I gnawed at the pen cap on my pen, reading the same sentence over and over.

As if reading it for the twentieth time would all of a sudden have it make sense to me.

The equation in the textbook mocked me – surely, I was smart enough to figure this out.

That's what I get for volunteering for a double shift before class in the evening. I was spent, my brain no longer receiving any new information making any study session I was trying to do currently, useless.

"Fine," I hissed as I slammed the book shut. "You win!"

Someone in the cubicle behind me shushed me as loud as she could.

I winced, not realizing how loud I had been in the stuffy library. It was late in the day with only those in the evening classes hanging around the library studying.

They probably had no trouble understanding their materials.

I cradled my face in my hands, on the verge of a breakdown. "Oh, this is hopeless."

"Shh!"

I pushed the glasses up on my nose as I leaned back on my chair towards where her voice came from. "Sorry," I whispered loud enough so she could hear.

I sighed as I settled back all four chair legs on the ground. I glanced at my watch, I was late for class.

I stood quickly, picking my books up from the desk and placing them in my bag and the heavy ones on my arms. Once I was done, I turned to start my mad dash through the library when someone suddenly materialized in front of me, stopping me cold.

I yelped, dropping my books all over the floor. The air knocked out of my lungs. I would have toppled over too if he hadn't grabbed my upper arms and held me steady.

"Jeez," I hissed in pain. "Why do you always do that?"

He shrugged his shoulders, letting me go. "It's what I do."

I held my ribs, "It doesn't hurt any less, you know. You're practically made from stone, Damien."

Damien always looked out of place anywhere he went. He had other-worldly good looks, mesmerizing purple eyes and alabaster skin that made women stare at him for longer than I deemed comfortable. Even as children he towered over me and now that we were adults, his six-foot-five lean frame still overshadowed my own. He had always been the one to capture the room. While I was small and average plain Jane for a woman my age, he always exuded confidence and danger that attracted all attention in the room.

He rarely made appearances to the public but when he did, he turned heads.

He tucked and straightened the folded sleeves of his tailored black collar shirt. "After fifteen years, you should be used to it by now."

He was right, instantaneously materializing in front of me I did get used to but not when he blocked me. It was like running into a flesh wall that just appeared out of nowhere.

He was my best friend in the world but sometimes he infuriated me.

I opened my mouth to let him know but was interrupted by someone slamming something in the cubicle next to us.

"Do you mind?" She hissed as she started to stand. "Some of us need to study-"

She stopped dead once her brown eyes fell on Damien.

I rolled my eyes as he turned his full attention to her. He straightened the collar of his shirt as he walked to her. "Forgive me, my lady, I did not mean to be so rude." His voice was like honey, smooth, comforting and by the looks of the girl's cheeks seductive.

"I-It's okay," she stumbled over her words as she ran her fingers through her hair. She flipped her curly brown hair over her shoulder – trying out her own seduction.

I rolled my eyes again. "What is it with these girls?" I mumbled as I picked up my bag and book from the floor. I slung it over my arm and made my way through the maze of cubicles, leaving Damien behind.

Eventually, he noticed and appeared right in front of me, his arms crossed, leaning against a bookshelf leisurely.

I looked around the large space in a panic. Students sat in their cubicles, the walls blocking their books and heads. "You can't just do that! Someone will see you!"

He shook his head and gave a cocky boyish smile. "No one will see, I promise."

I sighed, moving around him. "You've gotten careless through the years, Damien."

He walked in stride next to me. "It'll be fine."

By his tone, he certainly thought so.

I shook my head as I turned the corner and went down the stairs. He looked so different from everything around him. A handsome man in a black Armani suit in a library so old that the tiles were falling from the walls.

We were worlds apart.

I looked at my watch and cursed. "I'm going to be super late, it's on the other side of campus. Can you transport me to class?"

He furrowed his dark brows, "What?"

I groaned. "Please, I'm so late. I lost track of time while studying, it will take me over fifteen minutes to get there -"

"Em," he sighed. He raked his alabaster hands through his black hair. "No. I am certainly not taking you to class."

"Please," I begged, standing closer to him. I still barely reached his chin, he was so much taller than me. "It takes you a couple of seconds to get there. I'm so late!"

He scoffed. "I am not Uber, Emylin. You need to manage your time better."

I pouted, giving him the sad face I'd perfected when we were children. The one my own father couldn't say no to.

He sighed heavily and rolled his perfect mauve eyes. "Fine. Come here."

I squealed delightedly before taking his extended hand. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He moved towards a corner of the room, away from cameras and people, I imagined. "Since you insist," he sighed. His arms enveloped me in a warm hug. "Close your eyes."

I did as he said and suddenly I felt my feet sway.

Though he had done it with me before, it always made me queasy when we used his powers to move locations. After a couple of seconds, he spoke again. "Okay, we're here."

Slowly, I opened my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. We were in the women's restroom of the college, I recognized the pale pink tiles. I peeked over the door of the bathroom stall. And in the right building too!

He sighed audibly. "This is beneath me..."

I hugged him. "Thank you!" After a brief moment, checking that the restroom was clear, we emerged from the stall.

Standing face to face with our reflections, I ran a hand through my long brown hair then picked it up in a long ponytail. I dusted and straightened my hoodie as I watched him curiously look out the window of the second floor ladies restroom.

It was the safest place we could materialize without making anyone suspicious.

"Do you want to stick around?" I looked at my watch. "It's early for the class to start, you saved me about fifteen minutes, we can hang out a bit."

He nodded. "I suppose I can."

He took off to the door with me following. He stuck his head out the door and nodded to me that the hallway was clear.

Falling in stride next to him, he took my books and walked with me to the classroom. "There was a reason I needed to talk to you, I didn't visit you to be your Uber."

I shrugged and pulled a snack pack from my bag. "Desperate times, desperate measures." I shook the bag at him. "Want some?"

He took a couple of peanuts from the bag in my hand then handed it back. "I need your help with something."

He opened the door of the empty classroom for me, luckily we were early enough that no one had made it to the classroom yet. Knowing that he preferred to sit in the dark, I didn't bother to turn the lights on and slid into my usual seat on the other side of the classroom closest to the board.

He sat next to me and leaned towards me, giving me my books.

"Sure," I chirped. I took a peanut and popped it in my mouth. "What do you need?"

He looked at me. "I need you to help me find my Queen."