Read Online Halflings by Heather Burch - Free Book Online

perfect reflection of himself.
    Best not to linger on it.
    Nikki Youngblood entered the room, and he silently gave thanks for an enjoyable assignment. Pretty, really pretty, but moving like she didn’t know it. She and the science teacher greeted each other warmly as if friends.
Friends. What a human idea.
Sappy and sentimental. Shallow and stupid. Raven didn’t need friends, he needed subjects. Minions. He bit his cheek to minimize the smirk toying with his mouth.
    When she sat beside him and tossed her hair in the opposite direction, he looked over.
    A devious grin materialized on her face. “I know you,” she mouthed.
    Her eyes were the color of a morning blaze. They narrowedplayfully and his heart did a flop. Okaaay, that was unexpected. He found himself not quite sure what to do with it or with the fact that his palms had gone sweaty; definitely a new sensation.
    Minions. And possibly a girlfriend. One who actually smiled.

     
    “Nikki.” Dr. Richmond let the bifocals slide to the end of his nose. “Or are you going by Nicole this year?”
    “Nikki’s fine. The answer is electricity.” Her eyes trailed back to Raven, whom Dr. Richmond had introduced at the beginning of class. Raven draped the desk like a hip-hop star. All the girls in the room seemed to be pining for him, sucking in their stomachs and pushing out their chests at his slightest glance in their direction. Pathetic. Okay, so she had to admit he was hot. He had the same chiseled perfection as Mace, but coupled with a troubled demeanor that made him that much more appealing. Appropriately, his hair was darker: still blond, but dirtier, almost brown.
    She felt stronger today, and her world was under her control once again. But her eyes remained on the brooding next to her while she answered the teacher, searching for a sign, a clue, anything that might offer some explanation of these guys and why they made her world spin. “You see, electricity causes ionized particles in the air.”
    Raven’s head whipped around and he shot her a confused look.
    Busted!
Apparently Mace wasn’t the only one who’d tried that line. How often had these tall, beautiful golden boys tried to minimize the fact that tiny bits of lightning seemed to follow them — or, rat her, radiate
from
them?
    Satisfied, she smiled at him.
    Looking a bit off his game, he blinked, midnight-blue eyes swimming with questions.
    Oh, this was fuuuun. She winked and heard the snickers around the room, but she didn’t care. Once again, she’d bested the enemy.
    “Uh,” Dr. Richmond interrupted. “Okay, that’s a good explanation for lightning, but it doesn’t really have anything to do with what I asked.”
    She batted innocent eyes at the teacher. What on earth had just happened to her? She wasn’t this forward, this brazen. This …
Krissyish.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have misunderstood. Could you repeat the question?”

     
    When class ended, Krissy barreled toward her. “Excuse me,” she said in a stage whisper. “What was that?”
    “What?” Nikki asked, all innocent and sweet, but in no mood to try to explain to Krissy. How could she put it into words?
    “That little exchange between you and the Greek god over there.” Krissy followed Nikki to the back of the room, where she dropped her textbook on the shelf.
    Nikki rolled her eyes. “Nothing. I didn’t even talk to him.” Inside she was celebrating, reveling in a victory she had no hope of comprehending.
    “Look.” She poked a peach-polished fingernail into Nikki’s shoulder, backing her into a corner. “I saw it. You were like blah, blah, blah
ionized electricity.
And you knew he was going to look at you. And he did.” Krissy shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “And you
winked
at him. Don’t even try to deny it, Ni — Ah!” Krissy hollered as powerful arms draped her shoulders.
    “Nice off-the-cuff answer,” Raven said.
    Krissy’s mouth gaped and she seemed to be frozen in place. Raven’s arms