Chapter 13
Ican barely focus on a word the professor says.
I was so excited for this class but now I’m going to tank it because I can’t function like this.
I'm crawling out of my skin sitting next to Rehan. I have never felt such a strong urge to reach out and touch someone before. It’s like a compulsion.
He keeps brushing his arms and legs up against mine, sending chills through my body.
“Miss Sutherland, do you know the answer?”
At Professor Barlow’s words I jerk my eyes up. “Uhh, no, I’m sorry Professor. I don’t.” Know the answer? Fuck I don’t even know the question.
Pursing his lips, he glances around the room. “Does anyone know how we got our magic?”
Rehan quietly clears his throat and raises his hand.
When the Professor nods at him, he answers, “The current theory is that magic comes from the Gods. According to the lore, when they created Earth and the other realms, the Gods wanted to make creatures to take care of who worshiped them. When the Gods came to Earth they would fall in love with their creations and the offspring would have characteristics of their God parent. Those traits were passed on to create what we call witches, shifters, and all the other things that go bump in the night.”
Professor Barlow hums appreciatively under his breath. “Correct, mister…?”
“Rehan Stone, sir,” my sexy desk partner mumbles, ducking his head like he’s embarrassed to be acknowledged for knowing the answer.
“You are right; while there have been many theories over the centuries, that is the one most accepted. The Gods of old haven’t been seen by any person that's currently alive, nor anyone who lived when any history we have was written. It is widely believed that the different Gods passed down different traits through their bloodlines, suggesting why there are so many types of magic. However, there are also a lot of people who believe the “Gods” were actually fairies ” He goes on explaining the different theories that people have come up with over the years.
There are so many and no one really knows what’s true.
He’s a great teacher and this is really interesting, so I try to ignore the insane tugging sensation and take notes.
The bell to signal the end of class buzzes loudly overhead. “Alright, I will see you all on Wednesday. In the meantime, I want each of you to research one of the old Gods and what magic is believed to be passed down from them,” Professor Barlow finishes as the other students pack up to leave.
Like an invisible string tethering me to Rehan, that I can somehow tell he feels too, neither of us moves to follow our classmates.
The ticking seconds feel like hours, as though time has slowed just for us.
Even from my seat a foot away, I can feel the heat radiating off his body, like a warm cocoon that I just want to burrow into, slowly I push out of my chair, standing up to slide behind him.
The pulling in my chest gets more insistent the farther away I get from him, not quite painful, but annoyingly uncomfortable like an itch that’s just out of reach.
Almost in a haze, I somehow make my way to the greenhouse for Botany. I really, really hope I can actually get through this class without any more distractions. I can’t afford to mess up anything else on my first day.
Professor Lockwood is a willowy woman; white hair pulled back into a messy bun with little leaves poking out, and the dirt spots on her black tights confirm she spends a lot of time out here.
She’s wearing what looks like a t-shirt dress covered in prints of different types of flowers, and bright pink ballet flats.
She reminds me of how my mom used to dress; functional versus what others would call fashionable.
“Come in, come in kids! Find the spot that calls to you! There are multiple plants along the table in the front. Find the one that you feel connects with your magic, just don’t touch any of the leaves. Some of these are poisonous, so keep that in mind.”
The greenhouse is stunning, though far larger than my mom’s was.
There are eight, two-person tables in the center of the building, with aisles on each side and down the middle.
The sides are lined with flower beds with all different kinds of plants, and the whole area has fairy lights hanging along the lower beams which makes me sure this place looks magical at night.
My favorite part, however, is the huge Mountain Ash tree in the front of the room.
It easily captures my focus, raised slightly higher than the rest of the floor, with a stream that runs around it and down through the water beds along the side.
It’s in full bloom, which would actually be late normally, but here it’s thriving.
I recall that Mountain Ash trees are great for warding off evil spirits and protecting against ill intent.
I follow the others up towards the tables that run along the front of the ash tree.
There are several different types of potted plants displayed; the normal herbs like mint, sage, and basil, then the more witchy plants like arrowroot, wormwood, and wolfsbane.
So many I recognize since my mom was a green witch, but there are still quite a few that I’m not sure about as I make my way down the table.
I get to the first plant, placing my hands around the pot of a lavender bud.
I can feel the plant reaching out, but it’s not calling to me.
I go down the line with all the other students, until I'm near the end, coming to a stop in front of a beautiful pink plant.
Wrapping my hands around its pot, I close my eyes and take a deep breath of oleander.
I can feel the plant come to life under my hands.
There is a subtle pulsing I can feel deep in my bones.
I grab the flowerpot more firmly, and go to find a seat.
A couple other people have found their plants, but most are still looking.
I choose a seat on the far side of the room, where I can see the ocean through the greenhouse windows.
I set my plant on the table to hang my bag on the back of my chair before turning my attention back to the oleander.
Reaching out to run my fingernails along the leaves, I can feel the life coursing through it.
I’ve always had a connection to plants and animals, which I thought was because I’d be a green witch like my mom, but maybe it’s something to do with being a Nexus witch.
I’m so focused on the plant, I don’t notice him until the scraping sound of the seat next to me sliding out breaks my concentration.
I don’t even have to turn to know who it is; his energy dances along my skin, a gentle but electric tingle that raises the hairs on my arm.
“Hello again, Siren. Looks like we share this class together as well.” Rehan’s bright green eyes are staring into my soul, the pull to him I feel unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced before.
Clearing my throat, and trying my best to stop ogling him, I blink dazedly before replying. “It seems like it, doesn’t it?”
His deep throaty chuckle sends chills down my spine. “Do you mind if I sit here?”
Oh gods, I don’t know if I can make it through another class with this gorgeous man next to me, but the thought of him not being next to me is unfathomable.
Whatever this pull is makes me want to crawl into his skin just to be as close to him as possible, which is an extremely fucking weird reaction to someone I just met.
A throat clearing pulls me out of my spiral.
Realizing I didn’t actually give him an answer, I cough slightly to downplay the awkwardness.
He probably thinks I’m insane now, I think to myself.
“Uhh, yeah that's fine.” I glance up, finally making eye contact, once again mesmerized by the beautiful green color.
He sets down his pot with belladonna, more commonly referred to as deadly nightshade, and slides into his seat. “Interesting choice of plant Siren. Looks like we are both attracted to beautiful deadly things.”
I rub one of the leaves of my oleander somewhat absentmindedly. “It does seem that way, doesn’t it?”
Whatever he was about to say next is cut off by Professor Lockwood clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention.
“Okay kiddos, it looks like everyone found their plant! Good, good! You’re each going to take this plant and keep it in your dorm.
Your task is to water it, nurture it, and grow it.
It’s important to bond with nature, as our magic stems from the Earth and the very air around us.
Knowing how to connect to the world around you can not only assist with grounding your magic, it can help you in so many ways. ”
Everyone around me seems to be doing the same thing I am; reaching out with magic, feeling the connection to our plants.
However, the pull to the man next to me is all-consuming.
It's a strumming under my skin, a pulsing through my chest. I’ve never felt like this towards anyone before, this instantaneous connection.
There is no way the first guy I really speak to ends up being a possible circle member, right?