Chapter 18
Monday morning, I handed in my History of Magic I project well before it was due.
The professor was in his class about to hold a different midterm, but I handed in my project much to his shock.
I could practically see the questions in his eyes, but I couldn’t really have been the first person to turn a midterm or final in early and just get it off their plate, right?
I asked Sergey at breakfast and he said most would just email it then.
Right, but we couldn’t email them because the professor wanted it in color and didn’t want to waste his ink. So again… Was this me?
Maybe. Oh well.
Latin III was going to be a breeze and I was ready for it before lunch. I was glad to get two off my plate on the first day and then I could handle the rest as needed.
“Oh, the princess actually shows for once,” someone mocked as I took my seat.
I almost looked around, but this time caught myself. I let out a long breath and glanced in the direction the voice had come from. I wasn’t sure who had said it, but the rage coming off a guy when I went past him made it clear he thought I shouldn’t have been confused.
Then I did it again just to mess with him.
“Here, princess,” he snapped.
“Who are you?” I drawled, but then blinked at him and smirked. “Oh, one of the clowns from yesterday.”
Yeah, that really pissed him off.
“I find it more than hypocritical that you lay into all of us that we use our names and prestige to get exceptions or pretend to be better than others but yet—” he blasted, clearly intending to make a stink about my missing classes.
I couldn’t hide how bored the conversation made me before focusing on Professor Daly and speaking to her in perfect Latin.
“If he gives you any trouble—any of them—please let me know. I’ll handle it.
The headmaster knows of this. So does Mrs. Reid.
This isn’t some hidden backroom deal. It’s a valid exception now—”
“I know, Ms. Millen. Don’t worry, I can handle any pushback and issues just fine. I know your level and now hopefully they will as well.”
I snickered. “This won’t be enough, but I could do this all day.
We both know your hesitation of pushing me up even more was you hadn’t heard more of my pronunciation and now you have.
I should actually place out of all the Latin classes, but the refresher was nice, and I did want more focused teaching since my tutors could be flippant given they thought I didn’t have magic.
“More than that, I should know the level of my classmates for the Wicked Challenges if nothing else. Yes, they’re a few years ahead of me, but what I’ve seen from the upperclassmen hasn’t been all that impressive.
I apologize if that sounded judgmental, but it wasn’t meant as a slight against you, simply the laziness and attitude of too many of the students. ”
I was glad when a few people snickered, clearly understanding enough to keep up with the conversation. Professor Daly and I talked another few minutes about the test and a couple of other things before I focused back on the guy.
“Right, what was your name? I never thought it important enough to catch, but you’re probably going to try and make a big stink next because whatever this plan was didn’t work, right?
Or do you just want me to give you my attorney’s business card and she can just talk directly to your family to tell you it’s stupid? ”
“Damn, girl,” a witch chuckled, shaking her head at me. “You’re learning fast. He’s Adam.”
I thanked her and focused back on Adam, the British douche who referred to non-top-tier families as “low-born.”
“Or did you want to have this conversation in Latin so you could feel secure that I’m not abusing my last name or position?
I know you think you know everything and clearly understood the situation you weren’t a part of, but have you now accepted you weren’t actually and we can move on?
These are my first midterms after all and I want to do well on them. ”
From the way his jaw was moving, I won. Clearly, I’d won.
Good, at least maybe the issue could be put to rest, but more likely I’d just made a deeper enemy of the asshole.
No one would be surprised with the way these men couldn’t let things go when they were “insulted.”
Funny, because normally it was them insulting a witch and we were then the problem by not lying down and just accepting it. So really, it wasn’t funny at all and the real problem was them and a society that still thought that was acceptable behavior.
I flew through the midterm and met up with my guard, glad when I could just go home. I was honestly more nervous about the session I’d wanted but then had been putting off because it was a bit scary for me to have a dual session.
Though a huge part of it was the apprehension that I felt from Tracey and Taylor about doing it. It felt very… Pointed? Like either a waste of their time or they didn’t have faith in me that I could do it?
No. Actually, that wasn’t it at all.
They were hiding something from me, and they had accurately guessed that I would figure it out if they had a session together.
At first it was fine. Cheese and Taylor were floored to see what Tracey and Woodchuck had for a bond and even how in sync they were. There were a few random thoughts that were of awe, but nothing over the top. Both warlock and familiar were completely focused.
Until Taylor had a… I wasn’t even sure, but I felt it. I felt his excitement at getting to see this cute side of Tracey.
Just like the other sides he’d seen of her and cared for.
Especially the naked ones.
So they were… Like that.
Right.
Luckily, Tracey felt the moment I realized it and my magic faltered, reaching out and grabbing my hand to sort of steady me.
“Idiot, don’t scar her,” Tracey chastised Taylor.
“He didn’t,” I defended, but then cleared my throat. “It was actually really romantic.”
And that was the moment things got really weird because Cheese and Woodchuck told me way too much now that I knew thinking I wanted to know it all.
For the record, I did not. Not even close. Not even a little bit.
Like wow, did I not want to know any of that ever.
Shit.
But the really great news was it worked. It helped Taylor and Cheese get to a level I wouldn’t even have thought.
“What’s wrong?” Tracey worried when it was over.
“I don’t know if that was such a success because you guys are—ya know,” I admitted with a frown. “I mean it definitely worked how I wanted, but it was better, and I don’t know if that part was because…” I shrugged.
They both seemed to think that through, Tracey breaking the silence first. “I think it’s because he takes it all so seriously. He’s one of the few that takes your time very seriously just like you take theirs. I think that’s what made it work so well. Even Woodchuck and I felt it.”
That was a good point and something to think about. It was also not something that could be done without trust, so that would be hard on the person who could help the other. Link for one would not want to do it with others.
And I didn’t blame him, but it would help me help others. So that was kind of a catch-22 or double-edged sword. I wasn’t really sure which fit better, but I was trusting everyone I was helping to be so vulnerable, so I needed help too.
I could drive myself crazy thinking about it all, but talking to Link was definitely needed. I asked him if he could go for a run privately after my Spell Circles 101 midterm. I smiled when his text was concerned, immediately agreeing but pressing for more information.
I assured him that I was fine but just needed some guidance, basically making it clear that I trusted him more than others and I wanted his advice. That seemed to calm him and the situation. He said we should go run the new land with Loki and check out some sections they hadn’t yet.
Even better. I wanted to spend more time there now that it was mine. Something deep inside of me wanted to spend more and more time there.
It wasn’t my reality, but I wanted to. It was as if I itched to bring it to the full potential.
People were either nervous Tuesday morning or practically rolling their eyes at the midterm. I was pretty sure I was the only one in the middle. I was confident that I could do what was needed, but doing it in front of others was always an added pressure and made things more complicated.
Plus, given my magical education that… It was problematic.
I realized Dr. Haskins was worried about my performance as well because I was going dead last. It was clear he’d arranged that as a favor to me or to take the pressure off of me. While I appreciated it, the waiting actually made me more nervous.
The weight of feeling that my professor thought I needed it.
“I felt your upset and asked Derek if I could come,” Quinn said quietly from behind me. “Are you okay, Bevin?”
I smiled and gave a slight nod, stepping towards him. I patted my shoulder and gave him love when he hopped up. I quietly explained what was going on under my breath so I didn’t disturb the others, glad when Quinn seemed relieved.
“You should text Derek even if he’s in class. I’m afraid I worried him. I’m sorry.”
“You did nothing wrong. Thank you for caring for me.” I gave him a kiss and did as he asked.
I got a few looks because most people in our year knew Wyatt’s familiar now, but others were fairly used to seeing Quinn with me too. I was Wyatt’s only independent study, he was friends with Winter… Most people had accepted the logical reasons we’d given.
I felt malice from my left and turned just in time to see three of the warlocks from the administration walking briskly towards where our class was. One had darkness in his eyes that I didn’t like, so I gathered magic.
Something he sensed.
And so did Dr. Haskins, telling the rest of everyone to hold on.
“You are over the line, Ms. Millen,” the administrator snapped. “How dare you gather magic in this moment?”