him a smile and started to pull away, but he stopped me with a hand on my wrist.
"Don't you have some more stuff to pack up in your room?" he asked innocently.
"I've already..." I started to say that I'd already packed everything and he knew it, but then I noticed the mischievous glint in his green eyes. "...labeled everything so it shouldn't take that long. Want to help me finish?" I amended quickly with what I hoped was an innocent smile.
"Sure thing, Sage." He hopped up looking like he'd recovered from his bout of exhaustion. He grabbed my hand and dragged me out into the hallway and towards my dorm room.
From behind us I heard Jill burst out in giggles to accompany Angeline's dramatic sigh. I couldn't see her anymore, but I could practically hear Rose roll her eyes as she called, "If you're going to corrupt her at least teach her to be a little less obvious about it!"