"Alright, class," Mr. Dawes clapped his hands together, walking to the front of the whiteboard. "For next week, read chapters seven through eleven of your textbooks. We'll be studying the analysis of several Shakespearean poems, so read ahead. Also, be ready to discuss the themes in those poems before we get into the analysis proper, got it?"
A chorus of groans followed.
"Seriously?" someone whispered from the back.
Bella closed her notebook slowly, not really hearing the rest of Mr. Dawes' final remarks. Her thoughts were still as scattered as the papers on her desk. All morning, her body had felt... weird and strange. Every time she blinked, she could see herself in the woods. That dream kept haunting her.
The boy from the forest flashed in her mind. His silver eyes, his sorrowful cry for help, how tired he looked. The name he called her, Moonblood.
What is Moonblood? she asked herself.
"Bella?"
She stiffened. That voice again.
She didn't even need to look to know it was him.
Luca.
She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder, ignoring the way her stomach dropped.
"Wait, can I talk to you?" he asked, walking up to her desk like there weren't thirty other people in the room packing up.
"I don't want to talk to you," Bella said sharply, not even turning to face him.
He faltered. "Look, I didn't mean to freak you out or—"
She turned to look at him, shutting him up completely.
That chill again, running down her spine. There was always something about the way he looked at her
She could hear her mum's voice, and now that of Elara joining in, screaming at her to turn away. But her body craved him, to hear him call out her name again, to feel his fingers on her face, to feel his lips. It was as though she couldn't resist him.
But she said instead,
"You didn't freak me out, Luca. A lot is just going through my head right now, and I barely know you. What happened yesterday… wasn't meant to happen."
His face fell, and for a second, he looked genuinely confused and sad. But she didn't care.
"I have a class now," she said, brushing past him.
Three girls at the back of the room went quiet mid-laughter.
Bella could feel them watching her as she walked toward the door.
"She really just told Luca off?" one of the girls hissed.
"I'm as shocked as you are. Even as he came into the class and walked straight up to her table to talk to her," another said.
"And she just…rejected him. Like who even is she?"
"I heard she just transferred."
"She's not even that cute."
They were loud enough for Bella to hear now. She tried desperately to ignore them, but they had other plans.
"Hey," one of the girls called, clearly directing it at her. Bella turned around slowly.
There were three of them. Shiny, blow-dried hair, slicked back on their skull. She didn't know their names, but she'd seen them. They were always together, eyeing the boys in her class and doing everything to get their attention.
"You think you're better than all of us here?" the tallest one said. "Just cause Luca looked at you?"
Bella blinked. "What?"
"Don't play dumb," the shorter girl with a nose piercing snapped. "We've been here since senior year 1, and Luca's barely said two words to any of us. You show up for two seconds and suddenly he's your man?"
Bella gave her a flat stare. "I literally just told him to leave me alone."
"Yeah, and you did it in front of everyone. To make a scene, huh?"
The third one snorted. "Yeah, you were trying to embarrass him or something? 'The prettiest girl in school telling Luca off,'" she mocked, making quotes in the air.
The other girls laughed. "Prettiest, my crack ass."
Bella bit her tongue. She could already feel the attention growing. A few students had slowed down behind them, pretending to check their phones, but they were listening.
"I'm not trying to make Luca or anyone in this school like me. As you could clearly see, he approached me himself," Bella said quietly.
The tall one stepped closer, her smile ice-cold. "Oh, she's got attitude."
"She thinks she's special," the one with the piercing added. "Talkabout 'he approached me.'"
"Incredible," the tall one said, leaning in. "Are you trying to suggest you're irresistible right now?"
"Yes, she is." A new voice cut in. "Incredible and irresistible."
All three girls turned.
Bella turned too, and froze.
Another hot boy.
Just how many Greek gods does this school have?
His hair was messy, but that helped accentuate his high cheekbones and cleft jaw. He had silver-gray eyes that were shaped in tiny slits, they were barely open, but Bella could tell that he could see through her clearly. He wore his school uniform and a white hoodie, hands shoved in his pockets.
But there was something about the way he looked at the girls that made them take a half-step back just by looking at them.
"Rafe," the tall girl said, her voice suddenly becoming softer.
He raised an eyebrow. "She's just walking out of class. You got nothing better to do than start drama over a guy who doesn't even like you back?"
The girl with the nose piercing tried to laugh it off. "We were just talking."
"No, you were being bullies. I watched the whole drama," he said calmly, then turned to Bella. "You good?"
Bella nodded slowly—
Wait. That voice.
Rafe turned back to the girls. "Walk away."
It wasn't a threat, and he wasn't loud. But somehow, they listened and obeyed immediately.
"Whatever," the tallest muttered. "We were leaving anyway."
They all turned around and disappeared down the hallway, muttering under their breath.
Rafe watched them go, then looked at Bella again. "They'll back off now."
Bella finally found her voice. "You didn't have to do that."
"Trust me, I needed to. They could be real pests. They needed to be humbled."
She stared at him. "Rafe… Holloway, right?"
"Yeah." He tilted his head. "You know me?"
That's when it hit her. Her mouth went dry. "I've seen you before."
"Oh?"
"In a dream."
He creased his forehead. "That's… kinda strange."
She hesitated. "Last night. You were crying. Near a stream. In the heart of a forest. You said I'd forgotten who I was."
Rafe went still, and his knuckles turned white.
His expression dropped quickly. He looked around, then stepped closer.
"What did you just say?"
Bella felt her pulse race. "You said I was different before. And I need to remember who I was. You called me Moonblood. Does that mean anything to you?"
He swallowed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"No. I know what I'm saying. I could never forget your face, even if I tried. Your voice too. It's been ringing in my head all morning."
"I said I don't know what you're talking about."
"So why do you look so shaken? My words must mean something to you. If not, they wouldn't have affected you this way."
"This was a mistake. I shouldn't have interrupted your discussion with those girls. I'll take my leave now."
"Wait! You can't leave like that. What is Moonblood? What does the name mean? How can I find myself?"
"Stop asking those questions."
"Why did I see you, and no one else in my dream? What is this place?"
"I said stop!" he shouted.
"But I need answers!" she screamed back.
He started walking away.
She followed him.
"It's been one strange event after another since I stepped foot in this place. You're the first clue to getting answers and you're refusing to talk? Why?"
"Why were you in my dream, Rafe? Who am I?"
He finally stopped.
Neither of them said anything for a long moment.
"You… you know what I'm talking about," she whispered.
"I don't. I've told you that before."
"But you were in my dream."
"No," Rafe said. "That wasn't me."
Bella took a shaky breath. "Then who was it?"
He was silent.
"Please help me, Rafe. I'm so confused."
"I'm sorry. I can't help you, Bella. And stay away from me."
"But they do make sense to you," she snapped. "Your face when I said Moonblood—"
Rafe stepped forward. "You don't know what you're messing with, Bella."
She didn't back down. "Then tell me."
"You think I want this? You think I asked to be some stupid puzzle piece in your weird dream-life?"
She blinked.
"That wasn't a dream," he said quietly.
She froze. "What do you mean?"
He rubbed his hand over his face, like he was trying to physically erase the words coming out of his mouth. "It's not something you can just understand overnight. You're not ready. And I'm not supposed to be part of this."
"Part of what?" she demanded.
He looked at her then "You haven't remembered yet. But you will."
Bella stepped closer. "Tell me what I'm supposed to remember."
He shook his head.
"Why not?"
"Because if I do…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "They'll come for you. Faster."