21. Cheaters

Cheaters

T he hallways buzz with the usual Monday morning energy as I make my way to Defense Against Dark Hexes with Professor Wraith. Normally, this is one of my favorite classes—what's not to like about learning how to defend yourself against all kinds of nasty magical attacks? The idea of hexing a hexer has a certain appeal. But today? Today is different.

Because Kyla's in that class.

And worse, so is Derek. Which wouldn't be a bad thing, if I wasn't trying to juggle the fact that I'm essentially mated to both him and Sebastian. It's like my life turned into some soap opera, except with more magic and a lot more stress.

I push open the heavy classroom door, and the familiar dark-wood interior of Professor Wraith's classroom greets me. The windows are enchanted to show a forest landscape with fog creeping over the trees, setting the mood for whatever dark magic we'll be learning to deflect today. I scan the room for an empty seat—and for Derek. Spotting him waving me over, I head toward the back where he's sitting.

He leans in as I sit down, that signature grin of his plastered on his face. "Nice outfit today, Z," he murmurs, eyes twinkling. "But I gotta say… a turtle neck? Bit warm for that, isn't it?"

I narrow my eyes at him, knowing exactly what he's getting at. "Oh, shut up. It's called fashion," I snap, although the real reason is painfully obvious. The mate mark on my neck still feels like a neon sign, even under layers of fabric.

Derek chuckles, leaning back in his chair with that annoyingly smug look on his face. "Sure it is. Hiding anything, maybe?"

Before I can throw a snide remark back, we're interrupted. Kyla and her friend—what's-her-name, Bethany? Britney?—walk right between Derek and me. I barely manage not to roll my eyes as Kyla smirks in my direction, tossing her hair over her shoulder like she's starring in some cheap shampoo commercial. It's got to be a wig. No way she figured out how to fix her hair, and the weird stitching in the middle of her head gives it away.

"Looks like you're picking up leftovers, huh, Zaria?" Kyla says, her voice dripping with venom as she gives Derek a once-over. The dig at Derek being Sam's ex isn't exactly subtle.

I raise an eyebrow, not missing a beat. "Better than being someone's sloppy seconds, Kyla. Or third, fourth… how far down the line are you at this point?"

Her smug smile falters, and for a brief, glorious moment, she's flustered. "Whatever," she mutters, her voice losing some of that edge as she stalks off to sit in the back of the class—much further back than usual.

That… makes me nervous.

Kyla typically loves to sit at the front, always eager to show off. But she changes her spots depending on the class. It's been bugging me for a while now—sometimes she's front and center, soaking up all the attention like the self-obsessed witch she is, and other times she slinks into the back like today. Why?

"You good?" Derek's voice pulls me from my thoughts. He's watching me, eyebrow raised, probably sensing the tension radiating off me.

"Yeah, fine," I mutter, though my brain is still running a mile a minute. Why would she switch seats like that? Is she avoiding attention? Or is it something more? Something about this reeks of cheating, but I can't put my finger on it.

As Professor Wraith starts the lesson, my mind is still spinning. If Kyla's up to something, I need to figure out what. It's bad enough she's probably got my grimoire… but if she's cheating her way through classes too, then it's all connected.

I just have to find out how.

Professor Wraith strides into the room with his usual dramatic flair, his long black cloak billowing behind him as he steps to the front. "Today, class," he begins, his deep voice echoing off the stone walls, "we'll start by reviewing last week's topic: Sirens and their spell songs." He pauses, his cold gaze sweeping over the room. "Traditional flying sirens, not the watered-down versions you see on TV, have the ability to cast powerful spell songs, using their voices to influence minds and bend wills." I sit up a little straighter, tuning in. Sirens are fascinating, and I've always enjoyed Professor Wraith's lessons, despite the heavy subject matter. But I can't stop glancing over at Kyla. She's sitting in the back, whispering something to her friend Bethany, a smug expression on her face. "And now," Professor Wraith continues, "before we dive into today's lesson, a pop quiz on last week's material. Twenty questions. No talking."

The room groans collectively, but I smirk. I'm confident about last week's material—I actually pay attention in class, unlike some people.

As the quiz begins, I keep one eye on the parchment in front of me and one eye on Kyla. She's too relaxed, leaning back in her seat, her quill barely moving as she glances between Bethany and another student. My gut tells me she's up to something, and I'm not about to let her get away with it.

I lean down, my lips barely moving as I whisper, " By thread and light, reveal to me, the magic cast that I can't see. Let power's pulse, the truth unwind, expose the spells and ties that bind. "

My fingers flick, sending the faint ripple of magic out toward Kyla, searching for any hidden manipulation of energy.

Nothing happens for a moment, but then—there. I feel it. A pulse of magic, subtle but distinct, coming from Kyla. The magic threads from her and stretches out to… Bethany? My eyes widen slightly as I focus harder.

Kyla is cheating. She's not just copying off Bethany; she's using a Sight Spell —one that allows her to see through the eyes of her friends. I watch in disbelief as Kyla glances toward a third student—some shifter guy named Jaden—and writes down the exact same answers he's writing in real-time. It's like a human relay race, with Kyla sitting back and letting others do the work for her.

I bite my lip, feeling the anger bubbling up inside me. It's not just the fact that she's cheating—that's bad enough—but it's the smugness. The arrogance. The thought that she can just coast through this class, or any class, without lifting a finger. And here I am, working my ass off.

There's no way I'm letting her get away with this.

I glance around the classroom, trying to figure out how to disrupt her little operation. If I can break her connection to the others, she'll be lost. My eyes land on Jaden, who seems to be the one Kyla's relying on the most. He's writing furiously, and every time his quill moves, Kyla's does too. The synchronization is uncanny.

An idea pops into my head—a bit of an old favorite. I smirk, biting my lip to keep from laughing as I slide my notebook closer. I sketch a small, spiraling symbol in the corner of the page, a coil with jagged edges that represents disruption. In the center, I scribble the name Jaden , my chosen target, right into the spiral.

" By coil and air, with each breath drawn, may your lungs hitch and your nose be torn. " I whisper under my breath, keeping my voice low.

The hex is subtle, but it packs a punch. As I finish the spell, I feel the magic shoot from the symbol on my page, latching onto Jaden across the room. It's just a matter of time before it kicks in.

"Did you say something, Miss Vexx?" The professor startles me.

"N-No, just reading the question back to myself, sorry." I put my head down and pretend to focus. At first, nothing happens. But then, a small twitch of his nose. Then another. And before I know it, Jaden's sneezing uncontrollably, his whole body jerking with each one. He tries to keep writing, but his sneezes are relentless, and it's impossible for him to concentrate.

"Ah-choo! Ah-choo!"

The entire class turns to look at him, even Professor Wraith, who frowns. "Mr. Jaden, if you're unwell, perhaps you should step out until you've composed yourself."

Jaden, still sneezing, nods desperately and bolts from the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

I glance over at Kyla. Her smug expression is gone, replaced with a tight frown. She's visibly annoyed, her eyes darting around the room as she realizes she's lost her cheat source. I can almost see the wheels in her head turning, trying to figure out how she's going to manage without Jaden feeding her answers.

Victory. Sweet, glorious victory.

I sit back in my chair, a small smile playing on my lips. Kyla's scrambling now, and there's nothing she can do about it. As she scribbles down random guesses, I glance over at Derek, who raises an eyebrow at me. I just shrug innocently, but he knows me too well.

I'm not done yet. Not by a long shot. But for now, this little win is enough to keep me going.

After class, I make sure to pat Jaden twice on the shoulder, releasing him from the sneezing hex with a feigned, "Hope you feel better!" He shoots me a confused glance but doesn't seem to think much of it. Derek, standing next to me, watches with a smirk as we head down the hall towards lunch.

As we walk, Derek breaks the silence. "I should probably eat somewhere else."

I glance up at him, my brow furrowing in concern. "Why? You're not avoiding me now, are you?"

He shrugs, but I can see the tension in his shoulders. "Sam asked you not to talk to me, remember? I don't want to mess things up between you two, especially if she hasn't done anything wrong."

I sigh. "Derek, it really seems like she has. I just need to be sure before jumping to conclusions."

Before Derek can respond, a voice rings out behind us. "Hey, Zaria!"

Oh, great. Kyla.

Her sharp voice cuts through the crowd like a knife, drawing attention from everyone in the hall. I turn, plastering a smile on my face. "Kyla! What a pleasant surprise. You look great. Did you do something new with your hair?" I glance meaningfully at her now-normal hair, recalling its frizzed-out disaster look from the cheer practice hex incident.

Kyla's face flushes red with anger, and to my surprise, Sebastian is standing right there with her, mingling with her little group. He's clearly still playing his part, pretending to be under her hex. His eyes meet mine for a split second, and there's a subtle glint of amusement there.

Kyla storms forward, her lips curled into a sneer. "I've heard you've got eyes on my man." Her voice is sharp enough to cut glass.

I raise an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Your man? Oh, you mean Sebastian? You should be more specific, Kyla. I have my eyes on a lot of things. But don't worry—when it comes to him, I'm just admiring the packaging, not the contents." I smirk, watching her anger bubble.

She steps closer, her voice low and threatening. "Sebastian is mine to do what I want with. I'll make sure he's too ugly for you to look at—maybe carve his face up, make it so you can't stand the sight of him."

Anger flares inside me, hotter than I expected. Before I even realize what I'm doing, my fist is flying through the air, landing a solid punch square on her jaw. Kyla stumbles back, eyes wide with shock and fury.

The hall erupts into chaos as Derek's arms wrap tightly around my waist, pulling me back before I can lunge at her again. "Whoa, Z! Cool it!" he says, his voice strained but amused. Bethany and her boyfriend are holding Kyla back, who is struggling to get at me, her eyes blazing with fury.

"You bitch !" Kyla screeches, trying to claw her way past Bethany. "You'll pay for that!"

I narrow my eyes at her. "You've got it all wrong, Kyla. Sebastian doesn't belong to anyone, least of all you. And if you even think about laying a hand on him, I swear it'll be the last thing you ever do."

Kyla growls, but before she can retort, Sebastian's laugh cuts through the tension. He's standing off to the side, clearly entertained by the whole scene. "Ladies, ladies... you're going to make me blush."

Kyla, however, isn't laughing. She glares at him, her face red and throbbing where I hit her. "We're going to the nurse's office. You're coming with me, Sebastian!"

Sebastian glances at me, a subtle, knowing look passing between us. He's playing the long game, and we both know it. With a lazy smirk, he follows her, but not before mouthing, We're winning this.

As they walk away, Derek finally loosens his grip on me, and I let out a shaky breath. "Well," he says, his voice tinged with amusement, "that escalated quickly."

I rub my knuckles, feeling the sting of the punch. "Yeah. But it felt good."

He chuckles, shaking his head. "Remind me never to piss you off."

I glance down the hallway, watching Kyla and her crew disappear. "I don't plan on letting her win, Derek. Not this time."

"And you won't," he says, his voice full of quiet certainty.