Fear Me Not (The EVE Chronicles) Read Online Free Page B

the cliques magically formed overnight, and I’m alone.
    Who am I kidding? I don’t care about cliques, or ‘belonging’. I’m just here for the money.
    I glance at my map. My math class is up ahead. If I squeeze past this guy -
    “I said watch where you’re going!”
    The voice is volatile. It blankets a hush over the crowd, and I freeze. I step on the bottom of a pillar and look over everyone’s head. In the middle are two Gutters and two EVEs. The girl Gutter is livid. The boy Gutter looks like he sucked on a lemon.
    “Your EVE shoved mine, Illuminator. Tell her to apologize,” The girl Gutter says airily.
    “Talia didn’t shove anyone.” The boy Gutter glares. The girl Gutter laughs.
    “We all saw it.”
    From behind her loom more Gutters. The boy Gutter is outnumbered. The EVEs shoot glances at one another, and the EVE called Talia tries a smile.
    “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to -”
    “Don’t apologize,” Boy Gutter snaps. “You don’t need to say sorry to trash like them.”
    “Trash, is it?” The female Gutter’s smile widens. “You’re no more than a sa’hern inajek .”
    Her lapse into the strange language makes the male Gutter’s face grow darker. The crowd murmurs.
    “Are they gonna fight?”
    “On the first day?”
    “How pathetic.” That voice is familiar. I look over my shoulder. Shadus stands by me, arms folded on his chest.
    “Do you guys fight a lot?” I ask.
    “Fighting is the Gutter way of life. Petty squabbles are not. They’re just overwhelmed. A new place, new stresses. The smell of the high-strung emotions from you EVEs isn’t helping, either.”
    I raise a brow. “You guys can smell us?”
    “Of course,” He snorts. “We may have lost our scent glands, but we’ve modified our noses to be very keen.”
    “So our smell is stressing you guys out?”
    “It’s…titillating us, for lack of a better word. It’s like you humans smelling delicious, roasting meat constantly. It makes you hungry, edgy, ready to do anything to get a bite.”
    I shiver. Shadus continues.
    “But Melune has always been like this. She’s just using EVEs as an excuse to confront Illuminators. She hates them.”
    “Alright, that’s enough. Break it up!” An authoritative voice cuts between the tension.
    Another Gutter comes between the arguers. He has broad shoulders and a roman profile. His dark hair is highlighted with bleached stripes, and curly. It’s the Abercrombie-looking guy. The color of his eyes flashes for a brief second - a bright gold. 
    “Taj!” Melune sighs. “Thank Asara , this Illuminator’s EVE -”
    Taj holds up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it. You disgrace the Adjudicators with your violent outbursts, Melune. And on the first day? I should have you in detention for months.”
    “No!” Melune protests. “His EVE is the one who -”
    “Composure, Melune. Learn it,” Taj snaps. His tone silences her. He turns to the Gutters backing her.
    “If you were to fight this Illuminator, a good battle is not seven versus one. Adjudicators embody honor, not pack tactics. Go, before I stick you with detention as well.”
    Melune and her posse glare, but disperse without another word. Her EVE follows her. Taj turns to the boy Gutter and his EVE, and makes a small bow.
    “I apologize for my faction, Illuminator. This doesn’t excuse you, however. Staying to pick a fight with us is never a smart idea. You would do well to remember that.”
    The Illuminator scoffs as he and Talia walk away. Taj turns to the crowd.
    “There is nothing more to observe. Continue to your classes, unless you prefer getting a tardy slip from me personally.”
    “Yeah?” A human guy snaps. “And who’re you to give out slips? You’re not a teacher. You’re just a freak.”
    “That’s odd,” A voice says, the principal walking up from behind Taj. “For a minute there, I thought I heard you call one of our students a name, Johnathon.”
    The Johnathon goes red down to