“Don’t keep everything to yourself,” he mumbled vaguely. “I am sorry forhowI expressed my thoughts.” He said nothing else after, and maybe that was as good as I got for now.
Samuel huffed. “I’m now more convinced that I have to get your knights in my company. They’d be better off as soldiers rather than your bodyguards.”
I glared at him. “Really, Samuel?”
He actually smirked back, the bastard. “That’s the first time you called me by name. But I digress; I understand they’re important to you, and thisistheir first major fuck up, I presume?”
“Not their fuck up,” I grunted.
“One can only have so many chances,” he ignored what I said. “My apologies for jumping to conclusions. As an officer, it is important to take all sides into consideration when deciding, and I didn’t exercise that. I will do better.”
Last, it was Winston’s turn, and he sat straighter in his throne-like chair. His face held his usual sweet smile. It was easy to mistake it for a kind gesture. “I need to reiterate: your knights requested the punishment, and as a Royal Prince, I only did what my subjects asked for.” He raised a hand before I could retort. “My major regret is how it was possible to have a student kidnapped within the academy walls. The Magical Academy that I personally oversee.
“I am sorry, Beatrix Gadreel Havenglow. Your family will be sufficiently compensated for this slight.”
“I don’t need your compensation just yet,” I countered. “Besides, by sending your personal apologies to my family, you confirm this school isn’t as safe as it’s known to be. I doubt you want that information perpetuated about thebestMagical Academy, especially now that the every-decade battle against the Demon Lord is looming over us.
“Personally? I don’t want that too. It might mess with my schooling, and I really want to learn Teleportation magic. Here’s my proposal: apologize to my family later. Preferably when everything is satisfactory within the Kingdom. Maybe after the fated final battle of the Champions versus the Demon Lord, whenever that might be. Butneverforget.”
One by one, I looked at them, memorizing their expressions in my mind. Not all were apologetic; some still held defiance. “I accept all your apologies. I don’t ask for much, do I? All I want is letting me decide for myself. If you think I’m being stupid, please let me know, argue your case if I’m being stubborn. But don’t force me. Let me suffer the consequences if it comes to that.”
“I don’t think I can handle seeing you suffer,” Elias mumbled, stroking my hand.
“I’m more of a hands-on kind of person,” I smiled at him. “It’s how I become a better person. At least I think so.”
Claude laughed out loud, catching all our attention as he raised his arms up to the ceiling. “By the stars, I am in love with this woman!”
“What the fuck are you talking about, Wescott?” Winston immediately asked, the words biting, contrasting his angelic face.
“Bea’s the one for me,” Claude explained, as if that made sense. “My one and only. My destiny. The love of my —”
“Stop,” I yelled, cringing at my shrill tone. “No falling in love, Claude Wescott!”
To my surprise, it was Vince who asked, “What? Why?”
“We don’t have time for that,” I griped, feeling my heart beat faster. “I need to get Robin and Reuben healed. I need to find the bastard who had me kidnapped, and the kidnappers themselves. Especially their leader.” I gulped to wet my throat. “I — I need to find out what’s causing my magic to fuck up. Why I had a block against Psychic magic. I need to learn Teleportation magic.”
“Okay, babe, calm down.” Amos began stroking my hair as both Robin and Reuben moved their heads from my shoulders. “We’re not in a rush. Professor Altha can heal your bodyguards. We’ll definitely find those bastards. And about your magic, you’re only a first year; you have five years to learn that.”
“My lady, deep breaths,” Reuben soothed me as Elias held my hand, and Robin rubbed my back.
“She’s having a panic attack,” Derrick exclaimed as he knelt beside the others, placing a hand on the visible skin on my chest. “This happened when I found her too. Skies, I should’ve figured it out then.”
“What do you mean?” Uriel demanded as I watched the others step closer.
“A delayed reaction to the kidnapping, possibly. She was calm the entire time; I didn’t sense elevated emotions through my connection with her. Until the moment I found her wandering the streets.” Derrick glanced at them. “It’s a traumatizing experience — frankly, she should be more scared, but she’s able to talk rationally with us. Until now.”
“I’m cool,” I laughed, because while the kidnapping was definitely scary, I was more afraid of these men falling in love with me, because I was notme,because the real me was too prone to falling in love, and the exact reason I had numerous past relationships that always ended in disaster.
It was all too much at once. So, naturally, I threw up.
Chapter Twenty-One
Half-an-hour later, my nerves calmed down, my knights healed up, my vomit cleaned. It was probably past midnight, but they were all still here, sitting on various chairs, as I relaxed on a couch with a glass of water nearby.
“Why are you all here?” I asked after minutes of silence, letting my curiosity prevail.
“Nowthat’sa stupid question,” Theodore spoke from a chair he had perched in a corner of the parlor. “What do you think, Bea?”
