Chapter 36

36

" T hank you both for joining me." A large oak table separated us from Dean Arnold, papers stacked neatly, pens turned in straight rows. His office was enormous, with a great window that faced the courtyard in the middle of campus.

"Of course," Noah responded, rubbing circles on my thigh. He knew I was worked up over this, but he didn't mock me or insinuate it was silly. I knew we weren't in trouble; we were here for quite the opposite. But I'd never been called to any dean's office, and the fear of it had been ingrained in me since I was a child.

"I spoke with the board, and we have a few things we would like to do to show our gratitude." Arnold pulled a file from his desk and started thumbing through it.

"Oh, that's certainly not necessary," I said when Noah leaned over and whispered into my ear.

"Oh, it's necessary."

I couldn't help the playful roll of my eyes.

"First of all, we're going to be rebuilding the professors' brewery, along with other parts damaged in the chaos. And with that construction project, we will be officially naming the building." Dean Arnold slid a piece of parchment across his desk, showing the designs for a large stone sign.

"This is wrong," Noah immediately said, shaking his head and pulling the paper closer. "This should read Baker-Lawrence, not Lawrence-Baker." He handed the paper back to the shocked dean.

"Noah, it's fine as it is," I said, hoping his words wouldn't offend the dean.

"No. Henri did most of the work. I want her name first." After I gave him a look, he reluctantly added, "Please."

Arnold didn't seem offended in the slightest, a knowing smirk on his face as he noted the change. "I will see that it is changed."

"Thank you," Noah said, shooting me a wink.

I just stared at the paper, shocked that they would name a building after us. That was…well, huge. Monumental. I was so honored, I had to fight off tears.

"Additionally, the school will waive all future tuition, housing, and other school fees, along with paying any student debt either of you may owe."

My jaw dropped. I had earned the maximum amount of scholarships I possibly could have for mastery, but there were still thousands of pounds that I owed to the school. I wouldn't have to pay any of them back once I started working.

I couldn't hold back my tears. "Th-thank you so much," I whispered, unable to raise my voice any louder. My fingers trembled at the news, and I clasped my hands together to stabilize them. Noah reached over and laid his large hand over mine.

"Of course, Miss Baker. It is the very least we can do." Arnold gazed at me with such warmth, I couldn't even look at him anymore. I buried my face in my hands just to let the reality of what he said fully sink in.

Noah's hand pressed between my shoulder blades, rubbing in slow circles while I composed myself. It was probably the only thing holding me together at that moment.

"Finally, we will have a banquet with prestigious members of our community next month to thank you for preventing what could have been the deadliest poisoning in our history." My head snapped up.

It had been two weeks since the incident, and every piece of magical news included our names and photos. Noah and I had stayed inside almost exclusively for the past two weeks, as we had been stopped everywhere we'd gone. Countless letters had come, thanking us for our bravery and brilliance. While it was lovely, it was also overwhelming.

A banquet filled with policy leaders was unfathomable. Meeting them would mean potential job offers and mentorship opportunities that I could have only dreamed of.

I was speechless.

"Dean Arnold, that is…incredible. Thank you," Noah said, pulling my hand into his lap and squeezing.

"One last thing. Miss Baker, when you finish your Policy Mastery, we would like to also offer you a Mastery in Potions. Through your work with Lawrence, you've exemplified all the necessary skills for the mastery, regardless of the classes you've taken."

"You must be joking," I spat without thinking. What he said was insane. No one was just given a mastery.

"Indeed, I am not. You've rightfully earned it. You both have. Unfortunately for Mr. Lawrence, it is already his chosen mastery."

I opened and closed my mouth like a gaping fish. My brain must have stopped working. This couldn't have been real.

"I…Thank you," I said through a choked sob once I finally found words again. Noah was already pulling me into his arms, the tears free-flowing with nothing to stop them. Everything he'd just revealed would change my life forever, all because I wanted to stop a love potion.

"You deserve nothing less than this, Henri," Noah whispered, his hand on the back of my head, holding me to his chest.