Though even magic couldn’t make an extra room appear without changing a building. Could they have bribed someone? Yes, of course, but I was pretty sure it would have reached my ears.
Whatever, either way, I was just down the other corridor from Gloria and Robin, and Kate and Carmen were above me and down the hall a bit.
And the room was a bit bigger, so that was nice. Not much, but it was. I cared that it was a different layout. That helped from even when Wyatt waited for me when I’d woken up. That had made me think of Alex, and… I was glad for the fresh start and people knew my issues.
I was packed up and moved in a flash with the guys helping. It was really—it helped me mentally and to heal that people weren’t acting like I was a baby and this was valid. Even other students weren’t talking trash about it.
At least the witches. The warlocks probably had a lot to say, but they were better at keeping their mouths shut around me which I was fairly sure had to do with Winter.
Either way, Iappreciated itwhich was why I kept kissing his cheek and offered him a drawer when I got settled. He seemed confused but just rolled with it in his easy Winter way.
All of them were helpful—at my dorm room or home.
Wyatt and the Headmaster set up a special cloaked circle in the corner of my room that would take me home. It was tied only to me. Only I could use it and I just had to push magic into it. It was my personal escape pod as they said it for emergencies but also if I was just overwhelmed or wanted to be home as long as I promised to tell my security and not abuse it.
Morethan fair, and I thanked them both profusely not realizing how much I’d needed that to feel safe. The looks of understanding and pity they gave me said it all.
I was just really grateful and it was awesome. No one could follow, no one could sneak after me so I could just drop off product for Familiar Treasures—it was great. Tracey warned me that it tookgobsof magic to make that. Like she couldn’t do it on her own and the two warlocks had to have saved up for it and then drained themselves to do it.
I was glad to know that because I paid the favor back with interest. While Wyatt was there, I had a session with the headmaster and his familiar. Not the normal one, but where I basically held him up with my magic and let him walk back and forth across the representation of his bond with his familiar to strengthen it.
When we were done, he swallowed loudly and said he understood how those councilmen had lost their minds and gone dark instead of better. That shocked me, but he explained that even he was terrified of me “falling into the wrong hands” because while my power was great… It could be used to do greatly evil things.
Fair enough, but they had wanted it forgreedand to control who could get it. It wasn’t to keep me from being abused and powering up the evil Hughes family under threat or something.
There was a fucking difference.
But I’d paid my debt and was glad to move on. I did the same for Wyatt and would have anyways since I needed him stronger as my priest since it benefited me. It was intimate when we did it because… Because.
So yeah, everyone was pitching in. Nigel didn’t have the money, but he’d asked Tracey for it and gotten it all handled so I had two of those huge wall Skylight calendars. Iloved it. It might have seemed juvenile or silly for a single woman to use, but I liked seeing it all laid out.
I didn’t care if someone rolled their eyes at me that I had it listed to brush my teeth. My life was complicated and busy andyes, some days I forgot if I brushed my teeth or not and it was organized. I needed some damn easy in my life. And someone seeing that and figuring out how to help me in that way was amazing.
Beyond amazing.
I’d hugged him and peppered his face with kisses while gushing how perfect it was… Until there were some upset men and Nigel was ten shades of red. Then I’d jumped away from him and flushed lava hot while sputtering apologies and wanting to melt into the floor.
But seriously, he’d even set up a lot of the basics for me that could easily be changed. He put a lot on Mondays, weekly tasks like cleaning the bathroom and washing my bedding and I easily just changed it to the days I wanted and normally did it. It was theefforthe’d put in to set this all up and get it together.
It was honestly one of the sweetest presents and things someone had done for me.
Which did not make four men happy to hear when I said that.
Well, I wasn’t going to lie to save their feelings. I appreciated other things they did too.
Like when Winter put magic on the one in my dorm room so people couldn’t read it besides me so no one would see the tasks for Familiar Treasures or anything that could bust me. That was awesome too.
Nigel saw how much I needed structure and to handle my own life after being owned and controlled by my family. He spent hours with me going through everything that had been packed up from my old room and delivered by the council’s people from the order. He didn’t say anything when I got overwhelmed and bailed either.
It was nice to not have to do it alone. It also helped to be able to donate alotof it—let it go. Having those boxes just weighed me down.
I didn’t want to be weighed down anymore. I wanted to move forward without chains. And I think Nigel saw that plus helping me figure out how to organize my new room given what he’d seen me do in my dorm room. He was truly patient as I spent way too much time hemming and hawing over closet organizers.
Insanely patient.
Winter was very focused on my quality of life. Clare was right that he was someone who managed things well and saw the big picture. Winter had taken my ordering the whole menu of the Chinese restaurant of what interested me that first time I used Student Union to heart.
He had afolderof printed-out menus along with notes of what he heard or knew from experience. Really useful information like never to order from one place on Friday or Saturday nights. They were great, but they just didn’t deal with how busy they got on Friday or Saturday nights and were understaffed, so it was a shit show.
