The students hesitated before leaving, and a few turned back to look at them with curious eyes, but a single glance from Sylas was enough to send them scurrying out.
Theodora was left alone with him when the large doors closed behind the last student.
She turned to him, and there he was standing by the control panel in the room. He had hung his coat, and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing some very nice...
*Someone's going red again* Seraphina teased.
*Shut up!*
He finally turned to her and she straightened her spine, "Sir?"
"You didn't flinch," He said.
Her throat went dry, "I...what?"
"During the last test. You didn't twitch, didn't move, not even a grimace from you. You just stood there watching the others," He said, watching her with an unsettling calm.
Theo gave a half-shrug, trying to seem casual, "Because I can suppress my wolf quite well,"
A pause. Then, he said softly, "Unlikely,"
He began walking toward her, and Theo's heart beat increased. The way he always moved with this cool, mysterious air around him, he perfectly controlled, made the situation even worse for her since she couldn't read him at all.
He stopped right in front of her, his eyes firmly glued to hers, "You've done this before," he said finally.
"Suppression tests? Yes," Theo lied, the corner of her lip twitching slightly
"Mm," His facial expression didn't change, then he continued, "Tell me, what does your wolf do when it's restrained?"
She hesitated, "Gets quiet,"
"Quiet," Sylas repeated, almost to himself, "Interesting. The Thaddeus Douglas I knew years ago had quite the opposite issue,"
Theo froze, her heart hammering. What did he just say?
Sylas didn't miss the way she stiffened and she would swear that she saw his lips twitch like he wanted to smile, "You remind me of him, though. The posture, the tone. Even the way you try to mask your discomfort,"
"I am Thaddeus," Theodora exclaimed, trying to keep the anxiousness from her tone, "I don't need to remind you of myself,"
This time, she did see a flicker in his eyes, "Of course you're,"
That sounded so much like sarcasm.
"It's just that your answers...are different from before,"
"My... answers?" She tried not to swallow. If Sylas really met Thaddeus before, then this was really bad.
"When I knew him, Thaddeus had a temper. Short-fused. Impatient. Couldn't stand silence. You, however…" He began circling her, and she could feel that cold gaze on her back as he moved, "You wait for me to speak. You listen first. You calculate," He stopped.
Theo's shoulders stiffened again, "Maybe I grew up,"
"Maybe," he murmured, "Or maybe you're not the one who did the growing, "
Her insides were screaming at the moment. She turned to face him sharply, "What are you trying to say?"
"You just seem different, Douglas. Like someone wearing a memory that doesn't quite fit,"
"I don't know what you're implying, "
"Good," Sylas said softly, "Let's keep it that way."
He stood in front of her again, and this time she had the urge to take a step back. She felt like he was gonna try and peel off her disguise or something, especially now that Seraphina was weak, "What colour is your wolf, Douglas?"
Theo hesitated, "Light brown," That was Thaddeus's wolf colour. She knew that since they were kids.
His eyes turned intense, "Who was your first mentor?"
She blinked. Mentor? Oh no.
"Every Douglas has one, do they not? The one who oversees your early transformation cycle?"
"My uncle," She almost bit her lips.
"Ah. And his name?" He asked.
Oh God. He was definitely out to get her.
Theo faltered, "Marcus,"
Sylas's lips faintly curved, and she saw them clearly this time, "Marcus died fifteen years ago,"
Her stomach dropped. Shit!
He took a step closer, and now he was so close she had to hold her breath. His scent was intoxicatingly masculine, a mixture of fresh ink and frost, plus something darkly sweet underneath, something that was purely him, "Try again," He whispered.
His breath fanned over her face, just like his scent but with a touch of ink...and blood.
"I call him Marcus but his real name is Edmund," She lied again, "Family Joke,"
"Family joke," Sylas repeated slowly, letting the words roll off his tongue like he was testing their taste, "How… charming,"
Her hands curled into fists, "Why are you interrogating me?"
"I'm not," His gaze flicked to her throat, where her Adam's apple had just bobbed, then back up to her face, "I'm simply trying to understand why you act like someone I already know, yet respond like someone entirely different,"
"Maybe you just don't know me as well as you think." She argued.
Sylas's eyes darkened with something unreadable, "Maybe," he murmured again, this time with a chilling gaze, "Or maybe I know you better than you'd like,"
For one terrible heartbeat, Theo couldn't breathe.
They didn't break for the next minute, and Theodora knew those looks in his eyes. He was trying to peel her completely apart, indirectly telling her he knows that she isn't who she claims to be, and it didn't help that there was this electric feeling coursing through her veins that was different from the terrifying apprehension she felt in his presence and it wasn't just from the fact that...she was... attracted to him.
"You're hiding something," He stated at last, "And whatever it is, I'd advise you to break it away and step out of it, Douglas. You may leave,"
She didn't need to be told twice. Her legs were already moving two times faster than usual, and she was almost at the door when he called her again.
"Douglas," he said.
She paused, breaths heavy.
"Head to the clinic to have that wrist checked out, or you won't survive tomorrow's drills,"
Her breath caught, and she looked down at her hand. It was still covered by her sleeves and everything, so how did he...
"And if you're going to pretend to be someone you're not," Sylas continued, his tone almost a whisper, "you might want to practice the details. Especially around me,"
"I'm not pretending," She bit back.
"Of course you're not," This time, she heard the full sarcasm in his tone.