Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lena
Humans were not meant to see the sunrise; they certainly were not meant to see it while jogging through a forest in New Hampshire on a Tuesday morning and listening to the grunts and wheezes of the fellow members of their running group. But I guess I’m not human, or so I’ve been told.
After my embarrassing exit from my date on Friday, I spent the rest of the weekend preparing for classes and practicing combat.
Even after taking it slow, sleeping ten full hours on Sunday, and napping whenever I could yesterday, I still feel like my body was tossed out of a moving vehicle.
I’m covered in bruises, and everything, and I mean everything, hurts.
I can’t do it anymore, I’m too rundown. I slow to a stop and curl over, resting my hands on my knees. One of the girls in my group slows, jogging in place, waiting for me. She’s my running buddy or whatever. I haven’t learned her name, only because I’m usually too out of breath to ask.
“I need to go to the health clinic,” I gasp and wave her off. She shrugs and moves to catch up with the rest of our group.
I weigh my options:
A. I could drag my listless body to the clinic, or
B. I could lie down right here and die.
Option B seems more probable.
“Hey! Solis,” a deep voice yells from the trail behind me. Great, what now? Can’t they see I’m minutes away from death? They don’t have to expedite the process. “You okay?”
I crane my neck, keeping my hunched position so I’m closer to the ground for the likely event that I pass the fuck out, to find Michi with worry etching his face. “Oh. It’s. You,” I heave between breaths.
He chuckles. “That’s probably the most unenthusiastic greeting I’ve ever received.” He pushes a strand of his golden brown hair away from his eyes.
“No. I meant it. Like. Good. It’s you.” I struggle, gasping. “And not. Someone else.”
Michi offers to escort me to the clinic after I finally catch my breath enough to explain that I haven’t been feeling well and that running is going to be my downfall. Turns out he runs every morning just for “fun” and to “exercise.” Two words that, in my honest opinion, never belong together.
As we’re approaching the student commons, which houses the clinic, he turns to me with a warm smile. “Hey, listen. I was thinking, if you’re feeling better by next week, we should go to the welcome party together.”
I’m so focused on not vomiting on his sneakers that it takes me a minute to process what he’s asking.
“Oh, I would.” I stumble over my words. “I mean, I want to. But I don’t think I can with my ridiculous curfew situation.
” Like, come on, dude, read the room. Now is not the time.
I can’t figure out how to problem-solve that situation right now.
Do I want to spend more time with Michi?
Yeah, sure. Get a little more acquainted with those biceps, pecs, and what is undoubtedly a six-pack?
Absolutely, yes. Get drunk on magical cocktails?
Also yes. But do I want to attend some weird enchanted-forest-themed party dressed as a woodland creature just to hang out with a bunch of assholes? No, not at all.
And if I could go without breaking curfew, I already agreed that I’d accompany Naomi.
She’s been debating whether to go as a sexy chipmunk or half shifting into her wolf form and sporting a tail and ears while wearing lingerie.
I voted for the wolf form but suggested she add the teeth and fur; she adamantly disagreed.
“Well, I have an idea for how to get you out of curfew.” Michi flashes a bright smile.
“Since it’s technically a campus function and all the students will be there, I think we just have to make the case that it’s part of magica culture.
Which it totally is,” he explains as he adjusts his cutoff T-shirt.
I really want to ogle his muscles, but I’m concentrating too hard on not falling over.
“It’s a very serious rite of passage.” He basically gives me puppy dog eyes and bats his long lashes.
I reluctantly agree on the condition that Kian excuses me from my curfew, if only because we’ve made it to the clinic and I’m 2.
5 seconds away from redecorating the hallway with my breakfast.
The physician at the clinic was amazing, and I’m considering proposing to her.
First, she assured me that I am not, in fact, sick despite what the deep bags under my eyes, my nausea, and my body aches are telling me.
She thinks I’m running myself too ragged and haven’t had enough relaxation in my life. I completely agree.
She explained that as a member of the Convalescere Kingdom, relaxation and meditation are very important.
She reminded me that seraphim regain energy through self-regeneration and that I’ve probably been using my magic more than usual with the start of the semester.
I tried to tell her I haven’t used magic a day in my life.
But then she offered to give me documentation to get out of running for a week.
I’m now required to come to the wellness spa every morning to restock my energy reserves.
Who knew there was a free wellness spa on campus?
! Not me. Now that I do, I plan to take full advantage of it.
I step off the elevator into the underground spa, infused cucumber water and an illegible paper prescription in hand courtesy of the physician, and am greeted by the soothing sounds of trickling water and a gentle, earthy fragrance.
Carved into rock, the spa’s walls are natural stone polished to a smooth, lustrous light-tan finish.
A woman at the check-in desk hands me a towel and a plush robe before escorting me to the soaking area: a large cavern, dark like the maw of some fantastical beast, filled with a series of geothermal pools fed by natural hot springs all cast in soft, ambient lighting.
The largest pool is a shimmering expanse of crystal-clear water surrounded by lush tropical plants.
A network of smaller, more intimate alcoves branch off from the main chamber.
The attendant explains that these offer private soaking experiences and each pool varies in temperature, tailored for individual health concerns.
She leads me to a low-lit alcove in the corner that hides a mineral soaking pool with a small cascading waterfall.
This is how I learn that the physician prescribed me a thirty-minute soak with minerals designed to relax my muscles and treat my pounding headache and that I’m in love with her.
Two very big things to learn in the morning before classes even start.
On my way out of the spa, the physician, also known as my future wife, hooked me up with a vitamin B shot and a wellness smoothie that tastes like sunshine.
It all put me in such a good mood that my first class with Komarov can’t even bring me down.
I’m still not feeling completely myself, but I no longer want to die.
I was so relaxed from this morning’s retreat that I forgot to text Boden to change my pick-up location to the spa.
But apparently, he’s just as much of a stalker as Kian because he met me at the spa door.
I thought he’d be a jerk about it, but he just looked me up and down once with a nod before hustling me along.
Komarov enters the lecture hall, coffee cup in his tattooed hand, looking grumpy as ever. He’s wearing an all-black suit, drawing attention to the contrast between his pale skin and dark features. Between his outfit and the permanent scowl, he looks Luciferian, like my most sinful fantasy.
My mind replays the scene of him and that woman in the woods.
Images of his dark eyes dilating and blood smeared on his lips mix with the sounds of the woman’s moans and my own dark daydreams. We make eye contact, my face heating.
The biggest challenge with being a redhead?
When I blush, I blush; it’s a billboard saying “Look at me, I’m having dirty thoughts about you. ”
“We left off last class discussing the upcoming Challenge Epoch occurring on the witches’ New Year.
” Komarov looks around the room. “It’s been decided that the location of the opening ceremony will be here on campus, and therefore, you are fortunate to have the opportunity to attend.
” He explains that contributing to the production of the opening ceremony will be part of our final grade and directs us to break into groups based on our committee assignments
“Yes! Decorating Committee,” Gemma says, as she scrolls through the class portal. “Ew, but the head of the committee is Camilla. Gross.”
“Fae lights.” Aki sighs. “Fire fae do have other talents.” He rolls his eyes. “What about you, Lena?”
I refresh my portal. Nothing. “I don’t have an assignment.” I purse my lips. As my classmates start forming groups, I head down to Komarov’s desk, where he’s leaning back in his chair, scrolling through his phone. What is it with this man and his phone?
“Miss Solis?” He arches one eyebrow without looking up from whatever is so damn important.
“Hi, Professor. I…um…” I have difficulty finding my words. I don’t know what’s with me; I’m usually overly confident speaking to men. But something about him makes me nervous. Maybe it was seeing the whole sexual bloodletting thing?
One side of his lip twitches. “Spit it out.”
I let out a breath. “I don’t have a committee assignment on my portal.”
He finally looks up from his phone. “Let me see.” I hand him my tablet, and he scrolls for a moment.
Scrunching up his brow, he picks up his own phone and compares the two devices.
“Ah, it appears the Transformare Events Committee thinks it best if you don’t attend.
” With a frown, he hands back my tablet.
“Okaayyy.” I let the word drag out with my irritation. “What should I do then?”