Chapter 4

4

" K nock, knock!" Ivy's voice called from outside my bedroom. I groaned, pulling the covers over my head. "Are you ready to go?"

I racked my brain, trying to remember what day it was. What should I be ready for? The light that trickled into my dormitory window illuminated my room just enough for me to see the time on the clock that rested above my desk.

Panic gripped me momentarily as I thought I was late for my eight a.m. Friday class. Then I remembered classes had been canceled yesterday, aka Friday, because of the second love potion attack.

I'd spent the entire night deep in the books I'd brought back from the library. They were stacked underneath my desk in the least offensive way possible, though they still bothered me with how they cluttered my room. There were too many to have on my desk, as that would just create too much of a mess, so I had nowhere else to put them but under it, where they were only partially visible.

It was indeed not Friday, so I ran through the plans I had made for the weekend.

Throwing the covers off, I jumped from the bed. I grabbed my wand from my side table as I moved towards my bathroom, sending a spell to the door to unlock it for Ivy.

"Sorry, Ivy. I stayed up too late reading. I'll be ready in a few!" I called to her as I slammed the bathroom door behind me.

"How unlike you!" Ivy jested from behind the door. "Don't rush. I'm actually early. But if you want to rush, that's fine too. I'd like to get to the market before the crowds."

Once a month, we left campus to go to the Bamonte Market, where vendors set up their wares for sale. Truly, it was one of the most enjoyable things to do in the area in our time off. The market had everything from clothing to potion ingredients to books and food. Ivy and I would spend the day together, sans Remy, and enjoy the eats and shopping.

Quickly, I washed my face, applied oils and a touch of blush, and pulled my hair back. When I emerged from the bathroom, Ivy was perched on my bed, which she must have made while I was in the bathroom. She knew me so well.

I pulled open my closet door and selected a maroon sweater and a pair of jeans, pulling them on before slipping my feet into some boots. The chill of the autumn was beginning to fill the air, no matter how badly I wished for it to go away. But it was only September, and the cold was just beginning.

"Ready?" I asked Ivy, whose eyes were glued to her phone. I waited for her to look up, but she never did. I hopped onto the bed next to her, wondering what had her so invested.

ANOTHER LOVE POTION ATTACK—HOW FORRESTbrIAR PLANS ON PROTECTING THEIR STUDENTS.

I skimmed the part of the article visible on her phone and rolled my eyes. "They shouldn't reveal their plan, not that it's even a good one."

Ivy laughed, locking her phone. "A curfew will not change anything that happened."

"Speaking of, when did it finally wear off?"

"Sometime around midnight, I think? We eventually fell asleep watching a movie. But seriously, it was exactly what Remy and I needed." Ivy's eyes looked like they might have a haze of the potion, but I knew better. She just loved him that much.

"Good. Hopefully, there won't be another attack."

Ivy laughed as she jumped from my bed, making it to the door in less than a step. "I'm sure you'll solve the case before it happens again." She eyed the books under my desk, her brow raised.

"I didn't find out much." I grabbed my scarf from the hook on the back of my door before we left.

"So the potion didn't affect you either time? At all?" Ivy asked, stuffing her face with an apple scone. This market had a vendor with the best pastries I'd ever had, though I preferred the blueberry one.

"We've been over this a hundred times. Why are you so worried about me and the potion?" I felt my frustration build; this was the third time in the past hour she'd mentioned it and thwarted my attempts to change the topic.

"I'm just worried about you, that's all. I mean, how can you not have a single crush on anyone? What about the guy in your Foreign Magical Society Policies class? He's pretty cute, yeah?" Ivy bumped her shoulder into mine, and I just sighed.

"Sure, he's handsome, but he chews with his mouth open. And he eats in class all the time. It's so obnoxious." I shuddered at the number of times I'd heard the man eat.

"Okay, ew. What about Preston Thames? He's adorable!" Preston was one of many boys in my major who were handsome yet annoying.

"Nope." I didn't even want to explain for the third time that Preston didn't allow others to speak. He just talked over everyone else.

"I'm just trying to help." Ivy frowned, the line between her eyebrows a telltale sign of her frustration.

"I know, but I'm just not interested in anyone here. Maybe when I start a career, I'll have time for romantic endeavors." I looked away from her, watching couples—not under the influence of a potion—interact.

It was nice to see how gentlemen would carry bags, hold purses, or pick up items for the women they were with. I watched as a dark-haired older man admired his partner while she looked at artwork. He didn't notice the paintings, for she was the artwork to him.

I looked away quickly, not needing to absorb that.

"And no one came after you?" Ivy asked, pulling me into a booth that sold creams enhanced with charms to make them more nourishing.

"No, but thank you for reminding me," I snapped, tired of the conversation. I pulled away from her, fixing my attention on the creams and salves, trying to calm myself down. I hadn't meant to be ugly to her, but she just needed to let things go.

"I'm sorry, Henri. I didn't mean to push." Her voice was soft, and it made me feel even worse for how I spoke to her. I knew her intentions were good, but maybe I didn't need to be reminded that no one saw me as anything more than the studious girl with a penchant for perfect grades.

"Me too." I gave her a small smile, and we buried the topic for the rest of the day.