Chapter 16
It spoke of the recent chaos in my life that I hadn’t had a chance to look over my schedule until I was racing for the breakfast
cart. I knew this year would bring a mix of magical classes except necromancy, which frustrated me because moving through
the planes and touching the essence of the dead were a part of my affinity. But in the vein of remaining anonymous and alive, I couldn’t request classes that a spellcaster would never need.
My body felt weaker and out of sorts after my emotional morning and limited sleep. My legs were heavy as I dodged students
in the busy hallway. When I reached Sara and Haley, they were just finishing up at the cart.
“Here you go,” Sara said, shoving a sandwich and perfectly doctored coffee into my hands. The first sip had my eyes rolling
in my head. “I’ve got to get to my specialty air class, but I’ll see you witches at lunch.”
She took off and Haley shot me a quick smile. “I’m in the forest this morning. See you at lunch, babe.”
“Thank you!” I called after them, and as I took a second sip of coffee, I tried not to think about the fact that Belle wasn’t
here, inhaling food and sipping her tea with us.
When I was done with classes today, I was going to head straight for Headmaster Gregor to pry information from him.
Glancing at my schedule again, I wished I’d known that Water Elemental 102, down by the lake, was my first class. I’d have
grabbed my swimsuit before I rushed out the door. Now I needed to return to my dorm first.
As I headed back along the hall, I tucked my sandwich into my bag so I could drink coffee and read over my classes. Because
priorities.
Water Elemental 102
Air Elemental 102
Fire Elemental 102
Alchemy 102
Spells for Defense and Attack
Defense and Attack Training
History of Necromancy and Weatherstone
As a spellcaster, I’d have different elemental training next year, and in my fourth year I’d focus on my strongest magical
affinities. Doubtful any part of me would show strength, considering everything I was concealing.
By the time I reached the lake, finishing off the last bite of my sandwich, I was ten minutes late. Thankfully, Professor
Mordock was still in the process of greeting everyone. He’d been my professor last year—we didn’t switch up until junior and
senior study—and while he noticed my arrival, he didn’t reprimand me for my tardiness.
“You’ll be focused on drawing the water around yourselves,” he continued, “and using it to move through the lake. We will
have speed and agility tests, so you can continue to improve as the year progresses.”
He waved the already swimsuit-clad individuals toward the icy lake and made his way over to me. A few witches and warlocks glanced my way, assessing the possible spellcaster in their midst, but then they focused on their task and I was forgotten.
“Ms. Hallistar,” the professor greeted me with a nod. “I’m surprised but delighted to see you in this class. I heard rumors
about your parting of the lake last year, and I’m intrigued to see what you will achieve with more specialized training.”
Forcing a smile, I returned his nod. “My magic is still weirdly locked, unless I get a boost from a powerful source.” Usually in the form of a sexy spellcaster. “But I’m hoping to keep advancing and finding the key to unlocking my full potential.”
He didn’t look perturbed, which told me he was fully aware of my limitations. “Your dad already gave us all a rundown and expressed that you will not take the usual path of a spellcaster. We’ve got
you, Paisley—we understand that all magic develops in its own way. Don’t stress.”
As the baby of my family, it didn’t surprise me that Dad had already eased my way into classes. My family had my back, even
when, at times, I maybe didn’t deserve it.
I hadn’t been the best daughter or sister lately, but I was determined to make it up to them.
“Thanks, Professor,” I said. He left me with a brief nod and returned to teaching the class.
I’d thrown my swimmers on in my dorm, so it was easy enough to strip off my uniform and use the minimal access I had to my
energy to warm the air. Small elemental manipulations were easy. It was only when I attempted more that my magic crashed against
the effects of the suppression potion.
“Hey.” I jerked at that low voice, turning to find the other spellcaster in my year, Marcus Lofting, standing uncomfortably
close. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Hey,” I replied, moving a step away. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”
Despite the warmth of magically heated air around us, I found myself shivering and crossing my arms over my chest. His presence
used to feel comforting, but he was throwing off weird vibes this morning.
“You never contacted me over the winter break,” he said, his expression calm, but his eyes swirled with an emotion I couldn’t
read.
He’d told me last year that he might be able to help with Dad, which had been right before my life imploded. I honestly hadn’t
thought about Marcus once over the break. “I know. I’m sorry. There’s been a lot of personal stuff going on.”
He let the silence extend for a few seconds. “You could have reached out about anything,” he said softly. “I thought we were
friends.”
Slashes of guilt tightened my chest. My relationship with Marcus was complicated. Early last year there’d been a very minor
attraction between us, but it had fizzled into nothing. After everything that had happened with Logan, the thought of touching
Marcus—or any other warlock again—made me feel physically ill.
“It just didn’t feel right reaching out to you. So much happened, and I’m consumed with—”
“Logan.”
My brow furrowed at his interruption, and at the fact that he’d known the exact reason I’d been consumed over the winter break.
Marcus’s gaze lifted over my head, and I felt the swell of magic as tingles traced down my spine. The good tingles.
A featherlight touch traced across my cheek. “Precious,” Logan rumbled, clearly ready to publicly stake his claim. “I missed
you.”
I forgot Marcus existed again as Logan moved us out of hearing distance from the other spellcaster. “What are you doing here?” I rasped, my devastation from his confession this morning coming back full force now that he was in front of me.
“Volunteered to help with a few sophomore classes this year,” he said, flashing a perfect, if not a touch predatory, smile.
Clearing my throat, I failed to sound unaffected. “Let me guess, it’s a range of sophomore classes suited to a spellcaster?”
Logan’s grin widened. “How did you know?” He stepped closer until I was breathing him in, and when he tucked a strand of hair
behind my ear, my cool composure faded, and I barely held on to my tears.
I hadn’t cried this much in years, but my feelings for Logan were so strong that they spilled over with little to no encouragement.
“You didn’t know about our bond, Precious,” he said, his gaze intense. “As long as you never gave away your heart, the rest
isn’t important. You were my first, and I will be your last. That’s all that matters.”
A single tear escaped the rigid hold on my emotions. “You always know the perfect thing to say.”
His arms wrapped around my waist so he could pull me in for a real kiss, and I barely registered the gasps behind us—clearly
the class was watching the famous spellcaster. “We’re a true bonded pair,” he murmured against my lips, ignoring everyone
else. “I know your mind. I know you.”
When Logan pulled away, I braced myself for the curious stares, but he blocked my body with his, turning to address whoever
wasn’t in the water yet. “Start building your connection to your element,” he snapped at them. “Get your asses in the water.”
“Ah, yes,” Professor Mordock called, sounding farther away. “Logan will be helping you hone your elemental connection today.”
Stones scraped as the rest of the class entered the lake, and I was about to do the same, hoping the water would cool me off.
Logan’s gaze dropped to the hard beads of my nipples, pressed against the school-issued swimsuit, and he groaned. “This is
a bad idea. Let’s just ditch college. We don’t need it. We’ll start our own coven.”
I shoved him gently, shaking my head. “Come on, big guy, time to teach your mate how to connect to water.”
The green of his eyes darkened. “Say it again?”
“Teach me how to connect to the water?” I teased, knowing that wasn’t what he wanted.
His chest heaved as he groaned. “Precious . . .”
It was a warning, but with the heaviness of this morning easing, I was in a playful mood. “Come on, big guy? You like me calling you my big guy?”
Logan’s eyes were a mossy pit as he yanked his shirt off, and now I was the one losing all focus as I stared at his delicious
muscles and tattoos. “Mate,” I choked out, huffing in air like a drowning victim. “You’re my mate.”
He hauled me up into his arms and raced us into the water. “Mate,” he agreed, diving below, the icy water washing over us.
It was so cold it stole my breath until his power warmed me a beat later when we resurfaced. “You’re my mate, Paisley Hallistar,
and I want everyone to know it.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be teaching all of us, Oh Great Spellcaster?” Marcus shouted from nearby, snapping us out of our love
bubble.
Logan, without releasing his hold on me, leveled him with a look that would have had me running, screaming, and hiding.
Marcus just flipped him off—arrogance was part of the spellcaster package.
“Should just kill that fucking asshole,” Logan muttered, but he did release me.
“You spend some time connecting with the water. I’m going to hurt a few students. ”
When he left my side, I swam out to the main group with the professor. “Since it’s your first day back,” he said, sitting
a few inches above the water, held up by a small stream, “let’s get into the basics before you use the water to move yourself
around. Taste the elements in the water. I released a few additions this morning, some natural elements that will dissipate
in a few hours. If you connect fully, you’ll be able to tell what’s new. Start exploring.”
To my surprise, with small tendrils of my energy seeping through the suppression, I could break down the particles in the
lake water. There was hydrogen and oxygen, bacteria and algae, along with fine traces of nitrogen. The professor had released
a combination of lavender and oregano, and I separated them into a sheen of oil across my hands.
Logan and Marcus were the only two in the class to list every element that made up the water, but I was mid-level and quite
happy with that effort.
“Your gran’s spell is clever,” Logan said in a low voice, standing close as we dried and got dressed. “It’s not fully suppressing
the base magic we all have, just the part specific to your affinity.”
“Gran said it was a spell passed down through our family.” My reply was barely audible. “I can only assume that’s why it works
so well on me.”
“It still doesn’t feel like a long-term solution,” he added, concern leaking into those words. “We need to learn more about
your affinity, and we need to learn how to control it.”
His usage of the word we settled nicely into the spot reserved just for this bond with Logan. A fundamental, integral part of who I was now. “I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights thinking about who I am, and you might be right.”
Being a reaper was my identity, and I was desperate to embrace it, but I hadn’t forgotten what Gran had told Mom: Whenever
one of us tried to express our unique brand of magic, it got us dead.
Dead without a head. Because the council were poets.
So, until we figured out a work-around for that, I had no choice but to keep my power locked down and hide half of who I was.