“Tiberius excused us for lunch,” Eva said, her eyes twinkling “We have an hour before the next workshop.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” I said.
“No problem, you just have to get your enchantment taken off, or else you’ll actually start succumbing to its effects,” Eva said. “We’ve already had ours removed, and want to get out of here. It’s mac and cheese day in the cafeteria. I’m not missing that again. Want us to get you guys some?”
We declined, and Eva and Hunter scurried off to indulge in one of Spellcasters’ most popular entrées.
Alex placed his hands on my waist and helped me off the table. Together, we strode up to Tiberius Thorn, who waved his hands over our abdomens and arched his eyebrows.
“Any guesses?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No idea,” I admitted easily. Much of my frustration had vanished after our makeout session.
“And you, Wardwell?” Tiberius asked.
“She has congested arteries. They’re reducing her blood flow and might cause a heart attack or stroke,” Alex said, surprising me.
When had he figured that out? He’d seemed so confused right before we started kissing.
Tiberius beamed. “Correct. You’re the only one in your class to hit the nail on the head.”
“Thank you, sir.” Alex nodded and grasped my hand.
We left Agnes Sampson Hall together, and though my feelings of defeat still lingered, the hand I held made things a lot easier.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ihave the best friends.
Even if they had just kicked my ass one-by-one, I could say that with confidence. After all, they were giving up a sacred day off to help me train and hopefully pull my magic out of me.
Most of our class had headed down to Wandstown, intent on chugging ale and letting off some steam in the witching town that turned a blind eye to underage drinking, and the shenanigans of Spellcasters students. Our parents would arrive the following week for Yule, and while I was looking forward to seeing Mom and Dad—and questioning them about the curse—many of my classmates were dreading their reunions.
Poor Efraim had actually burst out into hives at the idea of seeing his parents.
“How did that time feel, sweets?” Alex asked, his blue eyes narrowed as he wiped his glasses clean.
“About the same. Like I can push my magic only so far before I hit a wall.” I heaved out a big sigh and threw up my hands. “Maybe magic is one area where I’ll never be as good as I want to be. If I get through Spellcasters, I’ll be that spy who relies on her charm and smarts. Or have to partner with somebody who’s superb at magic.”
Eva placed a hand on her hip. “No way, girl. You can do this! Everyone’s magic is different. Professors try to fit us into boxes, but it’s possible that you don’t fit into a box.”
Every time this topic came up, I felt that Mom and Dad had failed me in teaching me how to be a witch. Even if they wanted me to be self-sufficient without magic, it made little sense. Especially considering the curse.
“Okay,” I said, shaking the negative thoughts from my mind. “What do you say we do one more round and then break for lunch? This time, Hunter and I will be on the same team, and you guys attack him. We’ll try to recreate Samhain.”
Hunter gaped. “Gee, thanks, friend. Thank goodness Eva isn’t annoyed with me today, or I’d think you had it out for me.”
Eva wagged her eyebrows. “After thismorning, there’s no way I’m mad at you, honey bunch. You—”
“Okay, okay,” I cut her off. “No one needs details, here.”
Eva was amajorover-sharer when it came to her relationship with Hunter.
“All right.” Alex waved his hand, and crimson magic burst from his fingers to form a tiny, brass cup in the center of the room. “We’ll battle for this cup.”
He pointed to both ends of the Battle Magic classroom, which was long and rectangular. “We’ll start on opposite sides and work toward the middle. Nothing is off limits. Since it worked once, we’ll do what Odie said—go for Hunter and try to pull her protective instinct out.”
It would kind of suck if I could only perform strong magic in life-and-death situations, but at least if this worked, I would know for certain what my capabilities were.
