Chapter 8
Iwould visit my friend, Ava, in Illithir.
We'd only met once at a botched summoning ritual, but we'd been exchanging letters ever since.
Ava was a shade, and I wasn't entirely sure where she lived, but…
her last letter had mentioned she'd found her mate, who was a human, so I could only hope they had some sort of corporeal dwelling.
And that they'd have room for me. I would figure it out.
The journey was…far. I just wanted to get out of here to think about all of this.
My encounter with Professor Tonsetter had brought all my new fears to life.
Even if our relationship was real, no one else would treat it that way.
They'd assume yet another professor was dallying with some student with loose morals.
I doubted my own age would earn me much grace.
It was a lot to process for me, and I'd never been good at just sitting with my worries. My instinct was to take off—clearly.
I had packed my bag, written a quick note to send ahead of me to Ava via messenger pigeon, and was heading out the front gates of the Academy to catch a cab, when I saw him striding up the walkway toward me.
"Iris, my dear, you had me so worried this morning when I woke to find you gone.
What an unpleasant surprise it was to be woken by Professor Tonsetter banging on my door instead…
" he trailed off as he came to a stop in front of me.
I knew the look on my face must be stricken—I was barely holding back my tears.
"My dear, what's wrong?" He asked, a note of alarm in his voice.
He looked at the bag in my hand and back at me. "Oh good, are you coming to spend the rest of the recess with me?"
I burst into tears.
"Oh my love," he said, pulling me into his arms. "Tell me, whatever is the matter." He stroked my hair gently and I tried to catch my breath enough to speak.
"What will people say, Benedict? She was so horrid about it this morning, I ran into her while I was leaving, and I am just afraid this will mess up my life and your life, but I want to be with you so badly, I think I'm in love with you!" All of it came pouring out, barely making any sense.
"You're in love with me, too?" he asked.
"Out of everything I just said, that's what you heard?"
"It is all that truly matters to me, my darling. Everything else we can figure out together," he said, with such certainty I started to believe him—and to feel a bit silly for how I'd been about to run away.
"How, though? You know what people will think," I said.
"My dear, I've been meaning to take a sabbatical for years now. I'll take one now, for the next two years while you finish your program here. It won't give anyone opportunities to talk unless they go poking around in our business."
Such a simple solution, I almost didn't believe it.
"You'd do that just to be with me?"
"Love, I'd go to the very ends of Domhan na Rùin to be with you. This is a small thing, one I will do without a second thought."
"And you're in love with me, too?" I asked.
"Yes, Iris, my heart. You are the moon in my sky, your spirit hung my every star. I never thought my life would lead me to someone like you, and I plan to make the most of every day we share."
I started crying again, but for a good reason this time.