25. Evelyn
25
Evelyn
T he next day I had my first class with Lucien, and I couldn’t help but feel curious about how this was all going to go down.
Lucien, the renowned potion master—now friend, ally, major grump, and one I will most definitely not be calling him ‘professor’.
He definitely deserved the title, but after being such a thorn in my side these last few weeks, this was now a matter of principle.
I was not backing down.
This will be interesting.
I didn’t care much about the subject matter—I hated potions, even though I got straight As in Basic. That was all thanks to Adrien, my partner again this semester.
As I walked into the classroom, the smell of various herbs filled the air.
Lucien stood at the front of the room, arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable.
We selected seats at the back, and I nudged Adrien. “So, how does it feel having your big brother as a teacher?”
Adrien rolled his eyes. “Don’t remind me.”
I chuckled, noticing how everyone kept glancing my way and whispering. My newfound powers were still the talk of the Academy—some students were in awe, others clearly terrified. I ignored them all and focused on Lucien, looking handsome and grumpier than ever.
He scowled even more when a group of witches fought for the front-row seats to get closer to him. It was ridiculous how they drooled over him.
Adrien huffed beside me. “Pathetic.”
“Agreed,” I muttered.
Another witch walked into the classroom, practically throwing herself at Lucien, batting her eyelashes and twirling her hair around her finger.
“Whoa! Evelyn!” Adrien cursed when he noticed a small flame flickering at my fingertips. “Calm down.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, extinguishing it quickly.
Adrien eyed me suspiciously. “Is there something going on between you two?”
“What? No!”
He raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Evelyn. Lucien accepted an invitation from the Luminary Coven—one he hates—no offense.”
“None taken.” I waved in dismissal.
“Why would he do that unless there’s more to it?”
“We’re just friends,” I insisted. “He’s helping me with…personal matters.”
Adrien didn’t look convinced.
Lucien cleared his throat as he looked around, his eyes lingering on me a bit longer. “I trust everybody is happy with your seating situation.”
The front rows replied in unison, “Yes!”
“Very well, before I confirm attendance and we go over the curriculum for this semester, I wanted to clarify a few things.”
Most of the students nodded.
“First of all, students who are here to do anything else but learn will be invited to change classes. I also have no problem in reporting you for harassment.” He paused and looked around. “It goes both ways, ladies and gentlemen. I’m your teacher, not some made-up idea of a guy you read in a book or saw on a TV show.”
Adrien covered his mouth, trying not to laugh as my eyes widened in surprise. If I thought Lucien was grumpy daily, he seemed ruthless as a professor.
The thumping sound of a book against a table got my attention back to him.
“Whether you’re in the back or the front, everybody here will participate in the theoretical class and bring their A-game to the practical classes. Potions are crucial in many aspects of life, from healing and protection to enhancing abilities and warding off unwanted magical influences. A well-brewed potion can be the difference between successfully managing a tricky transfiguration or ending up with rabbit ears for a week.”
He glanced around the class once more. “Now that we are on the same page, let’s start with the attendance before we move on to the subject for today’s lesson.” He reached for his tablet and scrolled. “Any questions?”
A few witches raised their hands.
He narrowed his eyes at them. “Pertinent to the class.”
The hands dropped.
“Very well. Raise your hand and say here when I call your name.”
Lucien’s voice echoed inside the classroom as he made sure no one was missing.
Lucien didn’t mess around. What I’d seen before must have been his nicest, warmest side!
* * *
Despite the killer introduction, I couldn’t deny that he was an excellent teacher who genuinely loved what he did. He seemed happiest when discussing plants and their healing properties. His eyes sparkled when he talked about potions that could only be found in the universal witchcraft compendium.
I had seen a few sides of Lucien, but never his lighthearted and happy self when talking about the things he loved to teach.
“Miss Everhart?” Lucien’s voice, followed by Adrien’s foot under the table, woke me up from my reverie state. “Can you explain the significance of Atropa Belladonna in potion-making and why it must be harvested during a full moon?”
I straightened my back and shoulders as I looked at him. “Yes, of course, prof…” I stopped myself from completing the word before continuing, “Atropa belladonna, commonly known as belladonna, is a powerful binding agent. When harvested during a full moon, it’s imbued with lunar magic, enhancing its potency and stabilizing volatile ingredients in complex potions.”
“That’s correct, Evelyn. It seems you’re listening to what I’m saying.”
I smirked at him.
A student raised her hand. “Professor Lucien.”
“Yes, Camille.”
“Do all witches need to grow their own herbs?”
“In the past, maybe. However, there were always small businesses that sold rare plants to witches who needed them. Nowadays, there are shops all over the world. I’m sure you have already learned all about how to identify a witch’s symbols and what they mean.”
“Is it true that the academy’s greenhouse has the rarest plants that can’t be found anywhere else in North America?” another student asked.
Lucien sighed, raising an eyebrow. “Again, this is Advanced Potions. You should already know that our greenhouse contains some of the rarest and most potent plants. We cultivate our own herbs and only import those needed in larger quantities for common potions.”
“Professor, do you own a garden?” another asked.
“Only to grow herbs to season some of my cooking,” he replied.
“You can cook?” a few said at the same time.
“I wouldn’t be a good potion master if I didn’t cook fairly well. After all, cooking is like creating potions. You need to combine the right ingredients to make the food taste good.”
“Professor…”
Lucien raised his hand to stop the next question. “We are here to learn about herbs and potions, not to talk about my private life.” Walking from his desk to the whiteboard, he erased it and scribbled a few numbers. “The class is almost over today, but I want you to look at these pages in your manual and answer the questions about the lesson.”
The students grumbled in unison at the prospect of having homework.
“Next class will be at the laboratory, so make sure to bring your lab coats and your protective goggles.”
As soon as I wrote down my homework, the bell rang and everybody began grabbing their things to move to the next class.
“Hurry up,” I urged Adrien, eager to escape the classroom. I wanted to get out before Lucien could pull me aside to reprimand me for not calling him ‘professor’.
He almost had me.
I could swear I saw a glint of amusement when I stopped myself just in time.
Once Adrien packed, I grabbed him by his arm and pulled him towards the hall. “Come on, let’s head to lunch.”
A group of witches ahead of us were gossiping loudly enough that I couldn’t help but overhear.
“Did you hear? Professor Lucien is dating Miss Clarissa,” one of them said.
Adrien turned to me, his eyes narrowing. “That’s another thing that doesn’t add up. Lucien was never fond of Miss Clarissa. Why would he date her?”
I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant.
He raised an eyebrow, not buying it. “You know why, don’t you?”
“It’s complicated,” I replied, trying to brush it off.
“Complicated? Come on, Evelyn. What’s going on?”
I glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “It’s dangerous, okay? He’s helping me with something, but I can’t say too much. I don’t want to lose another friend.”
Adrien frowned slightly. “Does this have something to do with Theo’s death?”
I nodded, feeling the weight of the truth settle between us.
He looked determined. “I want to be part of it.”
“No.”
“No?” he scoffed. “Theo was my friend, too.”
I groaned in frustration.
As we entered the cafeteria, I spotted Lia at her usual table. She looked worse than she had at Yuletide—paler and thinner. Her attempt at a smile did nothing to mask her condition. Rick was beside her, his eyes on her like a hawk.
“Earth to Evelyn,” Adrien said, snapping his fingers in front of my face.
“I need your help. Something is up,” I whispered to Adrien.
“Okay, so I’m in then?” he asked.
“What? Oh yeah, sure.” That was a hell no, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. “We can talk more this weekend. For now, I need a diversion.”
I couldn’t approach her directly with everyone around.
He nodded without hesitation. “What’s the plan?”
“I need you to create a distraction,” I explained to him. “I’ll handle the rest.”
Adrien grinned mischievously. “Consider it done.”
I watched as he sauntered over to a table near Lia’s, his movements casual and unhurried. He paused by a group of younger students, leaning in to whisper something that made their eyes widen with interest.
Suddenly, chaos erupted.
A swarm of frogs—bright green and croaking loudly—materialized out of thin air, hopping across tables and landing in people’s food. Screams and shouts filled the cafeteria as students scrambled to get away from the amphibian invasion.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the pandemonium. Trust Adrien to come up with something both effective and hilarious.
Seizing my chance, I slipped through the crowd, making my way towards Lia. She was standing now, looking around in confusion as Rick tried to shield her from the mayhem.
I walked nearby and caught her attention while Rick was battling a frog. I pointed to the girls’ bathroom.
Her eyes widened, then narrowed for a moment, before she turned to Rick. “I’m just going to the bathroom. I spilled sauce on me.”
Rick nodded then ducked as a frog leaped on his head. He screamed like a little girl.
Idiot.
As soon as we were both inside, I locked the door.
Lia leaned against the wall, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. Up close, I could see the dark circles under her eyes and the way her uniform hung loosely on her frame.
“What do you want, Evelyn?” she asked, her voice tired and wary.
I took a deep breath, pushing aside the hurt and anger that had defined our relationship for so long. “I’m worried. You don’t look well.”
She scoffed, but there was no real heat behind it. “Gee, thanks. Is that all?”
“No, it’s not.” I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Look, I know things between us are…complicated. But I can see something’s wrong. Are you okay? Is Rick…is he treating you alright?”
Lia’s eyes flashed with something—fear? sadness? It was gone too quickly for me to be sure.
“I can’t talk to you. They’ll know,” she said, her tone clipped. “Rick will barge in here if I don’t go back.”
“Can I come to your room tonight to talk more?” I asked as she moved towards the door.
She sighed, looking even more worn out.
Something was definitely wrong.
“Tomorrow night. After curfew. Rick has…prior engagements on Thursday nights, so he won’t be in my room,” she said, still facing the door.
Then she unlocked it and stepped out.
I waited a few minutes before stepping out. The frogs had been dealt with, and the cafeteria was settling down. As I walked back to our table, Adrien was beaming.
“How did I do?”
“Five gold stars,” I told him with a grin.