Chapter 29

**Harper**

I fell into my bed at the dorm, face first hiding in the pillow. I wished I didn't have to go, I wanted to stay here with Gabriel.

'You are both very strong, we must leave to get stronger if you wish to follow your dream, Guardian.' I knew she was right, but it still caused a little bit of anxiety and anger within me. I wanted to learn with Gabriel. It was like she was reading my mind, which wouldn't be a hard thing to do we shared the same mind.

'you will be stationed accordingly, he has to show the skill level to be paired with a Valkyrie, but it's not impossible, have faith søt en.' The different language threw me off, and I didn't know what it meant. I felt her amusement.

'It is an endearment, worry not.' She slipped away deeper into me, and even holding a conversation with the other half of my soul was tiring. I cuddled deeper into my bed and started to drift into a light-napping state.

I came abruptly to life and looked around my room, the sun was setting on the horizon and the room was deathly quiet. I felt my heart pound in my chest, what had woken me? I blinked away what was left of the sleep in my eyes. A soft knock on the door brought my attention back to the room. I didn't want to leave my dorm, as much as I had hated leaving home, I had made my own home here. I had worked hard for that, I rolled off the bed, and stood in the center of my room, stretching out my wings as far as the room would allow me. It was a good pull on my back muscles, and I rolled my neck. I must have been sleeping funny again because I felt like my entire body was stiff. I walked to the door and turned the knob pulling the door open. Miles stood at my door and I fell back onto my heels.

"You guys didn't come to the party." I had actually totally forgotten about the whole thing, it was weird for him to invite us anyway.

"We had a rough weekend, Miles. Why did you invite us anyway?" He looked at me and then away.

"It is coming time to be partnered up...and I was hoping to get Gabriel from you." Almost instantly anger and hurt rolled through me.

"Of course, I would want to be paired with Harper." I looked over Miles's shoulder and Gabriel stood with his arms crossed. He looked like he hadn't gotten a whole lot of sleep.

"Well, I know that, but Dad told me she might be transferring this year and I wanted to put my vote in for your partnership..." Emotion clogged my throat. That might be the best thing for him though.

"I will think about it," Miles shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled away from my door down the hallway. Gabriel watched him until he turned the corner of the carpeted hallway and he looked back to me. I saw his hands twitch before he squeezed them into tight fists. There was a disconnect between us, he was trying to distance himself from me to spare himself some pain. I couldn't fault him I guess. I felt my heart begin to crack.

"Gabe..."

"We need to talk Harper." His voice was low and full of pain. I closed my eyes drawing on the strength in my heart.

"Okay...can we wait? I just want to pretend for at least another couple hours that you are my boyfriend and I am just your girlfriend." A tear slipped down my cheek and he closed the distance between us and wrapped me in his arms. I buried deep into his chest and the tears seemed to trickle down my cheeks without being checked. He laid his cheek on my head and held me tightly. I don't want to leave.

'It is what's best for both of you.' I knew that I knew that to be stronger was going to benefit us in the future, I just didn't want to leave him. He ran a soothing hand down my back.

"Harper I don't think I was properly prepared for you to crash into my life." I pulled back and roughly wiped away the tears falling down my cheeks. He traced my hairline very carefully, even the small touch sent shivers down my spine and fire to ignite in my stomach.

"Gabe..." He rested his forehead on mine. I brushed my lips against him and he carefully backed me into my room and shut the door when we were clear of the arc of the door. His lips were firmly attached to mine and every kiss stoked the fire within me. Lightning rushed through my nervous system and scrambled every rational thought in my brain. His hand tightened on my hip just a hair shy of painful and I loved every second of his hands on me. His hands came up my body to cradle my head, he tipped my head back until my head was resting back in his hands. His green eyes blazed as he looked down at me.

"I don't want you to go...you'll be gone from my mind and my heart and I don't know if I can survive that." I inhaled his scent, trying to commit it to memory.

"I don't want to go Gabriel...I don't know how to tell my father that it's best for me to stay..." His thumbs came up tracing my cheekbones, his eyes tracing my features like he was trying to commit it to memory.

"It is best for you to learn to control your powers and abilities. As much as it pains me to say that, you cannot get that here..." I pushed away from him trying to stop the fresh waves of pain, frustration, and fear. I didn't want to leave.

'It's your comfort zone, worry not søt en we will flourish and we will come back stronger than ever.' She whispered from inside my mind and it felt like everything was moving too fast. I heard my phone start to ring and I wanted it to stop. I wanted to disappear.