15. Addi

FIFTEEN

Idon't know how I've made it to lunchtime without being approached again by Brody, but here I am, gathering my trash with what almost feels like a successful smile on my face. Sure, he's continued to press his knee to mine for the rest of the morning, but there's been no other interaction, and I'm counting that as a win.

Two-one. To me, of course. Not that I would ever tell him that. Imagine Brody with the awareness of a challenge in the air. That would only double his efforts. I know it. So, I'm focusing on pretending he doesn't exist until he, eventually, leaves me alone. I already feel like it's working.

"I'm excited to have our first incantations and potions class next," Flora muses with a smile, and I nod in agreement.

"It'll be good for us to be able to implement things without requiring a mage all the time," Arlo states, stuffing the last bite of his food into his mouth.

"I mean, we'll likely need them from time to time, but I think it's going to be good for us to have a general grasp of it," I add, trying to see it more practically. Just because we're taking the classes doesn't mean we're going to excel at it like the mages do. Their abilities are in their blood.

"Are you always so logical?" he asks as we rise from our seats, dropping our remnants in the trash as we head toward the academy doors.

I'm about to confirm that I definitely am as logical as possible when my brain isn't scrambled, thinking about guys, but I don't get to open my mouth before someone grabs ahold of my arm. I freeze, spinning defensively toward whoever has the balls to touch me right now, only to find a guy I don't recognize.

Instant assessment tells me he's a human and not one from my classes.

"Yes?" I bite, staring down at where his hand remains on my arm. He quickly releases it, clearing his throat as he takes a step back, leaning against the picnic table behind him.

"Thank you for saving my sister," he murmurs, making me frown.

"Sister?"

"Yesterday," he clarifies, and understanding dawns on me. I don't really know what to say, so I offer him a simple nod instead. I didn't help her for praise or attention. I helped her because it was the right thing to do. Like we all should. A thought strikes me, and before I can weigh out whether to say it or not, I blurt it out.

"Where were you?"

His brows furrow as his head rears back. "I'm sorry?"

"When it happened, where were you?" I repeat, watching his eyes widen as he rubs his lips together nervously.

"I was here." The admission is quiet, a lot softer than his appreciation a moment earlier, and I think we both know why.

I size him up. He's not small by any means. He's stacked, taller than me, with bulked-out muscles and a mean jawline that I'm sure can look menacing when tense. He's here because he's ready to face everything the kingdom is up against—or as ready for it as a human can be.

"And you did nothing?"

"I—"

I wave my hand, cutting him off before he starts stammering like a fool, making sure the disappointment is clear on my face.

"I don't want your thanks again. I want you to stand your ground. That"s what we"re all here for. Are you here to be the heir or to aid?" He simply gapes at me, eyes darting around as he tries to come up with some kind of answer. "Because you did neither of those things yesterday. Consider that. Consider what a leader or an aid to a leader would do when someone is in need. One that isn't catty among bitchy women." I exhale, letting the tension that quickly consumed me dissolve as I sigh. Turning away, I find Flora and Arlo smirking at me and I shake my head, but before I leave, I glance back at him with a softer touch to my eyes this time. "I am glad she's okay, though," I add before sauntering away.

"You are such a freaking badass. It's not even funny," Flora says with a chuckle, and Arlo nods vigorously in agreement.

"You two are shit stirrers who don't know what they're talking about," I grumble, which only makes them grin wider.

"We know," they respond in sync, and I shake my head in disbelief as we walk toward our next class.

Thankfully, I arrive before Brody or Kryll, so I have the luxury of getting comfortable in my seat before either of them can make an appearance. I'm straightening the neck of my cloak when a shadow looms over me, but the sweet smell of overly flowery perfume burns my nostrils, confirming who it is without me even looking.

When it doesn't drift on by, I know I'm going to have to look up, and that irritates me even more than the scent. I'm greeted by the forever-friendly face that belongs to my favorite vampire of all time: Vallie.

Her lip is curled in a sneer, her nose flared and her eyes narrowed as she glares down at me with that irritating vampire superiority they all have.

I smile, lips pressed together as I lace my fingers, staring at her expectantly. Silence extends around us and I bask in it, letting it blanket me with the sweetest sense of awkwardness as possible. It takes a few beats, but she discreetly shuffles from foot to foot and I know I have her.

"You're in my way."

I widen my eyes, making a grand gesture to look from side to side before meeting her eyes. "I don't know how that's possible. There are plenty of clear walkways around me, and?—"

"That's not what I mean and you know it," she interjects, palms hitting the desk between us as I blink up at her innocently.

"I really don't."

Her lips purse as her face reddens, and it takes everything inside of me to bite back the smile that threatens to consume my face. "Don't play dumb with me. It doesn't suit you. I'm only going to say this once, so you better listen, and listen good." She prods her finger against the table, getting closer with every word while I remain still as stone. "Stay the hell away from Raiden and his friends. You won't like what will happen if you don't." She stands tall, pleased with herself as she flicks her hair over her shoulder and smoothly moves to her seat.

Why does she have to go and say that? That's exactly what I'm trying to do, but now that she warns me to stay away, I suddenly have the urge to get in their space.

Damn bitches and their big mouths. Why do they have to spoil things for me and leave me so conflicted?

I don't get long to fester in my irritation before I'm flanked on either side. Kryll takes his seat without a word or glance in my direction, reminding me why I silently like him so much, while Brody oversteps my personal space just enough for it to be noted as he follows suit.

His knee is pressed against mine, immediately sending goosebumps up my thigh, and for the first time, I instinctively retreat. Internally berating myself, I sense his reaction as he shifts his leg, touching me once again.

"Tell me you don't want my warmth pressing against you, Cupcake, and I'll move." The challenge is clear in his tone, but I refuse to give in. Speaking with him will only give him what he wants, and after an almost successful morning, I'm standing my ground.

I let his body touch mine and focus on the professor as he steps into the room. The frown line between his brows is permanently present and it makes me wonder whether Raiden will end up with one like that, too, considering how mad he is all the time.

Thankfully, he wastes no time getting straight into the lesson. "Good afternoon, students. I'm Professor Morgan, and I'll be guiding you through incantations and potions for the foreseeable future. The first task of the day is going to be to learn how to ward your rooms, as it's been brought to my attention by another professor that this may be of use and importance to you." His brown eyes find mine and I recall the conversation I had with Professor Fairbourne yesterday.

Would he call me out like that? That's not exactly keeping me off the radar at all.

I keep my face impassive, forcing my breaths to remain even as I wait for him to proceed. There's no point in worrying over anything he may have said right now when I can't control it, especially when I really do need to focus on this because it will come in handier than he knows.

"To ward rooms, it's an incantation, along with a sprig of sage and a good helping of lavender. Get used to the smell of both. They're going to be everywhere."

"I'm practically made from both of them. You can smell me if you like it…" Brody offers, and I don't know whether to laugh or frown at his craziness, but I manage to keep it together and remain focused on Professor Morgan.

I murmur my thanks when I'm handed both items, clasping them together as if someone's going to take them from me.

"The main point of the ward is to burn both the lavender and the sage just right as you chant the following. Me incolumem serva, me his moenia serva."

A murmur settles over the room from everyone but the mages as we all try to wrap our tongues around the foreign words. It almost sounds Latin, but I have no idea. I'm just here to repeat like a damn puppet as long as it gets me the abilities I need.

"Me incolumem serva, me his moenia serva." I test the weight of the words on my tongue, then repeat them again to make sure it sounds just like he said.

"What are you stressing about, Cupcake?" Brody asks, bracing an arm along the back of my chair as he crowds my space again. "Say the word and I'll come to your room and do it for you," he promises.

I turn to him with a sigh. "I'm good."

"I'm better."

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I try to gather myself before I look back at him. "Are you always this exasperating?"

"Yes, he is," Kryll confirms. Although, when I turn to him, he's not looking my way.

Reluctantly, I glance back to Brody, who is wiggling his eyebrows at me suggestively. I'm going to need more than strength to handle this guy. Shaking him off is going to be harder than expected.

Pushing against his arm, he doesn't budge. "I'm trying to focus," I state, keeping my voice as light and airy as possible to come across as nice as I can, but it doesn't seem to register with him.

"Me too, but the direction of our attention just seems to be a little different."

Turning to face him—like, really face him—I give him a pointed look. "What is it going to take for you to leave me alone? Being here is important to me, and you're more than a handful at this point."

His smile widens as though he's pleased with the assessment and I immediately regret asking.

"Friday night. You, me, my dick. I'm a hit ‘em and quit ‘em kind of guy. Let me in and I'll be straight out of your system in no time. You're just not allowed to be upset when I come down firm on the fact that there'll be no round two."

He means it. He means every damn word, and I'm left wondering what my life has come to.

Leaning back, I shake my head. "Not happening," I grumble, focusing on the sage and lavender in my hands as he leans in and whispers in my ear.

"It's so happening."