Chapter 31
It”s taken a while,but I”ve finally managed to carve out some time with Thaddeus in between his busy schedule, and well, finally pushing past all the shit that happened. I”ve slowly started to regain the weight I had lost while I was stuck in self-isolation, and I”ve been exceeding little things when it comes to my magic. But there are so many runes I still don”t know anything, about and that makes me scared to try. My dorm room is big enough to practice if I wanted to, but without knowing what a lot of them do, I risk much more by trying there.
My coffee game is strong right now as I head toward the magical containment rooms—Mr. Tall, Dark, and Steamy coming in clutch as always. It”s hard to believe that there are people in this world who actually live without coffee. They are freaking insane. Like...lock them the heck up cause I wouldn”t survive a day without it without going insane.
The heat of my nutty goodness warms my insides as I hit the main floor and cross over to the hallway that houses the magical containment rooms. There are a few students milling around, but not many, and it”s a no-brainer to guess that they are either sleeping off hangovers from Friday night partying or they stayed elsewhere.
Which... I didn”t even know we could do that on the weekends. It”s not like any of these assholes told me that.
But I can definitely see taking advantage of it to spend some more time with my mate.
Mate. Wow. It”s hard to believe that I have one. The whole mate fiasco with Professor Asshole seems like nothing but a distant memory now. My thoughts of Luka overpower it, drowning out the misery that lycan thrust on me. But Luka isn”t the only one dominating my thoughts. Axel is there, too. My too-sweet-to-be-true vampire. I haven”t had a chance to see him since the night out in town, but like clockwork, every day, he texts me good morning, and every night, he tells me that he misses me.
And gods, do I miss him.
As I turn the corner into the hallway containing the rooms, a cheery, light blue-skinned fae comes into view, leaning against the wall next to the door. I swear that man can light up an entire darkened room with just one grin.
”Sunshine!” He gives me a quick hug that I”m more than ready to return. I”ve missed seeing him outside of class time. Things have been so damn stressful since the day Miss Izzicle showed up, but I”ve refused to ask the burning questions I have festering inside. It”s none of my damn business.
”Thaddy!” I exclaim back with the same enthusiasm, earning me one of his boisterous laughs.
”I see you brought Mr. Tall, Dark, and Steamy with you. Is he afraid of us being alone together?” Thaddeus nods toward the to-go mug in my hand with a raised brow and a mischievous grin on his blue face.
I snort a laugh, unable to hold it back. ”Nah, he knows he”s the only one for me. No one can quench my thirst like he can.”
Thaddeus shoots me an incredulous look as he presses his hand to the electronic mechanism next to the door, admitting us into the same containment room we used the first time. But unlike the first time, I”m nowhere near as nervous now as I was then. It”s easier to enter the room this time, too. I”m more than prepared for the thick molasses feeling, and it doesn”t scare me as it once did.
After placing my to-go mug and hoodie against the wall, I move to the middle of the room, stretching out my arms and legs. There”s a slight burn in my muscles from all the crap we do in combat class, but damn. It feels good.
”Alright, sunshine. We both know you can do fire.” I snort again. ”And you”ve got portals and speed down.”
”And healing,” I chime in, even though my healing isn”t fully up to snuff. I can do it, but it takes a crap ton of magic to achieve and I don”t have the stamina for it. Yet.
”And healing,” he agrees, flashing that grin again. ”Are there any you really want to work on right now? Any that you”ve been wondering what they do that I haven”t mentioned.”
”Yeah.” Even though Thaddeus can see through his own glamour shielding my body, I carefully pull off my snowflake necklace, slipping it in my pocket for safekeeping. Never again will I allow someone else to remove it for me. Not after Jasper”s office and running away without it. ”This one.” I tip my head back, tracing my fingers across the wavy lines on my throat. I”ve looked at them enough to know exactly how far apart they are, where they curve up and curve down. I”m just not one hundred percent certain what it does. But I have an idea.
”I”m so glad that”s the one you chose. I actually just uncovered its meaning last night.” Giddy anticipation roars through my veins at the prospect of finally knowing. ”It”s an amplifier.” He joins me in the middle of the room, his own fingers tracing the lines around my throat. I have to suppress a shiver at how amazing his touch feels. The man is taken, and I shouldn”t be enjoying this as much as I am. ”Here.” Both of his hands come up, tucking under my hair and softly pressing the tender spot right under my ears. ”If used correctly, it will amplify your hearing, so you can hear much further distances than you can now. And I”m talking even further than any supernatural can.” His fingers follow the pathway, up and down, until he reaches the middle of my throat. ”And here, it can amplify your voice.”
I swallow hard, sure there are hearts in my eyes, but fuck, there”s something about this man that makes my insides all gooey.
Dammit.
I clear my throat, stepping back and putting much-needed distance between us before I say screw it and ruin his relationship for real. But I’m not a homewrecker, and I would never do that to him. He’s done way too much for me to think about interfering in his personal affairs.
”So same process for this one, yes?” Is my voice breathy? Fuck.
Stupid smurf.
”Y-yeah,” Thaddeus stutters before scurrying back to the wall, leaving me standing in the middle alone.
I give myself one last glance at the handsome blue man, even though I shouldn”t, before closing my eyes and seeking out my magic. It”s there, right behind my heart, zipping around happily and ready to be used. So pretty, I coo in my head, watching as it reacts to my words by brightening, almost like a preening peacock. I giggle at its antics before mentally asking it to help me. It knows we aren”t in danger but follows as I ask, going straight to my neck. The tender flesh of my throat heats, and Thaddeus sucks in a sharp breath, telling me it”s working.
Quick-witted, I belt out, ”I’m blue da ba dee da ba di,” immediately clamping my hands over my ears as the sound bounces off the walls and filters through my ears at decibel levels I shouldn”t even be able to hit. Thaddeus grimaces, clutching his pointed ears to shield himself from the noise. Or my singing. Jerk. So sue me if my singing voice isn”t the best. At least I”m trying to have fun with it.
Once my garbled singing dissipates, I release my magic, giggling at the ticklish feeling it makes as it collects right back behind my heart.
”Great job, sunshine. You got that on the first try.” Thaddeus claps his hands, and that lopsided smile he seems to reserve for me—wishful thinking, I know—makes an appearance. I curtsey, super freaking proud of myself for actually getting it, earning a loud guffaw from the blue fairy. “Are you ready to try the hearing part of it?”
“Is there something I do differently?” I shove my hands into the pockets of my joggers, my chin hitting my chest as I scrape my toe across the floor. My nerves kick up, drowning out the pride I was just feeling. What if I fuck it up? What if I can’t do this part? I just want to be successful—or hell, I’d be happy with semi-successful—at everything we try today.
“Hey.” Blue fingers grip my chin, tilting my head up. Ice blue eyes stare back at me, concern darkening those frosty orbs. “It’s all a learning process, sunshine. You’re doing amazing so far. Remember that. You came from knowing nothing, and now you’re hitting milestones that other newbies could only dream of.”
Well, shit. Why the hell does he have to be so sweet about it? Can’t he be dickish about it sometimes like the crappy professor? It would make this crush I have on him a hell of a lot easier to deal with.
“But to answer your question, I don’t know.” Thaddeus shakes his head, his long white locks bouncing around his broad shoulders. When he finally releases me, stepping back, my breath whooshes out of me, not that I knew I was even holding it. “Try focusing on the sense as you send it to the rune. You know you want to hear further, so focus on that while you do it.”
“Okay.” I shake myself out of my funk, closing my eyes.
“Bailey.” My eyes snap open, finding Thaddeus further away than he was. “Try doing it with your eyes open. You won’t always have the chance to center yourself before you use it. So you should practice it without looking within.”
He’s right. Dammit. I hate that he is. I’ve done other things without closing my eyes, so I’m not even sure why I do it.
“Okay,” I murmur, keeping my focus on him. Which isn’t hard. He’s pretty damn handsome to look at. For you know, a blue Smurf.
Following his advice, I keep my eyes wide open, and in my head, I ask my magic to cooperate, coaxing it to the rune around my neck again. It warms my skin, but as I think about sound, the heat shifts, coiling beneath my ears.
Immediately, it’s like someone turned up everything around me. Thaddeus’ breathing is loud in my ears even though he’s across the room. A growl rumbles loudly from somewhere else in the hallway, and it’s so dang loud, I can almost swear they are in here with us.
A quiet whisper kicks up from even further down the hall, drawing my attention. It’s way too low for me to make out what’s being said, so I push hard, strain more until it finally comes in clear.
“I know he’s cheating on me. I can just feel it. Gah. Why am I so stupid? Why didn’t I see this sooner?”My brows furrow, wondering who the heck this person is and who is cheating. She sounds almost familiar, but I can’t seem to place where I’ve heard the voice before. Maybe if she wasn’t whispering, it’d be clearer.
But damn, one thing is for sure. I can totally see myself using this one a lot in the future. It’ll enable me to get all the juicy gossip happening around the academy, and maybe I can even find out what’s going on with Marion and that pack of shifters who are constantly hovering around her.
A rhythmic tap, tap, tap starts up in my ears, a sound that reminds me of heels clacking on a stone floor. Every step brings whoever it is closer to the containment rooms, and her voice becomes louder, too. And damn… She is freaking pissed.
The unknown female stops talking and walking, nothing but harsh breathing in my ears. “You can do this, Ronnie. You guys have been drifting apart anyway. He’s always researching. You deserve better.”
Well. Damn. Now I feel bad for listening in. Especially if they’ve been falling apart. That has to be the worst feeling ever. But I agree with her. It’s better to find out now and move on.
“Thaddeus Snow Winterton! I know you’re in there! Open this door!” the person screeches, followed by heavy pounding on the containment room door. A scream rips from me at the decibel level she’s emitting, dropping me to my knees as I grab my head. “What the fuck are you doing in there? Thaddeus!” she shrieks again, this time with desperation.
My magic pulls back harshly, like a rubber band snapping, stealing my very breath. Everything gets quiet around me, minus Ronnie’s screams for Thaddeus to open the door. But without my magic, her words are almost silent, muffled behind the steel door.
“Sunshine, what happened?” Thaddeus crouches in front of me, reaching out to pull my hands from my head. My fingers come away wet, and a wave of dizziness washes over me at the sight of blood on my hands.
“Thaddy,” I breathe, looking up into his icy eyes. “I…I think your girlfriend is here.”
He reels back, not expecting to hear those words come out of my mouth. “Fuck. I’ll handle this. Put your necklace back on, Bailey.”
Thaddeus heads toward the door as I wipe my fingers on my joggers, crying inside at the stain my blood will cause, before fumbling for it in my pocket. My hands shake as I undo the clasp, and I barely manage to get the damn thing around my neck without dropping it.
Everything hurts as I fall back on my ass, trying to catch my breath, waiting for the shitshow that I know is about to start. Hopefully, I’ll manage to slip by them, and they can fight or whatever without an audience.
Thaddy tosses a look over his shoulder, checking to make sure I’ve secured my glamour before mouthing, ‘I’m sorry,’ and opening the containment room door.
A purple blur whizzes into the room, all frantic and chaotic. It’s then that I realize the person I heard in my head is none other than Miss Izzicle. So that means…
“I knew it! I knew you were cheating on me, Thaddeus Snow!” Whoop, there it is. She’s the illusive girlfriend. “And with a student! You should be ashamed of yourself! Disguising it as research and helping learn magic. You’re despicable!” She continues without letting Thaddy get a word in edgewise. I feel bad for the poor Smurf. She’s so damn far off base it’s not even funny. “I’m going to report you to the headmaster!”
Ahhh, shit. That’s exactly what I was afraid of.
Thaddeus snatches a distraught Miss Izzicle right off her feet before she can storm away. She squirms and fights to get free, but finally, she relents, sagging in his hold.
“Ronnie, I am not cheating on you. I never have, and I never will. I don’t know where you got that crazy notion, but if you’re listening to those narcissistic people you call friends, then it’s time to find new ones.”
“I don’t belie–”
“Shut up, Ronnie, and listen to me. You said what you needed to. Now you’re going to hear what I have to say. And if you question me again or embarrass me again in front of one of my students, you won’t like the repercussions.”
“You wouldn’t,” she hisses, renewing her struggle.
“Oh, I will definitely send your ass right back to the fae realm. Don’t think I won’t.”
There are soooooo many questions I want to ask because, damn. I didn’t know Thaddy had the power to do something like that. But he isn’t wrong. There isn’t anything going on between us but magic practice, and she’s completely blown it out of proportion.
“If I believed even an inkling of this,” Miss Izzicle grits out through clenched teeth, “it’s wildly inappropriate for you to be behind a locked door with a female student.”
I so badly want to chime in and say it’s wildly inappropriate for her to bust in here and act a fool, but I swallow the words down, knowing they won’t help in this situation.
“I have never given you a reason to think I’m cheating. And I have never accused you of this when you’ve been behind a closed door with a male student while you tutor in history. Bailey has rare magic and a hell of a lot of it. Jasper, your boss, chose me to teach her because of who I am. If you have a problem with it, you take it up with him.”
My hand slowly starts to raise, hoping he’ll call on me to ask the burning question, but I think better of it and drop it back into my lap.
A song comes to mind from his words, with a little twist.
Will the real Thaddy Winterton please stand up?
Because I’m starting to feel that I know nothing about Thaddy except for the fact that he’s fae, has a girlfriend—for how much longer, I don’t know—and has strong magic.
“Oh, I will. And I’ll tell him that I’m taking over the training.”
Oh, fuck that. I don’t want her training me in shit. Not after this. Her anger and attitude toward me already let me know that she won’t hesitate to hand me over to the council. Rules be damned.
“Good luck, Ronnie. You wouldn’t know the first thing about her magic.”
She scoffs. “She’s a witch and a wolf. How hard could it be to teach her.”
Nope. Nuh-uh. It’s time to get the heck out of here before Thaddeus has me take off my necklace. I learned my lesson when Jasper had me do that with the idiot professor.
As quietly as possible, I gather my stuff from the side of the room, tie my hoodie around my waist, and slip out behind them. I could easily use my amplifier rune to listen in to where their conversation goes, but it’s really none of my damn business. And, if I’m honest, her whiney upset voice was starting to grate on my nerves. When I get far enough down the hallway, I take off in a dead run, needing to get back to my room quickly.
Students jump out of my way as I barrel through the halls, and it isn’t until I reach my dorm room that I finally feel safe from having to expose myself. The door slams shut behind me, and I drop to my knees, my hands pressed to the top of my head, trying to get my harsh breathing under control.
Gods, that was just horrible.
How the heck did I not recognize her voice when she was rambling in the hallway? I listen to it three times a week, but she’s never used that tone before. She’s always had this soft-speaking voice when she’s addressed us in the classroom.
But now I know. Not only is Miss Izzicle Thaddy’s girlfriend, but she’s also green with jealousy when it comes to me.
And I didn’t even do anything.
Shit.
My phone chooses that moment to chime, and I debate not even looking. I don’t need it to be Thaddy asking where I went, and I sure as hell don’t need it to be Jasper calling me into his office so we can show Miss Izzicle my identity. They said it was need-to-know, and she does not need to know. I’ll put my foot down on that one.
Not that I know if Jasper has my number, but I digress.
It’ll be my choice who knows from now on. And there will need to be a hell of a lot of trust built up before we get that far.
Lesson learned.
The reminder on my phone goes off, practically screaming into my quiet room that someone is trying to get a hold of me. There’s a chance it could be Luka. He may have felt my unease through the bond and is checking on me.
Dammit.
I reluctantly pull it from my pocket, clicking the button on the side to light up the screen. Yummy Vamp is attached to the waiting text message, and I breathe a sigh of relief at the sight. Axel I can totally handle.
Yummy Vamp
Hey, cor meum. Just wanted to see how your day is going. I miss you.
Aww. I miss my sweet vampy, too.
Me
Hey, vampy. Day is… well… gods, it’s all so fucked up. But better now that I’ve heard from you, though.
Yummy Vamp
What’s going on? Do I need to come down there?
Me
Nah. I think I’m just going to hide in my room for the rest of the day.
Yummy Vamp
Well, how about you come hide at my house for the rest of the day instead? I’m working from home today.
I choke on my spit as I stare at the screen. Go to his house? Like, his personal residence? Oh gods, I wonder if he has a coffin.
Screw it. Only one way to find out.
Me
Okay. Be there soon.
Yummy Vamp
I can’t wait.
Me either, vampy. Me either.